1981 Year-End Album Charts

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Exclusive MFD meta-analysis of the above charts:

1. Hi Infidelity
2. Paradise Theater
3. Double Fantasy
4. Crimes of Passion
5. Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits
6. Moving Pictures
7. The Jazz Singer
8. 4
9. Long Distance Voyager
10. Arc of a Diver

SXM's "40 Cassettes Turning 40" - Part One

So the Classic Rewind (Ch 25) channel on SiriusXM recently ran a listener's poll to determine the best rock album releases of 1981. Poll results were played in a countdown around Labor Day weekend. Here are the results and yes I have beef. Included below is the album's peak position on the Billboard Rock Albums Chart.

Rank	Artist	Album	Chart	Song Played	Notes
40	The Kinks	Give the People What They Want	5	"Destroyer"
39	Triumph	Allied Forces	5	"Fight the Good Fight"
38	The Who	Face Dances	1	"You Better You Bet"
37	Santana	Zebop!	3	"Winning"
36	Eric Clapton	Another Ticket	1	"I Can't Stand It"
35	Pretenders	Pretenders II	11	"Talk of the Town"
34	Sammy Hagar	Standing Hampton	1	"There's Only One Way to Rock"
33	The Moody Blues	Long Distance Voyager	1	"The Voice"
32	Joe Walsh	There Goes the Neighborhood	2	"A Life of Illusion"
31	Rush	Exit...Stage Left	13	"Closer to the Heart"	live album, band also placed at #3

Rank	Artist	Album	Chart	Song Played	Notes
30	Blondie	Best of Blondie	-	"Dreaming"	greatest hits
29	Blue Oyster Cult	Fire of Unknown Origin	6	"Burnin' for You"
28	ZZ Top	El Loco	6	"Pearl Necklace"
27	U2	October	28	"Gloria"
26	Billy Squier	Don't Say No	3	"My Kinda Lover"
25	Journey	Captured	5	"Just the Same Way"	live album, band also placed at #1
24	Billy Joel	Songs in the Attic	15	"Ballad of Billy the Kid"	live album
23	Pat Benatar	Precious Time	2	"Promises in the Dark"
22	Bob Seger	Nine Tonight	4	"Hollywood Nights"	live album
21	Men at Work	Business as Usual	2	"Down Under"	released in US in 1982

Rank	Artist	Album	Chart	Song Played	Notes
20	Tom Petty	Hard Promises	1	"Woman in Love (It's Not Me)"
19	38 Special	Wild-Eyed Southern Boys	8	"Hold On Loosely"
18	Def Leppard	High 'n' Dry	18	"Bringin' on the Heartache"
17	Stevie Nicks	Bella Donna	3	"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"
16	Ozzy Osborne	Diary of a Madman	8	"Over the Mountain"
15	Phil Collins	Face Value	2	"I Missed Again"	Genesis at #9
14	Van Halen	Fair Warning	2	"Mean Street"
13	J. Geils Band	Freeze-Frame	1	"Centerfold"
12	Loverboy	Get Lucky	3	"When It's Over"
11	The Police	Ghost in the Machine	2	"Every Little Thing She Does is Magic"

Rank	Artist	Album	Chart	Song Played	Notes
10	Joan Jett	I Love Rock 'n Roll	2	"Crimson and Clover"
9	Genesis	Abacab	1	"No Reply at All"	Phil Collins at #15
8	The Rolling Stones	Tattoo You	1	"Hang Fire"
7	Styx	Paradise Theatre	1	"Rockin' the Paradise"
6	Queen	Greatest Hits	11	"Don't Stop Me Now"	greatest hits, track not on US release
5	AC/DC	For Those About to Rock...	3	"Let's Get It Up"
4	The Cars	Shake It Up	2	"Shake It Up" & "Since You're Gone"
3	Rush	Moving Pictures	4	"Limelight" & "YYZ"	band also placed at #31
2	Foreigner	4	1	"Juke Box Hero" & "Waiting for a Girl Like You"
1	Journey	Escape	1	"Don't Stop Believin'" & "Who's Cryin' Now"	band also placed at #25

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So what would the countdown look like if I was in charge? Well, as much as I like Songs in the Attic, I don't think live albums should be on such a chart. And even though I absolutely adore Queen's Greatest Hits album, I don't believe 'best of' compilations have any place here, either. Tune in later this week for my version of the list. 

