AT40 The 80s July 31st 2010

This week AT40 The 80s July 31st 1982

10 - Keep The Fire Burnin - REO Speedwagon
9 - Only the Lonely - The Motels
8 - Even the Nights Are Better - Air Supply
7 - Don't You Want Me - The Human League
6 - Hard to Say I'm Sorry - Chicago
5 - Abracadabra - The Steve Miller Band
4 - Hold Me - Fleetwood Mac
3- Hurts So Good - John Cougar
2 - Rosanna - Toto
1- Eye of The Tiger - Survivor
(2nd of 6 weeks at #1)




The Top 10 Albums this week in 1982

10- Special Forces - .38 Special
9- Good Trouble - REO Speedwagon
8- Pictures at Eleven - Robert Plant
7- Eye of The Tiger - Survivor
6- American Fool - John Cougar Mellencamp
5- Still Life - The Rolling Stones
4- Toto IV - Toto
3- Mirage - Fleetwood Mac
2- Always on My Mind - Willie Nelson
1- Asia - Asia
9th of 9 non consecutive weeks at #1)


The best selling album of 1982, this was the debut album for Asia and contained the #4 hit "Heat of the Moment".
This album was certified 4 times platinum in 1995 (4 million copies).

AT40 The 70s July 31st 2010

This Week its July 29th 1978

10- Love Will Find a Way - Pablo Cruise
9- The Groove Line - Heatwave
8- Use Ta Be My Girl - The O'Jays
7- Still The Same - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
6- Three Times a Lady - The Commodores
5- Grease - Frankie Valli
4- Last Dance - Donna Summer
3- Miss You - The Rolling Stones
2- Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
1- Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb
(6th of 7 weeks at #1)




The Top 10 Albums this week in 1978

10- Thank God Its Friday - Soundtrack
9- Saturday Night Fever - Soundtrack
8- Double Vision - Foreigner
7- Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb
6- City To City - Gerry Rafferty
5- Darkness on the Edge of Town - Bruce Springsteen
4- Stranger in Town - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
3- Natural High - The Commodores
2- Some Girls - The Rolling Stones
1- Grease - Soundtrack
(1st of 12 non consecutive weeks at #1)

The soundtrack to the smash movie from the summer of 1978 spent 12 weeks at the top spot interrupted twice (1 week each time) by Boston and their smash album Dont Look Back.
Grease produced 2 songs that reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with 2 others songs reaching the top 5.
Going to #1 were "Grease" by Frankie Valli and "You're The One That I Want" by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta.
Making it into the top 5 were "Hopelessly Devoted To You" by Olivia Newton-John reaching #3 and "Summer Nights" John Travolta and Olivia making it to #5.
The album has been certified 8 times platinum (8 million copies sold) in the US, 7 times platinum in the UK and 11 times platinum in Australia.

Your Classic Country Video

Today its a #1 country hit from 1981 by Barbara Mandrell,
"I Was Country (When Country Wasn't Cool)"

#1 Song of the Week

This week we look at the 2nd #1 song for the King, Elvis Presley. His follow up to the smash "Heartbreak Hotel" was the ballad "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" which spent just one paltry week at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. During a recordings session in Nashville after a plane ride that Elvis thought would be his last, he would only record one song and it would the this old ballad.
After fumbling his way through almost 2o takes the producer called an end to the session. Most of the problem was Elvis was still shaken from the turbulent plane ride from Texas to Nashville. Later the producer would splice together the 14th and 17th takes and come up with a seamless version that raced up the charts in July of 1956.

American Top 40 The 70s - July 24th 2010

This week AT40 the 70s - July 20th 1974

10 - If You Love Me (Let Me Know) - Olivia Newton-John
9 - The Air That I Breathe - The Hollies
8 - You Won't See Me - Anne Murray
7 - Rikki, Don't Lose That Number - Steely Dan
6 - Rock the Boat - The Hues Corporation
5 - On and On - Gladys Knight and The Pips
4 - Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me - Elton John
3 - Rock and Roll Heaven - The Righteous Brothers
2 - Annie's Song - John Denver
1 - Rock Your Baby - George McRae
(2nd of 2 weeks at #1)


The Top 10 Albums this week in 1974

10- On Stage - Loggins & Messina
9- Greatest Hits - John Denver
8- Bachman-Turner Overdrive II - Bachman Turner Overdrive
7- Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot
6- Buddha and The Chocolate Box - Cat Stevens
5- Diamond Dogs - David Bowie
4- Band on the Run - Paul McCartney
3- Journey To The Centre Of The Earth - Rick Wakeman
2- Back Home Again - John Denver
1- Caribou - Elton John

(2nd of 4 consecutive weeks at #1)

This was Elton John's fourth chart topping album and contained 2 singles to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. This weeks #4 single "Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me" and "The Bitch is Back" which reached #3 in the fall of 1974.

Album Spotlight

This Sunday the 25th of July will mark the 30th anniversary of the release of one of the most popular albums of all time, Back In Black by AC/DC.

This was the follow up the AC/DC's hugely popular Highway To Hell, which was sadly the last to feature lead singer Bon Scott. He died in February of 1980 in the middle of the writing of songs for what became this album.
The group toyed with the idea of disbanding but decided to move on and found new lead singer in Brian Johnson and ask Highway to Hell producer Mutt Lang to come in and produce the new album. As a sign of tribute and dedication to Bon Scott, the album has a black cover (the western color of mourning) and named "Back In Black".
This became, to that point, their highest charting LP by reaching #4 on the US Billboard album chart and #1 in the UK.

There were 5 singles from the LP with the highest charting US single being "You Shook Me All Night Long" which reached #35. In the UK they reached #15 with "Rock n Roll Aint Noise Pollution".

They reached the top of the US Billboard album chart in 1981 with their next release, For Those About Rock (We Salute You).

Currently Back In Black is the 2nd biggest selling album worldwide with 49 million copies sold, behind Michael Jackson's Thriller which is at 50 million sold.

In the US the album sits at #4 all time with 22 million copies sold.

Today in Music History

1954 - Sun Records released the first Elvis Presley single 'That's All Right / Blue Moon Of Kentucky' which made the local Memphis chart.



1958 - The manager of The Drifters, George Treadwell, sacked the entire group and hired the unknown Ben E King and The Five Crowns as their replacements.


1967 - The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'All You Need Is Love' the group's 12th UK No.1 single.


1967 - Elvis Presley was working on his latest movie Speedway co-starring Nancy Sinatra at the MGM Soundstage, Hollywood, California. (It was Presley’s twenty-seventh film).


1975 - The Bay City Rollers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Give A Little Love', the group's second and final UK No.1.


1976 - Deep Purple split up at the end of an UK tour. David Coverdale went on to form Whitesnake, Jon Lord and Ian Paice formed a band with Tony Ashton. The classic line up of Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord & Paice reformed in 1984. Glenn Hughes returned to Trapeze and Tommy Bolin put together his own band, (but would die before the end of the year).


1947 - Born on this day, Brian May, guitar, Queen,
1980- Queen scored their third UK No.1 album with 'The Game', featuring the single 'Another One Bites The Dust'.


1986 - Genesis went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Invisible Touch'. The bands former lead singer Peter Gabriel was at No.2 with 'Sledgehammer'.


1944 - Born on this day, Commander Cody, (George Frayne), piano, vocals, Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen, country rock group.


1937 - Born on this day, George Hamilton IV, US country singer,