80s0n8 Big 40 Countdown Schedule

[Aaron]

26 songs I'm good with...

 

[MonoStereo]

Will never reach the top 40

#51 Chicago Bears Shufflin' Crew "The Super Bowl Shuffle"

Weird deal...in the late 90's around Xmas time, Best Buy brought in a ton of vinyl records ( they must've bought out a distributors stock for next to nothing - this is well before the resurgence of the format ) to sell. 50 cents each. I got several odd items, including this 12" single of this as a goof. Pretty sure I still have it, sealed.

#66 Alarm "Strength"

Always thought they should've been bigger in the US.

#77 Peter Frampton "Lying"

A tad surprised this didn't at least scrape the Top 40. We had it in high rotation. Not a bad tune for the time.

#78 Divinyls "Pleasure And Pain"

Always thought they should've been bigger in the US.

 

[sadchild]

how do you think it did?

I'd guess it was a close call, 50/50....?

There was one song where she had a dirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrty lyric that I think they changed later.

I recently read that it was actually Martin that recorded that line, using a vocal effect. Which ruins it for me.

they were trying to make him the next Billy Idol.

I hear John Cafferty (aka Eddie & The Cruisers). Also hear Elvis.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

No surprises in the bottom 60.

 

[HecticArt]

2/22/1986
40. ROCK ME AMADEUS - FALCO

I remember featuring this as one of our "Smash Or Trash" songs ( listeners would call in & vote on which they thought it was ). Middle America...1986...fairly rocking Top 40 station...how do you think it did?

I"m guessing that they trashed it.

37. WALK OF LIFE - DIRE STRAITS

Dire Straits, by & large, I have no big opinion on. Generally speaking, I can take 'em or leave 'em. But sweet fancy Moses, do I hate this song. Then and now. I'd like to see it face the Walk Of Death.

- Dire Straits? - Throw it.

Find video clips by quote. GetYarn.io now.

getyarn.io

35. LET'S GO ALL THE WAY - SLY FOX

Unless I'm forgetting something, THIS is a true One Hit Wonder. Goofy as it is, this song always still puts a smile on my face. And it's featured on my DJ demo tape!

I like that one too.
Singinginginging
Yeeeeeeeeeeee Haaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwww

29. BEAT'S SO LONELY - CHARLIE SEXTON

Really liked this at the time, but now I can see how hard they were trying to make him the next Billy Idol. A waste of his genuine talents.

I guess I hadn't thought of that at the time. I'll have to give him a listen again.

 

[HecticArt]

#66 Alarm "Strength"

It's a shame. It's such a good song. I would have expected it to make it to about 50, even though it should have gone higher.

#77 Peter Frampton "Lying"
#78 Divinyls "Pleasure And Pain"

I really liked Lying at the time, and grew to like Pleasure & Pain.
They settles about where I would have expected them though.

#90 Talk Talk "Life's What You Make It"

This one should have done MUCH better.

#93 Dokken "In My Dreams"

I would have guessed this one would have made it very close to 40.

 

[MonoStereo]

I recently read that it was actually Martin that recorded that line, using a vocal effect. Which ruins it for me.

I just read that last night myself, researching to see which song it was ( it's "A To Z" ). Surprised!

I hear John Cafferty (aka Eddie & The Cruisers). Also hear Elvis.

Elvis, for sure - but there's a lotta Elvis in Billy Idol as well. It's almost like the idea was "we can have Billy Idol AND Steve Stevens in 1 guy".

 

[MonoStereo]

I"m guessing that they trashed it.

Correctamundo. ( insert Fonzie pic here )


I like that one too.
Singinginginging
Yeeeeeeeeeeee Haaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwww

In the car I sang along with the "apple coooooooore" bit, & got the stink-eye from my wife.

 

[HecticArt]

The apple coooooooore era also gave us Paula Abdul‘s wuggida-wuggida-wuggida in Straight Up.

 

[sadchild]

Gonna post this here then not return to this thread until after I've listened to the VJ for 1981 this weekend.

Here's my analysis: for guessing at #1

#1's we're already past:
Lionel Richie "Lady" (last #1 of 1980, but carries over into Jan 81)
John Lennon "Just Like Starting Over" (Jan?)
Dolly Parton "9 to 5" (Jan into Feb?)
Blondie "Tide Is High" (Feb, but we're past it?)

My candidates:
Eddie Rabbitt "I Love A Rainy Night"
Kool And The Gang "Celebration"
Sheena Easton "Morning Train" <- something's telling me this is later, like late March?

#1's that happen later:
Blondie "Rapture" (April?)
Hall & Oates "Kiss On My List" (April?)
REO "Keep On Loving You" (spring?)
Human League "Don't You Want Me" (May?)
Kim Carnes "Bette Davis Eyes" (summer, like 9 weeks of it?)
Stars On 45 "Stars On 45" (one week, sandwiched by Kim)
Rick Springfield "Jesse's Girl" (8/1/81 - my eleventh bday and the launch of MTV!)

That's what I've come up with for trying to figure out what the #1 will be this week on the VJ. I do this each week unless it's an obvious one like "Every Breath", "Physical", "Bette Davis Eyes", "Eye Of The Tiger", "Another Day In Paradise" (last one of the decade), "Please Don't Go" (first one of the decade), etc.

And with all this work, I'll probably still lose (last week my guess was the #2 song, the other two guys nailed the #1).

And yes, I haven't made my final choice. Most weeks I have 3 or 4 candidates and don't pull the trigger on one until the last minute (Friday night before 9).

