March Madness: What's your "Sweet Sixteen" AT40 chart?

[80sat40fan]

With March Madness arriving, I thought it might be good to feature the "Sweet 16" or Top 16 of a chart that you felt was either exceptionally memorable or a list of songs that you really love. I'll feature one from the 70's and one from the 80's.

Here's the countdown from 3/11/78 as all 16 tunes get good airplay today on Sirius/XM stations and are great tunes:
(1) Love Is Thicker Than Water/Andy Gibb; (2) Night Fever/The Bee Gees, (3) Sometimes When We Touch/Dan Hill; (4) Emotion/Samantha Sang; (5) Lay Down Sally/Eric Clapton; (6) Stayin' Alive/The Bee Gees; (7) Dance, Dance, Dance/Chic; (8) I Go Crazy/Paul Davis; (9) Just The Way You Are/Billy Joel; (10) Can't Smile Without You/Barry Manilow; (11) Peg/Steely Dan; (12) The Name Of The Game/ABBA; (13) What's Your Name/Lynyrd Skynyrd; (14) Thunder Island/Jay Ferguson; (15) How Deep Is Your Love/The Bee Gees; (16) Happy Anniversary/The Little River Band

I'll pick 7/9/83 as having a wonderful Top 16 (plus good airplay on Sirius/XM):
(1) Every Breath You Take/The Police; (2) Electric Avenue/Eddy Grant; (3) Flashdance... What A Feeling/Irene Cara; (4) Never Gonna Let You Go/Sergio Mendez with Joe Pizzulo & Leza Miller; (5) Too She/Kajagoogoo; (6) Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'/Michael Jackson; (7) Time (Clock Of The Heart)/Culture Club; (8) Come Dancing/The Kinks; (9) Don't Let It End/Styx; (10) Our House/Madness; (11) Family Man/Hall & Oates; (12) I'm Still Standing/Elton John; (13) Is There Something I Should Know/Duran Duran; (14) Stand Back/Stevie Nicks; (15) 1999/Prince; (16) She's A Beauty/The Tubes

So what would be your "Sweet 16" or Top 16 chart filled with memorable or favorite tunes?

[at40petebattistini]

I recall a couple of radio stations during the 70s having a 'battle of the bands' weekend promotion, where two popular past hits were played and listeners called in to vote on their favorite. The winner then advanced to the next 'challenger.' Most often, the Beatles or Beach Boys ended up as champs. Still, it was a fun competition for radio.

But I like your Sweet 16 concept, 80sat40fan.

[1finemrg]

For the 70s, I have 2:

May 2, 1970:

16 Everything Is Beautiful - Ray Stevens
15 Woodstock - CSN & Y
14 Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
13 Reflections Of My Life - Marmalade
12 Up The Ladder To The Roof - Supremes
11 Something's Burning - Kenny Rogers/First Edition
10 Turn Back The Hands Of Time - Tyrone Davis
9 Vehicle - Ides Of March
8 Come & Get It - Badfinger
7 Love Grows - Edison Lighthouse
6 Love Or Let Me Be Lonely - Friends Of Distinction
5 Instant Karma - John Lennon
4 American Woman/No Sugar Tonight - Guess Who
3 Spirit In The Sky - Norman Greenbaum
2 Let It Be - Beatles
1 ABC - Jackson Five

August 28, 1971

16 Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get - Dramatics
15 Riders On The Storm - Doors
14 You've Got A Friend - James Taylor
13 Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers
12 Uncle Albert/Albert Halsey - Paul/Linda McCartney
11 Beginnings/Colour My World - Chicago
10 Go Away Little Girl - Donny Osmond
9 Spanish Harlem - Aretha Franklin
8 Smiling Faces Sometimes - Undisputed Truth
7 Liar - Three Dog Night
6 Sweet Hitchhiker - CCR
5 Mr Big Stuff - Jean Knight
4 Mercy Mercy Me - Marvin Gaye
3 Signs - Five Man Electrical Band
2 Take Me Home Country Roads - John Denver
1 How Can You Mens A Broken Heart - Bee Gees

[chrislc]

My first week on the air. And it's a pretty good Top 16, regardless.

