American Top 40 1978 August 26th First Long Distance Dedication

American Top 40 with Casey Kasem aired on radio from July 4, 1970 until August 6, 1988. This recording is a rebroadcast from internet radio.

In this countdown:

Cheryl Ladd, one of television's "Charlie's Angels" debuts at number 37. Casey claims her song, "Think It Over" is the first top 40 hit ever by any performer whose first big success in show business was acting (not singing) in TV commercials.

A listener asks, "Which is the most successful comedy album in chart history?" Casey says this album by the man who currently plays television's favorite shrink spent 108 weeks on the LP chart with 14 weeks in the number one spot.

In a future AT40 broadcast (November 17th, 1979), Casey will detail how sweet little Anne Murray used to be a big fat pain in the neck, and in this broadcast we can begin to understand why. He describes how she only took up singing to help pay bills after college. When school started, she quit singing and taught for the next year. The producer who desperately wanted her to come back and sing must have thought she was playing "hard to get" (maybe she was thinking of him when she recorded her song, "You Needed Me" which is at number 28).

Casey gives a Special Report concerning which branch of entertainment is pulling in the biggest amount of 1978 dollars. His conclusion is the public spends way more on music than movies. Then, a little later, he says this countdown has more movie songs (nine) than any have ever before. Why can't we just have both?

A listener asks this question: "In the rock era, has there ever been a recording act that released two different songs with the same title, and hit the chart with both of them?" The only thing nuttier than that question is the answer. Casey says it DID happen. The title of these songs from the mid 60's was "Everybody Knows" (but Casey can fill in the details because I don't want everybody to know).

According to Casey, Donna Summer (at number 10 with her hit, "Last Dance"), is the only person to hit #1 on disco chart more than once in its 2 year existence. That's all I got.

Until this week in 1978, the Category of "Most Number One Songs by the Same Composer in a Calendar Year" was held by Lennon/McCartney (they had six). This week's new number one makes it seven for the composer who now leads everybody else in the history of the chart (including Cole Porter, Goffin & King, or Holland-Dozier-Holland).

40: Shadow Dancin' - The Bee Gees
39: The Love Theme From "The Eyes Of Laura Mars" - Barbra Streisand
38: Right Down The Line - Gerry Rafferty
37: Think It Over - Cheryl Ladd
36: Don't Look Back - Boston
35: Get Off - Foxy
34: Rock And Roll Fantasy - The Kinks
33: Oh Darlin' - Robin Gibb
32: Just What I Needed - The Cars
31: Whenever I Call You Friend - Kenny Loggins with Stevie Nicks
30: Rivers Of Babylon - Boney M
29: Close The Door - Teddy Pendergrass
28: You Needed Me - Anne Murray
27: Hollywood Nights - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
26: Macho Man - Village People
25: You - Rita Coolidge
24: Two Tickets To Paradise - Eddie Money
23: Reminiscing - The Little River Band
22: Stuff Like That - Quincy Jones
21: Summer Nights - John Travolta & Olivia Newton John
20: You And I - Rick James
19: Love Is In The Air - John Paul Young
18: Life's Been Good - Joe Walsh
17: My Angel Baby - Toby Beaux Group
16: Hot Child In The City - Nick Guilder
15: Fool If You Think It's Over - Chris Rea
14: Copacabana - Barry Manilow
13: Got To Get You Into My Life - Earth, Wind & Fire
12: Shame - Evelyn "Champagne" King
11: Kiss You All Over - Exile
10: Last Dance - Donna Summer
9: Everlasting Love - Andy Gibb
8: Magnet And Steel - Walter Egan
7: Hopelessly Devoted To You - Olivia Newton-John
6: Love Will Find A Way - Pablo Cruise
LDD: Desiree - Neil Diamond
5: Hot-Blooded - Foreigner
4: Boogie Oogie Oogie - A Taste Of Honey
3: Miss You - The Rolling Stones
2: Three Times A Lady - The Commodores
1: Grease - Frankie Valli