American Top 40 Vault 1982

Whatever you were doing in 1982 and whoever you were doing it with (or to), these are the songs you were doing it to, presented by the host who played the hits from coast to coast , Casey Kasem!

Events that shaped the Rock world in 1982

Tops of the Decade: The milestone year for number one hits, 1981, had some of its magic cross over into 1982. Olivia Newton·John's Physical, with 10 weeks straight at number one, became the decade's most popular song, and, up to that point, the number two song of the entire Rock era! Only Every Breath You Take by the Police would come within striking distance of Physical for longevity at number one (8 weeks in 1983) during the rest of the '80's. Olivia Newton·John ended a spectacular run of long-running number one hits that started with Kim Carnes' Bette Davis Eyes in May, 1981.

Jammed in Neutral - For 10 Weeks! The 1982 Grammy Awards needed a special category. They could have called it the "Foreigner" award, named for the popular rock group whose hit single Waiting For a Girl Like You spent an unprecedented 10 weeks straight at number two from late 1981 to early 1982. The first nine weeks at the runner-up position were spent behind Olivia Newton·John's number one megahit Physical (see above). On January 30 Physical finally fell from number one. What song replaced it? Daryl Hall & John Oates' I Can't Go For That took over the top spot, with Waiting For a Girl Like You still waiting (pun intended!) at number two for a record-shattering 10th straight week. The following week, the Foreigner hit started its move downward, never reaching number one! For this frustrating feat, Foreigner deserves some special award!

Two Superstars, One Super Hit: Although their song was not as popular as Endless Love by the superstar combo of Diana Ross and Lionel Richie a year earlier, former Beatles and Wings superstar Paul McCartney and '70's Pop and '60's Motown great Stevie Wonder scored big with the hit Ebony and Ivory. This hit song, advocating racial harmony, spent a big 7 weeks at number one, combining the talents of two of Rock and Pop's greatest legendary acts.

Here Today...Gone Tomorrow: The popular AC-Pop group Air Supply's hit Even The Nights Are Better spent most of the Summer of '82 as one of the biggest hits in the U.S., peaking at number 5. When it fell one spot to number 6 on September 18, it looked as if it would remain a big hit for some time, with a slow move down the Billboard chart. Then the following week, September 25, it was gone from the Top 40! Air Supply's song fell from 6 to 42, breaking the 8-year-old Rock-era record for dropping off the Top 40 from the highest position. When Even The Nights Are Better broke the record, it was probably a bigger shock to Top 40 fans than the previous record holder, Tony Orlando & Dawn's Steppin' Out (Gonna Boogie Tonight), which fell out from number 7 in 1974. When it happened to the "Dawn" hit, plenty of chart activity in one week was the norm (see 1974, "Fickle Fans"). When the Air Supply hit did it, singles tended to remain on the chart for a long time, and stay at their peak for awhile, sometimes for 6 to 7 weeks, not counting singles that peaked at number 1 or 2. This was an interesting record to set at an unlikely time!

All of the songs that hit the weekly Top 40 pop charts in 1982, according to Billboard Magazine.

[ ]--Original Date of Entry Into Top 40
( )--Peak Position on Chart

Physical--Olivia Newton·John [see 1981] (#1)
Waiting For a Girl Like You--Foreigner [see 1981] (#2)
Let's Groove--Earth, Wind & Fire [see 1981] (#3)
I Can't Go For That--Daryl Hall & John Oates [see 1981] (#1)
Young Turks--Rod Stewart [see 1981] (#5)
Harden My Heart--Quarterflash [see 1981] (#3)
Leather and Lace--Stevie Nicks & Don Henley [see 1981] (#6)
Centerfold--J. Geils Band [see 1981] (#1)
Turn Your Love Around--George Benson [see 1981] (#5)
Trouble--Lindsay Buckingham [see 1981] (#9)
Yesterday's Songs--Neil Diamond [see 1981] (#11)
Comin' In And Out Of Your Life--Barbra Streisand [see 1981] (#11)
The Sweetest Thing--Juice Newton [see 1981] (#7)
Hooked On Classics--Royal Philharmonic Orchestra [see 1981] (#10)
Why Do Fools Fall In Love--Diana Ross [see 1981] (#7)
Cool Night--Paul Davis [see 1981] (#11)
Take My Heart--Kool & the Gang [see 1981] (#17)
Don't Stop Believin'--Journey [see 1981] (#9)
Someone Could Lose a Heart Tonight--Eddie Rabbitt [see 1981] (#15)
Waiting On a Friend--Rolling Stones [see 1981] (#13)
Shake It Up--Cars [see 1981] (#4)
I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World--Ronnie Milsap [see 1981] (#20)
Leader of the Band--Dan Fogelberg [see 1981] (#9)
Come Go With Me--Beach Boys [see 1981] (#18)
Steal The Night--Stevie Woods [see 1981] (#25)
She's Got a Way--Billy Joel [see 1981] (#23)
Our Lips are Sealed--Go-Go's [see 1981] (#20)
You Could Have Been With Me--Sheena Easton [see 1981] (#15)
Under Pressure--Queen & David Bowie [see 1981] (#29)
Take It Easy On Me--Little River Band [see 1981] (#10)
Oh No--Commodores [see 1981] (#4)
Sweet Dreams--Air Supply [1/9] (#5)
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic--Police [see 1981] (#3)
Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You)--Air Supply [see 1981] (#5)
Love Is Alright Tonight--Rick Springfield [see 1981] (#20)
Castles In the Air--Don McLean [see 1981] (#36)
More Than Just The Two Of Us--Sneaker [see 1981] (#34)
My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)--Chilliwack [see 1981] (#22)
Heart Like a Wheel--Steve Miller Band [see 1981] (#24)
Working For the Weekend--Loverboy [1/9] (#29)
Through The Years--Kenny Rogers [1/16] (#13)
Love In the First Degree--Alabama [1/16] (#15)
Key Largo--Burtie Higgins [1/16] (#8)
All Our Tomorrows--Eddie Schwartz [1/16] (#28)
Open Arms--Journey [1/23] (#2)
Sea Of Love--Del Shannon [1/23] (#33)
Somewhere Down the Road--Barry Manilow [1/23] (#21)
Abacab--Genesis [1/23] (#26)
Mirror, Mirror--Diana Ross [1/30] (#8)
That Girl--Stevie Wonder [1/30] (#4)
Pac-Man Fever--Buckner & Garcia [1/30] (#9)
Spirits In the Material World--Police [1/30] (#11)
Daddy's Home--Cliff Richard [2/6] (#23)
When All Is Said and Done--ABBA [2/6] (#27)
We Got the Beat--Go-Go's [2/13] (#2)
Tonight I'm Yours--Rod Stewart [2/13] (#20)
Bobby Sue--Oak Ridge Boys [2/13] (#12)
Should I Do It--Pointer Sisters [2/13] (#13)
Love Is Like a Rock--Donny Iris [2/13] (#37)
I Love Rock and Roll--Joan Jett & the Blackhearts [2/13] (#1)
