February 23, 1980 Part Two

Before we return to 1980, let's have a very quick look back at February 22, 1975. The Average White Band's "Pick Up the Pieces," was at #1, and below it, there are only three songs I haven't covered here yet. At #34 were the Jackson 5 with their final Top 40 for Motown, "I am Love." At #37 was the Manhattans' first pop hit, "Don't Take Your Love from Me." And the other one, which I've decided to spotlight, was...

39 - "Sally G," Paul McCartney and Wings
Originally the flip side of "Junior's Farm,", this song went on to chart on it's own, not just on Billboard's pop chart, but on the country chart as well. And no wonder. It's an authentic-sounding slice of C&W, with steel guitars and fiddles and everything, about a heartbreaking, guitar-strumming Nashville hottie. We never learn what the "G." stands for, but as Paul sings, "I know for sure it wasn't 'good.'" But the song definitely is, and I remember hearing it back in the day much more often than "Junior's Farm."

Okay, now back to 1980.

20 - "How Do I Make You," Linda Ronstadt
19 - "Too Hot," Kool and the Gang
18 - "September Morn," Neil Diamond
17 - "The Second Time Around," Shalamar
16 - "This Is It," Kenny Loggins

The second half kicks off with Linda Ronstadt's first 80s hit. And surprise, it's not a cover. It's an urgent cry of lust, with almost a punk flavor. I like it.

Kool and the Gang follow with the second Top Five of their career, a smooth bit of lite-funk about high school sweethearts who got married but now find their romance dying. Meh, better than "Cherish."

Next is Neil Diamond with a big ballad about a reunion with an old lover. A little loungey, even for Neil, but I don't mind.

Then it's Shalamar with their biggest hit. The group had an entirely different lineup than on their Top 40 debut, 1975's "Uptown Festival." This one included future solo star Jody Watley. Anyway, it's a straight-up disco track about how love isn't always the best the first time. Decent stuff, but nothing mind-blowing.

This section closes with Kenny Loggins trying to convince someone that he is "the One." "For once in your life, here's your miracle," he sings on a synth-drenched bit of MOR featuring backup vocals from Michael McDonald. But unlike the Nicolette Larson track, Mikey Mac's presence enhances instead of overwhelms. This might be my favorite non-soundtrack Kenny Loggins song.

15 - "Another Brick in the Wall Part II," Pink Floyd
14 - "An American Dream," The Dirt Band
13 - "Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me Girl," The Spinners
12 - "Daydream Believer," Anne Murray
11 - "Romeo's Tune," Steve Forbert

This quintet is led off by Pink Floyd's biggest single by far: the iconic, disco-flavored rallying cry against educators who practice "thought control" and "dark sarcasm. The song is probably best remembered for the children's choir who sing the second verse, and of course, on the album, it's followed by the angry teacher shouting, "If ya don't eat yer meat, ya can't have any pudding!" One of the anchor tracks of what became "classic rock" radio.

Next are The Dirt Band with a song about a Southern boy who dreams of vacationing in Jamaica, even though he can't afford it. This kind of longing for the relaxed pace of island living is what current country star Kenny Chesney has built his career on. I haven't heard much of him, but I'm willing to bet that I like this song better than I would any of his.

Then it's The Spinners with a disco cover of a 1966 Four Seasons hit, paired in a medley with another song called "Forgive Me Girl." You all know I love The Spinners 70s hits, but this doesn't quite do it for me.

Anne Murray picked up her last U.S, pop Top Twenty with this faithful cover of a 1967 Monkees Number One about getting your happiness through imagination. Or something. Again, this is a case where I heard the cover first. But Davy J. > Annie M.

This group is rounded out by Mississippian Steve Forbert, who some critics gave the always-cumbersome mantle of "The New Dylan" in the wake of this catchy bit of folk-pop that borrows the name of one of Shakespeare's most famous characters. It's a song about a desperate need for love, and on the album it came from, he dedicated it to Florence Ballard, who was fired from The Supremes in 1967 and died of a heart attack nine years later. Forbert would continue to record in the three decades following this hit, but he never came close to this level of success again.

The Top Ten approacheth.

10 - "Sara," Fleetwood Mac
The Mac's second single from Tusk was apparently written by Stevie Nicks about Sara Recor, a friend of hers who fell in love with and married Mick Fleetwood shortly after Stevie had her own affair with him. But apparently, Stevie felt no bitterness toward Sara, and the song reflects that with lines like "Sara, you're the poet in my heart, never change." Ah, romance and Fleetwood Mac, always a complicated combo.

9 - "Coward of the County," Kenny Rogers
Kenny had his highest-charting hit to this point with this folky story-song about a boy who grows up being called "Yellow" by others in his hometown because he avoids physical confrontation. What they don't know is that the boy, Tommy, made a promise to his late, imprisoned father to avoid violence so he wouldn't end up like the older man. So Tommy grows up and marries a girl named Becky, and all is well until three local ne'er-do-well brothers break into his house while he's away and "take turns" with Becky. Tommy comes home and learns of the attack, then, conflicted, looks at his father's picture as if to ask him what to do. He then goes to the bar where the rapists are known to hang out, where one of them meets him in the middle of the room. Tommy turns away, and the brothers assume that "Yellow" is just going to walk away like he always does. But instead, he locks the door, and with "twenty years of crawlin'...bottled up inside him," he beats the living shit out of all three of them, then turns away and mutters an apology to his father, saying "Sometimes you have to fight when you're a man." Heavy stuff for the pop charts. Needless to say, I didn't really understand all this at the time, and I'm glad I didn't.

8 - "Desire," Andy Gibb
The Bee Gees' little bro had his last Top Ten with this song that The Bee Gees originally recorded, but later let Andy have it, and just subbed in Andy's lead vocal for Barry's. It's all right, but a little below Bee Gee level, with awkward lyrics like "You are the woman that I base my whole existence on." But it's definitely not Andy's worst hit.

7 - "On the Radio," Donna Summer
The last major hit of Donna's reign as the Disco Queen was this song about having a letter to the person you want to get back together with unintentionally fall into the hands of a DJ, who for some reason decides to read it on air. And even more preposterously, this actually results in the two lovers reuniting. Kind of like the Long Distance Dedications, but weirder. Good song though.

6 - "Longer," Dan Fogelberg
The MOR star's biggest hit is this goopfest about the length, depth and breadth of Danny's love. Just way too sugary for me.

5 - "Rock With You," Michael Jackson
MJ's third solo #1 was this piece of stone cold disco perfection. He's probably the most convincing in loverman mode that he ever would be, and Quincy Jones gets all the flourishes just right. I feel that beat, and I can ride the boogie.

4 - "Cruisin'," Smokey Robinson
Smokey's first solo Top Ten was this airy ballad in which he asks his lady to "let the music take your mind." "Being With You" would be a bigger hit for him in a year or so, but this is much better.

3 - "Yes, I'm Ready," Teri DeSario with K.C.
Miami singer DesSario wasn't quite cracking the Top 40 on her own, so she called up her old high school classmate Harry Casey, and they did a duet on a cover of a 1965 Barbara Mason hit. The result was this meh ballad. I've never heard Mason's version, but I'm sure it's way better. It has to be. After this, DeSario returned to obscurity, and I can't say that's any kind of injustice.

2 - "Do That to Me One More Time," The Captain and Tennille
Daryl and Toni went to #1 with their first Top 40 hit, and fittingly, they did the same with their last, this sultry Tennille-written bedroom ballad. And this week, it did double duty as a Long Distance dedication from a woman to her husband, whom she misses while she and her kids wait for him to finish his job and join them in their new hometown. Anyway, very good song, except for the fact that the solo sounds like it was played on a recorder. Recorders aren't sexy. At all.

