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Post by mrjukebox on May 23, 2010 11:57:51 GMT -5
What about a chart critique of the very first "Casey's Top 40" from January 1989?
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Post by mkarns on May 23, 2010 22:23:30 GMT -5
Done and done. From the Radio & Records chart of 1/13/89, broadcast on January 21/22:
LW#1: TWO HEARTS – PHIL COLLINS--addressed later.
40: LOST IN YOUR EYES – DEBBIE GIBSON--very good ballad by one of the more versatile teen talents of the time; she wrote and produced it.
39: ALL SHE WANTS IS – DURAN DURAN--OK, but I like their earlier and later hits better.
38: MY HEART CAN’T TELL YOU NO – ROD STEWART--nice ballad; passionate but not overwrought (unlike the next song).
37: THE LIVING YEARS – MIKE AND THE MECHANICS--No. Just no.
36: SILHOUETTE – KENNY G--one of the few instrumental hits of the time. Pleasant, if not terribly exciting; just don't confuse it with actual jazz.
35: BACK ON HOLIDAY – ROBBIE NEVIL--as I recall, sounded like a fairly undistinguished attempt at redoing "C'est La Vie".
34: WAITING FOR A STAR TO FALL – BOY MEETS GIRL--pleasant if lightweight pop by successful songwriting duo.
33: KISS – THE ART OF NOISE FEATURING TOM JONES--bizarre, but fascinating, remake of Prince's 1986 hit, mixing odd sound effects with powerful singing.
R&D: ONE MOMENT IN TIME – WHITNEY HOUSTON--the first Request and Dedication. 1988 Olympics theme song; bombastic, but appropriately so.
32: SHAKE FOR THE SHEIK – ESCAPE CLUB--"Wild Wild West" retread. Silly and dated.
31: SURRENDER TO ME – ANN WILSON & ROBIN ZANDER--one of the better 80s soundtrack ballads, pairing Heart's and Cheap Trick's lead singers.
30: IN YOUR ROOM – THE BANGLES--good, sexy song with a sort of psychedelic feel in places.
29: LOOK AWAY - CHICAGO--good ballad typical of their hits of this period. On AT40, this was ranked the #1 song of 1989 (though it actually topped the chart in late 1988.)
28: WILD WORLD – MAXI PRIEST--OK reggae remake of Cat Stevens' 1971 hit, but Maxi did better with more original material, such as "Close to You".
27: WHAT I AM – EDIE BRICKELL & THE NEW BOHEMIANS--very good, thoughtful folk rocker from the future Mrs. Paul Simon.
26: DIAL MY HEART – THE BOYS--fluffy but catchy teen R&B.
25: GIVING YOU THE BEST THAT I GOT – ANITA BAKER--classy ballad from excellent jazz/soul singer.
24: A LITTLE RESPECT - ERASURE--good song with Vince Clarke's typically brilliant synthesizer.
23: ANGEL OF HARLEM – U2--excellent tribute to Billie Holiday.
22: YOU GOT IT (THE RIGHT STUFF) – NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK--probably the most tolerable of their hits; catchy dance number that hit before they became grossly overexposed.
21: THE LOVER IN ME – SHEENA EASTON--good but I like her earlier hits better.
20: LITTLE LIAR – JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS--Jett gives some edge to what is otherwise a fairly typical late 80s rock ballad.
R&D – BRILLIANT DISGUISE - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-excellent hit from "Tunnel of Love".
19: I WANNA HAVE SOME FUN – SAMANTHA FOX--liked this at the time, more because of her appearance than the song. Doesn't hold up, though I still like her two earlier hits.
18: SHE WANTS TO DANCE WITH ME – RICK ASTLEY--decent Stock/Aiken/Waterman production, though I prefer "Never Gonna Give You Up", overplay aside.
17: SMOOTH CRIMINAL – MICHAEL JACKSON--excellent song that was a hit again in 2001 for rock band Alien Ant Farm.
16: I REMEMBER HOLDING YOU – BOYS CLUB--No. Just no.
15: ALL THIS TIME - TIFFANY--last of a brief run of big hits. Sort of like a better "Could've Been."
14: WALKING AWAY – INFORMATION SOCIETY--good song that, like its bigger hit predecessor, "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)", would have fit in well with the synthpop boom of a few years earlier.
13: PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART (FROM “SCROOGED”) – ANNIE LENNOX & AL GREEN--remake of Jackie DeShannon's 1969 hit with two great voices that transcend the sterile production.
12: WILD THING – TONE LOC--one of the first huge rap hits; funny, raunchy number aided by the riff from Van Halen's "Jamie's Cryin'".
11: EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THORN - POISON--classic, sad hard rock ballad; excellent change of pace for band then mostly associated with upbeat party anthems.
10: HOLDING ON – STEVE WINWOOD--good R&B rocker; much like "Roll With It" but not as overplayed.
9: BORN TO BE MY BABY – BON JOVI--great rocker that holds up well, like most of their hits.
8: STRAIGHT UP – PAULA ABDUL--first hit for the former dancer/choreographer and future American Idol judge; one of the better dance-pop hits of the era.
7: MY PREROGATIVE – BOBBY BROWN--excellent example of New Jack Swing-type R&B from an artist who then could seemingly do no wrong--and for most of the last 20 years can't seem to do much right.
6: THE WAY YOU LOVE ME – KARYN WHITE--somewhat overproduced, but sung very well.
5: WHEN THE CHILDREN CRY – WHITE LION--No. Just no.
4: WHEN I’M WITH YOU - SHERIFF--nice, if syrupy, power ballad that originally was a minor chart entry in 1983, revived by radio play. Sounds something like Air Supply, with an extraordinarily long final note.
3: ARMEGEDDON IT – DEF LEPPARD--see #9 above.
2: DON’T RUSH ME – TAYLOR DAYNE--good, though I prefer her later hits.
1: TWO HEARTS – PHIL COLLINS--second #1 from soundtrack to unsuccessful film "Buster", in which he starred. Co-written with Lamont Dozier, who gave it the appropriate 60s Motown feel.
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Post by Josh Joel's Top 40 on May 25, 2010 10:55:31 GMT -5
Done and done. From the Radio & Records chart of 1/13/89, broadcast on January 21/22: 37: THE LIVING YEARS – MIKE AND THE MECHANICS--No. Just no. Say what?!  Done and done. From the Radio & Records chart of 1/13/89, broadcast on January 21/22: 18: SHE WANTS TO DANCE WITH ME – RICK ASTLEY--decent Stock/Aiken/Waterman production, though I prefer "Never Gonna Give You Up", overplay aside. You're close, but these three did not actively produce the song, it actually was by Phil Harding & Ian Curnow. The twosome work for Peter Waterman's label & production company called PWL. These two blokes also worked on a couple tracks on Rick's debut CD as well. As an example in case you did not know Monte Moir produced "The Pleasure Principle", he's part of Flye Tyme productions which is orchestrated by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. |
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Post by Hervard on May 29, 2010 19:58:19 GMT -5
mkarns, I totally agree with you about your three "No. Just no" songs!
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