November 3, 1979

Well, this is probably the one I've been waiting for since I started this. We're right at the end of the decade. I was three months shy of 9. In the world around me, I was about to hear the word "Ayatollah" a lot (in fact, the American embassy was taken hostage the day after this countdown originally aired). Musically, disco was still stong but on the downside of its run. New wave was starting to make inroads. And the old-school showbiz element that one could usually find some trace of on Top 40 radio was pretty much gone (perhaps it died with Elvis). Anyway, this is the scene we're about to enter into:

32 - "Please Don't Leave," Lauren Wood

31 - "Take the Long Way Home," Supertramp

30 - "So Good, So Right," Brenda Russell

29 - "Rainbow Connection," Kermit the Frog

28 - "Heaven Must Have Sent You," Bonnie Pointer

27 - "You're Only Lonely," J.D. Souther

26 - "My Sharona," The Knack

25 - "If You Remember Me," Chris Thompson

First of all, let me state that I didn't know this was just going to be a Top 32 until the show started. Apparently, sometime in late 1978, the show was expanded to four hours, to make room for full versions of more songs, as well as what would become one of the most popular and best-remembered segments of the show, the "Long Distance Dedication," where Casey would read a listener's letter and dedicate a requested song to someone. I'm not sure if we'll get one of those on this edited countdown, but we can only hope.

One consistent thing about the decade was the amount of bland pop that made the charts. This abbreviated list kicks off with one-hit wonder Lauren Wood with a chunk of disco-lite featuring the man who's blanded up everything from the Doobie Brothers to Motown classics, Michael McDonald. I did remember Brenda Russell's inconsequential-but-pleasant "So Good, So Right," but I'm sure the most money she made from her music came from writing what became the theme for families awaiting the return of their loved ones from Operation Desert Storm, "Get Here." And Chris Thompson had sung lead for Manfred Mann's Earth Band (most famous for their hit cover of Springsteen's "Blinded by the Light,") before having a solo hit with his song here, which was the theme to the remake of the 30s movie The Champ. You know, the movie that introduced the world to Ricky Schroeder.

I'm grouping Supertramp and J.D. Souther together because I want to. The former is here with one of the hits from their American breakthrough Breakfast in America. Meh, I still much prefer "The Logical Song," Meanwhile, Mr. Souther co-wrote some hits for the Eagles before breaking through with his only solo hit. Listening to it, it's no surprise to learn that Roy Orbison was a major influence on him.

Two songs here are by artists who were somewhat upstaged by their siblings. Bonnie Pointer was in a group with sisters Ruth, June and Anita when they had their first few hits, but then she went out on her own. This disco number was solid enough, but she didn't follow it up with more, while her siblings went on to have a strong run of smashes up until the mid-80s. As for The Knack's Doug Fieger, it's hard to imagine having to live in anyone's shadow when your first hit goes to #1 for six weeks and some are proclaiming you "the new Beatles," but the band's fame didn't last, and his brother Geoffrey, the lawyer in the family, gained notoriety for representing "Dr. Death" Jack Kevorkian and suing The Jenny Jones Show. As for "My Sharona," it's still as unmercifully catchy as ever, even with the creepy lyrics about the mystery running down the length of his thigh and always getting it up for "the touch of the younger kind." Oh yeah, and Sharona went on to be a successful Hollywood real estate agent. Look it up.

And then there's "The Rainbow Connection." Well, a Muppet scored a hit in the first year of the decade, so of course it happened again in the last. And both won Uneasy Rider Awards. This, of course, was from The Muppet Movie, which I'm pretty sure I saw at the movie theatres at the Seaway Mall in Welland (it's the location I'm unsure about it, not the seeing it at the movies part). I know I loved it then, and I know they haven't topped it. The new muppet movie they're working on nowsounds promising, but I'm still probably going to always like the original best.

24 - "Gotta Serve Somebody," Bob Dylan

23 - "Sad Eyes," Robert John
22 - "This Night Won't Last Forever," Michael Johnson

21 - "Broken Hearted Me," Anne Murray

20 - "I Know a Heartache When I See One," Jennifer Warnes

19 - "Sail On," The Commodores

18 - "Hold On," Ian Gomm

17 - "Come to Me," France Joli



This section opens up with what is to date...oh, who am I kidding, what is Bob Dylan's last Top 40 hit; the slow, bluesy laundry list of different types of people who are going to have to serve either the Devil or the Lord. This song and the rest of the Slow Train Coming announced to the world that Robert Zimmerman had converted to Christianity. Artistically and commercially, it didn't help his career. The 80s did not treat Bobby well.



Three acts that weren't quite one-hit wonders but probably had less than ten hits between them are in this group. Robert John had been searching for a number one record since the age of 12. He finally cracked the Top 40 with a cover of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in 1972, but there were no more hits until this retro-sounding ballad, which finally topped the chart. Good for him, I suppose. Michael Johnson had three country-pop hits in the late 70s, the biggest of which was "Bluer than Blue." I remember that one, but the one here is also familiar to me. I also remember "I Know a Heartache When I See One." That and "Right Time of the Night" are the only Jennifer Warnes solo singles I know not written by Leonard Cohen. But of course, she is best remembered for two monster hit duets from 80's movies: "Up Where We Belong" with Joe Cocker (from An Officer and a Gentleman), and "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" with Bill Medley (from Dirty Dancing).



Two more prolific hitmakers make the scene. Anne Murray opened the decade singing about lost love with "Snowbird," and damnit, that's how she was going to finish it. And The Commodores confused me. For some reason, in my head, I thought "Sail On" came before "Easy" and "Three Times a Lady." I guess age does that to you.



We end with 18 and 17 by two genuine one-hit wonders. Ian Gomm co-wrote "Cruel to be Kind," with his Stiff Records labelmate Nick Lowe. Lowe went to #12 with it. Gomm was slightly less successful with his own similarly punchy, poppy hit. And France Joli could be seen as sort of a precursor to Celine Dion, as this Quebecoise broke through with this disco floor-filler when she was just 16. However, neither further hits nor a creepy marriage to her manager followed for young France.



16 - "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'," Journey

15 - "Ships," Barry Manilow

14 - "Good Girls Don't," The Knack

13 - "I'll Never Love This Way Again," Dionne Warwick

12 - "Dirty White Boy," Foreigner

11 - "Please Don't Go," KC and the Sunshine Band



Okay, I feel like doing this all in one shot tonight.



We start out with those arena rock monsters Journey. "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" was likely the first Journey song I ever heard, and it's still probably my favorite. Although I also appreciate the way Larry Burns was able to spontaneously start a party in downtown Springfield with "Any Way You Want It."

Next is Barry Manilow again. This is his spin on the "ships passing in the night" cliche. Nothing special.

The Knack are back with a slightly more innuendoriffic take on British Invasion-era pop-rock. Lightweight, forgettable, and a clear sign that the band wasn't built to last.

The song at 13 is the first thing I ever heard from Dionne Warwick. It's MOR mush, but the voice elevates it. And at least I had so much more from her past to discover.

Foreigner show up with one of their harder-rockin' pop hits. Lou Gramm doesn't quite pull off the tough-guy persona he tries on here, but I still think he's an underrated singer.

Finally, KC and the Sunshine band appear with what would be their final #1. Unlike the rest of their hits, "Please Don't Go" is a goopy ballad. It would take over a decade and a British group called KWS to add dance beats to it.

It's the tippity-top, the Top Ten.

10 - "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)," Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer
One of the great diva duels of all time. La Streisand and the Disco Queen, trying to outbelt each other while simultaneously declaring their freedom from no good men. Who won? We all did!

9 - "You Decorated My Life," Kenny Rogers
Kenny started the decade with the sorta rock First Edition, and ended it with a sappy ballad that was that week's #1 country song. For the record, I also saw his movie Six Pack in a movie theatre.

8 - "Tusk," Fleetwood Mac
This was the world's first taste of the band's follow-up to the gajillion-selling Rumours. It was probably jarring to those expecting another "Dreams" or "Don't Stop," to hear this drum-heavy track fronted by a mumbly lead vocal. And then...the University of Southern California marching band shows up. It was not the most commercial move, and probably (along with the high price of the double-album and people being able to tape a syndicated, top-to-bottom broadcast premiere of the album prior to its release) led to Tusk selling only four million copies. Whatever. This song's awesome.

7 - "Babe," Styx
This ballad was the band's biggest hit. Disappointingly, it lacks the weirdness of "Come Sail Away" or "Mr. Roboto." In a classic Casey non sequitir, he said Styx were to Chicago what Bob Seger is to Detroit. If you say so, Casey.

6 - "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," Michael Jackson
One of the holy trinity of absolutely unfuckwithable MJ solo hits, with "Ben" and "Billie Jean." Just a monster of a song. This may have actually killed disco, because this was the last word on how to do the genre right. Unbeatable. I'm dancing just thinking about it.

5 - "Still," The Commodores
Lionel Richie and the boys are back with their second and final Number One, a sweet ballad that I don't like as much as some of their others for some reason. Don't ask me why.

4 - "Rise," Herb Alpert
Trumpeter, leader of the Tijuana Brass, and the "A" in A&M Records, Herb scored a #1 hit with this disco instrumental. The song contributed to two future pop culture phenomena: the General Hospital "Luke and Laura" storyline (the song is playing in the disco in which Luke rapes Laura. Yeah, this great romance started with a rape. Gotta love soap operas) and the Notorious B.I.G.'s hip hop classic "Hypnotize" (the song is built on a sample from "Rise").

3 - "Dim All the Lights," Donna Summer
Despite its lofty chart position, this is one Summer song I didn't really know. It follows the pattern of some of her other hits (including "Last Dance," and, yes, "No More Tears") in that it starts slow and then the beats kick in. But there's nothing here that makes me want to hear it again.

2 - "Heartache Tonight," The Eagles
The band was on its way to a breakup (for 14 years, at least) when they put out this sturdy rocker. I always liked the Eagles, but not to the point where I would ever purchase or even download for free one of their songs. They exist, I appreciate that, but that's it.

And 31 years ago, as a decade waned, the top song in America was...

1 - "Pop Muzik," M
Ah, here's you're New Wave, in the form of Brit Robin Scott's jaunty, synth-driven ode to the majesty and universality of pop. He even includes a line about "listen(ing) to the countdown," which I appreciated a bit more hearing in this context. Fun, fluffy stuff, and certainly a harbinger of things to come. For music in general, not M.

The two NotCasey extras this week were songs from the hour we missed. #40 was Dr. Hook's "Better Love Next Time," and #34 was "Lonesome Loser" by the Little River Band. Also, as part of the show at the time, Casey was going through all of the Number Ones of the 70s in chronological order. This week he was up to two from January of '76: Diana Ross' "Theme from Mahogany," and the Ohio Players' "Love Rollercoaster. And yes, there was indeed a Long Distance Dedication. A 22-year-old woman asked Casey to play Mary Wells' "My Guy," and dedicate it to her third husband. No, I did not write that down wrong.

Well that was fun. And I heard the whole show...sort of. But it'll be nice to hear a full 40 next week, regardless of the year.