The most significant……the most valuable program

[at40petebattistini]

It's about time!!! Here's my first post for this forum:

The most significant……the most valuable program….the one program that best represents American Top 40, as hosted by Casey Kasem.

When responding to the following two questions, think about the time period and the chart/music presented, Casey’s style including his storytelling and presented information, the number of stations/listeners the program was heard, and your personal preference. And provide an explanation for your responses.

1.)If there was an opportunity for listeners to select one (and only one) AT40 program to be entered into the Library of Congress, which one would you vote for?

2.)If you had access to obtaining, storing, and being responsible for one (and only one) master copy of AT40 (from which the program was dubbed and distributed), which one would you add to your collection?

Obviously, if these scenarios would simultaneously occur, you could not respond with the same answer for both questions. So respond accordingly!

[Deleted]

1. The first show, no other stands out anymore than the other IMO because the music, style, and format changed over the years so therefore, I point to where it originated. There was never a Top 40 of the AT40 era or anything, so it's all the popular music of the day.

2.) 1/28/95; the reason is I would want to explain to anyone who cared later this was truly the end of the era. Rebirths, new formats, etc. dont mean all that much to me. The original AT40 died that day.

[mstgator]

1) I'm with Paul on this one, the 7/4/70 show. That's where it all started. Not just for AT40, but for all those who followed in its countdown footsteps. Even as much as the presentation would change over the years, the nuts & bolts were all there. And some of the biggest artists of the rock era were represented on that first show: Michael Jackson, Elvis, The Beatles, The Temps & The Tops, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin...

2) This one's a toughie, so I'll just go with personal preference. The Beatles countdown of 7/4/81. Casey and his staff did a marvelous job of distilling the accomplisments of John, Paul, George and Ringo into a mere four hours.

And oh btw, welcome aboard Mr. Battistini!!

[Jeffster]

Of the shows I have heard so far, I'd have to say either the Bicentennial Special, or the Top 40 hits of the Rock era 1955-1972. The former is probably my favorite show ever, but since it isn't actually a countdown, the latter might be a better representative of American Top 40 overall.

[Matt Cameron]

Welcome aboard, Pete. Your book rocks.

I love the first show, because Casey sounds so different and, as stated above, so many legends were represented on that countdown, including Elvis and the Beatles back to back. Doesn't get much better than that.

The one I'd like to have the master copy of? December 13, 1980, because of Casey's stirring tribute to John Lennon. I was 12 years old, and it made me want to find out about Lennon and the Beatles, about whom I had no clue at that point.

[Shadoe Fan]

1) It would have to be the first show for all the great reasons stated previously.

2) This is a tough one. I'd probably choose 8/13/88. Shadoe's opening monologue is the best, and the show is full of Shadoe's energy.

Edited to correct the date of Shadoe's 1st show.

[bandit73]

classicat40fan said:

I don't think this is the real Pete Battistini. This guy is only
16 years old.

I think the birthdate always defaults to 1/1/90 if a user doesn't enter a birthdate.

[Radioman]

classicat40fan said:

I don't think this is the real Pete Battistini. This guy is only
16 years old.

Ask him some key questions to find out if he's the real one. Eventually what other major fan he has met in person or something like this. Some things only Pete can know about ....
This topic question is very specific, so I guess it is the real Pete Battistini. I guess ......

[at40petebattistini]

I had to laugh.......yes, this question originated from the REAL Pete Battistini. I gave incorrect age information to thwart any online marketers. Plus I was 16 when I first heard AT40, so I'd like to think that I still am! In reality, however, I'll be 51 in April.

BTW, some great responses so far. But I expected someone to suggest a year-end program, such as the Top 50 of the 1970s or 1983's Top 100. Clearly, it's difficult to recommend just one -- there's so many good ones!