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Top Albums of February 16, 1980

A look at the top ten albums in music industry magazines the week of February 16, 1980. Something for everyone here: prog rock, disco, R&B, soft rock, country, and plain ol' rock 'n' roll:

	Billboard	CashBox	Record World
1	The Wall Pink Floyd	The Wall Pink Floyd	The Wall Pink Floyd
2	Damn the Torpedoes Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers	Damn the Torpedoes Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers	Off the Wall Michael Jackson
3	Off the Wall Michael Jackson	Off the Wall Michael Jackson	The Long Run Eagles
4	The Long Run Eagles	The Long Run Eagles	On the Radio Greatest Hits Vols 1 & 2 Donna Summer
5	Phoenix Dan Fogelberg	Phoenix Dan Fogelberg	Damn the Torpedoes Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
6	Kenny Kenny Rogers	On the Radio Greatest Hits Vols 1 & 2 Donna Summer	Phoenix Dan Fogelberg
7	On the Radio Greatest Hits Vols 1 & 2 Donna Summer	Kenny Kenny Rogers	Kenny Kenny Rogers
8	Tusk Fleetwood Mac	Cornerstone Styx	Cornerstone Styx
9	Cornerstone Styx	Tusk Fleetwood Mac	In Through the Out Door Led Zeppelin
10	September Morn Neil Diamond	Freedom at Point Zero Jefferson Starship	Freedom at Point Zero Jefferson Starship

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Exclusive MFD meta-analysis of the above charts:

1. The Wall(30 pts)
2. Off the Wall (25 pts)
3. Damn the Torpedoes (24 pts)
4. The Long Run (23 pts)
5. Phoenix (17 pts)
6. On the Radio (16 pts)
7. Kenny (13 pts)
8. Cornerstone (8 pts)
9. Tusk (5 pts)
10. (tie) Freedom at Point Zero and In Through the Out Door (2 pts)
12. September Morn (1 pt)

MFD Not-So-Random Five #12

In which I select five songs from 1976-1985 based on an arbitrary theme. (Not to be confused with this blog's Random Five feature, a different exercise in arbitrariness). Today's theme: songs that include the word "snow" in the title.

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1. "I Sit in the Snow" by Andy Partridge (1980, Virgin)
   This cut is an experimental reconstruction of XTC music that I'll just call "interesting" and leave it at that. But I'll be doggone if it doesn't kinda grow on you by the end.


2. "Snowbird Fantasy" by Bob James (1980, Tappan Zee)
   The lead track from James' "H" album, it starts off in a New Age vein, but eventually settles into a Latin-flavored groove with a mess of horn licks. Reminds me Earl Klugh's stuff from that time period, except the acoustic guitar solo comes from Bruce Dunlap. It's about 90 seconds too long, but I can't say I don't like it.
   


3. "Rider in the Snow" by The Cult (1984, Beggar's Banquet)
   A deep cut from the group's debut album. Not fully formed with their own thing, we're nonetheless treated to the characteristic sounds of Ian Asbury's voice and Billy Duffy's guitar doing it's best U2 imitation. The lyrics are shite.  


4. "Snowblind" by Styx (1981, A&M)
   One of the edgier cuts on Paradise Theater, this tune about cocaine addiction gives us a tasty guitar solo from James Young. As a 14 year old knucklehead in 1981, I didn't know from cocaine and thought this song was about actual snow blindness (photokeratitis), so there ya go.


5. "Snow Girl" by Haircut 100 (1982, Arista)
   Fantastic track from one of my all-time favorite albums, Pelican West. Nick Heyward writes one in the vein of the early Beatles. I could listen to this feelgood tune all day long and just might.

Top Singles of July '83

Let's take a look at what was topping the various singles charts July 8 & 9, 1983.

