Monthly Archives: March 2014

1981, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – April 4, 1981: Songs 40-31

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Hi Everybody, Welcome back to the Top-40. This week, we’ll go back in time a little, and head over to the week ending April 5, 1981. It looks like this is going to be another great week for a countdown! I like several songs for each day of posts this week. As usual, we will start with songs 40-31.

When I first looked at the list of these 10 songs, I only knew 3 of them. However, there were 4 additional songs that I knew, but didn’t recognize by the titles. It is so great rediscovering songs! I hope you think so too. So, let’s jump into it, and Return to the week ending April 5, 1981.

 

 

40. “Who Do You Think You’re Foolin'” by Donna Summer

The streak remains alive. This is another #40 song that I never heard of. Even after hearing it, it did not sound familiar. This song is not bad, but not great either. It’s the basic ’80s Donna Summer pop song bordering on disco.

39. “The Party’s Over (Hopelessly In Love)” by Journey

I know this song very well. I didn’t know that it was a top-40 song though. So, it was a nice surprise seeing it here. “The Party’s Over (Hopelessly In Love)” was a studio track that was recorded, and placed at the end of Journey’s live album, Captured. It was a great concert from their Departure tour. This was the last Journey album for keyboard player and founder member, Gregg Rolie. He would be replaced by Jonathan Cain, and Journey would enter a new phase, beginning with their Escape album.

Captured is a must-buy for anybody who wants to hear some live Journey from the Infinity/Evolution/Departure years. And after the concert is over, you are treated with this awesome song, “The Party’s Over (Hopelessly In Love)”. A perfect way to end an album.

38. “I Love You” by The Climax Blues Band

This is one of the songs that I did not know from looking at the title and band. But, I remembered it as soon as I heard it. This is a typical easy listening early ’80s song. This song is OK. It’s not something I’m going to rush and buy. But, it’s not one of those songs that makes you want to change the radio dial right away when it comes on. There’s a little guitar solo in the middle of the song that reminds me of George Harrison’s guitar in “Something“.

37. “Turn Me Loose” by Loverboy

Oh yeah! Here’s another song I know and love! Loverboy was a great band in the ’80s, but disappeared when Grunge arrived in the ’90s. I still love their music, and this is one of the better songs.

36. “How ‘Bout Us” by Champaign

This is yet another song that I did not remember at all until I listened to it. I like this song. It’s another Easy Listening song recorded by the R&B group Champaign. This song was on the band’s debut album of the same name, the title track peaked at #12 on the Hot 100. It would be Champaign’s most successful song.

35. “You Better You Bet” by The Who

This is the last song that I already knew before listening to it today. It is one of my favorite Who songs. It would be The Who’s last single to reach the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
You may not know this, but “You Better You Bet” was the 4th video ever to be aired on MTV. It would also be the 54th video to be aired, making it the first video to be shown on MTV more than once.

34. “Hearts On Fire” by Randy Meisner

Here’s another song that I remembered as soon as I heard the chorus. And if Randy Meisner’s voice sounds familiar, it’s because he was one of the founding member of the Eagles. He was best known for the song “Take It to the Limit“, which he wrote and sang. In 1977, Meisner split with the Eagles due to exhaustion, and fighting with Glenn Frey. During the Hotel California tour, Meisner got painful stomach ulcers and the flu. This made it difficult for him to hit the high notes in “Take It To the Limit”, so he did not want to sing it. During one show Frey aggressively demanded that he sing it as an encore the two got into a physical confrontation backstage, and Meisner angrily departed. He left the bad at the end of the tour, and went home to Nebraska to spend time with his family. He would go on to a solo career, which would produce hits like this song, “Hearts On Fire”. I like this one a lot.

33. “It’s a Love Thing” by The Whispers

I did not remember this song. They almost sound like Kool & the Gang. Or maybe Kool & the Gang sound like them. After all, The Whispers were formed in 1964. Most of us may know The Whispers from their big hit “Rock Steady” in 1987. I actually like “It’s a Love Thing” more. It still has a little disco sound though. But, it is a good R&B song.

