American Top 40 1979 September 22nd

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:


There is a skip in Segment 2 @ 4 minutes and 21 seconds. Normally I fix things like that, but I only got one copy of the first hour of this show and every copy I have of "You Decorated My Life" is the correct tempo. So since Premier sped up Casey's original broadcast, it is not worth all the trouble it would take me to fix it (and that is only ONE way Kenny Rogers decorated MY life... Mom had posters of Kenny Rogers and Fonzie in every room of the house there for a while).

What could Fats Domino, Pat Boone, and the Four Seasons possibly have in common with each other? The same thing they have in common with Cheap Trick, they all put "Ain't That A Shame" (this week at number 36) into the Top 40, (and I thought you'd never ask!).

As of this countdown, Gerry Rafferty holds the record for owning the single that spent the most weeks at number two without ever making it to number one (with his song "Baker Street" because Andy Gibb was "Shadow Dancing" in the number one spot for those six weeks). His new song declares not to worry if you get it wrong; you'll . . . "Get It Right Next Time" (nope!).

Don't believe a word of what Casey says about Barbra Streisand before he plays number 19,"The Main Event/Fight" - just watch how tough she is in the 1972 movie "What's Up Doc" with Ryan O'Neal and Madeline Kahn. I'm supporting your seed-back ratio (you get visitation, I keep custody. Take the torrent I've included as an extra out but don't feed it full of sugar before you bring it back).

Casey gives a special report on this new thing called a LASER, but he only mentions using it in live laser-shows. Since then we've watched the rise and fall of laser CD players because now you can just listen to songs on your phone! And that's still not the best part of this countdown.

A few weeks earlier, Casey told a story about Peter Green, former member of Fleetwood Mac. Casey said Green threatened someone with a gun (while refusing royalties?) and ended up being sent to a mental institution where he received electrical shock therapy for six months. Now Casey reads a letter from Green's wife who tells the other side of the story. Fortunately, Casey knew to clip the BLUE wire when disarming the attached mail-bomb (good thing Mrs. Green didn't own a laser)!

Maxine Nightingale is at number five with "Lead Me On" so Casey reminisces about the time she turned down royalty rights for the song "Right Back Where We Started From" (she took the standard $45 fee and didn't even want her name listed - I wonder if she owned a gun). She was probably ashamed of contributing to the use of a preposition at the end of a song title, but she got paid anyway.

Australian record producer Mike Chapman has lent his expertise to three #1 singles by three different acts in a single calendar year. Moreover, it was each act's first chart single! Furthermoreover, he has done it once more in this week's number one spot; "My Sharona" by The Knack (the "P" is silent).

LW#3: The Devil Went Down To Georgia - Charlie Daniels Band
LW#2: After The Love Has Gone - Earth, Wind & Fire
LW#1: My Sharona - The Knack
40: I Know A Heartache When I See One - Jennifer Warnes
39: Arrow Through Me - Wings
38: Rolene - Moon Martin
37: You Decorated My Life - Kenny Rogers
LDD: If My Friends Could See Me Now - Linda Clifford
36: Ain't That A Shame - Cheap Trick
35: Dirty White Boy - Foreigner
34: Mama Can't Buy You Love - Elton John
ARCHIVE: Sister Golden Hair - America
33: Hot Summer Nights - Night
32: Where Were You When I Was Falling In Love - Lobo
31: Good Girls Don't - The Knack
30: Dependin' On You - Doobie Brothers
29: Let's Go - The Cars
28: Get It Right Next Time - Gerry Rafferty
27: Dim All The Lights - Donna Summer
26: Spooky - Atlanta Rhythm Section
25: Goodbye Stranger - Supertramp
24: Lovin', Toughin', Squeezin' - Journey
23: What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin' - Stephanie Mills
22: The Boss - Diana Ross
21: Different Worlds - Maureen McGovern
20: I Do Love You - G.Q.
19: The Main Event/Fight - Barbra Streisand
18: Born To Be Alive - Patrick Hernandez
17: Pop Muzik - 'M'
16: Driver's Seat - Sniff 'N' The Tears
15: Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) - Robert Palmer
14: Heaven Must Have Sent You - Bonnie Pointer
LDD: Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me - Gladys Knight & The Pips
13: Cruel To Be Kind - Nick Lowe
ARCHIVE: Listen To What The Man Said - Paul McCartney & Wings
12: Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
11: Good Times - Chic
10: Don't Bring Me Down - Electric Light Orchestra
9: Sail On - Commodores
8: I'll Never Love This Way Again - Dionne Warwick
7: Lonesome Loser - Little River Band
6: Sad Eyes - Robert John
5: Lead Me On - Maxine Nightingale
4: Rise - Herb Alpert
3: The Devil Went Down To Georgia - Charlie Daniels Band
2: After The Love Has Gone - Earth, Wind & Fire
1: My Sharona - The Knack