A few weekends back, radio stations and Sirius XM channels were rerunning classic American Top 40 year-end countdowns to mark New Year’s 2025.
I thought… “Let’s try something different.”
I’ve mentioned before that I bought the entire AT40 library from Shannon Lynn at Charis Music Group over the past few years. So, I have 33 years of year-end pop music countdowns at my disposal.
Rather than just listen to one year’s Top 100, could I listen to a countdown that pulled from any of them?
I went online to a random number generator and entered “1970 through 2003.”
Then I ran the generator –100 times -and selected the songs as the generator instructed.
It truly was random. I had never heard of some of these songs. I probably wouldn’t listen to a few again. Some I knew but never would have chosen.
The generator liked some years a lot: 2003 and 1982, in particular.
Other years (1976, for one) never even showed up.
(Sometimes, I used Casey’s Top 40 when AT40 didn’t exist – from 1995-1998 – or didn’t have a Top 100 year-end countdown, 1993-1994.)
Here are the results by hour! (…I followed the structure AT40 tended to follow):
Hour 1:
100-89
100. “Bigger Than My Body” – John Mayer (2003)
99. “Share Your Love (With Me)” – Kenny Rogers (1981)
98. “Any Day Now” – Ronnie Milsap (1982)
97. “Major Tom (Coming Home)” – Peter Schilling (1984)
96. “Meet Me Half-Way” – Kenny Loggins (1987)
95. “Pretty Woman” – Van Halen (1982)
94. “Beach Baby” – First Class (1974)
93. “Don’t Look Back” – Boston (1978)
92. “Money” – Pink Floyd (1973)
91. “Poison” – Alice Cooper (1989)
90. “Cross My Broken Heart” – The Jets (1987)
89. “Can We Talk?” – Tevin Campbell (1994)
… hour 1 notes…
- The Mayer song is a bit of a snoozer for kicking off an eight-hour countdown.
- Alice Cooper’s rocker, on the other hand, aged well.
- Because AT40 only had a Top 40 of the year for 1973, I had to look up the Billboard Hot 100 online to find Pink Floyd.
- And by 1994, AT40 was only airing a Top 50 of the year, so I went to Casey’s Top 40 to find Tevin Campbell at No. 89.
Hour 2:
88-76
88. “What’s Forever For?” – Michael Murphy (1982)
87. “Muscles” – Diana Ross (1983)
86. “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad?” – Def Leppard (1992)
85. “I Hate Myself for Loving You” – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (1988)
84. “Sleeping Satellite” – Tasmin Archer (1993)
83. “Get Down on It” – Kool and the Gang (1982)
82. “Place in This World” – Michael W. Smith (1991)
81. “I Hear You Knocking” – Dave Edmunds (1971)
80. “Lost Without Your Love” – Bread (1977)
79. “Theme from ‘Hill Street Blues’” – Mike Post featuring Larry Carlton (1982)
78. “Sentimental Lady” – Bob Welch (1978)
77. “Get Up (Before the Night Is Over)” – Technotronic (1990)
76. “Your Loving Arms” – Billie Ray Martin (1996)
… hour 2 notes…
- Murphy’s song is another soft start to the hour, but I like it a lot more than the Mayer one.
- Muscles” was embarrassing at the time and only more so now.
- Some great moments with Joan Jett (a definite crank-up), Tasmin Archer and Dave Edmunds.
- The “Hill Street Blues” theme is a real 1981 artifact.
- Technotronic’s follow-up to ‘Pump Up the Jam” might as well have been called “Pump Up the Jam 2” – it was that obvious.
Hour 3:
75-64
75. “Sweet Freedom (from ‘Running Scared’)” – Michael McDonald (1986)
74. “The Boys of Summer” – The Ataris (2003)
73. “Signs” – Tesla (1991)
72. “Stacy’s Mom” – Fountains of Wayne (2003)
71. “I Can’t Stand It” – Eric Clapton and His Band (1981)
70. “The One” – Backstreet Boys (2000)
69. “Evil Ways” – Santana (1970)
68. “I Wish It Would Rain Down” – Phil Collins (1990)
67. “Naked Eye” – Luscious Jackson (1997)
66. “Don’t Stop” – Fleetwood Mac (1977)
65. “Love You Down” – Inoj (1998)
64. “Please Forgive Me” – Bryan Adams (1994)
… hour 3 notes…
It was interesting how a random countdown included so many remakes, three in this hour alone.
- The Ataris’ “Boys of Summer” was a pointless retread.
- Inoj’s take on “Love You Down” was more danceable than Ready for the World’s original slow jam.
- I liked Tesla’s “Signs” the most, although it hewed closely to the Five Man Electrical Band’s version.
- I never heard the Luscious Jackson track before and don’t feel like I missed much.
- I still don’t care for the Adams ballad three decades later.
And while I like several Backstreet Boys songs, this one did nothing for me…
- … But Stacy’s Mom” is still worth a chuckle.