32. “Living Inside Myself” by Gino Vannelli

I didn’t recognize this song by the title. I thought Gino Vannelli’s name sounded familiar. But, I totally remember this one!! This is an ultimate Easy Listening song, and I really like it a lot. Talk about a guilty pleasure! It’s a definite early ’80s song. It sounds like it’s in the same vein as “Arthur’s Theme” or “It Might Be You“. This is probably my favorite surprise of the countdown so far.

31. “Sweetheart” by Frankie and the Knockouts

Here is the last song of the day. I did not remember this one at all. They kind of remind me of Hall & Oates. This song is OK. I had never heard of Frankie and the Knockouts. Apparently they wrote and released the original versions of Eric Carmen’s 1987 hit single “Hungry Eyes” as well as the song “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” (both of which were featured in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing).

Well that wraps up the first 10 songs of the countdown this week. It’s funny how the only songs I initially remembered were rock songs. But, there were some nice surprises. Were there any for you? The next 10 songs will be just as interesting.

Reagan Quotes, Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan – Assassination Attempt

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Yesterday was 33 years since the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, which was just 69 days into his first term as president. This article is a repost from a few years ago.

“Honey, I forgot to duck.”

The beginning of the Reagan Presidency was very eventful. First, the hostages were freed from Iran. Then Reagan survived an assassination attempt.

The assassination attempt occurred on Monday, March 30, 1981, just 69 days into the presidency. The country was still stinging from the murder of John Lennon. There must have been something in the water. There also an assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II on May 13,1981, less than two months after the attempt on Reagan.

We were all glued to our TV’s on March 30, as the whole incident was captured on film. President Reagan delivered a luncheon address to AFL-CIO representatives at the Washington Hilton Hotel. He entered the building around 1:45, waving to a crowd of news media and citizens. While the Secret Service had made Reagan wear a bulletproof vest for some events, he did not wear one for the speech as Reagan’s only public exposure would be the 30 feet between the hotel and his limousine. Shortly before 2:30, as Reagan was leaving the hotel, and heading toward his limo, John Hinckley Jr. emerged from the crowd and fired 6 times in 3 seconds before he was taken to the ground. All 6 shots missed the president directly. The first bullet hit White House Press Secretary James Brady in the head. The second hit District of Columbia police officer Thomas Delahanty in the back. The third overshot the president and hit the window of a building across the street. The fourth hit Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy in the abdomen as he spread his body over Reagan to make himself a target. The fifth hit the bullet-resistant glass of the window on the open side door of the limousine. The sixth and final bullet ricocheted off the armored side of the limousine and hit the president in his left underarm, grazing a rib and lodging in his lung, stopping nearly an inch from his heart.

There may have been flashbacks to the Kennedy assassination. When Hinckley was thrown to the ground, Agents and police officers stayed huddled on top of him to prevent someone from shooting him the same way that Lee Harvey Oswald, was shot and killed. I wonder how many sucker punches Hinckley took.

Moments after the shooting, Reagan was taken away by the Secret Service agents in the presidential limousine. At first, nobody realized the president had been hit. His ribs were in a lot of pain. He thought his rib cracked when agent Jerry Parr pushed him into the limousine. However, when the agent checked him for gunshot wounds, Reagan coughed up bright, frothy blood. Believing that the cracked rib had punctured the president’s lung, Parr ordered the motorcade to divert to nearby George Washington University Hospital.

When President Reagan was taken into the emergency room, his blood pressure was dangerously low. Then the gunshot wound was found. Although Reagan came close to death, the team’s quick action—and Parr’s decision to drive to the hospital instead of the White House—likely saved the president’s life, and within 30 minutes Reagan left the emergency room for surgery with a normal blood pressure. When his wife Nancy arrived in the emergency room, Reagan remarked to her, “Honey, I forgot to duck.” This was actually a line that boxer Jack Dempsey said to his wife the night he was beaten by Gene Tunney.

