80s0n8 Big 40 Countdown Schedule

MonoStereo

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On I Want To Know What Love Is, Foreigner is backed by Jennifer Holliday and the New Jersey Mass Choir. The ballad became Foreigner's first (and only) number-one hit. Mick Jones, who wrote the song, told Billboard columnist Paul Grein, "I was afraid people might think we'd gone soft or something. I certainly want to retain the rock image. We just put this out because the song was so strong and because it was coming out at Christmas and it had the right kind of mood." Lou Gramm admitted, "We worried the song might do irreparable damage to our rock image." It didn't.

Weird how they both use the phrase "rock image". "I couldn't decide if I should have oatmeal or toast for breakfast this morning, as oatmeal is mushy & perhaps not in keeping with my rock image. Toast is harder & more crunchy, & therefore more suited to someone like myself with such a well-known rock image."

THE BIG 40

February 2, 1985

This is smack-dab in the middle of my time as an on-air guy, so this should be fun.

40. NAUGHTY NAUGHTY - JOHN PARR

Hated this song then, hate it now. And boy, did we play the shit out of it.

37. TOO LATE FOR GOODBYES - JULIAN LENNON

Strange how he came outta the box with an album with so many strong singles, & that was basically it. I wanna say his follow-up album's first single did OK, & then it was basically adios.

33. MISTAKE #3 - CULTURE CLUB

Absolutely no recollection of this song. Thinking this is from the same album as "The War Song", which was a MASSIVE stiff. If so, surprised they actually had a Top 40 hit from that album.

19. SUGAR WALLS - SHEENA EASTON

Heh.

15. CALL TO THE HEART - GIUFFRIA

"Guys, it's been 10 minutes since Journey released an album ( note their song earlier in the countdown is from a soundtrack - that's how desperate radio was for new Journey material ). THE MARKET ABHORS A VACUUM. GET THIS RECORD OUT ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" ( giant promotion machine lurches into action with a series of loud grinding noises )

And after that specific purpose was achieved, & record #2 came out, the world said "Nah...we're good here".


13. THE HEAT IS ON - GLENN FREY

Hated this song then, hate it now. And boy, did we play the shit out of it.

3. CARELESS WHISPER - GEORGE MICHAEL

I believe this was "Wham! featuring George Michael". Which we all knew was a heads-up that Wham! was about to go Splat!

2. EASY LOVER - PHIL COLLINS & PHILLIP BAILEY

I don't really care about Phil Collins output one way or another, but boy do I love this song. Gonna assume it's mostly Mr. Bailey's doing.

1. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS - FOREIGNER

rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image rock image
 

sadchild

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Good 8
Okay 4
Bad 28

33: MISTAKE #3 - CULTURE CLUB

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8: I WOULD DIE 4 U - PRINCE

Nina said it was the fourth and final single from Purple Rain. Fourth yes, final no. "Take Me With U" was the fifth and final.

1: I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS - FOREIGNER

Nailed it! Did I lose my rock image by correctly guessing it?

#41 Kinks "Do It Again"

Better than 2/3rd of the top 40. And the only surprise. Dang it so was close to making it too...

Will never make the top 40
#41 Kinks "Do It Again"
#48 George Benson "20/20"
#50 Temptations "Treat Her Like A Lady"
#56 Bronski Beat "Small Town Boy"
#60 Chaka Khan "This Is My Night"
#61 Deep Purple "Knocking At Your Back Door"
#64 Scandal "Beat Of A Heart"
#68 Kim Wilde "Go For It"
#69 Kim Carnes "Invitation To The Dance"
#70 Nolan Thomas "Yo Little Brother"
#73 Little River Band "Playing To Win"
#78 John Waite "Restless Heart"
#79 Tommy Shaw "Lonely School"
#80 Paul Hardcastle "Rain Forest"
#81 Kenny Rogers "Crazy"
#82 Jermaine Stewart "The Word Is Out"
#83 Eugene Wilde "Gotta Get You Home Tonight"
#85 Barbra Streisand/Kim Carnes "Make No Mistake, He's Mine"
#87 Manhattan Transfer "Baby Come Back to Me"
#95 Jermaine Jackson/Pia Zadora "When the Rain Begins to Fall"
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

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21. A bit surprisingly high for a 1985 countdown. 1985 was the beginning of the end of good 80s music.

SXM did a week earlier (1985/01/26) at some point earlier.

I was way off at #1. I had Chariots of Fire. Not even sure that is right year now.
 
