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Post by mkarns on Mar 23, 2014 20:16:34 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - March 22, 2014 This week's presentation - March 23, 1985 28: NAUGHTY NAUGHTY - JOHN PARR (27) - Good song, but nothing exceptional. He reminds me a little of Robert Palmer when he's singing an octave higher than usual (as in "Bad Case Of Loving You"). LDD: TIMES OF YOUR LIFE - PAUL ANKA - This song was OK - it did fit the dedication. The song may have fit the dedication, but the placement really didn't IMO: going from a hard rock song to a sentimental letter about remembering a deceased friend. It's this sort of thing that Casey boiled over about six months later.
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Post by Hervard on Mar 23, 2014 20:22:03 GMT -5
1. Rich Girl - Daryl Hall & John Oates - A phenomenal song that I still hear quite often today. This would be their last top 10 hit until they took over production themselves in the 1980s and started a string of massive hits. It's hard to believe that in 1977 stations were fine playing a song with the "b" word in it, but that certainly seemed to be the case. I can distinctly remember hearing the song on the school bus and we would all scream the word whenever it came up in the song. In a little over a year, AT40 would move to four hours. One of the reasons given was that hit songs were getting longer. You certainly couldn't tell from this one. It clocked in at roughly 2 minutes and 23 seconds. I'd love to know if any #1 song subsequent to "Rich Girl" was shorter. The only one that immediately came to mind was the "Miami Vice Theme", but according to the label it clocked in at 2 minutes and 26 seconds. I believe that, in all of AT40 history, there was only one song shorter than "Rich Girl". That would be "The Morning After" by Maureen McGovern, which clocked in at 2 minutes and 14 seconds.
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Post by mrjukebox on Mar 24, 2014 6:35:17 GMT -5
Here's my critique of the countdown from 3/23/85 which Premiere aired over the weekend: #40-"Second Nature"-Dan Hartman-One of his lesser known hits-Decent song. #39-"Radioactive"-The Firm-The only top forty hit for this British group whose key members were Paul Rodgers (Bad Company) & Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)-Great song that should've been a much bigger hit. #38-"Lucky"-Greg Kihn-His final top forty hit-Decent song. #37-"That Was Yesterday"-Foreigner-The second release from their album "Agent Provacateur"-Great song. #36-"(Don't You) Forget About Me"-Simple Minds-The breakthrough release for this band from Glasgow,Scotland that featured Jim Kerr on lead vocals-An undisputed classic that was featured on the soundtrack of the teen oriented movie "The Breakfast Club". #35-"One Night In Bangkok"-Murray Head-Great song that was featured in the musical "Chess". #34-"Why Can't I Have You"-The Cars-The final release from their album "Heartbeat City"-Decent song. #33-"Easy Lover"-Philip Bailey & Phil Collins-Great one-off duet. #32-"This Is Not America"-David Bowie & The Pat Metheny Group-Decent song that was featured on the soundtrack of the Sean Penn-Timothy Hutton movie "The Falcon & The Snowman". #31-"Turn Up The Radio"-Autograph-The only top forty hit for this band from Pasadena,CA that featured Steve Plunkett on lead vocals-Great song. #30-"Along Comes A Woman"-Chicago-The final top forty hit that featured Peter Cetera on lead vocals before he left to pursue a solo career-Great song. #29-"All She Wants To Do Is Dance"-Don Henley-The second release from the album "Building The Perfect Beast"-Great song that featured Patty Smyth (Scandal) & Martha Davis (The Motels) on background vocals. #28-"Naughty Naughty"-John Parr-The first of two top forty hits for this British singer-Great song. #27-"Neutron Dance"-The Pointer Sisters-One of their best songs. #26-"I Want To Know What Love Is"-Foreigner-An undisputed classic that featured members of The New Jersey Mass Choir. #25-"Take Me With U"-Prince & The Revolution-The final release from the "Purple Rain" soundtrack-Decent song. #24-"Rhythm Of The Night"-Debarge-Their biggest hit overall-Great song. #23-"Misled"-Kool & The Gang-One of their best songs. #22-"Obsession"-Animotion-The first of two top forty hits for this group from San Francisco,CA-Great song. #21-"We Are The World"-USA For Africa-45 well known artists participated in a song whose proceeds went towards ending the famine in both Africa & Ethiopia-Another undisputed classic. #20-"Crazy for You"-Madonna-Great song that was headed for #1. #19-"Missing You"-Diana Ross-Her final top forty solo hit-Another undisputed classic that was written by Lionel Richie about the late great Marvin Gaye. #18-"Keeping The Faith"-Billy Joel-The final release from "An Innocent Man"-Great song that looked back at Joel's adolescence. #17-"I'm On Fire"-Bruce Springsteen-The fourth release from "Born In The USA"-One of his best songs. #16-"Save A Prayer"-Duran Duran-Great song. #15-"Nightshift"-Commodores-Great song that served as a tribute to both Marvin Gaye & Jackie Wilson who passed away the previous year. #14-"Somebody"-Bryan Adams-The second release from his album "Reckless"-Great song. #13-"Just Another Night"-Mick Jagger-His first top forty solo hit outside of The Rolling Stones-Decent song-FYI:Jagger was in the news this past week when his fashion designer girlfriend L'Wren Scott took her own life at the age of 49-I know that many longtime Stones fans,myself included,send along condolences to Jagger at this time of sorrow. #12-"Careless Whisper"-Wham-Their second #1 hit & another timeless classic. #11-"California Girls"-David Lee Roth-His first post Van Halen solo hit-Great rendition of a Beach Boys classic that featured founding member Carl Wilson along with Christopher Cross on background vocals. #10-"Relax"-Frankie Goes To Hollywood-The only top forty hit for this British group that featured co-vocalists Holly Johnson & Paul Rutherford-Great song. #9-"Only The Young"-Journey-Great song. #8-"High On You"-Survivor-One of their best songs. #7-"Private Dancer"-Tina Turner-An undisputed classic. #6-"Lovergirl"-Teena Marie-Her biggest hit overall-Great song. #5-"Too Late For Goodbyes"-Julian Lennon-Great follow up to his debut release "Valotte". #4-"The Heat Is On"-Glenn Frey-The initial release from the "Beverly Hills Cop" soundtrack-Great song. #3-"One More Night"-Phil Collins-The initial release from hia album "No Jacket Required"-Another undisputed classic. #2-"Material Girl"-Madonna-The second release from her album "Like A Virgin"-Great song. #1-"Can't Fight This Feeling"-REO Speedwagon-An undisputed classic that still receives recurrent airplay.
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Post by jamie9012 on Mar 24, 2014 16:19:11 GMT -5
Here is my Critique for the Episode from March 23, 1985. This is one of my favorite years for Music.