“Please tell me you’re all Republicans”

The chief of thoracic surgery, Dr. Benjamin L. Aaron, decided to operate because the bleeding persisted. Ultimately, Reagan lost over half of his blood volume in the emergency room and during surgery, which removed the bullet; the operating staff did not know the round was explosive or that it could have gone off at any time. In the operating room, Reagan joked, “Please tell me you’re all Republicans.” Giordano, leader of the trauma team, and a liberal Democrat, replied, “Today, Mr. President, we’re all Republicans.” The operation lasted about three hours. The surgery was a success, although there were complications by a fever. But it was treated with antibiotics.

Here is some NBC news coverage. It has an update on the status of the president and James Brady. One of the people who took video is also interviewed, and describes everything step-by-step:

To further prove what a bad-ass Reagan was, he was able to sign a piece of legislation the day after the operation. Reagan was the first serving U.S. President to survive being shot in an assassination attempt He left the hospital on the 13th day.

Thomas Delahanty and Timothy McCarthy recovered from their wounds, although Delahanty was forced to retire due to his injuries. The injury to Press Secretary, James Brady was much more severe. He sustained a serious head wound and became permanently disabled. Brady and his wife Sarah became leading advocates of gun control and other actions to reduce the amount of gun violence in the United States. They also became active in the lobbying organization Handgun Control, Inc. – which would eventually be renamed the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence – and founded the non-profit Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act was passed in 1993 as a result of their work.

Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity on June 21, 1982. His supposed motivation was his obsession with actress Jodie Foster. He saw the movie Taxi Driver at least 15 times, apparently identifying strongly with Travis Bickle, the lead character. This character protected Jodie Foster’s character – a 12 year old prostitute. Toward the end of the movie, Bickle attempts to assassinate a United States Senator who is running for president. The years following the movie Hinckley stalked Foster, going so far as to enroll in a writing course at Yale University in 1980 when he learned that she was a student there after reading an article in People magazine.

Back when Saturday Night Live was good, they did a spoof on the coverage of the event. Beloved Eddie Murphy character Buckwheat was shot. Here is a clip from the classic skit:

Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song – 3/31/14

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Can you name the artist and song:

We’re just talkin’ about the future
Forget about the past
It’ll always be with us
It’s never gonna die, never gonna die

Last Song: “There’s Only One Way to Rock” by Sammy Hagar from Standing Hampton (1981)

And this world can disagree
They don’t understand how it can be

 

 

 

Here is the studio version:

 

 

And here is an awesome live version from Van Halen’s Live Without a Net concert:

1985, Albums of the 80s, Movies, Music

Albums of the ’80s: Vision Quest Soundtrack

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One of the many great things about the ’80s was all of the awesome movie soundtracks. Vision Quest had a great one. My friend Doug McCoy from the podcast McCoyCast will be covering the movie in an upcoming episode of his “Never Seen It” series. You should check out his podcasts. There are a few series. There are the “Crazy Creepy Cool Movies” episodes. Doug does a great job reviewing movies that are crazy, creepy, cool, or all of the above. They are all movies from the late-70s throught the ’80s that he saw as a kid. They are movies that are usually a little out of the mainstream. For example, the last episode was the Ringo Starr movie Caveman.
“Never Seen It” is another great series. In these episodes, Doug and his wife, Heather, review movies mainly from the ’80s. The hook here is that one of them had never seen it, and the other has. The latest episode was Witness. They do an awesome job, and I love the podcasts.

As I said, Doug and Heather will be reviewing Vision Quest. They had done an episode on Days of Thunder, and I sent Doug a message letting him know that I loved the soundtrack to that movie. I was listing off the songs, and one of them was a really good song by John Waite called “Deal For Life“. I love that song, but I told him that I do like his song “Change” from Vision Quest better. Then I said, “Oh, that would be a good podcast if one of you guys haven’t seen it”. Apparently, one of them hasn’t seen it, so we’ll be getting a Vision Quest episode.

Okay, I think I’m done rambling for now. So let’s go Return to 1985, and listen to the Vision Quest soundtrack.

