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Post by jamie9012 on Jan 3, 2014 17:20:40 GMT -5
I will now list Songs from the Episode that I heard on this past Sunday. It was Part 1 on the Top 100 Songs from 1981. I recorded some of the Songs on a Cassette Tape.
100. TIME IS TIME- Andy Gibb- This was a great Song to begin the countdown! I really like it. I recorded this song. 99. SHARE YOUR LOVE WITH ME- Kenny Rogers- I do not remember this Song very well, unfortunately. 98. SUPER FREAK- Rick James- I hear this song a lot. 97. NEVER BE THE SAME- Christopher Cross- I have read the Critique from Hervard about this Episode from the Page 221. I do remember this information that Casey Kasem mentioned. 96. HER TOWN TOO- James Taylor and J.D. Souther- I do not remember this song very well (like the Song at #99), however I did like it. 95. AIN'T EVEN DONE WITH THE NIGHT- John Cougar- This is one of my favorite Songs from him. 94. THE BEACH BOYS MEDLEY- The Beach Boys- I did not hear a lot of this song, however I did hear the song "Fun, Fun, Fun". 93. WATCHING THE WHEELS- John Lennon- If I remember right, Casey Kasem said something about the period in which John Lennon did not release any Music. I think that he said that that was what this Song is about. 92. WHAT KIND OF FOOL- Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb- This was a great Duet. 91. COOL LOVE- Pablo Cruise- I really liked this Song! The music made me think of cold Weather. I also like songs such as "Love Will Find A Way" and "Whatcha Gonna Do" (the title of the second song may not be spelled correctly). 90. A LITTLE IN LOVE- Cliff Richard- I like all of his Songs that I have heard so far. I recorded this Song. 89. WE'RE IN THIS LOVE TOGETHER- Al Jarreau- I also liked this one (and I recorded it)! It makes me think of a good taste in the Mouth (that sounds so strange). 88. WHEN SHE WAS MY GIRL- The Four Tops- I have never heard much of this song. However, I did hear it on this Episode, and I liked it. 87. THE BREAKUP SONG- The Greg Kihn Band- I think that Casey Kasem said that this band traveled outside of the United States before they had success. Actually, the story may have been very different, however I remember that he mentioned Europe. 86. I MADE IT THROUGH THE RAIN- Barry Manilow- I heard this song on the Episode of American Top 40 from December 6, 1980. 85. TIME- The Alan Parsons Project- This was an interesting Idea for a band, as Casey Kasem said. The music of this song, as I remember, sounded sad. 84. SOMEBODY'S KNOCKIN'- Terri Gibbs- This was one of my favorite songs on this countdown! I am happy that I recorded it. 83. HARD TO SAY- Dan Fogelberg- I do not remember this song. I like some of the songs from Dan Fogelberg. 82. HOW ABOUT US- Champaign- Unfortunately, I also do not remember this Song. 81. I AIN'T GONNA STAND FOR IT- Stevie Wonder- This song sounded different from most of his songs that I know. I think that Casey said that there were two songs from Stevie Wonder on the American Top 100 Hits from 1981. I recorded this song. 80. WHAT ARE WE DOING IN LOVE- Dottie West- I do not remember this song. 79. SAME OLD LANG SYNE- Dan Fogelberg- I do not think that I spelled this Title correctly. I have always wanted to know the name of that song that I hear around the New Year's Day. 78. TOGETHER- Tierra- I do not remember this song. The Website from which I am reading spelled the name of this band as "Tiara". 77. TELL IT LIKE IT IS- Heart- Please read at the Song #86. 76. DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME- The Police- This was a good song. What is the name of the Book, as well as the author, who is mentioned when the person becomes nervous in the song? 75. HOLD ON TIGHT- ELO- I wish that I had recorded this song! It reminded me of music from the 1960s (especially The Beach Boys). 74. DREAMIN'- Cliff Richard- I love this song! I even got to record it. The Website that I have used for this Critique listed this song as "Dreamin' My Life Away". This sounds like a mixture of the title of this song and another from Eddie Rabbitt called "Drivin My Life Away". 73. TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS- Styx- I do not remember this song. 72. THIS LITTLE GIRL- Gary U.S. Bonds- Also, I do not remember this song. However, I think that Casey Kasem mentioned that Bruce Springsteen wrote or co-wrote this song. 71. I CAN'T STAND IT- Eric Clapton- This is another Song that I do not remember. 70. DE DO DO DO DE DA DA DA- The Police- I do remember this Song. In an Episode from 1980 that I heard in December, Casey Kasem named some songs that featured titles that make no sense. He also named some songs as this song began (as I remember, I may be thinking about another Episode). 69. I'VE DONE EVERYTHING FOR YOU- Rick Springfield- This was a great song! I heard it on other Episodes from this year. 68. WHILE YOU SEE A CHANCE- Steve Winwood- I like many of the songs from Steve Winwood. This song does not sound like it was released in the early 1980s. 67. HEY NINETEEN- Steely Dan- I think that Casey Kasem said that this group had broken up when this Episode of The American Top 40 was recorded. He also told a story about the song, however I do not remember it. 66. SWEETHEART- Franke and The Knockouts- It seems that "Franke" is spelled with no "I", which I see a lot. I love this song, and it was one of my favorite ones on the Episode! I am happy that I recorded it, although it was shortened. 65. AMERICA- Neil Diamond- This was a good song. It sounded like a Live Recording. Before this Song began, Casey Kasem listed the Top Soundtrack Albums of 1981 (he listed many things in this Episode, such as Top Jazz Music Artists and Soundtrack Albums). This song was from the Movie, "The Jazz Singer". 64. WHIP IT- Devo- They really liked to wear flower pots? So interesting. 63. HELLO AGAIN- Neil Diamond- I do not remember this song. 62. YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING- Daryl Hall and John Oates- This was a great song! In this Countdown are several songs from Daryl Hall and John Oates. 61. I LOVE YOU- Climax Blues Band- I do not remember this song. I know another Song from them called "Couldn't Get It Right". 60. ALL THOSE YEARS AGO- George Harrison- I do not remember this Song very well. I like many songs from George Harrison. 59. TRYING TO LIVE MY LIFE WITHOUT YOU- Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band- This was a great live song! I am not sure if I have spelled "Bullet" correctly. I will search. 58. GIVIN' IT UP FOR YOUR LOVE- Delbert McClinton- This was a good song, although I do not remember it well. 57. BOY FROM NEW YORK CITY- The Manhattan Transfer- Please Read Above. 56. THE WANDERER- Donna Summer- This was a great song! I heard it on the Episode that I mentioned at Song #70. 55. I'M COMING OUT- Diana Ross- This was a good song. Two songs from Diana Ross (as the only performer) appear in this List. 54. HEARTS- Marty Balin- I just do not remember this song very well. Marty Balin has been a singer in the group Jefferson Airplane. 53. YOU MAKE MY DREAMS- Daryl Hall and John Oates- This is one of my favorite songs from this Duo. I recorded it. 52. IT'S MY TURN- Diana Ross- I also recorded this song. This is the second song from Diana Ross to appear on this countdown. The song "Endless Love", was perfomed with Lionel Richie. 51. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY- Sheena Easton- The title of this song is the same as the movie it is featured in. It is from the James Bond series. I recorded this song on the Tape.
