End of Year Countdowns

Good Evening,
As I am typing this, I am listening to the late Casey Kasem counting down the Top 80 songs from 1972, part one, on 100.1 WJRZ, via internet. Growing up, it was one thing to look forward while off from school, tempting to hear how your favorite songs fared for such particular calendar year. Back in the day, you would have a local station do the local countdown, and the aforementioned Mr. Kasem doing the national version. As "The King of the Countdown" used to say, "Billboard ranks them, and AT 40 counts them down... ." All these years later, thanks to both internet radio and syndication, we get to enjoy and reminisce.

Before I go further, if you were to listen to the original broadcast from 1972-73 and Google the survey today, they are not in syncopation. My guess is that statistics were kept differently back then, maybe some manipulation of sorts. On Saturday, I was listening to Don Tandler on his Pop Gold Radio station playing a revised "Famous 56" WFIL Top 100 from 1971. I was not born until 1975, so I wouldn't know what the before and after would look like without looking for it online. Either way, it was a blast listening to. I believe, nationally, "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night was #1 nationally and for many local countdowns for the year ending 1971. However, it was only #7 on WFIL's year-end countdown that year. The #1 song for WFIL's year ending 1971 countdown belonged to Rod Stewart, with "Maggie May"/"Reason to Believe". Yes, it was a double-sided hit, which is something you don't hear much anymore. Chicago was #4 with "Beginnings"/"Colour My World" and Carole King was #3 with "It's Too Late/"I Feel the Earth Move" on the aforementioned survey. I would think that "King" George Michael was smiling from the heavens above. Thank you again, Don Tandler, for taking us back in "The Time Machine". Every Saturday at 3:00 PM ET, Don spotlights a countdown from yesteryear. For more information on upcoming countdowns, you can check out the website at popgoldradio.com.

For a countdown you may have never heard of before, Rich Appel has his Top 100 of Top 100's this weekend. For times and stations carrying it, you can check www.thatthingshow.com for information. I know that Pop Gold Radio is playing the show, in its entirety, from 12 Noon until 7:00 PM on New Year's Eve. I don't listen to today's music much these days, but my guess for Billboard's #1 for 2018's year end countdown would be Drake's "God's Plan". I would be happy if it is Dua Lipa's "New Rules", as I like her music. I only say this because of Ariana Grande's "Thank U, Next" was released late in the year. Time will tell on a revised chart down the road.

If I don't get to post again before this year wraps up, I want to take a moment to say, "Thank you!", for reading this and other posts on this blog. As we head into 2019, to quote Casey Kasem's closing line, "Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars."