EARLIER
Madonna "Like A Virgin"
Foreigner "I Want To Know"
REO Speedwagon "Can't Fight This"
USA For Africa "We Are The World"
Wham "Careless Whisper"
Madonna "Crazy For You"
Tears For Fears "Everybody Wants"
Bryan Adams "Heaven"
Duran Duran "A View To A Kill"
Phil Collins "Sussudio"
Huey Lewis "Power Of Love"
Paul Young "Every Time You Go Away"
Tears For Fears "Shout"
John Parr "Man In Motion"
Dire Straits "Money For Nothing"
Whitney Houston "Saving All My Love For You"
a-ha "Take On Me"
LATER
Jan Hammer "Miami Vice"
Starship "We Built This City"
Ready For The World "Oh Sheila"
Mr Mister "Broken Wings"
Phil Collins "Separate Lives"
Lionel Richie "Say You Say Me"
*** SPOILER ALERT *** Below is the actual countdown.
1981/10/03
* = future or current #1 song
** = former #1 song
red = debut
The bottom 60: debuts and/or future or former #1 songs: (--) 89. MAGIC POWER - TRIUMPH
(--) 86. FIRE IN THE SKY - THE DIRT BAND
(--) 85. LELLA - ZZ TOP
(--) 84. A LUCKY GUY - RICKIE LEE JONES
(--) 83. LET'S GROOVE - EARTH WIND & FIRE
(--) 82. I WANT YOU, I NEED YOU - CHRIS CHRISTIAN
(--) 71. PROMISES IN THE DARK - PAT BENATAR
(--) 66. PHYSICAL - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN *
This week's drops: (39) 53. STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART - THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
(38) 47. SOME DAYS ARE DIAMONDS (SOME DAYS ARE STONE) - JOHN DENVER
(37) 41. FIRE AND ICE - PAT BENATAR
The Top 40: (44) 40. BURNIN' FOR YOU - BLUE OYSTER CULT (36) 39. REALLY WANT TO KNOW YOU - GARY WRIGHT
(32) 38. THE BREAKUP SONG (THEY DON'T WRITE 'EM) - GREG KIHN BAND (54) 37. HERE I AM (JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS OVER YOU) - AIR SUPPLY
(42) 36. THE THEME FROM HILL STREET BLUES - MIKE POST FEATURING LARRY CARLTON (29) 35. COOL LOVE - PABLO CRUISE
(28) 34. DRAW OF THE CARDS - KIM CARNES
(34) 33. GENERAL HOSPI-TALE - THE AFTERNOON DELIGHTS
(25) 32. THEME FROM "GREATEST AMERICAN HERO" (BELIEVE IT OR NOT) - JOEY SCARBURY
(15) 31. JESSIE'S GIRL - RICK SPRINGFIELD **
(40) 30. SAY GOODBYE TO HOLLYWOOD - BILLY JOEL
(35) 29. SHE'S A BAD MAMA JAMA (SHE'S BUILT, SHE'S STACKED) - CARL CARLTON
(33) 28. JUST ONCE - QUINCY JONES FEATURING JAMES INGRAM
(12) 27. SLOW HAND - POINTER SISTERS
(31) 26. TRYING TO LIVE MY LIFE WITHOUT YOU - BOB SEGER
(30) 25. WHEN SHE WAS MY GIRL - THE FOUR TOPS
(27) 24. WE'RE IN THIS LOVE TOGETHER - AL JARREAU
(26) 23. I'VE DONE EVERYTHING FOR YOU - RICK SPRINGFIELD
(22) 22. BREAKING AWAY - BALANCE
(23) 21. SUPER FREAK - RICK JAMES
(20) 20. IN YOUR LETTER - REO SPEEDWAGON
(21) 19. I COULD NEVER MISS YOU (MORE THAN I DO) - LULU
(24) 18. HARD TO SAY - DAN FOGELBERG
(19) 17. SHARE YOUR LOVE WITH ME - KENNY ROGERS
( 9) 16. LADY (YOU BRING ME UP) - COMMODORES
(16) 15. THE VOICE - MOODY BLUES
(17) 14. THE NIGHT OWLS - LITTLE RIVER BAND
(18) 13. PRIVATE EYES - HALL & OATES *
(13) 12. THE BEACH BOYS MEDLEY - BEACH BOYS
(14) 11. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY - SHEENA EASTON
(11) 10. HOLD ON TIGHT - ELO
(10) 9. START ME UP - ROLLING STONES
( 4) 8. URGENT - FOREIGNER
( 8) 7. STEP BY STEP - EDDIE RABBITT
( 2) 6. QUEEN OF HEARTS - JUICE NEWTON
( 5) 5. (THERE'S) NO GETTING OVER ME - RONNIE MILSAP
( 6) 4. WHO'S CRYING NOW - JOURNEY
( 3) 3. STOP DRAGGIN' MY HEART AROUND - STEVIE NICKS & TOM PETTY
( 7) 2. ARTHUR'S THEME - CHRISTOPHER CROSS *
( 1) 1. ENDLESS LOVE - DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE *
Just found out the countdown is 1981. Haven't peaked at the posts above.
Whipped this together quickly....
EARLIER
John Lennon "Just Like Starting Over"
Dolly Parton "9 to 5"
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"
I dug up the information I uncovered on the #40 peaks (below). It looks like all three weeks have been played now.
Blue Oyster Cult "Burnin' for You". Appeared on the countdown on October 19, 2014. It held the #40 position for three weeks! The countdown was from the third week the song appeared at #40. The second week was played on Oct 9, 2021. I couldn’t find a listing for the first week. It’s the week ending October 3, 1981.
I dug up the information I uncovered on the #40 peaks (below). It looks like all three weeks have been played now.
Blue Oyster Cult "Burnin' for You". Appeared on the countdown on October 19, 2014. It held the #40 position for three weeks! The countdown was from the third week the song appeared at #40. The second week was played on Oct 9, 2021. I couldn’t find a listing for the first week. It’s the week ending October 3, 1981.
I didn't realize it was 3 weeks @ #40. I only knew it was 2 since I notice they had done the 1981/10/10 countdown before and it was also #40 then too. I assumed it dropped off on the 17th,
In the inconvenient VJ40 facts department, Marc Goodman was talking about the Rick Springfield remake "I'll Do Everything For You". He mentioned that the songwriter (forget who -- hard rocker) bought him some champaigne when Rick took his song all the way to #1. The song did not hit #1. So not sure what the hell Marc was talking about.
In the inconvenient VJ40 facts department, Marc Goodman was talking about the Rick Springfield remake "I'll Do Everything For You". He mentioned that the songwriter (forget who -- hard rocker) bought him some champaigne when Rick took his song all the way to #1. The song did not hit #1. So not sure what the hell Marc was talking about.
I didn't realize it was 3 weeks @ #40. I only knew it was 2 since I notice they had done the 1981/10/10 countdown before and it was also #40 then too. I assumed it dropped off on the 17th,
Makes sense. I only saw this occur two other times: Willie Nelson "Let It Be Me" and Night Ranger "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" were three week peakers too.
Makes sense. I only saw this occur two other times: Willie Nelson "Let It Be Me" and Night Ranger "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" were three week peakers too.
The fact that it has happened once is pretty amazing. That it has happened 3 times is mind blowing. If a song had leveled off at 40, would not most program directors figure its a dud and drop it from their playlists? The 3rd week is improbable.
The fact that it has happened once is pretty amazing. That it has happened 3 times is mind blowing. If a song had leveled off at 40, would not most program directors figure its a dud and drop it from their playlists? The 3rd week is improbable.
Among the songs which – surprisingly – got no higher than #40 are these:
All I Really Want To Do – Byrds (1965)
Bowling Green – Everly Brothers (1967)
The Son Of Hickory Holler's Tramp – O.C. Smith (1968)
Jennifer Eccles – Hollies (1968)
I'd Love To Change The World – Ten Years After (1971)
Tell Her She's Lovely – El Chicano (1973)
Still Crazy After All These Years – Paul Simon (1976)
Breakdown – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (1978)
Video Killed The Radio Star – Buggles (1979)
Burnin' For You – Blue Öyster Cult (1981)
Just Like Heaven – The Cure (1988)
Hallelujah – Panic! At The Disco (2015)
Here is a song that peaked at #40 in 1962. How The Alvin Twist by The Chipmunks managed to get that high is beyond me. What an annoying song!