Part Two of The Top 100 Hits of 1981
50. THE NIGHT OWLS- The Little River Band- I first heard this song on an Episode of American Top 40 in 2012. The date of the episode was September 5, 1981. 49. LADY (YOU BRING ME UP)- The Commodores- I recorded this song when it played on the Episode. It makes me feel good. 48. NEVER KNEW LOVE LIKE THIS BEFORE- Stephanie Mills- I did not expect this song to play, however I am very happy that it was able to appear on this list. It was one of my favorite songs on it! I heard it on the Episode of American Top 40 from December 6, 1980. Although I recorded this song from that episode, I recorded it again on this episode. 47. ELVIRA- The Oak Ridge Boys- Elvira! 46. LIVING INSIDE MYSELF- Gino Vannelli- I do not remember this song. 45. HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT- Pat Benatar- This is a great song! It is interesting to think that she almost became an opera singer. I recorded this song. 44. TAKE IT ON THE RUN- REO Speedwagon- I hear this song on the radio many times. 43. STEP BY STEP- Eddie Rabbitt- I first heard this song on the same Episode that I mentioned at Song #50. 42. HUNGRY HEART- Bruce Springsteen- I did not think that he sang this song when I first heard it. 41. THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL- ABBA- I did not get to hear this song on this episode. I have a German version of this song, by Marianne Rosenberg. 40. I DON'T NEED YOU- Kenny Rogers- I do not remember this song. 39. CRYING- Don McLean- Also, I do not remember this song. 38. WHO'S CRYING NOW- Journey- I really like the guitars in this song, both the Bass and the lead guitar. 37. ANGEL OF THE MORNING- Juice Newton- Juice Newton did very good when she sang this version of this song. I recorded this song. 36. (THERE'S) NO GETTIN' OVER ME- Ronnie Milsap- I also recorded this song! Although he seems to have much control, I really like it! 35. GUILTY- Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb- As Casey Kasem mentioned, no singles from The Bee Gees were released in 1980. However, Barry Gibb sang songs with Barbra Streisand that appeared on the American Top 40. 34. A WOMAN NEEDS LOVE (JUST LIKE YOU DO)- Raydio- This song has such a good message. Treat other people in the same way that you would want them to treat you (this is how I understand it). In this song, he (Ray Parker Jr.) sings about a relationship. I am happy that I recorded this song. 33. SUKIYAKI- A Taste Of Honey- When I first heard this song in 2012, I could not research it because I could not understand the title when Casey Kasem said it. 32. THE ONE THAT YOU LOVE- Air Supply- I think that this is the first song to appear at #1 to be played in this Countdown. It reached the peak position in July of 1981. 31. STOP DRAGGIN' MY HEART AROUND- Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers- This song remained at #3 for several weeks. All of the artists did a great job with this song. I recorded it. 30. PASSION- Rod Stewart- I have never heard this Song on the Radio at all, except for the episodes of American Top 40. 29. URGENT- Foreigner- This was one of the first songs by Foreigner that I learned. The first song was "Waiting For A Girl Like You". 28. MORE THAN I CAN SAY- Leo Sayer- This was a great song! I was happy to hear it. 27. MASTER BLASTER- Stevie Wonder- I did not hear this song, but I like the reggae sound that it has. 26. THE BEST OF TIMES- Styx- Unfortunately, I do not remember this song. 25. EVERY WOMAN IN THE WORLD- Air Supply- I also do not remember this song. 24. MEDLEY- Stars On 45- This was a great mixture of classic songs! It peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the Media Control Charts. 23. SLOW HAND- The Pointer Sisters- I have only heard this song on the radio three times, and they were all on the American Top 40. The first episode was from September 5, 1981, and I heard it in 2012. I was able to record "Slow Hand" when this episode was played. 22. JUST THE TWO OF US- Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers- This was one of my favorite songs on this Countdown! I really love the Saxophone from Grover Washington Jr., and the vocals from Bill Withers. Certainly I recorded it. 21. START ME UP- The Rolling Stones- I have always heard this song a lot, but it is only in recent times that I have listened to it more. When Casey Kasem said that The Rolling Stones "gather no moss", I first thought that he said "gather no more". I had to rewind the Tape to hear him closer. 20. 9 TO 5 (MORNING TRAIN)- Sheena Easton- As I have read, this song was retitled to "Morning Train" to avoid being confused with another song with a similar title (9 To 5 by Dolly Parton). This was a good song, and I recorded it. I heard another song from her, called "Modern Girl" on another episode of American Top 40 from 2013 (the date of the episode was August 1, 1981). 19. BEING WITH YOU- Smokey Robinson- Although I have this song on a Compact Disc, I decided to record it from this episode. Some more space remained on my Tape. 18. RAPTURE- Blondie- That Man from Mars! 17. LOVE ON THE ROCKS- Neil Diamond- This was a good song. 16. PRIVATE EYES- Daryl Hall and John Oates- This was another good song. I agree that it sounds like the song "Kiss On My List". 15. WOMAN- John Lennon- I liked all of the songs from John Lennon on this Episode. 14. THE THEME FROM "THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO" (BELIEVE IT OR NOT)- Joey Scarbury- Although I have never seen this Television Show, I really liked this song! It was good that I recorded it! 13. QUEEN OF HEARTS- Juice Newton- This song is on my Compact Disc of the Billboard Top Hits 1981. However, I decided to record it. 12. THE TIDE IS HIGH- Blondie- I like the sound of reggae in this song. 11. KEEP ON LOVING YOU- REO Speedwagon- I hear this song on the radio many times, but I decided to record it. 10. ARTHUR'S THEME (THE BEST THAT YOU CAN DO)- Christopher Cross- This was one of my favorite songs on this episode! I like all of his songs that I have so far heard. 9. KISS ON MY LIST- Daryl Hall and John Oates- This was another great song! 8. 9 TO 5- Dolly Parton- Please read above! 