Since September 2010, this blog has recorded the journey of this music junkie as I attempt to listen to all the music in my CD collection. CDs revisited in their entirety from start to finish - no skipping tracks, no shuffle. Compact Discs only - no vinyl, no tapes, no files.

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Various Artists - Billboard Top Hits 1980 - 1984 (1992)


For a CD blogger who started high school in August 1980 and graduated in May 1984 (i.e., me), this 5 disc box set from Rhino is the perfect little time capsule. I have all these songs on other compilation CDs or digital files so I almost left this box sitting in the used bin recently, but I simply couldn't abandon it because when it comes to Rhino compilations, I always say, "Buy 'em when you see 'em because they weren't in print for long." Also, when given the option of physical product or digital files, ONJ and I like to belt out "Let's get 'Physical'" (which happens to be track 5 on the 1981 disc).

I was then informed by a faithful reader that these particular CDs are known for their quality mastering and include some single/promo edits that I might not yet have, so win-win.

The quality of selections is stronger on some discs than others, so here's my ranking of these compilations:
  1. 1981
  2. 1980
  3. 1982
  4. 1984
  5. 1983
BILLBOARD TOP HITS -1980
10 tracks, 40 minutes


Tracks:
  1. Blondie - Call Me (3:36, edit of LP mix to mimic 45 version). 
    One of four #1 hits for the group. Rumor has it that writer Giorgio Moroder originally offered this driving shuffle to Stevie Nicks which woulda been a completely different tune. Although it was #1 for 6 straight weeks, I never hear it much anymore; radio stations usually opt for "Heart of Glass" instead. Shame. As of this writing, I still haven't seen American Gigolo.
  2. Irene Cara - Fame (3:52, 45 version). 
    And we start off with two consecutive soundtrack tunes. This one hasn't aged well, but it's so iconic I don't think that matters. As a teen, I loved the movie, its soundtrack, and the subsequent TV show about 23 year old actors who were still in high school.  This song won both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song in 1980. I always preferred Hot Lunch Jam.
  3. Spinners - Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl (4:05, 45 version). 
    A great disco cover of a 1966 Four Seasons tune. There really wasn't any need to add a second song for a medley, but they didn't consult me. The song would spend 16 weeks in the Top 40 spending two weeks in the #2 spot. I always liked The Spinners and enjoyed seeing them hang around into the '80s.
  4. Lipps, Inc. - Funkytown (4:08, 45 version). 
    As a kid, I never caught on that the "band" name was homophonic with lip synch, probably because I was a kid. At the time, there was nothing like this synth-driven disco song with no chorus being played on the radio and I have particular 8th grade memories tied to the song. So many synths with a catchy bass line, synth voice, and strings punctuated by guitar. I wouldn't want to live in Funkytown, but it's a fun place to visit. 
  5. Elton John - Little Jeannie (5:15, album version).
    I prefer earlier Elton, but this uptempo ballad has enough soft rock elements to get my attention, particularly the electric piano line and Jim Horn's sax solo. The kind of song that doesn't make me change the radio station, but I don't seek it out to play. And I've always confused this one with John's later tune, Nikita - my brain gets more jumbled as I age.
  6. Diana Ross - Upside Down (3:42, 45 version). 
    A fantastic hit that exists simply because someone had the brilliant idea of having Ross team up with Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic.  A match made in NYC disco/funk heaven - Chic grooving hard with Ross floating above it all. On this hit-filled compilation, Upside Down is the best cut.
  7. The Pointer Sisters - He's So Shy (3:40, album version also used as 45 version).
    More pop than R&B, there's not much to the verses but then it builds to the a chorus with hooks for days and a tasty synth solo. I'll confess that 14-year-old me would often change the lyrics to "I'm So Fine" but self-confidence has never been a problem for this humble blogger.
  8. KC & The Sunshine Band - Please Don't Go (3:52, album version also used as 45 version).
    Over spring break in March 1980, me and about 30 classmates went on a field trip that took us from our coastal Texas homes to an educational center near Keystone, Colorado. As you can guess, that's a lot of time on a school bus. As happens, a few couples formed from the close proximity that probably wouldn't have happened under normal circumstances. By the time we were headed home, one of these couples had already split and I can remember the dumped fella looking in the direction of the girl who had just dumped him as this song played on the radio and he plaintively mouthed the words to her. Alas, his efforts were in vain. These days, for better or worse, I can't hear this song without that image in my head. Another tune that reminds me of that trip is 99 by Toto which would have been a welcome addition to this compilation but probably didn't chart high enough for consideration.
  9. Captain & Tennille - Do That To Me One More Time (3:56, 45 version).
    My sister was a huge C&T fan and, because she was older than me, she got to choose what LPs we listened to.  As a result, I know the words to every C&T song released between 1975-1980, including this one.  I'm not wild about this particular song, but man-oh-man did Toni T. have some golden pipes.
  10. S.O.S. Band - Take Your Time (Do It Right) (3:32, promo 45 version but 15 seconds longer). 
    I always liked this dance tune maybe because I was entering my "dancing fool" phase of life around 1980 (I'll be sure to let you know should that phase ever pass).  With the Nile Rodgers-esque guitar part over a funky synth & bass line, this will now be an earworm in my head for the rest of the day. 