[DougB]

Man, picking one stand out AT40 is like picking one stand out favorite song! I just don't think it can be narrowed down that specifically. However, I would say any show which includes an all-time classic story (ex: First Regular Rock N Roll DJ, Edmund Fitzgerald, etc.) would probably belong in anybody's top ten. If not that then as Pete said, one of the year-end shows, or even better yet: the 20th anniversary show in 1990! You can't go wrong with gobs and gobs of classic medleys!

[cdman71031]

I've been a long time fan of AT40 and am new to this site but my most signifigant shows are (In No Order)



1. 10/30/1982 - the first show I heard in full

2. 1982-1984 year end shows. A lot of memorys

3 the dates escape me but the 2 shows that I got LDD's played on. Yes I said 2 as I've had 2 Ldd's read on the show over the years. TYhe first in 11/98 was read by Steve Street to my X telling her how sorry i was for treating her so bad and then on AT10/20 in July 2004 to my mom who had Cancer (Now she is better).

4 The first show as it is consisdered by most thebest

5. the album countdown 1972 as the songs were quite diffrant

6 Shadoes First show/Casey last in 1988 need I say More

7 A Few shows with special or differant songs debuting in them
I don't know the dates so I'll list them in no order with the year next to the song

a 1970 - Rubber Duckie - Ernie
b 1979 Rainbow Connection - Kermit
c 1980 Rappers Delight - Sugarhill Gang
d 1984 Thriller - Michael jackson
e 1985 We Are The World - USA For Africa
f 1989 Me So h****y - 2 Live Crew
g 1983 Holiday - Madonna
h 1989 One - Metallica
i 1991 Mind Playin tricks on me - Geto Boys
j 1985 Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid

8 The John Lenon (1980/Elvis Presley (1977) Tribute Shows

9 The Bicentineal Show0 It's Fun a and differant

and 10 - the 20th Anniversary sho w I dito the person in the above post!

[Shadoe Fan]

if we were also choosing current shows, I'd have to get the master of the AT20 from 2004 that had my LDD on it.

[coldcardinal]

[25-year AT40 fan -- first time poster ;D. . .]

2. There are two that I would choose, both for entirely sentimental reasons:

8/8/81 - The first show I ever listened to. At age 7 my parents bought me a tiny transistor radio. While channel surfing, I just happened to hear a commercial for AT40, and my mom told me to listen because Jesse's Girl (my favorite song) might be on it. To my delight, it was spending its second week at #1.

Year End '83 - In the fall of 1982, I was forced to start attending Sunday school, thereby missing every countdown (except for summers and winter break). 1983 was the first full year I missed, so I was looking forward to YE 83 for weeks. With the tape recorder set up, I tuned into KRQQ (Tucson) at 8 a.m. that Sunday, but they didn't play it. I frantically called the station, and the DJ calmly explained to this hysterical 9-year-old that they had left the ABC network the week before. When I finally heard it 20 years later, I 1) felt a huge burden lifted, and 2) realized that 83 was one of the best years of my lifetime for music.

[Deleted]

at40petebattistini said:

I had to laugh.......yes, this question originated from the REAL Pete Battistini. I gave incorrect age information to thwart any online marketers. Plus I was 16 when I first heard AT40, so I'd like to think that I still am! In reality, however, I'll be 51 in April.

BTW, some great responses so far. But I expected someone to suggest a year-end program, such as the Top 50 of the 1970s or 1983's Top 100. Clearly, it's difficult to recommend just one -- there's so many good ones!

Heres the reason I couldn't in good conscience choose a year end show. Because the show is geared toward the popular music of the day, how can you just choose one that encapsulates the entire history of the show? So, by default I chose the first show, and last show. I guess that one that very few people heard the first weekend of 2000 might be the best bet also.

[Topay]

For 1), I'd choose the first show that featured a Long Distance Dedication. That's a large part of what fuels AT10 and AT20 today.

For 2) I'd like AT40's rebirth show from March 1998 (or the Hot AC AT20's "birth" show from that same week). This is when I first started listening to Casey, and I haven't stopped since!