Okay, time machine fixed and recalibrated. Let's pick up where we left off before the jump.
12/12/1981
27 - "Someone Could Lose A Heart Tonight," Eddie Rabbitt
The New Jersey country star (still have a hard time typing that phrase) had his final pop Top 20 with this rockabilly-tinged number about emotions getting out of control during physical intimacy. I'd forgotten about this one, but it's pretty good.
35 - "Under Pressure," Queen & David Bowie
This summit of dynamic rock singers might be better known for providing the bass hook for Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" these days, but in its original form, it's a powerful song about watching out for one another to make sure the stresses of life don't break us. Brilliant.
37 - "She's Got a Way," Billy Joel
This ballad that dates back to Joel's 1971 debut album hit the charts a decade later in a live version. A love song that he himself labelled "cornball," but it's pretty and sweet. I like it well enough.
38 - "Wrack My Brain," Ringo Starr
The funny Beatle's last Top 40 was this whimsical pop-rocker written by George Harrison. Not really sure what the lyrics are about, but it's a fun little song.
40 - "Castles In The Air," Don McLean
McLean first released this song in 1970, and it became a minor adult-contemporary hit just before "American Pie" made him famous. Eleven years later, he re-recorded it, and it became his last Top 40 hit. It's a gentle folk song about leaving a lover because he doesn't want to live her big-city lifestyle anymore, hoping to eventually take "a country woman for my wife." A solid song.
10/30/1982
23 - "American Heartbeat," Survivor
The Chicago band followed up the blockbuster success of "Eye of the Tiger" with an attempted anthem about doing things at night or something. No real message, no real hook, no big deal.
34 - "Get Closer," Linda Ronstadt
Ronstadt's fourth hit of the decade was this catchy pop-rocker that advises those in search of affection to increase their proximity to the object of same. Good song, but her commercial fortunes were fading. However, she turned those around next year with her album of big band jazz standards, What's New.
37 - "I Need You," Paul Carrack
The British singer had been a member of the bands Ace, Roxy Music, and Squeeze when he scored his first American solo hit with this R&B-styled number that features lines that sort-of-make-sense-but-don't-really like "I need you like a pool needs a cue" and "I need you like a shot needs to shoot." I enjoy that, in an offbeat way.
38 - "Young Love," Air Supply
The Australian AC superduo broke their string of seven straight U.S. Top Fives with this one, which didn't get any higher than its spot this week. Their sappy balladry just wasn't cutting it anymore. We all know what happened next, don't we. Jim Steinman to the rescue!
12/18/1982
31 - "I Do," The J. Geils Band
The Boston rockers followed up the huge success of the Freeze-Frame LP with a live album called Showtime!, which produced this rollicking cover of a 1965 R&B hit by The Marvelows. Sadly, it would be the band's last hit. Singer Peter Wolf left soon left, and the group released one more flop album before calling it quits. They've reunited a few times for live shows, but they haven't made a record in over 25 years.
33 - "Love In Store," Fleetwood Mac
The Mac's third hit from the album Mirage was this uptempo Christine McVie love song in the vein of "Say You Love Me" and "You Make Loving Fun." Not as good as either of those, though.
38 - "Heart Of The Night," Juice Newton
The Juice's sixth pop hit was this midtempo pop song about a couple "stealing love on the run." A little more urgent and edgy than her earlier hits, but apparently this didn't please listeners, because it became her lowest charting single since her big run began with "Angel of The Morning." It might have deserved a slightly better fate.
11/12/1983
29 - Ain't Nobody," Rufus and Chaka Khan
Chaka's last hit with the band she broke through with was this funk-rocker about finding true love. Just grooving goodness.
30 - "In A Big Country," Big Country
The only American hit by this band from Dunfermline, Scotland was this rock anthem about hanging on to your dreams come what may. Among the many things about this song I like is how they made the guitars sound like bagpipes. And you haven't lived until you've sang it accompanied only by piano with a class full of seventh-graders. Or was it eighth?
35 - "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes," Asia
The last pop Top 40 by this prog supergroup was this dull breakup power ballad. A huge drop from the awesomeness that is "Heat of the Moment."
36 "Souls," Rick Springfield
The Springer added to his 80s hit count with this typical rocker about two people falling in love against all odds. The video's kind of fun in a dated way, with the pretentiousness of its museum motif offset by the tackiness of the one band members bright red keytar.
39 - "My Town," The Michael Stanley Band
This Cleveland band had their second and final Top 40 with this meat-and-potatoes rocker about civic pride. Basically, they come off like a better vercion of John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.
Next time - Because it had enough lefovers all by itself, we'll tackle 1984
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