I could spend all morning copying all of my favorite lines from this post, but instead I'll just say I love it. Man, Chart Attack! Fridays are great.
Matt
· 1 month ago
Gotta agree with Sir Jefito. Fridays are just a little bit more awesome thanks to Chart Attack......and I'll add Bootleg City to that list as well!
jasonhare
· 1 month ago
Thanks so much, guys!
JonCummings
· 1 month ago
I know you've already thanked the others, but I gotta add to their praise. This might be your best column ever. Jessica being under the weather must be inspirational for you.
Jason, you know I share your ON-J fetish. Check her out in that first outfit she has on in the video. I don't know about those knickers, but has anybody ever had sexier armpits? Xanadu (the film) sucks eggs, though, and always has. I loved Olivia so much I went to see it, alone, at a multiplex in Cleveland that summer (I was 14) while my brother saw "Caddyshack" on another screen. I regret nothing!
eddie_w
· 1 month ago
Count me in the ON-J fanclub too. The first album I ever owned was the 8-track to her early-70s album "Let Me Be There" - I was 6 and borrowed my sister's 8-track so much she ended up buying me one of my own so I'd leave hers alone. Loved her ever since and I actually still have that 8-track.
I echo everyone else - excellent column this week, Jason!
luffy66
· 1 month ago
Xanadu has always been a guilty pleasure for me. The movie blows- but the music more than makes up for it (Tubes, ELO, and the title song that is like an earwig burrowing through your head. Not to mention ON-J in her absolute hottest period.
I just dont know how anybody can watch the xanadu youtube clip above, and not be humming the song for the rest of the day. make it stop!
David_E
· 1 month ago
"sung by Barbra Streisand in A Star Is Born."
I read that as "sung by Ben Stein in A Star Is Born."
It made my day.
dslifton
· 1 month ago
And speaking of the Popdose Podcast, as we (OK, I) promised, it's now available at iTunes.
(as Jason would say, see how I did that?)
EightE1
· 1 month ago
The "wise and falsettoed" Barry Gibb (great description, BTW) had another Top Ten with Babs, "What Kind of Fool," which is arguably better than "Guilty," cuz it's just jam-packed with the kind of melodrama at which Babs excels. The right to be melodramatic is one she defends, over and over again, even today. The Number One album in the country is a Barbra Streisand album. I had to let that one sink in a bit.
jasonhare
· 1 month ago
Holy shit, Rob, I had no idea -- which makes my "never say never" comment especially stupid! I'm going to revise my above statements, as that's quite a feat. Thanks!
hemisphire
· 1 month ago
"Hot Space" will never be good, doesn't matter how much time passes, and I'm a huge fan of the band. Still, side two is vastly better than side one: "Under Pressure" is great, and I like "Put Out the Fire", "Calling All Girls" and "Las Palabras de Amor".
The Man I Used to Be
· 1 month ago
How bloody hot was ON-J?
Pretty eclectic Top 10 from 29 years ago. Great list of tracks and great post. Most of these tunes have stood the test of time.
drxl
· 1 month ago
Ouch! The first album I bought as a child (meaning: asked my parents to get for me) was Air Supply's All Out of Love, ...and I know I was not alone in Mexico, since they keep coming to play sold out shows here very so often.
MatthewBolin
· 1 month ago
Considering that Queen is just playing in front of their normal stage setup, it would seem that the largest part of their video budget might have been spent on multiple novelty devil hats for Freddie.
jasonhare
· 1 month ago
It will not surprise you to know that my dad has a hat very similar to the one Freddie used to wear with the wings on it.
mycool44
· 1 month ago
There was another top 10 Barbra/Barry duet off the "Guilty" album called "What Kind of Fool". Also, I remember hearing Casey Kasem do a story on 'AT40' in 1980 saying Russell Hitchcock broke the record for longest sustained note in a top 40 song with that final note in "All Out of Love". The previous record had been set the year before by Donna Summer's "Dim All the Lights". No idea if Russell still hold the record. I imagine Mariah or Christina or Tag Team set a new record at some point. Oh, and I actually liked the movie "Two Of a Kind". John Travolta and ONJ had the best chemistry since... Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb?
