American Top 40 1980 September 13th

American Top 40 with Casey Kasem aired on radio from July 4, 1970 until August 6, 1988. This recording is a rebroadcast from internet radio.

In this countdown:

Casey opens the AT40 Book of Records to the section concerning Most Top 10 Hits in a Single Calendar Year. The Beatles and Jimmy Dorsey are tied for 3rd place, Bing Crosby takes second, and first place goes to a man who disappeared in 1944.

A super-group (the Bee Gees) meets a super-star (Barbra Streisand) and their super-hit "Woman In Love" is at super-number 33.

Robert "The Lion with Sad Eyes Sleeps Tonight" John is singing "Hey There Lonely Girl" (at number 31) in falsetto like Prince did when all he wanted was your extra time and your (da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da- ) kiss.

If you ever owned the Voices LP by Daryl Hall & John Oates, the first song you heard when you played it was "How Does It Feel To Be Back" (at number 30 this week). For those who didn't, I have included (as an In_Show RocketMan Extra) two other songs from the same album: "Africa" (also vocalized by John Oates nonetheless) and the title track "Voices."

It seems that every Carly Simon story told by Casey leaves her sounding like a second-hand understudy in a play that closed before it hit Poughkeepsie. Carly is at number 25 with her single "Jesse" (and Jesse probably stayed single if he had to deal with all the stuff in that song).

A listener decided to ask, "What was the first album on the first album chart?" Casey gives the top 3 albums from that very first chart (March 15th, 1945) right before announcing the song at number 23, "Someone That I Used To Love" by Natalie Cole, daughter of Nat "King" Cole, whose "Trio" had that very first number one album. If you want to write a report on the music of one of the acts who held those top 3 positions in mid-March of 1945, audio resources are included as In-Show RocketMan Extras for this week's RocketMan Extra credit assignment.

When Phoebe Snow wrote her hit song, "Poetry Man," she admitted there was a real-life "poetry man", but wouldn't say who he was. Casey spills her beans before announcing the song in this countdown by her real-life "poetry man."

Electric Light Orchestra has their hit, "All Over The World" at number 18 (but only here in the US), and Olivia Newton-John sings another one of their compositions "Xanadu" (at number 17). Both songs are from the movie ""Xanadu" to which ELO also contributed "I'm Alive," and "Don't Walk Away." I've included ELO's recording of "Xanadu" (no ONJ - just ELO) as an in show extra, and 50 to 60 other MP3's of their lesser known curtain-raisers in "RocketMan_Extras_1980_09_13_ISO" (not to be confused with "RocketMan_Extras_1980_09_13_MP4") which has MP3's of ELO's 2014.09.14 live set at Hyde Park, London, which Mom burned and tried to put in the Commodore 64. This one is a reasonable quality ISO image that provides interactive menus and just barely fits on a 4.7 GB DVD-R that Mom tried to put in the VCR. I apologize to the songs that I didn't include. Mom scratched them up with her broken phonograph needle.

Songs such as "Against The Wind" and "Ride Like The Wind" blew one listener's mind pretty high, causing him to ask, "What kind of weather has appeared in the most Top 40 song titles?" Casey reports (in the Rock Era), we have had occasional sunshine, heavy gusts, and a good deal of precipitation (but he didn't say the sun would come out tomorrow, ANNIE!).

Rod Temperton and Quincy Jones have already earned a number one hit by collaborating on Michael Jackson's "Rock With You." Now their song, "Give Me The Night" (at number 6 by George Benson) is on its way to number 4 on the hot 100, number 2 on the Disco Chart, and number 1 on the Soul Chart (ooops, spoiler alert.)

In her 39th visit to the Top 40, Diana Ross has her 17th number one success, "Upside Down" (her life is really right-side up but it looks upside-down to those of us going up the down escalator).

LW#3: Emotional Rescue - The Rolling Stones
LW#2: Sailing - Christopher Cross
LW#1: Upside Down - Diana Ross
40: Who'll Be The Fool Tonight - Larsen-Feiten Band
39: First Time Love - Livingston Taylor
38: How Do I Survive - Amy Holland
37: Old Fashion Love - The Commodores
36: More Love - Kim Carnes
35: You're Supposed To Keep Your Love For Me - Jermaine Jackson
34: It's Still Rock And Roll To Me - Billy Joel
33: Woman In Love - Barbra Streisand
32: No Night So Long - Dionne Warwick
ARCHIVE: Moody River - Pat Boone
31: Hey There Lonely Girl - Robert John
30: How Does It Feel To Be Back - Daryl Hall & John Oates
29: Look What You've Done To Me - Boz Scaggs
LDD: You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker
28: Real Love - Doobie Brothers
27: He's So Shy - The Pointer Sisters
26: Never Knew Love Like This Before - Stephanie Mills
25: Jesse - Carly Simon
24: Let My Love Open The Door - Pete Townsend
23: Someone That I Used To Love - Natalie Cole
22: Take Your Time (Do It Right) - S.O.S. Band
ARCHIVE: Quarter To Three - Gary U.S. Bonds
21: Don't Ask Me Why - Billy Joel
20: Hot Rod Hearts - Robbie Dupree
19: Boulevard - Jackson Browne
18: All Over The World - Electric Light Orchestra
17: Xanadu - Olivia Newton-John
16: You'll Accomp'ny Me - Bob Seger
15: One In A Million You - Larry Graham
14: You're The Only Woman - Ambrosia
13: Magic - Olivia Newton-John
12: I'm Alright - Kenny Loggins
11: Into The Night - Benny Mardones
10: Drivin' My Life Away - Eddie Rabbitt
9: Another One Bites The Dust - Queen
8: Lookin' For Love - Johnny Lee
LDD: When I Need You - Leo Sayer
7: Late In The Evening - Paul Simon
6: Give Me The Night - George Benson
5: Sailing - Christopher Cross
4: Fame - Irene Cara
3: Emotional Rescue - The Rolling Stones
2: All Out Of Love - Air Supply
1: Upside Down - Diana Ross