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Post by Hervard on May 4, 2019 9:57:24 GMT -5
This thread has sadly been abandoned lately. Let's breathe new life into it! American Top 40 - May 4, 2019
This week's presentation - May 3, 1980
Droppers: ONLY A LONELY HEART SEES - FELIX CAVALIERE (37) - This was an obscure song, but not so much to me - I have heard it plenty of times on my Barry Scott's Lost 45's CD. It's a great one - too bad it only got as high as #36. SET ME FREE - UTOPIA (36) - Headed up by Todd Rundgren, whom had a handful of Top 40 hits in the 1970s, this was their only Top 40 hit. It was a good song. THE SECOND TIME AROUND - SHALAMAR (35) - The biggest hit from this R&B band formed by Don Cornelius, the producer and host of SOOOOOOUUUUUUUUL TRAAAAAAAAIIIIN. It is also my favorite song from them. HIM - RUPERT HOLMES (34) - Two hits in a row from him about cheating in a relationship - only this time, it's just her instead of both of them. And the only clue he needed was a package of cigarettes, a brand of which he did not smoke. I prefer this song over the Pina Colada song, since the latter is overplayed. HOW DO I MAKE YOU - LINDA RONSTADT (30) - Ah, the "Transistor Teeth" song! It was okies, but one of my least favorites from her.
LW#3: ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL – PINK FLOYD LW#2: RIDE LIKE THE WIND – CHRISTOPHER CROSS LW#1: CALL ME - BLONDIE 40: STARTING OVER AGAIN – DOLLY PARTON (debut) - This one fizzled out kinda fast, but her follow-up hit #1 the year after. This was my favorite of her 80s hits - it was a great one despite how depressing it was. This song topped the Country chart the following week. 39: LET’S GET SERIOUS – JERMAINE JACKSON (debut) - Interesting that this was only the third instance of siblings being on the chart at the same time (with separate hits). Of course, it has happened several more times since then, many involving the Jacksons. By the way, anyone notice the resemblance between this and "Grease" by Frankie Valli? I heard this song at the water park three summers ago and at first I thought it was this song, but then realized that it wasn't. As for the song, it isn't bad, but I generally preferred his mid-80s songs. 38: WONDERING WHERE THE LIONS ARE – BRUCE COCKBURN (debut) - Not to burst the bubble of any gutter-minds reading this, but his last name is actually pronounced "Coh-burn". As for the song, it had sort of a folk-rock feel to it. It was a good one, IMO. 37: LET ME BE THE CLOCK – SMOKEY ROBINSON (debut) - I've noticed that his songs in the 80s either hit the Top Ten or missed the Top 30 altogether. This was one of the latter cases. It was a good song - reminiscent of his hits with the Miracles. 36: CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE - QUEEN (27) - Definitely Elvis-inspired, this is probably the last of Queen's Top 40 hits that I liked. 35: THE SEDUCTION – THE JAMES LAST BAND (40) - The love theme from American Gigolo, and the first of two hits from that movie on the chart this week. It was a great one - sounds a little like something Dave Koz might do. 34: TRAIN IN VAIN – THE CLASH (38) - They only had two Top 40 hits, but both of them seem to get a fair amount of radio airplay, mainly on 80s stations. 33: STEAL AWAY – ROBBIE DUPREE (debut) - The first of his two Top 40 hits, and you can definitely hear the Doobie Brothers' "What A Fool Believes" in this one (someone who sounds like Michael McDonald even sings backup). 32: FIRE IN THE MORNING – MELISSA MANCHESTER (32) - Her sixth Top 40 hit, and one of her best - too bad it only got as high as #32 - but at least her two Top Ten songs (up to 1980, that is) were great ones as well! ARCHIVES: DO YA THINK I’M SEXY – ROD STEWART - This was not a bad song, but I still haven't forgiven it for beating out "What A Fool Believes" for R&R's top song of 1979! OPTIONAL EXTRA: THEME FROM NEW YORK, NEW YORK - Old Blue Eyes' 110th and final chart entry here. This one reminded me a lot of my aunt's old records, which I used to listen to when I went over to my grandmother's (her mom) house to visit every Sunday afternoon, as many of those were from the forties and fifties. This one was peaking at #32 this week and probably would have done better had it been released back in the Big Band era. I thought it was a nice throwback song. 31: AND THE BEAT GOES ON – THE WHISPERS (28) - One of Will Smith's favorite songs! As for me, it's not bad, but I preferred "Rock Steady". 30: OFF THE WALL – MICHAEL JACKSON (16) - The laughs at the beginning of this song sound very eerie - like the kind you hear in a haunted house. The song itself was pretty good, but I preferred the two singles from the album of the same title that bookended this one. 29: THE ROSE – BETTE MIDLER (39) - I learned to appreciate the radio version more when my 7th grade choir sang this song at the spring concert. Still, I prefer several others by the Divine Miss M. 28: I PLEDGE MY LOVE – PEACHES AND HERB (19) - Their final Top 40 hit. It was a good one, but I preferred "Reunited" which, of course, was by far their biggest hit ever. 27: HEART HOTELS – DAN FOGELBERG (33) - This was the second and last single from Fogelberg's Phoenix album. It was a great song - one of my all-time faves from him. Glad that they played the full song (as I seem to recall that this was usually edited). 26: DO RIGHT – PAUL DAVIS (31) - One of his more obscure songs, so it doesn't get a lot of recurrent airplay, which I think is a shame, as it's a great song. 25: TOO HOT – KOOL & THE GANG (14) - Their first Top Ten of the 1980s (I count"Ladies' Night" as a 70s hit), and there was definitely a lot more where that came from! This song is my all-time favorite song from them! 24: FUNKY TOWN – LIPPS, INC. (29) - Both versions of this song that charted were by one-hit wonders. That sure doesn't happen very often! Anyway, I preferred the cover version by Pseudo-Echo, which was a Top Ten hit in the summer of 1987. LDD: BABE - STYX - Since they were from Chicago, they got tons of airplay on WLS, so I heard this song many, many times back in the day, and the song hasn't lost its luster at all. One of my favorites from them! 23: ANY WAY YOU WANT IT - JOURNEY (23) - This song may have only gotten as high as #23, but gets more recurrent airplay than many of their bigger hits. It is a good one, but I prefer many others from them. 22: BRASS IN POCKET – THE PRETENDERS (25) - Their very first Top 40 hit, as well as one of their best. Not sure if I prefer this or "Back On The Chain Gang". ARCHIVES: I WILL SURVIVE – GLORIA GAYNOR - This anthem for abused women was one of the biggest hits of 1979, and definitely one of my favorite disco hits of all time! OPTIONAL EXTRA: AGAINST THE WIND - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND - The title track from one of his best albums ever, IMO. I really like this song. One of the songs I associate with the spring of 1980 (as my mom had this tape and played it a lot before this song came out - around the time "Fire Lake" was charting) 21: STOMP – THE BROTHERS JOHNSON (24) - I wasn't a big fan of this song, or them in general. 20: THINK ABOUT ME – FLEETWOOD MAC (20) - One of their most obscure songs ever - so much that I don't think it's on any of their Greatest Hits albums. It was a pretty good song, though I prefer many others from them. 19: BREAKDOWN DEAD AHEAD – BOZ SCAGGS (26) - "Lido Shuffle Part 2", as some people call it (but Part 1 will always be the best, right?) This one's a great song as well! 18: CARS – GARY NUMAN (22) - This is one of the songs I associate most with the spring/early summer of 1980! Even though it could use a few more verses (in place of all the instrumental parts), it is still a great song nevertheless. 17: I CAN’T HELP IT – ANDY GIBB & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (21) - This was the era when Olivia did several duets. This one and her duet with Cliff Richard called "Suddenly" sounded a lot alike, IMO. Both good songs. 16: WORKING MY WAY BACK TO YOU / FORGIVE ME GIRL – THE SPINNERS (11) - This one just missed hitting #1 - the song at the top was just too strong for it. Anyway, this is a great song - much better than the original by the Four Seasons, in which Frankie Valli sounds like he's trying to force out a stubborn turd. 15: HURT SO BAD – LINDA RONSTADT (18) - She could very well be the queen of remakes, as this is one of many songs that Linda charted with, a cover of a song originally done by Little Anthony & The Imperials. It was a good song. 14: BIGGEST PART OF ME – AMBROSIA (17) - They had two Top Ten hits, and they are my two favorites from them. Not sure if I prefer this or "How Much I Feel". Both great songs indeed! I was pleasantly surprised that they played the long version of the song that includes the bridge. They almost always went with the single version, IIRC. EXTRA: BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY – THE FOUR SEASONS - One of those "biggest hits by a random artist" extras used to fill up excess time during the first few years of the four-hour AT40. This song wasn't bad, but I preferred other songs from them like "Who Loves You", among others. 13: PILOT OF THE AIRWAVES – CHARLIE DORE (14) - Kind of unusual for a female to be named Charlie, though. Perhaps her real name is Charlotte or Charlene. You know what paradise is? It's a lie. It's - wait a minute... But seriously, this was the only Top 40 hit for this London native. I liked it. 12: SPECIAL LADY – RAY, GOODMAN & BROWN (5) - aka "The Trio Formerly Known As The Moments". This was their only hit under their new name, which apparently worked, as it was their biggest hit (and their only Top Ten). I never used to like this song, but now I think it's a great one. Since several people I know hate this song, I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure! ARCHIVES: TRAGEDY – THE BEE GEES - Their second hit (and my favorite) from Spirits Having Flown, as well as one of their best songs of all time, IMO! OPTIONAL EXTRA: COMING UP (LIVE AT GLASGOW) - PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS - Even though this song started its climb as the studio version of the song, they played the live version, which radio went with for most of its chart run, which IMO was a great move, as the live version was far superior, IMO. 11: DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH A DREAMER – KENNY ROGERS W/ KIM CARNES (13) - A one-time duet between Kenny and Kim (I am well aware that they also sang on "What About Me", but James Ingram was also on that song, so technically, it wasn't a duet). Anyway, this is a great song - one of my favorites from both artists (as is "What About Me"). 10: HOLD ON TO MY LOVE – JIMMY RUFFIN (12) - After three Top 40 hits in 1966, Ruffin went dormant for awhile, but had a short-lived comeback in early 1980, with this song written and produced by the late Robin Gibb (who also sings back-up). A great song - it hit the Top Ten, but didn't get quite enough points to register on the YE Top 100. 9: SEXY EYES – DR. HOOK (10) - Their last Top Ten hit, as well as their most successful. It was a good one, but I think we all know what my favorite Dr. Hook song is (for those who don't, it was the song that charted before this one). 8: I CAN’T TELL YOU WHY – THE EAGLES (8) - A rare song featuring Timothy B. Schmit on lead vocals (in fact, until 1995, it was the only song with him singing lead to hit the Top 40. This was a good song - my favorite single from The Long Run, but it's not quite as good as the album cut "The Sad Café" 7: YOU MAY BE RIGHT – BILLY JOEL (9) - I wonder if the broken pane of glass we see Joel looking through on the back of the Glass Houses album is the one we hear breaking at the beginning of the song, which is my third favorite from the album - a great song indeed! 6: FIRE LAKE – BOB SEGER (7) - Great song! One of my favorites by him and the best release from his Against The Wind album. LDD: THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME – GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS - Since Lisa, the subject of this LDD helped to pull Mark, the writer, out of the bad situations the author was in and basically turn him into a different person, this song definitely fit like a glove! 5: ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL – PINK FLOYD (3) - Generally an album rock act, they managed to have a few pop singles, including the biggest of them all. I like this song, but it's definitely not my favorite song on the chart. 4: WITH YOU I’M BORN AGAIN – BILLY PRESTON & SYREETA (4) - Several people I know hate this song with a passion, so I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure of mine. I just like the hypnotic effect of this song. 3: LOST IN LOVE – AIR SUPPLY (6) - The debut hit for this Australian band that was all over the charts during the next three years, but then almost instantly became yesterday's news. This was one of my favorites from them - a great song indeed! OPTIONAL EXTRA: LITTLE JEANNIE - ELTON JOHN - One of only two Top Tens from him between early 1977 and late 1983, and one of my favorites of his 1980s hits. 2: RIDE LIKE THE WIND – CHRISTOPHER CROSS (2) - This one made a valiant effort to hit the top, but was stuck in the runner-up position for a month. It was a great song, like most of his Top 40 hits. 1: CALL ME - BLONDIE (1) - This is the song that held Christopher Cross at bay. Of course, everybody knows that this song was the top hit of 1980, and deservedly so, as this was one of my favorite songs from them!