One Hundred Ways--James Ingram [2/13] (#14)
Call Me--Skyy [2/20] (#26)
Chariots of Fire--Vangelis [2/20] (#1)
Do You Believe In Love--Huey Lewis & the News [2/20] (#7)
Take Off--Bob & Doug MacKenzie [2/20] (#16)
I Believe--Chilliwack [2/27] (#33)
Make a Move on Me--Olivia Newton·John [2/27] (#5)
Tell Me Tomorrow--Smokey Robinson [2/27] (#33)
Freeze Frame--J. Geils Band [3/6] (#4)
My Guy--Sister Sledge [3/6] (#23)
Edge Of Seventeen--Stevie Nicks [3/6] (#11)
Juke Box Hero--Foreigner [3/6] (#26)
On the Way to the Sky--Neil Diamond [3/6] (#27)
Oh, Pretty Woman--Van Halen [3/13] (#12)
Don't Talk to Strangers--Rick Springfield [3/13] (#2)
867-5309 / Jenny--Tommy Tutone [3/13] (#4)
Don't Let Him Know--Prism [3/13] (#39)
Find Another Fool--Quarterflash [3/13] (#16)
Nobody Said It Was Easy--Le Roux [3/20] (#18)
'65 Love Affair--Paul Davis [3/20] (#6)
Goin' Down--Greg Guidry [3/20] (#17)
Just Can't Win 'em All--Stevie Woods [3/20] (#38)
Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk--Dr. Hook [3/27] (#25)
I've Never Been to Me--Charlene [3/27] (#3)
Did It In a Minute--Daryl Hall & John Oates [4/3] (#9)
Theme From Magnum P.I.--Mike Post [4/3] (#25)
Pop Goes the Movies--Meco [4/3] (#35)
Get Down On It--Kool & the Gang [4/3] (#10)
Ebony and Ivory--Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder [4/10] (#1)
Always On My Mind--Willie Nelson [4/10] (#5)
Mama Used to Say--Junior [4/10] (#30)
Beatles Movie Medley--Beatles [4/10] (#12)
Genius Of Love--Tom Tom Club [4/10] (#31)
Hang Fire--Rolling Stones [4/10] (#20)
Don't You Want Me--Human League [4/10] (#1)
The Other Woman--Ray Parker Jr. [4/10] (#4)
Empty Garden--Elton John [4/17] (#13)
Stars On 45 III--Stars On [4/17] (#28)
Still In Saigon--Charlie Daniels Band [4/17] (#22)
Making Love--Roberta Flack [4/17] (#13)
Let's Hang On--Barry Manilow [4/24] (#32)
Run For The Roses--Dan Fogelberg [4/24] (#18)
Shanghai Breezes--John Denver [4/24] (#31)
If I Had My Wish Tonight--David Lasley [4/24] (#36)
Heat Of the Moment--Asia [5/1] (#4)
Man On Your Mind--Little River Band [5/1] (#14)
Fantasy--Aldo Nova [5/1] (#23)
It's Gonna Take a Miracle--Denice Williams [5/1] (#10)
My Girl--Donny Iris [5/1] (#25)
Wake Up Little Suzie--Simon & Garfunkel [5/1] (#27)
Without You--Frankie & the Knockouts [5/8] (#24)
Rosanna--Toto [5/8] (#2)
When He Shines--Sheena Easton [5/8] (#30)
Man On the Corner--Genesis [5/8] (#40)
Crimson & Clover--Joan Jett & the Blackhearts [5/15] (#7)
Body Language--Queen [5/15] (#11)
Let It Whip--Dazz Band [5/15] (#5)
When It's Over--Loverboy [5/15] (#26)
Circles--Atlantic Starr [5/15] (#38)
Love's Been a Little Bit Hard On Me--Juice Newton [5/22] (#7)
Caught Up In You--38 Special [5/22] (#10)
Hurts So Good--John Cougar [5/22] (#2)
Tainted Love--Soft Cell [5/22] (#8)
I Don't Know Where to Start--Eddie Rabbitt [5/22] (#35)
Any Day Now--Ronnie Milsap [5/29] (#14)
Play the Game Tonight--Kansas [5/29] (#17)
Only The Lonely--Motels [5/29] (#9)
Friends In Love--Dionne Warwick & Johnny Mathis [5/29] (#38)
Take Me Down--Alabama [6/5] (#18)
