Casey Kasem AT40 Memories

On Sunday mornings (and at night) a local station replays America's Top 40 with Casey Kasem episodes from certain weeks in the 80's.

I then discovered first on YouTube then Spotify that I can find and listen to whole episodes myself.

Man, that brings back memories of waiting for Casey to show up on Sunday's and reveal who had the #1 hit for that week. (I couldn't afford to subscribe to Billboard and it wasn't at the library).

I know Casey wasn't the greatest guy to work with (I've heard a couple excerpts) unlike say Dick Clark.

It's very nostalgic for me. Any other fans here?

PS Hearing the songs and how nationwide the hits were makes me think that the segregation of genres today on any format has contributed to the lack of cohesion in our country nowadays. Just a hypothesis.

 

I remember hearing Jump was No. 1 at a JC Pennys.

 

I listen to the 80s on 8 big 40 from the original MTV VJs almost every weekend for the same reason.

 

"Bette Davis Eyes" was No. 1 for a long damn time.

 

Were you not here for the previous iteration of @YMCA B-Baller? This is his Bat Signal.

 

I'm a big fan and listen to them on Sirius XM 70s channel. Which female artist with a name ending in T had the most top 40 records in the 1960s? The answer when we return.

 

Paging @BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo ... BYH to the vintage white courtesy phone.

 

Fucking ponderous.

 

The thing I remember from Casey Kasem was "Always on My Mind" was the only song to be in the Top Ten three times.

 

(Sees bat signal ... spits out popcorn ...)

You guys can have Casey 24/7. iHeart free app has a Classic American Top 40 channel where his 70s and 80s countdowns play on a continuous loop.

Hear! Casey do Long Distance Dedications!
Hear! Casey go full cheese to recite lyrics after the song is over! (More a 70s thing, but he did it in the 80s once in a while too.)
Hear! Casey tell stories about bands more than likely made up by their management team or record label!
Hear! Casey explain hip-hop terms! (Late-period Casey, but a gold mine when you hear it.)

Now? On with the countdown ...

 

Right now, Al Martino's "Volare" is No. 33 on what I presume is an early 1970s countdown.

Edit: Holy shit! It's a disco version of "Volare"! So I amend my guess to 1976-77-ish. This is why countdowns exist!

What I honestly love about countdowns is that they strip away the inaccuracy of nostalgia. Sure, there are big songs you knew were big. There are also songs you forgot ever got big as they did because modern radio ignores them. And vice versa.

"Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey only reached No. 9, for example.

Edit: The song after "Volare" is "Over My Head" by Fleetwood Mac, so this is 1975.

 

Countdown is Dec. 20, 1975. Good era for the countdown. It's senior year in "Dazed And Confused". Someone go get Ben Affleck his paddle.