Coming up next week: May 7, 1983!
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Post by Hervard on Jun 1, 2019 6:48:41 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - May 11, 2019
This week's presentation - May 7, 1983
Droppers: I LIKE IT - DEBARGE (40) - Their debut hit, and it performed modestly, peaking at #31 two weeks before. Their next two songs hit the Top 20, but their best year was clearly 1985 when they had two Top Ten hits. The song was pretty good, though I prefer most of their other slow songs like “Time Will Reveal” and “Who’s Holding Donna Now”. TWILIGHT ZONE - GOLDEN EARRING (39) - A great song that the two Chicago stations that I listened to back then (WLS 94.7 and B96) played quite a lot (was #1 on WLS' nightly request show for quite awhile IIRC). That said, it's a shock that this song came nowhere near the R&R chart. Here on AT40, it peaked at #10. I KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON - FRIDA (38) - One of two former members of Abba that hit the chart in 1983 (the other was Agnetha Faltskog, whose "Can't Shake Loose" charted in the fall). Phil Collins' trademark drumming was featured in this song (and you can hear him on backup vocals). This song was pretty good, but I generally preferred her material with Abba. BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG - THE PRETENDERS (37) - This was their second Top 40 hit and their first Top Ten. Possibly my favorite song from them (though "Brass In Pocket" might give this a run for its money).
Wow, all the droppers were down at the bottom of the chart the previous week - that sure doesn't happen very often!
LW#1: BEAT IT - MICHAEL JACKSON 40: GIMME ALL YOUR LOVIN' - ZZ TOP (debut) - The third Top 40 hit (fourth, if you count the one oddball AT40 chart in 1973) from this Texas band. As we all know, I preferred their songs from Afterburner, but this one wasn't bad. 39: WHIRLY GIRL - OXO (36) - The sole Top 40 hit for this band led by Ish Ledesma, who had been the lead singer of the band Foxy before forming Oxo. As for the song - it's just great - one of those songs that makes you want to just get up and dance! Too bad this didn't get any higher than #28. 38: YOU ARE - LIONEL RICHIE (20) - This was #1 on the Radio & Records chart during one of the seven weeks that "Billie Jean" topped the Billboard chart. This one definitely takes me back to early spring, 1983 - namely, since it receives absolutely no recurrent airplay. Yet "All Night Long" is played regularly - where is the justice I tell ya! But seriously, I liked this song a lot. Glad that it managed to at least top the R&R chart. 37: SHE'S A BEAUTY - THE TUBES (debut) - The second Top 40 hit from this band formed in San Francisco. I was never a big fan of this one; my favorite of theirs was actually their near-miss on the Hot 100, "Talk To Ya Later", from the fall of 1981. 36: WE'VE GOT TONIGHT - KENNY ROGERS & SHEENA EASTON (25) - Well, I must say that I do prefer this one over the original by Bob Seger, but it is definitely not my favorite song by either artist. 35: I COULDN'T SAY NO - ROBERT ELLIS ORRAL WITH CARLENE CARTER (debut) - Here's another song that I felt was way underrated, as it ran out of steam at #32. But I've heard it plenty of times, since I bought the single around the time it peaked, plus it is on my Barry Scott's Lost 45's CD. 34: DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME - CULTURE CLUB (18) - As we all know, there are several different versions of this song run by AT40. This week, they played the one with the whiny intro, but not the annoying bridge - my second favorite version (my favorite, of course, is the one that eliminates both of these). 33: HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF - DURAN DURAN (16) - This, of course, was the breakthrough hit here in the States from one of the most successful bands of the 1980s! It was also my favorite of their 1983 hits, as well as one of my all-time favorites from them! 32: FAMILY MAN - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (debut) - This song was one of their more mediocre songs, IMO. I preferred the other H2O singles - such as... 31: ONE ON ONE - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (15) - This song, which came very close to topping the R&R chart, but was edged out by “Billie Jean”. I’m kinda surprised it only got as high as #7 on Billboard (then again, it wasn’t as far removed as the three songs from earlier in the spring that peaked at #3 on R&R yet failed to hit the Top Ten on Billboard earlier in the year). Anyway, of the H20 singles, this was my favorite. 30: SO WRONG - PATRICK SIMMONS (32) - The only Top 40 solo hit from the former lead singer of the then-recently disbanded Doobie Brothers. It was a pretty good song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BANG THE DRUM ALL DAY - TODD RUNDGREN - Blegh - I cannot stand this song. So loud and obnoxious sounding! 29: STRANGER IN MY HOUSE - RONNIE MILSAP (34) - This definitely does not sound like Milsap's usual music style - has sort of a rock sound to it. I liked it, but preferred most of his other hits. 28: ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME - NAKED EYES (33) - Here is a song that you still hear quite often today on oldies stations. It's a pretty good song, but I preferred "Promises Promises" from later that summer. 27: DON'T LET IT END - STYX (35) - Even though this is sort of a depressing song, all you need to do is get past the lyrics, since the music itself is upbeat. This was by far my favorite single from Kilroy Was Here, as well as one of my all-time favorites from Styx. They edited this one kind of weird by linking the two choruses together, cutting out the instrumental bridge in the process. 26: SOME KIND OF FRIEND - BARRY MANILOW (30) - Manilow seemed to be picking up the tempo at this point in his career - in a one-year period - three of four songs he charted with in a period between spring, 1982 and spring, 1983 were upbeat songs. This one was a good one. 25: IT MIGHT BE YOU - STEPHEN BISHOP (27) - Here's a song that spent an unusually long time on the Hot 100 for a song that only got as high as #25 - 20 weeks. I don't think it was promoted at Top 40 radio, though I certainly don't know why, as it was the theme from a blockbuster movie and all. Well, anyway, it definitely did well at AC radio, however, where had recently come off of a two-week run at #1 this week. 24: WELCOME TO HEARTLIGHT - KENNY LOGGINS (24) - This song was part of a somewhat funny LDD situation in late 1984. Someone who learned the hard life of working on a farm requested this song as "Welcome To Hard Life". I rather liked this song, though it was far from being my favorite from Loggins. I preferred the other two High Adventure singles. 23: FAITHFULLY - JOURNEY (31) - Strange that this song missed the Top Ten, since it still receives a ton of recurrent airplay, especially on AC-based oldies stations. I like it, but preferred many others from them (including their other song on this week's chart). 22: MORNIN' - JARREAU (28) - The second Top 40 hit for this R&B jazz vocalist from Milwaukee. I liked most of his hits, this one included. I also liked a few of his songs that didn't quite make the pop chart. LDD: HOLD ON TIGHT - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA - Though this song indeed fit the dedication, I was never able to get into this one. 21: SEPARATE WAYS - JOURNEY (12) - This song had recently completed an incredible six week run at #8, where it peaked on the Hot 100 (it had recently spent a pair of weeks atop the R&R chart). Aside from Billboard's oddball bullet policy, the fact that Frontiers sold millions of copies contributed to its peak difference (as most Journey fans bought the album). This was my favorite release from their Frontiers album, but there were many other songs from them that I preferred. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY - U2 - Wow, two OE's that didn't hit the Top 40? You don't see that very often. This song gets a decent amount of recurrent airplay on 80s stations (presumably because it was U2's debut single). It's a good song; too bad it didn't get past #53 on the Hot 100. 20: AFFAIR OF THE HEART - RICK SPRINGFIELD (29) - As the second British invasion was underway, the Australian invasion that had been in full swing in the early 1980s was starting to wind down (though it was far from over). This song wasn't bad, but this is around the time when his musical quality was beginning to slip. 19: TIME (CLOCK OF THE HEART) - CULTURE CLUB (30) - One of seven acts that managed to place two songs on the countdown this week. This was second Top Ten hit for this British band headed up by Boy George and my favorite song from Kissing To Be Clever. 18: STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART - BRYAN ADAMS (21) - His very first Top 40 hit. I read in another thread that this song just barely missed making the Top 100 of 1983, coming in at #101. The song was OK, but I preferred many others from him. 17: MY LOVE - LIONEL RICHIE (22) - Is it me, or did WWIS skip this entire segment (or actually, the two segments bumpered together)? I wonder if it had anything to do with their technical difficulties earlier (when they played most of Hour 1 of last week's 1980 show)? Because I don't remember hearing any of the next four songs at all. Well, anyway, this song, reminiscent of Lionel's hit with the Commodores, "Easy", was pretty good, though I preferred the first two hits from his debut solo album. 