7. I LOVE A RAINY NIGHT- Eddie Rabbitt- The rain does not matter too much to me, but sometimes the Thunderstoms scare me. This was a great song. 6. CELEBRATE- Kool and The Gang- Another great song! 5. JESSIE'S GIRL- Rick Springfield- I have heard this song on the radio more than others that he sings. 4. (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER- John Lennon- On an earlier page of this Section, someone mentioned the sound of a speaker after the second of silence in this song. I could also hear it when I listened closely. This is a great song, and it is so sad that he died in such a violent way. 3. LADY- Kenny Rogers- This is such a delicate song, and I think that Mr. Rogers performed it very well. 2. ENDLESS LOVE- Diana Ross and Lionel Richie- It seems that, when this song was recorded, they wanted to ensure that it sounded perfect. The voices of Diana Ross and Lionel Richie sound excellent. 1. BETTE DAVIS EYES- Kim Carnes- As Hervard mentioned in his Review, Casey Kasem said that either this song or "Endless Love" would be at the #1. This song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May of 1981, and #1 on the Media Control Charts in July of 1981.
I have finally completed! It took me so much time. Thank you for reading.
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Post by Hervard on Jan 4, 2014 20:52:04 GMT -5
American Top 40 with Shadoe Stevens - The Top 100 of 1989
100: KEEP ON MOVIN' - SOUL II SOUL (#11/-/10/20) - One of several songs on the year-ender that did not quite hit the Top Ten. This song just barely missed, peaking at #11 in September. This was one of two Top 40 hits from this London soul act. It wasn't bad but not one of my favorites (I still prefer it over the extremely repetitive "Back To Life"). 99: END OF THE INNOCENCE - DON HENLEY (#8/2/12/18) - His album of the same title put out Five hits, all of which made the upper half of the Hot 100, but oddly enough, this was the only Top Ten from the album, which was Henley's best-selling one of all-time, so people were apparently buying the album and ignoring the singles. As for this song, I liked it at first, but quickly grew tired of it. My favorite track from the album would be the last release, "New York Minute", which ran out of gas at #48. 98: SURRENDER TO ME - ANN WILSON AND ROBIN ZANDER (#6/2/10/19) - This was Wilson's second duet with the lead singer of a rock band - in this case, Cheap Trick, who were in the midst their second wave of popularity on the charts. I liked this song, but preferred the other duet, which was 1984's "Almost Paradise", with Mike Reno of Loverboy. 97: WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW - EXPOSE (#8/3/11/15) - This song rather reminded me of the common child's taunt "Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah". It was OK, but definitely not their best by any means. 96: THINKING OF YOU - SA-FIRE (#12/-/12/24) - Another song that missed the Top Ten, but had great stats, as you can see. When this song first came out in early 1989, I'd heard that Madonna was coming out with a new album and I thought this was the first song from it, because it sounded so much like her. It was a great song - one of my favorite songs of the entire year. 95: ROCK WITCHA - BOBBY BROWN (#7/3/11/21) - Bobby Brown definitely had a great year in 1989! He was the top male act of the year, with five Top 40 hits - all of which made the Top 100 of 1989! This was a good song - pretty much your typical late-80s slow jam. 94: HEAVEN HELP ME - DEON ESTUS (#5/2/11/16) - Sometimes dubbed the "unofficial third member of Wham!", this was Estus' only Pop hit. It was a good one, but I preferred his AC hit "Spell", from later on that year. 93: SMOOTH CRIMINAL - MICHAEL JACKSON (#7/3/11/15) - Well, what do you know - this song actually did make the Top 100 of 1989. On my 1988 critique, I mentioned that I doubted that it did. Anyway, this was the last of seven Top 40 hits from Jackson's monster album Bad. It was a good one, though he's had many other songs that I prefer. 92: THIS TIME I KNOW IT'S FOR REAL - DONNA SUMMER (#7/3/10/17) - She had been absent from the Top 40 for nearly five years, but she came back with her first Top Ten since 1983. It was a great song - one of my all-time faves from her. 91: POISON - ALICE COOPER (#7/3/10/19) - Another act who had been away from the chart pretty much all decade ("Clones" doesn't count, since that one barely even touched the Top 40). The song wasn't too bad, but, as I've mentioned many times before, I preferred his power ballads. 90: IT'S NO CRIME- BABYFACE (#7/4/10/18) - Initially a songwriter and record producer, this was Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds first Top 40 hit. It was OK, but I preferred the other three singles from Tender Lover. 89: DREAMIN' - VANESSA WILLIAMS (#8/2/11/20) - She'd definitely have more success in the 1990s, but she did manage to get one Top Ten in the '80s. This was a great song, but I preferred several others from her. 88: SHE WANTS TO DANCE WITH ME - RICK ASTLEY (#6/3/10/18) - Meh, I made a mention of this song in my 1988 critique. This was definitely one of my least favorites from him. I don't know why - I just never really got into this one. 87: I WANNA HAVE SOME FUN - SAMANTHA FOX (#8/1/12/23) - This one was pretty much "Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)" Part 2 (it even mentions that title in the song). Not a big fan of this one at all. 86: PARADISE CITY - GUNS 'N' ROSES (#5/3/11/17) - Their third Top 40 hit. It was a little overplayed, but still a great party song! 85: I REMEMBER HOLDING YOU - BOYS CLUB (#8/1/12/21) - This song was more or less second rate "Careless Whisper", and I think we all know how I feel about that song (at least I didn't get snubbed anytime when this song was playing). 84: WHAT I AM - EDIE BRICKELL AND THE NEW BOHEMIANS (#7/3/10/19) - This was her/their only Top 40 hit (she did make an appearance on the R&R Top 40 chart with "Good Times", which was Edie without the Bohemians). This song was OK, but nothing exceptional. 