The Ben Maynard Program

EP. 109 From MTV’s Birth To Billboard’s Top 40: November 1, 1981 Unpacked

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Ready to drop into a very specific moment when radio ruled and MTV was just learning to crawl? We spin the clock back to November 1, 1981 and walk through the Billboard Top 40, blending chart facts with the stories, studio secrets, and memories that make these songs glow again.

We start by setting the ground rules—Hot 100 vs Top 40 vs AC—then dive straight into the countdown. Expect a wide-angle view: the Go-Go’s shaking up pop with Our Lips Are Sealed, Pat Benatar powering early MTV, and Earth, Wind & Fire bringing the funk with Let’s Groove. We unpack why ELO slipped French into Hold On Tight, how Foreigner’s Urgent turned a Junior Walker sax break into legend, and why Rod Stewart’s Young Turks signaled a synth-driven pivot from his 70s sound. Along the way, we pull on threads that connect the charts to real life: concerts, car stereos, and the way a single track can stamp a season.

The middle stretch leans into giants. Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty turn a Heartbreakers tune into a career-defining duet. Olivia Newton-John’s Physical holds the summit for ten weeks, reshaping her image with a laser-focused pop move. James Ingram’s velvet voice on Just Once and The Police’s bright pulse on Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic show how R&B and new wave shared space on mainstream radio. We highlight the unsung heroes too—session players like Steve Lukather and the Toto crew—whose fingerprints are all over this chart from Christopher Cross to Quincy Jones.

We close by climbing through the top ten: Eddie Rabbitt’s smooth country crossover, Rick Springfield’s Hagar-penned rocker, Little River Band’s late-night anthem, and Dan Fogelberg’s heart-on-sleeve songwriting. Then it’s stadium fuel with Start Me Up at number two and a movie moment at number one, as Arthur’s Theme floats on Bacharach’s craft and pristine studio work. It’s a love letter to a week where pop, rock, R&B, and country sat shoulder to shoulder—and to the memories these songs unlock the moment the first bar hits.

If this trip through 1981 hit the nostalgia nerve, tap follow, share the show with a friend who loves the 80s, and leave a quick review. What’s your favorite track from this chart, and which one deserved to climb higher? Tell us—we might feature your take next time.

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SPEAKER_00:

Hey there. Welcome into the Ben Maynard program. Thanks for being here. Got a good one for you. We're going to take a trip in the Wayback Machine. We're going to go all the way back to 1981. You're going to like it. But before, before we get started, a little bit of housekeeping to take care of. As you know, this program is available wherever you get your podcasts. Just search the Ben Maynard program. Boom, it's right there. And uh and you have it. But uh please subscribe to it, okay? Download it. Downloads are important. I'm finding this stuff out, okay? Um, download it and give me a five-star review. I I greatly appreciate it. It's the the show's available wherever you stream your podcasts, all right? However, if you can't resist a little bit of this and you've missed me over the last week and you're watching on YouTube, thanks. I appreciate that. But a couple of things. Subscribe to the channel, okay? Hit the notification bell, and you'll get uh notified every time a new episode publishes. Next, you have to give me a thumbs up because I think I do a pretty good job, and you know I do a pretty good job. And then you have to leave a comment. I love your comments, and uh I reply to all of them. So uh do that for me, leave a comment, okay? And then tell 10 uh a thousand. Tell a thousand of your family and friends, okay, about the Ben Maynard program. I would greatly appreciate that. Last but not least, follow me on Instagram, simply Ben Maynard program, all one word. Or you can follow me on the TikTok. Yes, I'm saying the TikTok. I know. Uh that would be the Ben Maynard program. All right. So there are plenty of ways to take in this show for your dancing and listening pleasure. And as I said, hop in the Wayback Machine with me. We're gonna travel all the way back to November 1st, 1981. MTV was what, three months old at the time? They started in August, August 1st of 1981. So that makes August, September, October. Yes. Three months old. We all remember MTV. Remember that little channel that used to play these great music videos of some great artists that we we just loved and adored. We we just dug it, it's it's like something we had never seen before. Um, yes, so MTV was three months old, and we're gonna take a look at what we were listening to on the radio back then, November 1st, 1981. So strap in, okay? Let me do something right here. And there it is. Yeah. All right. So let's look, if you got a pencil and paper, you know, please jot some of this stuff down. Because you're gonna I I I think you're gonna dig this. I know I I I dig it. You guys know how much I like my my music, how much I like my um my my pop music or my top 40 music, you know. And so this is yeah, this is gonna be some fun. So, alright. You ready? All right, count your breath because here it comes. So, this is what was going on November the 1st, 1981. Uh, on the Billboard Top 40 chart, we will start. Let me get comfortable here. We will start right at number 40 with a little song called My Girl from this little band out of Vancouver, British Columbia called Chilliwack. Now, Chilliwack, their prime they they they started in the 60s. Their prime years were from uh 1966 to 1988. They never really made it big at all uh in the United States. They never really made a splash, but they did have this little hit called My Girl. And I don't remember its peak position, but it sits right here this week at number 40 on the Billboard uh Hot 100. And I know I use different terminology sometimes. I'll say uh when I refer to the charts, uh in the past I've said the billboard top 200, which is the album chart, okay. If I've never made that clear, the billboard top 200 album chart. Um, then there's the billboard hot 100, which is the hot 100 singles of any particular period of time. And out of there, your radio stations would play the top 40, and there you get the billboard top 40. Okay, so there you go. Just so we clear things up. So in case I start using uh uh the billboard hot 100 or the billboard top 40, whatever that kind of stuff. So you kind of kind of up to speed on that, all right? In case I never ever made it clear in the past, all right. So at number 39, this neat little band called The Go-Go's, their first single off of the album, Beauty and the Beast. It was Our Lips Are Sealed. And if you remember um the video, the girls all dressed all well, they're all prim and proper, and they got their hair done