Reaching For The Stars, Vol. 106
Chart Week: November 9, 1985 Song: “You Belong To The City” – Glenn Frey Chart Position: #4, 9th week on the chart. Peaked at #2 for two weeks. The fall of 1985 was one of those proverbial Big Times in my life. I was a freshman in high school, which brought all kinds of new excitement and perils each day.…
Reaching For The Stars, Vol. 105
Chart Week: November 4, 1978 Song: “Alive Again” – Chicago Chart Position: #21, 3rd week on the chart. Peaked at #14 for two weeks in December. In the Seventies and Eighties the band Chicago was like air: they were always around. In over 21 years of hitting the pop chart, they had 34 Top 40 singles, 20 Top 10s, and…
Reaching For The Stars, Vol. 104
Chart Week: October 4, 1980 Song: “I’m Alright” – Kenny Loggins Chart Position: #8, 13th week on the chart. Peaked at #7 the next two weeks. Every successful career has a turning point, a moment that elevates it from being run-of-the-mill into something special and lasting. This song, for example, recorded as a favor to a friend for a movie…
Reaching For The Stars, Vol. 103
Chart Week: September 7, 1985 Song: “Cry” – Godley & Creme Chart Position: #24, 8th week on the chart. Peaked at #16 the week of October 5. Every decade is filled with unlikely hits. In the Eighties, the best way to force your way into the Top 40 was by making a video that was unique and memorable. That’s how…
A Reaching For The Stars Series Update
My momentum in this series has been off for a few months. No worries for the two or three of you who care about these posts; I’m not giving up on them! A combination of factors over the summer kept me from listening to American Top 40 very often. Less time in the kitchen, where I play the iHeart Radio…
Reaching For The Stars, Vol. 102
Chart Week: June 20, 1987 Song: “I Want Your Sex” – George Michael Chart Position: #36, 3rd week on the chart. Peaked at #2 the week of August 8. Hey, a countdown that landed on my birthday! How did I celebrate turning 16? Well, we lived in San Leandro, CA at the time, and had dinner the night before at…
Reaching For The Stars, Vol. 101
Chart Week: June 4, 1983 Song: “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” – Michael Jackson Chart Position: #22, 2nd week on the chart. Peaked at #5 for two weeks in July. High Fidelity was one of my favorite movies of the early 2000s. I loved the record store culture it celebrated. Hanging around with fellow music geeks, arguing about insanely obscure bits…
Weekend Travel Notes
A busy weekend back in the Motherland. KC Trip Lots of fun on my first Kansas City visit in two years, first solo one in five. As always, it was too brief but I packed plenty in. I flew in Friday morning and got to experience the new KCI for the first time. Soooo much better than the old airport.…
Reaching for the Stars: The First 100
With 100 Reaching for the Stars entries under my belt, it is time to break down where we’ve been, AT40 style. It should be no shock that there have been more entries from 1984 than any other year, a healthy 18 posts from the greatest year in pop music history. I was mildly surprised that 1982 was second with 16.…
Reaching for the Stars, Vol. 100
Chart Week: May 15, 1987 Song: “Don’t Dream It’s Over” – Crowded House Chart Position: #15, 18th week on the chart. Peaked at #2 for one week in April. A few months ago, as I moved into posts 90-plus in this series, I considered whether I should do something special for number 100. Then I realized that since these entries…