80s0n8 Big 40 Countdown Schedule

Sukiyaki is the dumb title given by Capitol Records executives to a 1961 Japanese hit by Kyu Sakamoto when it was released in the United States in 1963. The song is 上を向いて歩こう (Ue O Muite Arukō), which means "I Look Up When I Walk" but Capitol changed it to a Japanese word that they thought most Americans would know, even though the lyrics have nothing to do with sukiyaki.

Sukiyaki by A Taste Of Honey uses the same tune but is not an English translation; it is a completely different song – with the same meaningless title. In 1994, Baltimore r&b quartet 4 PM – the name means "For Positive Music" – recorded an a cappella version of the A Taste Of Honey song. Yes, they kept the same meaningless title. Here is their version, which reached #8 on the Hot 100 in the last week of January 1995:

 
sadchild said:
33: QUEEN OF HEARTS - JUICE NEWTON

Alan Hunter said this was her debut album. Nope, her third.
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I don't think the first 2 did anything on any pop charts. At any rate I had a huge crush on her in 1981. I bought her album just so I could have her sign it at a record signing at the local HMV. She signed it and was pleasant but did not go running off with me and make passionate love like I had hoped.

sadchild said:
Won't make the top 40
#57 Joe Dolce "Shaddap You Face"
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I remember this song.

sadchild said:
#59 April Wine "Sign Of The Gypsy Queen"
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Cool song. Lots of airplay in Canada. But band is Canadian.

sadchild said:
#64 Cliff Richard "Give A Little Bit More"
#66 Steve Winwood "Arc Of A Diver"
#70 Rush "Tom Sawyer"
#81 Loverboy "The Kid Is Hot Tonite"
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Surprised at all these. The Loverboy song was their debut and IMHO their best song.
 
sadchild said:
7: THE ONE THAT YOU LOVE - AIR SUPPLY

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If you would have told me back in 1981 that Air Supply wasn't a gay couple singing love songs, you could have knocked me over with a feather.

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Channel98 said:
Sukiyaki is the dumb title given by Capitol Records executives to a 1961 Japanese hit by Kyu Sakamoto when it was released in the United States in 1963. The song is 上を向いて歩こう (Ue O Muite Arukō), which means "I Look Up When I Walk" but Capitol changed it to a Japanese word that they thought most Americans would know, even though the lyrics have nothing to do with sukiyaki.

Sukiyaki by A Taste Of Honey uses the same tune but is not an English translation; it is a completely different song – with the same meaningless title. In 1994, Baltimore r&b quartet 4 PM – the name means "For Positive Music" – recorded an a cappella version of the A Taste Of Honey song. Yes, they kept the same meaningless title. Here is their version, which reached #8 on the Hot 100 in the last week of January 1995:

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You forgot to mention how Kyu Sakamoto was a casualty of the single worst plane crash in aviation history.

Japan Airlines Flight 123 - Wikipedia
 
A couple things I heard that I think are wrong.
1. Alan Hunter mentioned that The Greatest American hero had a #12 peak. It had a #2 peak and would have been #1 if not for the Endless Drek released by Ross & Richie which blocked out the #1 spot for most of the late summer and fall.
2. Nina mentioned that Betty Davis Eyes was the 3rd best seller in 1981. According to Billboard it was the #1 song of 1981. So would that not be a contradiction?

Also, I like the 1980 and 1981 countdowns but don't need a lecture from the VJs about when MTV started and how they had such an influence on the countdowns. Mark was guilty this time although usually it is Alan.
 
IdRatherBeSkiing said:
2. Nina mentioned that Betty Davis Eyes was the 3rd best seller in 1981. According to Billboard it was the #1 song of 1981. So would that not be a contradiction?

Also, I like the 1980 and 1981 countdowns but don't need a lecture from the VJs about when MTV started and how they had such an influence on the countdowns. Mark was guilty this time although usually it is Alan.
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I don't know for sure, just speculating that maybe Billboard #1 song is for most weeks at #1, and not best selling. I guess it's possible for a song to have spent less weeks at #1 but sold more overall copies.
But then the Wikipedia for Endless Love says that Bette Davis Eyes was the #1 seller of 1981... so Nina was probably just wrong.
 
According to Billboard, Bette Davis Eyes was the #2 biggest song of the decade (not year).

Just posting it for what it's worth.

Billboard's Top Songs of the '80s : Page 1

1. Physical. Olivia Newton-John.
2. Bette Davis Eyes. Kim Carnes.
3. Endless Love. Diana Ross & Lionel Richie.
4. Eye Of The Tiger. Survivor.
5. Every Breath You Take. The Police.
6. Flashdance...What A Feeling. Irene Cara.
7. Another One Bites The Dust. Queen.
8. Say Say Say. Paul McCartney And Michael Jackson.
 
In 1955, Billboard began publishing a Top 100 chart which combined sales, radio airplay and jukebox play. In 1958, Billboard quit monitoring jukebox play – much to the dismay of Richie, Fonzie and Arnold – and renamed the chart The Hot 100. It was based on a combination of sales and airplay.

Time marches on. The Hot 100 is now based on a combination of retail sales, digital downloads, streaming and radio airplay. Thus, Billboard's number-one song of any particular year is not necessarily the year's best-selling song.

Jackie DeShannon's 1975 album New Arrangement included four songs she had co-written with Rita Coolidge backup singer Donna Weiss. One of them is Bette Davis Eyes. DeShannon got the idea for the song while watching the 1942 movie Now Voyager on television and seeing Paul Heinreid's character fawn over Bette Davis's character. Here is DeShannon's original version:

 
sadchild said:
According to Billboard, Bette Davis Eyes was the #2 biggest song of the decade (not year).

Just posting it for what it's worth.

Billboard's Top Songs of the '80s : Page 1

1. Physical. Olivia Newton-John.
2. Bette Davis Eyes. Kim Carnes.
3. Endless Love. Diana Ross & Lionel Richie.
4. Eye Of The Tiger. Survivor.
5. Every Breath You Take. The Police.
6. Flashdance...What A Feeling. Irene Cara.
7. Another One Bites The Dust. Queen.
8. Say Say Say. Paul McCartney And Michael Jackson.
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In an interesting quirk, Physical although spending most of its weeks at #1 in 1981 is considered the #1 song of 1982. Same logic as Queen's Another One Bites the dust being on the 1981 top 100 rather than 1980s.
 
That's one thing I hated about the Countdowns on the 80's. Yes, we get it, you were MTV VJs, MTV hasn't played videos in years, and hasn't been relevant for longer. Get over it already!
 
IdRatherBeSkiing said:
Physical. although spending most of its weeks at #1 in 1981 is considered the #1 song of 1982.
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Billboard's year-end charts do not reflect the calendar year. They cover December through November to enable Billboard to compile year-end rankings for each genre's singles and albums and publish them in the issue that comes out just before Christmas. Physical was in its second week at number one on the Hot 100 chart for the week ending November 28, 1981. It remained number one for the next eight weeks but those eight weeks were part of the December-to-November-1982 year. In the interest of full disclosure, I should add that Olivia never wanted to hear my body talk. I can't say I blame her.

images
 
1985

40. WAKE UP (NEXT TO YOU) – GRAHAM PARKER AND THE SHOT
39. WHAT ABOUT LOVE - HEART
38. YOU SPIN ME AROUND (LIKE A RECORD) – DEAD OR ALIVE
37. LITTLE BY LITTLE – ROBERT PLANT
36. NEVER ENDING STORY - LIMAHL
35. SHOUT – TEARS FOR FEARS
34. NEVER SURRENDER – COREY HART
33. WHO’S HOLDING DONNA NOW - DEBARGE
32. PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE – DEPECHE MODE
31. POSSESSION OBSESSION – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES
30. BANG A GONG (GET IT ON) – THE POWER STATION
29. CANNONBALL - SUPERTRAMP
28. JUST AS I AM – AIR SUPPLY
27. 19 – PAUL HARDCASTLE
26. GETCHA BACK – THE BEACH BOYS
25. FRESH – KOOL & THE GANG
24. AXEL F – HAROLD FALTERMEYER
23. TOUGH ALL OVER – JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND
22. CRAZY IN THE NIGHT (BARKING AT AIRPLANES) – KIM CARNES
21. EVERYTHING SHE WANTS - WHAM
20. SENTIMENTAL STREET – NIGHT RANGER
19. IF YOU LOVE SOMEBODY SET THEM FREE – STING
18. SUDDENLY – BILLY OCEAN
17. GLORY DAYS – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
16. SMUGGLER’S BLUES – GLENN FREY
15. THE GOONIES ‘R’ GOOD ENOUGH – CYNDI LAUPER
14. EVERY TIME YOU GO AWAY – PAUL YOUNG
13. YOU GIVE GOOD LOVE – WHITNEY HOUSTON
12. VOICES CARRY – ‘TIL TUESDAY
11. WALKING ON SUNSHINE – KATRINA AND THE WAVES
10. IN MY HOUSE – MARY JANE GIRLS
9. THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER – HOWARD JONES
8. WOULD I LIE TO YOU – THE EURYTHMICS
7. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD – TEARS FOR FEARS
6. THE SEARCH IS OVER - SURVIVOR
5. ANGEL - MADONNA
4. RASPBERRY BERET – PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION
3. A VIEW TO A KILL – DURAN DURAN
2. SUSSUDIO – PHIL COLLINS
1. HEAVEN – BRYAN ADAMS
 
Good 9
Okay 14
Bad 17

Heard this exact countdown last year. My comments from then: 80s0n8 Big 40 Countdown Schedule

31. POSSESSION OBSESSION – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES

Thought this was Culture Club during the first verse. Whoops (and yikes!)

30. BANG A GONG (GET IT ON) – THE POWER STATION

Alan called John Peel a "BB-1 DJ". That would be "BBC-1" (or BB-8, if he meant Star Wars!)

28. JUST AS I AM – AIR SUPPLY

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9. THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER – HOWARD JONES

Mark Goodman called Jones "Mister Freakin' Positive". I lol'd.

2. SUSSUDIO – PHIL COLLINS

A friend of mine has a 17 year old son who listens to the VJ each week. Last weekend, my friend had me and his son each try to guess which song would be #1. His son picked "Sussudio". I picked "Summer Of '69" (which was #55 this week, and never made it to #1). His son totally kicked my ass.

1. HEAVEN – BRYAN ADAMS

Dammit! I got the artist right but not the song!

#59 Weird Al "Like A Surgeon"

A friend and I parodied "Like A Virgin" before this came out. And we also did "Like A Surgeon". However, ours talked about sex changes and weird stuff.

Won't reach the top 40
#42 Gino Vanelli "Black Cars"
#44 John Fogerty "Centerfield"
#47 Men At Work "Everything I Need"
#50 Commodores "Animal Instinct"
#54 Foreigner "Reaction To Action"
#57 Tom Petty "Make It Better"
#58 Hooters "All You Zombies"
#59 Weird Al "Like A Surgeon"
#61 Jeff Beck "People Get Ready"
#62 Go West "Call Me"
#65 Sade "Your Love Is King"
#66 Patti LaBelle "Stir It Up" <- #41 peak!
#68 Klymaxx "Meeting In The Ladies Room"
#69 Chaka Khan "Through The Fire"
#72 George Thorogood "Will & The Hand Jive"
#73 Natalie Cole "Dangerous"
#77 Jean Knight "My Toot Toot"
#81 Menudo "Hold Me"
#83 Dokken "Alone Again"
#98 Atlantic Starr "Freak-A-Ristic"
 
Several music website say Sussudio was the name of a horse owned by Joely Collins, Phil Collins' older daughter. That is correct – but she named the horse after the song. The websites erroneously imply Collins used the horse's name for the song title. Other sites claim the title came from a bandmate who told Collins they needed to get to the studio for a recording session but he stammered on one word and it came out "su-su-studio." That story, too, is false.

On a 1997 episode of VH1's Storytellers, Collins explained that he wrote the music first and then tried to find some words that would fit the with the drum machine track. He made up the "su-su-sudio" line – it "just literally came out," he said – and thought it sounded good. Sussudio became a girl's name in the song. The musician who programmed the drum machine and synthesizers on the recording was David Frank, who was one half of the synth-pop duo The System. Among their many hits is this top-ten song from 1987:

 
I heard Phil say (in an interview, we didn't used to hang out or anything) that he would frequently make up nonsense words to use as placeholders while he was writing songs. Eventually, they would get replaced as he would refine the songs. This time, he never came up with anything better, and it grew on him, so he left it.
 
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