What show are you listening to right now?

[OnWithTheCountdown]

Just entered May in my 1997-1999 run, beginning with 5/3/1997. Debuts in this show were: "I Wanna Be There" (Blessid Union Of Souls), "The Freshmen" (Verve Pipe), and "All For You" (Sister Hazel).

[dukelightning]

That's quite a reveal there woolebull about Karyn White and Timmy T! Great catch about "Romantic" being a #1 hit with all of its weeks in the top 4. It is more common nowadays for a #1 hit to have a chart run like that where it's tough sledding once it gets near the top. That's a reflection of stations being reluctant to drop the biggest hits from heavy rotation.

As for the sneak peak, it would be about a year that the feature would begin. Prior to that he was still mentioning chart activity below the top 40 a lot more than Casey did. In fact, I would have wished Casey would have done that back in the day since I did not normally have access to Billboard.

So when Shadoe opened the next show after the one woolebull heard by saying something happens that had never happened before, I knew exactly what he meant. That being an act having 2 versions of the same song in the top 40 at the same time.

Besides "Unchained Melody" debuting, both Snap and En Vogue debuted with hits I did not know. Songs were "Ooops Up" and "Lies". One reason I did not know either is that neither appeared on CT40. Also debuting is "Knockin Boots" with Shadoe saying it was about the wild thing and that Tone Loc did the intro. 'Wild Thing' having been mentioned earlier by Kyper in another rap hit. But no interruption of the wild thing in the Candyman hit!

A LDD that would have been timely for the current time frame. This gal wrote from South Carolina after Hurricane Hugo destroyed her and her husband's home. Then we was deployed to the Middle East for that war. Wrote that things there are not like they are in the US. No they are not 34 years later either as the Gaza war goes into its second year. And now more homes are being destroyed by a hurricane in Florida after many were here in NC a couple weeks ago.

Had an interview with Bobby Hatfield with him saying that he was not told beforehand that their song would be included in "Ghost". By the way, they recorded the new version solely because of how popular the 1965 version had become.

[woolebull]

Oct 9, 2024 6:56:28 GMT -5 dukelightning said:

Besides "Unchained Melody" debuting, both Snap and En Vogue debuted with hits I did not know. Songs were "Ooops Up" and "Lies". One reason I did not know either is that neither appeared on CT40. Also debuting is "Knockin Boots" with Shadoe saying it was about the wild thing and that Tone Loc did the intro. 'Wild Thing' having been mentioned earlier by Kyper in another rap hit. But no interruption of the wild thing in the Candyman hit!

Wild stat: Ooops Up uses lines from Andrew Dice Clay's infamous stand up routine. And it would be the first of two songs to do so within just a few months of each other. The other would actually sample Clay, and name the song after a line from the routine...the #1, "Unbelievable" by EMF.

[dukelightning]

Oct 9, 2024 7:45:29 GMT -5 woolebull said:

Oct 9, 2024 6:56:28 GMT -5 dukelightning said:

Besides "Unchained Melody" debuting, both Snap and En Vogue debuted with hits I did not know. Songs were "Ooops Up" and "Lies". One reason I did not know either is that neither appeared on CT40. Also debuting is "Knockin Boots" with Shadoe saying it was about the wild thing and that Tone Loc did the intro. 'Wild Thing' having been mentioned earlier by Kyper in another rap hit. But no interruption of the wild thing in the Candyman hit!

Wild stat: Ooops Up uses lines from Andrew Dice Clay's infamous stand up routine. And it would be the first of two songs to do so within just a few months of each other. The other would actually sample Clay, and name the song after a line from the routine...the #1, "Unbelievable" by EMF.

Another great wild stat there. You obviously WERE familiar with that song. Next on the 10/13/90 show is a medley of all the top 10 hits produced by Babyface and LA Reid. They had 21 top 40 hits they produced and 16 made the top 10 starting with "Rock Steady". All good to mostly great songs. And it preceded not one but two more hits they produced which became their 17th and 18th top 10 hits the next week..."Giving you the benefit" and "Can't Stop". A wife, cousin and 2 brothers of one or the other of the two guys among those two artists.

[dukelightning]

Almost as wild as that last revealing by woolebull, consecutive shows dated 10/13 had Elton John LDDs that peaked at the same position. Not #1 or anything in the top 10 but #34! "Chloe" in the 1984 show and "Friends" in the 1990 show..heard both the last couple days.

An Elton song but no LDD in the 10/14/89 CT40 guest hosted by Mark Elliott. He said that Elt had hit the top 40 in 20 consecutive years. Said Elvis held the record at 21 years...1956-76. Have heard this record many times over the years but this is the first time I have heard 21 years as the record. Casey has said it was 22 years ending in 1977. Shadoe is the only one who said it ended in 1978 for a total of 23 years. Mark is correct for CT40 since on R&R chart, "Hurt" as he said was his last top 40 hit in 1976. Regardless of which record is used, Elton set the new record a few years later.