Break It Up--Foreigner [6/5] (#26)
Forget Me Nots--Patrice Rushin [6/5] (#23)
Murphy's Law--Cheri [6/5] (#39)
Personally--Karla Bonoff [6/5] (#19)
Still They Ride--Journey [6/12] (#19)
After The Glitter Fades--Stevie Nicks [6/12] (#32)
Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do--Huey Lewis & the News [6/12] (#36)
Do I Do--Stevie Wonder [6/19] (#13)
What Kind of Fool Am I--Rick Springfield [6/19] (#21)
Hold Me--Fleetwood Mac [6/19] (#4)
Keep the Fire Burning--R.E.O. Speedwagon [6/19] (#7)
Abracadabra--Steve Miller [6/19] (#1)
This Man is Mine--Heart [6/19] (#33)
Be Mine Tonight--Neil Diamond [6/19] (#35)
Stone Cold--Rainbow [6/19] (#40)
Eye of the Tiger--Survivor [6/26] (#1)
Even The Nights are Better--Air Supply [6/26] (#5)
Hard to Say I'm Sorry--Chicago [6/26] (#1)
Island Of Lost Souls--Blondie [6/26] (#37)
Dancing In The Street--Van Halen [6/26] (#38)
Wasted On the Way--Crosby, Stills, & Nash [7/3] (#9)
Going To a Go-Go--Rolling Stones [7/3] (#25)
Early In The Morning--Gap Band [7/3] (#24)
Hooked On Swing--Larry Algart & His Manhattan Swing Orchestra [7/3] (#31)
Angel in Blue--J. Geils Band [7/3] (#40)
You Should Hear How She Talks About You--Melissa Manchester [7/10] (#5)
If The Love Fits, Wear It--Leslie Pearl [7/10] (#28)
Out Of Work--Gary U.S. Bonds [7/10] (#21)
Take It Away--Paul McCartney [7/17] (#10)
Vacation--Go-Go's [7/17] (#8)
Love Is In Control--Donna Summer [7/17] (#10)
Kids In America--Kim Wilde [7/17] (#25)
I Found Somebody--Glen Frey [7/17] (#31)
Nice Girls--Eye To Eye [7/17] (#37)
Love Plus One--Haircut One Hundred [7/17] (#37)
Love Will Turn You Around--Kenny Rogers [7/24] (#13)
American Music--Pointer Sisters [7/24] (#16)
Paperlate--Genesis [7/24] (#32)
Your Imagination--Daryl Hall & John Oates [7/24] (#33)
Think I'm In Love--Eddie Money [7/24] (#16)
Eye In the Sky--Alan Parsons Project [7/31] (#3)
And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going--Jennifer Holiday [7/31] (#22)
Route 101--Herb Alpert [7/31] (#37)
Who Can It Be Now--Men at Work [8/7] (#1)
Jack and Diane--John Cougar [8/7] (#1)
Hot In the City--Billy Idol [8/7] (#23)
Only Time Will Tell--Asia [8/14] (#17)
Blue Eyes--Elton John [8/14] (#12)
I Really Don't Need No Light--Jeffrey Osborne [8/14] (#39)
Someday, Someway--Marshal Crenshaw [8/14] (#36)
You Can Do Magic--America [8/21] (#8)
Somebody's Baby--Jackson Browne [8/21] (#7)
Let Me Tickle Your Fancy--Jermaine Jackson [8/21] (#18)
Let Me Go--Ray Parker Jr. [8/21] (#38)
I Keep Forgettin'--Michael McDonald [8/28] (#4)
Hold On--Santana [8/28] (#15)
What's Forever For--Michael Murphey [8/28] (#19)
Do You Want To Touch Me (Oh Yeah)--Joan Jett & the Blackhearts [8/28] (#20)
Never Been In Love--Randy Meisner [8/28] (#28)
Love Or Let Me Be Lonely--Paul Davis [8/28] (#40)
Valley Girl--Frank Zappa [9/4] (#32)
I Ran--A Flock Of Seagulls [9/4] (#9)
Gloria--Laura Brannigan [9/4] (#2)
Jump To It--Aretha Franklin [9/11] (#24)
Voyeur--Kim Carnes [9/11] (#29)
Big Fun--Kool & the Gang [9/11] (#21)
Make Believe--Toto [9/11] (#30)
You Dropped a Bomb On Me--Gap Band [9/11] (#31)
