80s0n8 Big 40 Countdown Schedule

[Aaron]

1983

40. COLD BLOODED – RICK JAMES
39. IF ANYONE FALLS – STEVIE NICKS
38. IT’S A MISTAKE – MEN AT WORK
37. IT MUST BE LOVE - MADNESS
36. SITTING AT THE WHEEL – THE MOODY BLUES
35. SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER – THE MOTELS
34. DON’T FORGET TO DANCE – THE KINKS
33. LADY LOVE ME (ONE MORE TIME) – GEORGE BENSON
32. DON’T YOU GET SO MAD – JEFFREY OSBORN
31. TONIGHT, I CELEBRATE MY LOVE – PEABO BRYSON AND ROBERTA FLACK
30. DELIRIOUS - PRINCE
29. BIG LOG – ROBERT PLANT
28. TELL HER NO – JUICE NEWTON
27. (KEEP FEELING) FASCINATION – THE HUMAN LEAGUE
26. KISS THE BRIDE – ELTON JOHN
25. TELEFONE (LONG DISTANCE LOVE AFFAIR) – SHEENA EASTON
24. HUMAN TOUCH – RICK SPRINGFIELD
23. BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE – THE TALKING HEADS
22. DEAD GIVEAWAY - SHALAMAR
21. ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER – THE FIXX
20. I’LL TUMBLE 4 YA – CULTURE CLUB
19. LAWYERS IN LOVE – JACKSON BROWNE
18. SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY – DONNA SUMMER
17. ISLANDS IN THE STREAM – KENNY ROGERS WITH DOLLY PARTON
16. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU – LAURA BRANIGAN
15. EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE – THE POLICE
14. PROMISES, PROMISES – NAKED EYES
13. TRUE – SPANDAU BALLET
12. FAR FROM OVER – FRANK STALLONE
11. KING OF PAIN – THE POLICE
10. DON’T CRY - ASIA
9. (SHE’S SEXY) + 17 – THE STRAY CATS
8. PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ – TACO
7. HUMAN NATURE – MICHAEL JACKSON
6. SWEET DREAMS (ARE MADE OF THIS) – THE EURYTHMICS
5. MAKING LOVE OUT OF NOTHING AT ALL – AIR SUPPLY
4. MANIAC – MICHAEL SEMBELLO
3. THE SAFETY DANCE – MEN WITHOUT HATS
2. TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART – BONNIE TYLER
1. TELL HER ABOUT IT – BILLY JOEL

 

[Madison]

Who would thought at that time that the Talking Heads would be so good after Burning Down The House

 

[scotchandcigar]

Who would thought at that time that the Talking Heads would be so good after Burning Down The House

That was from their 6th album. They had a lot of success years before then.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Who would thought at that time that the Talking Heads would be so good after Burning Down The House

You didn't like that song?

 

[kingchuck69]

Casey's version:

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Casey's version:

Wrong week. 1983/09/24 was this week.

 

[kingchuck69]

Wrong week. 1983/09/24 was this week.

OK, let's try it again...

 

[sadchild]

Good 17
Okay 11
Bad 12

34. DON’T FORGET TO DANCE – THE KINKS

26. KISS THE BRIDE – ELTON JOHN

I was rockin' out to this one this week more than I usually would. Must be something in the air. #dontsayido #saybyebyebye

12. FAR FROM OVER – FRANK STALLONE

This was a top ten hit? It's okay but I never woulda guessed it climbed so high.

Frank Stallone Chart History

11. KING OF PAIN – THE POLICE

There's a little brown spot on your underwear. In the same old place as your other pair.

4. MANIAC – MICHAEL SEMBELLO

Original lyric: He'll kill your cat and nail it to the door.....?? #wtf

3. THE SAFETY DANCE – MEN WITHOUT HATS

I wish they'd play the video version, not the annoying beep-boop LP version.

Will never make the top 40
#44 Heart "How Can I Refuse"
#60 Wham "Bad Boys"
#61 Kansas "Fight Fire With Fire"
#68 Beegees "Someone Belonging To Someone"
#71 Sergio Mendes "Rainbow's End"
#76 Herbie Hancock "Rockit"
#77 Eddy Grant "I Don't Wanna Dance"
#86 Bette Midler "All I Need To Know"
#88 Berlin "Masquerade"
#92 Styx "High Time"

 

[scotchandcigar]

3. THE SAFETY DANCE – MEN WITHOUT HATS

I was trailer camping with my college friend, somewhere in the Gettysburg/ Poconos PA area, when this song was being played every 30 minutes on the top 40 stations. And being out in the middle of nowhere, that's all we could get on the radio. Thank god we had gallons of vodka.

