Today in Billboard Chart History - May 31

[Dawn]

We're going back 23 years for a look at the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart as it was then. Here are the top 10 songs from May 31, 1980.

10. Cars – Gary Numan
9. Against the Wind – Bob Seger
8. Hurt So Bad – Linda Ronstadt
7. Stomp! – Brothers Johnson
6. Biggest Part of Me – Ambrosia
5. Sexy Eyes – Dr. Hook
4. Don’t Fall in Love With a Dreamer – Kenny Rogers & Kim Carnes
3. Coming Up – Paul McCartney & Wings
2. Call Me – Blondie
1. Funkytown – Lipps, Inc.

Any thoughts or memories of these songs?

[55dodger]

Another good chart

Cars, Against the Wind, Stomp, and Call Me would be my favorites.
Funkytown is a fun song I probably like more now than in 1980.

Don't fall in Love with a Dreamer is OK, overplayed, but ok.

Coming Up is one Paul McCartney song I just could never get into. Didn't like Hurt so Bad, Biggest Part of Me, and Sexy Eyes at all.

[SAT-I need more room!!]

Hey Dawn-you synched the chart with the album of the day today! Cool!

Ok the winners here are Cars, Biggest Part of Me and Call Me, with Amberosia being the best. Love that tune!

Dodger-you no likey?

Not familiar with the Brothers Johnson tune, and I still can't remember how Sexy Eyes goes! LOL

I remember when Coming Up came out, my dad bought he and I both copies of the 45.

[H2IZCOOL]

Hi Dawn. Another good chart. (I guess any top ten chart from any era can't be too bad. There has to be some good stuff on it.)

My fave here is Funkytown. I really like all the "special effects". Huge hit for a one-hit wonder.

I like most Bob Seger and Dr. Hook songs, so although these two songs are not my top choices for either artist, I do like them. I also like Kim Carnes, so I enjoy listening to the duet with Kenny.

I kind of equate Ambrosia with The Little River Band. They were around at the same time, and sounded kinda similar. I do like Biggest part of me.

The others on the list are pretty good also -- except I've never been a Linda Ronstadt fan.

[Pete70s]

"Cars" was so out of place in 1980! I always felt it should have been a hit in '83, where it would have fit in better!

The Seger and Rogers/Carnes songs I was never crazy about, but all in all, a good list!

[Dawn]

55dodger said:

Another good chart

Cars, Against the Wind, Stomp, and Call Me would be my favorites.
Funkytown is a fun song I probably like more now than in 1980.

Don't fall in Love with a Dreamer is OK, overplayed, but ok.

Coming Up is one Paul McCartney song I just could never get into. Didn't like Hurt so Bad, Biggest Part of Me, and Sexy Eyes at all.

Thanks, dodger. I agree with you about 'Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer' being overplayed. I like the song, but I do remember growing a little tired of it back in 1980-81 when it got tons of airplay.

[Dawn]

SAT-The said:

Hey Dawn-you synched the chart with the album of the day today! Cool!

Ok the winners here are Cars, Biggest Part of Me and Call Me, with Amberosia being the best. Love that tune!

Dodger-you no likey?

Not familiar with the Brothers Johnson tune, and I still can't remember how Sexy Eyes goes! LOL

I remember when Coming Up came out, my dad bought he and I both copies of the 45.

Hey, I did, didn't I? I really hadn't planned it to come out that way, but it's cool that it did!

I agree, 'Biggest Part of Me' is a great song. I love the soft rock of the late 70's - early 80's.

I had never heard the studio version of 'Coming Up' until I got the LP of McCartney II about a month and a half ago. The live version (which was the one that charted and received the airplay) is definitely the better one - much more energetic!

[Dawn]

H2IZCOOL said:

Hi Dawn. Another good chart. (I guess any top ten chart from any era can't be too bad. There has to be some good stuff on it.)

My fave here is Funkytown. I really like all the "special effects". Huge hit for a one-hit wonder.

