8.29.2008

Saturday Morning Cereal: Third Bowl

Here we go with the Top 40 hits of the nation this week on American Top 40, the best-selling and most-played songs from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from Canada to Mexico. This is Casey Kasem in Hollywood, and in the next 3 hours, we'll count down the 40 most popular hits in the United States this week, hot off the record charts of Billboard magazine for the week ending...

That voice. Just hearing it me back and I am instantly a tweenager again, tuning in on my little clock radio for a three hour block on Saturday to listen to that voice take me through a countdown of the musical hits of the day. Probably flipping through my latest issue of Seventeen magazine and attempting to style my hair like Suzanne Somers on “Three’s Company." (Hey! Those double side ponytails were hot, man...) Trying to anticipate where my favorites would land; maybe hearing a song for the first time; singing along with everything.

American Top 40. Our link to music in the pre-MTV, pre-YouTube, pre-iTunes world. My Saturday afternoon entertainment.

Sure it was corny (anyone want to make a Long Distance Dedication? Bueller? Anyone?) and a little over the top (Casey was so darn earnest and dramatic) -- but c’mon... weren’t most things of that ilk during that time the same way?

The hits from coast to coast...

I didn’t tune in just for the music -- it was the stories, the trivia, the background facts that made the show for me. Even then, I had a thirst for pop culture knowledge and Casey Kasem always delivered.

I discovered just this week that a local station features a flashback program called “American Top 40: The 1970s” on the weekend. Dontcha know I’ll be tuning in -- a blast from the past that’s still in its pure, albeit probably edited form. Although I will probably be reading “People” or “Sports Illustrated” instead of “Seventeen” while I listen. But I bet I still try to figure out which song will be number one. Just like riding a bicycle -- some things you never forget.

Here are a couple of blast from the past treats, courtesy of YouTube:

Top Hits of the ‘70s, No. 10-9

Top Hits of the ‘70s, No. 8-7


Top Hits of the ‘70s, No. 6

Top Hits of the ‘70s, No. 5-4


Top Hits of the ‘70s, No. 3-2


Top Hits of the ‘70s, No. 1
(Note: Hair brush microphone is a necessity for this one)


And y’all -- don't forget... keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.

4 comments:

April said...

Thanks - now I have to go to iTunes and purchase some of these! (I'm a tad surprised there wasn't more disco.)

TopSurf said...

Triple loves this! I too grew up listening to Kasey & the Top 40 every weekend. I'm not sure if they still do but awhile back the XM 70's music channel used to replay those Top 40's Shows on a Saturday and Sunday. Thanks for taking me back to those memories again! :)

Jen said...

Again, lots of fun for me with your cereal bowls! It also reminded me, though, why I don't miss 70s music, lol. Despite it being my growing up stuff, etc.

Anonymous said...

XM Radio broadcasts Casey Kasem on weekends on the 70's channel. I love listening to it - alot of songs I've forgotten about and then you hear them and it really brings you back. Recently the 80's station also has been broadcasting Rick Dees - also a lot of fun to listen to.