One of many number one hits for The Fab Four, and it's not our highest charting song from The Beatles on this countdown, but I think this may be one of three "quintessential" Beatle tunes.
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" is solidly the song that, in my view, best represents the "invasion" period, the early music of the Fab Four. Today's song, even with it topping the charts in mid-1964, provides a few clues (the bridge, the fade ending, the one-note opening) that winds of change were coming, not only to Beatle music, but to American society as well.
Then, I believe "Hey Jude" is the definitive song of the later Beatle years. That's just personal opinion, and there are many songs others may point to as well. That's the great thing about doing a countdown like this. I get the chance to offer you my musical tapestry of my first 50 years, and you can chime in as well! :)
Here's John, Paul, George, and Ringo with their fifth contribution to the Top 500 with, yet again, another number one hit. :)
We haven't heard from Pat in about five months, but the former singer/waitress in Richmond some years ago returns with a song from her "Precious Time" LP. Actually, the title track from this album was under consideration for the countdown for a time.
Today's song was the second single from the album, following "Fire and Ice". Great, almost intense pacing on this song, which features the unbelievable range of Benatar, not just in octaves, but in styles, too.
Benatar has five total tracks in our Top 500, so we'll hear from her again, and again before it's all over. From the Fall of 1981, here's a song classic rock radio should play a lot more often, "Promises In The Dark".
One year to the day before my wife and I, well, became husband and wife, longtime Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm began his single professional life, releasing "Ready Or Not". Today's song hit the top of the rock charts and made it all the way to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This is simply a solid song, from start to finish. No weak points whatsoever, among the best of the "rock" singles of the latter part of the 1980's. Nothing else need be said. Hit play before and rock on with Lou. :)
We begin the Top 300 with a song "good enough" to be the fourth single from Blondie's album "Parallel Lines".
Historically, in radio speak, you spend endless hours with a new album debating what the first single sent to radio ahead of the album's release should be (I know, everything's different in the digital age, but let's talk 1979 here....) in order to create the best buzz for sales. In my years in Christian radio, I thought my colleagues in Nashville got it right most of the time, but occasionally I would get an advance copy of a new release, listen to it, and find a song I thought would work best as the first single, but it wasn't chosen.
Normally, by the time you hit the fourth single, it's over a quick lunch on a day you're focused on a new release coming in six months, i.e., there's not nearly the energy poured into the decision. Sometimes the singles are all laid out in advance, and not others.
Now, here we are, 37 years later, and countless millions of people worldwide know this song by its first five beats, and can sing along with the long fade out. It only peaked on the charts at #24, kind of disappointing in that it was the follow-up single to a little tune called "Heart of Glass", but today, you're just as likely to hear "One Way Or Another" on the radio as you are that aforementioned #1 song.
Being a song that's "marketable", which means, "hey, this will make a great song to build our commercial around", or "hey, we could use this song as the credits roll at the end of our motion picture", doesn't hurt either. :)
We finish out the first 200 songs in our Top 500 countdown today with a hidden gem from my high school years.
It's the second and final appearance for Kim in our countdown, and though, yes, this song could be found guilty on the charge of unnecessary repetition, it's still a really fun sing-a-long, especially if you haven't heard it in a long, long time.
Carnes grabbed a Grammy nomination in early 1984 for this song, which was a disappointment on the charts, peaking at #40. As you've probably noted by now if you've followed our countdown for any length of time, my favorite song from an artist, in most circumstances, is not one of their biggest hits.