up, and they're driving around. I gotta, what was it? What was it? That car. Can't remember what the car was. It was an old car, uh vintage car uh in the video. And then um, I think they were all splashing around in some fountain somewhere, just having a good old time. But watching that remind you of like spring summer and having a good old time. Good song. It topped out, um, it topped out at number 20 on the chart. So right now, at this point, it's on its rise, it's on its way up the chart. At number 38, Promises in the Dark from Pat Benatar. I think this was like the fifth video shown on MTV. I think it was like number five. If it was, it was like in the top five of uh videos shown on MTV when they debuted. But this one, this this song is off of um the album Precious Time. I believe that was Pat's second second album. Um then at number 37, number 37, you saved my soul from Burton Cummings. Now, some of you, what? Who? Burton Who? Burton Cummings, he was the lead singer of the Canadian band, The Guess Who. You guys know them. Come on. Um, this song just broke into the top 40, and then it it kind of went away real quick, but it did hit number 22 on the AC chart. That's the adult contemporary chart. There's a chart for everything. Trust me. There's a just like there's a metric for everything, there's a chart for everything. Okay, so uh moving up to number 36. Let's Groove from Earth, Wind, and Fire. Such a good song. So good. And I I love it when I'm listening to my um to my VJ Big 40 countdown on on Sirius XM, and and it happens to be the year 1981, and this song comes out. This is such a good song, so good. I I was um I don't know, I won't say disappointed, but I guess I guess disappointed is a pretty good word that the song didn't climb any higher than 33. It reached a peak of 33 on the uh on the on the top 40, and that was it. But it was off of um the album Raise from um from Earth, Wind and Fire. Great song, and just just a great band, very iconic, um, great RB, funk, that kind of stuff. So good, so good. Um, yeah, good stuff. Um then at number 35, reaching its peak position on the uh Billboard Top 40, is In the Dark from Billy Squire. This is the follow-up to um The Stroke, which was the first single relief released off of Billy's second solo album. Um his first solo album was Tale of the Tape. And and so this was the follow-up album, and like I said, the second single after the stroke. This one, like I said, it peaks out at um number 35. It did reach um, it did reach number seven on the rock chart. See, told you, chart for everything. Great song. And it's the it's the uh it's the opening track on the album, too. It's really, really good. And if you haven't, if you're not familiar with that album in the dark, man, go listen to it. It is just it's like it's like one rocker after another. So good, such a good album, uh from top to bottom. And it's also Billy Squire's um his most successful solo album as well. But now, did you know this though? That Billy Squire, the reason part of the reason why we never hear from Billy Squire very much anymore in the last you know 30 years or so, maybe even longer, is Billy doesn't need to work. See, some people think that he just went away and hid after the debacle that was what was that, what was that video? Rock me tonight when he's kind of prancing around with no shoes on, and it's there's a lot of satin and silk and stuff all in the room. I think it's like it's his apartment room or his bedroom or something like that. You know, it's been a long time since I've seen the video. But a lot of people think that that he just went away after that. Well, he didn't, okay. Yes, that really, really damaged his career. I have no idea why. Even back then in 1985, when I saw the video, I didn't think anything of it. I was whatever, you know, it's a great song, and it's Billy, and he's dancing around the you know, uh his apartment. That's that's the only thing I ever thought of it. I didn't think anything else, but I have no idea what went on. But where I was going with this is Billy didn't have to work anymore because he is one of the most sampled artists in music. Uh, a lot of um hip-hop artists have sampled his music uh over the years, and Billy just gets to sit back and collect the money on that. He doesn't have to work, so that's a lot of the reason why you you know we don't really hear from Billy Squire very much anymore. Um, it'd be nice, it'd be nice if we did. Um, Billy was always a great artist, um, great songwriter, and a great player, too. I just I like Billy. Um, all right. At number 34, he's a liar from the Bee Gees. You guys know I dig my BGs. Um, this song will see a peak at number 30 on the chart. It's off of their album Lion Eyes, which I think that was the follow-up to the album Spirits Having Flown, I believe. Um, it's actually a really good song. I like it. I like it. It's you know, depends on what you like out of your Bee Gees. You know, when you hear when you say when you say the name Bee Gees, a lot of folks just equate it with disco and Saturday Night Fever. And that certainly, um that certainly is is is monumental in the career of the Bee Gees, but it's not all that they were about. Okay, so really, really good stuff. It's a good song. I like it, and I love me some Bee Gees. At number 33, we have Hold on Tight from ELO. That is off their 1981 album titled Time. It's um the it's the seventh and the final top 10 hit for um for ELO. Um the the song itself tops out at number 10, and like I said, this is that's that's their final top 10 hit that they had. Um if you guys are familiar with that song, there's there's I think it's about halfway through, there's a verse in the song that's sung in French. Basically, when you translate that verse in French, it is the opening verse. That's it. It's just the first verse sung in French. Now, I I don't know why the band did that, but that's what they did, and it's all good stuff, and that's what we know. You know, that's what we know about the song. It didn't matter to us then, it doesn't matter to me now, it's just a good song. So uh at number 32, a band that I absolutely love. Love this band, and um great song. Great song. It was the first single released off of Foreigner Four, and it was uh uh Urgent. The um the song peaked at number four on the chart, so it did quite well. And this you're seeing at this point the song's working its way back down the chart. Um but uh just no notables uh regarding that song are Junior Walker's sax solo, absolutely fabulous, fabulous sax uh solo. Um the thing that I hated about listening to this on like top 40 radio was you always got the radio edit. Why they would cut that sax solo is very, very small on top 40 radio, but you listen to the album version so so good, so good. And I've I've said this before. So not everybody watches or listens to every episode. Shame on you, but um I saw uh with my buddy Spaz, we went to go see