	Billboard	CashBox	Radio & Records
1	"Every Breath You Take" The Police	"Electric Avenue" Eddy Grant	"Every Breath You Take" The Police
2	"Electric Avenue" Eddy Grant	"Every Breath You Take" The Police	"Electric Avenue" Eddy Grant
3	"Flashdance...What a Feeling" Irene Cara	"Flashdance...What a Feeling" Irene Cara	"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" Michael Jackson
4	"Never Gonna Let You Go" Sergio Mendes	"Time (Clock of the Heart)" Culture Club	"Flashdance...What a Feeling" Irene Cara
5	"Too Shy" Kajagoogoo	"Let's Dance" David Bowie	"Our House" Madness
6	"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" Michael Jackson	"Never Gonna Let You Go" Sergio Mendes	"Come Dancing" The Kinks
7	"Time (Clock of the Heart)" Culture Club	"Too Shy" Kajagoogoo	"Stand Back" Stevie Nicks
8	"Come Dancing" The Kinks	"Always Something There to Remind Me" Naked Eyes	"I'm Still Standing" Elton John
9	"Don't Let It End" Styx	"She's a Beauty" The Tubes	"Never Gonna Let You Go" Sergio Mendes
10	"Our House" Madness	"Beat It" Michael Jackson	"Is There Something I Should Know?" Duran Duran

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Exclusive MFD meta-analysis of the above charts:

1. "Every Breath You Take" (29 pts)
2. "Electric Avenue" (28 pts)
3. "Flashdance...What a Feeling" (23 pts)
4. "Never Gonna Let You Go" (14 pts)
5. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (13 pts)
6. "Time (Clock of the Heart)" (11 pts)
7. "Too Shy" (10 pts)
8. "Come Dancing" (8 pts)
9. "Our House" (7 pts)
10. "Let's Dance" (6 pts)
11. "Stand Back" (4 pts)
12. "Always Something There to Remind Me" (3 pts)
13. "I'm Still Standing" (3 pts)
14. "Don't Let It End" (2 pts)
15. "She's a Beauty" (2 pts)
16. "Beat It" (1 pt)
17. "Is There Something I Should Know?" (1 pt)

Top Albums of April 1978

Let's take a look at what was topping the various album charts on April 8, 1978.

	Billboard	CashBox	Record World
1	Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack	Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack	Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack
2	Slowhand Eric Clapton	Even Now Barry Manilow	Even Now Barry Manilow
3	Even Now Barry Manilow	Slowhand Eric Clapton	Running on Empty Jackson Browne
4	The Stranger Billy Joel	The Stranger Billy Joel	Slowhand Eric Clapton
5	Aja Steely Dan	Running on Empty Jackson Browne	Point of Know Return Kansas
6	Weekend in L.A. George Benson	Weekend in L.A. George Benson	The Stranger Billy Joel
7	Point of Know Return Kansas	Aja Steely Dan	Aja Steely Dan
8	Running on Empty Jackson Browne	Point of Know Return Kansas	News of the World Queen
9	Earth Jefferson Starship	Earth Jefferson Starship	Rumours Fleetwood Mac
10	The Grand Illusion Styx	News of the World Queen	Weekend in L.A. George Benson

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Exclusive MFD meta-analysis of the above charts:

1. Saturday Night Fever (30 pts)
2. Even Now (26 pts)
3. Slowhand (24 pts)
4. The Stranger (17 pts)
5. Running on Empty (17 pts)
6. Aja (14 pts)
7. Point of Know Return (13 pts)
8. Weekend in L.A. (11 pts)
9. Earth (4 pts)
10. News of the World (4 pts)

AT40, February 16, 1980 [Part 1 of 4]

Let's take a look at the American Top 40 episode for February 16, 1980 track by track:

As was the custom back then, Casey starts the show by playing the top three songs from the preceding week: "Coward of the County" by Kenny Rogers, "Do That to Me One More Time" by Captain & Tennille, and "Rock with You" by Michael Jackson. So we haven't even begun the countdown and we've been treated to three different genres - what a great reminder of what the Top 40 format was at the time.  Then it's on with the countdown:

#40: "I Can't Help Myself" by Bonnie Pointer. The first of four debut songs on this week's AT40, this is a cover of a Four Tops tune with a distracting disco backbeat.

#39: "Let Me Go, Love" by Nicolette Larson. This is some fantastic soft-rock that deserved more airplay than it got. And even though Casey never mentions his name, this is a duet with Michael McDonald, who wrote the tune. Smooth.

