EP. 131 THE BEST OF THE BILLBOARD HOT 100 MAY 7, 1983!

One week. Forty songs. A whole time machine. We’re building a Billboard Top 40 playlist from May 7, 1983, and the deeper we go, the more you can hear the early 80s music world colliding: rock guitars next to synth hooks, country crossover next to new wave, and the MTV era starting to decide what “big” really means.

We start with a quick life update on why I’ve been out of the studio and how much work goes into researching and writing a chart-heavy show. Then I tell the story of catching Olivia Harms live, from the simple trick of sitting near the sound booth to the small, personal moments that remind you why live music still matters. It’s a great reset before we dive into the numbers.

From there, it’s a guided countdown packed with context and nostalgia: Journey showing up twice, Culture Club gaining momentum, Duran Duran breaking through, and classic pop craftsmanship from Lionel Richie, Toto, Kenny Loggins, and more. We also talk about “staying power” and why songs used to live on the charts long enough to become part of your life, not just a quick spike. And when we hit the top, the Michael Jackson run is unreal: Billie Jean on the chart, Beat It at No. 1, plus the wild behind-the-scenes connections like Eddie Van Halen’s solo and Toto’s fingerprints all over the Thriller era.

If you love Billboard chart history, 1980s pop and rock, and making playlists that actually feel like a story, hit play. Subscribe, share with a friend who lived it (or needs to hear it), and leave a review with the one song that took you back the fastest.

Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram: benmaynardprogram 
and subscribe to my YouTube channel: THE BEN MAYNARD PROGRAM
I also welcome your comments. email: pl8blocker@aol.com

Transcript

Welcome And Where To Listen

SPEAKER_00 0:14

What is going on, people? How are you? Man, it has been a minute, and um there's not much of a story to tell. But welcome into the Ben Maynard program. Thanks for being here. Um, I you know it's been so long since I've been in the studio. The last episode was uh like three weeks ago, and I did it out on the patio because we had a guest in the studio. Um and so it's been a little while since I've actually been in the studio and I find myself trying to get situated here. I can't even get myself situated. I don't even like remember how I sit in here. Anyway, uh look, if you guys enjoy the top 40, uh the billboard top 40 countdowns, then I'm telling you, get a pen and paper. All right. I'm gonna give you, I don't know, five, four, three, two, one. Okay, you should have your pen and paper. Yeah, you can always pause this, right? Because we are gonna get into it tonight. Before we do that, though, I do need to remind you that this program is available wherever you stream your podcasts and it's on YouTube. And you know that because you're watching it, right? Uh, so just go wherever you get your podcast and subscribe to it. All right. Then um, don't forget to follow me on my socials. Uh, on Instagram, it's uh uh the Ben Maynard program. I'm sorry. It's see, it's been so long I can't even get it right. On um Instagram, it's Ben Maynard program, all one word. Yes. Whew. And on the TikTok at the Ben Maynard program. So plenty of ways to take in this show for your dancing and listening pleasure. And we're gonna dive right into it. If you've been a part of this podcast for any stretch of time, you guys know I love the Billboard charts. I love the hot 100, I love the top 200 album chart, and I love the Billboard Top 40. So um I I had other things planned, but I'm telling you right now, it's taking forever to put that podcast together. Uh doing my research and putting it all together. And uh I just it's like, wow. And it's gonna be so involved that I'm probably gonna have to break it up into two different episodes. Yeah, I know you guys are just like on pins and needles. What is it, Ben? What is it? Well, you'll have to stick around and find out. But why have I been away for so long? Um, before we get into the uh the subject matter of tonight. Um well, as you guys know, I still work, I still have a full-time job, and it's not a nine to five. No, I work a lot of hours, and work has just been crazy. It's been beating me up, and it's been really getting in the way of this podcast. Not of really trying to record it, but getting in the way of doing the research and putting the putting it together, uh, all the show writing, stuff like that. So that's what's really been uh getting in the way, and that's why, besides work, that I haven't been able to uh get here in the studio, and so much so that I haven't even put out any videos on my socials to kind of just keep up with you guys, let you know what's happening in my world, and let you know what to be on the lookout for. So my apologies. Um, but the last time I left you, we had a Friday Night Live, and I believe that was um that was before Catherine and I went to go see Olivia Harms. And uh yeah, that was a lot of fun. She was so nice. We went out to the Cowboy Festival in New Hall. Newhall, yeah. And um it was a little bit of a drive, but that's okay. And what a great um, just what a great event. They had all kinds of music, they had all kinds of food, they had activities, just very family uh friendly. And uh we got out there and I sent a text to Olivia and let her know, hey, we're here and uh can't wait to see you. And then she sent me a text um about 15 minutes before she was going to uh take the stage. No, maybe a half hour before she was gonna take the stage, let me know she was doing a sound check. And uh then she asked me, well, what song uh you have a specific song you want me to play? And so I said, Yeah, sure. So I I texted her what I wanted her to play, and there you go. So uh I told her, I said, Well, we are going to be sitting right center stage. We're gonna be sitting right by the sound, the sound guy. Um, because no matter where you are, if you're outdoors, indoors, no matter what, right by the sound guy, the sound booth, that's where you want to be sitting. That's the best sound in the house. So uh in in the house, yeah, we were outdoors. So Olivia takes the stage and uh comes out and uh she's you know saying hello to everyone. She's uh you know kind of doing her thing, and then she says, Oh, yeah, hey, yeah, Ben's here. How are you doing, Ben? Just like, what? What are you doing? Um, so it was kind of cool. And she went into her set, great set, fantastic band. And you can't have a country band without a fiddle and a pedal steel guitar. No way. And her band, The Roadrunners, have both, and they're fantastic, fantastic, great show. And afterwards, um, we met up with her uh behind the stage and um just talked for a little bit. I met her husband, wonderful guy. Um, and um I had bought some of her merch because that's how you support a musician, you know. You you gotta go out, you buy a t-shirt or a hat, which I bought, I bought a hat, a t-shirt for um Catherine. And then I bought her her latest CD. So uh I had taken one of my hats. I don't have one here in studio, but I had taken one of my hats to her, and so I told her, I said, okay, here's what I'm gonna do. Here's uh here, I here's my hat. And she's oh, that's great, thanks. And then I said, uh, I've got yours, so I'm you put mine on, I'm gonna put yours on, and let's take some pictures. So we did. She thought that was fun, and then she just says to me, She says, This doesn't seem like an even exchange here, though, because I had spent whatever I spent on her merch, and I gave her mine for free. But I told her, nope, that's how she makes her money. So um I said, no, no, no, it's just it's my pleasure. But she was so sweet. We took some pictures, we chit-chatted for a little bit, um, Catherine and and I and and and Olivia and her husband, Russell, I believe is his name. And so it was just a ton of fun. Ton of fun. Wonderfully sweet young lady, and can't wait to see her again. Um, I think the next time she's actually kind of close by is in December. She's gonna be in Vegas. There's um what is it like PMRC, I think, something like that. Does that sound right? No, some kind of big giant rodeo fest, you know, uh takes up, I think, a whole week in Vegas or something in December. So we're gonna try to get out there and see her for that. All right. Enough's enough. Um yes, let's get right into it. You guys know again that I dig my top 40 stuff. So I thought, because it's taking me so long to put this other episode together, um, that how how apropos I'm gonna break down and you're gonna jot down and create your playlist for this week, May 7th, 1983. And let me pop that banner up on the screen for all to enjoy. Stupid. All right, so there we go with that. And um, yeah, let's just get right into it. May 7th, 1983. Where were you? I can tell you where I was. I was about six weeks from graduating high school. That's where I was playing baseball in high school, hanging out with my buddies, the tough guys. Um, and for me, it was just like it was a good time. It, you know, let me again, if you're watching, I'm just trying to situate myself. I can't get uh can't get situated here. Um yeah, my senior year of high school was was wonderful. It really, really was. Um, to be honest, I uh I think the way I I kind of grade, not grade, but but kind of line up my years in high school from from the worst to the best was I think my uh my sophomore year in high school was probably my worst, the the my least favorite. It's just terrible. My freshman year would be three uh third, and my junior year would be second, my senior year would be first. I think that's the order I would put it in. And um just a ton of fun. So this stuff here that I'm gonna bring to you tonight, it's it's not just gonna take me back, but it's gonna take you back as well, unless you certainly weren't alive in 1983. And if you weren't, then you know what? Strap in and again write this stuff down to create your playlist. This is gonna be really good stuff. And that's the beauty in music, is that it just a song, a lyric, uh, a certain sound. It just it it just it'll just uh take you back and and uh uh to to a to a place, a time. Um and there's so much goodness in in this stuff from 1983. 1982, 1983, those years there, those were my favorite years when it came to the billboard top 40. So here we go. Get yourselves ready, make sure you got plenty of ink in that pen, and make sure you have plenty of paper to write on, too. So, starting off at number 40 from Z Z Top, give me all your lovin' from their album, Eliminator, the biggest album in their catalog, sales-wise. This album has sold over 11 million copies worldwide. Okay. Um, give me all your lovin', I believe, was the first single released from this album. And it uh unfortunately, this one here, it it peaks at at number 37, so it doesn't have much more movement from this point forward. Um, what's what's really cool about it is this is the first time that Z Z Top are putting out videos for their songs. Um and they put I think there were three three or four videos or uh three or four singles for this album. And uh, like I said, this one's the first. And each one, you guys know, they had the Ford Coupe in there, that was 1937 or something, Ford Coop. Uh that was Billy Gibbons' personal vehicle, always hot girls, all that kind of stuff. And not only not only was that kind of groundbreaking, I didn't want to say groundbreaking in video, um, in the sense of videos, but as far as the band is concerned, this is the I like I said, the first time they're putting out videos, but this is also the first time they're introducing synthesizers and and electric drums or drum machines to their music. So a almost a complete change in sound from that Texas bluesy sound that uh they previously had. So uh that's number 40. Give me all your loving. Number 39, Whirly Girl from OXO. It peaks uh in a few weeks. It'll peak at number 28. Um, the song Whirly Girl is about band member Ish, yeah, Ish Ledesma. It's about his wife. It was originally titled Worldly Girl, but uh the chorus was a little chunky and difficult to sing word worldly. So the band uh they they they just kind of changed it a little bit to whirly, and there you go. What's kind of funny is the band broke up as this album was debuting, so this is their debut album, and they're breaking up as the album's being released, so whatever, right? Uh number 38, you are from Lionel Richie. This is Lionel's. I think this is this is this this is from his debut album, by the way. This is from his debut album, Lionel. First solo album after leaving the Commodores. Um, it's the follow-up to his number one hit, truly. It was uh written by Lionel and his then wife, uh Brenda Harvey, Richie. It climbed all the way up to number four, so it's still making its way to uh up the chart at this time. Um, actually, I'm sorry. No, it's not, it's making its way down from its number four peak. That's that's right, that's what it's doing. Um at number 37, you better be writing this stuff down. She's a beauty from the tubes. This is off of the tubes album Outside Inside. It uh the the song was co-written by Phi Wabel, David Foster, and Steve Lucather of Toto Fame. Uh, it's the biggest single in the band's uh catalog, and I'm not sure. I think it might be their biggest selling album as well, but I'm not sure. You might have to check my math on that. This song would eventually make it to number 10, so it would break the top 10. It would be the the the tube's one and only top 10 hit on the Billboard Top 40. Uh at number 36. Love this song. Love it so much. I really, really do. Uh, it's making its way down the chart from a uh a peak of number six. It's from Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton, and it's a cover, a duet, but a cover of Bob Seeger's We've Got Tonight. Um, Bob had had released this song originally. Um, trying to remember the name of the album. Uh darn, can't recall. Uh, but he released it in 1978, and um Kenny was recording an album at the time, uh late 1982, and he was approached by um his record company about recording this particular song and recording a duet with Sheena Easton, and he was all for it. And he he just he he thought that the contrast between their two voices, his raspy throatiness, and her very much well-trained um almost operatic voice at times uh would would would really lend itself to the song. And and it did. It did. I I like the version. I like Bob's version too. Bob did a great version. And I have to admit, when this was first released back in 1983, I was I was shocked. I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, what's this? Because I'm I'm not used to this song being a duet. And it took me a little bit to get used to it, but uh I do like it a lot. Definitely. It's a wonderful song. Um at number 35, I couldn't say no from Robert Ellis Oral, another duet, by the way. Robert Ellis Oral and Caroline Carter. Uh I'm sorry, it's I have to look at my own writing here. It's Carlene Carter. That's what it is. Um I really like this song. It's another good song. If you go to uh, I don't know what streaming services you all have out there. I I have a couple of them, but my primary one that I use is um is Apple Music. That's the one I basically build all my playlists through. And I know when I put a playlist together that feat that that had this song on it, um I actually could not find the studio version of the song. I had to um add the video. So it may or may not be on Apple Music. This is a few years back, so you know, stuff comes and goes. And that's why it's so um, that's why physical product is so great to have. I'm not gonna go off on a tangent here, but that's that that's a reason why physical product is so good to have, because once you own it, nobody can take it away from you. But when it's on a streaming uh platform, then you know you never know. Sometimes there's a mix-up between a record company and these streamers, and you know, songs come and go, albums come and go. So anyway. Um, but it's it's a wonderful song, and I don't know if I said it before, but it it only topped the chart at um number 32. But it really is a cool song. I I just I really dig it. So check it out. Good stuff, and you have to check it out because you're gonna put it on your playlist. At number 34, making its way down the chart from its high of number two. That would be Do You Really Wanna Hurt Me from Culture Club. It's uh it was it was at number two for three weeks, uh, at uh the end of March, beginning of April. It's the debut single in the United States from Culture Club off of their debut album. Uh, what's it called? Kissing to be clever. Really cool song. And back in 1983, I don't want to say it was shocking because it wasn't shocking, but it had a had an interesting sound to it. Um, I mean, you know, 40 40 plus years later, what 43 years later, there's like nothing new under the sun when it comes to sounds in music, but this was different. And of course, you had Boy George uh dressing like a woman, um, which it didn't come. Off as it wasn't terribly shocking back then. Um, not it just because it was presented so differently than some stuff that we see in society now, you know, the last uh several years. So it was just presented so much differently. But um Culture Club is always uh always a fun band, and I like their tunes. So uh yeah, do you really want to hurt me at number 34? And then at number 33, also making its way back down the chart from Duran Duran, the uh lead single from Hungry Like the Wolf. And it's of course the title track. Um, it was uh it had reached a peak of number three, and it sat there for three weeks. Big song. This actually, this song and this video, I mean, Duran Duran, they had their their their, if you want to call it big video. It wasn't really a huge video, but but they had girls on film previous to this, and that was from their previous album. But they still were kind of just on the on the periphery, kind of on the outside looking in. And uh I was very aware of them and I liked them a lot. And then when they released the Rio album, I'm sorry, I think I said this is the title track. It's not a title track. This is off the Rio album, though. And um, when I heard this song, I was like, whoa, hey, those are those that that that's those guys that I really dig, Duran Duran, you know, girls on film, all that kind of thing. And this was kind of the the the song and the video, the video is huge on MTV, huge on MTV. And this song really launched them and put them in the mainstream, and uh they just took off from there. But uh, it's a really, really good song. And uh, like I said, making its way back down at number 33. I'm gonna give you two right here. Number 32 and number 31 are from the same artist. One song is making its way up, and one song is coming down. At number 30, they're both, I'm sorry, they're both from Holland Oates. Okay, both of these songs are from Holland Oates, and they're from their album H2O. Um the song at number 32, making its way up, is Family Man. I believe this was the third single released from the album, and the third top 10 single from the album. Uh, just a great song, uh not written by the band or not written by Holland Oates. I'm trying to remember who wrote the song. I don't recall, and it was previously released on that artist's album, I think the year prior. It didn't go anywhere. But you get Holland Oates behind it, and these guys were on an upward, uh, upward trajection at the time. They were just knocking it out of the ballpark. Um, so you got um Family Man climbing the charts, and then you've got their second single from the H2O album, one on one. Um slower song, really good song. Uh, that one's coming down. Um, trying to remember the peak, the peak position for that one. I know it was, like I said, it was top 10, and I can't recall. I think it was like number six, I believe it was. I didn't write it down, so it's not here. All right, at number 30, the one and only top 40 song from a member of the Doobie Brothers, Patrick Simmons. It's from his solo album. I believe, excuse me, I believe this was his first solo album. And it's uh So Wrong. And right here, it's at its peak position on the chart at number 30. It's it it didn't do great on the billboard top 40. Hold on a second, real quick. I'm choking here. Let me get a sip of water. All right, let's hope we let's hope we've gotten rid of that. So it was really popular on the dance chart, though. And when you hear it, you'll know because it's just got a really uh not not a real fast beat, but it's got a dance beat behind it. So it's real popular in the clubs and on the dance chart, but on the Billboard Top 40, it uh it uh uh stalls right here at number 30. All right, at number 29, love this song, but I love this artist too. Oh, I love this song. This one might be my favorite. This is uh from the album Keyed Up by Ronnie Milsap. It's Stranger in My House. It's Ronnie's 35th single. All right. This one um is not his most successful on the pop charts. Um, it was much more successful on the um country chart. It peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Top 40. Um even though it was popular, more popular on the country chart, it still was met with a little bit of controversy, not anything to do with the subject matter of the song or or or anything like that, but probably the reason why it's my favorite Ronnie Millsap song is it it's got a rocking guitar solo in the middle of this of this song. And I mean, it's so good. And some of the country stations were balking at it because of the guitar solo. They thought that it was too rocked up to play. There was a couple of country stations that would edit the guitar solo out of the song. It is so good, and and it just fits. It fits. I guess I think there was one country station like in Colorado that were that was you know comparing it to a Led Zeppelin-like guitar solo. I don't know if I'd go that far, but man, it smokes. It smokes. You guys gotta check it out. So good. And and Ronnie sounds so good on it, too. Man, it like I said, I think it's my favorite Ronnie Milsap song. Love it. Uh, let's see. Okay, so making its way up the chart, it's still climbing at number 28 is always something there to remind me from Naked Eyes. Uh, this was their was this their debut album? I don't remember. This is a cover of a Burt Baccharak song from 1963. I don't recall if Dion Warwick released the song, but I know she she recorded a demo of this song way back when. Um, but uh, and and honestly, I don't think I've ever heard the original version of this song. But Naked Eyes, or as I like to kind of refer to them as naked thighs, uh, just to be funny, and you guys know you're cracking up at that one. Uh it it's it's a really good song, upbeat song. And again, for 1983, maybe it's just where the music um climate was at the time, where there was uh, you know, we were coming out of the the punk era, the disco era, um, but there was still a lot of that kind of lingering in music. New wave was coming in. Um the the new wave of British heavy metal was coming in all during this time here. And so I think there was just a lot of different uh sounds that bands were were trying out, a lot of different techniques that bands were trying out, ways of recording sounds that they were recording, that kind of stuff. So it just had a different sound to it. Today it's just like, okay, no big deal, whatever, it just sounds like a song. But to me, anyway, to my ears, it just had a different sound back in 1983. And uh, I did gravitate towards it, it was great. And um, Naked Eyes had one more single off of this album uh on the back end of 1983 with Promises, Promises. But uh good stuff. And number 26, reaching its peak position, is um some kind of friend from Barry Manilo. I dig Barry, it's off of his self-titled album, and uh it's just a it's just a cool little groovy song. What I think is so interesting about it, I I don't look. You guys can check me on this one, or maybe you we have some some more trained ears that are watching or listening to this, but when you check that song out, you let me know if you don't hear accordion in that song. I know there's an accordion in that song, and then there's an accordion solo. Has to be. It has to be. It sure sounds like it. I mean, who does that? But it's it's just a cool little song. I dig it, I really, really do. Um, what do we got? Uh what do we got next? Also, peeking at number 25. So good. And I don't know what I mean. I'm I mean, I know what it is about this song that is so good, but it's just man, something about the sound, something about Stephen Bishop and his his delivery of this. And it's it's from the soundtrack of the movie Tootsie, which was which was released in uh late 82. The song is called It Might Be You. It's just a oh man, it just like gets me right here, right here in the chest, right in the heart when I hear it. Um love it so much. It is such a great song. It's um like a tender song. I don't know. I don't know how to describe it. That's the best way I can describe it, I guess. I I'm surprised and I'm shocked that it it uh it only reached number 25 on the Billboard Top 40. It reached number one on the AC chart. That's Adult Contemporary, by the way. Uh, it's such a good song. You guys, come on, you you better be writing this stuff down. I'm just letting you know that right now. You better be writing it down. You gotta put your playlist together. You guys gotta let me know. Leave some comments on these songs here. Something really sticks out to you, something really grabs a hold of you. Tell me about it. Um then again, three songs in a row reaching their peak spot on the Billboard Top 40. This next one is from Kenny Loggins. It's off of his High Adventure album. Such a good album, such a good album. Oh man, it's so good. Uh, this is the album that uh it it featured the the well, the first single off of it was uh Don't Fight It, the duet with duet, I think that's like dude and chick. I don't know. I always say duo, but whatever. Um, but it's with Steve Perry, Don't Fight It. Steve Perry and Kenny Loggins, such a great song, so good. Um, but I digress. We're talking about this one here. It is Heartlight, or they kind of changed it a little on the album. It's the the uh the album cover and uh um all the promotion for it. The song is called Heartlight. But if you remember, if you're my age, um in in the summer of '82, so so you're talking, I don't know, nine months prior to this here, E.T. came out. And on the back end of that, uh, even though it didn't have anything to do with the movie, Neil Diamond had a song called Heartlight or Turn on Your Heartlight. It was Heartlight, um, inspired by E.T. But so to not confuse anyone, they kind of added Welcome to Heartlight to the title of this song. But uh it's it's about a school in LA, it's no longer there, but it it it's it's inspired by the writings of these students at a school called Heartlight. Um, so that's where that comes from. And it's really cool song. Um and Kenny always has had such a great voice, such a great voice, and and he he does such a great job on this song. I I'm I I I guess 43 years later, I'm disappointed that it stalled at 24, but what does it matter now? I I have the album, I can just listen to it anytime I want. Uh so moving on at number 23, moving up, moving up the chart, and it will make its way to number eight. It is um, oh no, not number eight. It makes its way, I'm sorry, it peaks at number 12. That's where it peaks. I'll tell you what the number eight was for in a minute, but uh it peaks at number 12. It's faithfully from journey, and it's off of I think on my uh journey albums ranked when I ranked the studio albums with my buddy Spaz. It's my number one album. My number one journey album is Frontiers. And uh this was the second single released off of the Frontiers album. Um and you know, it man, there's something about it every time I hear this song. I all I it it whatever I'm listening to, I don't listen to music on the radio so much. I don't really listen to terrestrial radio at all, except for four hours a day. Uh, I listen to it in the morning and that's it. And what I listen to on terrestrial radio is not music-based. So uh all my music listening is I'm just listening to my own stuff. And every time I hear faithfully, I just have to crank it. It's just such a beautiful song. Um the piano is perfect, the tone of the piano is perfect. There are some journey songs, and you guys know Journey is one, kiss is one A, or Kiss is one, and Journey is one A. You guys know it's those two bands, Kiss and Journey. Um, but there are some journey songs where the piano, it I don't know, to me, it it doesn't sound I don't care for the tone. Let's just say that. But the tone of the piano on this song is absolutely perfect. Neil Sean's guitar solo as the songs ramping up towards the end is fantastic, and Steve Perry's uh delivery is flawless. And as the song is coming to a close, it's come into this big crescendo, you know, and and Steve Perry is belting out that last uh forever yours. Um, forever yours, ever yours. Uh and it's so good. And if you haven't listened to the live version of that song, which is on, I believe it's on uh Journey Greatest Hits Live, I think it is, which is primarily stuff from the Escape Tour and the Frontiers tour. I think it's all from those two tours. Um to hear that song live, oh man, it's just insane. So love this song. And I said I was gonna get back to the number eight. I'm shocked. I may have to re-rank my journey top 20 because I only had Faithfully coming in at number eight. Weird, but I love it, so good. Uh let's see, let's turn this thing over here. Ah, there we go. And at number 22, from Al Jiro, his self-titled album. It's his sixth album. It's called Giro. Morning. It's one of three singles released off this album. It's so good. Morning, Mr. Radio, Morning, Mr. Oreo, or something like that. So good. Mr. Cheerio, all that's so good. It's such a cool song. And it, you know, when you hear the song, it's like picks you up. It's so good. It's uh it's it it it features David Foster, who co-wrote the song, and Jeff Picaro from Toto Fame on drums. Uh, I think David Foster even produced the song, but uh it's so good. And if you're familiar with Al Giro, he just has such a smooth, such a smooth voice. So it's just a beautiful voice. All right, so um and and by the way, that song there at 22, it's off of its peak the previous week at 21. So it's gonna start making its way back down the chart. But at number 21, coming down the chart, um from its number eight peak position, where it stayed there, stayed at number eight for six consecutive weeks. Um Separate Ways from Journey, of course. And it, of course, from the Frontiers album. Just talked about it. This was the first single released from that album. Um, and this song, and I do, I love it, and I think this song I I ranked it number 13 on my top 20 journey songs. Um, I love the song. I think 13 is it. I I didn't, yeah. Faithfully, I can move around and move it up uh separate ways. I'm good with it at 13. I feel I feel uh comfortable right there. But I remember, so this is uh, you know, in 1983, of course. The year before, in July, I think it was July 2nd of 1982. I see Journey on the Escape Tour at the Rose Bowl here in Southern California in Pasadena. And I remember during their set, there were two songs, two songs that uh that they played that well, one of them had been released, the other one hadn't. The one that had been released, but was like barely released was uh Only Solutions, which was off the Tron soundtrack. And it's like, whoa, playing this song, you know, there no album or anything, just playing this song. And um then Steve Perry introduces separate ways, talks about this is a brand new song we're working on, we're working on a new album coming out next year, and uh, let's play it for you. And it's separate ways. And I was like, whoa, cool song. So when it was released, I think in January or February of 83, I was like, I already know that song, and it's a great song, but and it's it is, it's a good song, it it's still, you know. Journey changes it up a little bit here and there. What song they open their set with, and Separate Ways is on is the opener a lot. And it has been a lot over the years. So great song. Number 20. Oh, good. I get to get this other page over here. Have some other information. So at number 20, this is this is something. Four weeks on the chart. Four weeks on the chart at this time. When I say on the chart, I mean on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, not to not just the top 40. So four weeks on the chart. Um jumping nine positions from 29 to 20 is Affair of the Heart from Rick Springfield. It's off his um, I can't remember what number album this is. Uh most people kind of think it's like his third album, Living in Oz. It's not. I think it's his seventh. Because before he really hit it big with working class dog and Jesse's Girl in 1981, Rick had a whole other career, not just on General Hospital. Uh I mean, he had he had success in his native home of Australia. He just hadn't really made it big here in the United States. He had been releasing music, but like I said, hadn't really hit it big. So um I do, I think it's his seventh, but doesn't really matter. It's off of Livin' in Oz. And a lot of people think that uh Livin' in Oz is is Rick's most rocked up album. And uh maybe so. Um at least I think until you get to his uh the the Snake King album that he released in 2017. There's a lot of great guitar work on that, a lot of steel guitar, uh, or not steel guitar, but a slide guitar on that album. It's very bluesy, uh, but there's a lot of good guitar work on there. And it is it is pretty it's bluesy, but very rocked up as well. Um but I would say at this point in 1983, definitely Livin' an Oz would be his most rocked up album. And there's a lot of great guitar work and great guitar solos, and Affair of the Heart is was the first single released off of the album. And I excuse me, I uh I love the song. I love the album. I wore out my cassette. Wore it out. Okay, moving on and moving up. The the next, let's see, one, two, three, four, five, six. The next, is that right? Well, the next five, the next five that I'm gonna give you, all moving up the chart. And uh the next one moved up 11 spots, jumped 11 spots from number 30 to number 19. It's time, and I think they used to say time clock of the heart or something like that, uh, from Culture Club. It's the second single released off of their debut album. Uh, it's a uh a great song. And uh what's funny is now you'll start to see. We we we saw in uh the the back end um two songs from Holland Oates. What else do we see? Uh we saw we've seen two songs from Journey. We start to see multiple songs from the same artist on the chart uh on this for this particular week, but but not just this week. I'm gonna introduce that to you. Yes, you're gonna see it as we continue to move forward and progress towards the number one spot. But I've talked about this a little bit before. You know, music was so different 40 years ago, 45, 50 years ago. I I say this, uh, I use this phrase, staying power. And there was, you know, an album had a lot of staying power. It had a long life, and so did the singles. And an uh you'd see an album released or or a single released off of an album, and then you'd see it making its way up the chart, and um sometimes it might stall one week, and then the next week it starts climbing again. Sometimes it would be a slow build from the hot one, you know, from the bottom of the hot 100 all the way up to wherever it might reach in the top 40. You know, you don't see that anymore. An album comes and goes in two weeks, songs come and go, singles come and go, but these singles they would stay on the chart for so long that the second single that would be released by an artist would be competing with that one on the charts, is so uh different then than it is now. And uh I definitely am not complaining about it. I loved it back then, loved it so much. I'm using that word a lot. That's how much I dig this stuff. I'm loving it. Um, so we were talking about Time from Culture Club and that being the second single released off of uh the debut album and the second song on the uh top 40 this week. Then uh let's see. At number, what is that? Number number 18. Yes, I have something right here on this piece, but I'm kind of blocking out what I'm trying to read. At number 18, moving up three spots from the previous week is straight from the heart from Brian Adams. This is off the album Cuts Like a Knife. It's Brian's third album, but it's really Brian's breakthrough. Um, most most of us hadn't even heard of Brian Adams prior to the Cuts Like a Knife album and his first single straight from the heart. What a just what a dynamite song. Um I mean, and what a great um, what a great debut. Right. Well, I don't want to say debut, but to me it was a debut anyhow. It it all it got all the way to number 10 on the chart, and it's such a, like I said, such a cool song. Um and Brian to this day still sounds so good. I it it's it's like his voice hasn't aged at all. I just saw him two years ago, I think it was two years ago, and he was amazing, absolutely amazing. I'm thinking, holy cow, this guy still has it, never lost it. So good. I and I I love Brian Adams, and it is criminal. I'm using that word criminal. You probably know where I'm going with this, that Brian Adams has never been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That is a joke. Number 17, another song from an artist. So a second song from an artist still in the top 40. This one is Moving Up. It's My Love from Lionel Richie. There's a pattern here with Lionel and his song titles. The one before was You Are, and this one is My Love. I mean, come on. I guess Lionel's just like, hey, I'm too busy. This is the title, that's it. I'm too busy to use all these other words and pronounce all the syllables to these words, so we're keeping it short and sweet. Maybe that's what it was. I don't know. But it's a really good song. Love this song. It um it moved five spots. It was at number 22 the previous week, so it's at number 17 now, and um, it's still climbing. I don't remember where it peaks. I should have looked it up, but I I didn't. Shame on me, right? Um, but it's doing really well because it's only five weeks on the chart and it's already in the top 20. That's how big that debut album was for Lionel Richie. I I think I've said it before uh in a previous episode or whatever. Master Balladier. That's Lionel Richie. Um at number 16, climbing one spot from the previous week, is uh Rio from Duran Duran. Again, second song from an artist on the top 40. Two songs in the top 40 for these guys. Uh, Rio is the second single released from the Rio album, and it will reach its peak at number 14 coming up here in a couple weeks. Um such a cool song, and these guys, like I said, they're known for their videos um and and great songs as well. They were kind of like uh they were kind of like the 80s version of the Beatles, except there were five of them and not four. They really were with the just the mania and hysteria from all the all the girls. Crazy. Uh okay, at uh number 15, climbing four spots from the previous week is photograph from Def Leopard off of the Pyromania album. This is their really their breakthrough album. 10 million plus sold on this album, their first diamond album. They have two diamond albums. Man, but this was their real breakthrough. And this, I think I just said it, the first single released off this album. Uh, the next one would be Rock of Ages, I believe. And um, yeah, this is this is the one that really put them on the map. Uh great song, a little overplayed. I do love the song, but it is overplayed. It's it's overplayed on on uh on rock radio. Just it's a crime. Um okay. At number 14, falling. Yes, falling, seven spots. Billy Jean from Michael Jackson. Of course, Michael Jackson, right? From the biggest selling album of all time, Thriller. Uh, it's the second single released off of the thriller album following uh The Girl Is Mine, that was released in late 82. And uh this was like a groundbreaking video for Michael Jackson, excuse me, as you know, I wish I had a cough button and I don't. I suppose I could always hit pause, but why would I do that? You know? Anyway, so um groundbreaking video on MTV, and uh this is it just it was electric. The song is fantastic, and I don't know which is my favorite song off the off the thriller album, if it's Billy Jean or if it's human nature. I can't decide. I know that those have to be my two favorite songs off of the thriller album. This is such a great song. And you know what? There's that biopic out now, just call Michael. Yeah, and uh I need to go check that out. I should, I should go check that out. I hear it's pretty good. And um Michael's brother Jermaine, his son, uh, what's his name? I don't remember his name, but he is the one that plays Michael in the movie, and apparently he just kills it. So should go check that out. All right, moving right along because we're getting close. Number 13. We're gonna get into the see one, two, three, four, five, the next five songs all making a move up the chart. Uh yeah, number 13, moving 10 spots up the chart. That's a lot in one week. Uh Flash Dance, what a feeling from Irene Kara off of the movie soundtrack, Flashdance. Again, uh, what a great song. It really truly is. It's a great song. Um, I always have enjoyed this song. You guys know, look, I'm a rock and roller to my core, but I just love so much stuff, you know, from different genres. And I love my pop. And uh, this is poppy, dancey, not disco-y, and I love disco, but just something about it. And Irene Carra, she had such a such a wonderful voice as well. So it's too bad that she didn't have a longer recording career uh and and and have more stuff out on the charts. You know, it was uh a short recording career, unfortunately, but uh but what a what a tremendous song. All right, now moving up one position to number 12 is the second single off of the album The Distance from Bob Seeger and the Silver Bullet Band. It is Even Now. Another great song. What I mean. Now, you guys know, well, in case you don't, uh, I did my Bob Seeger uh episode, I don't know what, a year ago or so. And I I gave my top 10 Bob Seeger songs, and my number one was the first single released off of this album, which is Shame on the Moon. This is the follow-up to that. Shame on the Moon is just, oh my goodness, it's just such a killer song. Uh, and this one is so good as well. The second single, it's um I don't recall where I think this has got a few more spots to move before it it hits its peak position. Oh, it peaks at no no, it doesn't. Let me see. Looking at my notes, you know, I didn't even write it. Oh no, I did. I did write it right here. This is where it tops out, tops out at number 12. So it just misses getting into the top 10. But a great song. I think the third single release from this album coming up later on in the year will roll me away. Can't go wrong with Bob Seeger. Just can't do it. Good stuff. Um, oh, why did I turn the page? I hadn't even finished what was going on over here. We got one more. At number 11 from Laura Branigan off of her Branaghan 2 album. It's solitaire. I believe this is the follow-up to uh her big giant hit Gloria. I think so. This one peaks at number seven. Uh so it's got a few a few more uh few more spots to move and uh till it gets there, but it breaks the top ten. And then at number 10, as we get into the top 10, see we're getting close. We're getting close. We're almost there. This is the last top 10 single for this band. Um, and this one taps out right here at number 10. This is from Toto off of their biggest album, Toto 4. This is the I think this was the last single released off of the album. Yes, it was. This was the fourth single released off of the album, and this is I Won't Hold You Back. Um such a dynamite song. Steve Lukather does a great job singing, very passionate. Uh, there's a lot of orchestration in this, and the orchestration is uh written and conducted by Marty Page, which is David Paige's father. Um, if you guys are unaware, there's something special about the band Toto. I I I've got to I don't know. I've got to do an episode on that band because I love them so much. And uh there's so much to the members of that band. It's absolutely incredible. You'll be blown away. Um, but a great song, and it um it stalls right here at number 10. Last top 10 single for the band. Uh number nine, moving up one spot. It's still got three more positions to go before it hits its peak of number six. Little Red Corvette by Prince, the second single and follow-up to um 1999 off of the 1999 album, right? So, I mean, come on, what what can you say about like Prince and Little Red Corvette? I I it's just I didn't get it when I was 17 years old and this song came out, um but amazing. Uh total 100% one night stand sex song, you know. But I mean, Prince sang a lot about that. Um, what does it say? Let's see. Uh uh okay. I guess I should have known by the way you parked your car sideways that it wouldn't last. You're the kind of person that believes in making out once, love them and leave them fast. Sounds like Gene Simmons there. I guess I must have been dumb because you had a pocket full horses. Listen up, Trojans, some of them used. That is what a trip. Uh yeah. Uh second verse, he says, I guess I should have closed my eyes when you drove me to the place where your horses run free. Really? Because I felt a little ill when I saw all the pictures of the jockeys that were there before me. Man, crazy. Come on, Prince. Prince was amazing. He really, really was. Really was. Man. Okay. Uh, let's see. At number eight, the first single released off of the album Kill Roy was here. At this point, it's been on the chart for 13 weeks. It falls four spots from number four to number eight. It is Mr. Robotto. Um, and I can remember when this song came out. Back then, you know, during my high school days, I mean, Thyx Journey, they kind of they kind of share the same space, or what are they called? They're called uh well, they're both arena rock bands, but they would get dubbed um like corporate rock or something. I don't even know what that means, but um there they're all at least in my mind, there was always this competitiveness between the two bands. And uh I'm leaning on the journey side, and so Journey releases Frontiers, Sticks releases Mr. Robotto. Both these songs are on the chart and they're just moving. And I was so mad when Mr. Robotto um moved up higher than Separate Ways did because Separate Ways stalled at number eight and Mr. Robotto peaked at number four. I was so mad. I'm like, no way, you know, screw those guys from sticks. You know, it is funny. I was never like a huge fan of that song. I don't know. I just it took me a long time to really get on board with Mr. Robotto. I can't tell you exactly what it was, but it did. It took me a while. And I do. I like that song. I think it's a wonderful song. But uh yeah, there you go. Mr. Robotto making its way down the chart, starting to move down the chart. And at number seven, off of his debut album titled The Golden Age of Wireless, Thomas Dolby brings us She Blinded Me with Science, a classic 80s song. It's two spots from peaking at number five right now. And I remember when this song came out, and I was talking about it earlier, about the sound of the 80s and and or at least in the early 80s, and how some things just sounded just different. They sounded very not modern, very like futuristic almost. I get I don't know. I don't know if that's the best way to describe it or not. And this was one of those songs. I just thought it was such a trip, and I always liked it from the start. If you're not aware, Thomas Dolby, like I said, this is his debut album, but Thomas Dolby was doing work in the studio for various artists. He did all the keyboard work uh on the um album. So that's where Thomas Dolby came onto my radar. So there you go. At number six, gosh, we're at number six. Yes. Number six from the second album from Men at Work, Cargo. The first single released is Overkill. This thing screamed, screamed up the chart. Now I don't know if it was actually screaming, but it uh it was on the charts for five weeks and it broke into the top 10. It moved up three positions this particular week over the previous week. So it's at number six. What a cool song. First, first single. Then I think the the next single was uh oh shoot, what was it? Was it It's a Mistake? I think it was. I think it was It's a Mistake. Uh, and love that song. I that's just that might be my favorite Men at Work song, period. Because I did just some great guitar work and Colin Hay some great great vocals on that song as well. Uh so yeah, good stuff from Men at Work. At number five, Der Commissar. That is a cover of the same song by Falco, who released it, I think, a year or two prior, and it went nowhere. Uh this song spent 14 weeks in the top 40. So it stalls right here at number five. This is where it taps out. Uh I this song is so cool. Again, just I hear these songs from the ones that are right here on this top 40 uh for this week. I hear these songs, and I just so many memories. And I don't know if you're familiar with the song or not, but you will be once you you know download it, stream it, whatever, and you give it a listen. Um, but um there's a there's a chant in the middle of the uh right after the second verse. Um