Foreigner on this tour at the LA Forum, or actually it was called the Fabulous Forum back then. And I remember we had great seats, great seats, probably like 10th row. And um when this song came on, now Foreigner at this time, uh the time that they released the album, remember when Foreigner broke in '78 or '77, they um they were a six-piece band. Um well, Mick Jones, he was basically the the founder, the leader of Foreigner. Um, he had fired members after the first two albums, and we're not going to get into the whole story on it. But nonetheless, Foreigner was down to a four-piece at this time uh as a band. And uh when they would go out and tour, then they had some touring musicians with them. They had um Mark Rivera, who would play sax and guitar, and they have Bob Mayo, who would play um keyboards. So uh so Mark jumps down and he starts this sax solo, and he's he's wailing away during Urgent, and then out comes from the side of the stage, big old Junior Walker, and man, it was great. It was it was it was great. There was a nice trade-off between the two. They were having fun, they were like, you know, going shoulder to shoulder with each other, and it was it was just a blast. And uh I'll always remember that. And um what a great song. What a great song! Great vocals from from Lou Graham on Urgent. Uh, by the way, the B side of that single was Girl on the Moon. Very, very um atmospheric song. Cool, cool song. All right, at number 31, we have Sausalito Summer Night from a band that you probably don't even remember. This was their one and only top 40 hit, and the band is called Diesel. Now, the diesel, they're from the Netherlands, but when you listen to this song and go look it up, Sausolito Summer Nights. Go look it up and give it a listen. You're gonna think California all the way. Not only that, they talk about driving from Los Angeles to I think San Francisco, and they end up stopping in Sausalito. They're driving a rambler, it's about driving, driving a rambler, and the car starts falling apart and overheating and all this kind of thing. But just the sound of the song says it's just like says California. You know, it's it's really, really cool. It's it's bouncy, it's poppy, and it's you know, you would think that these guys were from somewhere on the left coast. So uh let's see, okay. So moving on from 31, number 30 is Young Turks from Rod Stewart. That was the first single released off of his Tinight I'm Yours album, which uh at this point is wait is making its way up the charts. It it peaks at number five on December 19th of the same year, 1981. Um you know, I I I like the song, I like the album. Rod is uh, you know, he had the the um what was it? Um Blondes Have More Fun album with um Do You Think I'm Sexy? And people thought he was going disco, and then that song does have a disco flavor to it. I love that song. Um but Rod seems to kind of continue in that direction, not so much disco-y, but maybe kind of on a on a little new wave or synthpop direction um with this album. I like it. It is like I said, it is kind of going in a different direction, especially if you go way back to to you know Maggie May and Hot Legs, and you know, it is it is definitely uh a departure from that. Um at number 29, which is the peak position for this song, it's alien from the Atlanta rhythm section. Uh the Atlanta rhythm section for them, this would be the uh this would be their final top 40 song. You know, they they're their heyday was in the 70s. They were known as like a southern rock band, but most of the stuff that you heard on the radio was it seemed to be more in the adult contemporary um range. So this was from their album Quinella. And uh, like I said, um last uh last top 40 single for them, and uh peaking at number 29. Then at number 28, we have Why Do Fools Fall in Love from Donna, uh Diana Ross, Donna. Diana Ross. Um, it's from the album of the same name, and this is a cover version of the 1956 Frankie Lyman and the Teenager song. This was a big song. It peaked at number seven for Diana, and this album here was coming off the heels of her basically, I mean, her comeback, her breakout really as a solo artist. Um from 1980. What was the album? Oh, it was just called Diana. That's right. It was self-titled Diana. It was produced by Nile Rogers, and uh who co-wrote some of the stuff with her as well. And that had some of her biggest songs, Upside Down, Coming Out. Um and I believe that that album there was Diana, Diana's biggest selling album of her solo career. But uh we have Why Do Fools Fall in Love? And it's at number 28, and like I said, it's gonna hit its peak coming up here soon at number seven. Number 27, we find this song in its peak position, and it's Atlanta Lady from Marty Ballin. Marty Ballin was uh lead singer and and guitarist in Jefferson Airplane slash Jefferson Starship. Shortly, I I don't even remember when it was that they made the shift from airplane to Starship, but I know Marty um didn't stick around. I I won't say he didn't stick around, but I know Marty left the band uh a little bit after they had changed to Starship or Jefferson Starship from Jefferson Airplane. But this was Marty's first solo album released in 1981, album titled Ballin. The um the first single released on the album was Hearts. You might remember that one. Really good song, really, really, really good song. Atlanta Lady's actually a good song, too. It's a good song. It didn't, it didn't um I think Hearts I don't remember if it hit I think it did. I think it hit like nine or ten on the chart, and Atlanta Lady didn't quite have that uh that same success, but uh but nonetheless, good song. At number 26 from Barry Manalo. Barry, yeah, we have the old songs. Um the song peaks out, uh peaks out. The song peaks at number 15. Um it's just uh it's one of those songs. Uh, if you remember, um the wine is uh wine is open, then glasses are chilling, and he's waiting for his girl to come uh come back or come over. Um he's trying to make amends with her, trying to make it up to her. Um they broke up, and he's hoping if he breaks out the old songs and puts them on the uh on the record player, that it's gonna bring back all the old memories and all the old times, and he's gonna win her back. So that's Barry for you. Good stuff. At number 25, and I could probably talk about this song for the remainder of the episode, but I won't. It's Who's Crying Now from Journey off of the album Escape. This is the first single uh released off the album. I remember summer of 81. Remember being at Disneyland, and and that song had just been released, and it's just climbing the charts. And I standing in line. I don't know why I go to Disneyland. I don't know why that this song takes me back to Disneyland, but it does. And I remember just my buddy Matt, who was here last week. My buddy, we were we were at Disneyland. This was um this was like our last hurrah before he went into the uh into the Marines. So