Various Artists - Billboard Top Album Rock Hits, 1982 (1997)

The second volume of a four disc series from Rhino Records covering the years 1981-84, which just so happen to coincide with the years in which your humble blogger attended high school. The track selection speaks for itself but I'm very disappointed in the lack of liner notes detailing each track. However, there was a "Rock Quiz" included in the CD insert if you're up to the challenge.

More from the CD insert:

The "Joel" mentioned above is the late Joel Whitburn, renowned documentarian of popular music charts and founder of Record Research. More from the aforementioned Rock Tracks book in a bit, but for more on the origins of Billboard's Rock charts on March 21, 1981, click here or the image below:

Also, I put together a list of all the songs that hit #1 on the Top Tracks chart in 1982. That's available here: List of Billboard #1 Rock Tracks of 1982.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: All but three have already appeared on this blog.

1. Shake It Up - The Cars (#2 Rock, #4 Pop)
   Also on Anthology: Just What I Needed, Original Album Series, and The Absolute Best Totally 80's.
2. Heat Of The Moment - Asia (#1 Rock, #4 Pop)
   Also on Asia, Fantasia: Live In Tokyo (live version), and 80s Hits Stripped (acoustic version).
3. 867-5309/Jenny - Tommy Tutone (#1 Rock, #4 Pop)
   Also on Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 5, I Love Rock & Roll: Hits of the 80's, Vol 4, and 80s Hits Stripped (acoustic version).
4. Hold Me - Fleetwood Mac (#3 Rock, #4 Pop)
   Also on Greatest Hits.
5. No One Like You - Scorpions (#1 Rock, #65 Pop)
   Also on Hear The Light, Vol. 1.
6. Keep The Fire Burnin' - REO Speedwagon (#2 Rock, #7 Pop)
   I'm not the biggest REO Speedwagon fan, usually calling them OREO Chuckwagon or some such mockery. The group's slower tunes were normally overwrought and overplayed, but this cut is a upbeat rocker with a tasty little organ solo. I can take it or leave it (I prefer the very similar Roll With The Changes), but at least it ain't a power ballad.
7. Everybody Wants You - Billy Squier (#1 Rock, #32 Pop)
   One of the best songs on the disc and one the best things Squier ever released.
8. Caught Up In You - .38 Special (#1 Rock, #10 Pop)
   Also on The Very Best of the A&M Years.
9. Think I'm In Love - Eddie Money (#1 Rock, #16 Pop)
   The lack of Eddie Money tunes in my CD collection is downright embarrassing. Anyway, this plea from a man to his woman has a great groove and incessant beat.
10. Working For The Weekend - Loverboy (#2 Rock, #29 Pop)
    Also on Classics: Their Greatest Hits.

According to my 1995 edition of Record Research's Rock Tracks book, the following tunes were the top 40 rock tracks of the year. All ten CD cuts are present and accounted for:

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Shake It Up and Heat Of The Moment are special to me as they come from the first and second albums I ever heard on the emerging personal stereo technology. During my sophomore year in high school in the fall of 1981, I was in either science or health class and a friend named Mark had a Shake It Up cassette and a new Sony Walkman 2. I gave it a listen (during class, of course) and couldn't believe I was able to hear the music that loudly while the teacher couldn't hear a thing. Not too long after - probably January 1982 - a new acquaintance let me borrow his blue Panasonic personal stereo. He introduced me to Asia and and then went on to hip me to synth pop and New Wave. Personal stereos were a big deal and forever changed my listening habits. My first Walkman was a WM-10 either purchased with graduation money in 1984 or received as a gift from my parents the previous Christmas.

The back of the CD insert encourages CD buyers to "Visit Rocky's Swingin' Pad at www.rhino.com" which looked like this in 1997:

Previously revisited for the blog:
Billboard Top Album Rock Hits, 1984
Billboard Top Album Rock Hits, 1981