TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Oct 25, 2017 8:20:36 GMT 1
This has been a very interesting experience compiling new lists for 1980-1982 and following both in the UK & US charts. It was exciting to see how diverse and varied the UK chart was in 1980 but what a poor state the US chart was. The US had kicked disco of the radio but hadn't replaced it with much else so in 1980 the Billboard Top 100 is filled with aging rockers, singer songwriters,country pop and bland ballads. There are a few gems that sneak through but most of the US chart fodder was just too bland to make my top 100 list. Comparing the 9 year old me with the current me 5 of my top 10 I loved then, the other 5 I didn't or hadn't heard. We will start with 2 songs that just miss the top 100.
102 Feels Like I'm in Love – Kelly Marie
This was a song I loved when I was 9, then it got very uncool but in recent years it has had some unusual respect as it can not be denied it has some influence on Arcade Fire's new disco direction. The Scottish singer reached number one in the UK in September 1980.
Just missing out on a top 100 position is this
101 Baby, I Love You - Ramones
This punk cover of the Ronettes classic reached #8 in the UK, it one of those songs that just always been around, I couldn't miss it off completely.
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Post by Earl Purple on Oct 25, 2017 8:26:34 GMT 1
Feels Like I'm In Love was written by Ray Dorset of Mungo Jerry in 1977 for Elvis Presley to sing. Back then anyone could "submit" songs for Elvis to perform.
However Elvis died before he got to submit it.
He changed the style of the song from rock 'n' roll to disco. We've never heard a rock 'n' roll version of that song recorded. I guess Shakin' Stevens wasn't well known at the time he gave it to Kelly Marie otherwise he'd have been an obvious target. OF course Shakin' Stevens had been making music since around 1969.
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Post by Earl Purple on Oct 25, 2017 8:31:26 GMT 1
Just because it's the Ramones doing it doesn't mean it's punk. It isn't. Phil Spector produced it and it has all the "wall of sound" about it but with male vocals. It's better than Dave Edmunds version, but the Ronettes' version reached #1 in my chart with it at the start of 1964 and the Ramones cover hasn't changed it enough to make it a classic cover. Phil Ramone was a producer himself, and produced Billy Joel's music among others.
"Be My Baby" by the Ronettes was my favourite single of 1963.
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TheThorne
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*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
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Post by TheThorne on Oct 25, 2017 8:37:01 GMT 1
Yeh I know both your comments. I'm not trying to be Wikipedia as it would just take too long.
Anyway time to start proper
100 Wednesday Week – The Undertones
One of the few punk bands I liked when I was 9, this was one I had forgotten till I came across it this week. Just a very nice song for them and I really like the guitar hook. It reached #11 in July 1980.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Oct 25, 2017 8:41:13 GMT 1
99 Runnin' With The Devil – Van Halen
If we are going to have entries from the US chart, they will tend to be of the classic rock genre more than anything. So first one we have is this Van Halen classic. This was their 2nd single from their debut album. This was actually a bigger hit in the UK after all that reaching #52 here and #84 in the US. VH1 regarded this one of the top 10 rock songs of all time.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Oct 25, 2017 8:45:21 GMT 1
Just sneaking into the list is the 2nd single from one of my favourite bands
98 I Will Follow – U2
Taking from their album 'Boy' it was not a hit at the time but eventually would reach #81 in US as a live version in 1983.
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TheThorne
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*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
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Post by TheThorne on Oct 25, 2017 8:49:19 GMT 1
At this point i will thank raliverpool as his retro charts have helped me a great deal especially for some great songs that I might have missed including this one. 97 Jane – Jefferson Starship
Out of all the incarnations of Starship, Jefferson Starship are actually the one I have been least aware of but this is a real rock gem. It reached #14 in the US. www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXmrMMYpQL4
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Oct 25, 2017 8:52:47 GMT 1
96 Rescue – Echo & the Bunnymen
Guess what another second single that's U2, Van Halen and Echo & The Bunnymen all at the very start of their careers exciting times. i didn't know this song at the time but like many people I bought 'Songs to Learn & Sing' and they became one of my favourite bands. This reached #62 in the UK. www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-Ztaw9Zc2Y
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Oct 25, 2017 9:15:45 GMT 1
The Kelly Marie song was played regular between 2002 and 2010 in my local Flares. So many a good time is attached to that song
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Oct 25, 2017 9:23:59 GMT 1
The Kelly Marie song was played regular between 2002 and 2010 in my local Flares. So many a good time is attached to that song That sounds like a classy joint
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Oct 25, 2017 10:15:40 GMT 1
Ha it's a 70s 80s themed club all over the north. The one in Darlington closed but there's still one in Newcastle. I'm more the right age to go in now. Looked a bit out of place when I was 18 ha
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Post by Whitneyfan on Oct 25, 2017 10:25:00 GMT 1
Great list so far. I'm currently in the very early stages of doing something very similar.
I would have loved to have heard Elvis's version of Feels Like I'm In Love!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2017 10:57:52 GMT 1
Billboard Hot 100 always was worse, than UK chart. In early 2000s MTV Russia had many weekly chart programs. Monday - Australia Tuesday - Italy Wednesday - Eurotop Friday - UK Saturday - MTV Russia Sunday - Hot 100
My weekly plan usually was UK, Australia and Eurotop. Hot 100 was awful, endless urban music.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Oct 25, 2017 11:19:31 GMT 1
True but the US chart starts improving in 1982 and is great up until 1990
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Post by Earl Purple on Oct 25, 2017 11:59:15 GMT 1
1980s US billboard chart was full of rock, both AOR stuff like Styx (and even Air Supply could go into that category), and punkish stuff like Motley Crue and the classic stuff that made it here but did better like Huey Lewis & The News and artists like Corey Hart.
Even female pop-rock groups like the Go-Gos who never really made it here and then the Bangles who did.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Oct 25, 2017 12:08:09 GMT 1
1980s US billboard chart was full of rock, both AOR stuff like Styx (and even Air Supply could go into that category), and punkish stuff like Motley Crue and the classic stuff that made it here but did better like Huey Lewis & The News and artists like Corey Hart. Even female pop-rock groups like the Go-Gos who never really made it here and then the Bangles who did. You are just remembering the good stuff, all those acts will appear at some point but really 70% of it in 1980 is boring slush. I have listened to just about ever top 50 US hit from 1980-1982 this week , feel for me.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Oct 25, 2017 13:14:18 GMT 1
95 I Have A Dream – ABBA
Not my favourite ABBA song by any stretch but it manages to make my top 100. It peaked #2 and was taken from the 'Voulez-Vous' album.
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Post by Earl Purple on Oct 25, 2017 13:15:05 GMT 1
US charts are based mostly on airplay and they played "safe" music and obviously they played other kinds of music too so lots of country music like Kenny Rogers in the US chart in 1980 including a duet with Kim Carnes "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer", a love ballad and there were other hit ballads there - "Longer" by Dan Fogelberg is a memorable one.
Christopher Cross had a couple of big hits that didn't make it in the UK. One was a ballad "Sailing" that got to #1 in the USA. "Ride Like The Wind" peaked at #2 behind Blondie's "Call Me" but is generally the more popular song and was eventually a UK hit in a cover version.
"The Rose" by Bette Midler was also eventually a UK hit in a cover version...
Led Zeppelin even had a top 30 hit there with "Fool In The Rain". Not released as a single in the UK, possibly the US it was different if they had to release something to get airplay to promote the album "In Through The Out Door" as airplay there is so significant and it may have charted mostly through the airplay.
Queen had two US #1s in 1980, the only time they topped the chart there.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Oct 25, 2017 13:17:51 GMT 1
94 Poison Ivy – The Lambrettas
I don't know much bout this song or band, it was another song i loved when I was a kid. It is a cover of The Coasters hit and done in a mod/ska style. This version reached #7.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Oct 25, 2017 13:21:28 GMT 1
93 Relight My Fire – Dan Hartman
First real disco song on the top 100, made more famous by Take That of course and I must admit I prefer Dan Hartman doing Blue eyed soul like 'I can Dream About You' but it is a fun song of course.
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