April 1981 -- where I began

Listening to the 80's on 8 replay from April 1981, it was a particularly interesting flashback as back then was the first Top 40 program I wrote down, a habit I kept for about 3 years.  My practice was to literally write it out every four weeks, then fill in the subsequent weeks with reference to those.

Some say your favorite music of your life is when you're 13, and to this day, this is an amazing countdown of songs.  Funny though, my least favorite songs then were very near the top -- I had no interest in 1981's Blondie, and there was "Rapture" at #1.  Don McLean's "Crying" is an incredibly slow song, that took years to appreciate. 

Climbing were my top 2 songs of the year, Steve Winwood's "While You See a Chance" and Smokey Robinson's "Being With You."  Overall, it was a wonderful mix of country, pop, R&B, adult contemporary, rock, jazz, soundtracks, old timers and first timers and an out-of-proprtion number of 5-star ITunes songs.   R&B/Dance was at a low spot in 1981, but still I've always liked the songs here by Donna Summer, Yarbrough & Peoples, and especially The Whispers "It's a Love Thing."

First timers in this countdown:  Franke & the Knockouts, Juice Newton, and Loverboy.

1 1 RAPTURE –•– Blondie (Chrysalis)-10 (2 weeks at #1) (1)
2 2 WOMAN –•– John Lennon (Geffen)-12 (2)
3 3 THE BEST OF TIMES –•– Styx (A&M)-11 (3)
4 9 KISS ON MY LIST –•– Daryl Hall and John Oates (RCA)-11 (4)
5 5 CRYING –•– Don McLean (Millenium)-11 (5)
6 6 HELLO AGAIN –•– Neil Diamond (Capitol)-10 (6)
7 8 JUST THE TWO OF US –•– Grover Washington Jr. (with Bill Withers) (Elektra)-8 (7)
8 4 KEEP ON LOVING YOU –•– REO Speedwagon (Epic)-19 (1)
9 11 WHILE YOU SEE A CHANCE –•– Steve Winwood (Island)-9 (9)
10 10 WHAT KIND OF FOOL –•– Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb (Columbia)-10 (10)

11 14 MORNING TRAIN (Nine To Five) –•– Sheena Easton (EMI-America)-8 (11)
12 13 DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME –•– The Police (A&M)-9 (12)
13 16 I CAN’T STAND IT –•– Eric Clapton and His Band (RSO)-6 (13)
14 12 THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL –•– Abba (Atlantic)-20 (8)
15 18 ANGEL OF THE MORNING –•– Juice Newton (Capitol)-7 (15)
16 7 9 TO 5 –•– Dolly Parton (RCA)-19 (1)
17 17 CELEBRATION –•– Kool and the Gang (De-Lite)-24 (1)
18 23 HER TOWN TOO –•– James Taylor and J.D. Souther (Columbia)-4 (18)
19 21 SOMEBODY’S KNOCKIN’ –•– Terri Gibbs (MCA)-12 (19)
20 27 BEING WITH YOU –•– Smokey Robinson (Tamla)-8 (20)

21 25 DON’T STOP THE MUSIC –•– Yarbrough and Peoples (Mercury)-9 (21)
22 22 PRECIOUS TO ME –•– Phil Seymour (Boardwalk)-11 (22)
23 15 I LOVE A RAINY NIGHT –•– Eddie Rabbitt (Elektra)-22 (1)
24 20 A LITTLE IN LOVE –•– Cliff Richard (EMI-America)-17 (17)
25 29 JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME –•– April Wine (Capitol)-9 (25)
26 30 AIN’T EVEN DONE WITH THE NIGHT –•– John Cougar (Riva)-10 (26)
27 32 TAKE IT ON THE RUN –•– REO Speedwagon (Epic)-3 (27)
28 34 TIME OUT OF MIND –•– Steely Dan (MCA)-4 (28)
29 33 TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS –•– Styx (A&M)-3 (29)
30 24 TREAT ME RIGHT –•– Pat Benatar (Chrysalis)-12 (18)

31 37 SWEETHEART –•– Frankie and the Knockouts (Millenium)-5 (31)
32 59 LIVING INSIDE MYSELF –•– Gino Vannelli (Arista)-3 (32)
33 36 IT’S A LOVE THING –•– The Whispers (Solar)-8 (33)
34 19 HEARTS ON FIRE –•– Randy Meisner (Epic)-11 (19)
35 48 YOU BETTER YOU BET –•– The Who (Warner Brothers)-3 (35)
36 39 HOW ‘BOUT US –•– Champaign (Columbia)-8 (36)
37 38 TURN ME LOOSE –•– Loverboy (Columbia)-10 (37)
38 41 I LOVE YOU –•– The Climax Blues Band (Warner Brothers)-7 (38)
39 42 THE PARTY’S OVER (Hopelessly In Love) –•– Journey (Columbia)-6 (39)
40 40 WHO DO YOU THINK YOU’RE FOOLIN’ –•– Donna Summer (Geffen)-7 (40)