BILLBOARD TOP HITS -1981
10 tracks, 37 minutes


Tracks:
  1. Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes (3:50, album version also used as 45 version). 
    This was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 for 9 weeks and was like nothing else on the radio at the time; me and my friends sang along with Kim every time we heard the thing.  But lemme tell ya: this cover tune still sounds as good today as it did when it was released.
  2. Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl (3:16, album version also used as 45 version).
    A great pop-rocker about a topic with which all teenagers are very familiar: unrequited love. Winner of the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. One of the girls I was crushing on around 1981 had a boyfriend with a two-syllable name and I would often sing along to this tune substituting his name for Jessie's. 
  3. Air Supply - The One That You Love (4:15, album version also used as 45 version).
    A soft rocker's dream.  Sappy lyrics, big strings, and lots of vocal harmonies. And I quickly learned all the lyrics because the ladies loved Air Supply and this skinny geek desperately wanted to become a ladies man.
  4. Blondie - The Tide Is High (3:54, 45 version).
    A fantastic cover of a 1967 rocksteady b-side. While Debbie Harry drolly delivers the goods, the real star for me is the arrangement - a cross between reggae and mariachi.
  5. Olivia Newton-John - Physical (3:45, album version also used as 45 version)
    1981's biggest hit would lay claim to the #1 spot for ten consecutive weeks beginning November 21. Sweet, unabashed pop that bore no resemblance to disco or New Wave but includes a sweet Steve Lukather guitar solo, this thing was huge but doesn't get much any airplay anymore. When I saw ONJ in concert in 2018, she started this tune as a slower version with just an acoustic guitar accompaniment. Once the crowd recognized the song and what was happening, we were all deflated because we wanted to hear the version we're familiar with. After one verse, ONJ said, "just kidding" then the band broke into the single's arrangement. And all was forgiven (not that I could stay upset with Olivia).
  6. Dolly Parton - 9 To 5 (2:48, album version also used as 45 version).
    Would you be surprised to discover that every CD in this box set contains at least one movie tune? Here's the entry for 1981. I didn't buy the single, but I'll sing along with the thing. It was all over the radio stations I listened to during the winter of 1981. #1 pop, #1 adult contemporary, #1 country - I'll bet I'm not the only one who can sing along with it. If you pay less attention to Dolly and more to the band, I think you'll be impressed with how great the piano and horn parts are. Tight band with members of the Wrecking Crew and other session greats. 
  7. Juice Newton - Queen Of Hearts (3:30, album version also used as 45 version). 
    I'm indifferent to this one - I can take it or leave it, preferring Dave Edmunds' rockabilly version.
  8. Daryl Hall & John Oates - Kiss On My List (3:51, 45 version).
    With its near-perfect guitar solo that chooses melody over technique, this is my favorite tune on a stacked Voices album.
  9. Smokey Robinson - Being With You (4:01, 45 version)
    Ah, when Smokey sings.  What a voice, what a tune.  Great stuff.
    Now let me tell you about a coincidental relationship between Smokey at #2 and Kim Carnes who's at #1 again this week. Kim's last hit was "More Love", her remake of an old Smokey Robinson hit. Well, Smokey liked Kim's version so much that he wrote her another song, but when Smokey's producer heard the demo, he told Smokey, "You oughta record it yourself!" and that's the song we just heard in the #2 position. And how ironic it is that Smokey's recording of the song he'd written for Kim Carnes has been kept out of the #1 spot by a Kim Carnes hit for 3 weeks running. - Casey Kasem, American Top 40, June 6, 1981
  10. Kool & The Gang - Celebration (3:43, 45 version). 
    Yes, this former #1 smash has been overplayed from the get-go, but when you're at a wedding reception and the DJ starts playing this one (and the DJ will definitely play this one at some point), you can't help but immediately jump up and find your way to the dance floor because it just fits perfectly. This one's got undeniable staying power.