uh, you know, he's 17. I just turned 16, and he's gonna go off to the Marines, and this was our last thing. We're gonna go have a good time at Disneyland. But Escape had just been released. This was the first single, and I I just start to remember every line that we were in. I'm singing that song. It's going, it's just over and over in my head. I love that song, it is so great. The lyrical content on it, obviously, Steve Perry and his just tremendous vocals. Um, but Neil Sean's hasty guitar solo at the end of that wasn't even the original guitar solo for the song. When Neil brought in hit the original guitar solo or played the original guitar solo for that album, the band actually didn't care for it. They didn't like it. It was a lot harder rocking and that type of stuff. So they kind of said, Hey Neil, no, go redo this one. And he did, and he comes back with this, and oh wow. It's just it it it and I'm not a I'm not a musician, I don't play, you guys know that. Um, but to my to my non-musician ears, it sounds so very simple. But it's just each one of those notes. It's what they're saying, and it is so good. So, so good. Love that song. I'm I'm probably just gonna have to listen to it when we're when we're done here today. All right, at number 24. Stop Dragging My Heart Around from Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty, or featuring Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Okay. Tom Petty, the the the band, The Heartbreakers, played on it. We all know that Tom Petty is singing on the song. The song is it's um it's the first single released from Stevie's um, I believe I was her debut solo album, Belladonna, in the uh summer of 81. It was the 25th video played on MTV on August 1st, 1981. The song tops out at number three. It's a great song, and it was originally written uh by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell. Mike wrote the music, Tom wrote the lyrics, and they were going to record it for the album that had also come out right around the same time that Belladonna was released. Uh, the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album, Hard uh, what was it called? Um Hard Promises, I think. Something like that. I always I think that's what it was. I always hearkened back reading this article. Tom was irate with the record company at the time of the album, uh, the album's recording and release because album uh the prices on albums were going up. And the record company was putting a retail price on the album of$7.98. And that's a lot of money back in 1981. I think they were going up a whole dollar, is what it was. So Tom was like definitely against that. Don't I don't want my album going on at$7.98 because it's not gonna sell too much money. We're we're taking advantage of the record-buying public, that type of stuff. He's really standing up for his fans. He almost entitled the album, or entitled, he almost titled the album, the 798 album. Almost. But instead, and that's why I kind of mess up the title if I did mess it up. I think it is hard promises. But anyway, that's a long road a hoe to get back to stop dragging my heart around. The song was initially recorded for that album, written and recorded for, but Jimmy Iovine, who was the producer, uh worked with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers pretty much their whole career, and was working with Stevie as well. Asked about using that song, giving it to Stevie, and so they did. And huge song, huge song, and a great song, too. And it just it it comes off so much better coming from a female perspective than the male perspective, and kind of just having. Male interjection in that song. So really, really good stuff. So at number 23, working its way back down the charts from its peak position of number one for 10 weeks is physical from Olivia Newton John. It was the title track from her 11th album. I know it's hard to believe in 1981, Olivia Newton John had 11 albums, but this was kind of like her transition from a country artist, and I've spoken about this in the past, to a pop artist. And um yeah, what a way to transition with um with this album and this single. I mean, the huge, huge single, like I said, number one for 10 weeks, um, written by Steve Kipner and um uh Terry Shattuck. It was the song actually was first offered to Rod Stewart and Tina Turner, and they both turned it down. Now, Rod, maybe I can understand it. I don't know. He could probably put a male spin on that one. But for Tina Turner to turn that down, and then you see what Olivia Newton-John with it did with it and the success that she had, man, I wonder if Tina was ever kicking herself over that one. Um bet you didn't know this, though. I think I've mentioned it, but you know, I'll mention it again because it's worth it. The guitar solo in physical is played by none other than one of my absolute favorite guitarists of all time, Steve Lukather from Toto. Yes. Like I said, bet you didn't know. But that was that, especially during the late 70s and all of the 80s and and into the 90s as well. That was Toto. When they were not writing, recording, and touring, the various members of Toto were playing on everyone else's records. That's what they were doing. These guys were, you know, these guys were class studio musicians, world-class studio musicians. All right, uh, let's see. Moving from number 23 to its peak position at number 22, we have She's a Bad Mama Jamma from Carl Carlton. Oh, what a funny song. I don't want to say funny, like not like funny haha or anything like that, not like a joke. It just is a really cool song. And, you know, in a world now over the last 10, 15 years where we have become so ultra sensitive to things and and and want to be so politically correct on on stuff, and I don't subscribe to any of that at all. I have a sense of humor. Most things, of course, you have to do take you have you do have to take some things in life seriously, but most things I don't take seriously at all, okay? And I got a pretty thick skin and all this kind of stuff. But, you know, Carl is singing about, you know, um, oh geez, how'd those lyrics go? Um it's just she he's just appreciating what what this woman has. Her figure, he's saying, you know, she's got the uh perfect uh dimensions that you know uh what was it um that every man would uh you know basically appreciate and everything. And it's just like he's just checking her out. He's just checking this woman out. Look, the Commodore's had Brick House, okay? 36, 24, 36, you know, that kind of stuff. Nobody cried about it then, nobody cried about she's a bad mamma jamma at the time either. But you know, I know that some people would get sensitive 20, 30 years later, and I just think it's silly. It's just a fun song, it's a fun song. And it was Carl's, I think it was his one and only top 40 hit, and it topped out at number 22. So good on you, Carl. At number 21, every little thing she does is magic from the police. It