1. “Only the Young” by Journey

The album starts with the song that played during the opening credits of the movie. Journey is one of my all time favorite bands, so this was my favorite song from the soundtrack. There is an incredible history to this song that some of you may or may not know. “Only the Young” was originally recorded to be on the band’s Frontiers album in 1983. However, it was left off and replaced with “Back Talk” and “Troubled Child”. It all worked out. This song was released a single in 1985 for the Vision Quest soundtrack, and became a big hit.
Here is the interesting story about this song. The first person to ever hear the song (other than the band members) was sixteen-year-old Kenny Sykaluk of Rocky River, Ohio, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. His mother wrote a letter to the band telling them about her son’s terminal condition, and how big a fan he was of Journey. The band flew to his hospital bedside in Cleveland, Ohio at the request of the Make a Wish Foundation. Along with a Walkman containing the new track, the band also brought Kenny a football helmet signed by the San Francisco 49ers (Journey is based out of San Francisco) and an autographed Journey platinum record award. The experience of playing the song for Kenny left Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain deeply affected. Perry said, “As soon as I walked out of the hospital room I lost it. Nurses had to take me to a room by myself.” On the band’s episode of VH1’s Behind the Music, Cain broke down in tears recalling the event, remarking that “children should not have to live with that kind of pain”. Kenny died the next day, with the Walkman still in his hand. The song brought life into perspective for the band and left them humbled. Neal Schon said that Kenny’s death affected Journey by making them re-evaluate the issues that were causing friction inside the band itself. In honor of Kenny Sykaluk, the band used the song as their opener for the Raised on Radio Tour.

2. “Change” by John Waite

This is one of my favorite songs by John Waite. A few years ago, I went to a Journey concert, and John Waite was one of the opening acts. He played this song, and it still sounded great.

3. “Shout to the Top!” by The Style Council

This was never one of my favorite songs on the soundtrack. I like it a little more now. But, with so many other great songs on this soundtrack, I usually skipped this one.

4. “Gambler” by Madonna

At this point, Madonna had just become one of the biggest stars on the planet, coming off her Like a Virgin album. This is one of two songs she recorded for this soundtrack. We all know the other song she did, but this one is pretty good too.

5. “She’s On the Zoom” by Don Henley

This isn’t a bad song if you’re a Don Henley fan. It kind of feels like a ’50s Rock & Roll song.

6. “Hungry for Heaven” by Dio

I love Dio!! This is such a great song. I miss Ronnie James Dio. This song just flat-out rocks, and is perfect for this movie.

7. “Lunatic Fringe” by Red Rider

This is another rocker. I like Dio better though. The local rock station played this song to death. I think they actually still play it a lot. So I got sick of it. It is another song that does fit in well with this movie.

8. “I’ll Fall in Love Again” by Sammy Hagar

The Red Rocker rules!! I love this song too. This was also released on Sammy’s great Standing Hampton album, which came out several years before he joined Van Halen.

9. “Hot Blooded” by Foreigner

One of the most overplayed songs in rock history.

10. “Crazy For You” by Madonna

This was the movie’s love theme, and was the highest charting single from the album. There was a little controversy surrounding this song. What?!?! Controversy surrounding Madonna?!? Unheard of!! Well, Madonna was innocent in this. What happened was the soundtrack for Vision Quest was produced by Geffen Records. However, this came out in the middle of Madonna’s Like a Virgin album run. Like a Virgin was produced by Warner Bros. Records. Warner Bros. did not want “Crazy for You” to be released as a single because they felt that it would take attention away from Like a Virgin album. However, they were finally convinced to allow the single to be released. It all worked out, as both the song and her album were smashing successes.

I hope you enjoyed this soundtrack. And don’t forget to check out McCoyCast at http://mccoycast.wordpress.com/, or go to iTunes to download and/or subscribe to the podcast.

Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song – 3/28/14

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Uh oh, Guess what day it is.

Hair’s to Friday!!

Can you name the artist and song:

And this world can disagree
They don’t understand how it can be

Last Song: “Secret Lovers” by Atlantic Starr from As The Band Turns (1985)

Great job Kickin’ It Old School (@oldschool80s)!!

And everybody can vote in the 4th round of Kickin’ It Old School’s 1984 Movie Madness tournament! There are some to tough matchups leading to the Final Four!

How could something so wrong be so right?
I wish we didn’t have to keep our love out of sight, yeah

1987, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – March 28, 1987: Songs 10-1

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Wow, the weeks seem to be flying by! It’s time to wrap up another week of top-40 songs. If you missed the previous songs, you can check out songs 40-31, 30-21, and 20-11.

This is a pretty good Top-10. There is a variety of ballads, dance songs, and rockers. So, let’s Return to the week ending March 28, 1987, and listen to the Top-10 songs this week.

10. “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me” by Aretha Franklin & George Michael

I was never a George Michael fan or an Aretha Franklin fan. But, I like the two of them together on this song. This song would eventually top the charts for 2 weeks.

9. “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House

So far, this top 10 is looking good. I like this song a lot. “Don’t Dream It’s Over” was nominated for Best Group Video, and Best Direction at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards, and earned Crowded House a Best New Artist award.

8. “The Final Countdown” by Europe

The keyboard riff for this song made “The Final Countdown” one of the most instantly recognizable songs of the ’80s. I still like this song a lot. However, this is another one of those instances where the band is mainly known for one song even though they have so many other great ones. Hell, there are even better songs on The Final Countdown album itself such as “Rock the Night“, “Carrie“, and “Cherokee“. But, that doesn’t take anything away from this classic.

7. “Come Go With Me” by Exposé

Freestyle time! Often imitated, but never duplicated, Exposé burned the trail for freestyle girl groups. The Cover Girls, Sweet Sensation, and even Destiny’s Child owe a bit of thanks to Exposé.
“Come Go with Me” was the first single released from Exposé’s smash debut album, Exposure. It would eventually peak at #5, and remain in the Top 40 for 12 weeks.

6. “Somewhere Out There” by Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram

A great duet. I’ve still never seen An American Tail, for which this song was written. But, I feel like I have since this was on MTV all the time when it came out. I do still like this song though.

5. “Mandolin Rain” by Bruce Hornsby & The Range

The only good thing about this Bruce Hornsby song is that it isn’t “Mandolin Rain”. Oh, wait. Aaarrrrgh!!!!

4. “Tonight, Tonight, Tonight” by Genesis

Radio and MTV had a knack for playing Genesis and Phil Collins songs over and over so much until we all got sick of them, and then they still kept playing them. Invisible Touch is an incredible and classic album. Every song on it was great, including this one. But, radio and MTV ruined it, and I got sick of it.
Years removed, I can finally listen to this song again, and enjoy it. Only in small doses though.

3. “Let’s Wait Awhile” by Janet Jackson

“Let’s Wait Awhile” was the fifth single released from Janet Jackson’s classic album, Control. This is a nice ballad.

2. “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship

This smash hit is the second song in the top 10 to be featured on a movie soundtrack. It was the theme for the Andrew McCarthy/Kim Cattrall movie, Mannequin. “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” would be a #1 hit, which made Grace Slick the oldest female artist to have a number one single in the United States (only to be broken in 1999 by Cher for her song “Believe”).

1. “Lean On Me” by Club Nouveau

And the #1 song this week is Club Nouveau’s cover of the Bill Withers 1972 hit, “Lean On Me“. I don’t mind this song because I don’t hear it too often. This version won a Grammy award in 1987 for Bill Withers, as the writer, for Best R&B Song. A couple of years after this, Club Nouveau’s version was featured in the Morgan Freeman movie, Lean On Me.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s Top-40. We’ll be back next week for a new week of Top-40 music. I can’t seem to find my Delorean. As soon as I find it, I’ll figure out what coordinates to set for next week’s countdown. In the meantime, Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.

Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song – 3/27/14

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Can you name the artist and song:

How could something so wrong be so right?
I wish we didn’t have to keep our love out of sight, yeah

Last Song: “Tokyo Road” by Bon Jovi from 7800° Fahrenheit

Great job Frida (@carrjam94)!!

In a time, in a place
In a world, they forgot
Lives the heart of me
A part that just won’t die

1987, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – March 28, 1987: Songs 20-11

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Hey Gang, welcome back to the Countdown! Today we will countdown songs 20-11. If you missed the previous songs, you can check out songs 40-31 and songs 30-21. These may not be the top-10 songs, but this is my favorite stretch of songs we’ve covered so far. Let’s go to it, and Return to the week ending March 28, 1987, and check out songs 20-11.

20. “The Finer Things” by Steve Winwood

This is one of my favorite songs by Steve Winwood. I love the verses so much. The chorus is OK.
But, it just feels like there is a lot of passion when he sings the verse:

While there is time
Let’s go out and feel everything
If you hold me
I will let you into my dream

19. “Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi

Here’s a song you may or may not have heard of. Once upon a time, there was this little band from New Jersey called Bon Jovi. They had a couple of mild hits, so they may have flown under the radar.
I kid of course. “You Give Love a Bad Name” made Bon Jovi one of the best known bands of the ’80s, and “Livin’ On a Prayer” made it known that they were here to stay. Of course, I still love this song, but it did get to be a tad overplayed. I think Bon Jovi even got sick of it, as they recorded a different version of the song on the first greatest hits compilation, Cross Road, instead of including the original.

18. “Respect Yourself” by Bruce Willis

Surprisingly, I actually respect this Bruce Willis song. Willis was another actor who hopped on to the music airwaves along with Eddie Murphy and Don Johnson.
He did a really good job covering this classic 1971 soul song, originally performed by The Staples Singers. Of course it didn’t hurt that his version also featured June Pointer of the Pointer sisters.

The Staples Singers’ version peaked at #12 on the Hot 100, and Willis’ version shot all the way to #5. Yippie Ki-yay!!!

17. “That Ain’t Love” by REO Speedwagon

I really enjoyed REO Speedwagon – especially the Wheels Are Turnin’ album. I also love this rocker from their Life As We Know It album (which also featured another hit that I love – “In My Dreams“).
There aren’t too many songs I don’t like by REO. They have a huge catalog of hits, and this is among my favorites of the bunch.

16. “Big Time” by Peter Gabriel

The only good thing about this song is that it isn’t “Sledgehammer“.

15. “What You Get is What You See” by Tina Turner

I love Tina Turner, but a lot of her songs were overplayed in the ’80s. However, this wasn’t one of them. This was one of my favorite songs by Tina, but I did not see it on MTV or hear it on the radio too much when it came out. Then again, maybe that is the reason it is one of my favorites. I still like this one a lot.

14. “Sign O’The Times” by Prince

I don’t remember this song. And since Prince’s music is not on the internet, I still don’t remember it. However, since it’s just Prince and not Prince and the Revolution, I can pretty much guarantee that I don’t like it.

Since I can’t play Prince, we can catch this awesome Sheila E. drum solo. Love her!!

13. “Jacob’s Ladder” by Huey Lewis and The News

This is one of my favorite Huey Lewis and The News songs. This is the same situation as Tina Turner’s “What You Get is What You See”. All of Huey Lewis’ music was overplayed. But the one song I loved, did not get much airplay. One thing about the song I just learned in recent years is that this song was written by Bruce Hornsby. I don’t like Bruce Hornsby’s music at all, but maybe he writes better music for other people.

12. “Midnight Blue” by Lou Gramm

Here is another song that I love! This was Foreigner’s lead singer’s first solo hit. I still listen to this one.
I did get to see Lou Gramm perform with Foreigner when they opened for Journey on the big Journey comeback Arrival Tour. Apparently, Lou Gramm almost died a couple of years before that. He had a brain tumor, which was removed. He had a tough recovery, but he came back. He sounded great that night. They had an incredible set list too. It’s too bad that it was still light out when they were on, and nobody else got into it until they played “Hot Blooded” (one my least favorite, and most overplayed songs) at the end.
Lou Gramm is no longer with Foreigner, but at least we can still go back and listen to some old Foreigner music, and some of Lou Gramm’s very solid solo work.

11. “Let’s Go” by Wang Chung

What a way to close out the countdown today!! I had forgotten about this song. This is easily my favorite song by Wang Chung. Why is it that the only song I ever hear by them is “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” and to a lesser degree, “Dance Hall Days“? I had not heard this song since it first came out. Radio – You are fired!! I already downloaded this song, and listened to it a bunch of times. Now I’m in a good mood!