83: THE PROMISE - WHEN IN ROME (#11/-/13/25) - The third and highest ranked song that missed the Top Ten to make the 1989 survey. Somehow, this song just never did anything for me. 82: LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME - BON JOVI (#7/4/11/16) - Well, I will say that I prefer this song over the Thompson Twins song of the same title from 1985, but still, Bon Jovi has hand many other songs that I prefer. 81: LOVE IN AN ELEVATOR - AEROSMITH (#5/3/11/16) - Like Cheap Trick, Aerosmith was in the midst of their second wave of popularity. After being away from the charts for over ten years, they returned the year before with one of the biggest hits of their career, and this one also did well on the charts, hitting the Top Five. I liked this song - possibly my favorite song from Pump (though "What It Takes" would be a close second). 80: RONI - BOBBY BROWN (#3/4/11/17) - The second of Brown's five hits to make the big list and, like the first one, it's another slow jam. Contrary to what many people might think, the song is not about pasta or rice dishes. 79: AFTER ALL - CHER AND PETER CETERA (#6/4/11/20) - This was the love theme from the film "Chances Are", which received generally positive reviews, but did not do very well at the box office. I never saw the movie, so I can't say whether or not I thought it was good, but I certainly did like the song. 78: ALL THIS TIME - TIFFANY (#6/3/14/21) - Her second album didn't fare quite as well as her first (which spawned three Top Ten hits, two of them making it to the top), but she did get a Top Ten hit out of it. I remember when I first heard this on AT40 the week it debuted and instantly loved it. The song topped my Personal Top 30 chart for nine weeks and would have been the #1 song of that year all points totalled but the fact that the first few weeks of its chart climb were in 1988 affected its ranking on the year-ender, so the song lost out to "Cryin'" by Vixen - the very song that bumped it out of the top on the weekly charts, so it was a double-whammy there. Oh well, Tiffany had the last laugh on this chart, as the Vixen song didn't even make it. 77: CLOSE MY EYES - OZZY OSBORNE AND LITA FORD (#8/4/12/25) - There were several superstar duets on the charts in the spring of 1989, and this one paired two hard rock artists together for a great power ballad. I'm sure our friend Jessielou is glad that this song made the big list. 76: STAND - R.E.M. (#6(3)/4/11/19) - Like Vanessa Williams, their chart success began in the 1980s, but they were more successful on the charts during the 1990s. This song was their second Top Ten (following "The One I Love" in late 1987) and my favorite of the two. Ever notice how much the intro of this song sounds like that of "Crazy In The Night" by Kim Carnes? 75: SHOWER ME WITH YOUR LOVE - SURFACE (#5/4/11/19) - They had a mid-charter in the summer of 1987 called "Happy", a mid-tempo ballad and returned two years later with a slow song, which I remember hearing at just about every after game dance during the fall of my senior year. It was a good one, but I preferred their 1991 songs, as well as their holiday song "Christmas Time Is Here". 74: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE - GUNS 'N' ROSES (#2/4/12/17) - They were one of the top new acts of 1988 and this was their second Top 40 hit, which peaked in December of that year, but was deferred to 1989. This song was OK, but I preferred others from them. 73: COVER GIRL - NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (#2/4/10/18) - As stated earlier, Bobby Brown was the top male solo act of the year, but the New Kids earned the honor for the top group/band of 1989. They also had five Top 40 hits within the chart year, but the last one, "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)" didn't quite make it, which is too bad, as it was my favorite of their 1989 hits (but I have a feeling it didn't miss by much). This one was a great one too - my second favorite from them. 72: WALK ON WATER - EDDIE MONEY (9(2)/4/13/21) - Well, the Bible tells us that Jesus did it (and I seem to remember that someone did it in the video for "Magic" by The Cars), but Eddie Money seemed to want to be the third one, in order to right a wrong done unto his loved one. I liked this song, but preferred a few others from him, including the follow-up, "The Love In Your Eyes", which petered out at #24 in March. 71: PATIENCE - GUNS 'N' ROSES (#4/5/10/18) - After three upbeat songs, they went with a ballad for their spring '89 hit. I didn't like this one at first (I especially found the whistling part annoying, since it could stick in my mind forever), but now I think it's a good one. 70: ANGEL EYES - JEFF HEALEY BAND (#5/4/13/22) - Generally a blues act, he did have a pair of Top 40 hits, this one being by far the biggest. It was another song that was regularly played at the after game dances I mentioned earlier. I liked it a lot when it first came out, but due to the overplay, I got a little tired of it. 69: SECRET RENDEZVOUS - KARYN WHITE (#6/3/12/21) - Well how do you like that! Her two upbeat songs, neither of which I was crazy about, made the cut, but her ballad "Superwoman" (one of my personal faves of 1989) lost out! Oh well, that's the breaks. This was my favorite of White's two songs to make the list. 68: LOVE SONG - THE CURE (#2/4/12/17) - Of course, they'd already hit the Top 40 in January of the previous year with their one-week wonder "Just Like Heaven", now a staple on 80s stations. This song, on the other hand, was shut out of #1 by "Miss You Much" by Janet Jackson, but I don't hear it much anymore. This was one of those songs that was kinda just there - I neither liked it nor disliked it. 67: MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY - NATALIE COLE (#7(2)/4/13/19) - Such was not the case with this song, however. I first heard it either on AT40 or on "American Dance Traxx" as one of the Top Five requests and instantly loved it. It did get quite a lot of airplay, but I never got tired of it. Definitely one of her best hits ever, IMO. 66: IN YOUR ROOM - THE BANGLES (#5/4/12/20) - Their third album "Everything" gave them three Top 40 hits, two of which made the Top 100. I liked this song, but preferred a few others from them, including their follow-up, which is coming up later. 