16: RIO - DURAN DURAN (17) - Despite its huge, fourteen-spot jump the week before, the song made a more modest one-spot move this week (and only got as high as #14 the following week). This was my favorite Duran Duran song for several years, but then I got tired of it. I still like it, though. 15: PHOTOGRAPH - DEF LEPPARD (19) - This was their first Top 40 hit - came close to the Top Ten, but didn't quite make it. They wouldn't hit the Top Ten until the Hysteria era - they even had a #1 hit from that album. As for this song, it was my favorite song from Pyromania. 14: BILLIE JEAN - MICHAEL JACKSON (7) - The second of seven singles from the monster album Thriller, and it turned out to be the biggest, spending seven weeks at the top. It was a good song - has held up quite well over the years. 13: FLASHDANCE (WHAT A FEELING) - IRENE CARA (23) - As we all know, "Every Breath You Take" was the most overplayed song during the summer of 1983. Here is the song that would come in second. In late June, when both songs were in the Top Five, it was literally impossible to listen to any Top 40 station for an hour without hearing at least one of those songs. 12: EVEN NOW - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (13) - Ever notice how this and his 1986 hit "American Storm" sound similar? Both songs are great, but I slightly prefer this one. 11: SOLITARE - LAURA BRANIGAN (14) - The first of many big hits written by one of the most successful songwriters ever, the great Diane Warrren. This was my least favorite of Laura's first three hits, but it's still a good song! OPTIONAL EXTRA: I'M STILL STANDING - ELTON JOHN - I'm surprised that this song only got as high as #12, considering it got a ton of airplay during the summer of 1983. Must have been a poor seller. Anyway, I liked this song - one of his best 80s hits! 10: I WON'T HOLD YOU BACK - TOTO (11) - Their album Toto IV, which had recently won a Grammy for Album of the Year, was living up to its name, as it produced as many Top 40 hits. This was also their fourth (and, as it turned out, final) Top Ten hit. It was a great one, IMO. 9: LITTLE RED CORVETTE - PRINCE (10) - I never knew how dirty it was until about ten years ago, when I looked at the lyrics (since there are times that I couldn’t understand what he was saying). This was the first Top Ten hit from a singer who we lost three years ago. R.I.P. Prince 8: MR. ROBOTO - STYX (4) - I'M KILROY!! This was somewhat of a comeback hit for Styx, as they had been absent from the chart for about two years. I was never a huge fan of this song, though - one of my least favorites from them. I preferred the follow-up, which we heard earlier in the show. 7: SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE - THOMAS DOLBY (8) - I'm so glad that AT40 generally played the album version of this song. The single version, which is pretty much the only version you hear on retro shows, was just too watered down, IMO. LDD: WEEKEND IN NEW ENGLAND - BARRY MANILOW - 6: OVERKILL - MEN AT WORK (9) - You probably know all too well that this is by far my favorite Men At Work song. Didn't quite make it to #1 on the Hot 100, like their first two hits, but it did manage to spend three weeks on top of the R&R chart. Anymore, radio tends to play the Business As Usual songs to death, but I never hear any of the Cargo singles outside of radio shows. 5: DER KOMMISSAR - AFTER THE FIRE (5) - Their very first hit, too - as well as their last. This one was an 80s mix show essential! 4: COME ON EILEEN - DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS (2) - This song prevented Michael Jackson from having back-to-back #1 singles. I'm still burned out on this song, due to overplay, but I did used to like it - I even bought the single when the song was on its way up the charts. 3: LET'S DANCE - DAVID BOWIE (6) - The beginning of the song sounds so much like the refrains in "Twist And Shout". Though I'm not a huge David Bowie fan, I actually thought this one was pretty good - my favorite of his two #1 hits. OPTIONAL EXTRA: OUR HOUSE - MADNESS - This was the first of two hits with which this British band charted here in the states (although they are often regarded as a one-hit wonder, as not many people know their second hit, "It Must Be Love"). I prefer this song, which I remember hearing on the radio all the time back in the summer of 1983. Just a few years ago, I learned the meaning of the line "the kids are playing up downstairs". For the longest time, I meant that it meant that they were running up and down the stairs, but "playing up" is actually a British term for "misbehaving" (commonly referred to as "acting up"). Anyway, this is definitely an 80s mix show essential! 2: JEOPARDY - GREG KIHN BAND (3) - As this song was wrapping up a three-week stay atop the R&R chart, it was also peaking on the Hot 100, here in the runner-up position. The song saved them from being one-hit wonders, and also gave them their first Top Ten hit. A great song that always takes me back to the spring of 1983 - it was even one of my classmate's favorite songs - she even called me up on the phone one afternoon after school to tell me that it was playing on the radio, LOL! 1: BEAT IT - MICHAEL JACKSON (1) - One of several rock-based Michael Jackson songs to hit the charts. Eddie Van Halens's guitar solo in this was outstanding!
Coming up next week: The show from May 18, 1985 - one that hasn't been touched since 2008, so it will be somewhat fresh!
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Post by Hervard on Jun 1, 2019 6:50:06 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - May 18, 2019 This week's presentation - May 18, 1985 Droppers: ALONG COMES A WOMAN - CHICAGO (34) - A landmark single for them, as this was their last Top 40 hit before Peter Cetera left the band for a solo career. It was a pretty good song, though I preferred several others from them. ONE MORE NIGHT - PHIL COLLINS (29) - The first single from Phil Collins' No Jacket Required album, which would spawn two more songs during 1985, and another in the spring of 1986. This was my favorite of those songs and it must have been a strong song, to be able to fend off "We Are The World" like it did its second week at #1. ROCK AND ROLL GIRLS – JOHN FOGERTY (27) - Once the lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival, he was on his own at this point, and doing quite well. The first two songs from Centerfield hit the Top 20, including this one. I preferred the title track, which I'm surprised never hit the Top 40 (could have to do with the fact that it was the flipside to this song). LW#1: CRAZY FOR YOU - MADONNA 40: SHOW SOME RESPECT - TINA TURNER (debut) - The fifth and final single from the multi-million selling Private Dancer album. I thought the song was pretty good - deserved a higher peak than #37, IMO. 39: VOICES CARRY - 'TIL TUESDAY (debut) - The first of two Top 40 hits from this band from Boston. It was a good one, though I preferred their other Top 40 hit (which was quite underrated, I must say), "What About Love". 38: I'M ON FIRE - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (23) - He was still cranking out hit after hit from his Born In The USA album. This was the fourth one, which had peaked at #6 several weeks before. It was a great song - one of my favorites from Born In The USA 37: RASPBERRY BERET - PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION (debut) - Debuting on the entire Hot 100 way up here at #37, this was Prince's first song in quite awhile that was NOT from the Purple Rain soundtrack. It was a good song, but definitely not his best. 36: WOULD I LIE TO YOU - EURYTHMICS (40) - The first of two Top Ten hits with this title. I preferred the one by Charles & Eddie, which charted seven years later. This song was also a good song - one of many that takes me back to the summer of 1985. Though we already know all too well that my favorite song from them was the follow-up to this song. 35: LOST IN LOVE - NEW EDITION (35) - This one never hit the R&R chart, but, even though I wasn't yet listening to American Top 40, I do vaguely remember hearing this song back in the day. Around that time, I had a dream about spending the day with a girl from my class that I had a crush on (who ended up not wanting to have anything to do with me, lol), and I was writing a story based on the dream. This song sort of brings back those puppy love feelings, so I must have heard it sometime - probably on B96, which was beginning to play more urban-based music. Anyway, this was definitely one of my favorite songs by them! A true bonafide guilty pleasure! 34: INVISIBLE - ALISON MOYET (37) - A one hit wonder, and a former member of Yaz (who never had a Top 40 hit). Her voice reminds me of Cher. 33: SOME THINGS ARE BETTER LEFT UNSAID - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (21) - Their Big Bam Boom album was their third in a row to be certified multi-platinum. This was the third single from it, and had peaked at #18 two weeks before. I'm thinking it might have peaked higher had it been released a few years earlier, as it sort of had an early-80s sound to it (in fact, the choruses reminded me of the verses of "Even The Nights Are Better" by Air Supply). I thought it was a good song. 32: THE SEARCH IS OVER - SURVIVOR (38) - This was their biggest hit that wasn't associated with any of the Rocky movies. It was a great song - one that became somewhat popular in the LDD department. 