Mark said "One" was the Bee Gees first top 10 hit since 1979. Alice Cooper debuted with "Poison" which fell a notch short of being his first Top 10 since 1977. He mentioned later how "If I Could Turn Back time" was Cher's biggest hit since even further back, 1974 and "Dark Lady".

I can add yet another old hit to the list of re-released, resurrected 1989 hits. Mark said New Kids recorded "Didn't I Blow Your Mind" in 1986.

Rare great song as an R&D..."Miss Me Blind".

[dukelightning]

This is a show that freakyflybry heard the other day....the AT40 from 10/19/02. Did not realize Mick Jagger co-wrote M20s "Disease". Am guessing that is his first association with a top 40 hit since the Stones last one in 1994.

Casey says that one of my favorites "Down 4 U" is by the third longest act name in AT40 history...Irv Gotti presents the Inc. Featuring Ja Rule, Ashanti, Charli Baltimore & Vita. The longest was Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam with Full Force featuring Paul Anthony & Bow Legged Lou. Second longest was The Pipes and Drums and the Military Band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

Highest debut is an historic one. "Die Another Day" gives Madonna 20 years in row hitting the top 40. Third artist to reach that milestone after Elvis and Elton. Except for the first year, 1983, this is the latest in the year that she has hit the countdown for the first time. Both she and Elton got their first ever hits in December. That's me not Casey divulging that trivia about Elvis and Elton.

Of "Gotta get through this", Daniel Bedingfield said it was what Sting, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder" would sound like if they jammed together. And it's a sound I like. There were only 10 songs in hour 4.

[dukelightning]

Another historic show. The AT40 from 10/16/93 is the second time in countdown history with no debuts as Shadoe said. The first was earlier that year IIRC.

He said "Sunday Morning" was an answer song to "Saturday Night" for Earth, Wind & Fire. "Gravy" was an answer song to "Mashed Potato Time" as he said for Dee Dee Sharp. This is the last ever week on AT40 for EWF.

Almost as rare as a no debut show are back to back live hits..."Reason to Believe" and "Lately". Played a clip of the Stevie Wonder original that I prefer of the latter.

[dukelightning]

The other day I heard the AT40 from 10/19/02 and Matchbox 20 had a debut. Now it's the AT40 from 10/20/01 and the only debut is by M20. These are consecutive hits for them. So there's a good category to track. Consecutive hits that debut exactly a year apart. Or even non-consecutive hits for that matter.
"Last Beautiful Girl" was followed by "A Little Bit"...both great songs. I heard that song a lot on the PA in stores back in the day when I was a manufacturer's rep. Was surprised years later when I saw that it only peaked at 36.

Like the trivia questions on AT40 2.0. The ones on CT40 were a joke. Casey asked who had the most platinum singles in the 90s...Mariah, Whitney or Janet. Mariah had 8 which is equal to the other 2 combined...Whitney 5 and Janet 3.

Speaking of questions, Casey answered one asking if an artist had more than 2 songs in the top 40 at the same artist. That's almost as bad as what I just alluded to with the CT40 trivia questions! Anyway Casey played clips of the 7 songs the Beatles had in the 40 in 1964 and said the next best was Elvis with 5. I think that may have been matched this century. But the Beatles record is probably safe. Sabrina Carpenter had 4 songs on AT40 a couple weeks ago.

Another clip played was "I Want You Back" which Casey said was sampled in "Izzo". Did not know that and did not catch that sample in that Jay Z hit. Much more obvious sampling occurred exactly 10 years earlier when Naughty by Nature sampled the J5's next hit "ABC" on "O.P.P.".

Another type of hit that last occurred 10 years earlier was an all star tribute. Then it was Voice That Care. This time it was Artists Against Aids. Ironically, next up was a LDD from a soldier telling of how when he had boarded the plane that would take him to the Persian Gulf, he saw his wife crying.

[OnWithTheCountdown]

Remembering Bob Kingsley, as he was called to his eternal home on this date in 2019. Listening to ACC from 10/17/1992.

[dukelightning]

24 years ago minus one day is the date for this one...the AT40 from 10/21/00. Casey gives a tribute to Benjamin Orr of the Cars and plays "Drive" as an extra.

Lists all the Bruce Springsteen songs that various artists have had hits with...Manfred Mann, Pointer Sisters, Patti Smith, Gary US Bonds, Joan Jett and 10,000 Maniacs. Knew all of those hits but not the one in the countdown by Enrique Iglesias..."Sad Eyes". I should say I knew the song but not that it was one of Bruce's songs.

