80s0n8 Big 40 Countdown Schedule

[scotchandcigar]

I'll say 11 for '81.

 

[MonoStereo]

1981

The summer between my freshman & sophomore years of high school. I had a job working in the fiberglass plant ( they made showers & bathtubs, mainly ) where my Dad was in management. Just brutal conditions - hot as fuuuuuuuuuuck all summer ( there were a few fans around the factory - that was it ) & hard, hard work. An experience I never, ever wanted to repeat. Which might have been my Dad's intention all along. I dunno for sure, & can't ask him now.

Anyway, radios were blaring in the place all the time - mainly KGGF out of Coffeyville, Kansas because that was about all you could pick up ( the job was in nearby Cherryvale ). So I heard most of these songs roughly 50 trillion times that summer.

36: STRONGER THAN BEFORE - CAROLE BAYER SAGER

Dunno that I've ever heard this one before. It's kinda familiar -sounding, but I think it's a matter of it sounding a lot like 53 other songs from around the same time.

32: SAY WHAT - JESSE WINCHESTER

Not sure I've ever heard this, either. This is where it peaked on the charts, so that would explain it.

23: ELVIRA - THE OAK RIDGE BOYS

I swear to Christ, it seemed like KGGF played this every 10 minutes.

21: NOBODY WINS - ELTON JOHN

This doesn't register with me at all. And this isn't the first time this has happened with him from this era. I've never been a big fan but did I just block out his output from the early 80's completely? Weird.

Man, I'm a complete sucker for these adult contemporary-leaning early 80's charts. Cheezy as some of 'em are, I love probably 75% of these songs.

 

[sadchild]

Just brutal conditions - hot as fuuuuuuuuuuck all summer ( there were a few fans around the factory - that was it )

Just like my living room!

did I just block out his output from the early 80's completely?

I think most people did

The team (of John/Taupin) took some time off from each other for a while between 1977 and 1979, while Taupin worked with other songwriters, including Alice Cooper, and John worked with other lyricists, including Gary Osborne and Tom Robinson. John and Taupin resumed writing together on an occasional basis in 1980, with Taupin contributing lyrics to several songs on albums such as The Fox, 21 at 33 and Jump Up!. However, by 1983's Too Low for Zero, the two renewed their partnership on a full-time basis and from that point forward Taupin was again John's primary lyricist for his solo releases.

 

[hwkn]

This week is 84.

 

[sadchild]

EARLIER
Paul/Michael "Say Say Say" 83/84
Yes "Owner Of A Lonely Heart"
Culture Club "Karma Chameleon"
Van Halen "Jump"
Phil Collins "Against All Odds"
Kenny Loggins "Footloose"
Cyndi Lauper "Time After Time"
Duran Duran "The Reflex"

Spoiler: CANDIDATES

Lionel Richie "Hello"
Ray Parker Jr "Ghostbusters"
Deniece Williams "Let's Hear It"
Prince "When Doves Cry"

LATER
John Waite "Missing You"
Prince "Let's Go Crazy"
Tina Turner "What's Love Got To Do"
Stevie Wonder "I Just Called"
Wham "Wake Me Up"
Hall & Oates "Out Of Touch"
Madonna "Like A Virgin" 84/85

 

[hwkn]

34 for 84.

 

[hwkn]

Next week is 1987.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

1984/06/23:

* = current or future #1s
** = former #1
red = debut

The bottom 60: debuts and future and former #1s:
(--) 95. SOUTH CENTRAL RAIN (I'M SORRY) - R.E.M.
(--) 89. MISSING YOU - JOHN WAITE
(--) 88. SIMPLE - JOHNNY MATHIS
(--) 85. IT CAN HAPPEN - YES
(63) 82. FOOTLOOSE - KENNY LOGGINS **
(--) 72. STUCK ON YOU - LIONEL RICHIE
(--) 52. PANAMA - VAN HALEN
(68) 46. GHOSTBUSTERS - RAY PARKER JR. *

This week's drops:
(39) 61. LOVE WILL SHOW US HOW - CHRISTINE MCVIE
(38) 57. MY EVERY CHANGING MOODS - THE STYLE COUNCIL
(36) 51. THE LONGEST TIME - BILLY JOEL
(37) 50. WHISPER TO A SCREAM (BIRDS FLY) - ICICLE WORKS
(30) 44. DANCING IN THE SHEETS - SHALAMAR
(29) 43. TO ALL THE GIRLS I'VE LOVED BEFORE - JULIO IGLESIAS AND WILLIE NELSON

The Top 40:
(43) 40. FAREWELL MY SUMMER LOVE - MICHAEL JACKSON
(41) 39. OBSCENE PHONE CALLER - ROCKWELL
(42) 38. PRIME TIME - THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT
(50) 37. I'M FREE - KENNY LOGGINS
(44) 36. SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT - COREY HART
(45) 35. WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT - TINA TURNER *
(21) 34. AGAINST ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW) - PHIL COLLINS **
(33) 33. WHAT IS LOVE - HOWARD JONES
(18) 32. I'LL WAIT - VAN HALEN
(35) 31. I CAN DREAM ABOUT YOU - DAN HARTMAN
(40) 30. BREAKING... THERE'S NO STOPPING US - OLLIE AND JERRY
(34) 29. DON'T WALK AWAY - RICK SPRINGFIELD
(31) 28. NO WAY OUT - JEFFERSON STARSHIP
(20) 27. RUN, RUNAWAY - SLADE
(32) 26. SAD SONGS (SAY SO MUCH) - ELTON JOHN
(28) 25. DANCE HALL DAYS - WANG CHUNG
(25) 24. MODERN DAY DELILAH - VAN STEPHENSON
(27) 23. INFATUATION - ROD STEWART
(26) 22. DOCTOR! DOCTOR! - THOMPSON TWINS
(22) 21. WHO'S THAT GIRL -EURYTHMICS
(24) 20. MAGIC - THE CARS
(23) 19. LEGS - ZZ TOP
(15) 18. HELLO - LIONEL RICHIE **
(12) 17. BREAKDANCE - IRENE CARA
(19) 16. STAY THE NIGHT - CHICAGO
(16) 15. YOU CAN'T GET WHAT YOU WANT - JOE JACKSON
( 5) 14. SISTER CHRISTIAN - NIGHT RANGER
(13) 13. IT'S A MIRACLE - CULTURE CLUB
(14) 12. ALMOST PARADISE - MIKE RENO AND ANN WILSON
(10) 11. BORDERLINE - MADONNA
(11) 10. EYES WITHOUT A FACE - BILLY IDOL
( 4) 9. OH SHERRIE - STEVE PERRY
(17) 8. WHEN DOVES CRY - PRINCE *
( 8) 7. JUMP (FOR MY LOVE) - THE POINTER SISTERS
( 6) 6. THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS
( 7) 5. SELF CONTROL - LAURA BRANIGAN
( 9) 4. DANCING IN THE DARK - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
( 3) 3. LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY - DENIECE WILLIAMS **
( 1) 2. TIME AFTER TIME - CYNDI LAUPER **
( 2) 1. THE REFLEX - DURAN DURAN *

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

26 good for 1984.

 

[Jon]

26. Not bad

 

[HecticArt]

15.

 

[Aaron]

28

 

[scotchandcigar]

25 for 84. Pretty high for mid-80s.

 

[sadchild]

I did well naming them all, but my order is all over the place. I thought the #1 and #2 songs were both earlier than my four candidates.

Kenny Loggins "Footloose" #82
Phil Collins "Against All Odds" #34
Lionel Richie "Hello" #18
Deniece Williams "Let's Hear It" #3
Cyndi Lauper "Time After Time" #2
Duran Duran "The Reflex" #1
Prince "When Doves Cry" #8
Ray Parker Jr "Ghostbusters" #46
Tina Turner "What's Love Got To Do" #35
John Waite "Missing You" #89

white: listed as 'earlier' or 'later'
green: my candidates
brown: missing from my list

 

[sadchild]

Good 9
Okay 12
Bad 19

40. FAREWELL MY SUMMER LOVE - MICHAEL JACKSON

8. WHEN DOVES CRY - PRINCE *

My friend's kid and I chose this one.

1. THE REFLEX - DURAN DURAN *

My friend's old roommate chose this one.

#80 Fire Inc "Tonight Is What It Means to Be Young"

Written by Jim Steinman. Sounds like it should be in a musical. Not as rockin' as his usual stuff.

#65 Def Leppard "Bringin' On The Heartbreak (Remix)"
#90 Motley Crue "Too Young To Fall In Love"

These are what I was listening to in 1984.

Won't ever reach the top 40
#47 Paul Young "Love of the Common People"
#48 Robin Gibb "Boys Do Fall in Love"
#49 Juice Newton "A Little Love"
#54 Bon Jovi "She Don't Know Me"
#56 Jenny Burton "Strangers In A Strange World"
#59 Psychedelic Furs "The Ghost In You"
#62 Orion the Hunter "So You Ran"
#64 Human League "Lebanon"
#65 Def Leppard "Bringin' On The Heartbreak (Remix)"
#67 Teddy Pendergrass & Whitney Houston "Hold Me"
#69 Genesis "Taking It All Too Hard"
#71 Yarbough & People "Don't Waste Your Time"
#73 Tracy Ullman "Break-A-Way"
#74 Newcleus "Jam On It"
#77 Jocelyn Brown "Somebody Else's Guy"
#79 Red Rider "Young Thing, Wild Dreams (Rock Me)"
#80 Fire Inc "Tonight Is What It Means to Be Young"
#81 Christopher Cross "A Chance for Heaven"
#83 Bar-Kays "Freakshow On The Dance Floor"
#85 Yes "It Can Happen"
#86 Alabama "When We Make Love"
#87 LaToya Jackson "Heart Don't Lie"
#88 Johnny Mathis "Simple"
#90 Motley Crue "Too Young To Fall In Love"
#92 Dan Fogelberg "Believe in Me"
#95 REM "South Central Rain"
#97 Shannon "Give Me Tonight"
#99 Nik Kershaw "Wouldn't It Be Good"
#100 Duke Jupiter "Little Lady"

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Won't ever reach the top 40

#99 Nik Kershaw "Wouldn't It Be Good"

I was just about ready to type "No surprises" then I came across this surprise.

 

[seasalt43]

I was just about ready to type "No surprises" then I came across this surprise.

I completely agree. "Wouldn't it be Good" peaked at #46, but cracked the top 10 in Canada.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I completely agree. "Wouldn't it be Good" peaked at #46, but cracked the top 10 in Canada.

After seeing these surprises in the US charts and finding they did well in Canada, I have to conclude that you Yanks are nuts.

 

[seasalt43]

Here are the songs below the 100 for 6/23/84

Bubbling under the Hot 100

#101 "Feels So Real (Won't Let Go)" Patrice Rushen (entered the chart on 6/30/84 at #89, peaked at #78, #3 R&B, #51 UK)
#102 "Such A Shame" Talk Talk (entered the chart on 6/30/84 at #91, peaked at #89, #49 UK)
#103 "The Mask" Roger Glover (peaked at #102)
#104 "The Warrior" Scandal (entered the chart on 6/30/84 at #77, peaked at #7)
#105 "Mega-Mix" Herbie Hancock (peaked at this position, #38 Dance)
#106 "And I Don't Love You" Smokey Robinson (peaked at this position, #33 R&B)
#107 "Reunited" The Greg Kihn Band (peaked at #101, #1 Rock)
#108 "Coming Out of Hiding" Pamela Stanley (peaked at #106, #4 Dance)
#109 "Lovelite" O'Bryan (peaked at #101, #1 R&B)
#110 "Black Stations/White Stations" M+M (entered the chart on 6/30/84 at #82, peaked at #63, #2 Dance, #26 CAN)

Comments:

• All the songs entered the 100 on 6/30/84.
• It's interesting to see "Reunited" and "Lovelite" hit #1 on another chart, but didn't break the 100.
• @IdRatherBeSkiing - I was surprised to see "The Warrior" started in the bubbles. Also, I didn't realize "Black Stations/White Stations" bubbled under. I remembered your comment from Aug 9, 2021.

Playlist:

 

[HecticArt]

I was just about ready to type "No surprises" then I came across this surprise.

Kershaw was my surprise this time too.

I completely agree. "Wouldn't it be Good" peaked at #46, but cracked the top 10 in Canada.

Then I saw this. It's much more in line with what I would have expected for this song.
Even though it didn't break into the 40, the song has staying power.