AT40 songs featuring counting (up or down)

[80sat40fan]

Have we ever had a thread with songs that featured one of Casey's favorite weekly activities... counting? A few examples:

* "1-2-3" by Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine counts up to 7 ("1-2-3-4, come on baby say love me / 5-6-7 times")
* "10-9-8" by Face To Face counts from 10 to 4 while skipping 7 ("10-9-8, I'm always countin' down / You feel the pressure when you're under the gun / 6-5-4, I'm always countin' down / Isn't it funny, I never get to 1")
* David Bowie counts down from 10 - 1 during the first verse of "Space Oddity".
* Elvis Costello's "Everyday I Write The Book" features counting from 1 to 6 ("Chapter One: We didn't really get along / Chapter Two: I think I fell in love with you / You said you'd stand by me in the middle of Chapter Three / But you were up to your old tricks in Chapters Four Five and Six")
* Edwin Starr (pre-Casey & AT40) counts from 10 to 5 in "25 Miles To Go" (Come on feet don't fail me now / I got ten more miles to go / I got nine, eight, seven, six, six, six / I got five more miles to go now..."}
* New Kids On The Block (during Shadoe's time) counts five steps ("[Step one] we can have lots of fun / [Step two] there's so much we can do / [Step three] it's just you and me / [Step four] I can give you more / [Step five] don't you know that the time has arrived?")

In posting this... there are many songs where the lead singer counts off 1-2-3-4... and I guess that counts here (pun intended).

I know of three songs where a singer counts incorrectly:
* In "The Logical Song" by Supertramp, Roger Hodgson sings, "Di-di-di-di-di-di-di-digital... 1, 2, 3, 5!"
* In the intro of "Do You Wanna Touch Me" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, a male band member counts, "3-4-2-2".
* In the intro to "Trouble" by Lindsey Buckingham, Lindsey (or a band member) sings, "uh 2, uh 3, uh 4!" three times without mentioning "1".

What are some other examples of counting in AT40 song titles or lyrics?

[dth1971]

Is there counting in Bryan McKnight's "Back at One"?

[mga707]

One that's right in the title: "5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years Of Love)", the Presidents, 1970. Assume counting in multiples counts.
From the same year, "A-B-C, easy as 1-2-3..."
A different "1-2-3" was a different #2 pre-AT40 hit for Len Barry in 1965.
As was "1-2-3 Red Light" by the 1910 Fruitgum Co. (Joey Levine) in 1968.
I'll probably think of more.

[mga707]

James Brown counted off a number of his top 40 records, including 1970's "Sex Machine". Thought of that one as I just saw a great JB/Judas Priest 'mash-up' video called "Electric Sex Machine"!

[OnWithTheCountdown]

Oct 17, 2022 20:11:47 GMT -5 dth1971 said:

Is there counting in Bryan McKnight's "Back at One"?

Yes, he counts in order from 1 to 5 in the chorus.

[LC]

Billy Joel counts "1,2, 1-2-3-4" at the beginning of "A Matter of Trust"

Paul McCartney counts "1-2-3-4" at the start of the Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There."

[chrislc]

Oct 17, 2022 20:28:45 GMT -5 mga707 said:

One that's right in the title: "5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years Of Love)", the Presidents, 1970. Assume counting in multiples counts.
From the same year, "A-B-C, easy as 1-2-3..."
A different "1-2-3" was a different #2 pre-AT40 hit for Len Barry in 1965.
As was "1-2-3 Red Light" by the 1910 Fruitgum Co. (Joey Levine) in 1968.
I'll probably think of more.

And another #2 from '65 was Wooly Bully. Uno dos, one two tres quatro. #1 for the year but never #1.

Don't know if one or both of those #2s made it onto AT40.

[laura]

In "Mambo #5", Lou Bega starts to first verse with "1-2-3-4-5".

[giannirubino]

Dan Hartman's late 1978 dance #1, pop #29 hit has background singers counting backwards from 10 down to 1 during the intro of "Instant Replay."

[dth1971]

It's too bad the 1976 charted on AT40 song by Cyndi Greco called "Making Our Dreams Come True" which is the theme to the TV show "Laverne and Shirley" didn't have the line that opened the TV theme which goes "1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-schmeal, schmizzle, hassenfeffer incorporated".

[at40nut]

Bon Jovi's 1989 hit "Born To Be My Baby" starts out as "2,3,4".

[doofus67]

"Schlemiel, schlimazel." Every Milwaukeean over the age of 50 should know that opening.

[chrislc]

Instant Karma missed by just a few weeks. But Nobody Told Me made it.

[michaelcasselman]

"Space Oddity"'s been mentioned, but Peter Schilling's "Major Tom (Coming Home)" also contained the motif.

[giannirubino]

Prince & The Revolution's #2 1985 "Raspberry Beret" has Prince proclaiming 1! 2!, 1! 2! 3! 4! during the intro.

Karyn White, on the bridge of her #1 Soul, #5 Dance, #7 Pop 1988-89 song "The Way You Love Me" has the following lyric in the bridge:

One, for all the special love
Two, a sensitive and tender touch
Three, because you please
You bring out the best in me