The One You Love--Glen Frey [9/11] (#15)
Break It To Me Gently--Juice Newton [9/11] (#11)
Holdin' On--Tane Cain [9/18] (#37)
Oh Julie--Barry Manilow [9/18] (#38)
You Don't Want Me Anymore--Steel Breeze [9/18] (#16)
Let It Be Me--Willie Nelson [9/18] (#40)
Don't Fight It--Kenny Loggins & Steve Perry [9/25] (#17)
Gypsy--Fleetwood Mac [9/25] (#12)
Heart Attack--Olivia Newton·John [9/25] (#3)
Heartlight--Neil Diamond [10/2] (#5)
Up Where We Belong--Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes [10/2] (#1)
Love Come Down--Evelyn King [10/2] (#17)
You Keep Runnin' Away--38 Special [10/2] (#38)
Sweet Time--R.E.O. Speedwagon [10/2] (#26)
New World Man--Rush [10/9] (#21)
Nobody--Sylvia [10/9] (#15)
Southern Cross--Crosby, Stills, & Nash [10/9] (#18)
Athena--Who [10/9] (#28)
Mickey--Toni Basil [10/9] (#1)
I Get Excited--Rick Springfield [10/9] (#32)
American Heartbeat--Survivor [10/16] (#17)
Steppin' Out--Joe Jackson [10/16] (#6)
Pressure--Billy Joel [10/16] (#20)
Muscles--Diana Ross [10/16] (#10)
Truly--Lionel Richie [10/23] (#1)
Love Me Tomorrow--Chicago [10/23] (#22)
Young Love--Air Supply [10/23] (#38)
Rock This Town--Stray Cats [10/23] (#9)
Get Closer--Linda Ronstadt [10/23] (#29)
It's Raining Again--Supertramp [10/30] (#11)
I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World)--Donald Fagen [10/30] (#26)
I Need You--Paul Carrack [10/30] (#37)
The Look of Love--ABC [10/30] (#18)
I'm So Excited--Pointer Sisters [10/30] (#30) (see also 1984 Hits)
Maneater--Daryl Hall & John Oates [11/6] (#1)
Heartbreaker--Dionne Warwick [11/6] (#10)
Shadows of the Night--Pat Benatar [11/6] (#13)
Dirty Laundry--Don Henley [11/13] (#3)
Missing You--Dan Fogelberg [11/13] (#23)
The Girl Is Mine--Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson [11/13] (#2)
Rock the Casbah--Clash [11/13] (#8)
Be My Lady--Jefferson Starship [11/13] (#28)
You And I--Eddie Rabbitt & Crystal Gayle [11/13] (#7)
Sexual Healing--Marvin Gaye [11/20] (#3)
Africa--Toto [11/20] (#1)
A Penny For Your Thoughts--Tavares [11/20] (#33)
On The Wings Of Love--Jeffrey Osborne [11/20] (#29)
Down Under--Men at Work [11/27] (#1)
Hand To Hold On To--John Cougar [11/27] (#19)
What About Me--Moving Pictures [11/27] (#29)
Everybody Wants You--Billy Squier [11/27] (#32)
You Can't Hurry Love--Phil Collins [11/27] (#10)
Baby Come to Me--Patti Austin & James Ingram [12/4] (#1)
The Other Guy--Little River Band [12/4] (#11)
You Got Lucky--Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [12/4] (#20)
Shock the Monkey--Peter Gabriel [12/4] (#29)
Let's Go Dancin'--Kool & the Gang [12/4] (#30)
Heart To Heart--Kenny Loggins [12/11] (#15)
Goody Two Shoes--Adam Ant [12/11] (#12)
I Do--J. Geils Band [12/11] (#24)
Love In Store--Fleetwood Mac [12/11] (#22)
Heart Of The Night--Juice Newton [12/18] (#25)
Allentown--Billy Joel [12/18] (#17)
Shame On The Moon--Bob Seger [12/18] (#2)
Does It Make You Remember--Kim Carnes [12/25] (#36)
Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy--Sammy Hagar [12/25] (#13)
Two Less Lonely People In the World--Air Supply [12/25] (#38)