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Post by johnnywest on Mar 4, 2012 14:48:25 GMT -5
It's funny to think of slow chart movement in the 70s and 80s, and then to think of AT20 and AT10 from the last decade when songs would hold in position for months at a time... thank goodness those shows were filled with extras and stories. Isn't that a major reason why American Top 20 (the softer AC version) became American Top 10? With such slow chart movement and relatively little change in the songs and artists charting, Casey and others must have thought, correctly, that a much more interesting show could be made by somewhat downplaying the countdown and emphasizing stories, extras, and thematic "spotlights". That was part of the reason. Another is that most AC stations don't play 20 current hits in three hours (not that most Top 40 stations play 40 currents in 4 hours, but it's not that far off). I believe the average AC station today plays only 2 or 3 currents per hour. The AT10 format better fit stations' current playlists than AT20 did. Speaking of AT10, some of the spotlights were a little dry, especially the ones tied into the Oscars or the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
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Post by adam31 on Mar 8, 2014 6:45:14 GMT -5
And as someone else mentioned, there were some guest hosted shows that were pretty bad. Martha Quinn filling in for Shadoe Stevens comes to mind. Just heard the show with Martha Quinn (5-1-93), and at the beginning almost stopped listening because she was so OUT there. However, Martha grew on me and I realized this was one of the few AT40 shows of the Shadoe era where the host was allowed to have a personality. Curious why ABC allowed a guest host to let it go and put the collar on poor Shadoe? Shadoe should have been given at least as much freedom.
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Post by dukelightning on Mar 8, 2014 7:34:49 GMT -5
Talk about no personality, that statement has David perry written all over it. Heard the 3/7/98 CT40 yesterday(this was during the period when Casey had left CT40 and was in the process of restarting AT40) and several other Perry hosted shows previously. This guy almost puts me to sleep. What a difference a decade makes. In the 80s, Charlie Van Dyke guest hosted the most shows and he was so good IMO that he could have taken over in 1988. But in the 90s David Perry guest hosted the most shows but certainly did not deserve that distinction IMO. Factoid about this show. "Frozen" by Madonna tied "If You Go" by Jon Secada for the highest debut in the 90s (and I am guessing CT40 history) by debuting at #15.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2014 8:12:52 GMT -5
I used to feel that way about David Perry. Then after years of celebrity guest hosts I came to realize I'd take him over most all of them.
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Post by Mike on Mar 8, 2014 12:22:27 GMT -5
Then after years of obnoxious celebrity guest hosts I came to realize I'd take him over most all of them. Right?
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Post by johnnywest on Mar 8, 2014 18:40:56 GMT -5
The December 2013 AT40 show guest-hosted by Britney Spears.
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Post by OldSchoolAT40Fan on Mar 8, 2014 19:52:18 GMT -5
In addition to my despise of post-1989 (except 2002), there were some shows during the 80s that I didn't care for:
- Any show from late-1980 through sometime in early 1982. - Any show from early January 1985 up to and including St. Patrick's Day weekend 1985, and June 29, 1985 - because of "Solid". - June 1985 to Veteran's Day weekend 1985 - mainly due to my despise of "The Goonies R Good Enough" and "Cherish". - October 18, 1986 through the weekend before Christmas 1986 - mainly due to "Love Will Conquer All" - December 5, 1987 through sometime in March 1988 - mainly due to "Seasons Change"
Of the 70s shows, I seem to enjoy mostly stuff from January 1978 through the point in July 1979 when disco reached its peak. It was sometime in July 1979 that we were evolving from disco to adult contemporary and country crossovers for the most part. Classic rock was probably the most enjoyable music during the tail end of the 1970s, to me.
And don't get me started on how much I hate AT40 after Ryan Seacrest took over. Hence the reason why Ryan's face in my signature has a slash through it.
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Post by bestmusicexpert on Mar 8, 2014 20:04:17 GMT -5
The Girls episode made no sense to me. How was it figured? You're telling me that all 35 above Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds had better chart runs? A 2 week #1 hit? I call Horsecrap!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2014 20:31:39 GMT -5
Several of those specials felt random either in result or in criteria. The triathlon of rock n roll show is one where the criteria seems so random you're left at the end wondering why does #1 even matter.
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Post by chrislc on Mar 8, 2014 22:52:13 GMT -5
Early 1974 - take your pick. Two versions of The Americans and Leave Me Alone Ruby Red Dress (which I have learned Helen also cannot stand - she singled out this song in her interview with Marie Osmond as a reason why she stopped singing her hits) and Dark Lady and Last Time I Saw Him and Time In A Bottle. Gag. But two versions of The Americans really would be enough. Even if he didn't play both. Just the fact that they were hits in the first place! Sean Hannity should have hosted those shows.