And topping the charts during the eighth weekend of the 80s was...

1 - "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," Queen
Queen's first American #1 was this jaunty rockabilly number that Freddie Mercury wrote as a tribute to Elvis. It works both as an homage and on its own. The world was indeed ready, Freddie.

This week's NotCaseys were "Pilot of the Airwaves" by Charlie Dore, "Fire Lake" by Bob Seger, "And the Beat Goes On" by The Whispers, and "Sexy Eyes" by Dr. Hook. Casey opened the show with the Top 3 from last week (counting down, "Coward of the County," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," and "Do That to Me One More Time.") He also played three #1s from 1977: "Got to Give it Up (Part 1)" by Marvin Gaye, "Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky" by Bill Conti, and "Undercover Angel" by Alan O'Day. He also played The Beatles' "Hey Jude" after telling the story of how Paul McCartney wrote it while trying to cheer up John Lennon's son Julian in the midst of his parents' breakup. And there was one other LDD: A girl dedicated Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" to the people in her small hometown, who got together and helped pay for an expensive operation on her legs after she injured them in a car accident.

And there it is. And it shall be again, next week.

February 23, 1980 Part One

This week, we go all the way back to the second month of the decade. The day before this chart first aired, in Lake Placid, New York, the U.S. Olympic hockey team performed the "Miracle on Ice," beating the heavily favored Soviet team 4-3 on the way to a stunning gold medal win that helped raise the spirits of a nation reeling from the hostage-taking in Iran and the U.S.S.R.'s invasion of Afghanistan. And in between news updates on these events, these were the songs America's Top Forty radio stations were playing:

40 - "I Can't Help Myself," Bonnie Pointer
39 - "Kiss Me in the Rain," Barbra Streisand
38 - "Three Times in Love," Tommy James
37 - "Off the Wall," Michael Jackson
36 - "I Wanna be Your Lover," Prince
35 - "Let Me Go, Love," Nicolette Larson
34 - "Deja Vu," Dionne Warwick
33 - "Don't Let Go," Isaac Hayes
32 - "Special Lady," Ray, Goodman and Brown
31 - "Give it All You Got," Chuck Mangione

We begin with solo women. Bonnie Pointer had her second and last solo hit with a disco cover of the Four Tops' 1965 chart-topper. The world was not crying out for this, but she doesn't embarrass herself. Barbra Streisand followed up her Donna Summer duet "No More Tears" with this ballad about wanting to be smooched while water falls from the sky, because it will "make me feel like a child again." Pretty much what you'd expect from her. Half-decent. Former Neil Young backup singer Nicolette Larson had her second and last pop hit with this MOR portrait of an ending relationship. Michael McDonald sings the whole song along with her, and frankly, his voice is the dominant one. And that doesn't work for me. I'd rather have heard more Nicolette. And Dionne Warwick continued her comeback with this smooth, Barry Manilow-produced ballad about just meeting someone, yet feeling like you've known that person for a long time. I think I like it even better than "I'll Never Love This Way Again."

Then it's the male solo singers. The former frontman for the Shondells had his first hit in nine years with this country-pop number that espouses the belief that the third person you fall in love with is the one you're meant to be with. I don't know what data he has to back that up, but who am I to argue with the man who wrote "Mony Mony?" Michael Jackson is here with the title track to the album that established him as a true solo superstar. It's a nice little dance-groover about putting stress aside and letting yourself go. It's not quite up to that album's first two singles, but those two set a pretty damn high standard, so this is still very good. Prince Rogers Nelson had his very first pop hit with stylish bit of sophistofunk. It's a good preview of things to come, and even sports an early glimpse of his penchant for double-entendre in lines like "I wanna be the only one you come for." And the late Isaac Hayes had his last pop hit with this lust-drenched funk treat. "I wouldn't stop for a million bucks," he growls. Sexxxxay.

The last two songs in this section are a group number and an instrumental. Ray, Goodman and Brown, the artists formerly known as The Moments, had their only pop hit under their new name with this Top 5 smash with this silky soul ballad that sounds like it could have been released ten years earlier as the direct follow-up to The Moments' hit "Love on a Two-Way Street." Listening to this indeed makes me feel like I'm "sittin' on top of the world." And flugelhorn star Chuck Mangione had his second and final pop hit with this tune that he wrote to be the theme for the Lake Placid Winter Olympics. I can't say that this song in anyway makes me think of skiing, bobsledding, hockey, or any other sport, but it has a light, jazzy appeal.

30 - "99," Toto
29 - "Heartbreaker," Pat Benatar
28 - "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)," Rupert Holmes
27 - "The Long Run," The Eagles
26 - "Don't Do Me Like That," Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
25 - "Wonderland," The Commodores
24 - "Him," Rupert Holmes
23 - "Refugee," Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
22 - "When I Wanted You," Barry Manilow
21 - "Fool in the Rain," Led Zeppelin

I'll kick off this bunch with four bands. Toto had their second Top 40 single with this song about being in love with a woman with a number for a name. Naturally, I assumed this was inspired by Barbara Feldon's Agent 99 from Get Smart, but apparently it was inspired by George Lucas' first feature film, the dystopian tale THX 1138. Too bad. The Eagles are here with the title track of the final studio album of their original run. It's an okay midtempo rocker about the potential persistence of love, but frankly, I'm more intrigued by this single's B-side, "The Disco Strangler." I'll have to dig around and hear that one sometime. The Commodores are here with a seduction jam in which Lionel Richie promises to pleasure someone if they allow him to "take control of your beautiful mind." Hmm, I'll have to think about it, Lionel. And Led Zeppelin had their last Top 40 hit with this piano-driven tune about falling in love intensely only to have one's heart broken. Very good song, and I love that samba breakdown. Unfortunately, drummer John Bonham died seven months later, and that was the end of the band.

Then I'll cover two solo artists: one beginning a run of hits, the other near the end of one. Pat Benatar scored her first hit with this hard-rockin' ode to a man who's "the right kind of sinner to release my inner fantasy." But despite this, Pat tells him "don't you mess around with me." Make up your mind, lady! Seriously though, this is great. And Barry Manilow is here with a track very typical of his oeuvre, a ballad in which he declares that he's not nearly as over his ex as he makes himself out to be. Not one of his better moments.

We end this section with a first. We've had artists with two songs in the same group of ten, but never two double-dippers...until now. First, there's Rupert Holmes, who'd previously achieved his greatest notoriety as the writer of The Buoys' infamous 1971 cannibalism hit "Timothy." Nearly a decade later, he had his first hit as an artist with "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)," a slick pop song about a man who, out of boredom with his relationship, responds to a personal ad in the newspaper from a woman who likes tropical drinks and "getting caught in the rain." So the man answers the ad and meets the woman, and...surprise, it's his equally-bored partner. What a twist! Anyway, this song went to #1, and now, it also picks up an Uneasy Rider. He's also here with his second hit, a song that covers similar territory as Biz Markie did at the end of the decade with "Just a Friend." Only in this one, we don't know for sure if the woman is really cheating with her male confidante. And I could do without that caterwauling in the middle. I'll take the Biz over this every time. And Gainesville, Florida's Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers also show up twice in this section. First, we find them on the way down with their first Top Ten "Don't Do Me Like That." It's a poppy rocker in which Petty asks his girlfriend not to break his heart like his buddy's lover did. Solid. Three spots later, there they are again, this time with an edgier, more urgent number in which Tom tells a woman that she doesn't need to wander around like a displaced person when she could be with him. An interesting approach to romance, to say the least. And a genunie classic.

Tomorrow: the school system is questioned, a shout-out to a Shakespeare character, and the story of a peaceful man who gets pushed too far.

February 17, 1973

As promised, I'm devoting a whole post to this week's 1973 show. You know the drill with this. I start with 40-11, highlighting the songs I haven't covered yet in bold.