um, I think it was the first single released off of Ghost in the Machine. Uh it peaked at number um number three, peaked at number three on the chart. And um it's a good song. It's got it, it you see the police kind of transitioning, sort of, it seems at this time. They're they're they're going into more of a a new wave, even a little uh little touch of reggae, um, which they kind of always had, but they were more on the punk side early on. Now they're kind of going in a new wave, reggae post-punk uh direction on this. Um really big album. Uh you can see that with each album, each they were getting bigger and bigger and bigger, selling more, getting more popularity, more radio play, all that stuff. Of course, until 1983 when it blew up with synchronicity. And that was just, I mean, that's obviously their biggest album and one of the biggest albums, too. Uh, let's see, what do we have next? I think we're I think we're breaking the top 20 here. At number 20 with oh no from the Commodores. Peaking at number four, this song is the last top 40 single to feature Lionel Ritchie in the band. He left shortly after this uh to embark on a solo career. Um, really, really good song. Some people compared the opening chords to um Endless Love, the duet he did with Diana Ross. This song, which I dig, is all I do, I really do like the song. Very slow, and um, but it's a great ballad. And you know, I look, I'm a sap. You guys know that. One, I'm a sap, and two, I like so much. Uh the song was also featured in a great movie that I haven't seen in years because um I don't own it, and when I try to stream it, they want me to pay for it. I'm like, come on, seriously? Really? The movie's you know, almost 45 years old, and you want me to pay for it. But it's the last American version. And if you haven't seen that yet, it's just so dynamite. This the that movie was released the same year, 1982, that Fast Times at Ridgemont High was released. Not similar in storyline, just similar in there, it's it's it's a high school movie. And it's a great one, it really truly is, but it didn't get the same traction that Fast Times did. But they're I I I dig them both equally. They're so, so good. Anyway, but the song was featured on that soundtrack, so good stuff. Uh, let me see. At number 19 from Quincy Jones, featuring James Ingram. Just once. It's from the album The Dude. It's the second single. Um, the first single was what is it? I know Corita. I think that's the name of the song. Really, really good song. Real catchy song, too. Real, real good. Uh, just once, like I said, James Ingram, tremendous singer, tremendous singer. So good. What a just what a great soulful um uh voice. Just so good. So good. And it's it's a shame we lost James Ingram a few years ago. So good. The song, unfortunately, it only it only peaked at number 17, which you know, when you're talking the top 40, I guess, you know, at least it broke the 20, the top 20, but but um for a song of this caliber, I just uh man, I just thought it should have been should have done so much better than this. Um but it did, it peaked at number 17. And again, did you know playing guitar on the song, yes, Steve Lukather? Steve Lu. Not the last time I'm gonna mention his name. All right, um at number 18, say goodbye to Hollywood from Billy Joel. Now that remember, this is 1981. This song was actually written, recorded on Billy's 1976 album, Turnstyles. But the version that hits the top 40 in 1981 is the live version of this song. The one off of Turnstyles was never released as a single. This version here is from excuse me, it's from Billy's live album, Songs in the Attic. And uh right now we see it sitting at 18. It peaks at number 17. So it's got one more position to go before it tops out. Uh, really good song. I I mean, I don't know why it wasn't released in 76, but I was 11 years old at that time, too. So who knows? Um, at number 17, another really, really good song from another really, really good vocalist, a little RB, jazz, more on the jazz-leaning side, I guess I would say. But we're in this love together from Al Giro. This was the first of three singles released off of his album, Breaking Away. And uh we see it sitting at number 17. It's got two more positions till it tops out at number 15. So good. And I hope that you're either going to go back and rewind or you've got pencil and paper and you're writing some of this stuff down and you want to check it out. Because it when I go through this stuff and I start talking about these songs, and I just it it takes me back to being see 1981, November 1981. I'm a soft, uh, yeah, I'm a what was I? No, I'm a I'm a junior. I'm a junior in high school. Sorry, let me take a sip of water there. I'm a junior in high school, and um, yeah, it just um probably my favorite year of high school as well was my junior year. But it just takes me right back to there, and I love it. And that's like we've talked about it before, talk about it again and again and again. That is the beauty of music. You hear a song and immediately it just takes you back to a certain place in time, whether it's an event or it's the first time you heard the song, or it's it's something in life that you you just you know it ties in with that song. So great, so great. And I just that's kind of why I wanted to do this and go over the top 40. It just, you know, like I said, take a trip down memory lane, just great stuff. All right, so all right, shut up already, Maynard. Number 16, topping out, kind of surprising, but topping out at number 16, super freak from Rick James. Uh, the second single off of his album uh Street Songs. That was the name of that street songs, and uh coming off the heels of the first single, which was Give It to Me Baby, which love that song. When we go and when we go to Club 80s and and we go have a night of 80s music and dancing, I can't, I I just I'm waiting for that song to be played because I that's it. I I like that song even better than Super Freak, and I do like Super Freak, it's super freaky, you know. Um but uh and it and even though um it it only tops out at 16, it's it's so recognizable. It's Rick James's biggest song. It's been sampled by other artists, more notably MC Hammer, who had a bigger song with Can't Touch This than Rick James did with Super Freak. So I'm sure at the time Rick was appreciating the cash that was rolling in from that. I think who else? Uh Nikki Minaj, I think she also sampled it. So it's been sampled by other artists. Um, but uh it's just it's a huge song, huge riff. Um yeah, good stuff by by Rick James. Good stuff. Good, good stuff. Um all right, let's move up to number 15. At number 15, I believe at this time, yes, as a matter of fact, it's making its way up the chart at this time is Waiting for a Girl Like You from Foreigner. Again, another single off of the Foreigner 4 album, the second single released off of that album. It it will peak at number two, and it will