I like most Bob Seger and Dr. Hook songs, so although these two songs are not my top choices for either artist, I do like them. I also like Kim Carnes, so I enjoy listening to the duet with Kenny.

I kind of equate Ambrosia with The Little River Band. They were around at the same time, and sounded kinda similar. I do like Biggest part of me.

The others on the list are pretty good also -- except I've never been a Linda Ronstadt fan.

Hi H2! You're right, 'Funkytown' is wonderful. That song has been a favorite of mine ever since the first time I heard it back when it was current. I love the strings on it - great effects!

That's true about Ambrosia and the Little River Band being similar in a lot of ways. I really enjoy the music of both groups.

[Dawn]

Pete70s said:

"Cars" was so out of place in 1980! I always felt it should have been a hit in '83, where it would have fit in better!

The Seger and Rogers/Carnes songs I was never crazy about, but all in all, a good list!

That's a good point, Pete. 'Cars' definitely sounds a few years ahead of its time.

[djdave]

Another great chart! Just won my first radio prize ever--"In the Heat of the Night" by Pat Benatar on good ol' vinyl. Super memories, my mom will remember most of these as well, during the spring of '80, she got into the AM radio in the living room just as much as I did! Surprisingly, The Rogers/Carnes duet I've heard the LEAST on radio (but that's where I come from).

[kathyb]

Another fine list! Not a bad song on this one today. I'm a big Ronstadt fan, so her song would probably be my favorite from this list. Biggest Part of Me and Sexy Eyes are also really good--haven't heard either one of those songs for quite awhile. I was a Junior in high school in 1980, and can remember that Stomp and Funkytown were always being blasted from somebody's boombox or car radio back then. LOL!

[Kat]

Awesome list!

Favorites have to be Funkytown, Hurt So Bad, Sexy Eyes, Call Me, and Cars.

Every time I hear Funkytown, I'm reminded of being in the backyard one summer afternoon while a bunch of kids behind us were in the middle of having a birthday party. *lol*

Linda Ronstadt - My mom was a huge fan, and I remember her collecting up her albums. Been a fan since I was a kid.

[Dawn]

DJ said:

Another great chart! Just won my first radio prize ever--"In the Heat of the Night" by Pat Benatar on good ol' vinyl. Super memories, my mom will remember most of these as well, during the spring of '80, she got into the AM radio in the living room just as much as I did! Surprisingly, The Rogers/Carnes duet I've heard the LEAST on radio (but that's where I come from).

That was a great prize - In the Heat of the Night was such a strong debut for her! I think spring 1980 was an outstanding time for music, but unfortunately, a lot of the songs from that period don't seem to get much airplay these days.

[Dawn]

kathyb said:

Another fine list! Not a bad song on this one today. I'm a big Ronstadt fan, so her song would probably be my favorite from this list. Biggest Part of Me and Sexy Eyes are also really good--haven't heard either one of those songs for quite awhile. I was a Junior in high school in 1980, and can remember that Stomp and Funkytown were always being blasted from somebody's boombox or car radio back then. LOL!

Thanks, Kathy. Like you, I really love Linda Ronstadt's music, and 'Hurts So Bad' is my favorite song from this chart along with 'Funkytown'. I didn't hear the original version until years later, but as with many of Linda's covers, I think her version is by far the best!

[Dawn]

Kat said:

Awesome list!

Favorites have to be Funkytown, Hurt So Bad, Sexy Eyes, Call Me, and Cars.

Every time I hear Funkytown, I'm reminded of being in the backyard one summer afternoon while a bunch of kids behind us were in the middle of having a birthday party. *lol*


Linda Ronstadt - My mom was a huge fan, and I remember her collecting up her albums. Been a fan since I was a kid.

Thanks, Kat! 'Funkytown' brings back a lot of fun summer memories for me as well.

My mom is also a fan of Linda's, and I remember she used to play her first Greatest Hits LP all the time. That is such a great album, with every song a winner!