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IdRatherBeSkiing

Sherbet is NOT and NEVER WILL BE ice cream.
Oct 11, 2008
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Maybe you were mixing it up with a different instrumental like "Miami Vice Theme" which was '85? But not 'til November.
No. I think I just plain forgot which year it came out. My backup choice was the theme to "An Officer and a Gentleman" which I doesn't look to be from 1985 either.

I nailed the second attempt at 1979 though.
 
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IdRatherBeSkiing

Sherbet is NOT and NEVER WILL BE ice cream.
Oct 11, 2008
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1982/02/13

40: ONE HUNDRED WAYS – QUINCY JONES FEATURING JAMES INGRAM
39: I LOVE ROCK N’ ROLL – JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS
38: LOVE IS LIKE A ROCK – DONNIE IRIS
37: SHOULD I DO IT – THE POINTER SISTERS
36: BOBBIE SUE – THE OAK RIDGE BOYS
35: WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE - ABBA
34: TONIGHT I’M YOURS – ROD STEWART
33: SEA OF LOVE – DEL SHANNON
32: DADDY’S HOME – CLIFF RICHARD
31: WE GOT THE BEAT – THE GO-GO’S
30: ALL OUR TOMORROWS – EDDIE SCHWARTZ
29: WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND - LOVERBOY
28: ABACAB – GENESIS
27: LET’S GROOVE – EARTH, WIND & FIRE
26: KEY LARGO – BERTIE HIGGINS
25: SPIRITS IN THE MATERIAL WORLD – THE POLICE
24: PAC-MAN FEVER – BUCKNER AND GARCIA
23: SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD – BARRY MANILOW
22: THAT GIRL – STEVIE WONDER
21: LOVE IN THE FIRST DEGREE - ALABAMA
20: LOVE IS ALRIGHT TONITE – RICK SPRINGFIELD
19: MIRROR, MIRROR – DIANA ROSS
18: THROUGH THE YEARS – KENNY ROGERS
17: YOU COULD HAVE BEEN WITH ME – SHEENA EASTON
16: LEATHER AND LACE – STEVIE NICKS WITH DON HENLEY
15: HOOKED ON CLASSICS – THE ROYAL PHILOHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
14: TAKE IT EASY ON ME – THE LITTLE RIVER BAND
13: WAITING ON A FRIEND – THE ROLLING STONES
12: LEADER OF THE BAND – DAN FOGELBERG
11: COOL NIGHT – PAUL DAVIS
10: SWEET DREAMS- AIR SUPPLY
9: WAITING FOR A GIRL LIKE YOU - FOREIGNER
8: PHYSICAL – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
7: THE SWEETEST THING (I'VE EVER KNOWN) – JUICE NEWTON
6: SHAKE IT UP – THE CARS
5: TURN YOUR LOVE AROUND – GEORGE BENSON
4: OPEN ARMS- JOURNEY
3: HARDEN MY HEART - QUARTERFLASH
2: I CAN’T GO FOR THAT (NO CAN DO) – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES
1: CENTERFOLD – THE J. GEILS BAND
 

MonoStereo

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1982/02/13

38: LOVE IS LIKE A ROCK – DONNIE IRIS

Donnie was one of those guys that didn't always hit the ball squarely, but when he did he sent it waaaaaaaaaaaaaay outta the park.

36: BOBBIE SUE – THE OAK RIDGE BOYS

Cornier than Iowa. I assume this got some play due to it being the follow-up to "Elvira"?

33: SEA OF LOVE – DEL SHANNON

I had no idea he had a hit with this just a couple years before The Honeydrippers did. Weird.

32: DADDY’S HOME – CLIFF RICHARD

I can never hear Cliff without thinking of "The Young Ones".

31: WE GOT THE BEAT – THE GO-GO’S

I was just listening to "Beauty And The Beat" the other day while exercising. One of the all-time great debut albums.

30: ALL OUR TOMORROWS – EDDIE SCHWARTZ

Not only have I never heard this before, I'd never heard OF it before. Apparently, he was the guy who wrote "Hit Me With Your Best Shot". ( shrugs )
29: WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND - LOVERBOY

Loverboy hits me in the same place a guy like Donnie Iris does - a lot of it is forgettable, but every once in awhile they nail it. This is one of their good 'uns.

Not much to add about the other tunes, but I found this overall to be a likable ( if cheezy/wimpy ) countdown.