April 1981 -- Where I began

In January 1981, I began following the pop chart, clipping the list from the newspaper.  But in April, I turned a corner -- I received my first two 45's for my birthday, and I began to regularly listen to and write down American Top 40 with Casey Kasem.  That was this chart, played on Sirius XM this week, and (though I missed Casey Kasem), I loved it all --

Adult Contemporary, dance, R&B, rock, pop, yacht rock, country, ballads, jazz, even rap -- all mixed together.

Milestones:

-- last top 10 hit: Abba, Don McLean, Blondie (in a big fall from grace)

-- last week on the top 40:  Andy Gibb, Emmy Lou Harris

-- first big hit:  Sheena Easton, Loverboy, Phil Collins (solo)

-- First miss:  Barry Manilow will miss the top 40 for the first time with Lonely Together

Favorites: 5-stars (12!) -- Hall & Oates, Sheena Easton, Steve Winwood, REO Speedwagon (2x), Barbra Striesand, Neil Diamond, John Cougar, Kim Carnes, Franke & the Knockouts, Whispers, The Who -- and the top one... While You See a Chance

1 4 KISS ON MY LIST –•– Daryl Hall and John Oates (RCA)-12 (1 week at #1) (1)
2 1 RAPTURE –•– Blondie (Chrysalis)-11 (1)
3 3 THE BEST OF TIMES –•– Styx (A&M)-12 (3)
4 2 WOMAN –•– John Lennon (Geffen)-13 (2)
5 7 JUST THE TWO OF US –•– Grover Washington, Jr. (with Bill Withers) (Elektra)-9 (5)
6 11 MORNING TRAIN (Nine To Five) –•– Sheena Easton (EMI-America)-9 (6)
7 5 CRYING –•– Don McLean (Millennium)-12 (5)
8 9 WHILE YOU SEE A CHANCE –•– Steve Winwood (Island)-10 (8)
9 8 KEEP ON LOVING YOU –•– REO Speedwagon (Epic)-20 (1)
10 12 DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME –•– The Police (A&M)-10 (10)

11 13 I CAN’T STAND IT –•– Eric Clapton and His Band (RSO)-7 (11)
12 15 ANGEL OF THE MORNING –•– Juice Newton (Capitol)-8 (12)
13 6 HELLO AGAIN –•– Neil Diamond (Capitol)-11 (6)
14 20 BEING WITH YOU –•– Smokey Robinson (Tamla)-9 (14)
15 18 HER TOWN TOO –•– James Taylor and J.D. Souther (Columbia)-5 (15)
16 16 9 TO 5 –•– Dolly Parton (RCA)-20 (1)
17 19 SOMEBODY’S KNOCKIN’ –•– Terri Gibbs (MCA)-13 (17)
18 10 WHAT KIND OF FOOL –•– Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb (Columbia)-11 (10)
19 21 DON’T STOP THE MUSIC –•– Yarbrough and Peoples (Mercury)-10 (19)
20 14 THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL –•– Abba (Atlantic)-21 (8)

21 32 LIVING INSIDE MYSELF –•– Gino Vannelli (Arista)-4 (21)
22 25 JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME –•– April Wine (Capitol)-10 (22)
23 26 AIN’T EVEN DONE WITH THE NIGHT –•– John Cougar (Riva)-11 (23)
24 27 TAKE IT ON THE RUN –•– REO Speedwagon (Epic)-4 (24)
25 28 TIME OUT OF MIND –•– Steely Dan (MCA)-5 (25)
26 29 TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS –•– Styx (A&M)-4 (26)
27 31 SWEETHEART –•– Franke and the Knockouts (Millennium)-6 (27)
28 35 YOU BETTER YOU BET –•– The Who (Warner Brothers)-4 (28)
29 33 IT’S A LOVE THING –•– The Whispers (Solar)-9 (29)
30 17 CELEBRATION –•– Kool and the Gang (De-Lite)-25 (1)

31 36 HOW ‘BOUT US –•– Champaign (Columbia)-9 (31)
32 38 I LOVE YOU –•– The Climax Blues Band (Warner Brothers)-8 (32)
33 57 BETTE DAVIS EYES –•– Kim Carnes (EMI-America)-3 (33)
34 43 SUKIYAKI –•– A Taste Of Honey (Capitol)-6 (34)
35 47 I MISSED AGAIN –•– Phil Collins (Atlantic)-4 (35)
36 37 TURN ME LOOSE –•– Loverboy (Columbia)-11 (36)
37 39 THE PARTY’S OVER (Hopelessly In Love) –•– Journey (Columbia)-7 (37)
38 52 WATCHING THE WHEELS –•– John Lennon (Geffen)-3 (38)
39 42 MISTER SANDMAN –•– Emmylou Harris (Warner Brothers)-7 (39)
40 41 ME (Without You) –•– Andy Gibb (RSO)-5 (40)

POWER PLAYS

41 44 WASN’T THAT A PARTY –•– The Rovers (Cleveland International)-8 (41)
42 45 HOLD ON LOOSELY –•– 38 Special (A&M)-7 (42)
43 53 LOVE YOU LIKE I NEVER LOVED BEFORE –•– John O’Banion (Elektra)-3 (43)
44 48 A WOMAN NEEDS LOVE (Just Like You Do) –•– Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio (Arista)-6 (44)
45 51 LONELY TOGETHER –•– Barry Manilow (Arista)-5 (45)