Listener question: "What is the highest debuting song in the rock era?" Casey teases that it was the one of the last releases from one of the biggest acts ever. Details coming up.

#38: "Special Lady'" by Ray, Goodman & Brown. By a vocal group formerly known as The Moments. This thing's a soulful favorite.  Bought the 45.  Can sing all the different parts.  Love the a cappella part fade out. It deserves a close listen as there's a lot of good stuff going on in the arrangement.

Answer to above question: "Let It Be" by The Beatles debuted at #6 in 1970. Casey answers the question, but doesn't play so much as a clip of the tune. "Now, on with the countdown:"

#37: "Give It All You Got" by Chuck Mangione. This piece isn't nearly as good as Mangione's earlier single, "Feels So Good."  Bad melody, poor phrasing, unimaginative solos, but at least it's got a funk-lite groove underneath that holds it all together.  Of course, none of this mattered to me at the time - I ran right out and bought the album immediately upon release and wore out the grooves. The song was written for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid NY and was debuting on AT40 this week. When was the last time a jazz instrumental charted? Kenny G with "Songbird" in '87?

#36: "Lost Her in the Sun" by John Stewart. After mentioning a connection between Stewart and Zappa, Casey plays this mediocre tune.  I prefer Stewart's earlier hit "Gold" but not by much.  Produced by Lindsey Buckingham, this sounds like a bad Fleetwood Mac track. This would make it only to #34 in its 4 weeks in the Top 40.

Casey teases a Long Distance Dedication "from a lawyer in Indiana to the woman he says saved his life fourteen years ago."

#35: "Why Me" by Styx.  This might be my favorite Styx tune. I didn't buy many 45 singles, but I rode my bike down to the local Radio Shack to pick up this one. The reason: that chord progression over an ostinato bass in the chorus.  Evidently, the choice of this cut as a single caused a spat between Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw, but what didn't? This song would peak at #26, breaking a streak of top ten hits for the band.

Long Distance Dedication: "Just You and I" by Melissa Manchester (#27, 1976).

Dear Casey, many years ago in my adolescence, I had the urge to go out on my own. At 17, I left Connecticut for California to spend the summer there. As much as I laugh about it now, it was very painful to realize then that I was a failure at being on my own. I had no job, no way of getting money. I had no friends and I felt helpless and at the mercy of the big city. I turned to petty theft then I got in with a rough gang who supported my stealing. To top it all off, I began doing hard drugs. To say the least, my life could have taken a violent turn.

But one day as I was walking alone on a beach, tormented in mind, a young girl came up to me and said I looked worried. She was the first warm, understanding human being I had met since leaving home. Her name was Kim. I poured out my feelings and she listened intently. Every day we met and walked along the shore. Three weeks later, I admitted myself to a hospital and received the help I needed. All because she gave me the courage to fight for my sanity.

At the end of summer, I returned to Connecticut and my parents never knew of the trauma I had gone through. I wrote to Kim every week and we vowed to keep in touch. But one day, my letter came back; she had moved away. I knew I'd never see her again. Since then, I've become a lawyer, I have a wonderful marriage of 7 years, and 2 beautiful children. I have everything a man of 31 could want and I know I owe it all to a sweet young friend who got my head together and gave me the love to help me grow up. The song "Just You and I" reminds me of Kim and how she felt about me. I dedicate it to her, wherever she is now. My name is Richard, but she would know me as Dutch.

I've long maintained that all LDD letters were re-written to meet a specific format that included a high level of sympathy pandering through the use of melodramatic run-on sentences. The above letter is a good example of the boilerplate I'm alleging the AT40 staff used. I also allege that they fabricated letters, but that accusation can wait for another time.

#34: "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar. I'll be honest, I thought this tune was a Heart tune when I was 13 years old. I'm not a big Benatar fan, but this is by far her best tune.

AT40 Archives: "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder.   At the time, Casey was counting down the #1 songs of the 1970's, so we're treated to three #1's from 1970 during this countdown; this is the first. From May 1977, this was the 199th number one single of the decade. God bless Stevie Wonder.