"Invisible Hands" is below, as is the list of our first two hundred songs. It's hard to believe, but the Top 300 begins tomorrow with one of the most popular hits for a great group of the late 70s and early 80s that has enjoyed renewed lives on several occasions thanks to movie and commercial appearances. :)
301) Invisible Hands--Kim Carnes (1983)
302) Blue Morning, Blue Day--Foreigner (1978)
303) Desiree--Neil Diamond (1977)
304) Rush Hour--Jane Wiedlin (1988)
305) Charm The Snake--Christopher Cross (1985)
306) Cool Jerk--The Go-Go’s (1982)
307) Little Brown Jug--Glenn Miller (1939)
308) It Doesn’t Matter Anymore--Linda Ronstadt (1974)
309) Stay The Night--Benjamin Orr (1986)
310) Destroyer--The Kinks (1981)
311) Golden Years--David Bowie (1975)
312) Theme From “Angie” (Different Worlds)--Maureen McGovern (1979)
313) One Less Set of Footsteps--Jim Croce (1973)
314) Tijuana Taxi--Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass (1965)
315) So This Is Love?--Van Halen (1981)
316) Modern Woman--Billy Joel (1986)
317) Smokin’--Boston (1976)
318) I’m Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight--Atlanta Rhythm Section (1978)
319) Say It With Love--The Moody Blues (1991)
320) Money For Nothing--Dire Straits (1985)
321) My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)--Chilliwack (1981)
322) Old Days--Chicago (1975)
323) I Don’t Care Anymore--Phil Collins (1983)
324) I’m Alive--Electric Light Orchestra (1980)
325) Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon/I’m In Love With My Car--Queen (1976)
326) Stutter--Maroon 5 (2010)
327) I Heard A Rumour--Bananarama (1987)
328) Tarzan Boy--Baltimora (1985)
329) Driver’s Seat--Sniff ‘n The Tears (1979)
330) So Good--B.O.B. (2012)
331) Backwards--Rascal Flatts (2006)
332) We Just Disagree--Dave Mason (1977)
333) I’m OK--Styx (1978)
334) Home By The Sea/Second Home By The Sea--Genesis (1983)
335) Watching and Waiting--The Moody Blues (1969)
336) Something About You--Level 42 (1986)
337) Rock N’ Roll Music--The Beatles (1964)
338) Is There Something I Should Know?--Duran Duran (1983)
339) One Piece At A Time--Johnny Cash (1976)
340) Girlfriend--Avril Lavigne (2007)
341) Could It Be Magic--Barry Manilow (1975)
342) Magic--Pilot (1975)
343) If I Can’t Have You--Yvonne Elliman (1978)
344) I Want Ya--The Knack (1980)
345) Carolina In My Mind--James Taylor (1968)
346) Wildest Dreams--Asia (1982)
347) When Will I Be Loved--Linda Ronstadt (1975)
348) Ol’ 55--The Eagles (1974)
349) Love On Your Side--Thompson Twins (1983)
350) CBS NFL Theme (1990-1992)
351) Ballerina--Nat King Cole (1957)
352) Hello Again--The Cars (1984)
353) On The Western Skyline--Bruce Hornsby (1986)
354) Walk Like An Egyptian--The Bangles (1986)
355) Johnny Can’t Read--Don Henley (1982)
356) April In Paris--Count Basie (1956)
357) Arrow Through Me--Paul McCartney & Wings (1979)
358) CBS Major League Baseball Theme (1990-1993)
359) I Get Weak--Belinda Carlisle (1987)
360) I Feel Fine--The Beatles (1964)
361) Draw Of The Cards--Kim Carnes (1981)
362) Groove Line--Heatwave (1978)
363) Lady--Styx (1973)
364) Owner Of A Lonely Heart--Yes (1983)
365) Ballroom Blitz--Sweet (1975)
366) 65 Love Affair--Paul Davis (1981)
367) You and Me--The Moody Blues (1972)
368) What a Wonderful World--Art Garfunkel (etc.) (1978)
369) Ebony Eyes--Bob Welch (1977)
370) Got To Be Real--Cheryl Lynn (1978)
371) Tell Her About It--Billy Joel (1983)
372) I’ll Fall In Love Again--Sammy Hagar (1982)
373) Workin’ At The Car Wash Blues--Jim Croce (1973)
374) Papa Don’t Preach--Madonna (1986)
375) Never Can Say Goodbye--Gloria Gaynor (1975)
376) I Won’t Last A Day Without You--Carpenters (1972)
377) The Shape You’re In--Eric Clapton (1983)
378) Red Skies--The Fixx (1982)
379) The Goonies R’ Good Enough--Cyndi Lauper (1985)
380) My Hometown--Bruce Springsteen (1984)
381) Digging Your Scene--The Blow Monkeys (1986)
382) Nicole--Point Blank (1981)
383) Dragon Attack--Queen (1980)
384) Daybreak--Barry Manilow (1977 Live Version)
385) Upside Down--Diana Ross (1980)
386) Carolina In The Pines--Michael Murphey (1975)
387) Around The Dial--The Kinks (1981)
388) Don’t Tell Me You Love Me--Night Ranger (1982)
389) Every Time I Think Of You--The Babys (1978)
390) A Thousand Miles--Vanessa Carlton (2002)
391) Let’s Go Crazy--Prince and the Revolution (1984)
392) Cool Change--Little River Band (1979)
393) Mexico--James Taylor (1975)
394) Can You Read My Mind--Maureen McGovern (1978)
395) Pick Up The Pieces--Average White Band (1974)
396) Got To Get You Into My Life--The Beatles (1966)
397) Calling All Angels--Train (2003)
398) Wrap Her Up--Elton John (w/George Michael) (1985)
The group "Foreigner" had a very interesting career, arriving on the scene in a big way in 1977 with their self-titled debut album which delivered the monster hits, "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold As Ice", songs you'll still hear on the radio now, 39 years later.
But did you know they only had one #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, and it would take another seven plus years to get it? After both "Double Vision" and "Waiting For A Girl Like You" both peaked at #2 in 1978 and 1981 respectively, it would be early 1985 when "I Want To Know What Love Is" finally gave Lou Gramm and company that number one hit.
But rock history has certainly overlooked that little fact, giving them the accolades they deserve, and for good reason, it is their music which has certainly stood the test of time thus far. Gramm's unmistakable lead vocals, a signature sound. Those are key ingredients in being very popular in your prime, and still popular decades later.
Today's song was the third single from their second album, "Double Vision" and peaked at #15. It's three minutes packed with Foreigner. Can't put it much better than that. :)
It's kind of hard to believe that, from all the hits Neil Diamond had in his illustrious career, he only had two solo songs top the Billboard Hot 100.
Let me know if you know them. Yeah, Google if ya want. :) :)
Today's song is not one of them, but it's my favorite Neil Diamond tune, signaling that his second song is his last contribution to our countdown. Released late in 1977 and peaking at #16 in February, 1978, which would be my fifth grade year, "Desiree" tells the story of a young man who spends a little bit of time with, well, an older woman who apparently made quite the impression on him.
I just like the tune, the chorus is really fun to sing along with, in the car, by yourself (how many times have I said that??), and, all these years later, it makes me think of a friend and former co-worker who used the name as her radio name during her time here in the River City. :)
On a related note, there's nothing autobiographical to this song for me. :) :)
We've had The Go-Go's on the countdown (again, just a couple of days ago), Belinda Carlisle, and now Jane Wiedlin.
As they approach the final concert of what the group says its their "farewell tour" next week in Los Angeles, we look today at the biggest solo hit for the group's rhythm guitarist and backup singer.
Wiedlin first released a solo project in 1985, just a year after The Go-Go's released their third and final album in their original run. Three years later came the project, "Fur", and from that comes today's song.
It got a spot in the film, "License To Drive" that year as well. The song definitely links to the historic sound of The Go-Go's, but gives Wiedlin the spotlight that, at the time, she definitely deserved.
What do Jane and I have in common? We're both wedding officiants. :)
Oh, and Jane's not done. Certainly we'll get more from The Go-Go's, but, spoiler alert, she'll be back with idols from her childhood, too, later in the countdown. :)
When you think of Christopher Cross, your mind normally goes to "Sailing", "Arthur's Theme", or maybe you're cool enough to give him props for the more upbeat "Ride Like The Wind", which, in 1980, was actually his first hit.
But by 1985, Cross, and some other successful artists of the early part of the decade, were struggling as "The MTV Effect", for lack of a better term, had taken hold. It was Madonna, Duran Duran, Michael Jackson, Huey Lewis now. And due to early ballad success, Cross' name became something he had to overcome rather than utilize.
Which is a shame, because my favorite Christopher Cross song came out in the aforementioned year from his "Every Turn Of The World" LP. But it only reached #68 on the Billboard Top 100, and he would only see the Adult Contemporary Top 40 once more the following year with the song "Loving Strangers" from the movie soundtrack to "Nothing In Common".
Some of you probably have never heard this song, and a few of you may have the recesses of your musical mind jarred today. Take four minutes, and enjoy a hidden gem in "Charm The Snake".
Toda we feature yet another cover song here on the Top 500 countdown, though this time not one from the 19th Century like yesterday's.
From their second album, "Vacation", comes The Go-Go's version of a 1960's tune originally recorded by The Capitols fifty years ago. Their version had much success, peaking at #7 on Billboard Hot 100, and #2 on the R&B charts.
A decade and a half later, here comes a new version that pays nice homage to the original. Nearly a decade later, the group re-recorded the song and released it as a single.
But it's the original remake from 1982 that we dig, and thus place below, for our song for the day!
By the way, this is the second of five appearances on the countdown by The Go-Go's. :)
The great Glenn Miller took a song that, at the time, was 70 years old, and completely made it into his own, while, at the same time, creating one of the signature sounds from what is commonly known as "The Big Band Era" from the early 1930's through the late 1940's.
"Big Band" was hand in hand with the "Swing" era, which owes much to many musical formats. But it's crazy to think our song today saw its origins a mere four years after the end of The Civil War.
"Little Brown Jug", not surprisingly, was a drinking song, and was a part of the American folk music scene for years. Then Miller took it and made history with it as the world descended into war.
Eight years after his disappearance and presumed death during World War II, Universal Pictures released the terrific film, "The Glenn Miller Story", starring Jimmy Stewart as Miller and June Allyson as his wife. If you're never seen it, do it. It is an absolute classic.
Side story: I was so keyed up for Robbie's high school graduation in June, 2010, I never slept the night before. Before the sun rose on his commencement day from Hermitage, "The Glenn Miller Story" came on TV and I finally took the time to watch it. Needless to say, the first tears I cried on that momentous day was from watching the film. Call it a dress rehearsal for later in the day. :)
I'm sure that, back in 1987, I was the only 20 year-old riding around Richmond, Virginia with a Best of Glenn Miller cassette blaring out of my 1979 Chevette. For me, he's the first figure I think of when thinking of the "Big Band" sound.
Here comes a song that sounds pretty darn good for age 147!
It spent nearly a year on the charts, Linda Ronstadt's great album, "Heart Like A Wheel", from 1974, containing hits like "When Will I Be Loved" and "You're No Good", both of which became Ronstadt staples.
But also on the album is this song, written by Paul Anka and originally performed by Buddy Holly. His version released just after New Year's 1959, and less than a month before Holly perished on "The Day The Music Died", February 3, 1959 in the plane crash that took his life, and also that of Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. Bopper, whose real name was J.P. Richardson, was on the plane because he had the flu, and someone gave up their seat so Richardson wouldn't have to stay back and take the tour bus.
The man was Waylon Jennings.
Back to Ronstadt. This song created its own success, with fans finding her remake on the B-side of "When Will I Be Loved", like my brother and I did, ending up on several charts by the Fall of 1975.
We have lots of Linda to come in our Top 500 countdown, and she had a knack of recording "cover" songs, as they are known, and truly making them her own. "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" is one of several.
This is the lone hit single for the former member of The Cars. Some people think only Cars lead singer Ric Ocasek enjoyed solo success, but that's not quite the case.
Orr certainly had the chops to do so, as he sang lead on some of the group's bigger hits, from "Just What I Needed" to "Drive". His only solo album, "Lace", released thirty years ago, and today's song did relatively well, much in part to some good video airplay on MTV.
It also did well thanks to smart music directors like my friend the late Mike Rancourt, who seized on this song when it arrived at our station in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. We were all over this song, I believe long before any of our competitors.
We lost Orr way too soon due to pancreatic cancer back in 2000 at just age 53. Enjoy his contribution to our Top 500, "Stay The Night".
My first exposure to David Bowie came upon hearing this song on the radio. Somehow I missed "Fame", earlier in the year, which zoomed to #1, but wasn't exactly a staple of the rotation on WRVA. :)
I distinctly remember owning, and playing many times, the 45 single to this song, and it remains a steadfast Bowie favorite to this day. Not sure why the record company thought they had to release an edited, fade it out version.
But....
....it's not my favorite Bowie song. That, yes, is still to come as the countdown goes on.
No, no, Maureen McGovern didn't just sing theme songs for Irwin Allen disaster movies or ballads for Superman. She also tackled a TV theme before the 1970's came to a close.
Do you remember the show "Angie"?
It premiered early in 1979, and with the help of ABC's strong Thursday night lineup, did very well in the ratings....until they moved it to Tuesday. Despite being on the same night as Three's Company, it began its decline, and died just over 18 months later.
Co-star Robert Hays went on to success in 1980 with the wonderful campy classic movie "Airplane!", while we are also left, 36 years later, with the question, whatever happened to Donna Pescow, who played the title character? Disney Channel fans from the turn of the century know......
The 1970's were the heyday for television theme songs to make the Top 40. Among others were:
