US Top 25 Singles W/E 28th November 1981. Pick your favourites.

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Bobby Morrow, Nov 22, 2020.

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  1. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    US Top 25 Singles Week Ending 28th November, 1981
    TW LW TITLE Artist (Label)-Weeks on Chart (Peak To Date)



    1 1 PHYSICAL –•– Olivia Newton-John (MCA)-9 (2 weeks at #1) (1)
    2 3 WAITING FOR A GIRL LIKE YOU –•– Foreigner (Atlantic)-8 (2)
    3 2 PRIVATE EYES –•– Daryl Hall and John Oates (RCA)-14 (1)
    4 8 EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC –•– The Police (A&M)-10 (4)
    5 5 HERE I AM (Just When I Thought I Was Over You) –•– Air Supply (Arista)-10 (5)
    6 11 OH NO –•– The Commodores (Motown)-10 (6)
    7 4 START ME UP –•– The Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones)-15 (2)
    8 6 TRYIN’ TO LIVE MY LIFE WITHOUT YOU –•– Bob Seger (Capitol)-12 (5)
    9 9 ARTHUR’S THEME (Best That You Can Do) –•– Christopher Cross (Warner Brothers)-16 (1)
    10 12 WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE –•– Diana Ross (RCA)-7 (10)


    11 18 LET’S GROOVE –•– Earth, Wind and Fire (ARC)-9 (11)
    12 15 YOUNG TURKS –•– Rod Stewart (Warner Brothers)-7 (12)
    13 7 THE NIGHT OWLS –•– Little River Band (Capitol)-15 (6)
    14 10 THE THEME FROM “HILL STREET BLUES” –•– Mike Post (Featuring Larry Carlton) (Elektra)-15 (10)
    15 16 THE OLD SONGS –•– Barry Manilow (Arista)-8 (15)
    16 19 TROUBLE –•– Lindsey Buckingham (Asylum)-6 (16)
    17 22 HARDEN MY HEART –•– Quarterflash (Geffen)-7 (17)
    18 21 LEATHER AND LACE –•– Stevie Nicks (with Don Henley) (Modern)-6 (18)
    19 23 YESTERDAY’S SONGS –•– Neil Diamond (Columbia)-4 (19)
    20 24 DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’ –•– Journey (Columbia)-5 (20)


    21 13 I’VE DONE EVERYTHING FOR YOU –•– Rick Springfield (RCA)-15 (8)
    22 32 I CAN’T GO FOR THAT (No Can Do) –•– Daryl Hall and John Oates (RCA)-3 (22)
    23 26 OUR LIPS ARE SEALED –•– The Go-Go’s (I.R.S.)-14 (23)
    24 27 TAKE MY HEART (You Can Have It If You Want It) –•– Kool and the Gang (De-Lite)-7 (24)
    25 29 THE SWEETEST THING (I’ve Ever Known) –•– Juice Newton (Capitol)-7 (25)


    39 years ago this week. Some you’ll love. Some you won’t. Pick as many faves as you like.
     
  2. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Let's see, of all that I have:
    Yet, I heard most of these. Can do without Diana Ross' cover of the old Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers' hit, though . . . don't think I heard Bob Seger's or Little River Band's, certainly not Kool & The Gang's or Juice Newton's.
     
  3. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    Kool & the Gang seem to have had loads of hits. They’re forever cropping up in these polls. Not many of them I remember either, though.:)
     
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  4. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    The good old days. Plenty of good stuff, very little that's terrible and the following that are great - a least in my world :):

    Foreigner - Waiting For A Girl Like You
    Hall & Oates - Private Eyes
    Air Supply - Here I Am
    Christopher Cross - Arthur's Theme
    Rod Stewart - Young Turks
    Quarterflash - Harden My Heart
    Journey - Don't Stop Believin'
    Rick Springfield - I've Done Everything For You
    Juice - Newton - The Sweetest Thing
     
  5. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    And of course most 0f those did very poorly in the U.K.
     
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  6. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    Speaking of the U.K. here’s the charts for the same week.

    [​IMG]
     
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  7. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    Plus ca change. :)

    Haven't seen one of your chart threads for a while. Always fun! :righton:
     
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  8. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    Can't access that for some reason.
     
  9. Stephen J

    Stephen J Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Wow, my senior year in high school, great times and memories:

    1) Waiting For a Girl Like You
    2) Don't Stop Believin'
    3) Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
    4) Let's Groove
    5) I Can't Go For That
     
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  10. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Conversely, many of those didn't do diddly squat in the US. :winkgrin: Very few did well on both sides o' the pond.
     
  11. LoveYourLife

    LoveYourLife Forum Resident

    Location:
    London, UK
    With the exception of the Stones' "Start Me Up" (their best 80s single), I hardly listen to anything on that rundown today unless is crops up on the radio, Spotify or a random compilation. Comparing it to the UK charts, I found more there I still listen to. To me the US and UK charts started to converge more closely, for a while at least, around 1983.

    Ironically (and I wasn't even in my teens yet but I was actively consuming chart music), the Stones seemed positively ancient to me at the time.

    The Go Go's and the Police seem the best of the lot beyond that. Journey is a more recent guilty pleasure. I also never realised L. Buckingham's "Trouble" charted so well.
     
  12. Silksashbash

    Silksashbash Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
    Arthur's theme is gorgeous! Takes you right back like a DeLorean. As a film I prefer the sequel though.
     
  13. Ken.e.

    Ken.e. Spinning music since...

    I only ever bought one Rod Stewart album and it was because I liked Young Turks. I still have the album but I have listened to it since 1982 lol.

    I didn't have the album Physical but a girl I know gave the poster which was on my bedroom door. I also had Wings poster and The Beatles four pictures from the White Album.

    I really enjoyed the Quaterflash album, still pull out for a spin every now and then.
     
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  14. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Hall and Oates X2
    Police
    Stones
    EWF
    Rod
    Go-go's
     
  15. bare trees

    bare trees Senior Member

    I wound up picking all but five songs on this chart. I have fond memories of this era as it was a period of transition where the sounds of the recent past peacefully co-existed with the sounds of what was to come. Here's a chart that had a little of everything from 70s AC stalwarts such as Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond to acts such as The Police and The Go Gos who whose music helped to shape the 80s music landscape as we now know it.
     
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  16. Surly

    Surly Bon Viv-oh-no-he-didn't

    Location:
    Sugar Land, TX
    Pretty decent chart - love the Hall & Oates songs, plus Quarterflash and The Go-Go's. No love for Journey from me, though.

    @Bobby Morrow could you please re-post the UK chart? Your link appears broken. I assume it's a good chart!
     
  17. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere

    Location:
    New York
    Physical - Olivia Newton-John

    Waiting For A Girl Like You - Foreigner

    Private Eyes - Hall & Oates

    Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police

    Start Me Up - The Rolling Stones

    Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) - Christopher Cross

    Let’s Groove - Earth, Wind & Fire

    Young Turks - Rod Stewart

    Theme From “Hill Street Blues” - Mike
    Post (featuring Larry Carlton

    Harden My Heart - Quarterflash

    Don’t Stop Believin’ - Journey

    I’ve Done Everything For You - Rick Springfield

    I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) Hall & Oates

    Our Lips Are Sealed - The Go-Go’s

    Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It) Kool & the Gang


     
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  18. Fischman

    Fischman RockMonster, ClassicalMaster, and JazzMeister

    Location:
    New Mexico
    Start Me Up
    Theme from Hill Street Blues
    Harden My Heart
     
  19. Hadean75

    Hadean75 Forum Moonlighter

    1. Physical - Olivia Newton-John
    2. Waiting For A Girl Like You - Foreigner
    3. Private Eyes - Hall & Oates
    9. Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) - Christopher Cross
    11. Let’s Groove - Earth, Wind & Fire
    20. Don’t Stop Believin’ - Journey
    22. I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) Hall & Oates

    23. Our Lips Are Sealed - The Go-Go’s
     
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  20. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    It’s showing for me.

    Is this any better?

    [​IMG]
     
  21. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    Have to put in a good word for the Hall & Oates songs in this chart. I haven’t heard all their albums but Private Eyes is by far the best of the ones I have. The next single from this LP, Did It In A Minute, is excellent too.
     
  22. john lennonist

    john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...

    1. As someone who finds the 80's to be the worst of all decades, this week's list is darn good... probably because the crappy 80's production sound and synth-driven (synth drums being the worst) songs had yet to raise their annoying heads (this being 1981).

    So I went with

    Physical -- Olivia Newton-John
    Private Eyes -- Hall & Oates

    Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic -- The Police
    Start Me Up -- The Rolling Stones
    Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) -- Christopher Cross ... I've met him, super nice and humble guy
    Trouble --
    Lindsey Buckingham
    I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) -- Hall & Oates
    Our Lips Are Sealed -- The Go-Go’s ... by far my fave from this list (my favorite Go-Go's song!)

    As someone who met Olivia Newton-John once, though isn't a fan of most of her music, I sure would have liked to get "animal, animal" with her (she was drop-dead gorgeous)! :laugh: :love:
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2020
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  23. Duke Fame

    Duke Fame Sold out the Enormodome

    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Pretty good all the way around on this one. Yeah I'm an old fart, but this chart just shines a light on how bad today's top 40 is. Ugh.

    I went with these:

    Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police
    Start Me Up - The Rolling Stone
    Young Turks - Rod Stewart
    Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) - Christopher Cross
    Harden My Heart - Quarterflash
    Leather & Lace - Stevie Nicks (with Don Henley)
    Don’t Stop Believin’ - Journey
    I’ve Done Everything For You - Rick Springfield
    I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) Hall & Oates
     
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  24. Stephen J

    Stephen J Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Comparing them, it seems like the main difference is that in the UK, the AOR acts that are prominent on the USA chart (Foreigner, Journey, Bob Seger) are replaced with synth-pop and New Romantic acts (Spandau Ballet, OMD, Soft Cell, Haircut 100, Ultravox).

    As someone else noted, within a matter of months, beginning in early to mid-1982 many of these newer British acts would invade the USA and, aided by the visual platform provided by the brand-new MTV, make inroads on our charts, creating more convergence. But this late-1981 chart is a snapshot of a time when in the USA the charts were dominated by older 1970s acts and the stuff that was stirring in Britain and its Commonwealth (e.g., Men At Work from down under) had not yet broke in the USA.
     
  25. Indy500

    Indy500 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Rural Oklahoma
    Always thought it was poignant the way they used the Commodores "Oh No" in the movie the Last American Virgin.

    And I remember how infectious Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic was on the radio or MTV.
     
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