--end of hour one--

#33: "99" by Toto. Recently, I was having a text conversation with a longtime reader of this blog when I realized that, no matter how much I love the Toto IV album, this is my pick for my favorite Toto song. And hearing it here only confirms my decision. The tune only spent 8 weeks in the Top 40, peaking at #26. It deserved better. This song always reminds me of a 8th grade ski trip during spring break (the only time I've ever snow skied).  Pro tip: listen to the 5+ minute album version always.

#32: "We Don't Talk Anymore" by Cliff Richard. Now we're cookin'! This was the very first single to be featured on this blog.

Listener question: "Which song titles containing the names of famous people have hit #1 in the rock era?" Casey states there are five singles that meet the criteria. Details coming up.

#31: "I Wanna Be Your Lover" by Prince. One of the most perfect R&B/disco/dance tunes of 1979, excepting anything by Nile Rodgers (side note: how awesome would a Prince & Nile Rodgers collaboration have been? Mind-boggling.). I'm sure this song was my first exposure to Prince, as was the case for many. It was falling down the chart on this show, but had peaked at #11 back on January 26. For the record, it also hit #1 R&B and #2 Disco).

Answer to listener question: "Which song titles containing the names of famous people have hit #1 in the rock era?" Casey lists the following: 

1. Beethoven ("A Fifth of Beethoven" by Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band, 1976)
2. Duke Ellington ("Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder, 1977)
3. Davy Crockett ("The Ballad of Davy Crockett" by Bill Hayes, 1955)
4. George Custer ("Please Mr. Custer" by Larry Verne, 1960)
5. King Henry VIII ("I'm Henry VIII, I Am" by Herman's Hermits, 1965)

Billboard, February 16, 1980, p.  94

More to come...

MFD Random Five #21

In which I click the shuffle icon on the iTunes app and listen to the first five songs that pop up from the years 1976-85.

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1. "Hot Number" by Foxy (1979, Dash)
   A rehash of the group's earlier hit, "Get Off," and I don't mind a bit. In fact, I prefer the horn charts on this one.


2. "That's Love" by Jim Capaldi (1983, Asylum)
   A soft rock tune that mighta been a bigger hit about 3 years earlier. As it is, it hit #28 pop but inexplicably didn't make the Adult Contemporary chart (ed.- friend o' the blog, Dirk Digglinator correctly submits that it spent 4 weeks at #3 on the AC chart. Mea culpa). Could have been a bonus track from Steve Winwood's Arc of a Diver album, but that's only because Winwood produced and contributed an immediately recognizable synth solo. On a related note, the video stars a young Eric Bogosian apparently being stalked by Capaldi and Winwood.


3. "Why Me" by Styx (1979, A&M)
   I have a confession: this might be my favorite Styx tune. I didn't buy many 45 singles, but I rode my bike down to the local Radio Shack to pick up this one. The reason: that chord progression over an ostinato bass in the chorus. Evidently, the choice of this cut as a single caused a spat between Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw, but what didn't?


4. "Bahama Mama" by Billy Cobham, Steve Khan, Alphonso Johnson and Tom Scott (1978, Columbia)
   From the wonderfully titled live album, Alivemutherforya. Recommended. Johnson wrote this fusion tune, which comes off as more melodic mix of Weather Report and Jeff Beck. Khan and Johnson both rip off a sweet solos while Cobham lays waste to his kit. Scott opts for his lyricon instead of sax, which unfortunately dates this tune, but no matter - it's still good.


5. "Twilight" by E.L.O. (1981, Jet)
   This single barely dented the Top 40 at #38, but back in 1981-82, I listened to the Time album a good deal (more than it probably deserved - it needed more 12 string guitar) before abandoning the group's new releases until 2001. Nonetheless, this is one of the better tracks from that album.

Promo posters as seen on "WKRP in Cincinnati" #8

Albums: Styx - Pieces of Eight (A&M, 1978), Starbuck - Searching for a Thrill (United Artists, 1978) , L.T.D. - Togetherness (A&M, 1978), Van Halen - self-titled (Warner Bros., 1978), Neil Young - Comes a Time (Reprise, 1978)
Episode: Season 1, Episode 21, "Fish Story"
Original air date: Monday, May 28, 1979