let's see, because uh the second verse at end, or not second verse, the second chorus. Um whatever. Anyway, they get out of the second chorus and they start singing cha, cha, cha. They say about about 10 times. And my younger brother, his name is Chuck, and so I had to Chuck, Chuck, they're singing a song about you. Chuck, you you're in the song, they're singing Chuck, Chuck, Chuck. So every time the song comes on, I have to sing Chuck. So that's just a personal thing for me. I know I just threw it out there, but I know it means nothing to you guys, but uh, you know, I had to say it. And I want to shout out my brother too, I guess. Uh so Durkamassar uh stalls at number five. Not a bad place to stall, though, I guess, right? And you know what's so funny is at the time that this song was released, the band had already broken up. The song was released, I think, in February of 83. The band announced they were breaking up in December of 82. What is it with bands? Geez, Louise. Okay, at number four, dropping two spots, is Come on Eileen from Dexie's Midnight Runners, another like 80s classic. You know, uh, it's it's their second album, but it's their debut here in the United States, and uh they're like a one-hit wonder. Now, the song actually topped the chart, so it's kind of making its way back. It did top the chart at number one, and it was there for one week, and I think it may have gotten knocked off. Um I think it got knocked out of the number one position by our number one song this week uh this week. Um, so yeah, you know, but good song. The album was titled uh what to Raye. Come on, I lean to Raye, come on, I lean to Raye, to raw, to rah, tell rah. Yeah, you know, whatever. Good stuff, though. Good song, good sing along song. Number three, or I'm sorry, number uh, yeah, number three. Number three, moving up three spots from six is uh the title track and the first single released off of this album from David Bowie. It's Let's Dance. Wonderful song. Let's Dance, put on your wet shoes and dance up booze. I always think of Elmer Fudd when I hear that. I don't know. I'm stupid, I guess. But this song will actually reach number one. It will hit number one. Um, and I believe this is David Bowie's best-selling album. Um, he was changing things around a little bit. He was um um, you know, far off or far in the rear view mirror was his Ziggy Stardust days. Um and uh great album, great songs on this album, too. China Girl, Modern Love. Um he also he also released a song in 1982 that was on the Cat People soundtrack. I think it's called uh what's it called? I don't know if it's called Putting Out the Fire, something like that. But uh there's two versions. There's a slow version and then there's the ramped up version, and that one just that one is dynamite. Um and one of those versions I can't recall is is also on the Let's Dance album, but great album, great album from a legendary, legendary artist. Um let's see, let's see. Oh, all right. So we are uh we're two songs away. Song number two. Uh this is as far as it gets, number two. It's from the Greg Kinn band. It's his highest charting song. Um the album it comes off of is Conspiracy. And the song is Come on, say it with me. Jeopardy. Our love's in Jeopardy, baby. You know, you know the song. It's it's the Greg Kim band's only top 10 hit, not only just the highest charting song, but his only top 10 hit. And I think he had one other top 40 song after this, and I believe it was in '85, I think it was. I don't know. I'll probably have it written down somewhere. So that only leaves us with one more song, and the number one song for the week of May the 7th, 1983. This artist already has one song on the on the chart. So again, you see a repeat from numerous artists having multiple songs on the top 40 chart. This is off the greatest selling album of all time. You guys probably could have guessed it already. Thriller from Michael Jackson, and it is Beat It. And this song will spend three weeks at number one, and it's kind of, I guess, what makes the song so so famous. One, it's a it's a great song, and Michael Jackson wanted to write a rock song for the album Thriller. Um, he wanted a song that would appeal to younger kids, college-age kids, and that could possibly get played on rock radio as well. And so came up with with Beat It. And everyone knows it for Eddie Van Halen playing the guitar solo in the song, and he does. But most of you, and I bet you didn't know, that Steve Lukather, Jeff Picaro, and Steve Picaro from Toto also play on this song. And in case you really didn't know, the band Toto, most of the members of the band Toto pretty much play the whole album of Thriller. We're in there recording this stuff. So that's how that's just that's why I tell you, I got I I gotta do an episode on Tony Toto. I really, really do. I just I just need to. I gotta bring that stuff to you. This single here, like I said, number one for three weeks. The single alone sold eight million copies. Eight million copies. That's just insane, right? Uh so look, there it is. There it is. There's the there's the top 40 chart for this week, May 7th, 1983. I hope you've enjoyed it. Listen, this week and a very important day is coming. It's Sunday. Uh some of you are gonna listen to this or watch it before Sunday. It's Mother's Day. Mothers are the best. If your mother is still with you, if she's still alive and in your life, love your mother. Here's what you guys need to go do and check out. I you probably find it streaming as well, but um, there's a song by Jimmy Dean. I wish I could play it. I wish I could play stuff on this podcast. One of these days, I'm gonna just get around that. Somehow, some way, somehow, I'm gonna get around playing copyrighted stuff. Um, but there's a song from Jimmy Dean, yes, the sausage guy. It's called IO You. Just look it up, play the song. You're gonna cry, okay? Especially dudes. You dudes out there, you're gonna cry. The tears are gonna come streaming down your face. Don't be embarrassed. It's okay. But if you can play that song for mom on Sunday, I'm telling you, man, it is a bang up tune. It really is. It's old. I think it's from the 50s, but so, so good. Just just like tears your heart out. It's so good. Anyway, uh, like look, like I said, I hope you've enjoyed this. I had a lot of fun with this. I always have fun with the Billboard Top 40. Uh, I'll keep working on the uh the next one. I'll keep working on it when I get it done. I it's I'm probably gonna have to do it in two two uh episodes. I probably will. But anyway, you'll find out when we get there. As you guys know, this program is available wherever you get your podcasts, and it's on YouTube. Just go and subscribe to it, okay? Just subscribe. I greatly appreciate it. And then follow me up, follow me on my socials on Instagram, Ben Maynard Program, all one word, or on the TikTok at the Ben Maynard program. Okay? So that's it. We're done. Have a wonderful weekend. Love on your mom, and uh, I'm gonna check you guys back uh next time, okay? Thanks again for being here. This is the Ben Maynard program. Tell a friend.