65: FUNKY COLD MEDINA - TONE LOC (#3/5/11/18) - This, of course, was a rap song, but the samples of songs like "Honky Tonk Women" and "Hot Blooded" gave it somewhat of a classic rock edge. I'm not a big rap fan, as you know all too well, but I actually kind of liked this one. 64: THE WAY YOU LOVE ME - KARYN WHITE (#7/4/14/25) - This was her other entry on 1989's year-ender. It pretty much blends in with the other R&B dance music of the late 1980s (and I seem to remember this song hit #1 on the American Dance Traxx chart, but I could be wrong). 63: SECOND CHANCE - .38 SPECIAL (6/4/14/21) - They sold out on this song, departing from their usual rock style and going the AC way. It did work, however, as this became their biggest hit to date, but it seemed to ruin their chart career in the long run, as they only had a single hit after this, which didn't even crack the Top 30. 62: I DON'T WANT YOUR LOVE - DURANDURAN (#4(2)/4/13/16) - The Big Thing album was a low point in their career, both in my opinion and many others, since this was their first album (excluding Carnival, which was outlasted by Rio) not to attain Platinum status. The song spawned two singles and this song was the only Top Ten. It was so/so, but one of my least favorite songs from them. 61: EIGHTEEN AND LIFE - SKID ROW (#4/5/13/20) - Heavy metal definitely had a huge wave of popularity in the late 1980s and this band managed to get two hits out of it. I liked both this and "I Remember You", from early the following year, about the same. 60: WHEN THE CHILDREN CRY - WHITE LION (#3/4/12/23) - Meh, I wasn't a fan of this one at all - too maudlin. I much preferred their other Top Ten hit, "Wait" from the preceding year. 59: CHERISH - MADONNA (#2(2)/5/12/15) - This song managed to hit #1 on the R&R chart, but the aforementioned Janet Jackson song beat Madonna to the punch on the Hot 100. I remember hearing this song on Z95 earlier in the spring, when they gave this, as well as one or two others, a few weeks of early action, in order to promote Madonna's then newly released Like A Prayer album. I was glad she ended up releasing it, as it was one of my favorites from the album. 58: SOWING THE SEEDS OF LOVE - TEARS FOR FEARS (#2/5/12/15) - I've heard that this song was misheard as "Sewing Machine Of Love", which I thought was pretty funny. As for the song, it was good, but I preferred the third release, "Advice For The Young At Heart", which was a low-charter on the Hot 100 in the early spring of 1990. 57: SOLDIER OF LOVE - DONNY OSMOND (#2/6/11/18) - Sort of a random comeback, but he did do quite well, with this #2 song from early June. I liked it, but preferred the third hit from the album, the AC-only hit "I'll Be Good To You". 56: I LIKE IT - DINO (#7(2)/4/14/25) - Another typical late-80s R&B dance song, like the Karyn White song back at #64. I could take it or leave it. 55: EXPRESS YOURSELF - MADONNA (#2(2)/5/11/16) - The second single from Like A Prayer. It was a good one - apparently Lady Gaga thought so too, since her song "Born This Way" sounded a lot like it. 54: SATISFIED - RICHARD MARX (#1(1)/5/13/15) - I knew it was only a matter of time before we got to the first #1 song on the list! Richard Marx's sophomore album spawned five Top 40 hits, most of which seemed to have fast-rise, fast-fall chart runs, including this song, one of my absolute favorites from Marx! 53: ARMEGEDDON IT - DEF LEPPARD (#3(2)/5/12/18 - Another album that spawned multiple Top 40 hits. Most of its success was during 1988, but it still had quite a lot of steam left in it during early 1989, with this song and the #12 "Rocket". I liked this song but it wasn't quite my favorite from them. 52: YOU GOT IT (THE RIGHT STUFF) - NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (#5/5/13/26) - Their second hit (as well as the second of four hits to make the grade for 1989). This song had a very catchy chorus, and was one of their longer lasting hits (as many of them seemed to quickly zip up and down the chart). I liked this song, but preferred the one back at #73. 51: SO ALIVE - LOVE AND ROCKETS (#3/6/12/20) - The only Top 40 hit from this English alternative band. It was OK, but the chords in the organ notes at the beginning were kind of misleading, as the rest of the song did not follow such a chord progression). 50: MY HEART CAN'T TELL YOU NO - ROD STEWART (#4/5/13/25) - Of the four singles from Stewart's Out Of Order album, this one, surprisingly, is the only song that managed to hit the Top Ten (as well as the only one to place on a year-end chart). I thought it was a pretty good song, but prefer others from Mr. Stewart. 49: HANGING TOUGH - NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (#1(1)/6/12/17) - This was one of two #1 hits from the Kids, and by far the worst! I detested this song (although I loved teasing my then eight year old cousin, who hated the New Kids with a passion, by singing the "Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh" part of the song over and over). I kinda wish this would have been the #1 song to fail to make the Top 50 instead of the Richard Marx song! 48: EVERY LITTLE STEP - BOBBY BROWN (#3(2)/6/13/21) - Another song from 1989's top solo male artist, and most likely my favorite of the bunch. Although I'm not generally a big fan of R&B dance music, there was something about this song that I liked. 47: LOVE SHACK - THE B-52'S (#3(2)/6/17/27) - This is a song that seemed to be somewhat penalized by the December, 1989 cutoff date, as the song lasted well into the 1990 chart year and, based on the above stats, I don't think they gave that much projected points to estimate its remaining chart life. Anyway, this song was a great party song - I remember getting down to this song at a lot of dances, including the aforementioned post-game dances. 