31: NEVER ENDING STORY - LIMAHL (36) - Of course we all know that this guy was the lead singer of Kajagoogoo, whose only hit "Too Shy" I think we know all too well I hate with a passion. This one, on the other hand, was a great song! OPTIONAL EXTRA: FIND A WAY - AMY GRANT - This was Amy's first crossover Top 40 hit, but there was more where that came from - she hit #1 in December of the following year in a duet with Peter Cetera and then, in 1991 and 1992, had a ton of chart success with her album Heart In Motion. I thought this was a great song. 30: 'TIL MY BABY COMES HOME - LUTHER VANDROSS (31) - Featuring Billy Preston on the organ, this was Luther's second Top 40 hit (third, if you count his duet with Dionne Warwick, "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye") and it was a good one, but I preferred many others from him. 29: SUSSUDIO - PHIL COLLINS (39) - The second of four releases from No Jacket Required. Definitely my least favorite of them - this one was a little too gimmicky, IMO, as well as overplayed. 28: SMUGGLER'S BLUES - GLENN FREY (33) - The first of two hits by Frey from the "Miami Vice" soundtrack. This is my favorite of the two by a slight margin, but I generally preferred him with the Eagles. 27: SAY YOU'RE WRONG - JULIAN LENNON (30) - His album Valotte spawned three Top 40 hits. This was my favorite of the three, and I feel it deserved a higher peak than #21 (especially since the first two songs hit the Top Ten). 26: CELEBRATE YOUTH - RICK SPRINGFIELD (28) - He was pretty much a has-been at this point. His album Tao spawned only two singles, neither of which hit the Top 20. I preferred the other single, "State Of The Heart" by a fair margin. This song wasn't bad, but I can see why it peaked so low (other than the fact that Springfield had already had his day in the sun). 25: ANGEL - MADONNA (32) - I think it's an understatement that 1985 was a great year for Madonna. She had a ton of hits on the chart. This was a good one, but I preferred many others from her, including her album cut "Into The Groove", which charted at R&R a few weeks later. 24: NIGHTSHIFT - COMMODORES (13) - The second of the two Marvin Gaye tributes that I mentioned earlier, only this one also paid homage to Jackie Wilson, another R&B great who had also passed away in 1984. This song was OK, but the Commodores were just not the same without Lionel Richie. 23: ONE LONELY NIGHT - REO SPEEDWAGON (26) - They had a big #1 earlier in the year (one of my personal faves by them, might I add). I figured that this song, their third hit from Wheels Are Turnin' (as well as another personal favorite) would hit the Top Ten, but it only got as high as #19 (which isn't bad either). Their biggest pop success was definitely in 1981, with Hi Infidelity. 22/LDD: THAT WAS YESTERDAY - FOREIGNER (15) - The second hit from Agent Provacateur, it was looking like it would be another Top Ten hit, but it fell short, peaking at #12. It did hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart and was played regularly on the stations I listened to (especially U93, which played it well into the summer). It was easily my favorite of their two 1985 hits, as well as possibly my favorite song from them of all time! 21: WALKING ON SUNSHINE - KATRINA & THE WAVES (24) - A great, fun song that always takes me back to the summer of 1985! 20: HEAVEN - BRYAN ADAMS (25) - The first of three #1 hits for Adams (sure seems like he had more, doesn't it?) I'm glad that this got a second chance on the charts (as when it was first released, from the box office bomb "A Night In Heaven", it went nowhere). OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE GOONIES 'R GOOD ENOUGH - CYNDI LAUPER - A song I hear every time I play the Goonies 2 on my NES (as a computerized video game version of this song plays when you're in certain rooms in the Fratelli's hideout). Of course, Cyndi Lauper's version was much better! 19: NEW ATTITUDE - PATTI LABELLE (17) - A great and very positive sounding song that reminds me of the revelation I had back in June, 2009 about developing a more positive attitude than I'd had previously. There is still room for improvement, but I've been told by several people that they've noticed the change. 18: JUST A GIGILO/I AIN'T GOT NOBODY - DAVID LEE ROTH (22) - His second hit from Crazy From The Heat, a mini-album containing only four songs, all of them cover versions of older hits. 17: FRESH - KOOL & THE GANG (18) - This was the second of four hits from the album Emergency (in fact, three of them hit the Top Ten - ironically, the only one that did not was the title track). This was my favorite of that album's singles. 16: IN MY HOUSE - MARY JANE GIRLS (20) - This was the only Top 40 hit for this Rick James-produced soul & funk group (though I have heard a few others from them, such as their cover of the Four Seasons' "Walk Like A Man" which was a mid-charter a year later). This was my favorite of their songs that I know. 15: THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER - HOWARD JONES (19) - This song and Billy Joel's hit from later that summer, "You're Only Human", both had similar messages. It was a great one, though my favorite from him would be "No One Is To Blame", from the following summer. 14: ALL SHE WANTS TO DO IS DANCE - DON HENLEY (11) - The second release from Building The Perfect Beast. It's my least favorite of the singles, however - for some reason, this song never did much for me. EXTRA: SUSPICIOUS MINDS - ELVIS PRESLEY: This song was played as the third Optional Extra. That's kind of weird because, while this is a common practice to place an in-show extra as an OE for the 1970s show, they don't usually do it for the 80s shows. 13: DON'T COME AROUND HERE NO MORE - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (14) - Meh, I was never a huge fan of this song. I preferred his early-80s hits. 12: OBSESSION - ANIMOTION (9) - Their first of three Top 40 hits from this technopop band from Los Angeles. It was their biggest hit and I thought it was a decent song, but I preferred their other Top Ten hit, "Room To Move", from 1989. 11: SUDDENLY - BILLY OCEAN (16) - To many Billy Ocean fans, it's pretty common knowledge that an incident associated with this song actually inspired one of Ocean's hits, "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)", which hit #1 the following summer. Both songs are great, IMO, and among my personal faves from Ocean. 10: AXEL F - HAROLD FALTERMEYER (12) - The first of three instrumentals to hit the Top 40 in 1985 (not sure when the last time that many instrumentals charted within a year's time). I remember that sometimes, I'd shadowbox in time to music of this song. Not sure why; just one of many weird things I did as a young teenager. 9: EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD - TEARS FOR FEARS (10) - The first of three big hits for TFF in 1985. This song went all the way to #1 and is my second favorite, behind "Head Over Heels". 8: WE ARE THE WORLD - USA FOR AFRICA (2) - One of the biggest selling singles ever, and for a great cause - aiding in famine relief in Ethiopia. I did get tired of the song back in the day, both from radio airplay and rehearsing it almost every day for our spring choir concert in 7th grade, but it's great to hear it every now and then. 7: RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT - DEBARGE (4) - This song turned out to be their biggest hit ever, getting as high as #3 a few weeks before. It was a good one, but I preferred their next hit, "Who's Holding Donna Now", which turned out to be their second best hit, peaking at #6. 6: SOME LIKE IT HOT - POWER STATION (6) - One of several Duran Duran side projects. This song was OK, but I generally preferred Duran Duran, including their then-new song "A View To A Kill", which would debut on the Hot 100 the following week and go on to hit #1 that summer. 5: SMOOTH OPERATOR - SADE (10) - Their debut hit, which became one of their biggest, peaking at #5 the following week. It wasn't one of my favorites back in the day, but now I think it's a great one! 4/LDD: EVERYTHING SHE WANTS - WHAM (8) - Wow, both LDDs this week were songs on the chart. That sure didn't happen very often, did it? That might explain the Elvis extra. Anyway, this was not only the duo's third hit in a row, but their third #1 as well. This was my favorite of those. 3: ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK – MURRAY HEAD f/ANDERS GLENMARK (5) - That is how the song would be credited today, since Glenmark sings in the song while Murray Head raps. As usual, this song started out with the classical prelude, which I liked. The song itself is pretty good too, although it was quite overplayed back in the day! They usually edited this one (heavily at times), but this week, they seemed to play the song intact. OPTIONA EXTRA: A VIEW TO A KILL - DURAN DURAN - This was song I mentioned earlier - the second of two #1 songs for Duran Duran - and was by far my favorite of the two - a great song indeed! 2: CRAZY FOR YOU - MADONNA (1) - It was looking like this song might not hit #1, as the song was stuck in the runner-up spot for three weeks and, with a multi-million selling benefit song at the top, it looked like that might be all the further the song got, but the song did manage a week at #1. The song was #1 for two weeks on the R&R chart and went on to become the biggest song of the year, and deservedly so, as it was such a great song! 1: DON'T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME) - SIMPLE MINDS (3) - Their first four hits sounded very much alike, IMO. This was my least favorite of the four (probably since it was way overplayed). I do like the movie from which it came, The Breakfast Club.
