80s0n8 Big 40 Countdown Schedule

[HecticArt]

I just learned about the Knuke the Knack campaign last week.
It’s a fun story.

 

[MonoStereo]

I just learned about the Knuke the Knack campaign last week.
It’s a fun story.

I'm a massive Knack fan, but I'm also the perfect age to have been hooked by "Get The Knack". I was 14 years old when it came out that Summer. Still in my Top 10 all-time favorite albums, & well worth a listen if you only know "Sharona" ( & maybe "Good Girls Don't" ). They had a very, very interesting career, with very, very highs & lows.

 

[HecticArt]

I've heard the whole album, but the last time was probably the mid-80s. I like My Sharona (even if it was overplayed) and (the underplayed) Good Girls. The guitar solo in Sharona is great.

When I heard about the Knuke the Knack last week, them mentioned that the 4 members of the band were quick to order themselves the t-shirts. I thought that showed a great sense of humor on their part.

 

[MonoStereo]

If you can find it on DVD, there's a good documentary out there called "Getting The Knack".

 

[seasalt43]

Had to miss seeing these guys live for the first time this year, because we're still being dipshits about Covid. Nice work, America.

It had this cassette. Solid stuff!

And yet rap is still around today, regardless of The Fat Boys attempts to murder it in its crib. Awful.

The Beach Boys are guilty as charged on this one too.

Man, I love ABC. I like how Martin Fry was never afraid to just change everything like, "You expected more of the same? Too bad - we're doing THIS now".

I had this cassette too. They were one of my favs.

 

[seasalt43]

#46 Anita Baker "No One In The World"

Video directed by Spike Lee. Starts with a newspaper headline "Japs Quit!". Then a white guy starts playing an old West bar saloon type song at The Apollo, gets booed, then killed. Very odd.

I took a peek at the video and they didn't do a good job setting everything up (in my opinion). The newspaper headline was setting the period (the end of WWII). Anita was to perform at Amateur Night at the Apollo, but was reluctant to do so. The guy was someone who was performing before her. In the past, I've seen a character named Sandman that comes out and escorts talent off stage if they have been booed. I've never seen anyone shot with an arrow (very strange). I distinctly remember Anita Baker pretending to be scared on stage which did not come off as authentic. They could have done something simple and had more impact.

#96 Monkees "Heart And Soul"

This music video is something else. Thawed out by robotic hair dryers. Dressed up as glam rockers. Kinda funny, but very dumb.

I had to check this out. I miss these off the wall concepts.

Songs that won't reach the top 40
#61 Donna Summer "Dinner With Gershwin"

This one was written by Brenda Russell.

#62 Taja Seville "Love Is Contagious"

The video was played on BET quite a bit. I found out recently that she had success with this overseas.

#65 Wendy & Lisa "Waterfall"

Extremely underrated.

#81 Curiosity Killed the Cat "Misfit"

I didn't realize this was released in the US.

#87 Atlantic Starr "One Lover At A Time"
#88 Kool & The Gang "Special Way"

I don't remember these tracks at all.

#89 Living In A Box "So The Story Goes"

I really liked them. I had this cassette too.

#92 Stephanie Mills "(You're Puttin') A Rush On Me"

R&B #1

 

[MonoStereo]

The Beach Boys are guilty as charged on this one too.

This is very true, & fair enough. I guess I didn't throw them under the bus as well just because this kinda lameness was expected from them at this point.

 

[seasalt43]

This is very true, & fair enough. I guess I didn't throw them under the bus as well just because this kinda lameness was expected from them at this point.

I chuckled out loud on this one.
The Fat Boys were always a gimmick, but I agree that this was a low. Even worse, they continued with this madness and collaborated with Chubby Checker on "The Twist" which charted. Fortunately, they remade "Louie Louie" too, but it flopped.

 

[HecticArt]

they remade "Louie Louie" too, but it flopped.

Alligator!!!!!

 

[sadchild]

1988

40: THE PROMISE - WHEN IN ROME
39: WALK ON WATER - EDDIE MONEY
38: I DON'T WANT YOUR LOVE - DURAN DURAN
37: IT TAKES TWO - ROB BASE & D.J. E-Z ROCK
36: GIVING YOU THE BEST THAT I GOT - ANITA BAKER
35: SWEET CHILD O' MINE - GUNS N' ROSES
34: IF IT ISN'T LOVE - NEW EDITION
33: WAITING FOR A STAR TO FALL - BOY MEETS GIRL
32: FALLEN ANGEL - POISON
31: A WORD IN SPANISH - ELTON JOHN
30: DANCE LITTLE SISTER (PART ONE) - TERENCE TRENT D'ARBY
29: LOOK AWAY - CHICAGO
28: KISSING A FOOL - GEORGE MICHAEL
27: TIME AND TIDE - BASIA
26: BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY/FREEBIRD MEDLEY - WILL TO POWER
25: PLEASE DON'T GO GIRL - NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
24: ONE GOOD WOMAN - PETER CETERA
23: DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU GOT (TILL IT'S GONE) - CINDERELLA
22: HOW CAN I FALL? - BREATHE
21: I HATE MYSELF FOR LOVING YOU - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS
20: ANOTHER LOVER - GIANT STEPS
19: I'LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU - TAYLOR DAYNE
18: DESIRE - U2
17: DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY - BOBBY McFERRIN
16: CHAINS OF LOVE - ERASURE
15: BAD MEDICINE - BON JOVI
14: TRUE LOVE - GLENN FREY
13: FOREVER YOUNG - ROD STEWART
12: ONE MOMENT IN TIME - WHITNEY HOUSTON
11: NEVER TEAR US APART - INXS
10: THE LOCO-MOTION - KYLIE MINOGUE
9: DON'T BE CRUEL - CHEAP TRICK
8: DON'T BE CRUEL - BOBBY BROWN
7: DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT THE NIGHT CAN DO? - STEVE WINWOOD
6: KOKOMO - THE BEACH BOYS
5: WILD, WILD WEST - ESCAPE CLUB
4: LOVE BITES - DEF LEPPARD
3: WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND (PURE ENERGY) - INFORMATION SOCIETY
2: RED RED WINE - UB40
1: GROOVY KIND OF LOVE - PHIL COLLINS

 

[HecticArt]

17 or 18 this countdown.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

10. But lots of stinkers.

There were 2 remakes of Don't Be Cruel charting at the same time? And adjacent to each other.

 

[MonoStereo]

10. But lots of stinkers.

There were 2 remakes of Don't Be Cruel charting at the same time? And adjacent to each other.

The Bobby Brown one is an original. And as much as I love Cheap Trick, their remake is friggin' awful ( it was then, & it's awful AND super-dated sounding now ).

 

[Aaron]

25 for me.

Don't Be Cruel by Cheap Trick is a remake of the old Elvis Presley song. The Bobby Brown song is an original new jack swing song.

 

[MonoStereo]

Looking at the chart, I recognize most of those songs. BUT, I have no recollection of being a big radio listener at the time. Job-wise at this point I was delivering pizzas for a living, so I was in my car a ton. I was listening to SOMETHING, for crying out loud. My guess is I was just listening to my own collection via the tape deck in the car ( a combo of store-bought tapes, & stuff I recorded myself ). Weird that I have so little memory of the time, music-wise.

 

[sadchild]

Good 9
Okay 12
Bad 19

Very high marks for a 1988 countdown in my book. Usually it's much worse.

25: PLEASE DON'T GO GIRL - NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

23: DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU GOT (TILL IT'S GONE) - CINDERELLA

My wife: "Every school dance...."

9: DON'T BE CRUEL - CHEAP TRICK
8: DON'T BE CRUEL - BOBBY BROWN

The "don't be" duo!

6: KOKOMO - THE BEACH BOYS

My guess at #1. My friend's son's guess too.

1: GROOVY KIND OF LOVE - PHIL COLLINS

My friend's old roommate's guess.

#54 Jeffrey Osborne "She's On The Left"

So she's voting for Biden, then?

#89 Fat Boys "Louie, Louie"

And yet rap is still around today, regardless of The Fat Boys attempts to murder it in its crib.

More than one attempt!

Won't reach the top 40
#41 Kim Wilde "You Came"
#50 Depeche Mode "Strangelove"
#54 Jeffrey Osborne "She's On The Left"
#56 L'Trimm "Cars With The Boom"
#57 Safire "Boy, I've Been Told"
#60 Sweet Sensation "Never Let You Go"
#61 JJ Fad "Way Out"
#64 Luther Vandross "Any Love"
#68 Deniece Williams "I Can't Wait"
#69 Stevie B "Spring Love"
#70 Survivor "Didn't Know It Was Love"
#74 Tommy Conwell "I'm Not Your Man"
#75 Night Ranger "I Did It For Love"
#76 Holly Knight "Heart Don't Fail Me Now"
#80 John Lennon "Jealous Guy"
#83 Siouxsie & The Banshees "Peek-A-Boo"
#84 Romeo's Daughter "Don't Break My Heart"
#85 Candi "Dancing Under A Latin Moon"
#87 Jon Astley "Put This Love To The Test"
#88 Georgia Satellites "Hippy Hippy Shake"
#89 Fat Boys "Louie, Louie"
#94 Good Question "Got A New Love"
#95 Robert Cray Band "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark"
#97 Al B Sure "Off On Your Own"
#98 10,000 Maniacs "What's The Matter Here?"
#99 Tracy Chapman "Talkin' Bout A Revolution"
#100 Eric Carmen "Reason To Try"

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Won't reach the top 40
#88 Georgia Satellites "Hippy Hippy Shake"

A bit of a surprise. But the Satellites can be comforted that they made it to the Top 424 at least.

And WTF is John Lennon doing releasing music 8 years after he is dead? Somebody needs to do a better job of Zombie control.

 

[Jon]

11 out of 40.

 

[HecticArt]

Won't reach the top 40

No real surprises this time.

The Satellites Hippy Hippy was only on the radio for a couple of weeks, so it seems fortunate that it made it this far.

 

[MonoStereo]

25: PLEASE DON'T GO GIRL - NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

I can't think of NKOTB without thinking of comedian Jimmy Pardo's story about them. He was working for MCA Records at the time, & was watching NKOTB open for Tiffany ( an MCA artist ) at the side of the stage, enjoying a backstage pasta salad. He asked the guy next to him "Who are these guys?". When he got the answer, he said "Mark my words...they'll never make it".

The punchline to the story is modern-day Jimmy saying "I think they had action figures by the time I finished that pasta salad".

6: KOKOMO - THE BEACH BOYS

My guess at #1. My friend's son's guess too.

It might be #1 on my "All-Time Most Hated Songs" list. If it's not, it's up there.

Won't reach the top 40
#54 Jeffrey Osborne "She's On The Left"
#57 Safire "Boy, I've Been Told"
#60 Sweet Sensation "Never Let You Go"
#61 JJ Fad "Way Out"
#64 Luther Vandross "Any Love"
#68 Deniece Williams "I Can't Wait"
#69 Stevie B "Spring Love"
#70 Survivor "Didn't Know It Was Love"
#76 Holly Knight "Heart Don't Fail Me Now"
#84 Romeo's Daughter "Don't Break My Heart"
#85 Candi "Dancing Under A Latin Moon"
#87 Jon Astley "Put This Love To The Test"
#94 Good Question "Got A New Love"
#97 Al B Sure "Off On Your Own"
#100 Eric Carmen "Reason To Try"

I don't think I've heard ANY of these before. Hell, there's a couple artists in there I don't think I've ever even heard OF.