46: REAL LOVE - JODY WATLEY (#2(2)/6/12/18) - aka "Looking For A New Love Part 2". It was OK, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 45: ROCK ON - MICHAEL DAMIAN (#1(1)/5/13/21) - Meh, not a fan of this one at all. The slightly haunting sound of David Essex' original is absent in this song, which I felt turned the song into a lame duck. 44: BATDANCE - PRINCE (#1(1)/6/11/18) - The first of three Top 40 hits from Prince's album inspired by the film Batman, and the only one to place among the top songs of 1989. It was more or less a novelty song, with all the snippets from the movie. I wasn't a huge fan of it, but I definitely preferred it over the New Kids and Michael Damian #1 songs. 43: ONCE BITTEN TWICE SHY - GREAT WHITE (#5(2)/5/14/26) - The intro to this song reminds me a lot of the beginning of "Takin' Care Of Business" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive. I especially remember this song at the dances, since during the last one of season, the seniors were getting so rowdy that the DJs ended the dance early, and we all refused to leave, chanting "HELL NO, WE WON'T GO!" and other stuff. Fun times, indeed! 42: BUST A MOVE - YOUNG MC (#7/4/20/39) - Now THIS song had to have been a victim of the cutoff rule - such stats otherwise would have surely put this song way higher on the chart (in fact, a company known as Chartmasters compiled their own Top 100 lists, using a song's entire chart run and, according to their formula, this song was the top song of the entire year). But really - who knew that this song would have lasted on this Hot 100 well into April, 1990. Anyway, this was yet another song I associate with the dances (can you tell that my senior year was the only year I bothered going to these dances?) 41: THE LOVER IN ME - SHEENA EASTON (#2/5/14/25) - I generally preferred her earlier hits (excluding "Morning Train"). This one didn't really do anything for me. XTRA: DON'T SHUT ME OUT - KEVIN PAGE (#18/-/10/24) - Wow, I don't remember ever hearing this song in the countdown! Not sure if it came close to making the year-ender or not - its Hot 100 weeks might indicate so, anyway. 40: GOOD THING - FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS (#1(1)/6/13/17) - This song had sort of a Motown flavor to it, which apparently worked, as this song hit #1, just like their first single. 39: BORN TO BE MY BABY - BON JOVI (#3/5/13/20) - They were definitely on a roll during the latter half of the 1980s, with many Top Ten hits on the charts, this one included. I remember being a little tired of the song, which was overplayed by my radio stations back in the day, but now that it gets very little recurrent airplay, I enjoy hearing it every now and again. 38: DON'T RUSH ME - TAYLOR DAYNE (#2/7/13/20) - The last of four Top Ten hits from Dayne's debut album Tell It To My Heart. My favorite was the title track, but this would be a close second or third, since I'm not sure if I prefer it or "Prove Your Love". I generally preferred the Can't Fight Fate singles anyway. 37: WHEN I'M WITH YOU - SHERIFF (#1(1)/5/13/21) - First released in the spring of 1983, this song couldn't manage to get past #61. But the song apparently aged, like fine wine, since when the song was re-released a little over five years later, it went all the way to #1. This song also set the record for the longest note held on a Top Ten record - Freddy Curci's 25-seconds of singing the final word in the song bested that of Russell Hitchcock in "All Out Of Love" by a fraction of a second, IIRC. 36: BUFFALO STANCE - NENEH CHERRY (#3/6/14/24) - She indeed came from a musical family - her dad was the famous jazz trumpeter Don Cherry, and ten years later, her brother Eagle-Eye had one of the biggest hits of the year with "Save Tonight". Neneh had several chart hits, but this one was by far her biggest and pretty much the only one she's known for anymore. The song's pretty good (I especially like the hook that's heard several times through the song. 35: IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME - CHER (#3/5/14/23) - Her 1988 comeback was indeed no fluke, as she released a second album in the summer of 1989, with this song being the lead single. It was a good song, but I preferred the follow-up, "Just Like Jesse James", which also hit the Top Ten (and topped my Personal Top 30 charts in early 1990). 34: WHEN I SEE YOU SMILE - BAD ENGLISH (#1(2)/6/15/22) - And now we're up tp the first song to spend more than one week on top during 1989. This band, led by John Waite, former lead singer of the Babys, had three Top 40 hits from their self-titled first album, two of which hit the Top Ten. I liked this song, though overplay tarnished it somewhat. My favorite song from them would probably be "Possession", which peaked at #21 in August, 1990 (but did make the Top Ten on the R&R chart). 33: WILD THING - TONE LOC (#2/6/14/25) - Meh, I never liked this song too much, and overplay made it worse. Back in the day, this would probably get a "No. Just no", but I can stomach a listen to this song every once in awhile. 32: ETERNAL FLAME - THE BANGLES (#1(1)/6/14/19) - Of course, Shakira's 2002 hit "Underneath Your Clothes" sounded much like this song, which, as stated earlier, was my favorite of their songs during the 1989 chart year. 31: THE LIVING YEARS - MIKE AND THE MECHANICS (#1/6/14/20) - Back in the early 1990s, I could not listen to this song, since my Dad and I were at odds, sort of like the songwriter was with his father, and I was so afraid that the situation recounted in the final verse was going to apply to us, with my Dad passing before we reconciled. Fortunately, we did eventually settle our differences in the spring of 1993, so now, I don't mind hearing this song every now and again, though it is still quite a depressing song. My favorite song from the Living Years album would be "Nobody Knows", which was released in the summer of 1989, but only charted in the lower reaches on the AC chart, and went nowhere at Top 40 radio (though U93 (WNDU, South Bend IN) occasionally played it) 30: FOREVER YOUR GIRL - PAULA ABDUL (#1(2)/6/14/22) - The title track from one of the top albums of 1989, which is no surprise, given that it is the top female artist of 1989. This was the second of three number ones during the chart year for Ms. Abdul. It is my second favorite of those - more on this a litte later on. 29: TOY SOLDIERS - MARTIKA (#1(2)/6/13/20) - Comparing the figures of this and the Paula Abdul song, it seems like the latter should have ranked higher. Not that I'm complaining, since I much prefer this song - one that I most associate with the summer of 1989. 