BILLBOARD TOP HITS -1982
10 tracks, 38 minutes


Tracks:
  1. Quarterflash - Harden My Heart (3:38, 45 version)
    I never had much need for this Pat Benatar wannabe. And don't get me started on the horrid saxophone work.
  2. Toto - Rosanna (4:05, 45 version)
    Loved this shuffle from the first time I heard it. Peak Toto. One of the biggest hits of the year, it also won three Grammy awards for Record of the Year, Instrumental Arrangement, and Vocal Arrangement.
  3. The Alan Parsons Project - Eye In The Sky (3:59, 45 version)
    A very enjoyable soft rocker. Eric Woolfson has a pleasant, understated voice and there's no denying Parsons' studio skills.
  4. Laura Branigan - Gloria (3:54, promo 45 version)
    A cover of an Italian smash hit, I can take it or leave it. The tune isn't bad, but Gloria screams more than sings a good bit of it. Today, I'll leave it. My buddy Blake once told me the story of drunken Branigan showing up for one his high school pep rallies as part of a radio promotion. That would have taken place around '82, maybe a bit later. To be fair, if I had to go to a high school pep rally again, I'd probably enjoy a nip or three beforehand.
  5. Men At Work - Who Can It Be Now? (3:25, album version also used as 45 version)
    This song captivated me from the get-go. The ominous lyrics flew right over me head - just give me that sax hook! A definitive New Wave single.
  6. Journey - Open Arms (3:20, album version also used as 45 version)
    I had the Escape album on cassette but the attraction of this song was to softly sing this tune to girls as we slow danced. It was the only real move I had, so I used it all the time, admittedly weakening its effect.
  7. Rick Springfield - Don't Talk To Strangers (3:01, album version also used as 45 version)
    I liked this tune enough to purchase the album Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet, which I enjoyed more than I thought I would. I should revisit that one.
  8. Daryl Hall & John Oates - Maneater (4:34, album version also used as 45 version)
    Its the familiar Motown groove but its not. I dig the echo on sax solo. Maneater remained in the #1 spot for four weeks, more than any of the duo's five other number-one hits. Oates claims the song is about NYC, not a woman, but I have my doubts.
  9. Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes - Up Where We Belong (4:01, 45 version)
    Another "take it or leave it" tune for me. However, this chart-topping track won a Grammy, a Golden Globe, and an Oscar so what do I know? By 1983, I had decided to pursue a music degree once I left high school and, to that end, started taking piano lessons at age 17. My piano teacher gave me a book of pop tunes to keep me interested in daily practice. This song is the only one I remember from that book - I butchered it on a daily basis for weeks.
  10. The J. Geils Band - Centerfold (3:38, album version also used as 45 version)
    The chorus is okay, the verse is decent enough and there's no solo or bridge, but that instrumental/wordless vocal hook hits you in the face in the intro and doesn't let go for 3½ minutes and it's so solid that none of my earlier slights matter. Not to mention the lyrics greatly appealed to me as an easily titillated teenage boy.  