40 - "Neither One of Us," Gladys Knight and the Pips
39 - "Superfly," Curtis Mayfield
38 - "Hummingbird," Seals and Crofts
37 - "Jesus is Just Alright," The Doobie Brothers
36 - "Aubrey," Bread
35 - "Danny's Song," Anne Murray
34 - "Big City Miss Ruth Ann," Gallery
33 - "Harry Hippie," Bobby Womack and Peace
32 - "Living Together, Growing Together," The Fifth Dimension
31 - "Me and Mrs. Jones," Billy Paul
30 - "I Got Ants in My Pants," James Brown
29 - "Peaceful Easy Feeling," The Eagles
28 - "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock n' Roll Band)," The Moody Blues
27 - "Reelin' and Rockin'," Chuck Berry
26 - "You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio," Joni Mitchell
25 - "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)," Deodato
24 - "Hi Hi Hi," Wings
23 - "Dreidel," Don McLean
22 - "Do You Want to Dance," Bette Midler
21 - "Your Mama Don't Dance," Loggins and Messina
20 - "Love Jones," Brighter Side of Darkness
19 - "The Cover of the Rolling Stone," Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show
18 - "Jambalaya," The Blue Ridge Rangers
17 - "Trouble Man," Marvin Gaye
16 - "Daddy's Home," Jermaine Jackson
15 - "Love Train," The O'Jays
14 - "Dancing in the Moonlight," King Harvest
13 - "Last Song," Edward Bear
12 - "Superstition," Stevie Wonder
11 - "The World is a Ghetto," War

Fourteen newcomers in the bottom 30. Okay, let's divide 'em up.

I put half of the new meat in the MOR category, so I'll start by looking at the easy-listening groups. The sap machine known as Seals and Crofts had its second hit with this hunk of nothing about "spirit voices" and other new agey crap. I hadn't heard this one before, and it did nothing to win me over. Bread had their last hit before their first breakup with this ballad about falling in love with a girl one doesn't even get to know, but whose apparent awesomeness spoils one for all other lovers. Wow, bet that would suck. But the song is actually one of their better ones. Detroit's Gallery, of "Nice to Be With You" fame, had their third and final hit with this this countryish tune about a rural girl who goes to the big city and appears to be happier there. But is she? And what exactly does the chorus line "Did you say that anybody can/Be exactly what you want a man" mean? I'm more intrigued by that than anything I'd ever thought I'd hear in a Gallery song. The Fifth Dimension had their last hit with this Bacharach/David composition about coexisting in harmony that was written for the flop musical film adaptation of the 1933 novel Lost Horizon, which coined the term for an idyllic paradise "Shangri-La." And listening to this song is as far from Shangri-La as it gets. Just awful. And Toronto's Edward Bear had their biggest U.S. success with this maudlin march about a guy who's finally given up on his lover coming back to him. But not before he writes her one more damn song. Unfortunately, it's this one. And his voice is annoying. No wonder she never came back.

I'll cover the other genres until I get to the rest of the soft stuff. Leading off the rock are The Doobie Brothers, who had their second hit with a cover of a gospel song originally performed by The Art Reynolds Singers. It basically repeats the message "Christ is cool." over and over above a blues-rock groove. It is indeed all right. And it was playing on Reverend Timothy Lovejoy's car radio when he first arrived at the First Church of Springfield. The Eagles cracked the Top 40 for a third time with a song about feeling secure with a woman, in spite of a nagging fear that she'll leave him. I think that's it. Anyway, it's early Eagles, all mellow and jangly. The Moody Blues are here with an energetic number about how being a rock star doesn't mean you can solve the world's problems better than most people, and is probably a more exalted position in society than it should be. True, and a good song to boot. And Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show scored their second Shel Silverstein-penned hit with this immortal tale of a band trying everything they know to get on the front page of the popular music periodical, from taking lots of drugs to hanging out with a "genuine Indian guru." Classic silly fun, and this chart's Uneasy Rider. And yes, the band did get on the cover of the magazine, but only in caricature, not a photograph. Still counts, though.

There are three very different versions of "funk" among the noobs. James Brown is here, and his trousers apparently contain insects. And because of this, he needs to dance. And who would stop him? In fact, anyone with any sense would go ahead and join him. Brazil's Eumir Deodato scored his biggest pop hit with this jazzy version of the Richard Strauss composition that gained greater popularity when it was uses in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, I'm sure it was pretty cool for its time, and it does retain some charm, as well as its significance as being one of the precursors of Walter Murphy's "A Fifth of Beethoven" and Hooked on Classics. And The O'Jays scored their only pop #1 with this dancefloor staple about a locomotive of peace and harmony that picks up passengers all over the globe. And this train is formed when "people all over the world join hands." Idealistic, but undeniable.

And at last we get to the two MOR solo artists. Don "American Pie" McLean had his last 70s hit with this song that, sadly, isn't a cover of the popular Hanukkah standard, but rather a boilerplate folk-rocker about how one's existence is similar to "a spinning top." But there are some fascinatingly wacky lyrics like "my sky shoes are spiked with lead heels," so that's entertaining. And Bette Midler had her first pop hit with this slow, sultry take on Bobby Freeman's rocking invitation to cut a rug. The Divine Miss M breathily coos her way through it, and is instantly recognizable as a star-in-the-making by the time the song ends.

Top Ten calling.

10 - "Rocky Mountain High," John Denver
Johnny D. returns, celebrating getting back to nature in Colorado, where he sees it "raining fire in the sky." And that's apparently a good thing. Okay.

9 - "Why Can't We Live Together," Timmy Thomas
A sparse but effective plea for tolerance and understanding. Love that organ. Again, it's one of the "lost gems" I've uncovered while doing this.

8 - "Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend," Lobo
Good, Lobo. Because I don't want to be your friend either. Your music sucks.

7 - "Could it Be I'm Falling in Love," The Spinners
The Detroit soul stars scored again with a smooth celebration of new infatuation. It makes me such a happy boy. These guys rule.

6 - "Do it Again," Steely Dan
The Dan's first hit, a cool bit of funk rock that always makes me smile. The lyrics are pretty inscrutable, but that was always par for the course with these guys. Whatever. It worked.

5 - "Killing Me Softly with His Song," Roberta Flack
Flack's second #1 may or may not have been inspired by a Don McLean performance, depending on who you ask. Regardless, it's a passionate ode to a singer's connection with an audience member, who feels like he's "strumming my pain with his fingers/Singing my life with his words." And Roberta, to coin a phrase, just kills it. An undisputed classic.

4 - "Dueling Banjos," Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell
This instrumental, originally written in 1955 by Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith, became a hit after Weissberg and Mandell's recording of it was used in a scene between Ronny Cox and an inbred teenage boy in the movie Deliverance. Of course, because of this, the song is now closely associated with scary rednecks who make visiting city folks "squeal like a pig." Probably not what Mr. "Guitar Boogie" had in mind.

3 - "Oh Babe, What Would You Say," Hurricane Smith
Again, I love this strange little anachronism. It sounds like it an outtake from some great lost 40s movie musical. How do you not smile when listening to this?

2 - "You're So Vain," Carly Simon
Come on, Carly, it's Warren Beatty, isn't it? No matter who this song is about, it remains one of pop's greatest kiss-offs.

And topping the American pops 39 years ago was...

1 - "Crocodile Rock," Elton John
Sir Elton got his first U.S. #1 by going retro. Apparently, some of his inspirations for this included the 1957 hit "Little Darlin'" by The Diamonds, and a song called "Eagle Rock" by an Australian band called Daddy Cool. Don't say you never learn anything reading these things.

The NotCaseys were "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree" by Tony Orlando and Dawn, "Space Oddity" by David Bowie, and "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)" by The Four Tops.