jasonhare
· 1 month ago
I remember that comment from Casey Kasem as well...I also recall him saying that Sheriff beat it with the note at the end of "When I'm With You."
sneezebag
· 1 month ago
Now, I'm gonna hafta break out my 45s and double check, but I thought Bill Withers held the record for longest sustained note on "Lovely Day". Maybe the others were for the top 10 and Bill's covers the full top 40 (it peaked at a surprisingly low #30). Of course, I recall this factoid from a long, long time ago (I remember Casey playing Donna's song and discussing this), so things might've changed since. While I'm here: This is a week out of one of the most fondly remembered periods of my life, so I'm giving unconditional love to every song here. Even if this were not the case, this is a damned strong top 10. I seriously wonder if today's yout's would wax nostalgic over the top ten of say, October 17, 2009 in thirty years' time. I cannot imagine they would, but then again, what the hell do they know? Air Supply. Ya know, when it seemed as though they were ubiquitous (and I guess they were for about three solid years) I did get tired of their songs. Of course, the first seven all went top five, so they did get played out just a bit too long. Now that they aren't forced upon me daily, I've come to appreciate them on my terms (ie: I play them when I feel like it.) Dammit, I really do like them, and Russell Hitchcock is a hell of a singer. Comparatively, the "quality" of the "ballads" of today is so despicably low, these fully-developed Air Supply songs are like diamonds in a box of plastic beads. What the hell happened?
JCC
· 1 month ago
Tag Team!? As in "Whoomp There It Is" Tag Team?
Matt
· 1 month ago
Roadie is actually a pretty decent movie... in a cheesy sort of way. The scene of Alice Cooper having dinner with a fan is great... Meatloaf has to sort of force him into the date, and the girl Meat is doing it for keeps adding requirements: "Dinner. In the leather. With the make-up. And the snake..." Then cut-scene to the two dining. Uhn... it is actually a lot funnier than my crap writing makes it. Anyhum. The flick should be watched to be appreciated, if for no other highlight that seeing the world's greatest roadie power an entire concert with potoatos, sardine cans, and cow-pies... And at that concert Blondie covers Johnny Cash.
Beau
· 1 month ago
Does Queen/Paul Rodgers play "Another One Bites the Dust"? Seems like they shouldn't.
I've seen the roadie dvd for 3 bucks at the local Big Lots. So if you live near a big lots and have 3 whole bucks to spare you may want to check it out.
twostepcub
· 1 month ago
Great job as always, Jason!You found a way to making 1980 seem almost musically revelatory!
I guess I'm at awe with "Xanadu". Besides being the 3 gayest minutes in the history of film (I think I'll tell my mom that's what made me gay, Xanadu, just for a kick), it's like an orgy of musical pastiches. And I didn't know Kevin Cronin from REO Speedwagon could tightrope walk! And I'm convinced that Andy Gibb was meant to be in this movie but he must've been too drugged up and they got a lookalike instead.
The Paul Simon song always spooked me as a kid cuz it had the "smoked himself a j" line...
Eddie Rabbitt was sorely underrated.
that's all.
Cheers Ernie 2sc
rockymtranger
· 1 month ago
This is a pretty impressive Top 10, compared with the mixed bag you normally end up with. I am a bit scarred by this one in particular, as I was really into watching "Solid Gold" at this time, and seeing the dancers re-enact "Woman In Love" left a strong impression. And that's not a good thing. But "Another One Bites the Dust" set the bar HIGH for 80s #1 songs early on. And yet "Physical" beat it. I know you love ON-J, but they just don't compare.
Elaine
· 1 month ago
Jason, you are an inviting & engaging writer. I look for your posts, and I'm never disappointed. This one was especially entertaining!
I always thought the best part of "Late in the Evening" had to do with the smoking-himself-a-J reference, but I have to admit I always wondered if it was autobiographical. Either way, the horns are what makes it for me.
I've read that another of Queen's turning points was the fact that Dust unexpectedly hit the American R&B charts. Who engineered it? It's so crisp. Dang. What movie was Deacon watching? My interest in this song is kinda renewed!
Name
· 1 month ago
Kenny Loggins said one of his first songs for a movie was "Love Has Come of Age" from his Keep the Fire album. It was to be in American Gigolo but got cut. Do you still believe Michael Jackson is in hiding? Any sightings?
All Comments
Jason, you know I share your ON-J fetish. Check her out in that first outfit she has on in the video. I don't know about those knickers, but has anybody ever had sexier armpits? Xanadu (the film) sucks eggs, though, and always has. I loved Olivia so much I went to see it, alone, at a multiplex in Cleveland that summer (I was 14) while my brother saw "Caddyshack" on another screen. I regret nothing!
I echo everyone else - excellent column this week, Jason!
I just dont know how anybody can watch the xanadu youtube clip above, and not be humming the song for the rest of the day. make it stop!
I read that as "sung by Ben Stein in A Star Is Born."
It made my day.
(as Jason would say, see how I did that?)
Pretty eclectic Top 10 from 29 years ago. Great list of tracks and great post. Most of these tunes have stood the test of time.
While I'm here: This is a week out of one of the most fondly remembered periods of my life, so I'm giving unconditional love to every song here. Even if this were not the case, this is a damned strong top 10. I seriously wonder if today's yout's would wax nostalgic over the top ten of say, October 17, 2009 in thirty years' time. I cannot imagine they would, but then again, what the hell do they know?
Air Supply. Ya know, when it seemed as though they were ubiquitous (and I guess they were for about three solid years) I did get tired of their songs. Of course, the first seven all went top five, so they did get played out just a bit too long. Now that they aren't forced upon me daily, I've come to appreciate them on my terms (ie: I play them when I feel like it.) Dammit, I really do like them, and Russell Hitchcock is a hell of a singer. Comparatively, the "quality" of the "ballads" of today is so despicably low, these fully-developed Air Supply songs are like diamonds in a box of plastic beads. What the hell happened?
The scene of Alice Cooper having dinner with a fan is great... Meatloaf has to sort of force him into the date, and the girl Meat is doing it for keeps adding requirements: "Dinner. In the leather. With the make-up. And the snake..." Then cut-scene to the two dining. Uhn... it is actually a lot funnier than my crap writing makes it.
Anyhum. The flick should be watched to be appreciated, if for no other highlight that seeing the world's greatest roadie power an entire concert with potoatos, sardine cans, and cow-pies... And at that concert Blondie covers Johnny Cash.
Had no idea about the Ross/Chic story. Quality.
I guess I'm at awe with "Xanadu". Besides being the 3 gayest minutes in the history of film (I think I'll tell my mom that's what made me gay, Xanadu, just for a kick), it's like an orgy of musical pastiches. And I didn't know Kevin Cronin from REO Speedwagon could tightrope walk! And I'm convinced that Andy Gibb was meant to be in this movie but he must've been too drugged up and they got a lookalike instead.
The Paul Simon song always spooked me as a kid cuz it had the "smoked himself a j" line...
Eddie Rabbitt was sorely underrated.
that's all.
Cheers
Ernie
2sc
I always thought the best part of "Late in the Evening" had to do with the smoking-himself-a-J reference, but I have to admit I always wondered if it was autobiographical. Either way, the horns are what makes it for me.
I've read that another of Queen's turning points was the fact that Dust unexpectedly hit the American R&B charts. Who engineered it? It's so crisp. Dang. What movie was Deacon watching? My interest in this song is kinda renewed!
Do you still believe Michael Jackson is in hiding? Any sightings?