40. SECOND NATURE- Dan Hartman- A lively start to this Episode. 39. RADIOACTIVE- The Firm- I did not hear this Song. 38. LUCKY- Greg Kihn- I thought that the music in this Song was rather haunting. 37. THAT WAS YESTERDAY- Foreigner- This was great. I have heard the story many times on American Top 40 about the band member suffering from hearing problems (I cannot remember his name). 36. (DON'T YOU) FORGET ABOUT ME- Simple Minds- This song debuted into American Top 40 this week. It is cool to hear this classic song as it was climbing the Charts. 35. ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK- Murray Head- Good. 34. WHY CAN'T I HAVE YOU- The Cars- This is one of their songs that I never hear on the Radio. 33. EASY LOVER- Philip Bailey and Phil Collins- Great! I recorded this song from the Radio in 2005, and I listened to it so much. 32. THIS IS NOT AMERICA- David Bowie and The Pat Metheny Group- I do not remember this song well. 31. TURN UP THE RADIO- Autograph- This was one of my favorites! I learned of it from a Videogame. With this song, they remind me of Def Leppard. Sometimes, I think about how their Follow-up Album to "Pyromania" would sound if they had not run into so many difficulties (although the songs that I have heard from "Hysteria" are great). As for Autograph, I wish that they had had more Hits. 30. ALONG COMES A WOMAN- Chicago- Another favorite of mine! 29. ALL SHE WANTS TO DO IS DANCE- Don Henley- Once, when this song played in my Room, my cousin came into the room. She began spinning in circles! 28. NAUGHTY NAUGHTY- John Parr- I can remember hearing this song when I was really little. However, now, I hear his other song, "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion), much more. 27. NEUTRON DANCE- The Pointer Sisters- Unfortunately, I did not get a good listen to this Song. I like several of their Hits. 26. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS- Foreigner- This was a brilliant effort. I agree with Mick Jones so much. I also try to keep a Pen or Pencil, along with Paper, nearby. Sometimes, I like to write short poems or stories. 25. TAKE ME WITH U- Prince and The Revolution- I do not remember this song very well. However, I seem to remember that they sang about getting away from problems. This song was from the very successful album "Purple Rain". 24. RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT- DeBarge- Great! This song sounds so pleasant! 23. MISLED- Kool and The Gang- I do not remember this song. I believe that I began to watch Television, and pay less attention to the Show at this time. 22. OBSESSION- Animotion- A good dance song. 21. WE ARE THE WORLD- U.S.A. For Africa- This was an excellent song for a great cause. However, although Casey Kasem named some (if not all) of the Singers on the Track, I do not remember all of them. Still, I do have the 45 Record, which features the names. In the Song, I recognized Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and possibly Cyndi Lauper. 20. CRAZY FOR YOU- Madonna- This is one of my favorite songs from her. 19. MISSING YOU- Diana Ross- This was a great tribute to Marvin Gaye. One thing I wonder when Musicians record songs in the Memory of another person is, "How did they feel?" 18. KEEPING THE FAITH- Billy Joel- I did not hear a lot of this song, however what I did hear sounded good. 17. I'M ON FIRE- Bruce Springsteen- I did not hear this song. 16. SAVE A PRAYER- Duran Duran- This is a Song that I used to listen to a lot after I recorded it from the Radio. 15. NIGHTSHIFT- The Commodores- A tribute to both Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson. When I heard this song, I was not familiar with Mr. Wilson until they referred to a song he performed called "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher". The Singer Rita Coolidge sang a version of this song, although the Title was slightly different. 14. SOMEBODY- Bryan Adams- Many of his songs remind me of the Rock Songs from the 1990s. 13. JUST ANOTHER NIGHT- Mick Jagger- Unfortunately, I do not remember this song well. I have heard the sad News that mrjukebox discussed in his Critique. It is very sad. 12. CARELESS WHISPER- Wham!- Sometimes, this song makes me upset. 11. CALIFORNIA GIRLS- David Lee Roth- Awesome! 10. RELAX- Frankie Goes To Hollywood- I like the music (even if the Lyrics are a bit mature). Two other Songs that I can think of that appeared in the Billboard Hot 100 (and were more successful) after they were re-released are: "Iko Iko" from The Belle Stars, and "When I'm With You" from Sheriff. 9. ONLY THE YOUNG- Journey- This was very great. The History of this Song, which involved a Boy who was very sick, is sad. 8. HIGH ON YOU- Survivor- I do not remember how this Song sounds. I love their songs "I Can't Hold Back", "The Search Is Over", "Burning Heart", and others. 7. PRIVATE DANCER- Tina Turner- I heard this song on the last Episode of American Top 40 the 80s. It sounds like the person is really struggling to make a living. In addition, the Deutsche Mark that Tina Turner refers to is no longer legal tender in Germany. 6. LOVERGIRL- Teena Marie- She performed this song very well. R.I.P. 5. TOO LATE FOR GOODBYES- Julian Lennon- I recorded this song from the Radio in 2005. I like it. 4. THE HEAT IS ON- Glenn Frey- The hot Sun in the Sky. The waves in the air. The feeling that you could cook an Egg on the Street. The heat is on! 3. ONE MORE NIGHT- Phil Collins- This is a very great song from Mr. Collins. I really love the Saxophone when it is heard close to the end of the Song. 2. MATERIAL GIRL- Madonna- A few years ago, I saw what I think was the Music Video. If I am correct, it had a classic appearance that reminded me of an old Movie. 1. CAN'T FIGHT THIS FEELING- REO Speedwagon- Very great! I am happy that they were successful with this Song!
Thank you for reading.
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Post by bobbo428 on Mar 24, 2014 17:32:17 GMT -5
CHART CRITIQUE 3-26-77
I was enjoying myself that spring, though my Geometry grades were not the best. I was liking a girl named Tawni, as well as one named Nancy.
40 N.Y., YOU GOT ME DANCING-ANDREA TRUE CONNECTION: Catchy disco tune with detached vocals—an early-1980s feel 39 LOVE IN ‘C’ MINOR-CERRONE OR HEART & SOUL ORCHESTRA Classically-tinged disco instrumental with slicing strings providing them main hook 38 SOMETHIN’ ‘BOUT ‘CHA-LATIMORE Soul hit had some jazzy overtones and a strong hook and sincere vibe. Should have been a bigger hit. 37 COULDN’T GET IT RIGHT-CLIMAX BLUES BAND Disco-tinged pop rocker had a strong guitar hook; lyrics dealt with frustration but were fun to listen to. 36 I WANNA GET NEXT TO YOU-ROSE ROYCE Written by Norman Whitfield, this soulful tune had a Temptations vibe to it and was a top-10 hit. 35 WHEN I NEED YOU-LEO SAYER Soft rock tune became an immediate adult contemporary staple—not bad but a bit plodding.. 34 ALL STRUNG OUT ON YOU-JOHN TRAVOLTA Soft-rock remake of the Nino tempo/April Stevens hit was moderately catchy MOR for teenagers. 33 AT MIDNIGHT (MY LOVE WILL LIFT YOU UP)-RUFUS/CHAKA KHAN Keyboard-driven soul number that builds up to a rousing climax with excellent singing by Chaka. 32 LIDO SHUFFLE-BOZ SCAGGS Fourth single from Silk Degrees had a driving beat, a swirling instrumental hook, and an excellent chorus. The b-side was a well-written and sung piano ballad that would soon become a big hit for Rita Coolidge. 31 YEAR OF THE CAT-AL STEWART This excellent acoustic rock track made excellent use of piano and guitar riffs. When I first heard it, I knew it would be an FM rock hit, but I was hoping it would be a big pop hit as well. Fortunately, it was. 30 DISCO LUCY (I LOVE LUCY THEME)-WILTON PLACE STREET BAND Disco-tized version of a TV theme I never liked much 29 BLINDED BY THE LIGHT-MANFRED MANN'S EARTH BAND This Springsteen composition was a spellbinding story with a lot of suspense and a driving beat and hook. 28 FREE-DENIECE WILLIAMS Soulful, springlike tune with angelic vocals 27 FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST-ROD STEWART This Cat Stevens composition got a heartfelt rendering from Stewart; it would be an even bigger hit for Sheryl Crow in 2004. His follow-up, "First Cut Is the Deepest," was written by Cat Stevens years earlier. I had heard an earlier version, in 1973, by a singer named Keith Hampshire, which missed the top 40. 26 GLORIA-ENCHANTMENT Reflective, gospel-tinged soul ballad was a major R&B hit. 25 DO YA-ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA Hard-rocking and exhilarating, this tune had an early spring feel, which was a breath of fresh air after a long, cold winter. I remember buying this 45 on a sunny March afternoon. I enjoyed the dreamy shift in tempo near the middle of the song—it worked well. The tune remains a classic rock favorite. 24 TRYING TO LOVE TWO-WILLIAM BELL Soulful number about a guy trying to please two women—his wife and the other woman—at the same time. 23 HERE COME THOSE TEARS AGAIN-JACKSON BROWNE Melancholy tune was recorded while Browne was grieving the tragic death of his wife one year before; it was the first single from his album The Pretender. 22 SAM-OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN Piano ballad brought to mind Burt Bacharach melodies from the 1960s; tune had a reassuring, springlike feel to it. It sounded good to many after a long, cold winter. 21 RIGHT TIME OF THE NIGHT-JENNIFER WARNES Soft rock ballad became a major pop and MOR hit for this vocalist. 20 BOOGIE CHILD-BEE GEES The third single from their Children of the World album had a funky Commodores feel to it. 19 CRACKERBOX PALACE-GEORGE HARRISON This was one of my personal favorites by Harrison--I can recall buying the 45 on a sunny, brisk March afternoon in 1977. This had excellent guitar work, strings, and an interesting story line. 18 GO YOUR OWN WAY-FLEETWOOD MAC A charging rocker that saw band member Lindsey Buckingham in top form—the vocal and instrumental hooks were among the best of the year 17 HOTEL CALIFORNIA-EAGLES This excellent rock track saw the band at their creative and commercial peak—the guitar work by new member Joe Walsh was impeccable. The lyrics used a hotel as a metaphor for west-coast decadence. This song reminded me of mid-spring, when temperatures reached the 70s and 80s regularly. 16 SOUTHERN NIGHTS-GLEN CAMPBELL Joyous tune had a spring feel to it, and it quickly became a major hit. 15 SAY YOU’LL STAY UNTIL TOMORROW-TOM JONES Jones’s first major pop hit in six years had a wintry country flavor to it. 14 SO IN TO YOU-ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION This was the band's breakthrough single--had a subtle hook that grew on you--it was an insinuating sort of song. It has aged well. 13 CARRY ON WAYWARD SON-KANSAS Progressive-influenced rock act scored their breakthrough with this keyboard-driven rock classic with a touch of irony in the lyrics—about a young guy who was a bit headstrong. The hook was one that bowled me over 12 I’VE GOT LOVE ON MY MIND -NATALIE COLE Slow jam ballad that builds to a great, gospel-tinged crescendo 11 MAYBE I’M AMAZED-WINGS Live version of McCartney’s 1970 tune sounded great; it became an instant hit, propelled by excellent vocal, guitar and piano work. 10 TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS-MARY MACGREGOR Earnest soft rock tune about a woman trying to decide between two men; written by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary. 9 I LIKE DREAMIN'-KENNY NOLAN Romantic ballad in the vein of Frankie Valli’s “My Eyes Adored You,” which Nolan had also written 8 THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE-10CC Charming pop rock song with some strong hooks; had an early spring feel to it. 7 NIGHT MOVES-BOB SEGER Night Moves," released in December 1976. That song brought Seger and the Silver Bullet Band into the top 10 in February 1977. The song was a strumming ballad that was an autobiographical tale about growing up in the Midwest. 6 FLY LIKE AN EAGLE-STEVE MILLER BAND This title track from his album was one of my personal favorites. The song always intrigued me, and I always enjoyed the lyrics, which combined a sense of wistfulness intertwined with hope. 5 DON’T LEAVE ME THIS WAY-THELMA HOUSTON Disco-tinged R&B song was the long-struggling singer’s pop breakthrough. The tune features some tension in the verses and a feeling of release in the choruses. The instrumental hook reminded me of Diana Ross’s “Love Hangover.” 4 DON’T GIVE UP ON US-DAVID SOUL Mellow, reassuring ballad that sounded refreshing as winter was relenting and an early spring was taking hold 3 DANCING QUEEN-ABBA This was the song that made Abba a household name in America. I first heard the song in December 1976, and I was immediately hooked. It made the Billboard Hot 100 in December, the top 40 in late January, reaching #1 on April 9. It reached the summit exactly three years after fellow Swedish act Blue Swede had reached #1 with 1974's "Hooked On a Feeling." Strangely enough, Roxette, another export from Sweden, would make it to #1 exactly 12 years after "Dancing Queen." And, believe it or not, in early April 1994, Ace of Base was at #1 with "The Sign." The song itself is four minutes of pure pop heaven, with impeccable harmony vocals. 2 LOVE THEME FROM A STAR IS BORN (EVERGREEN)-BARBRA STREISAND An impeccably sung movie theme with a late winter feel—Streisand’s vocal was a balm that helped us through the brutally cold winter. 1 RICH GIRL-DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES This song became the duo's first #1 hit, and it featured a killer guitar riff that propelled it up the charts. The song showed off their pop-rock side.
SHOULD HAVE MADE THE TOP 40: BLUE EAGLE-BAT MCGRATH: This country-tinged rock tune got some airplay that spring and had a strong hook. Unfortunately, it didn’t make the Hot 100. I don’t think it bubbled under either, but it may have made some AOR lists.
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Post by bobbo428 on Mar 24, 2014 17:52:30 GMT -5
23: HERE COMES THOSE TEARS AGAIN - JACKSON BROWNE (23) - Great song! One of his best and most underrated, as this was all the higher this song got on the charts. It should have been a Top Ten hit!