And so ends my writing on this subject for another week. Come back soon for more of it, if you're so inclined.

February 21, 1987 Part Two

Concluding '87.

20 - "We're Ready," Boston
19 - "Mandolin Rain," Bruce Hornsby and the Range
18 - "I'll Be Alright Without You," Journey
17 - "Stop to Love," Luther Vandross
16 - "At This Moment," Billy Vera and the Beaters

The second half opens with Tom Scholz and company with their last Top Ten hit. It's mainly a love ballad, but with a revved-up, fist-pumping chorus that seems a bit out of place. But it definitely sounds like no one else but Boston.

Bruce Hornsby and the Range followed up their #1 debut single with this midtempo reminiscence of young love amongst carnival tents and bluegrass bands. Simple, but powerful. Could be their best single.

Next are Journey with their last Top 40 hit of the eighties, a bland ballad in which Steve Perry tries to convince himself he doesn't miss the woman he just broke up with. This one made the Greatest Hits album they released the next year, an album that has sold over 25 million copies around the world. I really don't know what to say about that.

Then it's Luther Vandross with his first Top Twenty pop hit, an uptempo tune about a guy who wishes his girlfriend would stay at home more instead of going away on business so often. A neat little gender-flip of an old theme, and Luther is always a joy to the ears.

This section is closed out by Billy Vera and the Beaters' Alex Keaton-powered moment in the sun. Again, most of this song's power is in Vera's vocal. In lesser hands, it wouldn't be much.

15 - "Nobody's Fool," Cinderella
14 - "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)," The Beastie Boys
13 - "Big Time," Peter Gabriel
12 - "Respect Yourself," Bruce Willis
11 - "Somewhere Out There," Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram

This section is led off by Philadelphia glam-metallers Cinderella, who were led by raspy-voiced singer Tom Kiefer. On this, their first hit, he applies that rasp to a solid power ballad about a relationship gone wrong. "I scream my heart out just to make a dime," he sings. He also screamed his voice out, because he has been battling vocal cord problems on and off since the mid-90s. Too bad, really, because they were one of the more interesting hair bands out there.

Next are the Beastie Boys with their first and biggest pop hit, a hard rock-powered rap about the problems of teenage boys: hating school, not being allowed to smoke, having your mother find and dispose of your pornography, etc. This was the bratty incarnation of the group that broke into the mainstream, and they perpetuated that delinquent image not only in their songs and videos, but in the on-and-offstage behaviour that led Casey to dub them "the Three Stooges of rap." Of course, after this they went in much more innovative directions with their music, and they have become much more serious people. But it all began with this rebellious, punky anthem. Evolution is a strange thing.

Peter Gabriel followed up his #1 "Sledgehammer" with his only other U.S. Top Ten, a tongue-in-cheek funk-rocker about fabulous wealth. The man should have had more American pop hits, in my humble opinion.

Then it's Bruce Willis during the height of his Moonlighting popularity, when he decided to put out an album on which he portrayed a blues singer named Bruno. And it came out on Motown, no less. It produced one hit in the form of this limp, unnecessary cover of a Staple Singers classic. It's only redeemed a bit by the second verse, which June Pointer sings. When Bruce is singing...well, let's just say I long for the relative competenced of Don Johnson. And to top it all off, this song hit #5, while the original only made it to Number 12. Everyone involved should be ashamed of that.

This bunch is anchored by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram's hit ballad from An American Tail, an animated film about mice immigrating from Russia to America. Haven't seen the movie, but the song is too mushy for my taste.

The Top Ten are here. Hide the liquor.

10 - "Change of Heart," Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi returns from last time with this uptempo plea to reconnect with a friend. Probably on the low end of her hits, but still good.

9 - "Love You Down," Ready for the World
The guys behing the fun-funk of "Oh Sheila" and "Digital Display" scored their last pop hit by slowing down about loving an older woman and promising to pleasure her "even if it takes all night." I like that even when they did a love jam, they still made it interesting. I think even more of them now than I did before.

8 - "Open Your Heart," Madonna
Madge (as they call her in England) returns to offer her love to a reluctant suitor. "I hold the lock and you hold the key," she sings. Is there some sort of metaphoric symbolism in that line? I wouldn't know about anything like that.

7 - "Ballerina Girl," Lionel Richie
Lionel had his last Top Ten with this sleepy ballad about loving a lady who pliés and pirouettes. Maybe watching White Nights got him hot and bothered, I don't know. Anyway, this isn't much.

6 - "You Got It All," The Jets
Minnesota's Wolfgramm siblings had the second of their five Top Tens with this ballad in which one of the sisters tries to convince her current lover that he's much better than her last one. Not bad. And it was written by Rupert "The Pina Colada Song" Holmes, so that's something.

5 - "Touch Me (I Want Your Body)," Samantha Fox
Londoner Fox first gained fame at 16 posing topless on Page 3 of the British tabloid The Sun. After becoming one of the most popular "Page Three Girls" ever, and having her breasts insured for 250,000 pounds, she retired from that kind of modelling at 20 and began a music career. Her first single was this unabashedly lustful dance-pop number, and it became a Top 5 smash around the world. She would have a few more hits on both sides of the Atlantic, then she faded into obscurity, only to return again in the 2000s as a frequent participant in British reality shows. And in 2008, at 42, she posed topless one more time for a Page 3. Good for her...?

4 - "Jacob's Ladder," Huey Lewis and the News
Huey and co. had their third and final #1 with this Bruce Hornsby-written number about rejecting those who would foist their religion on people, and instead doing one's best to make it to Heaven on one's own terms. Definitely Huey's most interesting hit, and possibly his best. It's definitely less throwaway than a lot of his other stuff.

3 - "Will You Still Love Me," Chicago
This was Chicago's first hit after the departure of Peter Cetera. Unfortunately, the band continued on their well-established "sappy-ass ballad" path, and new singer Jason Scheff seems to be going out of his way to sound as much like Cetera as he can. It worked in terms of chart success, but I think you can guess how I feel about it.

2 - "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," The Georgia Satellites
These swampy Atlanta rockers made their biggest chart impact with this fun, catchy tune about that age-old problem: A man wants to have sex with a woman, but she insists that he wait until marriage. Even when he volunteers to live with her for the rest of his life, she counters with "a story about free milk and a cow," and remains adamant that there will be "no huggin', no kissin' until you make me your wife." A great little gem, perfect for drunken singalongs. The band didn't do much after that, but I must admit I quite enjoyed singer Dan Baird's solo album Love Songs for the Hearing Impaired.

And topping the list 25 years ago was...

1 - "Livin' on a Prayer," Bon Jovi
Jon and co. followed up "You Give Love a Bad Name" with another charttopper. This one tells the tale of struggling young lovers Tommy and Gina, whose devotion to each other helps them survive the tough times. It's become a rock standard, if there is such a thing. And it is a damn good song when you strip everything away.

The NotCaseys this week were "Hooked on You" by Sweet Sensation, "Walking Down Your Street" by The Bangles, "The Lady in Red" by Chris DeBurgh, and "The Finer Things" by Steve Winwood. There were two LDDs this week. The first came from a girl who asked Casey to play her developmentally-challenged brother's favorite song, "The Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie. And the second came from a Czech hotel manager, who dedicated Dire Straits' "So Far Away" to the Canadian television producer she met when he came to town to cover a hockey tournament. And during the countdown, Casey paid heartfelt tribute to the recently deceased Liberace, though he didn't play a song to accompany it.

As you may have noticed, I didn't lead off this post with a 70s recap. So yes, that means there will be a bonus post tomorrow, as I take an extended look back at this week in music in 1973. Join me if you like. If not, see you next week.