And yes, this is actually fun. I do enjoy it. It's a fun challenge. And satisfying to win!

Ok, signing off of this thread until after I've heard the VJ.

 

[Aaron]

I am great at associating a song with the year it was a hit. But I wouldn't be very good at guessing the #1 because I haven't paid much attention to what part of the year the song peaked.

Using your logic, I'll guess I Love a Rainy Night.

 

[seasalt43]

Gonna post this here then not return to this thread until after I've listened to the VJ for 1981 this weekend.

Here's my analysis: for guessing at #1

#1's we're already past:
Lionel Richie "Lady" (last #1 of 1980, but carries over into Jan 81)
John Lennon "Just Like Starting Over" (Jan?)
Dolly Parton "9 to 5" (Jan into Feb?)
Blondie "Tide Is High" (Feb, but we're past it?)

My candidates:
Eddie Rabbitt "I Love A Rainy Night"
Kool And The Gang "Celebration"
Sheena Easton "Morning Train" <- something's telling me this is later, like late March?

#1's that happen later:
Blondie "Rapture" (April?)
Hall & Oates "Kiss On My List" (April?)
REO "Keep On Loving You" (spring?)
Human League "Don't You Want Me" (May?)
Kim Carnes "Bette Davis Eyes" (summer, like 9 weeks of it?)
Stars On 45 "Stars On 45" (one week, sandwiched by Kim)
Rick Springfield "Jesse's Girl" (8/1/81 - my eleventh bday and the launch of MTV!)

That's what I've come up with for trying to figure out what the #1 will be this week on the VJ. I do this each week unless it's an obvious one like "Every Breath", "Physical", "Bette Davis Eyes", "Eye Of The Tiger", "Another Day In Paradise" (last one of the decade), "Please Don't Go" (first one of the decade), etc.

And with all this work, I'll probably still lose (last week my guess was the #2 song, the other two guys nailed the #1).

And yes, I haven't made my final choice. Most weeks I have 3 or 4 candidates and don't pull the trigger on one until the last minute (Friday night before 9).

And yes, this is actually fun. I do enjoy it. It's a fun challenge. And satisfying to win!

Ok, signing off of this thread until after I've heard the VJ.

I'm guessing Celebration by Kool And The Gang. We'll see.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

1981/02/28

40: TOO TIGHT – CON FUNK SHUN
39: STAYING WITH IT – FIREFALL WITH LISA NEMZO
38: SOMEBODY’S KNOCKIN’ – TERRI GIBBS
37: BACK IN BLACK – AC/DC
36: GUITAR MAN – ELVIS PRESLEY
35: HEARTBREAK HOTEL – THE JACKSONS
34: MORNING TRAIN – SHEENA EASTON
33: PRECIOUS TO ME – PHIL SEYMOUR
32: (GHOST) RIDERS IN THE SKY – THE OUTLAWS
31: DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME – THE POLICE
30: WHILE YOU SEE A CHANCE – STEVE WINWOOD
29: AH! LEAH! – DONNIE IRIS
28: EVERY WOMAN IN THE WORLD – AIR SUPPLY
27: FADE AWAY – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
26: LIVING IN A FANTASY – LEO SAYER
25: KISS ON MY LIST – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES
24: SMOKEY MOUNTAIN RAIN – RONNIE MILSAP
23: HEARTS ON FIRE – RANDY MEISNER
22: GAMES PEOPLE PLAY – THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT
21: TREAT ME RIGHT – PAT BENETAR
20: WHAT KIND OF FOOL – BARBRA STREISAND & BARRY GIBB
19: A LITTLE IN LOVE – CLIFF RICHARD
18: TOGETHER - TIERRA
17: HEY NINETEEN – STEELY DAN
16: (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER – JOHN LENNON
15: RAPTURE - BLONDIE
14: HELLO AGAIN – NEIL DIAMOND
13: PASSION – ROD STEWART
12: I AIN’T GONNA STAND FOR IT – STEVIE WONDER
11: CRYING – DON McLEAN
10: THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL - ABBA
9: SAME OLD LANG SYNE – DAN FOGELBERG
8: GIVING IT UP FOR YOUR LOVE – DELBERT McCLINTON
7: THE TIDE IS HIGH - BLONDIE
6: THE BEST OF TIMES - STYX
5: KEEP ON LOVING YOU – REO SPEEDWAGON
4: CELEBRATION – KOOL & THE GANG
3: WOMAN – JOHN LENNON
2: 9 TO 5 – DOLLY PARTON
1: I LOVE A RAINY NIGHT – EDDIE RABBITT

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

A great countdown musically. Very sloppily produced.

• pad data missing on multiple songs
• Marc continues to use his Radio Shack special microphone with extra crackle
• the Don't Stand So Close To Me played @ #31 was the absolutely horrible 1986 version. They may have noticed the ('86) version on the pad data had it not just said #31 (see point 1).

My guess @ #1 was 9 to 5. I was close. Those top 2 flip flopped back and forth for a couple of weeks.

29 good ones.

This is weird:

36: GUITAR MAN – ELVIS PRESLEY
35: HEARTBREAK HOTEL – THE JACKSONS

Weird placement. Didn't Elvis have a hit "Heartbreak Hotel"? And speaking of Elvis he was good and ripe for about 4-5 years at this point. How is he singing?

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Add to the production issues Nina incorrectly identified "Woman" as the #2 song. It is in fact #3.

 

[HecticArt]

9 or 10.