stay in that position for 10 weeks, which is you know, why couldn't it get over the hump and get into to that number one position? Well, it was held out of the number one spot for nine of those weeks by Olivia Newton John in Physical. And then Holland Oates kind of leapfrogged Foreigner with um what was it? Uh I can't go for that, I think is what it was. And they spent one week at the number one spot, and you know, so Foreigner was kind of held at arm's length right there, you know. Uh but hey, a number two hit for 10 weeks. I think anybody would take that. Such a great song and such great vocals from Lou Graham, one of the greatest rock vocalists in the history of rock music, and just such passion in that song. Um, I just just like Who's Crying Now? Just like Urgent. I could speak on this song forever. It's just so good. So good. Um yeah, it just and that one takes me back too. Takes me back. Great, great, great stuff. Bet you didn't know, and in case you didn't, I'm gonna let you know. But playing the synthesizers, not only on this song, but pretty much on the entire album, was Thomas Dolby. Yes, she blinded me with science, Thomas Dolby. That's right. This was before he got his he got his uh name in lights. Um he was playing synthesizers on this on this album, and of course, like I said, on this song. But great song, great passion, and uh so good. All right, at number 14, finding its peak position is Share Your Love from Kenny Rogers. It's the title track from album of the same name, released earlier in uh in the year. This single was released on uh September uh 7th of 1981. And uh, like I said, it peaks at number 14. And you guys know I just dig my Kenny Rogers. I love Kenny. There's some other great tracks off of this album through the years. And um, oh, what was the other one? I can't recall right now, right off the top of my head. But good stuff. Good, good, good stuff, and love me some Kenny. Anytime I can hear Kenny Rogers, I'm gonna listen to it. Uh, number 13, and this was the way it was in like you know, really kind of the late 70s and into the early 80s, the theme from Hill Street Blues. We had a lot of uh TV theme songs making the charts in during that period of time, and this is from Mike Post, comp uh a composition from Mike Post, who is like Mr. TV theme. The Rockford Files, Hill Street Blues, as you can see right here, Magnum PI. Oh shoot. I did say the Rockford Files already. Uh I'm trying to think of all the other there's so many. Now I now I'm just like going blank because it was like every every hour-long television show you'd watch, it didn't matter what network it was, you put it on and you look, and the theme song, Mike Post. It was crazy. Crazy, crazy. Um, but this this this tune here peaks at number 10, and it's the theme from Hill Street Blues. Good stuff. All right, at number 12, making a comeback and a return to the charts for the first time in several years is the four tops with When She Was My Girl. Um, they had a downturn in the 70s, and this is kind of like their comeback. It was short-lived, but nonetheless a comeback. And uh really, really good song off of an album that was maybe not so good, but this song was, and it peaks at number 11. So we see it at number 12 this week. It's it's one spot from its uh peak position, and um, yeah, really good stuff. If you like the four tops, you like all that stuff from the 60s and 70s. This is right in line with that. It's so good, so good. And then at number 11, we're getting close. At number 11, here I am from Air Supply. Yes, the Aussie band, uh, Air Supply. It's the second single off of their platinum album, The One That You Love. Uh, don't I'm trying to remember what the first song. I think the first song was uh The One That You Love. I think that was the first single released off of the album. But um this one, big song for them. Um I believe the this album was the biggest album in their catalog, sales-wise. Um, it had, I think, two more singles to come after this one, or maybe it was maybe it was one. Sweet Dreams was one of them. I know that. A big song, big song. This one here peaks out at uh it peaks at um, I should say it peaks. It doesn't peak out, it peaks. It tops out, but it peaks. Get it right, dude. It peaks at number five on the uh Billboard Top 40. Um, really good song. If you like all that, all that, you know, mushy love stuff, and I do. I love I love Air Supply. I've seen them perform live in the past. They did a fabulous job. Um it's kind of strange that when they first broke, they were they were marketed like a six, seven-piece band. I mean, it was a band. And I think around 1983, I mean, because the whole band, everyone, there and all the photos, all the promo material, everything. And around 1983, it became Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock. Russell and Russell. Yeah, uh why? I don't know. I haven't gone deep enough into the research on that, but uh great, great song. Great guys, great adult contemporary stuff. Love it, love it, love it. We are going to break the top 10 right now, right with this one here, and this is such a cool song. It's from Eddie Rabbit, country artist Eddie Rabbit, um, breaking into the top 10 with step by step. What a really cool song! It's the title track from the same album, and it's um you see in the early 80s, you see a lot of crossover, a lot of country artists coming in and and getting a lot of radio play on um top 40 stations. And you see that you see that uh in in the charts. Um and this song is so good, great lyrics. First step, ask her out and treat her like a lady. Second step, tell her she's the one you're dreaming of. Third step, take her in your arms and never let her go. Don't you know step by step you'll win her love? So good. So good. And for all you ladies out there, that's exactly what you should be expecting from any man who wants your time. Okay, just a little, little uh uh love advice, okay. Yeah, the the next podcast that uh that that I start doing will be like uh, you know, like I'll be giving my love advice. Not uh all right, at number nine, another good song from another good artist, great artist. I just I love this stuff here. I'm just getting into this, and it just, oh man, it's just taking me back. Rick Springfield, with the second single released off of uh his album Working Class Dog, I've done everything for you. And uh it like I said, it was the second single coming off the heels of Jesse's Girl, which made it all the way to number one. Uh, that's uh certainly Rick's biggest song. You know, in certain circles, that's like his signature song. With me, it's not. I think Rick is so much more than Jesse's girl. Seen seen him live on many occasions, and he just has delivered every single time. He's uh a rock and roller. I know he gets painted as kind of like a pop artist, or like, you know, certainly back then, you know, pinup guy, you know, all the teenage girls just going bananas over him, and you know, great-looking guy, all that stuff. And yeah, there all that was true. But Rick was a rock and roller. And um speaking of this song in Rock and Roller, this one was written by the Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar, and it was released on one of his albums, but it didn't do anything. So I don't know how it came into Rick's world as he's putting working class dog together, but he records the song, it gets released, and of course, it goes, you know, it goes huge. It peaks at number eight, so we see it right here at number nine. Um, one notch from its top spot. But ummy appreciated what Rick did so much that at one time he sent Rick like a bottle of champagne and a dozen roses with a note that said, You've done everything for me. And it was like from that point, those guys became really good buddies. I think they're actually in business together. Uh, I think they have a business venture going with a some kind of liquor, some kind of alcohol. I can't recall. I don't know if it's uh I know he's got the Santos with um Guy Fieti. Sold Cabo Wabbo years ago. He's got something else going on with Rick, and I don't remember exactly what it was. I don't know if it's tequila or not. But anyway, so I've done everything for you at number nine. All right, let's move up to number eight. The night owls from the Little River Band. I like this song, and I always liked this band from the late 70s into the early 70s. That was kind of like their peak. They had like a 10, a 10-year, like, you know, that was like their their um their heyday, their peak, you know, and they put out a lot of good stuff. They had a lot of good, they had a lot of big songs on the um on the Billboard Top 40. They would get a lot of radio play. And they went through some some lead singer changes. I don't even remember who sings this one. If it's if it's uh oh gosh, now I just lost the there was two lead singers. One was like Glenn Sherrick or Shiraque, however you pronounce it, and I'm trying to remember the other guy's name. Dog on it. Shoot. Just when I needed it most, it left me. Doesn't really matter. But the song is a good single, it's a good song, I should say. It's the lead single off of the album, Time Exposure, and uh we see it at eight. It's got two more spots to go, and it peaks at number six. Check it out, good stuff. At number seven, finding its peak position on the Billboard Top 40 is hard to say from Dan Fogelberg, a tremendous singer-songwriter that we lost way, way, way too soon. Um just always seemed that he was writing right from here, right from his. I mean, not just his heart, but just his soul. This um this song, it um is off of his Innocent Age album. And um I just always like Dan Fogelberg. I mean, I think it was it this year or the year before, I think it was 1980. Had a single same old lang sign. It's it's a Christmas time song because the song actually takes place on Christmas Eve. So good. And it will bring a tear to your eye, I promise you. Wrote a song, was commissioned to write a song for the Kentucky Derby. I think it's called uh Run for the Roses. Um, you know, just good stuff. Dan always able to deliver, leader of the band, another great song. Um, yeah, just always good stuff from Dan Fogelberg. All right, at number six. This one's really cool. If you like some funky stuff, you know, so not some some some funky bluesy stuff. We've got trying to live my life without you from Bob Seeger and the Silver Bullet Band. It's got one more spot to go, and then it tops out at number five. It's from the album Uh Nine Tonight, which is a live album. So this is a live version here. And the song, the track opens. Um, Bob says something like, Hey, y'all ready to get funky tonight? He says, This is an old Memphis song, old Memphis song, and then kicks right into it. And it's so good, so good. Alto Reed, his sax player in the band. It's said that he played all the sax parts and he played two saxophones at the same time. That's that's the rumor, anyway. I find it hard to believe, but again, I'm not a musician. I don't know. I suppose it's possible, but that is a really, really good song. We are cracking the top five here. We are almost done, people. Um, at number five, it's coming down the charts now. It's moving down from its peak position of number one is Endless Love from Line. Ritchie and Diana Ross. Yeah, the song was written by Lionel Ritchie. We all know it's on the soundtrack to the movie of the same name. Huge song. Spent three weeks at number one. Like I think Rolling Stone has called it the greatest duet in the history of music. It's just it's been re- and it and it's been covered by other artists in the past, never ever to the same level of success as this one here. It's just a huge song. Huge song. And it really is. I used to hate it as a kid. Like, so like during this time, I hated it. And I think I hated it because it was it was keeping other songs that I liked from either the number one position or from moving up further on the charts. I think I took offense to it. But it's uh yeah, it's a great song. It's a great song. It really truly is. It is so good. And come on. What couple is not gonna want to sing that one at karaoke night? Are you kidding me? Come on. You know it. All right. Number four, finding its peak position right there at number four, is from the the soundtrack of the movie uh For Your Eyes Only, For Your Eyes Only, from Sheena Easton. Um it um great uh it's just such a how do you describe it? Uh it's such a great vocal delivery from her. And I think at the time we only knew Sheena Easton because she was still, she just broke the charts, broke onto the charts like the year before, earlier in the year, um, with was it nine to five morning train, and uh trying to remember what the follow-up to that was. So she was still a newbie, and she gets this song here and just kills it, and uh just great, great delivery, very um kind of sleepy bedroomy type delivery, is kind of what I get out of it. All right, so we got three to go. Three to go and at number three from Daryl Hall and John Oates. Love these guys, Private Eyes. It's the title track from the album of the same name. It's the first uh single released from that album. It does end up reaching number one and oh, this maybe this was the one. I think I said no anyway, it doesn't matter. It does reach number one, it knocks out physical. I think I said it was uh the the other single, um uh I can't go for that. Because I know that one did go to number one too, but anyway, so this one's knocks out physical from the number one spot. It's such a good song, it's off of one of their biggest albums. Um and these guys, especially during this time, 1980, 1981, 1982, 19, the whole front half of the of the decade of the 80s, these guys were killing it constantly on the charts, knocking it out of the ballpark. Top 10 songs, one right after another. And uh I just I just really dig hollow