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Post by Hervard on Jun 1, 2019 6:54:31 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - May 25, 2019 This week's presentation - May 30, 1981 Droppers: I LOVED ‘EM EVERY ONE – T.G. SHEPPARD (37) - wtf did this sound like again? I only heard it twice, on both the 5/16 and 5/23 AT40s (each run one time by Premiere). It was pretty good as I recall. BLESSED ARE THE BELIEVERS – ANNE MURRAY (34) - Meh, no big loss. This song was extremely repetitive. I preferred most of her other hits. HOLD ON LOOSELY - .38 SPECIAL (27) - This is one of those mid-charters that now receives more radio airplay than ever. Of course, I prefer many others from them, but this is still a good song. LW#1: BETTE DAVIS EYES – KIM CARNES 40: NOBODY WINS - ELTON JOHN (debut) - This one sure hit a brick wall - it was off to a promising start (making a 13-spot gain three weeks before), but it only got as high as #21. Perhaps it was because it was disco-flavored (as his other songs with that music style didn't hit the Top 20 - I guess people thought that Elton and disco did not mix). I thought it was a decent song, but definitely far from his best). 39: JUST SO LONELY - GET WET (40) - Their only Top 40 hit, and it only got a spot higher. It was OK, but somewhat faceless. 38: FOOL IN LOVE WITH YOU - JIM PHOTOGLO (debut) - MOR ballads definitely abounded in the early 1980s, after disco had died and before the MTV era started. I actually liked that era, although I realize a lot of people here would beg to differ. Like most such songs on this week's chart, I think this is a great song! 37: SAY WHAT - JESSE WINCHESTER (debut) - This was his only Top 40 hit and, since he passed away five years ago, it'll stay that way This song used to be kind of just there, but when I heard it about this time two years ago (either on the 6/27/81 "B" show or on iHeartRadio, I think), I somehow started liking it. That was around the time that I pulled out of the depression, brought on by several aspects of my job, that I had been battling. The meds that my doctor prescribed worked wonders and that affected my opinion on a few songs that I associate with that. At this point in the show, Casey answered a Question Letter about a capella songs to hit the Top 40. At the time, there were only two - “Amazing Grace” by Judy Collins and “After The Gold Rush” by Prelude. That would change in the early 1990s, with several songs by R&B groups like Boyz II Men and Shai. (Plus, I think “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin, from 1988, would count as a capella) 36: AIN'T EVEN DONE WITH THE NIGHT - JOHN COUGAR (26) - This song, which reminds me a little of Springsteen, had fallen into obscurity until the early 2000s, when it began being played on 80s stations. It's a good song, though not quite his best. 35: STILL RIGHT HERE IN MY HEART - PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE (39) - This was the second biggest of their four Top 40 hits, and I like it and their biggest hit "Let Me Love You Tonight" about the same (presumably because they sound very similar). 34: LOVE YOU LIKE I NEVER LOVED BEFORE - JOHN O'BANION (24) - The only top 40 hit from this Kokomo native (the city in Indiana, that is; not the place the Beach Boys were singing about). It was a pretty decent song; had sort of a sixties sound to it, like several songs in this week's countdown. 33: I CAN'T STAND IT - ERIC CLAPTON & HIS BAND (22) - I believe this was the only Top 40 that credited "his band". The song is not quite my favorite from him, but there are several songs that I prefer this over ("Tears In Heaven" comes to mind). 32: WINNING - SANTANA (36) - Santana had three Top 40 hits in the 80s, and they were the best three of their career, IMO. I like all of them so much that I'm not sure what my favorite is. This was a big hit on WLS, so I remember it quite well. 31: YOU BETTER YOU BET - THE WHO (18) - This was another song I remember from back in the day (yes, it was also a Top Five hit on WLS). The song sounds a lot like Pete Townshend's solo hit from the previous year, "Let My Love Open The Door", and I always thought it was Townshend singing lead, but, in fact, it was Roger Daltrey. This was one of my favorite songs by the Who. ARCHIVES: THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE – SIMON & GARFUNKEL - This song, of course, inspired Rush's signature hit "Spirit Of The Radio". One of my favorite songs from the duo. OPTIONAL EXTRA: IN THE AIR TONIGHT - PHIL COLLINS - The second hit from Collins' debut album. Like the first (which I preferred, BTW), the song peaked at #19, but is still heard regularly on oldies stations today. I like the song better than I used to but still, it's not one of my favorites from him. 30: THE ONE THAT YOU LOVE - AIR SUPPLY (38) - This Aussie act was definitely on its way to becoming possibly THE biggest group of the 80s, but they fizzled out after 1983, as they only had one more hit after that. This was their only #1 hit and is one of my favorites from them. 29: FIND YOUR WAY BACK - JEFFERSON STARSHIP (29) - Here's one of several songs from around this time that only peaked in the lower half of the 40, but I remember hearing quite a lot (and still get a decent amount of recurrent airplay). I prefer several other songs by Airplane/Starship, but this one is a good one - I always thought they were saying "find your way back to Ohio". I loved the story that Casey told about lead guitarist Craig Chaquico running from the law by riding his motorized skateboard around Golden Gate Park. 28: AL NO CORRIDA - QUINCY JONES f/DUNE (30) - Quincy's second pop hit. It was a good one, but I preferred his later material. 27: IS IT YOU - LEE RITENOUR (35) - Today, this would be billed as "Lee Ritenour featuring Eric Tagg & Bill Champlin". This may have been Ritenour's only Top 40 hit, but I thought it was a neat song. 26: KISS ON MY LIST - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (16) - 1981 was definitely a great year for them, as they had two #1 hits, as well as two Top Five hits, one of which went on to hit #1 in early 1982. Of those four songs, this was definitely my favorite. LDD: I MADE IT THROUGH THE RAIN – BARRY MANILOW - It seems that, more often than not, AT40 edited this song, cutting out the second verse. This week, however, they went with the entire song - as it should be with all LDD songs - after all, how do they know that the part they edited out is not the most relevant part of the song in relation to the LDD? Anyway, this was a great song - one of Manilow's best songs IMO. 25: THE WAITING - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (32) - This was their fourth song to hit the Top 40. Linda Ronstadt did a pretty decent cover of it in the mid-1990s. I preferred this one, though. 24: JESSIE'S GIRL - RICK SPRINGFIELD (28) - Now here's a song that got a lot of mileage on the chart! It debuted two weeks before and lasted in the Top 40 until early October! That is staying power, my friend! But the song was definitely worthy because it was one of his best songs - one that overplay has not tarnished at all! 23: SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU - DON McLEAN (25) - A song, originally by the Skyliners, that has been covered many times, by artists like Art Garfunkel, Guns 'N Roses, and this one - my favorite version of the song, as well as one of my favorite songs by Don McLean! 22: YOU MAKE MY DREAMS - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (31) - Four spots ahead of my favorite of their four hits from 1981, we have my least favorite of those songs. Not sure why, but this one never really did anything for me. 21: MORNING TRAIN - SHEENA EASTON (13) - I used to like this song a lot, but now it is, in fact, one of my least favorite songs from her. I wonder if this song would have lasted longer at the top had "Modern Girl" not been released as soon as it was. I'm thinking probably not as this song was pretty much done, while the newer song hadn't even hit the Top 40 yet. ARCHIVES: WE CAN WORK IT OUT – THE BEATLES - Of course, they were in the midst of their immense popularity, with one song after another hitting the top. I thought that this was a good song, with a good message. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SLOW HAND - THE POINTER SISTERS - This was one of several songs that would be edged out of #1 due to the marathon run at the top of "Endless Love". This song would, however, hit #1 for a pair of weeks on the R&R chart, which was good, because this was definitely one of their best hits, IMO. 20: SAY YOU'LL BE MINE - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (20) - Nowadays, this song would be billed as Christopher Cross featuring Nicholette Larson, as she was heard on back-up vocals near the end of the song. Anyway, this song was pretty good, but possibly my least favorite of his charted singles. 19: I MISSED AGAIN - PHIL COLLINS (19) - Phil's first solo hit, which, to this day, I just can't believe he didn't include on his HITS album, as it was his very first solo hit. It was a great one, too - one of my favorite of his solo hits. 18: WHAT ARE WE DOIN' IN LOVE - DOTTIE WEST & KENNY ROGERS (23) - Yes, I know that Kenny Rogers did not receive official label credit, but he certainly should have, as he was prominently heard in this song. It was a great song - I wonder if it would have gone higher had he gotten credit, as he definitely was on a hot streak at this point in his career. 17: THIS LITTLE GIRL - GARY U.S. BONDS (23) - As we all know, this song was a Bruce Springsteen production, such was the case with Bonds' next hit "Out Of Work". Both are good songs, but I preferred this one. 16: ALL THOSE YEARS AGO - GEORGE HARRISON (33) - Wow! What a huge chart jump there! This definitely looked like a future number one song, but unfortunately, the song fell short, peaking at #2 (shut out by “Bette Davis Eyes”). The song did, however, spend a pair of weeks at #1 on the R&R chart. Indeed, this was a great song - one I have yet to get tired of. 15: I LOVE YOU - THE CLIMAX BLUES BAND (17) - This is definitely a song I associate with the summer of 1981, as I heard it almost every day at the pool where I was taking swimming lessons that summer. This was WLS's #2 song of 1981, and deservedly so, as it's a great one! 14: ANGEL OF THE MORNING - JUICE NEWTON (4) - This successful country artist crossed over to Pop with this one. I like it, but preferred most of her other Top 40 hits. 13: HOW 'BOUT US – CHAMPAIGN (14) - The first of two Top 40 hits for this R&B band, named after their hometown. Both songs are great, and I like them both the same. EXTRA: JUMPING JACK FLASH – THE ROLLING STONES - Interesting story about the band going to parties to collect empty pop bottles to return them to the store. As for the song, it was pretty good, though definitely not their best. 12: AMERICA - NEIL DIAMOND (15) - The third and final Top 40 hit from the Jazz Singer. I liked all three songs about the same, depending on my mood at the time - they're all great songs! 