I agree--Browne should have had more than two top-10 hits, including this one. In a poignant irony, this song peaked a year almost to the day after Browne's wife had taken her own life.
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Post by bobbo428 on Mar 24, 2014 18:03:11 GMT -5
33. At Midnight (My Love Will Life You Up) - Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan - And we're back to the great songs. In a week or two, as this song was struggling to get out of the 30s, Casey mentioned that just because a song was #1 on the Soul chart (as this was one was), it didn't necessarily mean that it would be a big hit on the pop chart. This is one of my favorite songs from the group, I like it better than "Sweet Thing" and "Tell Me Something Good", and was sorely disappointed that it only got to 30.
I remember the day I heard Casey talking about this--Easter Sunday (4-10)-77. I too was hoping that "At Midnight" would be a much bigger pop hit. I had the 45 at the time.
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Post by bobbo428 on Mar 25, 2014 17:49:38 GMT -5
I am a little early with this--I wanted to post it today because I have fun memories of this date in 1988 (unlike 3/23/85, which was one of the least enjoyable days of the year).
March 25, 1988 (the day before the chart date) was a fun day, especially when I visited my friend Mary that evening. It was an unseasonably warm 72 degrees that day—a mere four days before, it was 3 degrees. Such goes March.
There was one song in this countdown I never heard until yesterday, when I was checking out some songs on You Tube to refresh my memory. The song I never heard, even in 1988 was the L.L. Cool J song. I was almost 27 at the time, so I was not a really big top-40 radio fan. However, there were enough songs that I did like, so I did tune in occasionally. Both the early 1970s and the late-1980s have songs I’m not familiar with—the former because I wasn’t a pop listener yet, and the latter because I was shifting to an adult contemporary/oldies mode. There was no AOR station in our area, so I had to rely on pop, R&B, and AC for new songs .
40 PAMELA-TOTO One of my favorite hits in the countdown, this had a slamming hook and a sense of urgency. Unfortunately, it was their last hit. 39 HUNGRY EYES-ERIC CARMEN Generic, bland movie tune that has been played to death as an AC recurrent. I enjoyed his next hit, “Make Me Lose Control,” much more. 38 FISHNET-MORRIS DAY New Jack swing tune meets Minneapolis production; reminded me of Janet Jackson’s “What Have You Done for Me Lately’ instrumentally. 37 PUMP UP THE VOLUME-M.A.R.R.S. Fun song with a hip-hop vibe and several distinctive vocal and instrumental hooks 36 LOVE OVERBOARD-GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS Old school soul tune was this classic group’s final top-40 appearance. I was hoping that this would make the top 10. 35 GOING BACK TO CALI-L.L. COOL J Except for the horns, this was pretty pedestrian. 34 ANYTHING FOR YOU-GLORIA ESTEFAN/MIAMI SOUND MACHINE This spring song has an excellent instrumental coda which reminds me of a stream flowing during the month of May. 33 WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD-LOUIS ARMSTRONG Re-release of a song that had made the AC chart 20 years before, this ballad was great and inspired a sense of awe. I believe this was Armstrong’s first top-40 hit since 1964’s “Hello, Dolly.” 32 CAN'T STAY AWAY FROM YOU-GLORIA ESTEFAN/MIAMI SOUND MACHINE This song was released in November 1987 and climbed slowly up the chart. This ballad had a stronger hook than "Words Get in the Way"--it reminded me of snow slowly melting from a roof as the sunlight grows stronger in February and March. It has that subtle, springlike feel to it--which may explain why it struggled on the chart for two months, when it really began to soar. 31 ELECTRIC BLUE-ICEHOUSE Enjoyable tune with a good instrumental break 30 YOU DON’T KNOW-SCARLETT & BLACK Mainstream-sounding British pop-rocker had a fairly strong hook. 29` NEVER KNEW LOVE LIKE THIS-ALEXANDER O’NEAL FEATURING CHERRELLE Spring-sounding R&B slow jam was soulful. 28 ONE STEP UP-BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Reflective ballad was my favorite of the three singles from Tunnel of Love—and his last top-40 appearance until 1992’s “Human Touch.” 27 PINK CADILLAC-NATALIE COLE Monotonous cover of a song that was originally the B-side of Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” four years prior—this was Cole at her poppiest. 26 I FOUND SOMEONE-CHER Standard power ballad was her first top-40 hit in nine years (“Take Me Home”). 25 PROVE YOUR LOVE-TAYLOR DAYNE Sexually suggestive dance-pop tune was her second big hit in a row. Before I checked it out on You Tube, I had not heard it in a decade. The tune was catchy, but the lyrics turned me off back in ’88. I can see Katy Perry or Rihanna doing a song like this. 24 ROCK OF LIFE-RICK SPRINGFIELD Rocking tune had a strong hook and would be his last hit. 23 WHEN WE WAS FAB-GEORGE HARRISON The spring of 1988 saw Harrison score his last top-40 solo hit--this featured the Beatlesque production of Electric Light Orchestra's Jeff Lynne. The lyrics dealt with the Beatle mystique and the fact that fans had to get used to the idea that the Beatles were a thing of the past. However, the song looked back with nostalgia as well as relief. 22 BE STILL MY BEATING HEART-STING This had a subtle synthesizer hook, as well as occasional piano riffs and brassy breaks to complement the high-tech sheen. The song reminded me of the stray rays of sunlight that pierce a leaden February sky. This would be Sting’s last top-40 hit until 1991’s “All This Time.” 21 I SAW HIM STANDING THERE-TIFFANY I hated this in 1988, but I recently heard it and it was fairly catchy, if kitschy. 20 ANGEL-AEROSMITH I enjoyed this song when it first came out, but by 1990, I would become very tired of this and many other power ballads. This would be their biggest hit until 1998’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” also a power ballad. 19 CHECK IT OUT-JOHN MELLENCAMP This had ominous, Duane-Eddy-styled guitars, as well as introspective lyrics. he song pleas for more open-mindedness and understanding. It reached the top 20 in early 1988. 18 SOME KIND OF LOVER-JODY WATLEY Enjoyable tune that is seldom heard these days—I liked it a lot more than “Looking for a New Love” and her annoying 1989 hit “Real Love.” It was my second favorite Watley hit, next to “Everything.” 17 WISHING WELL-TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY A fun blue-eyed soul number—this singer’s arrogance was a huge drawback, however. Rolling Stone called him “a legend in his own mind.” He never reached the top 40 after 1988, though I did enjoy 1994’s “Let Her Down Easy,” which should have been a hit. 16 WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO-WHITNEY HOUSTON Standard Whitney ballad was earnest—its melody reminded me of Pachabel’s famous number. 15 SHE’S LIKE THE WIND-PATRICK SWAYZE (FEATURING WENDY FRASER) Enjoyable pop ballad went well with Dirty Dancing. 14 JUST LIKE PARADISE-DAVID LEE ROTH Over the top and campy—not much different than some current bro-country hits 13 GIRLFRIEND-PEBBLES This tune had a strong hook and good beat, as well as well-placed rap break. I enjoyed this song much more than “Mercedes Boy,” which of course was her biggest hit. I also enjoyed her 1990 hit “Giving You the Benefit.” 