This is probably getting old, watching me struggle to remember all of the #1s of each year. I probably posted my 1981 guesses a couple months ago. And I'm probably forgetting a few I remembered back then. But let's just pretend I have Alzheimer's and every attempt is my first attempt. And we can watch my memory degrade over time.
EARLIER
John Lennon "Just Like Starting Over" (80/81)
Dolly Parton "9 to 5"
Eddie Rabbit "I Love A Rainy Night"
Hall & Oates "Kiss On My List"
Blondie "Rapture"
Sheena Easton "Morning Train"
Kim Carnes "Bette Davis Eyes"
Stars On 45 "Stars On 45"
Rick Springfield "Jesse's Girl"
Diana/Lionel "Endless Love"
Christopher Cross "Best That You Can Do"
Hall & Oates "Private Eyes"
Blue Oyster Cult "Burnin' for You". Appeared on the countdown on October 9, 2014. Held the #40 position for three weeks! The countdown was from the third week the song appeared at #40.
1981/10/10
(despite that Alan said it was 1981/10/09 -- one of many errors this week)
40. BURNIN' FOR YOU - BLUE OYSTER CULT
39. OH NO - COMMODORES
38. ALIEN - ATLANTA RYTHM SECTION
37. HE'S A LIAR - BEE GEES
36. EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC - THE POLICE
35. THEME FROM "GREATEST AMERICAN HERO" (BELIEVE IT OR NOT) - JOEY SCARBURY
34. ATLANTA LADY (SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR LOVE) - MARTY BALIN
33. GENERAL HOSPI-TALE - THE AFTERNOON DELIGHTS
32. BREAKING AWAY - BALANCE
31. IN YOUR LETTER - REO SPEEDWAGON
30. SLOW HAND - POINTER SISTERS
29. THE THEME FROM HILL STREET BLUES - MIKE POST FEATURING LARRY CARLTON
28. LADY (YOU BRING ME UP) - COMMODORES
27. HERE I AM (JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS OVER YOU) - AIR SUPPLY
26. SHE'S A BAD MAMA JAMA (SHE'S BUILT, SHE'S STACKED) - CARL CARLTON
25. SAY GOODBYE TO HOLLYWOOD - BILLY JOEL
24. (THERE'S) NO GETTING OVER ME - RONNIE MILSAP
23. JUST ONCE - QUINCY JONES FEATURING JAMES INGRAM
22. TRYING TO LIVE MY LIFE WITHOUT YOU - BOB SEGER
21. WHEN SHE WAS MY GIRL - THE FOUR TOPS
20. WE'RE IN THIS LOVE TOGETHER - AL JARREAU
19. SUPER FREAK - RICK JAMES
18. I COULD NEVER MISS YOU (MORE THAN I DO) - LULU
17. I'VE DONE EVERYTHING FOR YOU - RICK SPRINGFIELD
16. SHARE YOUR LOVE - KENNY ROGERS
15. THE VOICE - MOODY BLUES
14. QUEEN OF HEARTS - JUICE NEWTON
13. HARD TO SAY - DAN FOGELBERG
12. THE BEACH BOYS MEDLEY - BEACH BOYS
11. THE NIGHT OWLS - LITTLE RIVER BAND
10. HOLD ON TIGHT - ELO
9. URGENT - FOREIGNER
8. PRIVATE EYES - HALL & OATES
7. START ME UP - ROLLING STONES
6. STEP BY STEP - EDDIE RABBITT
5. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY - SHEENA EASTON
4. WHO'S CRYING NOW - JOURNEY
3. STOP DRAGGIN' MY HEART AROUND - STEVIE NICKS & TOM PETTY
2. ARTHUR'S THEME - CHRISTOPHER CROSS
1. ENDLESS LOVE - DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE
One of many songs I'd forgotten about since the 80s that I'm glad SXM has brought back into my life.
17. I'VE DONE EVERYTHING FOR YOU - RICK SPRINGFIELD
Mark Goodman: "When that song reached the top of the charts..."
Australia #31
Canada #40
US #8
and it didn't register on the US Rock Chart at all
...???
5. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY - SHEENA EASTON
2. ARTHUR'S THEME - CHRISTOPHER CROSS
My guess.
1. ENDLESS LOVE - DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE
At least one of the others guessed this one. I knew it hit #1 in August. But I didn't realize it would stay there through to the second week of October.
#45 Devo "Working in the Coal Mine"
#98 Squeeze "Tempted"
The only two songs in the never-40 list that I knew back in the 80s.
Will never break into the top 40: #44 Don Felder "Heavy Metal"
#45 Devo "Working in the Coal Mine"
#51 Aretha Franklin/George Benson "Love All The Hurt Away"
#61 Stars On 45 "More Stars"
#62 Debbie Harry "Backfired"
#64 David Gates "Take Me Now"
#66 Ronnie Laws "Stay Awake"
#67 Temptations "Aiming at Your Heart"
#68 Anne Murray "It's All I Can Do"
#70 John Schneider "Still"
#73 Teena Marie "Square Biz"
#74 Rickie Lee Jones "A Lucky Guy"
#75 Carpenters "(Want You) Back in My Life Again"
#76 Dirt Band "Fire In The Sky"
#77 ZZ Top "Leila"
#78 Streek "One More Night"
#80 Joey Scarbury "When She Dances"
#81 Freddy Cannon "Let's Put The Fun Back In Rock N Roll"
#82 Triumph "Magic Power"
#83 Cliff Richard "Wired for Sound"
#84 Johnny Lee "Bet Your Heart On Me"
#89 Tight Fit "Back To The 60s"
#90 Savoy Brown "Run To Me"
#91 Deniece Willians "Silly"
#94 Tarney/Spencer Band "No Time to Lose"
#95 Dolly Parton "The House Of The Rising Sun"
#97 Crusaders/Joe Cocker "I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today"
#98 Squeeze "Tempted"
13 good/okay. I heard He's a Liar by the Bee Gees for the first time yesterday, on this countdown. One of the worst songs I've ever heard. When they all bark out LIAR at about a minute in, with that low vibrato harmony, it's comical
13 good/okay. I heard He's a Liar by the Bee Gees for the first time yesterday, on this countdown. One of the worst songs I've ever heard. When they all bark out LIAR at about a minute in, with that low vibrato harmony, it's comical
If I recall right, this song peaked @ #30 and broke a streak of 6 straight #1 songs by The Bee Gees. That left them tied with the Beatles in that category. I remember hearing Casey do a 1981 countdown on XM with this song @ #30 and he was saying "would this be the song that breaks that record?". If he waited til the next week the question would have been answered as the song fell to #34.