February 21, 1987 Part One

This week we ventute back to the winter of 1987. I had just turned 16. The Iran-Contra scandal was heating up. And on the charts, this was happening...

40 - "We Connect," Stacey Q
39 - "Shake You Down," Gregory Abbott
38 - "Don't Dream it's Over," Crowded House
37 - "Lean on Me," Club Nouveau
36 - "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight," Genesis
35 - "Let's Go," Wang Chung
34 - "The Final Countdown," Europe
33 - "Stay the Night," Benjamin Orr
32 - "Land of Confusion," Genesis
31 - "Candy," Cameo

A mere three solo acts in this bunch. Stacey Q had her second and last Top 40 hit with this bit of dance fluff in which she describes a dalliance with "a boy from the wrong side of town." Apparently, she "explode(s) when we connect." Wonder what that means. Anyway, more interesting than "Two of Hearts," if not necessarily better. Gregory Abbott returns with his #1 bedroom ballad. It doesn't take me all the way to heaven, but it's good. And the late Cars bassist Benjamin Orzechowski had his only solo hit with this decent synth-ballad. It's not quite up their with the Cars hits he sung on like "Just What I Needed" and "Drive," but it was a worthy hit.

The rest of this section is made up of songs by groups, and I've decided to divide them up into "bands that start with C" and "bands that don't." First among the former is Crowded House, a band formed in Australia by New Zealander Neil Finn, who had had some previous success with the band Split Enz. Their first and biggest American hit is this this catchy midtempo pop-rocker about staying positive in spite of life's troubles and obstacles. I love Crowded House. They should have had more American hits, but I think pop radio there turned in a direction that left little room for them. Shame. R&B group Club Nouveau had their biggest hit with a hip-hop flavored cover of Bill Withers' classic about loyalty and friendship. Again, I have to admit that a cover was my first exposure to a great song. Obviously, the original is loads better, especially because it doesn't contain a pointless use of of the phrase "We be jammin'." But the Club Nouveau take works as an introduction, so I'm glad it happened. And funk stars Cameo followed up "Word Up" with their second and last pop hit, a song that compares a beautiful woman to a variety of sweet flavors like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and...violets? Oh well, I've never ate them, so how would I know? No matter, it's full of lascivious goodness.

And we end the section with the non-C-starters. Genesis are here with two of their Invisible Touch hits. First, on the way up, is "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight," a song that, to me at least, sounds like a pale attempt to recreate "In the Air Tonight." And I don't know what Phil Collins means when he says he's "goin' down like a monkey," but I probably don't want to. Anyway, I remember this song most for being used in Michelob beer commercials. And then, on the way out, is "Land of Confusion," a stab at political commentary. The better of the two by far. Wang Chung had their last American hit with this song that's like "Everybody Have Fun Tonight," except it seems to be describing a somewhat more private party. Not bad. And Swedish hair-farmers Europe had their most enduring hit with this song that seems to be about a time when people have to flee a dying Earth for a new life on Venus. But most people probably don't realize that, because this song's most distinctive feature is that chilling synthesizer opening that leads into the rousing "Dah-dah-dah DAH, dah-dah-dah dah DAH!" You know it. It's been a staple of sports arenas for a quarter-century now. Anyway, it's this week's Uneasy Rider.

30 - "Someday," Glass Tiger
29 - "C'est La Vie," Robbie Nevil
28 - "Come Go with Me," Exposé
27 - "Facts of Love," Jeff Lorber featuring Karyn White
26 - "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now," Starship
25 - "Brand New Lover," Dead or Alive
24 - "Can't Help Falling in Love," Corey Hart
23 - "I Wanna Go Back," Eddie Money
22 - "Let's Wait Awhile," Janet Jackson
21 - "Talk to Me," Chico DeBarge

Four groups in this section. Canada's Glass Tiger are back with their second biggest hit, a crap ballad. I shed no tears for them. Miami's Exposé had their first hit with this meh dance number. Again, this group did absolutely nothing for me, but I'm sure they filled a niche, so good for them. Starship are here with their terrible smash from that movie where Kim Cattrall plays a mannequin that comes to life after a mannequin-maker falls in love with one of his mannequins. I think it was called The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down. Anyway, I hate the song, possibly even more than Jefferson Starship's 70s crap. Grace Slick traded in a good chunk of the cool points she'd accumulated over the years to get a #1. Hope it was worth it. And Dead or Alive had their last U.S. Top 40 with this splashy dancefloor confection about wanting someone to love who "doesn't notice all the others." Because of his look, I'm sure singer Pete Burns is considered a poor man's Boy George, but I think that gives him short shrift. This and "You Spin Me Round" are both terrific singles in their own right.

Next I'll cover three solo men. Robbie Nevil returns from last time, resigned to the ups and downs of existence. For some reason, I always compare him to Richard Marx. And Robbie always comes off better. Corey Hart is here with a drippy cover of one of Elvis' most famous ballads. I'm not sure what's worse, this or the version UB40 went to #1 with in the 90s. And Eddie Money followed up "Take Me Home Tonight" with this soft-rocker about wanting to return to the days of youth and "do it all over." A common sentiment, and an okay song.

We close with three R&B hits. Jazz keyboardist Jeff Lorber had his only pop hit with this slick bit of lite-funk greatly enhanced by singer Karyn White, who would go on to have several hits on her own. Janet Jackson scored her fifth hit from Control with this ballad that advises delayed sexual gratification. As fear of AIDS began to permeate the culture, this was counsel that people were perhaps more willing to listen to than at other times in the past 40 years or so. Regardless, it's probably Janet's best ballad. And I bet she wished she'd taken that advice before eloping with James DeBarge a few years earlier. Speaking of which, here's James younger brother Chico, who was never a member of his family's band, but did have a solo career that produced one Top 40 hit, this alright dance tune about wanting more conversation in a relationship. Interesting. Maybe he learned something from big bro's mistake. Or maybe I'm full of shit.

Tomorrow: a princess of a band, a struggle for the freedom to celebrate, and a young lady goes from Page 3 to Top 5.

February 13, 1982 Part Two.

Before we close 1982, let's go back to February 10, 1979. Rod Stewart was on top with "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy." The Top Ten included "YMCA," "Le Freak," "Fire," and "I Will Survive." And below...there's only one song I haven't covered before. But I might as well.

27 - "Baby I'm Burning," Dolly Parton
The country queen had already made her big crossover move with the Top Five smash "Here You Come Again," but still, I don't think anyone was ready when she decided to release this disco number. Studio 54 seemed like a long way from Sevierville, Tennessee. But whaddaya know? Her rich voice singing about lust, over a throbbing beat and a horn-heavy arrangement, doesn't sound out of place at all. I'm not saying she could have been significant competition for Donna Summer had she continued in this direction, but of all the attempts by artists from other genres to "go disco," this is one of the least embarrassing.


Okay, now let's finish off '82.

20 - "Love is Alright Tonight," Rick Springfield
19 - "Mirror, Mirror," Diana Ross
18 - "Through the Years," Kenny Rogers
17 - "You Could Have Been With Me," Sheena Easton
16 - "Leather and Lace," Stevie Nicks with Don Henley

The second half kicks off with Rick Springfield's third Top 40 hit, a mediocre rocker about a guy insuring his girl (and her father) that he can love and provide for her. Nothing the least bit interesting about it.

Next is Miss Ross with a disco-funk-rock number about her odd, fairytale-esque relationship with a looking glass. At some point, she sings that the mirror "has nailed my heart upon the wall." Neat trick. But not much of a song.

Then it's Kenny Rogers with a goopy ballad about surviving the ups and downs of a relationship. He sings it fine, and I'm sure it's soundtracked many an anniversary party. But I don't care for it.

