Promo posters as seen on "WKRP in Cincinnati" #30

Albums: Elvis Costello - Trust (Columbia, 1981), Joe Walsh - There Goes the Neighborhood (Asylum, 1981), Peter Tosh - Wanted Dread & Alive (EMI America, 1981), Stiff Records (1980, see below), The Clash - The Clash (CBS, 1977), The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You (Warner/Atlantic, 1981), The Tubes - The Completion Backward Principle (Capitol, 1981)
Episode:  Season 4, Episode 1, "An Explosive Affair: Part 1"
Original air date: Wednesday, October 7, 1981

Bonus: visible album jacket is RocKihnRoll by The Greg Kihn Band (Beserkley, 1981). The song playing under this scene is "Can't Stop Hurting Myself" which is track 4 on the album.

Random album ad #50

Asia - Astra (1985)

MFD Random Five #26

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. "Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang" by Silver (1976, Arista)
   Starting off this random five with a one-hit wonder from a California country-rock band. Not bad for an obvious Eagles knock-off. I could do without the aggressive string hits in the chorus, but it's fairly catchy otherwise. I'm reminded of summer trips to the pool in the summer of '76 with the AM radio blaring.


2. "Tumble and Twirl (Extended Dance Mix)" by David Bowie (1984, EMI America)
   I like the Tonight album better than most and this song is in the top half of the tunes on it. The extended mix doesn't do much to the album version (except inexcusably removing some sweet background vocals and move the drums up front in the mix), but that's okay as the driving original version is good on its own. The bridge is shite but the tasty horn parts in the chorus more than make up for it.


3. "Words" by Missing Persons (1982, Capitol)
   Great new wave tune that somehow missed the Top 40, but I was watching more MTV than listening to the radio by this time. Probably the first tune I heard from the group, back when Dale Bozzio's quirky vocal tics were entertaining. A friend had given me his copy of Spring Session M and I quickly learned why he gave it away - other than the singles, the filler was wretched. But I still appreciate Warren Cuccurullo's guitar work here and love the way Dale says "But it's less than nowhere now..."


4. "One Lonely Night" by REO Speedwagon (1984, Epic)
   I'm not the biggest REO Speedwagon fan, usually calling them REO Journeywagon or OREO Chuckwagon or some such mockery. As such, I don't remember this tune too well. I dig the chorus and bridge, but there's not much to the verse, the guitar solo is rather generic, and the ending totally exposes Kevin Cronin's vocal limitations.


5. "Send Her My Love" by Journey (1983, Columbia)
   Speaking of the Journeywagon. By '83, I considered myself too cool to listen to Journey, so I didn't give this one much of a chance when I probably should have. It's a good tune, not great, but Steve Perry and Neil Schon bring the goods despite mediocre material.

Counting down the Top 77 of '77: Singles #10 - 1

A breakdown of my top singles from 1977

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How Deep is Your Love

Bee Gees

Weeks in Hot 100: 33

Peaked: December 24

Album: Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track (RSO)

U.S. charts:
Hot 100	1
Adult Contemporary	1
R&B	1
Dance	4

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Maybe I'm Amazed

Wings

Weeks in Hot 100: 13

Peaked: April 2

Album: Wings Over America (Capitol)

U.S. charts:
Hot 100	10
Adult Contemporary	9

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Sir Duke

Stevie Wonder
Weeks in Hot 100: 17

Peaked: May 21

Album: Songs in the Key of Life (Tamla)

U.S. charts:
Hot 100	1
Adult Contemporary	13
R&B	10

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Best of My Love

Emotions

Weeks in Hot 100: 23

Peaked: August 20

Album: Rejoice (Columbia)

U.S. charts:
Hot 100	1
Adult Contemporary	1

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I Feel Love

Donna Summer

Weeks in Hot 100: 23

Peaked: November 12

Album: I Remember Yesterday (Casablanca)

U.S. charts:
Hot 100	6
Adult Contemporary	18

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Lido Shuffle

Boz Scaggs

Weeks in Hot 100: 17

Peaked: May 14

Album: Silk Degrees (CBS)

U.S. charts:
Hot 100	11
Adult Contemporary	18
R&B	23

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I Wish

Stevie Wonder

Weeks in Hot 100: 17

Peaked: January 22

Album: Songs in the Key of Life (Tamla)

U.S. charts:
Hot 100	1
Adult Contemporary	12
R&B	1

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The Things We Do For Love

10cc

Weeks in Hot 100: 19

Peaked: April 16

Album: Deceptive Bends (Mercury)

U.S. charts:
Hot 100	5
Adult Contemporary	1

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Dancing Queen

Abba

Weeks in Hot 100: 22

Peaked: April 9

Album: Arrival (Atlantic)

U.S. charts:
Hot 100	1
R&B	1

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Don't Leave Me This Way

Thelma Houston

Weeks in Hot 100: 24

Peaked: April 23

Album: Any Way You Like It (Motown)

U.S. charts:
Hot 100	1
Adult Contemporary	1

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All chart positions are peak positions from Billboard charts. These are my personal top 77 singles of those that peaked on the Billboard charts in 1977. The list is solely my opinion. Using Joel Whitburn's book, Pop Annual 1955-1999, I started with the 469 singles that peaked on Billboard Magazine's Hot 100 chart in 1977. An initial pass through that list narrowed it down to about 100 tunes, then listening, ranking, and editing began. The top 77 are presented here, in order.

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Counting down the Top 77 of '77: Singles #30 - 11

A breakdown of my top singles from 1977

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	Title	Artist	Pop	AC	R&B	Disco
30	"It's Sad to Belong"	England Dan & John Ford Coley	21	1
29	"Walk This Way"	Aerosmith	10
28	"Cold as Ice"	Foreigner	6
27	"I Wanna Get Next to You"	Rose Royce	10	9	3
26	"Long Time"	Boston	22
25	"Carry On Wayward Son"	Kansas	11
24	"Jet Airliner"	Steve Miller Band	8
23	"Go Your Own Way"	Fleetwood Mac	10	45
22	"Feels Like the First Time"	Foreigner	4
21	"Undercover Angel"	Alan O'Day	1	31

	Title	Artist	Pop	AC	R&B	Disco
20	"Don't Stop"	Fleetwood Mac	3	22
19	"Do Ya"	Electric Light Orchestra	24
18	"Back in Love Again"	L.T.D.	4		1	19
17	"Lonely Boy"	Andrew Gold	7	38
16	"Jungle Love"	Steve Miller Band	23
15	"Year of the Cat"	Al Stewart	8	8
14	"Whatcha Gonna Do?"	Pablo Cruise	6
13	"Strawberry Letter 23"	The Brothers Johnson	5	38	1
12	"Got to Give It Up (Pt. 1)"	Marvin Gaye	1		1	1
11	"Life in the Fast Lane"	Eagles	11

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All chart positions are peak positions from Billboard charts. These are my personal top 77 singles of those that peaked on the Billboard charts in 1977. The list is solely my opinion. Using Joel Whitburn's book, Pop Annual 1955-1999, I started with the 469 singles that peaked on Billboard Magazine's Hot 100 chart in 1977. An initial pass through that list narrowed it down to about 100 tunes, then listening, ranking, and editing began. The top 77 are presented here, in order.