11: SWEETHEART - FRANKE & THE KNOCKOUTS (12) - They had a trio of Top 40 hits in the early-80s. All three were great hits, but this was by far my favorite! ARCHIVES: MY LOVE – PETULA CLARK - Her second of two number one songs. I prefer this over "Downtown", which, of course, was her other #1, almost exactly a year before. OPTIONAL EXTRA: THEME FROM "GREATEST AMERICAN HERO" (BELIEVE IT OR NOT) - JOEY SCARBURY - This was another song that "Endless Love" shut out of the top spot. Like "Slow Hand", this one DID hit #1 on the R&R chart - and deservedly so, as it was a great one - one of the best TV show themes of all time! 10: WATCHING THE WHEELS - JOHN LENNON (10) - This one reminds me of his 1971 hit "Imagine". I like both songs about the same, but my favorite song from John's Double Fantasy album would have to be "(Just Like) Starting Over". 9: TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS - STYX (9) - Their second Top Ten hit from the Paradise Theater album. Even though I prefer the first of those, "The Best Of Times", this is also a good one - a song I learned to like over the years (since I used to think it was mediocre). 8: A WOMAN NEEDS LOVE - RAY PARKER JR. & RAYDIO (11) - Their final Top Ten hit before Ray went solo the following year. A great song; the instrumental arrangement sounded a lot like that of their 1979 hit "You Can't Change That". 7: JUST THE TWO OF US - GROVER WASHINGTON JR. & BILL WITHERS (3) - aka "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover pt 2". This was a nice, relaxing song. Glad that it was a big hit! Didn't quite hit #1 on AT40, but it did have a two-week run atop the R&R chart the previous month. 6: LIVING INSIDE MYSELF - GINO VANELLI (7) - A good way to save money on rent! But seriously, I imagine most of his chart success was in his native Canada, but he did have a few hits here in the states, and this was my favorite of all three of his Top 40 songs. LDD: ALL MY LOVIN’ – THE BEATLES - Wow, they had several songs on this week's chart (as Paul and Ringo were said to have sung on George Harrison's song at #16). Perhaps a dress rehearsal for the upcoming Beatles special on July 4? Well, anyway, this song wasn't bad, but not one of my favorite songs from them. It was very fitting for the LDD, though. 5: TAKE IT ON THE RUN - REO SPEEDWAGON (6) - They definitely got a lot of mileage out of the Hi Infidelity album, didn't they? The first two hits from the album hit the Top Five and stayed in the Top 40 for a combined total of 35 weeks. I love both songs but slightly prefer this one. 4: SUKIYAKI - A TASTE OF HONEY (8) - The second incarnation of the song to hit the charts, only this time, they added English lyrics. I liked this song, but preferred the 4PM cover from 1994. 3: STARS ON 45 - STARS ON 45 (5) - Anyway, this is the one that kicked off the medley craze that lasted for about a year (but became a little tedious near the end). At least ten different medleys hit the Top 40, or so it seemed (definitely that many, if not more, hit the Hot 100). The song would be strong enough to interrupt the marathon run at #1 of "Bette Davis Eyes". The song was pretty good, but I'd probably get tired of hearing it all the time. OPTIONAL EXTRA: QUEEN OF HEARTS - JUICE NEWTON - Wow! Three of this weeks extras are the three songs that "Endless Love" edged out of the top spot. (Ironic that "Endless Love" itself wouldn't hit the Hot 100 for another six weeks). Anyway, this was my favorite of her two 1981 hits. Great driving music! 2: BEING WITH YOU - SMOKEY ROBINSON (2) - This was the biggest of his solo hits, in the midst of a three-week peak in the runner-up position. This song was, IMO, mediocre at best. I preferred much of his earlier material, including hits with the Miracles. 1: BETTE DAVIS EYES - KIM CARNES (1) - This song was in its third week on top. And who knew that this song would spend two months on top? It was definitely worthy - one of the best #1 hits of 1981! Here is the link to my commentary on this week's "B" show, which was featured just last year.
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Post by Hervard on Jun 1, 2019 6:55:46 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - June 1, 2019 This week's presentation - June 2, 1984 LW#1: LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY – DENIECE WILLIAMS 40: MUSIC TIME - STYX (debut) - This would be their final Top 40 hit for another six and a half years, and it just barely made it, as #40 was where it peaked. The song was OK, but definitely not one of my favorite songs by them! 39: I CAN DREAM ABOUT YOU - DAN HARTMAN (debut) - He'd hit #1 as a part of the Edgar Winter Group in 1973 with "Frankenstein", and returned to the Top Ten on his own with this song. Back in the day, I couldn't stand this song, but think it's a pretty good one now, but still, I preferred his next two hits "We Are The Young" and "Second Nature". 38: WHISPER TO A SCREAM (BIRDS FLY) - ICICLE WORKS (40) - My supervisor at work has taken an interest in this band lately. This was their only Top 40 hit. Typical mid-80s new wave music, it's a pretty good song, IMO as well. 37: WHAT IS LOVE - HOWARD JONES (debut) - Neither of his songs from his first album hit the Top 20, but he'd have much better luck with his next album Dream Into Action, which would be released the following spring and spawn three hits, each of which hit the Top 20. As for this song, it's a good one, but I preferred his other 1984 hit "New Song". 36: LEGS - ZZ TOP (debut) - The first of two Top Ten hits (both of which peaked at #8) for this southern rock band, as well as pretty much their only hit that gets any sort of recurrent airplay, although I do occasionally hear "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Gimme All Your Lovin", though neither of those hit the Top 30. 35: INFATUATION - ROD STEWART (debut) - This song has been compared to his Top Five hit from early 1981, "Passion", since both songs sound alike. I preferred the latter of the two songs - this one never really did much for me. 34: LOVE WILL SHOW US HOW - CHRISTINE McVIE (35) - Her second (and, as it turned out, final) solo Top 40 hit, from her second of three solo albums. 33: DANCE HALL DAYS - WANG CHUNG (38) - One of many newcomers to the chart in 1984. This was actually their second hit, and one of theirs that gets the most recurrent airplay (along with "Everybody Have Fun Tonight"). This song was OK, but I preferred most of their other hits. 32: MAGIC - THE CARS (debut) - The second of five singles from Heartbeat City, and my favorite of the five by a fair margin. Definitely released at the right time of year, as it had that summertime sound to it (I seem to remember the video was very summerlike as well). 31: ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE - SCORPIONS (25) - The first Top 40 hit from the city in Germany where the hamburger originated, though I had heard their music before - two years before, they had a song that got heavy airplay on Chicago station WLS, called "No One Like You". I liked this song, but slightly preferred their two 1991 hits. 30: MY EVER CHANGING MOODS - THE STYLE COUNCIL (32) - There's a little resemblance between this song and "The Game Of Love" by Santana/Michelle Branch. I prefer the latter, but this song was pretty good as well. 29: MODERN DAY DELILAH - VAN STEPHENSON (34) - The only Top 40 hit for this Hamilton, Ohio native (and, sadly, it will stay that way, as he passed away back in 2001). Too bad, as this was a good song - had sort of a country rock sound to it. 28: LOVE SOMEBODY - RICK SPRINGFIELD (15) - Rick seemed to still be on a roll at this point. That said, who knew that this song, a great one, would be his final Top Ten? LDD: PRIVATE EYES – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES - I'm not sure how fitting this song is for the dedication, as I've always regarded it as a "stalker" song. The author didn't seem to be stalking his former lover; he just kept in contact with her, as she did with him. Nevertheless, the song is a good one, though I prefer its soundalike song "Kiss On My List". 27: WHO'S THAT GIRL - THE EURYTHMICS (30) - The first of two songs by that title that charted in the 1980s. While it is true that this is one of my least favorite songs by the Eurythmics, I must say that I do prefer it over the other song, by Madonna, of course, since the latter was way overplayed (and I never really liked it in the first place). As for the Eurythmics, I think we all know what my favorite song from them is! 26: STAY THE NIGHT - CHICAGO (28) - Based on the way that this song, their first song from the Chicago 17 album, peaked at #16, it looked like it might not be a very big singles album, but the next two hits proved that theory wrong, as they both hit the Top Five - in fact, on the R&R chart, they were both #1s. I preferred those two songs, (especially "Hard Habit To Break") but this was a good one as well. 25: RUN, RUNAWAY - SLADE (27) - The first of two songs that they charted with in 1984 (as well as their only two chart hits). Their second hit, a ballad entitled "My Oh My" would make a brief appearance on the chart later in the summer. This song, a rocker, was my favorite of their two hits. 24: HOLD ME NOW - THE THOMPSON TWINS (10) - It's not often that my favorite song by an artist is also their biggest, but such is the case with this song. A great song indeed! 23: EYES WITHOUT A FACE - BILLY IDOL (33) - Be truthful now - how many of you, like me, thought he was asking the object of his affection to dinner or a movie? (as in "Hows About A Date"). Definitely a common misheard lyric. This was a good song, though my favorite song by him would probably be "Sweet Sixteen". 22: ALMOST PARADISE…LOVE THEME FROM "FOOTLOOSE" - MIKE RENO AND ANN WILSON (29) - This, of course, was the love theme from Footloose. One of my favorite singles from the soundtrack - in fact, it might be second to Kenny Loggins' "I'm Free" as my favorite Footloose song! 21: YOU MIGHT THINK - THE CARS (12) - I already mentioned that "Magic" was my favorite song from the Heartbeat City. This one was possibly my second favorite, since it was a good one as well. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT - COREY HART - Wow, he was offered the role of Marty McFly in Back To The Future? I wonder if that would have affected the airplay of his hit that summer "Never Surrender"? (I'm thinking probably not). Anyway, this was the first Top 40 hit for this Montreal, Canada native, and one of his biggest. I like it, but I preferred most of his other hits. 20: YOU CAN'T GET WHAT YOU WANT (TILL YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT) - JOE JACKSON (24) - Possibly THE longest song title of 1984! Anyway, this song was a good one (great horn section), but I personally preferred "Is She Really Goin' Out With Him" and "Breakin' Us In Two". 19: HEAD OVER HEELS - THE GO-GO'S (11) - With the exception of the annoying "We Got The Beat", I like all of their songs about the same. They're all good ones! 18: DANCING IN THE DARK - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (36) - Wow! What an impressive chart leap! Looked like this had "number one" written all over it (and it would have gone to #1 if not for that crapfest by Prince!). It did, however, manage to sneak in a week at #1 on the R&R chart. This was also the first of an incredible seven singles from Springsteen's album Born In The USA, all of which made the Top Ten. 17: DANCING IN THE SHEETS - SHALAMAR (17) - Well, we go from "Dancing In The Dark" to "Dancing In The Sheets", the latter of which is generally done in the dark, but let's not get any further into that... Anyway, this was another hit from the Footloose soundtrack. However, this wasn't one of my favorites, from the album or the band. My favorite song from them would be "The Second Time Around". 