BILLBOARD TOP HITS -1983
10 tracks, 44 minutes


Tracks:
  1. Men At Work - Down Under (3:45, album version also used as 45 version)
    In line with my contrarian nature, I thought this was the weakest cut on the Business As Usual album but of course it turned out to be the group's biggest hit.
  2. Toto - Africa (4:22, 45 version)
    Once named the best song ever, Africa was a perfect place for this wannabe New Waver to go to get a soft rock fix.
  3. Stray Cats - Stray Cat Strut (3:18,  album version also used as 45 version)
    It took me longer than it should to finally hip to this rockabilly group, mainly because it was so different than what I was typically listening to. I caught up eventually. I really dig Setzer's guitar work on this cut.
  4. Michael Sembello - Maniac (4:13, Flashdance album version)
    Is it odd that I like this tune more every time I hear it? And what about Sembello's guitar solo? Stunning. 
  5. Eddy Grant - Electric Avenue (3:51, album version also used as 45 version)
    I like this one well enough, but I never understood why some people insisted on grouping this funk tune in the reggae genre. Grant's accent certainly takes this one to another place, though. 
  6. Spandau Ballet - True (5:43, 45 version)
    I love the thing, I always have, and I don't care who knows it. I know all the lyrics and will also vocalize the sax solo. These days, I don't have need for the "I heard this song first so I'm a better person than you" condescension, but insufferable teenage me played that card whenever I could. I'd been a fan of the True album for a good six months before this single hit the local radio waves and I had no reservations about sharing that fact with everybody I knew. Like I said, insufferable.
  7. Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse Of The Heart (5:37, 45 version)
    I don't care much for the songs of Jim Steinman. I'll leave it at that.
  8. Greg Kihn Band - Jeopardy (3:49, album version also used as 45 version)
    Like it; don't love it. Can't hear it without thinking of Weird Al's parody.
  9. Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me (4:25, album version also used as long 45 version)
    I can't help but like this smooth pseudo-reggae-lite hit. As I've shared before, the first time we saw the video for this tune, my friend (who shall remain nameless) and I both thought Boy George was female and spent some time debating whether or not she was attractive. Being a very naïve teenager, I had little, if any, experience with androgyny. Of course, all that has more to do with image than music and I think George would get a kick out of that fact.
  10. Air Supply - Making Love Out Of Nothing At All (5:00, incorrect edit in attempt to mimic 45)
    See track 7. Hell, it's practically the same song.

BILLBOARD TOP HITS -1984
10 tracks, 41 minutes


Tracks:
  1. Yes - Owner Of A Lonely Heart (3:53, 45 version)
    In which Trevor Horn's production prowess saves the careers of a prog-rock band and provides them a comfortable pension in the process. Hooks for days, but this single edit just doesn't do it justice.
  2. Ray Parker, Jr. - Ghostbusters (4:07, album version also used as long 45 version)
    Parker is a fantastic guitarist and did more session work, songwriting, and production than he's usually given credit for.  Unfortunately, his legacy will be this derivative #1 single. How do I know this?  I saw Parker perform during halftime of a 2010 Memphis Grizzlies basketball game (it was "'80s Night") and the only song he performed was Ghostbusters.  And he brought down the freakin' house.

  3. The Romantics - Talking In Your Sleep (3:59, 45 album version also used as long 45 version)
    I owned the cassette of this album in my car in late '83/early '84 and it was in medium rotation there. Reminds me of leaving the high school campus for lunch with friends Brett and Roy. It's a catchy thing but it's far from being the best song on the In Heat album.
  4. Pointer Sisters - Jump (For My Love) (4:02, 45 version)
    Love this upbeat synth-dance tune, particularly when the soaring bridge takes off. Why I never bought the Break Out album is beyond me.
  5. Billy Ocean - Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run) (3:44, US 45 version)
    Other than the hook at the end of the chorus, this nothing attracting me to this hit. But since it was #1 for two weeks and won a Grammy so I'm obviously writing the minority opinion.
  6. Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (3:54, album version also used as long 45 version)
    I associate this song with driving an over-packed Markmobile as I began my long drive to new adventures in college. It must have been playing on the radio as I left town. George Michael's wonderful voice over a pop-meets-soul feel lifted directly from '60s, man-oh-man this thing is catchy.
  7. Deniece Williams - Let's Hear It For The Boy (4:21, album version also used as 45 version)
    The Footloose soundtrack pretty much soundtracked the spring of my senior year in high school and this platinum-selling single was part of it all. I just discovered that George Duke produced and is pretty much the one man backing band on this cut, which makes me appreciate it even more. Good stuff.
  8. Culture Club - Karma Chameleon (4:15, album version also used as 45 version)
    I didn't like it when it was released; still not a fan.
  9. Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now (4:48, album version also used as long 45 version)
    Great song. As with The Romantics' tune mentioned above, this cut reminds me of driving in my car listening to the Into The Gap cassette during the spring of my senior year in high school. When I listen now, I still try (and usually fail) to hit the high falsetto notes during the last chorus - "Oh, will you stay with me?" - just like I did 35+ years ago. The spirit is willing but the vocal cords are weak.  If you're keeping count, this is the sixth time this particular tune has appeared on the blog.
  10. Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It (3:49, album version also used as long 45 version).
    I respect Tina's talents, but this song never did much for me. However, I'll use this song's inclusion here as an excuse to post a picture of this CD longbox:
Exclusive CD longbox photo courtesy of
Dirk Digglinator of the Hambonian Archives.


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