12 DEVIL INSIDE-INXS Good beat but banal lyrics 11 SITTIN’ ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY-MICHAEL BOLTON I am not a big fan of this guy—too overwrought, especially in his remakes. 10 HYSTERIA-DEF LEPPARD Standard metal ballad wasn’t overly catchy. 9 ROCKET 2 U-THE JETS I found this song annoying—it had a “I-won’t be-there if you need me, but I’ll be there for sex” vibe—it sounded as though the singer was using his girlfriend. Musically, it was standard late-‘80s bubblegum. 8 FATHER FIGURE-GEORGE MICHAEL Haunting, soulful ballad saw George at his career peak. 7 I WANT HER-KEITH SWEAT One of the first New Jack Swing hits, this was one I first heard on the local R&B station. I enjoyed the hook but wasn’t too crazy about the lyrics. 6 I GET WEAK-BELINDA CARLISLE Fairly catchy mainstream rock tune 5 GET OUTTA MY DREAMS, GET INTO MY CAR-BILLY OCEAN I never liked this one much—I found it both monotonous and pushy. AC radio loved this as a recurrent, exposing me to this mediocrity for many years. I enjoyed his next hit, “Color of Love” much more. 4 OUT OF THE BLUE-DEBBIE GIBSON One of my favorites at the time, this was a definite guilty pleasure with a springlike vibe. 3 NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP-RICK ASTLEY When I first heard this, back in early 1988, I found it to have an awesome hook. Within 10 days, I already had the record. Unfortunately, it was played to death on AC radio the next two decades, and I have yet to add it to my iTunes collection despite the fact that it was my favorite hit in ’88. I always liked the sincerity of Astley’s delivery—the exact antithesis of contemporary Samantha Fox. 2 ENDLESS SUMMER NIGHTS-RICHARD MARX Likable mainstream pop entry had a sense of nostalgia—in the late ‘80s, this guy was unstoppable. 1 MAN IN THE MIRROR-MICHAEL JACKSON This song, with its introspective lyrics and charging hook, delivered a knockout punch. The video was also excellent, effectively combining some unforgettable images. The song made me examine myself and where I was going. I was determined to make a difference, even though it would be a struggle.
SHOULD HAVE MADE THE TOP 40: DREAMS I DREAM-DAVE MASON/PHOEBE SNOW Catchy, sincere-sounding tune that was an AC-only hit; I had wanted very much for this to make the pop chart, but nada.
This is my 100th post.
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Post by mrjukebox on Mar 26, 2014 7:18:03 GMT -5
Here's my critique of the countdown from 3/29/75 which Premiere is airing this weekend: #40-"Killer Queen"-Queen-The breakthrough release from this British band which featured Freddie Mercury on lead vocals-Great song that still receives recurrent airplay. #39-"Tangled Up In Blue"-Bob Dylan-The only release from his album "Blood On The Tracks"-Great song that should've been a much bigger hit. #38-"Best Of My Love"-Eagles-Their first #1 hit & an undisputed classic. #37-"To The Door Of The Sun (Alle Porte Del Sol)"-Al Martino-Great song. #36-"Can't Get It Out Of My Head"-Electric Light Orchestra-The first top forty hit for this British group that featured Jeff Lynne on lead vocals-Great song. #35-"Emotion"-Helen Reddy-Great song that should've been a bigger hit. #34-"It's A Miracle"-Barry Manilow-Great followup to his debut release "Mandy". #33-"He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)"-Tony Orlando & Dawn-In 1960,this song was a top ten hit for Jerry Butler-However,the original title was "He Will Break Your Heart"-Fifteen years later,it became the final #1 hit for this iconic trio-Great rendition. #32-"Jackie Blue"-Ozark Mountain Daredevils-Their second top forty hit & another undisputed classic. #31-"The Bertha Butt Boogie"-Jimmy Castor Bunch-Classic novelty record. #30-"Butter Boy"-Fanny-The second top forty appearance for this all female group from Los Angeles that featured sisters June & Jean Millington-Great song that should've been a much bigger hit. #29-"The South's Gonna Do It Again"-Charlie Daniels Band-One of his best songs. #28-"Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)"-Leo Sayer-The breakthrough release from this British singer-Great song. #27-"What Am I Gonna Do With You"-Barry White-One of his lesser known hits-Great song. #26-"Satin Soul"-Love Unlimited Orchestra-Funky instrumental. #25-"Shining Star"-Earth,Wind & Fire-An undisputed classic that was headed for #1. #24-"L-O-V-E (Love)"-Al Green-Great song that has been ignored by the oldies/greatest hits stations. #23-"Lady"-Styx-The breakthrough release for this Chicago based group that featured co-vocalists Dennis De Young & Tommy Shaw-Another undisputed classic. #22-"Walking In Rhythm"-Blackbyrds-The first of two top forty hits for this Washington,DC based R&B group-Great song. #21-"Before The Next Teardrop Falls"-Freddy Fender-The first top forty hit for this native of San Benito,TX (1937-2006) whose real name was Baldemar Huerta-An undisputed classic that was also a hit on the country chart. #20-"Supernatural Thing"-Ben E.King-The last major hit for this NYC native who was the lead singer of The Drifters from 1959-1960-Great song. #19-"Emma"-Hot Chocolate-The breakthrough release for this interracial rock-soul band that featured Errol Brown on lead vocals-Great song. #18-"Black Water"-Doobie Brothers-An undisputed classic that Patrick Simmons on lead vocals. #17-"Harry Truman"-Chicago-The only top forty hit that was written about a U.S.president-Great song. #16-"Chevy Van"-Sammy Johns-The only top forty hit for this native of Charlotte,NC (1948-2013)-Great song. #15-"I Am Love"-Jackson Five-One of their lesser known hits-Great song. #14-"Sad Sweet Dreamer"-Sweet Sensation-The only top forty hit for this R&B group from Manchester,England that featured Marcel King on lead vocals-Great song. #13-"Once You Get Started"-Rufus featuring Chaka Khan-Fantastic song. #12-"Shame,Shame,Shame"-Shirley & Company-In 1956,New Orleans native Shirley Goodman (1936-2005) teamed up with Leonard Lee & released a bonafide rock & roll classic "Let The Good Times Roll"-After a few follow-up hits,the duo disbanded-This turned out to be her only top forty hit under this moniker-Great song. #11-"(Hey,Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song"-B.J.Thomas-A timeless classic that went to #1 on both the pop & country chart. #10-"Have You Never Been Mellow"-Olivia Newton-John-One of her best songs. #9-"Don't Call Us,We'll Call You"-Sugarloaf-Great song about making it in the music business. #8-"My Eyes Adored You"-Frankie Valli-A former #1 hit & another undisputed classic. #7-"Poetry Man"-Phoebe Snow-The first of two top forty appearances for this singer-songwriter from NYC (1950-2011)-Fantastic song-Supposedly,this was written about Jackson Browne-At least that's what Casey Kasem mnetioned on a 1980 episode of "American Top 40"-However,Snow neither confirmed nor denied this. #6-"No No Song"-Ringo Starr-One of my favorite hits from this former Beatle. #5-"You Are So Beautiful"-Joe Cocker-This one has undisputed classic written all over it. #4-"Express"-B.T.Express-Great example of old school R&B. #3-"Philadelphia Freedom"-Elton John-Great song that was written about The Philadelphia Freedoms,a tennis team that was organized by the legendary Billie Jean King. #2-"Lovin You"-Minnie Riperton-The only top forty hit for this Chicago native (1947-1979)-Another undisputed classic. #1-"Lady Marmalade"-Labelle-The only top forty hit for the trio of Patti Labelle,Nona Hendryx,& Sarah Dash-An undisputed classic that also topped the pop chart in 2001 in a version by Mya,Pink,Lil'Kim,& Christina Aguilera.