16: IT'S A MIRACLE - CULTURE CLUB (20) - With its strong early chart action, one would think that this was a cinch to hit the Top Ten. Not quite - it only got as high as #13 two weeks later. This pretty much showed that people were getting tired of the band, who'd been on the charts continually for nearly a year and a half. I disliked this song when it was on the chart, but I think it's pretty good now, though nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 15: THE LONGEST TIME - BILLY JOEL (14) - Interesting that all the voices in this song are Billy Joel - I always thought he had several singers backing him up. Anyway, I liked this song, as well as the An Innocent Man album as a whole, due to its wide variety of music styles. 14: JUMP (FOR MY LOVE) - THE POINTER SISTERS (22) - I have never liked the title of this song - it's like she's treating her man like a dog, making him do tricks for her to love him. If I was dating someone like that, I'd pack my bags and be outta there! 13: I'LL WAIT - VAN HALEN (16) - This song has sort of an early-80s classic rock feel to it. I think it's a good one, and I prefer it over their recent #1 song. 12: BORDERLINE - MADONNA (18) - Her first of many Top Ten hits, and definitely one of her best songs ever, IMO. Like was usually the case, they played the single version of the song, but there were a few shows on which there was enough time to play the album version (where the choruses, especially the last one, are longer, as are a few of the instrumental parts). This song also showed tenacity on the charts, as it spent 15 weeks on the chart which, back then, was unusually long for a song that peaked at #10. 11: SELF CONTROL – LAURA BRANIGAN (19) - This was a song that, back in the day, I did not like at all, but now I think it's pretty decent. Still, I prefer a few others from her. 10: TO ALL THE GIRLS I'VE LOVED BEFORE - WILLIE NELSON & JULIO IGLESIAS (6) - A true guilty pleasure, as many people I know hate this song, due to the cheese factor, as well as the fact that Julio wasn't very good at singing English. This was a song with the huge peak difference on the Billboard & R&R charts - while it climbed all the way to #4 on the former, it only climbed as high as #15 on the latter. Two years before, that was very commonplace, but by 1984, such discrepancies were quite rare. This song must have been a huge seller (it did reach gold status). OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHEN DOVES CRY - PRINCE - I think that I disliked this song even more than "Self-Control" back during its chart run. And guess what - I still dislike it even more. Not sure why, this one just didn't do much for me (though I did like his other Purple Rain singles). 9: BREAKDANCE - IRENE CARA (9) - This is probably my least favorite of her Top 40 hits. I was never a big fan of breakdance music (although I did occasionally partake in the fad, mainly at school dances). 8: THE HEART OF ROCK 'N' ROLL - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (13) - They seemed to like the #6 spot on the countdown, as three of their five hits from Sports peaked there. I used to really like this song, but overplay tarnished my fascination for this song somewhat, though it's still a pretty good song. My favorite Sports single would be the next one, "If This Is It", which charted later that summer. LDD: CAT’S IN THE CRADLE – HARRY CHAPIN - This song was very appropriate for the dedication, which was very sad. The stepdad of the author of the dedication was ordered by the court that he couldn't see his kids from a previous marriage anymore. 7: AGAINST ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW) - PHIL COLLINS (4) - This song had recently spent three weeks at #1, and deservedly so, as its one of his all-time best! Too bad Van Halen had to go and beat this song out for the top song of 1984, according to Radio & Records. 6: SISTER CHRISTIAN - NIGHT RANGER (8) - Like I've said before, I became the butt of many jokes since this song contains my name, but it is still one of my favorites from them nevertheless. Too bad they cut out the second verse, but at least they left in the guitar solo in the middle - that was one of the best parts of the song. 5: THE REFLEX - DURAN DURAN (7) - I tell you what, I liked many songs from them, but never really got into this one. 1984 just wasn't their best year, IMO (though I did like "New Moon On Monday" - by far my favorite of their songs that charted that year). 4: OH SHERRIE - STEVE PERRY The very first solo hit from the man who was still actively the lead singer of Journey. He would have a total of four hits from Street Talk, but this was the biggest of the bunch - a great song IMO (though I don't know what cinnamon gum has to do with anything) 3: HELLO - LIONEL RICHIE (2) - This may not have been his BIGGEST hit, but it was definitely one of them, and it's also one of my favorites from Lionel. Glad this song made it to #1! 2: TIME AFTER TIME - CYNDI LAUPER (3) - Possibly THE most successful newcomer of 1984, with four Top Five hits from her debut album. This was the second of them, and possibly my least favorite, since it's somewhat depressing. It's still not bad, though. Interesting story about time measurement. 1: LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY - DENIECE WILLIAMS (1) - As the biggest hit from the Footloose soundtrack, this song was a very close second to the title track. I hated this song when it was on the chart, due to all the overplay, but now, it's good to hear it every once in awhile instead of everytime I turn on the radio. Coming up next week: We have a twofer offering - the first being the June 5, 1982 show, with June 11, 1988 as the "B" option. The last time either of these shows were heard was 2015, and it was flipped around, with 1988 being the "A" show and 1982 as the "B".
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Post by Hervard on Feb 1, 2020 9:45:43 GMT -5
OK, it's high time to put a little life into this topic... American Top 40: The 80s - February 1, 2020 This week's presentation - February 2, 1985 Droppers: IN NEON - ELTON JOHN (38) - The third single from Breaking Hearts. I did like the song, but can see why it only got as high as #38. I preferred the first two songs from the album, both of which hit the Top 20 (Top Ten on R&R). VALOTTE - JULIAN LENNON (28) - He definitely had his father's voice. When I first heard this song in late 1984 I thought it was another posthumous hit from the late John Lennon (since he'd had a Top Ten hit earlier that year). This was my favorite song from Julian's album of the same name. Even though this song dropped out this week, Julian did not miss a beat, as his follow-up hit debuted in this week's countdown. SEA OF LOVE - THE HONEYDRIPPERS (24) - Del Shannon did an awesome cover of this song back in early 1982. This version was pretty good, but it certainly was overplayed back in the day! COOL IT NOW - NEW EDITION (18) - This song could be heard every single day in the small gym at the middle school I went to, as the girls did aerobics to the song. So glad I didn't have to do that, as I never liked this song, but hearing it several times every day would have driven me nuts (actually, we didn't have gym class every day, but that's beside the point). Anyway, I preferred their next two hits, which hit the AT40 chart in 1985. DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS - BAND AID (17) - It was kind of weird to be hearing this song for the month AFTER Christmas (heck, I was hearing it well into February, as it was still on the WLS (Chicago) survey, which was counted down every Sunday evening). But it was apparently still selling, even though outside of countdown shows, stations were done playing it until Christmastime, 1985. LW#1: LIKE A VIRGIN - MADONNA 40: NAUGHTY NAUGHTY - JOHN PARR (debut) - His first of two Top 40 hits, both in 1985 (and he had the movie St. Elmo's Fire to thank for his second and bigger hit). I preferred that one over this one, which was kind of just there, IMO. 39: LOVERGIRL - TEENA MARIE (debut) - For some reason, I did not like this song at all during its chart run, but now I think it's pretty good. As stated last week, I still prefer her less successful hit "I Need Your Lovin'", from early 1981. 38: RELAX - FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (debut) - Meh, never cared for this one at all. Too bad it had to go and become England's top hit of 1984 37: TOO LATE FOR GOODBYES - JULIAN LENNON (debut) - Well, then is it early enough against helloes? No, seriously, this was pretty good, but possibly my least favorite of his singles. Is it true that this song is about his relationship with his late father? 36: ONLY THE YOUNG - JOURNEY (debut) - Steve Perry was working double duty this week, with this song by his band, as well as his solo hit, which is coming up in the Top 20. From the Vision Quest soundtrack, this song, their first since late 1983, would peak at #9 in March. It was a good song, but not quite my favorite song from them. 35: PRIVATE DANCER - TINA TURNER (40) - She was definitely hotter than ever at this point, as this would become her third consecutive Top Ten hit. It was a good one - not sure which of the Private Dancer singles I prefer. 34: ROCKIN' AT MIDNIGHT - HONEYDRIPPERS (39) - Their two hits were both covers of earlier hits, this one, a song originally a hit for Roy Brown in the early 40s. It wasn't bad, but I preferred "Sea Of Love". 33: MISTAKE #3 - CULTURE CLUB (36) - They were fading fast at this point, so they decided to release their first ballad, which did not do the trick at all, as it was by far their least successful song up to this point, running out of steam at #33. Definitely not one of their best. 32: DO WHAT YOU DO - JERMAINE JACKSON (19) - They were definitely a force to be reckoned with in 1984, as three of them had chart hits that year, as well as their family band. This one spilled over into 1985 and after that, with the exception of several of them singing on "We Are The World", they were done on the charts for awhile (but would once again be a visible presence on the chart in 1986). 31: WE BELONG - PAT BENATAR (16) - She never quite made it to #1, but this was one of her biggest hits ever. I like it, but prefer several others from her. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SMALL TOWN BOY - BRONSKI BEAT - This song, nor anything else by this band, would hit the Top 40, but, later that year, lead singer Jimmy Sommerville would leave the band to form and head up the Communards, who would have a minor Top 40 hit about two years later with their cover of Thelma Houston's #1 hit "Don't Leave Me This Way". This song was OK, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 30: TENDERNESS - GENERAL PUBLIC (37) - This English band looked like they'd be a one-hit wonder, but they surprised us nine years later with a song that was even slightly bigger, their cover of the Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There". I preferred that song; this one was mediocre at best. 29: THE WILD BOYS - DURAN DURAN (15) - Mediocre best describes this song as well, as I was not a fan of this song. 1984 was definitely not their best year, IMO (though "New Moon On Monday" was a good one). 28: MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING - CYNDI LAUPER (32) - Not only was she the first woman to have five Top 40 hits from one album, but it was from a debut album. This one, however, did not hit the Top Five like the first four - in fact, it came nowhere near the Top 20. But that could be because most of her fans had the album by now (in fact, I imagine that many people received it as a Christmas gift). I wasn't a big fan of the song myself, so I wasn't disappointed that it didn't fare too well on the charts. 27: BORN IN THE USA - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (11) - Kind of a surprise that this song was the lowest peaking song (on the R&R chart, anyway), seeing as it was the title track to such a monster album (not to mention all the recurrent airplay it still receives today). I do believe that this song became his signature hit. Anyway, like most of the singles from Born In The USA, I like this one a lot. 26: CAN'T FIGHT THIS FEELING - REO SPEEDWAGON (34) - Now here's a band whose power ballads seemed to be favored by the Top 40 audience, as their three Top Five hits were all such songs. This was one of my all-time faves from them - I remember keeping tabs on this song's run on the charts (especially on the R&R chart, on which this song moved 27-13 this week)! 25: MR. TELEPHONE MAN - NEW EDITION (35) - As I mentioned earlier, I'd had enough of their song "Cool It Now" at this point, but their second hit, on the other hand, was my favorite song from them - in fact, according to my Personal Top 30 chart, it was the biggest hit for all of 1985! You could tell that Ray Parker, Jr produced this, as it sounds a lot like several of his older hits with Raydio (even has the same synthesizer). 24: JUNGLE LOVE - THE TIME (26) - This was a rare case where a group's Top 40 hits charted after they had disbanded (they had another Top 40 hit "The Bird" later in 1985). I preferred this song, though it wasn't anything exceptional. 23: CALIFORNIA GIRLS - DAVID LEE ROTH (33) - Of course, I was more familiar with the Beach Boys' version of this song, both from the radio and from the "Diet Sunkist" commercial in the early-80s. Roth's version did not sound much different than the original, so I'm not sure which one I prefer. Both are great, summertime sounding songs (That said, I wonder how this song would have done if released in time for summer). 22: THE OLD MAN DOWN THE ROAD - JOHN FOGERTY (30) - The former lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival had been absent from the chart, even as a solo singer for nearly a decade. His comeback hit became his most successful solo hit. It was a good song, but my favorite solo hit from him was "Centerfield", which just missed the Top 40 later that year (but seems to be the one that receives the most recurrent airplay). 21: MISLED - KOOL & THE GANG (27) - They were in the midst of a streak of songs with one-word titles (in fact, didn't they hold the record for that?). Anyway, I liked all three of their Top Ten hits from the Emergency album, although my favorite of those was "Fresh". EXTRA: DESPERADO - EAGLES - As a result of having never been released as a single, this song did not chart, but was a very popular album cut, as well as a concert favorite. This has always been one of my favorite songs from the band. OPTIONAL EXTRA: NIGHTSHIFT - THE COMMODORES - This was pretty decent song, but the Commodores just weren’t the same without Lionel Richie. The Top 40 audience apparently agreed, as this was their only Top 40 hit. The fact that this was a tribute song to both Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, I’m sure was instrumental in how well it did on the charts. 20: FOOLISH HEART - STEVE PERRY (25) - This was the song I mentioned earlier. It was Perry's fourth solo hit from the album Street Talk. It was a pretty good song - it and "Oh Sherrie" both receive a decent amount of recurrent airplay (although this song is generally played on AC-oriented oldies stations). 19: SUGAR WALLS - SHEENA EASTON (31) - Naughty naughty, Sheena! I wasn't a big fan of this song at all - I generally preferred her more "innocent" songs from earlier in the decade. 18: OPERATOR - MIDNIGHT STAR (23) - This was a big dance and R&B hit (it was a #1 hit on the latter) and it also did well on the Hot 100, peaking at #17. It was a catchy song and very weird, electronically sung in the verses and choruses alike. The "phone off the hook" sound effect at the beginning was rather irritating, though. 17: LOVE LIGHT IN FLIGHT - STEVIE WONDER (23) - This song was somewhat reminiscent of his earlier material (the tune, that is - the instrumental arrangements were totally 80s). I really liked the song - my favorite of his two 1985 hits (three, if you count "Go Home"). 16: JAMIE - RAY PARKER, JR (14) - Ah, a song about not being able to let go of an old girlfriend! I know that feeling! The song was a good one - my favorite of his two songs released in 1984. 15: CALL TO THE HEART - GIUFFRIA (22) - They sounded a cross between Journey and Triumph, didn't they? This was their only Top 40 hit, which was too bad, as it was a great song - one of several songs on this week's chart that deserved more exposure than it got. 14: SOLID - ASHFORD & SIMPSON (21) - For some reason, I did not like this song at all during its chart run, but now I think it's a great song. Wham!'s song "Everything She Wants" sounds a little reminiscent of this song, IMO. 13: THE HEAT IS ON - GLENN FREY (29) - One of four Top 40 hits from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, as well as the biggest, as it would peak at #2, held out of #1 by "Can't Fight This Feeling". It was not bad, but I generally preferred him with the Eagles. 12: RUN TO YOU - BRYAN ADAMS (7) - He definitely got quite a lot of mileage out of his Reckless album - the six singles kept him on the chart for most of 1985, and this was the first of them. I liked it, but preferred a few others from Adams. 11: ALL I NEED - JACK WAGNER (6) - This was Frisco Jones' only Top 40 hit, and a great song it was - one of my favorite songs from 1984/1985 - in fact, its eight-week run at the top of my Personal Top 30 charts was divided evenly between the two years. 10: NEUTRON DANCE - POINTER SISTERS (13) - Another song from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, and it was a Top Ten hit, like "The Heat Is On". I never really cared for this song, or any post-1982 Pointer Sisters songs. This one was apparently an inspiration for KT Tunstall's "Black Horse & The Cherry Tree" (especially with the "woo-hoos"), which accounts for how I hated that song with a passion during its chart run. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TURN UP THE RADIO - AUTOGRAPH - This song always reminded me of "Feels Like The First Time" by Foreigner, and their voices sound a lot like Ratt. Too bad it was their only Top 40 hit, as it was a great one! 9: METHOD OF MODERN LOVE - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (12) - The second of four Top 40 hits from their album Big Bam Boom. This song wasn't bad, but I don't understand why they didn't spell out the word "modern" 8: I WOULD DIE 4 U - PRINCE (10) - This one had kind of a fast chart run, especially over on the R&R chart (but that's understandable, as the Purple Rain soundtrack had sold millions of copies by this point (like the Cyndi Lauper album, it was probably a popular Christmas gift). Hence, people weren't compelled to call in and request this on the radio). As for the song, it was a good one, though I wasn't too crazy about it back in the day. 7: LIKE A VIRGIN - MADONNA (1) - One of few post-1983 songs to spend more than four weeks on top, but based on who it was, it wasn't that big of a surprise. She'd had a great 1984 and was looking to have a very successful year in 1985 as well, with a ton of Top Five hits to come that year. This is one of my favorite songs from her - one that overplay didn't tarnish much at all. 6: THE BOYS OF SUMMER - DON HENLEY (8) - Ah, a summer hit charting in winter (and the winter of 1985 was indeed a cold one). As for this song, it was a great one - my third favorite single from Building The Perfect Beast, behind "Sunset Grill" and "Not Enough Love In The World" (though it would be a very close race between those songs). 5: LOVERBOY - BILLY OCEAN (9) - This song did almost as well as "Caribbean Queen", peaking at #2, but couldn't push past Wham!'s "Careless Whisper". Too bad, as I prefer this song over that one, which just had to go and become the biggest hit of 1985, but we get ahead of ourselves... This was one of my favorite of Ocean's upbeat songs. 4: YOU'RE THE INSPIRATION - CHICAGO (3) - The third hit from their Chicago 17 album (and their final Top Ten hit with Peter Cetera singing lead). It was a good song, but I preferred their previous hit "Hard Habit To Break". LDD: TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART - BONNIE TYLER - I was out running an errand at the time of this song, so I'll have to listen to the show again so I can catch the LDD story. 3: CARELESS WHISPER - WHAM! FEATURING GEORGE MICHAEL (5) - We all know that I used to like this song, but my fascination for this song dimmed significantly when a girl that I was hoping to dance with at a middle school dance got back together with her boyfriend and basically threw me under a bus. Fortunately, that happened when this song was on its way down the chart. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SAVE A PRAYER - DURAN DURAN - It seems that more often than not, they either cut out the second verse of this song, or linked choruses one and two together, and this week was no exception (they did the former). Plus, they faded it out earlier than usual. That's too bad, because I really liked this song - one of my favorite Duran Duran songs of all time and definitely one of there more underrated songs. 2: EASY LOVER - PHIL COLLINS & PHILLIP BAILEY (4) - Phil was gearing up to release his "No Jacket Required" album, which would be possibly his biggest singles album ever. That song would spawn three singles within the year, and he bookended those with very successful duets, including this one, which was a great song IMO - the two Phils sounded great together! 1: I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS - FOREIGNER (1) - They finally had their very first #1 song, after coming ever so close with Wf*gLY, which, as we know all too well, spent ten frustrating weeks at #2. I actually preferred this one, which featured Jennifer Holliday, Tom Bailey (of the Thompson Twins) and the New Jersey Mass Choir on backing vocals. Coming up next week: Looks like we'll be getting the show from February 11, 1984, which was last run in 2016, so I'll probably be posting a recycled commentary from then.
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