October 1981 -- Logjam at the Top

Clogging at the top of the chart today with the top 7 being non-movers.  Hall and Oates will break through to hit #1 in a couple weeks.

First hit:  Stevie Nicks (solo), James Ingram, Al Jarreau, Go-Go's (inauspiciously creeping up only one place into the top 40)

Last hit: Marty Balin, Lulu (also a comeback)

Favorites (5-star) -- Endless Love, The Voice, Just Once, Super Freak

1 1 ARTHUR’S THEME (Best That You Can Do) –•– Christopher Cross (Warner Brothers)-11 (2 weeks at #1) (1)
2 2 ENDLESS LOVE –•– Diana Ross and Lionel Richie (Motown)-16 (1)
3 3 START ME UP –•– The Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones)-10 (3)
4 4 FOR YOUR EYES ONLY –•– Sheena Easton (Liberty)-14 (4)
5 5 STEP BY STEP –•– Eddie Rabbitt (Elektra)-14 (5)
6 6 PRIVATE EYES –•– Daryl Hall and John Oates (RCA)-9 (6)
7 7 STOP DRAGGIN’ MY HEART AROUND –•– Stevie Nicks (with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) (Modern)-14 (3)
8 9 HARD TO SAY –•– Dan Fogelberg (Epic / Full Moon)-9 (8)
9 10 THE NIGHT OWLS –•– Little River Band (Capitol)-10 (9)
10 12 I’VE DONE EVERYTHING FOR YOU –•– Rick Springfield (RCA)-10 (10)

11 14 TRYIN’ TO LIVE MY LIFE WITHOUT YOU –•– Bob Seger (Capitol)-7 (11)
12 8 WHO’S CRYING NOW –•– Journey (Columbia)-15 (4)
13 16 WHEN SHE WAS MY GIRL –•– The Four Tops (Casablanca)-11 (13)
14 15 SHARE YOUR LOVE WITH ME –•– Kenny Rogers (Liberty)-8 (14)
15 23 HERE I AM (Just When I Thought I Was Over You) –•– Air Supply (Arista)-5 (15)
16 17 SUPER FREAK (Part 1) –•– Rick James (Gordy)-12 (16)
17 22 THE THEME FROM “HILL STREET BLUES” –•– Mike Post (Featuring Larry Carlton) (Elektra)-10 (17)
18 19 WE’RE IN THIS LOVE TOGETHER –•– Al Jarreau (Warner Brothers)-13 (18)
19 20 SAY GOODBYE TO HOLLYWOOD –•– Billy Joel (Columbia)-7 (19)
20 21 JUST ONCE –•– Quincy Jones Featuring James Ingram (A&M)-11 (20)

21 25 WAITING FOR A GIRL LIKE YOU –•– Foreigner (Atlantic)-3 (21)
22 24 SHE’S A BAD MAMA JAMA (She’s Built, She’s Stacked) –•– Carl Carlton (20th Century)-10 (22)
23 27 OH NO –•– The Commodores (Motown)-5 (23)
24 28 EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC –•– The Police (A&M)-5 (24)
25 11 URGENT –•– Foreigner (Atlantic)-17 (4)
26 31 PHYSICAL –•– Olivia Newton-John (MCA)-4 (26)
27 29 ATLANTA LADY (Something About Your Love) –•– Marty Balin (EMI-America)-6 (27)
28 13 HOLD ON TIGHT –•– ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) (Jet)-14 (10)
29 33 ALIEN –•– The Atlanta Rhythm Section (Columbia)-9 (29)
30 32 HE’S A LIAR –•– The Bee Gees (RSO)-5 (30)

31 38 THE OLD SONGS –•– Barry Manilow (Arista)-3 (31)
32 18 I COULD NEVER MISS YOU (More Than I Do) –•– Lulu (Alfa)-13 (18)
33 37 SAUSALITO SUMMERNIGHT –•– Diesel (Regency)-7 (33)
34 26 QUEEN OF HEARTS –•– Juice Newton (Capitol)-22 (2)
35 39 IN THE DARK –•– Billy Squier (Capitol)-7 (35)
36 30 THE VOICE –•– The Moody Blues (Threshold)-12 (15)
37 42 YOU SAVED MY SOUL –•– Burton Cummings (Alfa)-7 (37)
38 56 WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE –•– Diana Ross (RCA)-2 (38)
39 34 THE BEACH BOYS MEDLEY –•– The Beach Boys (Capitol)-14 (12)
40 41 OUR LIPS ARE SEALED –•– The Go-Go’s (I.R.S.)-9 (40)

All Year in the Top 40

Casey took a question this week back in 1977, asking if any artist had ever spent a whole year in the top 40.  Since at that point, the longevity record for the Hot 100 was only 36 weeks, clearly no one had.  But, his staff looked across all the major charts and found a country record that had in fact been on the Country and Western top 40 chart for 53 weeks!  Casey clearly thought that that record was unassailable.

Flash forward to 2022, with the record charts being admittedly quite different, but still reflecting broadly sales and airplay (but now including streaming)...and now a record has not only spent a year in the top 40, but in the top 10!  "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd was the #1 song of 2020, and it nearly repeated, ending up as the #3 song of 2021, after 53 weeks in the top 10, 86 in the top 40, and 90 on the Hot 100, all records...

...until this week.  Glass Animals' "Heat Wave" has now spent 91 weeks on the Hot 100!  It won't break the record for the top 10, but the top 40 longevity record is still in play as it's still at #19 after nearly 2 years!