1 1 LE FREAK –•– Chic
2 3 Y.M.C.A. –•– The Village People
3 4 DA YA THINK I’M SEXY? –•– Rod Stewart
4 6 A LITTLE MORE LOVE –•– Olivia Newton-John
5 2 TOO MUCH HEAVEN –•– Bee Gees
6 5 MY LIFE –•– Billy Joel
7 9 EVERY 1’S A WINNER –•– Hot Chocolate
8 11 FIRE –•– The Pointer Sisters
9 10 SEPTEMBER –•– Earth, Wind and Fire
10 20 I WILL SURVIVE –•– Gloria Gaynor
11 13 LOTTA LOVE –•– Nicolette Larson
12 16 I WAS MADE FOR DANCIN’ –•– Leif Garrett
13 14 NEW YORK GROOVE –•– Ace Frehley
14 15 SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT –•– Barry Manilow
15 17 GOT TO BE REAL –•– Cheryl Lynn
16 18 SHAKE IT –•– Ian Matthews

top40weekly.com/1979-all-charts/#US_Top_40_Singles_For_The_Week_Ending_3rd_February_1979

[dukelightning]

July 28, 1979

16 Mama Can't Buy You Love...Elton John
15 I Was Made for Lovin You...Kiss
14 I Can't Stand it No More...Peter Frampton
13 Aint No Stoppin Us Now...McFaden & Whitehead
12 You Can't Change That...Raydio
11 Boogie Wonderland...Earth, Wind & Fire & the Emotions
10 The Main Event/Fight...Barbra Streisand
9 When You're in Love With a Beautiful Woman...Dr. Hook
8 Shine a Little Love...ELO
7 I Want You to Want Me...Cheap Trick
6 Gold...John Stewart
5 Makin It...David Naughton
4 Hot Stuff...Donna Summer
3 Good Times...Chic
2 Ring My Bell...Anita Ward
1 Bad Girls...Donna Summer

Second choice is 5/20/78.

[chrislc]

Mar 16, 2024 18:45:05 GMT -5 dukelightning said:

July 28, 1979

16 Mama Can't Buy You Love...Elton John
15 I Was Made for Lovin You...Kiss
14 I Can't Stand it No More...Peter Frampton
13 Aint No Stoppin Us Now...McFaden & Whitehead
12 You Can't Change That...Raydio
11 Boogie Wonderland...Earth, Wind & Fire & the Emotions
10 The Main Event/Fight...Barbra Streisand
9 When You're in Love With a Beautiful Woman...Dr. Hook
8 Shine a Little Love...ELO
7 I Want You to Want Me...Cheap Trick
6 Gold...John Stewart
5 Makin It...David Naughton
4 Hot Stuff...Donna Summer
3 Good Times...Chic
2 Ring My Bell...Anita Ward
1 Bad Girls...Donna Summer

Second choice is 5/20/78.

That July 1979 Top 16 is non-stop. There's never been a Top 16 like it.

[dukelightning]

Very few top 16s include entirely top 10 hits. The first time in AT40 history that the entire top 16 was made up of top 10 hits was appropriately seeing as this is March madness, on 3/18/72 and the lowest peak was "Bang a Gong" (#10). The second time it happened was on 11/25/72 and the lowest peak was "If I Could Reach You (#10). The third and fourth times it happened was the first time it was back to back weeks...12/8 and 12/15/73. The lowest peak was "If You're Ready Come Go With Me (#9).

[dth1971]

AT40 had a frozen top 14 in 1978, a frozen top 12 in 1982, and a frozen top 11 in 1983, but not a frozen top 16 believe it or not.

Would these frozen charts count as part of your SWEET 16?

[chrislc]

That July 1979 Top 16 makes me wonder - what were couples in parked cars listening to that Summer? Did they have to resort to Easy Listening stations? Or did they record the first 28 seconds of The Main Event/ Fight and loop it?

What was the U.S. birth rate in Spring 1980? Mysteriously down?

Even #25 Anne Murray was getting a little rowdy that week with Shadows in the Moonlight.

But Kenny and ARS and that Rascally One didn't get the memo, apparently. The South Did It Again, as predicted, with ballads of all things. Was that the plan?

[80sat40fan]

Some of the above charts are great suggestions, especially the 8/28/71 chart mentioned by 1finemrg . Interestingly, more 70's charts have been nominated than 80's charts. If anyone has any super strong 80's charts, go ahead and post them.

[doofus67]

Mar 17, 2024 14:18:17 GMT -5 chrislc said:

That July 1979 Top 16 makes me wonder - what were couples in parked cars listening to that Summer? Did they have to resort to Easy Listening stations? Or did they record the first 28 seconds of The Main Event/ Fight and loop it?

What was the U.S. birth rate in Spring 1980? Mysteriously down?

Even #25 Anne Murray was getting a little rowdy that week with Shadows in the Moonlight.

But Kenny and ARS and that Rascally One didn't get the memo, apparently. The South Did It Again, as predicted, with ballads of all things. Was that the plan?

Those couples would have had to look to farther-away lands to make their mushy fix complete.  "Lead Me On" (#22, by a singer from England) was closing in on the Sweet Sixteen, while "After the Love Has Gone" (#31, by a band from Chicago), and "I'll Never Love This Way Again" (#35, by a singer from New Jersey) were in Mark Elliott's Weekly Top 30 Future File.