 

[Aaron]

Good 17
Okay 11
Bad 12

34. DON’T FORGET TO DANCE – THE KINKS

26. KISS THE BRIDE – ELTON JOHN

I was rockin' out to this one this week more than I usually would. Must be something in the air. #dontsayido #saybyebyebye

12. FAR FROM OVER – FRANK STALLONE

This was a top ten hit? It's okay but I never woulda guessed it climbed so high.

Frank Stallone Chart History

11. KING OF PAIN – THE POLICE

There's a little brown spot on your underwear. In the same old place as your other pair.

4. MANIAC – MICHAEL SEMBELLO

Original lyric: He'll kill your cat and nail it to the door.....?? #wtf

3. THE SAFETY DANCE – MEN WITHOUT HATS

I wish they'd play the video version, not the annoying beep-boop LP version.

Will never make the top 40
#44 Heart "How Can I Refuse"
#60 Wham "Bad Boys"
#61 Kansas "Fight Fire With Fire"
#68 Beegees "Someone Belonging To Someone"
#71 Sergio Mendes "Rainbow's End"
#76 Herbie Hancock "Rockit"
#77 Eddy Grant "I Don't Wanna Dance"
#86 Bette Midler "All I Need To Know"
#88 Berlin "Masquerade"
#92 Styx "High Time"

The Herbie Hancock song surprises me.
I seemed to remember that one got a lot of airplay back in the day.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

The version SXM plays of Safety Dance is kind of screwy. Perhaps the people who hear that version are the ones that voted it the 5th worst song of the 80s. I like the normal version.

 

[HecticArt]

4. MANIAC – MICHAEL SEMBELLO

Original lyric: He'll kill your cat and nail it to the door.....?? #wtf

For reals?

That's farked up.

Which one of them is the maniac?

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

For reals?

That's farked up.

Which one of them is the maniac?

The song was originally written for a horror flick (as mentioned by Alan Hunter). When they switched movies, they switched lyrics.

 

[sadchild]

From Songfacts:

Sembello wrote this with his songwriting partner Dennis Matkosky, who got the idea when he saw the William Lustig movie Maniac, which is about a serial killer who stalks his victims in New York City.

Sembello told us: "He came up with the original kernel of inspiration and to me with the basic idea and groove and I believe the temporary lyrics for the chorus he had were:

He's a maniac, maniac that's for sure
He will kill your cat and nail him to the door

That direction obviously wasn't going to work at which point the genius of Phil Ramone, producer of the soundtrack who had the vision to see the potential of the song, asked us to change it to the present concept of a girl possessed with the passion of a gift for dance. Without Phil it would not have happened."

Sembello added: "It was nominated for an academy award and was disqualified according to 'academy rules' because the song was changed from the original and was not originally written solely for the film, which pisses me off to this day."

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

In retrospect I think I may have misheard Allan. I think he did say inspired by. For some reason I remembered it the other way.


Sent from my iPhone6S using Tapatalk

 

[Aaron]

1986

40. I'LL BE OVER YOU - TOTO
39. IN YOUR EYES - PETER GABRIEL
38. TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT - EDDIE MONEY
37. PARANOIMIA - THE ART OF NOISE WITH MAX HEADROOM
36. HUMAN - THE HUMAN LEAGUE
35. PAPA DON'T PREACH - MADONNA
34. GIRL CAN'T HELP IT - JOURNEY
33. RUMORS - TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB
32. PRESS - PAUL MCCARTNEY
31. POINT OF NO RETURN - NU SHOOZ
30. MONEY'S TOO TIGHT (TO MENTION) - SIMPLY RED
29. EARTH ANGEL - NEW EDITION
28. SWEET FREEDOM - MICHAEL MCDONALD
27. SWEET LOVE - ANITA BAKER
26. I DIDN'T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON - ROBERT PALMER
25. LOVE WALKS IN - VAN HALEN
24. A MATTER OF TRUST - BILLY JOEL
23. TWIST AND SHOUT - THE BEATLES
22. TRUE COLORS - CYNDI LAUPER
21. HIGHER LOVE - STEVE WINWOOD
20. THE CAPTAIN OF HER HEART - DOUBLE
19. HEAVEN IN YOUR EYES - LOVERBOY
18. ALL CRIED OUT - LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE
17. VENUS - BANANARAMA
16. MISSIONARY MAN - EURYTHMICS
15. BABY LOVE - REGINA
14. HEARTBEAT - DON JOHNSON
13. TYPICAL MALE - TINA TURNER
12. THROWING IT ALL AWAY - GENESIS
11. WORDS GET IN THE WAY - MIAMI SOUND MACHINE
10. LOVE ZONE - BILLY OCEAN
9. TAKE MY BREATH AWAY – BERLIN
8. TWO OF HEARTS - STACEY Q
7. WHEN I THINK OF YOU - JANET JACKSON
6. DREAMTIME - DARYL HALL
5. DON'T FORGET ME (WHEN I'M GONE) - GLASS TIGER
4. WALK THIS WAY - RUN-D.M.C./AEROSMITH
3. DANCING ON THE CEILING - LIONEL RICHIE
2. FRIENDS AND LOVERS - CARL ANDERSON AND GLORIA LORING
1. STUCK WITH YOU - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS

 

[sadchild]

Good 10
Okay 8
Bad 22

Old comments about eight of these songs here

33. RUMORS - TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB

The song specifically name checks Tina Jackson, a student that went to Berkley High School with group founding member Marcus Thompson ("some say she's much too loose"), Michael Jackson ("some say he must be gay"), and Susan Moonsie from Vanity 6 ("some say she's just a tease").

One Hit Wonder: Timex Social Club

29. EARTH ANGEL - NEW EDITION

25. LOVE WALKS IN - VAN HALEN

Didn't age well.

14. HEARTBEAT - DON JOHNSON

Stick to detective work, Crockett

5. DON'T FORGET ME (WHEN I'M GONE) - GLASS TIGER

How did you get Bryan Adams on there?

We met over the phone. Bryan used to call the studio occasionally, just checking in on Jim (Valance). Bryan was in Toronto for the JUNOs and popped into the studio to see us. It turned into a nice little session where we were sitting around talking about music, having a few beers. But Jim’s brain was working. He said, “Why don’t you two go in and sing some stuff?” So Bryan and I, three or four Heinekens in, we said “Sure!” It wasn’t contrived.

4. WALK THIS WAY - RUN-D.M.C./AEROSMITH

DMC:
Rick (Rubin) gives us this yellow notebook pad. He tells us, “Go down to D’s basement, put the needle on the record.” We go down to my basement and put on the record and then you hear “Backstroke lover always hidin’ ’neath the covers” and immediately me and Joe get on the phone and say: “Hell no, this ain’t going to happen. This is hillbilly gibberish, country-bumpkin bullshit.”

Fascinating read: The inside story of when Run-DMC met Aerosmith and changed music forever

#42 Gwen Guthrie "Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent"

Eddie Murphy:
There's a song out now "Got to have a j-o-b if you wanna be with me"
And the lyrics go, "Ain't nothing going on but the rent."
Like if you went up and said, "Hey, baby, what's going on?"
"The rent, motherfucker!"
"You have a job?" "Well, I..."
"Then get the fuck out my face."
Got to have some money. It says, 'No romance without finance.'
And women love them songs!

Won't ever make the top 40
#42 Gwen Guthrie "Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent"
#52 Honeymoon Suite "What Does It Take"
#56 Fabulous Thunderbirds "Wrap It Up"
#62 Bob Seger "It's You"
#65 Pet Shop Boys "Love Comes Quickly"
#66 Moody Blues "The Other Side Of Life"
#68 Kenny Loggins "Playing With The Boys"
#79 Outfield "Everytime You Cry"
#84 Thirty Eight Special "Somebody Like You"
#89 John Fogerty "Eye Of The Zombie"
#90 Thompson Twins "Nothing In Common"

 

[HecticArt]

The song specifically name checks Tina Jackson, a student that went to Berkley High School with group founding member Marcus Thompson

Back in the 80's, I always thought they were talking about Tina Turner. (We didn't have Google back in the day.)

Didn't age well.

Amen.

Stick to detective work, Crockett

Testify brother SadChild!

So Bryan and I, three or four Heinekens in, we said “Sure!”

Not Molson? Isn't that illegal up there?

Won't ever make the top 40

Sounds about right to me.

 

[sadchild]

 

[HecticArt]

I drank a lot of Molson in high school
We liked beer. We drank a lot of it.