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Post by blackbowl68 on Mar 26, 2014 8:42:08 GMT -5
bobbo428, I liked your critique especially the introduction. I was experiencing the opposite: I was listening to more hip hop & R&B at the time and running from anything sounding so AC.
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Post by mrjukebox on Mar 26, 2014 8:55:02 GMT -5
Here's my critique of the countdown from 3/29/75 which Premiere is airing this weekend: #40-"Killer Queen"-Queen-The breakthrough release for this British band which featured Freddie Mercury on lead vocals. #39-"Tangled Up In Blue"-Bob Dylan-The only release from his album "Blood On The Tracks"-Great song that should've been a much bigger hit. #38-"Best Of My Love"-The Eagles-An undisputed classic that featured Don Henley on lead vocals. #37-"To The Door Of The Sun (Alle Porte Del Sol)"-Al Martino-Fantastic song. #36-"Can't Get It Out Of My Head"-Electric Light Orchestra-The first top forty hit for this British group that featured Jeff Lynne on lead vocals-Great song. #35-"Emotion"-Helen Reddy-Great song that should've been a bigger hit. #34-"It's A Miracle"-Barry Manilow-Great follow up to his debut release "Mandy". #33-"He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)"-Tony Orlando & Dawn-In 1960,this song was a hit for Jerry Butler-Its original title was "He Will Break Your Heart"-Fifteen years later,it became the final chart topper for this iconic trio-Great rendition. #32-"Jackie Blue"-Ozark Mountain Daredevils-Their second top forty hit & an undisputed classic. #31-"The Bertha Butt Boogie"-Jimmy Castor Bunch-Classic novelty record. #30-"Butter Boy"-Fanny-The second top forty appearance for this all female band from Los Angeles that featured June & Jean Millington-Great song that should've been a bigger hit. #29-"The South's Gonna Do It Again"-Charlie Daniels Band-One of their best songs. #28-"Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)"-Leo Sayer-The breakthrough smash for this British singer-Great song. #27-"What Am I Gonna Do With You"-Barry White-one of his lesser known hits-Great song. #26-"Satin Soul"-Love Unlimited Orchestra-Their second top forty hit-Funky instrumental. #25-"Shining Star"-Earth,Wind & Fire-Their biggest hit overall & another undisputed classic. #24-"L-O-V-E (Love)"-Al Green-One of his best songs. #23-"Lady"-Styx-The first top forty hit for this Chicago based group that featured co-vocalists Dennis De Young & Tommy Shaw-Great song. #22-"Walking In Rhythm"-Blackbyrds-The first of two top forty hits for this R&B group from Washington,DC-Great song. #21-"Before The Next Teardrop Falls"-Freddy Fender-The first top forty hit for this native of San Benito,TX (1937-2006)-Great song that went to #1 on both the pop & country chart. #20-"Supernatural Thing"-Ben E.King-The last major hit for this NYC native who was lead singer of The Drifters from 1959-1960-Great example of old school R&B. #19-"Emma"-Hot Chocolate-The first top forty hit for this interracial rock-soul band that featured Errol Brown on lead vocals-Great song. #18-"Black Water"-Doobie Brothers-Their first #1 hit-An undisputed classic that featured Patrick Simmons on lead vocals. #17-"Harry Truman"-Chicago-The only top forty hit that was ever written about a U.S.president-Great song. #16-"Chevy Van"-Sammy Johns-The only top forty hit for this native of Charlotte,NC (1946-2013)-Another undisputed classic. #15-"I Am Love"-Jackson Five-One of their lesser known hits-Great song. #14-"Sad Sweet Dreamer"-Sweet Sensation-The only top forty hit for this R&B group from Manchester,England that featured Marcel King on lead vocals-Fantastic song. #13-"Once You Get Started"-Rufus featuring Chaka Khan-One of their best songs. #12-"Shame,Shame,Shame"-Shirley & Company-In 1956,New Orleans native Shirley Goodman (1936-2005) teamed up with Leonard Lee & came up with a bonafide rock & roll classic that was called "Let The Good Times Roll"-After several follow-up releases,the duo disbanded-This was Shirley's only top forty appearance under this particular moniker-Great song. #11-"(Hey Won't You Play)Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song"-B.J.Thomas-Great song that was a #1 hit on both the pop & country chart. #10-"Have You Never Been Mellow-Olivia Newton-John-One of her best songs. #9-"Don't Call Us,We'll Call You"-Sugarloaf-Great song about making it in the music business. #8-"My Eyes Adored You"-Frankie Valli-A former #1 hit & another undisputed classic. #7-"Poetry Man"-Phoebe Snow-The first of two top forty appearances for this NYC native (1950-2011)-Fantastic song that was supposedly written about Jackson Browne-At least that's what Casey Kasem said in a 1980 episode of "American Top 40"-However,Snow neither confirmed nor denied it. #6-"No No Song"-Ringo Starr-One of my favorite solo hits from this former Beatle. #5-"You Are so Beautiful"-Joe Cocker-This one has undisputed classic written all over it. #4-"Express"-B.T.Express-Another great example of old school R&B. #3-"Philadelphia Freedom"-Elton John-Great song that was written about Billie Jean King's tennis team The Philadelphia Freedoms. #2-"Lovin You"-Minnie Riperton-The only top forty hit for this Chicago native (1947-1979)-Another undisputed classic. #1-"Lady Marmalade"-Labelle-An undisputed classic that was also a hit in 2001 for Mya,Lil'Kim,Pink,& Christina Aguilera.
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Post by mrjukebox on Mar 26, 2014 9:47:44 GMT -5
By the way,"Killer Queen" is a great song that still receives recurrent airplay.