Leading into "No More" by Ruff Endz, Casey said there were 12 songs that were first hits for the artist. That might be my favorite of those. Show began with another good one by a first timer...Papa Roach with "Last Resort" which got no higher than 40. Might put that one in the top 10 of my favorites that peaked at 40. A list that includes "Your Move", "Two Hearts", "I'm in Love", "Burnin for You", "Lay it down" and "Forever".

Mistake by Casey when he said "He Wasn't Man Enough" was the 10th top 10 hit for Toni Braxton. It's her 10th top 40 hit but only her 6th top 10 hit. It's my favorite of hers and Rodney Jerkins can take credit for that since he produced it. Wonder if he ever produced any songs by Anita Bryant. I mean Anita Baker...lol

[dukelightning]

David Perry is guest hostingvthe 10/25/97 CT40. Starts with 2 songs I did not know..."Dream" by another of those solo artists with an odd name Forest for the Trees. Plays a bunch of instruments according to David. Then Shawn Colvin with her second hit "You and the Mona Lisa". Preferred the first one. Next hit was one I definitely knew. It's one of my favorites in this show. First hit for Usher..."You Make Me wanna". Followed by "Silver Springs" which held at 37 the next week and fell off ending the top 40 career for Fleetwood Mac. Had they dropped off after this week, a chart rarity that I remember happening once but have no idea when, would have occurred. A superstar would have debuted with his first hit followed by a superstar artist spending their last week in the countdown.

"Electric Barberalla" is my favorite DD song since "Notorious". Their 1993 hits did not do much for me.

David said that Rolling Stone magazine wrote that Mariah had made a niche for herself with her danceable hits and sultry ballads putting her in between Puff Daddy and Babyface. Got one of each in this show..."Honey" and "Butterfly". The latter though not sultry is a decent ballad. Later is a sultry ballad...by the Spice Girls. "2 Become 1" is a favorite.

Back to back great alternative songs..."Walkin on the Sun" which was #1 on that chart and "The Impression that I get".

Another great alternative song is "Semi Charmed Life". Story about how Thurd Eye Blind leader Steven Jenkins wanted to emphasize the spiritual. He claimed the whereas spiritual things were popular in the 60s, they were not on the 90s. Materiality was the rage. Third eye blind is a spiritual phrase referring to the supernatural and the ability to know the future. Good idea.

[dukelightning]

Last October show for me is the AT40 from 10/30/99 guest hosted by Ed McMann. Only song I did not know was holding at 38..."Hope" by Shaggy. Good but I prefer his 2000s hits.

Ed tells how Steve Harwell of Smashmouth was initially a rapper. But when Snoop Dogg released his debut album, Steve had to give that up. Because Snoop had made hard core rap the thing which meant Steve's soft rap was not going to cut it. So he changed to the sound that would become that of Smashmouth.

Ed pulls a Casey when he says that Pearl Jam is from the home of the Mariners, Seahawks and Suoersonics. Of course the Sonics are no more after relocating.

Only 2 artists from the UK and one of them debuted....Fat Boy Slim. The other was Robin Williams. 2 American artists dropped off meaning Williams was the only UK artist the previous week. Not sure if there was ever a week to this point in AT40/CT40 history when there were no UK artists. Happened this century though.

Ha! After #16 they played the jingle for #33.

[OnWithTheCountdown]

Listening to the early AT40 2.0 shows, I've noticed several ill-timed edits and production errors, like the one just mentioned by dukelightning in the last post (#33 jingle played instead of #15). And I doubt Premiere is going to re-edit those edits, which we all will be able to hear when the shows air on the iHeart channel when it is up and running, which as of today it is not. Word a few weeks ago it should be before year's end, though no specific date or approximate dates have been given.

Come to think of it, that aforementioned show won't be played if this new AT40 station gets the same treatment as the Classic station, with only Casey-hosted shows in the lineup. But we all will hear those edits, and in some cases, extending of songs to time out the show, as was occasionally done during these years.

[michaelcasselman]

Nov 1, 2024 11:43:31 GMT -5 OnWithTheCountdown said:

Word a few weeks ago it should be before year's end, though no specific date or approximate dates have been given.

Was this discussed on here on, or on one of the Facebook groups? I missed seeing anything definitive (or even vague) about a start date.

[dukelightning]

I missed any discussion about AT40 2.0 shows. Are they going to be added to the iheart channel? Incidentally the posts in the other thread the last couple days about what songs are streamed the most touches on a significant tool. Based on that streaming data, there could be lists ranking the various years according to how many songs are being played. Such a list that shows the AT40 2.0 years way down on the list would go a long way in explaining why those shows are not being offered to terrestrial radio.