notes so so good. Uh all right, number two. Here it is, number two, and we find our number two song in its peak position, Start Me Up from the Rolling Stones. First, uh, believe it's the first single released off of the album, Tattoo You. Great song. It's a song that was originally written in 1975. It was supposed to be a part of the black and blue album, but they just couldn't, they just couldn't seem to get it right. And and then from that point on, the song would kind of pop up during recording sessions from whatever album the band happened to be working on at the time. Nope, can't, it's just it's not right. It's not right. We don't have it right, doesn't fit in, whatever, all that stuff. And then uh finally, writing it, you know, going through the song, writing it again, they did get it right this time. And uh, like I said, it's it's finds its way to number two. Um Keith Richards was was uh said to have have kind of called this song brown sugar again. And if you listen to the opening riff, I think you can kind of get it. And uh, but this song's huge. And I when my son was in high school, he was uh I I was I was the PA announcer and the official scorekeeper and all that for uh for the the baseball team. And they used to wheel up this big, huge stereo system, big old rack stereo. Um had like a five CD changer on it. So I've had all my CDs. I'm playing music in between in between uh uh innings and all that kind of stuff. And so this was like, you know, I certainly only did home games. So this was the song that I played right before they the the team came up at the bottom of the first inning. That was it. They got the team retired, or the opposition retired in the top of the first. Okay, third out, come and hit the dugout, boom. I hit start me up. Because that I think that's just a great song to get people going at a sporting event. Great song. So good. All right, here it is. Here it is, number one, the number one song we find on November 1st, 1981, is Arthur's theme from Christopher Cross. This song comes off the heels of Christopher Cross's debut album, which was enormous. I think it had three or four hit singles, big time stuff. And the song, he co-wrote this song with uh Burt Baccarak, uh Carol Bayer Sager. Um, those three collaborated to write this song. The movie was huge, huge comedy movie, had a budget of like seven million dollars, made like a hundred million dollars. So yeah, everybody got their money back, and then some. Um, it spent three weeks at number one, and um again, again, Steve Lukather is playing guitar on this song. So you see where this is all going. I mean, these guys, these guys from Toto were just so prolific, they were so huge, they were so respected in the music industry that they were getting calls to do everything, so much so that three members, three members of Toto played on this song. You had Steve Lukather, David Hungate on bass, and you had Jeff uh Jeff Procaro. He was playing drums. So, you know, these guys are getting the calls and uh good stuff. Just good stuff. Um, I I hope you guys enjoyed that. It's just a kind of a quick look and a trip down memory lane at the Billboard Top 40 for this time in 1981. Uh, before we get out of here, um I want to let you guys know that I have some stuff cooking for Veterans Day weekend. I don't know if it's gonna happen. Um, it looked like things were lined up, and it's so it's kind of like up and down. It's right now it's just in flux. So cross your fingers. I'm gonna cross my fingers too, that things work themselves out and uh we make we we we make something happen. We we bring you some good stuff for Veterans Day because you know I love my veterans and I want to celebrate these heroes. I think it's so very important to do so. Um, so even if I can't, I I've got a couple things lined up. I don't want to give it away right now, but I have a couple things lined up. If if one or both absolutely just fall through, I'm still gonna do something. Still gonna do something because we're gonna recognize our veterans, okay? Um, and then if you want to mark your calendars for the 15th of November, I have a really special guest. Uh, won't be coming in studio. I'm gonna be streaming her in. Country artist Olivia Harms will be on on the program. And um I've listened to her music. It's so, so good. If you like good old country western music, this is right up your alley. Right up your alley. And uh, and she's young, she's young too. So I really appreciate the fact that somebody that's you know really young is is like a just a throwback. I love it. Um, so go check her music out in preparation for uh November the 15th. It's Olivia Harms, and she's got music on all the streaming services, okay? Or you can just check it out, like I think on her website. But uh that'll be November the 15th. So mark your calendars. It won't be a live episode, so we'll be recording in the morning, but that episode will be out by the afternoon on November 15th. So there you go. All right. So look, we're done. Thanks for being here. Greatly appreciate it. Before you get out, remember this program is available wherever you stream your podcasts. Wherever you stream your podcasts. Yes, I had to say it again. Just search the Ben Maynard program. Boom, it's right there and go with it. Okay. Subscribe to it. Whatever service you're using, subscribe to it, okay? And download it. Download it. Um, but if you're watching, because you can't resist this right here, you just love all this, then thanks. I appreciate it. Uh, but do me a favor, subscribe to the channel, okay? Give me a thumbs up and leave a comment. All right. And this is good. This is good for leaving comments. We got a lot of good, a lot of good music here that you guys can comment on and tell me what your feelings are on this stuff. Um, you also have to tell a thousand of your family and friends, okay? And also do me a favor, too. While you're telling a thousand of your family and friends, doesn't matter where you take in this podcast, whether it's on the streaming services or you're watching it, okay. Share it. Share it with your people. All right. I really just want to get the word out to everyone. Share it with your people. Okay. I can only do so much. I only have so much reach. I need your help out there to reach the masses. So share it. Even if whatever reason you don't listen or you don't watch, but when you, when you, you know, take in that one episode, just share it. Boom. All right. And you make yourself a promise. You'll get back to it later. Whatever it is, but share it with your people. All right. Last but not least, follow me on Instagram, simply Ben Maynard program, all one word, or on the TikTok, the Ben Maynard program. All right. So there you go. We're out. Cannot thank you enough for being here. I had fun. I know if I had fun, then you had fun. All right. So I'll see you guys next time. Okay. Be good. This is the Ben Maynard program. Tell a friend.