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Post by Hervard on Mar 29, 2014 10:05:02 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - March 29, 1975 Hey, not bad. This is pretty evenly placed in a relatively empty area between already-done 1975 shows (March 15 and April 19). Plus, I don't think I listened to the March 15 show OR the March 8 show (at least I don't see that I posted any commentaries from those shows) so this one will definitely be brand new to me - I'm sure that there will be a song or two that only spent a few weeks on that weren't on the March 1 show (the last one before this that I know for a fact that I listened to) or the April 19 show. DROPPERS: WOLF CREEK PASS - C.W. McCALL (40) - Never heard this one. I'm guessing it was sort of like "Convoy". MY BOY - ELVIS PRESLEY (38) - This was pretty good, but definitely not his best. LONELY PEOPLE - AMERICA (27) - This one was good, but I preferred many others by them, such as their next hit "Sister Goldenhair", which, of course, would go all the way to the top. UP IN A PUFF OF SMOKE - POLLY BROWN (25) - I seem to remember this one was pretty good. 40: KILLER QUEEN - QUEEN (debut) - Great song! The one that started it all off for them (here in the states, anyway) 39: TANGLED UP IN BLUE - BOB DYLAN (debut) - Here's one of the songs that I never heard on the show. I'm not generally a huge Bob Dylan fan, but this one is actually pretty good. 38: BEST OF MY LOVE - EAGLES (19) - Wow, this was the oldest song on the chart at 14 weeks? The charts sure moved fast back in 1975! Anyway, this one was depressing, but a good one nevertheless. They played the long version of this one. 37: TO THE DOOR OF THE SUN - AL MARTINO (37) - Wow, this song was actually hesitating on its way down, while the Eagles fell faster than a hocker off the Empire State Building! It's not bad, but not as good as his disco version of Volare, which it in December of that year. 36: CAN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (18) - Great song, but they totally butchered this one, cutting out the second verse, as well as shortening the awesome synth solo in the bridge. 35: EMOTION - HELEN REDDY (22) - Good song, though nothing spectacular. 34: IT'S A MIRACLE - BARRY MANILOW (debut) - Barry Manilow wasted no time demonstrating how diverse he could be, first of all putting out a slow song, then rocking out with this one. It was good, though I preferred most of his slow songs. 33: HE DON'T LOVE YOU (LIKE I LOVE YOU) - TONY ORLANDO & DAWN (debut) - It's okies, but definitely nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 32: JACKIE BLUE - OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS (39) - Great song! Too bad it was their only really big hit. 31: THE BERTHA BUTT BOOGIE - JIMMY CASTOR BUNCH (36) - This wasn't bad, but kinda goofy. 30: BUTTER BOY - FANNY (30) - Another song I don't remember. It was pretty good. 29: THE SOUTH'S GONNA DO IT - CHARLIE DANIELS BAND (29) - This wasn't bad, but I preferred "Devil Went Down To Georgia". 28: LONG TALL GLASSES - LEO SAYER (35) - This song was so/so, but I preferred his later material. OPTIONAL EXTRA: AUTOBAHN - KRAFTWERK - OK, though nothing special. 27: WHAT AM I GONNA DO WITH YOU - BARRY WHITE (33) - This one sounded more or less like "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe" Part 2. 26: SATIN SOUL - LOVE UNLIMITED ORCHESTRA (32) - And here was Barry White's group. This one was pretty good - not sure if I prefer this or "Love's Theme". 25: SHINING STAR - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (31) - Shining Star got an interview? (Sorry, just putting out a few misheard lyrics there...) Anyway, this was a good song, but I preferred their other 1975 hit, "That's The Way Of The World". 24: L-O-V-E (LOVE) - AL GREEN (34) - Good song, though I'm not a huge fan of his in general. 23: LADY - STYX (12) - Meh, this was mediocre at best. One of my least favorite songs from them. 22: WALKING IN RHYTHM - BLACKBYRDS (28) - Great song. Definitely my favorite of their two Top 40 hits. 21: BEFORE THE NEXT TEARDROP FALLS - FREDDY FENDER (26) - Meh, not a fan of this one. 20: SUPERNATURAL THING - BEN E. KING (24) - This one wasn't much better. I preferred "Stand By Me". 19: EMMA - HOT CHOCOLATE (23) - Good song. One of my favorites from them. 18: BLACK WATER - DOOBIE BROTHERS (4) - Great song! One of their best, but not quite as good as "What A Fool Believes". 17: HARRY TRUMAN - CHICAGO (21) - Interesting song - kind of like a novelty song (which might account for its fast-rise, fast-fall chart run). 16: CHEVY VAN - SAMMY JOHNS (20) - Great song! One of the best one-hit wonders of the 1970s! 15: I AM LOVE - JACKSON 5 (15) - This wasn't bad. I actually liked this one better than Part 1 (which was very cheesy IMO). EXTRA: STOP! IN THE NAME OF LOVE - THE SUPREMES - For some reason, this song was cut from the broadcast. What was the story to go along with this one? 14: SAD SWEET DREAMER - SWEET SENSATION (14) - This song, which was not by the same group who had a handful of chart hits in 1989-90, was pretty good. OPTIONAL EXTRA: STAND BY ME - JOHN LENNON - Good song, but not as good as the original or Mickey Gilley's 1980 remake. 13: ONCE YOU GET STARTED - RUFUS (17) - Meh, nothing special - more roof-raising R&B that I'm not a huge fan of. 12: SHAME SHAME SHAME - SHIRLEY & COMPANY (13) - Not too crazy about this one either. 11: (HEY WON'T YOU PLAY) ANOTHER SOMEBODY DONE SOMEBODY WRONG SONG - B.J. THOMAS (16) - This was pretty good, but it doesn't hold a candle to "Hooked On A Feeling". 10: HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN MELLOW - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (5) - Great song! This one wasted no time hitting #1 and now was moving rather slowly down the chart. 9: DON'T CALL US, WE'LL CALL YOU - SUGARLOAF/JERRY CORBETTA (10) - Good song, but not quite as good as "Green-Eyed Lady". 8: MY EYES ADORED YOU - FRANKIE VALLI (1) - Great song! This song broke the record for the slowest-rising #1 song. I believe it would be broken a year later with "Love Machine" by the Miracles. 7: POETRY MAN - PHOEBE SNOW (8) - Great song! I've heard about three songs from her and liked all of them. R.I.P. Phoebe 6: NO NO SONG/SNOOKEROO - RINGO STARR (9) - Good song. They went with Side B this week. 5: YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL - JOE Cocker (7) - No. Just no. 4: EXPRESS - B.T. EXPRESS (6) - Good song. 3: PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM - ELTON JOHN (11) - Wow, what a huge jump! No wonder it was #1 for more than one week (as one-week #1s abounded in 1975). This song was OK, but far from being his best. 2: LOVIN' YOU - MINNIE RIPERTON (3) - No. Just no. 1: LADY MARMALADE - LABELLE (2) - Great song! I liked this and the one by Christina Aguilera & company that also hit #1, 26 years later.