Alright, nothing’s gonna stop us now as we wrap up this final countdown of the week tomorrow. There is going to be a great variety of music in the Top-10. I know you’ll be waiting, so I’ll see you tomorrow!

Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song – 3/26/14

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Can you name the artist and song:

In a time, in a place
In a world, they forgot
Lives the heart of me
A part that just won’t die

Last song: “Healing Hands” by Elton John (who turned 67 yesterday) from Sleeping With the Past (1989)

But giving into the nighttime
Ain’t no cure for the pain
You gotta wade into the water
You gotta learn to live again

1987, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – March 28, 1987: Songs 30-21

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Welcome back to the Top-40 songs for the week ending March 28, 1987. Feel free to check out songs 40-31 if you missed them. As the countdown continues, I was surprised to discover that there were still quite a few songs I either never heard of, or totally forgot. Let’s just jump into it today, and Return to March 28, 1987:

30. “Come As You Are” by Peter Wolf

This is a song that I had forgotten about. A few years before this song came out, I discovered that the lead singer for the J. Geils Band was NOT J. Geils, when Peter Wolf launched his solo career and released the hit song “Lights Out“. I knew that I would remember “Come As You Are” when I heard it, and was correct. This song would reach all the way up to #15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

29. “Dominoes” by Robbie Nevil

This song did not ring a bell with me. I didn’t even remember Robbie Nevil. I was expecting him to be one of the Neville Brothers, but was way off. He is way poppier (is that even a word?). You instantly know that this is a song from the mid-late ’80s when you hear it. It sounds vaguely familiar now that I hear it. Nevil is probably better known for his hit song “C’est La Vie”. I like “Dominoes” better. It is definitely a product of its time, which is perfectly fine in my opinion.

28. “Brand New Lover” by Dead or Alive

I know two songs by Dead or Alive – this one and “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)”, and I like both of them a lot.

27. “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right to Party” by The Beastie Boys

I loved the Beastie Boys when they first came out. I loved the mash-up of rock and rap. According to an interview they had on NPR, This song was actually a parody of party and attitude songs, such as “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” and “I Wanna Rock“. But, the irony was lost on most listeners (including me).

Now, invite all your friends and have soda and pie. I hope that no bad people show up…NOT!!!

26. “Looking for a New Love” by Jody Watley

This was Jody Watley’s first hit. It reached all the way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1987, and was kept out of the top spot by Cutting Crew’s “(I Just) Died in Your Arms” and U2’s “With or Without You”. In 1988 the song was nominated for two Soul Train Music Awards for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video, and Best R&B/Soul Single, Female. She was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

This song’s not bad. It just feels like Janet Jackson Lite. This is a good song if you’re in the mood for ’80s dance music.

25. “Stone Love” by Kool & the Gang

Here is another song I had forgotten about, but knew that I would remember it once I heard it. I like Kool & the Gang a lot (although I could live without hearing “Celebration” and “Ladies Night” ever again). They did not have many hit songs after this one, but this one is really good.

24. “The Honeythief” by Hipsway

This song and band did not sound familiar at all to me. This is another song that you instantly know what time period this came from. Not bad. Not great.

23. “As We Lay” by Shirley Murdock

This is the second song in a row that I didn’t know. I never heard of Shirley Murdock. At a time when Bon Jovi and Def Leppard were at the top of their game, this song was not exactly in my wheelhouse. But I like this song a lot. It is a really good R&B ballad. Shirley Murdock started out singing gospel music in her native Toledo, Ohio, and you can hear it. She has a really good voice. I’ll have to check out more of her music.

22. “You Got It All” by The Jets

I liked The Jets a lot. This ballad was played a lot at our dances. This song was written by Rupert Holmes, most famous for the song, “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)“.

21. “Walking Down Your Street” by the Bangles

This is a really good, fun song by the Bangles. Plus, it got the DJ’s to play something other than “Walk Like an Egyptian“! This was the 4th and final single released from their smash hit album, Different Light.

I hope you enjoyed today’s songs. We’ll be back with songs 20-11. There will be more great tunes on the way.