Sheena Easton is here with the title track to her second album. It's a ballad about a "strange and special one" who for some reason does not want to be with her, instead opting to remain "alone and lonely." Doesn't sound like a good idea, but actually, it comes off well. There's a restrained passion to Sheena's voice that works like a charm. Maybe her best early single.

This section closes with Stevie and Don, returning from last time with their tender fabric trade. It's still a nice listen.

15 - "Hooked on Classics," The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
14 - "Take it Easy on Me," The Little River Band
13 - "Waiting on a Friend," The Rolling Stones
12 - "Leader of the Band," Dan Fogelberg
11 - "Cool Night," Paul Davis

This quintet is led off by that classical bunch from London, taking the real oldies from the concert hall to the dance floor. The Carmen part is probably my favorite.

My buddies the Little River Band had their last U.S, Top Ten with this song about...who cares? I turned around a bit on Three Dog Night, but these guys aren't winning me over. I will not be taking it easy on them any time soon.

Next are the Stones with my favorite of their 80s singles, a lazily grooving midtempo tune about how when you get older, friendship is more important than chasing women. "A smile relieves a heart that grieves," Mick sings, while "making love and breaking hearts, it is a game for youth." While it turned out that Mr. Jagger's tomcatting days were, in reality, far from over, the song is still the epitome of laid-back cool.

Then it's MOR monster Dan Fogelberg's last Top Ten, a ballad he wrote thanking his bandleader father for giving him the gift of loving to play music. It's a very heartfelt tribute, in which Dan confesses that "my life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man." There's a sincerity and beauty to it that just makes it impossible to hate, and it was given an added poignancy when Lawrence Fogelberg died just six months after this countdown.

This group ends with Paul Davis, back again with his boring song in which he asks why all the flowers had to die. Maybe they just didn't want to listen to dull songs like this anymore.

Top Ten Go Boom!

10 - "Sweet Dreams," Air Supply
The Aussie duo continued their run of Top Fives with yet another big ballad. In this one, they say they want to "ride the skies" in their sleeping fantasies. It might be my favorite non-Steinman hit of theirs. It's not quite that bombastic, but it hints that such heights might be brought out of them someday.

9 - "Waiting for a Girl Like You," Foreigner
The boys are back with their song that hung on for a long time at #2 but never made it to the top. It probably should have made it. It's all right.

8 - "Physical," Olivia Newton-John
And here's ONJ with the ode to "exercise" that was mainly responsible for keeping those poor Foreigner guys off the top of the mountain. Oh Olivia, why were you so heartless and greedy? The ONJ of "Have You Never Been Mellow" would have stepped aside for at least one week to give Lou and co. a chance to rule. What happened to that girl?

7 - "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)," Juice Newton
Juice gushes about the man she loves. Meh, I like her uptempo stuff better.

6 - "Shake it Up," The Cars
The Boston New Wavers cracked the Top Ten for the first time with this burbly dance-rocker in which they encourage people to get out and express themselves. "Don't you worry about two left feet," Ric Ocasek sings. I'll try not to, Ric.

5 - "Turn Your Love Around," George Benson
George is back with one of his biggest non-threatening funk hits. The man can play guitar, but this stuff doesn't move me much.

4 - "Open Arms," Journey
The corporate-rock machine from Frisco had their biggest hit with this heart-on-sleeve ballad on which Steve Perry opens his voice up full-throttle and lays down a vocal that not even Mariah Carey could top when she covered this. One of the more effective power ballads out there.

3 - "Harden My Heart," Quarterflash
This Portland, Oregon band return with their biggest hit, a slick, cool midtempo ballad. It sounds similar to the stuff The Motels did, but better. Oh, and in reality, it was a buck-and-a-quarter Quarterflash, but they weren't telling us that.

2 - "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)," Daryl Hall and John Oates
Daryl and John will do anything for love, but apparently, they won't to that. Where have I heard that before?

And at Number One 30 years ago, we find...

1 - "Centerfold," The J. Geils Band
Peter Wolf sees much more of an old classmate than he ever did in high school. I wonder if he ever did get together with her to watch her "take 'em off in private." Oh well, some mysteries aren't meant to be solved.

The NotCaseys this week were "Make a Move on Me" by Olivia Newton-John, "Juke Box Hero" by Foreigner, "(Oh) Pretty Woman" by Van Halen, and "Genius of Love" by Tom Tom Club. Casey began the show by playing the previous week's Top Two, which were identical to this week's. Later, he played Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" after telling the story of why Randy Bachman stutters on it. And there were two Long Distance Dedications. First, a woman dedicated Ronnie Milsap's "I Wouldn't Have Missed it For the World," to the memory of her first love, who'd recently been killed. Then, a Navy sailor stationed in the Phillipines sent The Supremes' "Back in My Arms Again" to the woman he was about to return home to marry after a long and difficult courtship, to say the least.

I'm not sure, but I might have been a little off this week. Sorry if that's the case. I think next week'll be pretty good, though, so join me then, if you like.

February 13, 1982 Part One

Before we start, I have to say RIP Whitney Houston. Her songs may not have always been my cup of tea, but she had one of the great voices of my lifetime. I suppose one could say that they saw this coming, but that doesn't make this any less tragic. It's a huge loss to the world of music.



This week, we visit the day before Valentine's Day, 1982. I believe at the time I was waiting to find out if I was going to be accepted into a new school program. Strangely enough, that's about where I am now, 30 years later. Huh. Anyway, here's a look at what was rockin' America at the time.

40 - "One Hundred Ways," Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram
39 - "I Love Rock n' Roll," Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
38 - "Love is Like a Rock," Donnie Iris
37 - "Should I Do It," The Pointer Sisters
36 - "Bobbie Sue," The Oak Ridge Boys
35 - "When All is Said and Done," ABBA
34 - "Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)," Rod Stewart
33 - "Sea of Love," Del Shannon
32 - "Daddy's Home," Cliff Richard
31 - "We Got the Beat," The Go-Gos

We begin with R&B. Quincy Jones and James Ingram had their second hit collaboration with this ballad advising men to come up with many different expressions of love for their women. Very Valentine's Day. I have a memory of participating in a couples roller skate back in the day set to this song. Ah, fifth grade romance. And The Pointer Sisters are here with a retro-girl group-sounding number about being tempted to go back to an old lover who hadn't been that nice during the first go-round. Yeah, I'm sure that'll turn out well.

Two female-fronted rock bands are here. Ex-Runaway Joan Jett had her first pop hit with this eventual #1 about how love of music can lead to romance. It's pretty simple guitar rock, but it's that simplicity that has made it last. And the Go-Gos had their biggest hit with this sprightly confection about the fun of dancing and letting loose. It's not my favorite of theirs, but definitely the one that hits the most pop sweet spots.

There are four solo men in this section. Pennsylvania rocker Dominic Ierace, a former member of the groups The Jaggerz and Wild Cherry, had the second of his three pop hits on his own with this stomper about how doctors, lawyers, politicians, and other entities are less reliable than good old fashioned love. All right, but certainly no "Ah! Leah!" Rod Stewart is back, and once again looking for sex. But this time he's completely upfront that all he wants is a one-night stand, even if he feels that night might last for "24 hours or more." Rod certainly believed he had stamina. Whether he could back it up, I don't care to know. Del Shannon, born Charles Westover, is best known for his 1961 smash "Runaway." He had a run of hits that lasted until 1964, but he came back eighteen years later to score one more chart single with this pop-rock cover of Phil Phillips 1959 love ballad. Two years later, the Robert Plant-and-Jimmy Page-led group The Honeydrippers would cover this with even greater commercial success. And Cliff Richard had his last American hit with this cover of a song about coming home to a lover that had previously been a hit for both Shep and the Limelites and Jermaine Jackson. I don't think he does much with it. I prefer him in "Devil Woman" mode.

What's left are two very different groups. County vocal group The Oak Ridge Boys had their second and last pop Top 40 with this horn-flavored tune in which the protagonist and the title 18-year-old girl are so in love that they're going to elope against the wishes of her parents. The fact that these guys were in their 30s and 40s when they were singing this is a tad creepy, but I do like the bass guy's vocals. And ABBA had their last American hit with this dramatic number that deals with the divorce of group members Bjorn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Faltskog. It's very raw, and contains lines about how the two of them are "slightly worn and dignified, and not too old for sex." I had to check to make sure that was the actual lyric, and yes, it is. Didn't expect that from ABBA. But I like it. A very good swan song.

30 - "All Our Tomorrows," Eddie Schwartz
29 - "Working for the Weekend," Loverboy
28 - "Abacab," Genesis
27 - "Let's Groove," Earth, Wind and Fire
26 - "Key Largo," Bertie Higgins
25 - "Spirits in the Material World," The Police
24 - "Pac-Man Fever," Buckner and Garcia
23 - "Somewhere Down the Road," Barry Manilow
22 - "That Girl," Stevie Wonder
21 - "Love in the First Degree," Alabama

This section kicks off with two Canadian acts. Toronto's Eddie Schwartz first tasted success writing Pat Benatar's hit "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," and he would go on to produce and write for many major artists, but his only major success as a performer came with this midtempo soul-rocker about living for the now. And usually, when a song has that attitude, sex is involved. This is no exception, unless I'm misinterpreting lines like "make our own brand of delight" and "take all the comforts we may." And Vancouver's Loverboy had their most enduring hit with this dumb-fun rocker about the pleasures of Saturdays and Sundays. It's just pure silly joy.

Two British bands are here. Genesis had another of their earliest hits with this song that seems to be about paranoia that turns out to be warranted when one wakes up to find himself "covered in cellophane." Interesting. Oh, and the title comes from the way the band originally labelled the song's structure with letters. Less interesting. And the Police picked up their fourth American hit with this song about how our existences aren't very well served by earthly entities. As a kid, I thought it was cool that they could get on the radio with songs that used 50-cent words like "subjugate" and "rhetoric." Yes, I was an easily-impressed child.

Three very different American groups are in this bunch. Earth, Wind and Fire had their last Top Ten pop hit with this tight bit of dance-funk. It does indeed "glide like a 747." Behind only "September" on my list. Akron, Ohio duo Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia cracked the Top Ten with this novelty rocker about a man obsessed with the then-huge arcade video game about a circle who eats dots while being chased by ghosts. Yes, it was a simpler time. What's great about this song is how detailed it is about the action of the game. And using actual sounds from it didn't hurt either. I can see why Homer Simpson was disappointed when The Who told him that they didn't know this song. Obviously, this is this week's Uneasy Rider. The group tried following it up with other video game songs like "Do the Donkey Kong," and "Goin' Berzerk," but they could not repeat that success. I wonder if they've ever thought of making a comeback by doing songs about Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto. And country-pop megagroup Alabama had their biggest pop hit with this midtempo ballad comparing finding lasting love to committing a crime. Interesting metaphor. But it can't be denied that the singer had an awesome beard.

We'll finish with solo men. Florida singer Elbert Joseph Higgins had his only Top 40 hit with this ballad about cuddling up with a loved one and watching old Humphrey Bogart movies. That sounds much more enjoyable than listening to this blandstorm. Barry Mailow had one of his last hits with this ballad about hoping that a past lover will come back to him one day. It kind of blends in with many of his other hits. Nothing really distinct about it. And Stevie Wonder is here with a song about a woman who thinks she's all that, because she actually is. Stevie says his "mind, soul and body need her." Oh, is that all.

Tomorrow: Nudity!

February 7, 1988 Part Two

Before we finish '88, let's travel back to a mere five days before I was born, February 6, 1971.

Dawn was on top with "Knock Three Times"..."One Bad Apple," "My Sweet Lord," "Rose Garden," and "Your Song" were amont the highlights of the Top Ten...The first newbie we come across is found at #17, "Born to Wander" by Rare Earth. Decent soul rock, despite hippy-dippy lyrics about "talkin' to the sky" and how "the wind is my brother." And nice use of flute...Elvis Presley is at #21 with his take on the country ballad "I Really Don't Want to Know." It's about denying oneself knowledge of a lover's romantic past. That may not be wise, Elvis...Bread are at #28 with one of their lesser chart performers, "Let Your Love Go." It actually kind of rocks. I'll take it over most of ther rest of their stuff. This Bread has a little jam on it...Little Sister first served as Sly and the Family Stone's backup singers. In fact, they got their name because one of their members was Sly's "little sister," Vet Stewart. But then they put out some of their own records, and two hit the Top 40, including a funky cover of their parent band's "Somebody's Watching You," found this week at #33..James Brown asks you to "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" at #34. Always good advice, and JB knows how to motivate...And Joe Simon scraped in at #40 with the big soul ballad "Your Time to Cry." His voice is definitely growing on me...But this week, I'm shining my spotlight on...

35 - "1900 Yesterday," Liz Damon's Orient Express
This was the house band at the Hilton Hawaiian Village hotel in Honolulu. It consisted of lead vocalist Liz Damon, two female backing singers, and a backing band made up of predominantly Asian musicians (hence the name). They made a record, and it somehow not only got a wide release, but produced this minor hit single. It's smoky, Bacharach-ish lounge pop about romantic regret. The pillow-soft singing and old-fashioned arrangement make even The Carpenters sound edgy, but still, despite its aggressive uncoolness, I like it. The group wasn't heard from on the mainland again, but still, the left this little curio behind for me to find.

Okay, now back to 1988.

20 - "Pump Up the Volume," M/A/R/R/S
19 - "Father Figure," George Michael
18 - "Got My Mind Set on You," George Harrison
17 - "Tell it To My Heart," Taylor Dayne
16 - "Never Gonna Give You Up," Rick Astley

The second half kicks off with a collaboration between the British groups Colourbox and A.R. Kane. It's a sample-heavy dance number, predominantly featuring snippets of rap and older R&B. It was the first example of the "house" genre to break through the U.S. mainstream, and it sounded nothing like anything that had been heard on pop radio before. So you know what that means. Yep, M/A/R/R/S claims this week's Uneasy Rider.

George Michael makes his second appearance on this week's chart with this extremely sensual song with a deceptive title. I don't really think he wants to be a paternal figure to the one he's singing to. Because if he did, I hope he wouldn't want "to be bold and naked at your side." That'd be all kinds of wrong.

George Harrison pays us another visit with his declaration of romantic relentlessness. You go, Quiet Beatle.

Then it's Taylor Dayne, back yet again with her first hit. It sucks, but it still might be the best thing she ever did.

This group is rounded out by Richard Paul Astley's first hit, a worldwide #1 that is now best known as the key ingredient in the online meme known as "Rickrolling." The internet is a truly strange place. Maybe that's why I feel so at home here. Anyway, the song itself isn't half bad, and Rick had a nice voice.

15 - "She's Like the Wind," Patrick Swayze
14 - "Everywhere," Fleetwood Mac
13 - "I Live for Your Love," Natalie Cole
12 - "The Way You Make Me Feel," Michael Jackson
11 - "Don't Shed a Tear," Paul Carrack

This section begins with actor Patrick Swayze's only hit single, a ballad from the soundtrack of his hit movie Dirty Dancing. He's not a terrible singer, but this song is incredibly cheesy. I mean "She's like the wind through my tree"? How does one do anything but laugh at that line? But I do wish the man was still around.

The Mac are back from last time, wanting to hang out for an extended period of time. Probably their weakest hit of the decade.

Natalie Cole is another repeater with this boring ballad. I live for music, but not songs like this. No flavor.

Being flavorless, however, isn't anything Michael Jackson was ever accused with. He's back, trying to swagger his way into a woman's heart. That guy was pretty good at music, I have to say.

This group closes with Paul Carrack, once again telling an ex that he's moved on from her and is better for it. Solid radio fodder, but nothing more.

Can't you feel it, the Top Ten's everywhere.

10 - "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man," Prince
The Purple One selflessly tells a potential conquest that he's not what she's looking for. He may have a dirty mind, but he's a softie at heart.

9 - "Tunnel of Love," Bruce Springsteen
The Boss explores romantic desperation with a carnival-ride metaphor. This may not have been his most commercially successful period, but it was certainly one of his most interesting creatively.

8 - "Say You Will," Foreigner
No, Lou, I won't. I respect you too much to lie to you.

7 - "What Have I Done to Deserve This," The Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield
The synth-pop duo and one of Britain's greatest divas make beautiful music together. Magic.

6 - "Hungry Eyes," Eric Carmen
Have I told you lately that Eric Carmen went to shit when he went solo? I think I have, but still, listen to this dreck if you need proof.

5 - "I Want to Be Your Man," Roger
Mr. Troutman breaks out his robot voice on this bedroom ballad. It works, though. And apropos of nothing, I must point out that "Roger" is one of the sturdiest, most manly names out there.

4 - "Seasons Change," Expose
And yet my opinion of this song doesn't. Annoying.

3 - "Need You Tonight," INXS
The Aussie rock combo had their only U.S charttopper with this bit of seductofunk. Not bad, but not my favorite of theirs. For the record, that's 1990's "Disappear."

2 - "Hazy Shade of Winter," The Bangles
These four L.A. ladies took a minor Simon and Garfunkel hit and improved it by cranking up the guitars. They made the song their own, dawg.

And on top of the pop world 24 years ago, looking down on creation, we find...

1 - "Could've Been," Tiffany
Ms. Darwish topped the chart for the second and last time with this decent ballad about faded love. Again, I think it would have been better in more capable hands, but upon further listening, the kid did better than I gave her credit for.

This week's NotCaseys were "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson, "Check it Out" by John Cougar Mellencamp, "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by R.E.M., and "When We Was Fab" by George Harrison. As an extra, Casey played "Cat's in the Cradle" after reporting on a recent Harry Chapin tribute concert. And there were two Long Distance Dedications. First, a guy from Cincinatti dedicated "I Miss You" by Klymaxx to a woman he met on vacation in Niagara Falls at the end of a series of unfortunate events. And later, a recovering alcoholic sent out Elton John's "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" to the man who took her back once she started getting her life together after injuring herself in a drunk-driving accident.

And another one's gone. See you next time, kids.

February 7, 1988 Part One

And so we take our first trip to 1988. What took so long? Well, the syndication package only plays AT40s that Casey hosted, and he left the show in the middle of '88. So obviously, there's no 1989 shows either. But anyway, here we are. The Calgary Winter Olympics were a week away, and while the world geared up for that, the following sounds came blaring out of America's radios.

40 - "Rhythm of Love," Yes
39 - "Out of the Blue," Debbie Gibson
38 - "I Want Her," Keith Sweat
37 - "Faith," George Michael
36 - "There's the Girl," Heart
35 - "Because of You," The Cover Girls
34 - "Be Still My Beating Heart," Sting
33 - "853-5937," Squeeze
32 - "Endless Summer Nights," Richard Marx
31 - "Love Overboard," Gladys Knight and the Pips

We'll begin with the rock bands. Yes had their last Top 40 hit with this song that seems to counsel someone with a poor outlook on love to buck up. I think that's it. But it's okay, and the harmonies at the beginning are pretty sweet. Heart return from last time with perhaps the most mediocre of their awful late-80s/early 90s hits. It's just there. And Squeeze had their second and last major U.S. pop hit with this this old-school-R&B-flavored about calling a woman named Angela but always getting her answering machine. This causes suspicion, especially when the protagonist calls a male friend of his and gets his machine. Hmmmmmm...

Next we go to female-fronted dance-pop. Debbie Gibson had her third hit with this song about love finding you when you least expected. A nice, sunny confection. Sometimes that's exactly what's required. And New York's Cover Girls had their first hit with this latin-tinged hit about a guy who has them "jumping up and down, spinning round and round." I guess that's a good thing. Oh, and one of the ladies in the group was once married to one of the "C"s in C+C Music factory. That's something.

A couple of R%B hits here. Keith Sweat (yes, he was apparently born with that name) had his first hit with this funky cry of lust that is a prime example of the genre offshoot known as "new jack swing." And swing it does. Good stuff. And Gladys Knight and the Pips had their first pop hit in thirteen years with this state-of-the-charts hit that compares falling in love to drowning. I suppose it can feel like that at times. It may not quite measure up to some of their classics, but damn if Gladys doesn't sell me on it. She's that good.

We finish with three solo men. George Michael returns one more time with his ode to belief and not being tied down to "the loverboy rule," whatever that is. Did one of his past lovers force him to only listen to "Hot Girls in Love" and "Working for the Weekend"? That would not have been pleasant. Sting had his sixth solo hit with this ballad about being hesitant to fall in love again after past heartbreaks. It's evocative, put not pretentious. One of his better efforts on his own. And Richard Marx had his third hit with this midtempo ballad about a summertime romance that ends with the season. It's well-worn lyrical territory, and it doesn't add anything new or interesting. This is when it started to become clear that Marx was going to be primarily a sapmeister.


30 - "So Emotional," Whitney Houston
29 - "Just Like Paradise," David Lee Roth
28 - "Honestly," Stryper
27 - "I Get Weak," Belinda Carlisle
26 - "I Found Someone," Cher
25 - "Push It," Salt-N-Pepa
24 - "Crazy," Icehouse
23 - "Can't Stay Away From You," Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
22 - "Candle in the Wind (Live)," Elton John
21 - "Pop Goes the World," Men Without Hats

This section kicks off with solo women. Whitney is back one more time singing about how she gets when she thinks of her man. Still pretty good. Belinda Carlisle had another of the highlights of her solo run with this catchy tune about a strength-sapping infatuation. Yeah, I like the Go-Gos better, but I don't deny that Belinda could do good stuff on her own. And Cher returned to the charts after nearly nine years with this Michael Bolton-cowritten power ballad about...well, the title makes it pretty obvious. You know what? Cher makes Michael Bolton sound good. It works.

There are solo men here, but only two of 'em, only two. David Lee Roth had his second and last Top Ten on his own with this pleasant pop-rocker about being out and about with a good woman by his side. It hasn't held up well. And now he's back with Van Halen. I understand they have a new album coming out. We'll see how that goes. And Elton John is back from last time, singing about Marilyn. Apparently, there will be a lot of that going on in that heavily-hyped new TV show Smash I haven't decided whether or not I'll watch that.

We close the first half with groups. Metalheads-for-Jesus Stryper are back from last time with a power ballad that skimps on the power. But at least their yellow-and-black outfits were cool, right? Right? Salt-N-Pepa also come back from last time. I'm not sure what "pushing it" entails, but apparently it's not a dance for everybody, only the sexy people. So it's definitely for me. Icehouse are also making a return engagement, telling a lover that their something wrong with her given her choice of romantic companions. Yeah, good strategy. Gloria E. and co. continued their climb to stardom with this bland love song about always needing to be close to someone. If it wasn't Gloria, I'd recommend a restraining order. And Men Without Hats...also return from last time with this fun bit of silliness that may be better than "The Safety Dance." Yeah, I know, perish the thought. But I think it might be true.

Tomorrow: House storms the American pop charts, a future practical joke, and another actor tries singing.