Hour 4:
63-51
63. “100% Pure Love” – Crystal Waters (1995)
62. “1-2-3” – Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine (1988)
61. “Blue Bayou” – Linda Ronstadt (1978)
60. “Fame” – Irene Cara (1980)
59. “Superman” – Eminem featuring Dina Rae (2003)
58. “Shape of My Heart” – Backstreet Boys (2000)
57. “Everything Changes” – Kathy Troccoli (1992)
56. “U Can’t Touch This” – M.C. Hammer (1990)
55. “The Sweetest Taboo” – Sade (1986)
54. “King of Pain” – The Police (1983)
53. “Keep the Fire Burnin’” – REO Speedwagon (1982)
52. “One” – U2 (1992)
51. “Turn Back the Hands of Time” – Tyrone Davis (1970)
… hour 4 notes…
- Crystal Waters opens the hour with a strong groove.
- And Gloria Estefan keeps it going.
- Irene Cara…
- … and M.C. Hammer also bring energy.
- REO’s song is a retread of the superior “Roll With the Changes.”
And the Eminem and Backstreet tracks are undistinguished.
- No beef with Sade or the Police…
- …And the last two:
U2 and Tyrone Davis – end this hour quite nicely.
Next week, we’ll finish with Numbers 50 to Number 1.
Share your thoughts on the songs you loved or hated from this bunch.
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I knew 30 out of 48 of these by name. The ones I liked the most offhand, in no order-
If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time- Tyrone Davis
The Sweetest Taboo- Sade
Stacy’s Mom- Fountains of Wayne
Don’t Look Back- Boston
Sleeping Satellite- Tasmin Archer
Muscles by Diana Ross is truly terrible.
One short, I got 29.
What a random idea, Chuck, but I like it! Seems like a pointless, but fun exercise that I would do myself! I think I might prefer hour 2 best out of this batch…but then I would miss out on Peter Schilling, which would be a shame.
Also, now I’m going to have to re-listen to “Muscles” to remember if it really is that bad.
I agree with Link. This is a random, silly idea that I just love.
I’m surprised you didn’t like “Naked Eye,” Chuck, it’s a good dance tune, but you’re right about “Muscles” and “Superman.” And I’m glad you gave “Stacy’s Mom” and “I Hear You Knocking” some love. Fun songs!
It’s probably ageist, but I find the middle-aged Diana singing lyrics that sound appropriate for Stacy Lattisaw or Sheena Easton ridiculous.
Not to mention the fact that Michael Jackson wrote it, and probably secretly wanted to record it, but that’s a whole other article for some other time…
Radio programmer folks like @LinkCrawford will be aware of a format that is generally know as “Jack;” aka “we play everything.” Chuck’s fun article made me think of it.
This was a popular format about a dozen or so years ago. Does anyone know if it’s still a thing?
There’s still a Jack FM here in Nashville.
I think there’s still one in Greensboro, too.
Jack didn’t last long here. And as I recall, it wasn’t nearly as diverse as it claimed to be.
We have both a “Jack” and a “Bob” here in Austin…and I am not sure what the difference is!
Los Angeles has a Jack FM
‘No beef with Sade or the Police…’ Ya bettah not, or we’re droppin’ gloves, bud!
This is very much like an actual AT40 countdown. Some of them I love, some of the I like, some of them make me wonder who actually bought them.
Looking forward to the next bunch.
Germanic leanings for me as Peter Schilling and Billie Ray Martin take the plaudits.
If you think Billie Ray Martin doesn’t sound German you’d be right. Real name Birgit Dieckmann. Before going solo she had a a few minor hits here as part of Electribe 101. Tell Me When The Fever Ended a particular standout.
Her wiki page includes the random fact that as a child; ‘She lived with her working-class grandparents, who exposed her to Elvis Presley and German schlager music.’
Influences sadly lacking from her own career.
I know 38 of these off the top of my head. Wild concept I love it, even if some of the results are true head scratchers.
By the way, “Stacy’s Mom” reminds me of this great recent knockoff single which is even better than the original, in my opinion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WANlg297AHU
A lot of these songs are pure nightmare fuel, but these are good-to-great:
100. “Bigger Than My Body” – John Mayer (2003)
97. “Major Tom (Coming Home)” – Peter Schilling (1984)
93. “Don’t Look Back” – Boston (1978)
92. “Money” – Pink Floyd (1973)
85. “I Hate Myself for Loving You” – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (1988)
83. “Get Down on It” – Kool and the Gang (1982)
74. “The Boys of Summer” – The Ataris (2003)
72. “Stacy’s Mom” – Fountains of Wayne (2003)
71. “I Can’t Stand It” – Eric Clapton and His Band (1981)
67. “Naked Eye” – Luscious Jackson (1997)
66. “Don’t Stop” – Fleetwood Mac (1977)
63. “100% Pure Love” – Crystal Waters (1995)
61. “Blue Bayou” – Linda Ronstadt (1978)
60. “Fame” – Irene Cara (1980)
55. “The Sweetest Taboo” – Sade (1986)
54. “King of Pain” – The Police (1983)
52. “One” – U2 (1992)
[…] Last week, I shared the results from 100-51: […]