I was 15 in the summer of 1982 and was pretty enthralled with the popular music of the day. When my local top 40 radio station did a countdown of their all-time songs, I decided to emulate the list and make my own. It was a mix of classics alongside current hits. It turned into my own weekly countdown list which I maintained through high school, college, and into young adulthood. I consider it ground zero for my fascination with charts.
Click here to see other Dave’s Faves song lists.
Spotify Podcast:
Check out the Dave’s Music Database podcast My First Chart: 40 Years Ago (premiere: September 13, 2022) based on this list. New episodes based on Dave’s Music Database lists are posted every Tuesday at 7pm CST.
So here is the very first chart I did:
1. Styx “Babe” (1979)
2. Climax Blues Band “I Love You” (1980)
3. Olivia Newton-John “Magic” (1980)
4. Journey “Open Arms” (1981)
5. Kenny Rogers “Coward of the County” (1979)
6. The Beatles “Fixing a Hole” (1967)
7. Queen “Body Language” (1982)
8. Air Supply “American Hearts” (1980)
9. Barry Manilow “Copacabana (At the Copa)” (1978)
10. Styx “Renegade” (1978)
11. Olivia Newton-John “Suspended in Time” (1980)
12. Olivia Newton-John “Heart Attack” (1982)
13. Kenny Rogers “The Gambler” (1978)
14. Chicago “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” (1982)
15. The Alan Parsons Project “Eye in the Sky” (1982)
16. Asia “Only Time Will Tell” (1982)
17. Paul McCartney “Take It Away” (1982)
18. Olivia Newton-John “Make a Move on Me” (1981)
19. Electric Light Orchestra “The Fall” (1980)
20. Journey “Don’t Stop Believin’” (1981)
21. Styx “The Best of Times” (1981)
22. Neil Diamond “Love on the Rocks” (1980)
23. Kermit “The Rainbow Connection” (1979)
24. Queen “You’re My Best Friend” (1976)
25. Blondie “Shayla” (1979)
26. Kenny Rogers “Lady” (1980)
27. Dan Fogelberg “Leader of the Band” (1981)
28. Soft Cell “Tainted Love” (1981)
29. The Police “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (1981)
30. Olivia Newton-John “Physical” (1981)
31. Olivia Newton-John & Cliff Richard “Suddenly” (1980)
32. America “You Can Do Magic” (1982)
33. Electric Light Orchestra “I’m Alive” (1980)
34. Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” (1982)
35. Olivia Newton-John “Carried Away” (1981)
36. Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder “Ebony and Ivory” (1982)
37. Neil Diamond “Be Mine Tonight” (1982)
38. Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra “Xanadu” (1980)
39. The Human League “Don’t You Want Me?” (1981)
40. John Cougar Mellencamp “Jack and Diane” (1982)
41. Chicago “If You Leave Me Now” (1976)
42. REO Speedwagon “Keep on Loving You” (1980)
43. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “I Love Rock and Roll” (1981)
44. Steve Miller Band “Abracadabra” (1982)
45. Fleetwood Mac “Hold Me” (1982)
46. Charlene “I’ve Never Been to Me” (1977)
47. Toto “Rosanna” (1982)
48. Styx “Come Sail Away” (1977)
49. Kansas “Play the Game Tonight” (1982)
50. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “Crimson and Clover” (1982)
51. Blondie “Heart of Glass” (1978)
52. George Harrison “All Those Years Ago” (1981)
53. Elton John “Blue Eyes” (1982)
54. Billy Joel “Just the Way You Are” (1977)
55. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “Do You Wanna Touch” (1981)
56. Air Supply “I Can’t Get Excited” (1980)
57. Sheena Easton “When He Shines” (1981)
58. Elton John “Empty Garden” (1982)
59. J. Geils Band “Freeze Frame” (1981)
60. Billy Squier “The Stroke” (1981)
61. Neil Diamond “America” (1981)
62. The Cars “Shake It Up” (1981)
63. Greg Kihn Band “The Breakup Song” (1981)
64. Air Supply “Lost in Love” (1980)
65. Blondie “Dreaming” (1979)
66. Air Supply “Sweet Dreams” (1980)
67. KC & the Sunshine Band “Please Don’t Go” (1979)
68. Dan Fogelberg “Run for the Roses” (1981)
69. Pure Prairie League “Let Me Love You Tonight” (1980)
70. Dirt Band with Linda Ronstadt “An American Dream” (1979)
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First posted 12/1/2018; last updated 9/14/2022. | 
Wonderful, Dave!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Brian!
DeleteI like the fact that you love music from ONJ, just like me. 1982 was her best year ever on the pop charts and I was 16 going on 17 then. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete