80s0n8 Big 40 Countdown Schedule

[MonoStereo]

I always find countdowns from this era weird, because they always point out that I was NOT listening to Top 40 radio at this time. And I don't even think I was listening to that much radio at all, really. If I remember right, I was mainly listening to tapes in my car. Full albums, & maybe some homemade mixes. I think this might have been around the time I discovered listening to classical music on the local NPR station, but I dunno. I think this might still be a little early for that. But in general, when I see this list of songs I get this weird, unsettled kinda "huh?" feeling. I like maaaaaaaaaybe 10 of the songs in there, but I think I know them more from MTV at the time. And there's probably another 10 or so where I'm just like "I dunno what the fugg this is". Like I said, weird. You'd think I would have more specific memories, but I guess the older I get ( just turned 56 ) the more there's gaps in what I can or care to remember.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I listened to a rock station at the time moving away from top 40 radio.

I think generally 1988 countdowns are about the worst with 1989 a close second. Usually the only songs I like are the rock songs.

 

[MonoStereo]

I listened to a rock station at the time moving away from top 40 radio.

I think generally 1988 countdowns are about the worst with 1989 a close second. Usually the only songs I like are the rock songs.

I'm the same way, as far as the rock songs go. By 1988 I was out of radio, & somewhere in the year I started delivering pizza ( and making TWICE what I ever did as a DJ. Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiikes. ) . I don't remember when I started schlepping pies all around town specifically, though. I just remember that I was in the car a LOT, & took a case of cassettes with me everywhere. I can't remember if subconciously I just wanted nothing to do with radio ( my tenure in the business ended with a "thud" thru no fault of my own ) or what. I mean, looking at this week's list of songs, there ain't much to entice me. So maybe it was a combo of things.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

For me I got tired of hearing crappy songs over and over and over again. When the music is good, heavy rotation doesn't bother me. But when the music is crap ..... hearing it once every 2-3 hours is too much.

 

[MonoStereo]

Yeah - like I said, looking at the list I get a real "what is this?" feeling. It seems so far removed from the radio that I knew & worked in just 18 months-ish prior. Just a lot of generic stuff with no personality.

 

[scotchandcigar]

6 for me.

 

[HecticArt]

Pop was becoming soooo poppy at that time, and there weren't even a lot nostalgia fun kind of songs at the time.
The rock charts were probably closer to what I would have liked.

 

[Aaron]

15 good/mostly okay

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

1980/04/26

Repeat countdown

* = current or future #1
** = past #1
red = debut

Lower 60 debuts and/or future or former #1s:
(--) 98. WHAT'S YOUR HURRY DARLIN' - IRONHORSE
(--) 90. SHINING STAR - THE MANHATTANS
(--) 89. IT TAKES TIME - THE MARSHAL TUCKER BAND
(--) 88. YOU'RE MY BLESSING - LOU RAWLS
(--) 85. FOOL FOR A PRETTY FACE (HURT BY LOVE) - HUMBLE PIE
(--) 80. HERE COMES MY GIRL - TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS
(--) 73. COMING UP (LIVE AT GLASGOW) - PAUL MCCARTNEY AND WINGS *

This week's drops from the 40:
(39) 83. DESIRE - ANDY GIBB
(34) 47. CARRIE - CLIFF RICHARD
(38) 44. THREE TIMES IN LOVE - TOMMY JAMES

The Top 40:
(45) 40. THE SEDUCTION - JAMES LAST BAND
(49) 39. THE ROSE - BETTE MIDLER
(48) 38. TRAIN IN VAIN - THE CLASH
(36) 37. ONLY A LONELY HEART SEES - FELIX CAVALIERE
(27) 36. SET ME FREE - UTOPIA
(31) 35. THE SECOND TIME AROUND - SHALAMAR
(21) 34. HIM - RUPERT HOLMES
(40) 33. HEART HOTELS - DAN FOGELBERG
(33) 32. FIRE IN THE MORNING - MELISSA MANCHESTER
(35) 31. DO RIGHT - PAUL DAVIS
(18) 30. HOW DO I MAKE YOU - LINDA RONSTADT
(37) 29. FUNKYTOWN - LIPPS, INC. *
(19) 28. AND THE BEAT GOES ON - THE WHISPERS
(15) 27. CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE - QUEEN **
(30) 26. BREAKDOWN DEAD AHEAD - BOZ SCAGGS
(29) 25. BRASS IN POCKET - THE PRETENDERS
(28) 24. STOMP - THE BROTHERS JOHNSON
(26) 23. ANY WAY YOU WANT IT - JOURNEY
(25) 22. CARS - GARY NUMAN
(32) 21. I CAN'T HELP IT - ANDY GIBB & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
(22) 20. THINK ABOUT ME - FLEETWOOD MAC
(20) 19. I PLEDGE MY LOVE - PEACHES & HERB
(23) 18. HURT SO BAD - LINDA RONSTADT
(24) 17. BIGGEST PART OF ME - AMBROSIA
(10) 16. OFF THE WALL - MICHAEL JACKSON
(17) 15. PILOT OF THE AIRWAVES - CHARLIE DORE
(11) 14. TOO HOT - KOOL & THE GANG
(16) 13. DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH A DREAMER - KENNY ROGERS WITH KIM CARNES
(14) 12. HOLD ON TO MY LOVE - JIMMY RUFFIN
( 9) 11. WORKING MY WAY BACK TO YOU - SPINNERS
(13) 10. SEXY EYES - DR. HOOK
(12) 9. YOU MAY BE RIGHT - BILLY JOEL
( 8) 8. I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY - EAGLES
( 7) 7. FIRE LAKE - BOB SEGER
( 6) 6. LOST IN LOVE - AIR SUPPLY
( 5) 5. SPECIAL LADY - RAY, GOODMAN, & BROWN
( 4) 4. WITH YOU I'M BORN AGAIN - BILLY PRESTON & SYREETA
( 2) 3. ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL - PINK FLOYD **
( 3) 2. RIDE LIKE THE WIND - CHRISTOPHER CROSS
( 1) 1. CALL ME - BLONDIE *

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

27 good this week.

 

[HecticArt]

10

 

[Aaron]

26

 

[hwkn]

22 this week.

 

[Jon]

This weeks surprises/non-surprises. Rush is always a surprise but not since they only had 1 top 40. Yoko is a surprise to have actually made the hot 100. I have NEVER heard one of her songs played on any radio station anywhere.

Probably because the radio station didn't want to shatter the glass in the studio.

 

[scotchandcigar]

13 for 1980.

 

[Jon]

16 this week.

 

[sadchild]

1988

Heard this countdown in 2017

Good 6
Okay 7
Bad 27

11: Man In The Mirror – Michael Jackson

My quick guess on the fly

3: Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car – Billy Ocean

Friend's kid's guess

1: Where Do Broken Hearts Go – Whitney Houston

Friend's friend's guess

Will never reach the Top 40 (incomplete list):
#48 Bananarama "Love In The First Degree"
#61 Big Pig "Breakaway"
#71 Eria Fachin "Savin' Myself"
#72 So "Are You Sure"
#74 Nu Shooz "Should I Say Yes?"
#77 David Lee Roth "Stand Up"
#80 James Taylor "Never Die Young"
#83 Alarm "Presence Of Love"
#84 Sting "Englishman In New York"
#86 Donald Fagen "Century's End"
#87 Underworld "Underneath The Radar"
#89 Whitesnake "Give Me All Your Love"
#92 Lonzo And World Class Wrecking Crew "Turn Off The Lights"
#94 Roxanne "Play That Funky Music"
#96 Agnetha Faltskog/Peter Cetera "I Wasn't The One"
#97 Dan Hill "Never Thought"
#99 Fleetwood Mac "Family Man"

1980

Heard this countdown in 2018

Good 9
Okay 4
Bad 27

Same (basic) stats as '88 above.

19. I PLEDGE MY LOVE - PEACHES & HERB

2. RIDE LIKE THE WIND - CHRISTOPHER CROSS
1. CALL ME - BLONDIE

We all picked Blondie last week. We all picked it this week. We all would have picked it the next week. And the next week. Maybe even the next one too. Oh, and I guessed Kris Kross would be at #2. Nailed it!

Won't make the top 40 (incomplete list):
#43 Korona "Let Me Be"
#45 Mac Davis "It's Hard To Be Humble"
#51 Off Broadway USA "Stay In Time"
#55 Jennifer Warnes "When The Feeling Comes Around"
#58 Red Rider "White Hot"
#62 Knack "Can't Put A Price On Love"
#65 Dionne Warwick "After You"
#69 Fools "It's A Night (For Beautiful Girls)"
#71 Survivor "Somewhere In America"
#78 B-52s "Rock Lobster"
#80 Tom Petty "Here Comes My Girl"
#81 John Denver "Autograph"
#85 Humble Pie "Fool For A Pretty Face"
#91 Styx "Borrowed Time"
#95 Grace Slick "Seasons"
#96 Beach Boys "Goin' On"
#97 Steve Forbert "Say Goodbye To Little Jo"
#99 Festival "Don't Cry For Me Argentina"
#100 Roberta Flack "You Are My Heaven"

 

[hwkn]

Next week it's 85.

 

[HecticArt]

#77 David Lee Roth "Stand Up"
#84 Sting "Englishman In New York"

I'm surprised that both of these made it this high. The Roth is more of a surprise than Sting.
I dig both songs, but didn't think they got that much play.

 

[seasalt43]

Here are the songs below the 100 for 4/26/80

Bubbling Under The Hot 100

#101 Sister Sledge "Reach Your Peak" (peaked at #101, #21 R&B, #34 Dance)
#102 Mary MacGregor "Dancin' Like Lovers" (entered the 100 at #83 on 5/17/80, peaked at #72, #31 AC)
#103 The Babys "Midnight Rendezvous" (entered the 100 at #87 on 5/3/80, peaked at #72)
#104 The Cretones "Real Love" (entered the 100 at #98 on 5/3/80, peaked at #79)
#105 John Cougar "A Little Night Dancin'" (peaked at this position)
#106 Herb Alpert "Street Life" (peaked at #104, #41 AC, #65 R&B)
#107 Crown Heights Affair "You Gave Me Love" (peaked at #102, #74 R&B, #12 Dance, #10 UK)
#108 Pat Travers "Is this Love" (entered the 100 at #84 on 5/17/80, peaked at #50)
#109 L.A. Boppers "Is This The Best" (no Wiki page, peaked at #103)
#110 Allan Clark "Slipstream" (entered the 100 at #90 on 5/24/80, peaked at #70)

Comments:
• All the peaks this week are pretty low.
• "Reach Your Peak" is a filthy song.
• The lead of the Cretones went on to co-write the Pointer Sisters "Automatic".
• I wasn't aware Herb Alpert covered "Street Life". The original is a favorite.
• John Cougar was slowly coming into form.
• I found the following on the L.A. Boppers, The L.A. Boppers Page
• The "e" was left off Allan Clarke's name. He was the lead singer of the group, The Hollies

Playlist: