July 19, 1986

This week, it's July of 1986.  Just days after this show aired, Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson.  Not one of the more successful royal unions.  But I'll admit I preferred Fergie to Diana.  She just seemed more fun.  But no more about that, let's get to the music.  Just a one-parter this week, since so many of the songs have already been covered here on charts from May and September of this year.  So here we go with 40-11, newbies in bold.

40 - "Dancing on the Ceiling," Lionel Richie
39 - "Baby Love," Regina
38 - "Take My Breath Away (Love Theme from Top Gun)," Berlin
37 - "Mountains," Prince and the Revolution
36 - "One Step Closer to You," Gavin Christopher
35 - "All the Love in the World," The Outfield
34 - "Venus," Bananarama
33 - "Hyperactive," Robert Palmer
32 - "Sweet Freedom," Michael McDonald
31 - "The Edge of Heaven," Wham!
30 - "Suzanne," Journey
29 - "Take it Easy," Andy Taylor
28 - "Rumors," Timex Social Club
27 - "Higher Love," Steve Winwood
26 - "Like No Other Night," .38 Special
25 - "You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song)," Jeffrey Osborne
24 - "Crush on You," The Jets
23 - "On My Own," Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald
22 - "Dreams," Van Halen
21 - "Secret Separation," The Fixx
20 - "Tuff Enuff," The Fabulous Thunderbirds
19 - "No One is to Blame," Howard Jones
18 - "Digging Your Scene," The Blow Monkeys
17 - "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off," Jermaine Stewart
16 - "Like a Rock," Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
15 - "Modern Woman," Billy Joel
14 - "When the Heart Rules the Mind," GTR
13 - "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)," The Pet Shop Boys
12 - "Papa Don't Preach," Madonna
11 - "Mad About You," Belinda Carlisle

Thirteen newcomers in the first 30.  Okay, let's split 'em up.

American bands lead off.  Prince's last hit with The Revolution was this midtempo funk-rocker about love conquering all and such.  Weak by his standards, but solid by everyone else's.  Journey, as they so often are, are present with this song about carrying a torch for an ex who's gone on to fame and fortune.  Old premise, mediocre execution.  I want to give it points for having my mother's name as it's title, but then I remember that Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" is several kajillion times better.  And the second hit of the Van Hagar era was this poppy, keyboard-heavy motivational speech set to music with lyrics about spreading wings and reaching for golden rings.  They'd revisit this style multiple times in the future on tracks like "Top of the World" and, most notoriously, "Right Now."  I think this is the type of the song that represents why a lot of fans greatly prefer David Lee Roth.

Then we have the U.S. solo men.  Soul singer Gavin Christopher, who had worked with the likes of Chaka Khan, Curtis Mayfield, and Herbie Hancock, had his only major hit as an artist with this mild groover about working one's way back into a lover's good graces.  However, it is notable because it reportedly inspired the backing track of Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel."  That's not a bad contribution, indirect as it may have been.  Jeffrey Osborne had hbiggest solo hit with this slick soul seduction that makes effective use of its semi-wordless chorus.  Certainly his best hit away from L.T.D.  And Billy Joel is here with a mediocre pop tune about how mysterious the ladies' are these days, what with their confidence and self-sufficiency and all that crazy shit.  Apparently, Billy started to dislike the song not long after it came out.  Can't say I blame him.

A bunch of British bands are here.  The Outfield followed up their debut smash "Your Love" with this similar-sounding rocker.  The pieces are there, but they just don't fit together as well.  They should have brought Josie back from vacation.  Wham!'s last single was this typically bouncy pop number about an explosive-but-frustrating relationship.  A very good final calling card before George went off to solo superstardom and Andrew went off to...do...whatever it was he did.  The Fixx scored their last Top 40 of the decade with this okay new waver about being apart but secretly together.  Or something like that.  But "passengers in time" have something to do with it.  Oh well, can't figure 'em all out.  The Blow Monkeys, a New Wave band with heavy soul and jazz influences, had their only American hit with this sophisticated bit of cool whose lyrics apparently refer to the backlash and guilt directed towards gay men at the onset of the AIDS epidemic ("It'll get you in the end, it's God's revenge.")  I never knew that.  I just thought it was a great song.  But now that I know that they got that "subversive" message onto 1986 radio, I'm going to give these guys this week's Uneasy Rider.  And The Pet Shop Boys followed up the charttopping success of "West End Girls" with this dark, ironic dance track about a couple of people whose complementary attributes ("I've got the brains, you've got the looks.") convince them that their partnership will be very financially successful.  But the listener definitely gets the feeling that this is all just empty talk.  The intelligence the Boys brought to pop was very welcome, and it's why their hits stand up today.

Finally, there's the solo Brits.  Robert Palmer's third and last hit from his biggest solo LP, Riptide, is this driving dance-rocker about a worldly go-getter of a lady who's "more effective than a stimulant."  I think this is my favorite song of his.  It's either this or "Bad Case of Loving You."  And Palmer's Power Station bandmate, Andy Taylor of Duran Duran, picked up his only solo hit with this Power Station-ish rocker that was used as a theme to the gymnastics movie American Anthem, which co-starred Olympian Mitch Gaylord and the future Mrs. Wayne Gretzky, Janet Jones.  Decent enough, but Palmer would have sung it better,and he might have even given credibility to the line "I'm the pigeon, and baby, you're the stool."  And speaking of Andy Taylors, let me take this time to say R.I,.P. Andy Griffith.  I'm sure Abe Simpson has a tear in his eye now when he watches Matlock.

In the Top Ten, no one can hear you scream.

10 - "Love Touch," Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart recorded some cheesy stuff during the 80s, but perhaps none more than this cloying calypso-pop number from the soundtrack of the film Legal Eagles.  Oohyagonnagetta, oohyagonnagetta big slap upside your head, Rod.  This was beneath you.

9 - "Your Wildest Dreams," The Moody Blues
The bland final hit for these rock mainstays.  It was used as a Long Distance Dedication this week from a college sophomore to the grandfather who was like a father to her.  Well, at least this meant something to somebody.

8 - "There'll be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)," Billy Ocean
Yes, there will, Billy.  And many better ones than this.

7 - "Glory of Love (Theme from The Karate Kid Part II)," Peter Cetera
Pete claims that he's "a man who will fight for your honor" on this goopy ballad that accompanied Ralph Macchio's trip to Japan.  Thanks, Pete, but if I have a choice in the matter, you're well down my list of prospective champions.  And your song is awful too.

6 - "Who's Johnny," El DeBarge
It's a robot, El.  One who's in love with Ally Sheedy and would prefer not to be disassembled.  Glad I coul clear that up for you.

5 - "Holding Back the Years," Simply Red
An undisputed Top 30 of the decade in the man's opinon.  This is one of those songs I just told Billy Ocean about.  Fantastic.

4 - "Danger Zone," Kenny Loggins
The Logginator's second-biggest movie hit was this tune from Top Gun about revving engines and overdrive and intensity.  You wouldn't think this guy could handle hard rock, but he acquits himself well.  It might be second only to "I'm Alright" in my rankings.

3 - "Nasty," Janet Jackson
The second hit of Miss Jackson's career coming-out party was this swaggering stomper she co-wrote in response to men who tried to hit on her too aggresively.  "No, my first name ain't' 'baby,' it's Janet."  Just a great burst of attitude, and one of her career highlights.

2 - "Sledgehammer," Peter Gabriel
Pete wants you to hit things with him.  Or something like that.  Well, the American public would give him a big swing and use him to dislodge and replace the song that was at #1 this week.

And what, you might ask, was that song?  Why, none other than...

1 - "Invisible Touch," Genesis
That's right, Pete spent his only week at #1 in America right after his former bandmates had their only week at the top of the U.S. chart with this peppy pop-rocker about a woman with mysterious powers of attraction.  Somewhat catchy, but inconsequential.  Not their finest moment, artistically at least.

This week's NotCaseys were "The Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston, "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)," by Simply Red, "That was Then, This is Now," by The Monkees, and "The Captain of Her Heart" by Double.  And there were two more LDDs.  In the first, an 11-year-old girl dedicated Kool and the Gang's "Cherish" to her grandmother, who was taking care of both her and her mother, who was stricken with Multiple Sclerosis.  And in the second, a woman wanted to send a song out to both her and her fiance's parents, but because she couldn't think of one, she asked Casey to choose.  He picked Sister Sledge's "We Are Family."  Decent choice.

Over and out.