28: BABY DON'T FORGET ME NUMBER - MILLI VANILLI (#1(1)/6/14/21) - Well, we thought they were the top duo of 1989, but a year later, we found out it was Brad Howell and John Davis that did the actual singing. As for this song, it was passable, but my least favorite from "Milli Vanilli". 27: HOW CAN I FALL - BREATHE (#3/5/16/22) - Ever notice how the beginning of this song sounds like the intro to "Purple Rain" by Prince? Anyway, I wasn't a huge fan of the singles from their debut album All That Jazz (probably since they were so overplayed, especially the first two). I do prefer this song over "Hands To Heaven", though. But I preferred the singles from their second album, Peace Of Mind, which was nowhere near as successful as the first. 26: I'LL BE LOVING YOU FOREVER - NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (#1/6/14/21) - This was their highest ranked song of 1989 and their only #1 from the Hangin' Tough album. I thought it was a great song, though I did prefer "Cover Girl" and "Didn't I Blow Your Mind" by a thin margin. 25: LIKE A PRAYER - MADONNA (#1(3)/7/12/16) - This was the lead-off single from the album of the same name. Though it spent three weeks on top, it had a fast-rise, fast-fall chart run - possibly since there were a few radio stations playing other songs from the album, since I don't think it had anything to do with "Express Yourself", since that song was released when "Like A Prayer" was practically out of the Top 40. 24: IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME BY NOW - SIMPLY RED (#1(1)/6/15/22) - Originally a #3 hit by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes in late 1972, this cover did even better, hitting the top - the second of two #1 songs from this band from Manchester, England. I preferred this version, since the other one sounds very dated. 23: I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU - BON JOVI (#1(1)/6/13/22) - I never went to Prom during high school, but I'll bet this song was played during many proms in the spring of 1989, since its melody and theme were perfect for it. This is another song that heavy radio airplay sort of ruined for me, as it was one of my favorite songs in the world when it came out, but to this day, I'm still rather burned out on it. 22: LISTEN TO YOUR HEART - ROXETTE (#1(1)/6/14/22) - Roxette's first two songs were upbeat, but they slowed the tempo for their third single, and got another number one song out of it. I liked this song and feel that it should have been left alone, but the Belgian duo D.H.T. had other ideas... 21: BLAME IT ON THE RAIN - MILLI VANILLI (#1(2)/6/14/23) - This was the final #1 song in 1989's time frame and, had the song retained its bullet during its second week on top, it would have been deferred to 1990, or so I've heard. This was also the second of two consecutive number one songs written by Diane Warren (the other one was "When I See You Smile", back at #33. I wonder if the song was meant to be a ballad, since I can definitely hear it as a slow song. But Milli Vanilli was more of a dance group (even their ballad "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" had sort of a dance tempo to it). 20: TWO HEARTS - PHIL COLLINS (#1(2)/7/13/18) - People certainly got tired of this song fast, as it fell from #1 to #10 in a single week - the biggest drop since "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe" by Barry White, in the spring of 1974 "Do You Know Where You're Going To" by Diana Ross almost exactly thirteen years before. I liked it a lot; had sort of a Motown feel to it, and, if I'm not mistaken, sometimes, in his concert he segues from "You Can't Hurry Love" (of course, a Motown remake) into this song. 19: ON OUR OWN (THEME FROM "GHOSTBUSTERS II") - BOBBY BROWN (#2/6/13/20) - The fourth of five songs from 1989's top male singer. This one has quite a bit of rap in it, so, as you may have guessed, I wasn't a huge fan of it. It's passable, though, especially since radio doesn't play it much anymore. 18: SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY - FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS (#1/7/14/23) - Back at #40, we heard their second #1 hit and now, we have the first, which topped the chart in April. It was so/so, but I remember disliking it a lot at first, but sort of forcing myself to at least tolerate it, since I knew I'd be hearing it no less than ten times a day for at least the next few months. 17: THE LOOK - ROXETTE (#1(1)/7/13/19) - Earlier, I mentioned that Roxette's "Listen To Your Heart" was "another number one song" for them, implying that they'd already had one, and this was that song. It remains one of my favorite songs from them, which is surprising, given how much I hated this song when it was first released. I didn't really "force" myself to like this song; it just sort of happened around the time hit hit #1. It made for an odd coincidence, that being the song hitting #1 the week that two other Swedish Acts hit the top in years past (Blue Swede in 1974 and Abba in 1977) and, in fact, they were the ONLY other two songs by Swedish acts that topped the chart. 16: GIRL, I'M GONNA MISS YOU - MILLI VANILLI (#1(2)/6/14/22) - I mentioned this song earlier as their only ballad, and one of three #1 songs for the Milli Vanilli (well...) in 1989. I thought it was a great song - my favorite of their hits (with "Blame It On The Rain" being a close second). 15: HEAVEN - WARRANT (#2/7/14/19) - Anyone here happen to remember Gavin magazine? It was somewhat like R&R, with charts for multiple formats, and it ceased publication in early 2002. Anyway, this was their #1 Top 40 hit of 1989 (their panel consisted of many small market stations that seemed to play a lot of rock songs, so those tended to do better in their magazine than in Billboard or Radio & Records). This is another one I remember from my senior year (and I seem to remember sharing a slow dance with a girl I'd known for several years to this song). A great song indeed! 