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Post by mga707 on Mar 29, 2014 14:06:05 GMT -5
What a tiny little snippet of "Bertha Butt Boogie" we heard. About a minute and a half, if that. Didn't even get the names of the other Butt sisters (Betty, Bella, and Bathsheeba)!
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Post by Hervard on Mar 29, 2014 18:58:55 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - March 29, 2014
This week's presentation - March 26, 1988
BECAUSE OF YOU - THE COVER GIRLS (40) - Great song! One of their best - shame that it fell off. SEASONS CHANGE - EXPOSE (39) - Great song! My second favorite from their Exposure album, behind "Point Of No Return". PUSH IT - SALT-N-PEPA (37) - Good song. I'm surprised that it only got as high as #19 - my radio stations all but played this song to death. WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS - PET SHOP BOYS w/DUSTY SPRINGFIELD (30) - Meh, no big loss, as I wasn't a fan of this one at all. 40: PAMELA - TOTO (debut) - This was pretty good, but I preferred many others from them. 39: HUNGRY EYES – ERIC CARMEN (29) - Mediocre - my least favorite of his hits. 38: FISHNET – MORRIS DAY (debut) - This wasn't bad. It reminded me a little of "Fake" by Alexander O'Neal (good reason; I think both were produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis). 37: PUMP UP THE VOLUME – M/A/R/R/S (27) - Good song, though kinda weird. 36: LOVE OVERBOARD – GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS (25) - Good song, though I preferred several of their older hits. 35: GOING BACK TO CALI – L.L. COOL J. (debut) - Good song, which is saying a lot, considering I'm not generally a big fan of rap. 34: ANYTHING FOR YOU – GLORIA ESTEFAN AND MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (debut) - Good song. This was on their way to becoming their first #1 hit. 33: WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD – LOUIS ARMSTRONG (38) - Great song! Glad this one saw the light of day. 32: CAN’T STAY AWAY FROM YOU – GLORIA ESTEFAN AND MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (22) - Good song. Not sure which of their songs on this week's chart that I prefer. 31: ELECTRIC BLUE - ICEHOUSE (35) - Great song! I never knew that was John Oates singing on backup. 30: YOU DON’T KNOW – SCARLETT & BLACK (33) - Good song. This one sounds a little like Glass Tiger's "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" by Glass Tiger. 29: NEVER KNEW LOVE LIKE THIS – ALEXANDER O’NEAL FEATURING CHERRELLE (31) - Great song - my favorite of their duets to hit the chart. 28: ONE STEP UP – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (34) - Good song - sounds a little Gordon Lightfoot-esque. 27: PINK CADILLAC – NATALIE COLE (36) - Great song! I liked this better than the original Springsteen version. 26: I FOUND SOMEONE - CHER (17) - It's okies, but definitely not my favorite from her. 25: PROVE YOUR LOVE – TAYLOR DAYNE (32) - See my comment for song #26. 24: ROCK OF LIFE – RICK SPRINGFIELD (26) - Great song! Too bad it tanked so fast, but it just went to show that Springfield had already had his day in the sun back in the early 1980s. This would be his final Top 40 hit. 23: WHEN WE WAS FAB – GEORGE HARRISON (24) - Great song! One of my favorite solo hits from him. 22: BE STILL MY BEATING HEART - STING (15) - Good song - one that has sadly fallen into obscurity. 21: I SAW HIM STANDING THERE - TIFFANY (28) - Great song! My favorite of her two mid-80s remakes. 20: ANGEL - AEROSMITH (23) - Great song! Definitely one of their best (and this remained their biggest hit for over a decade). LDD: YESTERDAY – THE BEATLES - Great song, and definitely fitting for the dedication, which was written by two huge Beatles fans. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DREAMING - ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK (OMD) - Great song! Possibly my favorite song by them! 19: CHECK IT OUT – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (21) - Great song! My favorite of his Lonesome Jubilee singles. 18: SOME KIND OF LOVER – JODY WATLEY (18) - Good song. It looked like it had peaked here, but it managed to get a second wind long enough to make it to #10. 17: WISHING WELL – TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY (20) - Good song, though not as good as "Sign Your Name". 16: WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO – WHITNEY HOUSTON (19) - Great song! One of my favorite #1 hits of 1988! 15: SHE’S LIKE THE WIND – PATRICK SWAYZE FEATURING WENDY FRASER (6) - Great song! I prefer Lumidee's remake, though - NOT!!!! 14: JUST LIKE PARADISE – DAVID LEE ROTH (8) - This wasn't bad, but nothing exceptional either. 13: GIRLFRIEND – PEBBLES (14) - Good song - I like this and "Mercedes Boy" about the same. 12: DEVIL INSIDE - IXNS (16) - I'm not generally a huge fan of them, but this one was OK. 11: (SITTIN’ ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY – MICHAEL BOLTON (12) - Good song - even better than the original. Neil Schon did a great guitar solo in this one! 10: HYSTERIA – DEF LEPPARD (11) - Good song - reminded me of "State Of The Heart" by Rick Springfield. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SHATTERED DREAMS - JOHNNY HATES JAZZ - Good song - one that made a very valiant effort to hit #1, but George Michael was just too strong for them! 9: ROCKET 2 U – THE JETS (12) - Good song - one of their best upbeat songs. 8: FATHER FIGURE – GEORGE MICHAEL (3) - A song that I hated back in the day but like it now. 7: I WANT HER – KEITH SWEAT (9) - This wasn't bad, but I preferred a few others from him. 6: I GET WEAK – BELINDA CARLISLE (2) - Well, it almost made it, but not quite. Too bad, as this was one of her best solo hits. LDD: THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL – WHITNEY HOUSTON - Great song, and very fitting for the dedication. This is the LDD that I spoke of in a few threads here on this board, and I had forgotten what it was about, but I do remember it made me cry the first time I heard it. 5: GET OUTTA MY DREAMS, GET INTO MY CAR – BILLY OCEAN (10) - Good song - Casey correctly predicted this song going to #1! 4: OUT OF THE BLUE – DEBBIE GIBSON (7) - Good song, but her next release was much better! 3: NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP – RICK ASTLEY (1) - Ah, the virtually unavoidable 1988 Rickroll! OPTIONAL EXTRA: ALWAYS ON MY MIND - PET SHOP BOYS - Great song! My favorite version of this song! 2: ENDLESS SUMMER NIGHTS – RICHARD MARX (5) - It looked like Richard Marx might have his first #1 with this song, but it didn't quite make it (his next song made it all the way, though). This song was pretty good, but definitely not his best. 1: MAN IN THE MIRROR – MICHAEL JACKSON (4) - With this song, Michael broke a record for the most #1s from a single album, with four (and he'd beat his own record three months later).
Predictions for next week: I'll go with April 5, 1987 as my main prediction, as it's been awhile since we've heard from that year, plus that has yet to be run by Premiere. My back-up prediction is April 3, 1982, but if they're airing new shows when they can (and I sure hope that's the case), they'll probably hold off on that year until the following week, because they haven't done that one yet either.
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