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Post by mkarns on Mar 9, 2014 14:32:06 GMT -5
Early 1974 - take your pick. Two versions of The Americans and Leave Me Alone Ruby Red Dress (which I have learned Helen also cannot stand - she singled out this song in her interview with Marie Osmond as a reason why she stopped singing her hits) and Dark Lady and Last Time I Saw Him and Time In A Bottle. Gag. But two versions of The Americans really would be enough. Even if he didn't play both. Just the fact that they were hits in the first place! Sean Hannity should have hosted those shows. While two versions of "The Americans" was redundant (evidently AT40 agreed, as they usually only played one), I don't see it as politically partisan or offensive. It probably became popular because of the times; in the midst of Watergate and an energy crisis, people must have liked the praise of their country and its achievements. For a lousy right wing screed on AT40, there was 1971's "Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley". Thankfully it wasn't a big or lasting hit (only on for three weeks, peaking at #36.) Early 1974 also included "Seasons in the Sun", much disliked by some. I think it's OK, but Jacques Brel's original ("Le Moribond") is better.
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Post by jamie9012 on Mar 10, 2014 15:43:19 GMT -5
I heard an Episode dated September 5, 1981 in 2012. I did not know very many of the songs that I heard, and I think that some of them sounded a little fast. However, now I like many of the songs from this list. Some of them are:
"Love On A Two Way Street" from Stacy Lattisaw "Don't Give It Up" from Robbie Patton "Breaking Away" from Balance "I Could Never Miss You" from Lulu
One day, I think that I will hear this Episode again, and it will be nice.
Also, in 2013, I heard an Episode from October of 1980. Although I recognized many of the musicians, I did not know many of the songs (once again). It felt as if I had entered a new World.
It would be interesting to go back to these years and hear these songs when they were brand new. I have heard numerous songs from The Carpenters on the American Top 40 from the 70s (and early 80s), but I just do not hear their songs regularly on the Radio. Perhaps I do not listen to the Stations that play their music, however it seems that I would hear at least one while changing the Radio Station.
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Post by bobbo428 on Mar 11, 2014 11:37:32 GMT -5
I enjoy most countdowns, but I'd say that many shows from Summer 1981 (a dull period for the most part in my life) come to mind because they were loaded with MOR ballads. I also struggle with some 1987-88 shows because I was in my mid-20s by then and was not a big fan of hair metal or some of the mechanical dance music or generally over-synthesized recordings. I did enjoy some of the mid-late 1990s countdowns, however.
As for a specific countdown, I'd have to say the part of the Nov. 19, 2000 show that I tuned in to. I listened that day because it was the exact anniversary of the first time I had ever tuned in to AT40 (11/19/72). Unfortunately, I despised almost every song I heard on the November 2000 show--of course, I was 39 by then, and many of my peers were parents of top-40 radio listeners by then! Unfortunately, the music, mostly hip-hop, just didn't click for me.
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Post by jmack19 on Mar 12, 2014 15:27:30 GMT -5
Least favorite I heard originally:
3 AMERICAN TOP 40 - 8/13/88 2 GIRLS OF THE ROCK ERA - 7/2/77 1 GUEST HOST: DEBBIE GIBSON 6/24/89
Least favorite I heard rebroadcasted:
3 CHRISTMAS SONGS - 12/25/71 2 AMERICAN TOP 40 - 1973 year-end countdown 1 TOP PRODUCERS OF THE 70'S 10/5/74
Shows I'm glad I missed:
3 AT40 BOOK OF RECORDS, 1980s EDITION 9/3/89 2 ROCK AND ROLL ACTS OF THE 50'S - 10/4/75 1 TOP 40 DISAPPEARINGS ACTS - 7/7/73
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Post by bobbo428 on Mar 12, 2014 16:07:16 GMT -5
Even though the disappearing acts shows were popular, I didn't enjoy it much when I heard the show on the sultry evening of July 8, 1973. I was only 12 years old, and I knew little about any music before 1967. I have since come to enjoy 1950s music more, but I thought it was corny as a 12-year-old. My parents would have enjoyed that July 1973 show, as well as the October 1975 1950s special, which I didn't enjoy too much either. I'd probably enjoy it now--but I didn't enjoy it as an eighth grader.
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