14: DON'T WANNA LOOSE YOU - GLORIA ESTEFAN (#1/8/13/18) - She'd had a ton of chart success as lead singer of Miami Sound Machine over the past three years and, in 1989, decided to embark on a solo career, which was just about as successful - she didn't have quite as many Top Tens, but had two #1s (as opposed to one with MSM), as well as a few other mid-charters. This song a tad cheesy, but it was pretty good. I did prefer the next two hits, "Get On Your Feet" and "Here We Are", both of which hit the Top Ten. 13: LOST IN YOUR EYES - DEBBIE GIBSON (#1(3)/7/12/19) - This was one of my favorite songs of 1989 and I kept hoping that it was R&R's #1 song of the year (since it had spent four weeks on top there), but five other songs, even though they'd spent less time at #1, gained more points, so the song had to settle for fourth place. I had no idea at the time what their figuring system was, or I'd know early on that it wasn't going to come out on top. I was a huge Debbie Gibson fan back in the day - I even bought Debbie Gibson's Out Of The Blue album when it first came out and played it so much that it wore out - literally! I did, however, find a CD copy of it, so that replaced the audio tape, which I've long since discarded 12: WAITING FOR A STAR TO FALL - BOY MEETS GIRL (#5/6/16/25) - This was an unusually high ranking for a song that didn't even make the Top Three. But the long chart run of this song, the second and biggest hit from this duo definitely helped to give it a boost. This song's title was inspired by a sighting of a shooting star by one of the members at a Whitney Houston concert. It was a good song. 11: RIGHT HERE WAITING - RICHARD MARX (#3/7/13/23) - This was the only song from Marx's Repeat Offender album that did not zip up and down the chart. It had about an average chart run for a three-week #1 song. The song wasn't bad, but I was never too crazy about it even before it got overplayed. I seem to recall that the song became quite popular in AT40's LDD department, since it definitely was fitting for many across-the-miles relationships. 10: GIVING YOU THE BEST I GOT - ANITA BAKER (#3/7/15/22) - Since she was more of a R&B Jazz artist, I figured that the Rapture album would be the only one to have any kind of success at Top 40, but she actually was slightly more successful with her album for which this was the title track, as this one hit the Top Five, and she had a Top Twenty follow-up, "Just Because" (which didn't quite make the list). This one was a pretty good song, but I generally preferred the Rapture album, which had several great album cuts in addition to the Pop and AC hits. 9: BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY/FREEBIRD MEDLEY (FREEBABY) - WILL TO POWER (#1(1)/6/15/24) - A very unnecessary cover - that is all. 8: GIRL YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE - MILLI VANILLI (#2/7/15/26) - Oddly enough, their highest-ranked song was their only song that did not go to #1. It is probably the song they're most famous for, however. I thought it was OK, but nothing exceptional. 7: WIND BENEATH MY WINGS - BETTE MIDLER (#1/7/15/29) - This song was from the film Beaches, which I hear has been known to bring even the most macho men to tears. I never saw the movie, but if I had back in the day, it probably would have made me cry as well, given my emotional status back in my teen years. As for the song, it was a good song - my favorite of her two big movie hits back in the 80s. 6: COLD-HEARTED - PAULA ABDUL (#1(1)/8/15/21) - Back at #30, we heard my second favorite of Paula's 1989 hits. Now, we're up to my favorite of the trio of songs. This song almost won out for 1989 on the R&R chart, despite only having spent a single week at the #1 there as well. 5: MISS YOU MUCH - JANET JACKSON (#1(4)/8/13/20) - And this was the song that prevented Paula from taking the gold on R&R. It was the first of an amazing seven singles (as well as an eighth radio-only song) from Janet's Rhythm Nation 1814 album, all of which made the Top Ten. I strongly disliked this song for the longest time, even when it was #1 (so naturally, I was irked that this song wound up at #1 on the R&R year-ender). Now, I actually like the song, though it's certainly not one of my favorite songs from her. 4: STRAIGHT UP - PAULA ABDUL (#1(3)/7/16/25) - Meh, I was never a big fan of this song (and naturally, it's the song of hers that seems to get the most recurrent airplay). I generally reach for the station tuner when this song comes on. 3: EVERY ROSE HAS IT'S THORN - POISON (#1(3)/8/14/21) - Power ballads from hard rock bands seemed to abound in the late 1980s. This was one of the bigger ones, spending three weeks on top around the holiday season of 1988. I liked it at first, but then, after hearing it umpteen times, I grew tired of it. Now it's one of those songs that's good to hear every once in awhile. 2: MY PREROGATIVE - BOBBY BROWN (#1(1)/7/15/24) - Wow, the top three songs are all holdovers from 1988. Didn't a similar situation happen on the 1988 year-ender? Methinks that the chart would have been quite different had they not counted the frozen week! Anyway, this song helped to expand my vocabulary, as I had never even heard of the word "prerogative" before, let alone knew what it meant. As for the song itself, I thought it was a great song - one of his all time best! 1: LOOK AWAY - CHICAGO (#1(2)/8/16/24) - Had this song peaked a few weeks earlier, the biggest male act of 1989 would likely have wound up with the top song of the year. Many people were irked about the song winning the gold, since the song was more of a 1988 song (in fact, besides peaking in 1988 and spending all but one of its Top Ten weeks during that year, the song only spent four weeks in the Top 40 in the calendar year of 1989), but I didn't mind at all. Besides, Chicago had been charting for close to 20 years; I was happy for them - really happy for them - that they finally had a top song of the year (especially since I don't think they ever even made the Top Ten of any year). And, of their three #1 songs, that was definitely my favorite.
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