Category: Music

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1985

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date December 25, 2020

Every Friday I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 15, 25, 30, or 35 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 4TH Friday of the month, so I go back 35 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday December 29TH 1985:

“Wrap Her Up” – Elton John & George Michael
“I’m Your Man” – Wham !
“Walk Of Life” – Dire Straits
“Say You, Say Me” – Lionel Richie
“West End Girls” – Pet Shop Boys

It was a very British Top 5 chart of mine 35 years ago this weekend in Gloucestershire England – my home and workplace at the time. Lionel Richie was the sole American on my chart with one of the biggest hits of his long career.

I loved that Elton John & George Michael collaboration back then. It was not the typical Elton John song of the early-to-mid-1980s. He had ventured comfortably into slower adult contemporary radio-friendly pop songs at the time, so this was quite the rockin’ up-tempo gem. The song featured a full band and even Kiki Dee on backing vocals. She also “pops-up” during the music video when her name is mentioned amongst a long list of famous women. 9 years earlier Elton & Kiki joined forces for their # 1 smash “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”.

Sadly George Michael passed away on Christmas Day 4 years ago. #RIP

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 15 years ago to January 2006.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday with 3 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 1985, England, Music, Radio

Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 201

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date December 21, 2020

Every Monday I post my all-new Top 10 Christian hit music chart based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay. It’s the continuation of a weekly hobby that goes back 40+ years. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday December 20TH 2020:

TW	LW	WKS	SONG TITLE	ARTIST / SITE
1	1	4	Every Step Of The Way	Cade Thompson
2	2	6	Image Of God	We Are Messengers
3	4	17	Rise Up (Lazarus)	Cain
4	6	11	Truth Be Told	Matthew West
5	5	6	Out Of My Hands	Jeremy Camp
6	3	12	Jericho	Andrew Ripp
7	8	2	Man Of Your Word	Maverick City Music
8	7	5	Famous For (I Believe)	Tauren Wells
9	10	4	Sparrows	Cory Asbury
10	9	4	Wake Up Sleeper	Austin French

# 1 This Week In:
2019 – “Unstoppable God” – Sanctus Real
2018 – “Well Done” – The Afters
2017 – “Control (Somehow You Want Me)” – Tenth Avenue North

Cade Thompson is still at # 1 for a 3RD week in a row with his debut smash “Every Step Of The Way”. We Are Messengers are still at # 2 with their 4TH Top 3 hit “Image Of God”.

It’s a slow chart week – mostly due to the overwhelming presence of Christmas music (new and recurrents) on the radio. Christmas music will obviously peak over the next 5 days, and then it will completely disappear this Saturday. Next weekend’s chart could be an interesting one to wrap-up 2020.

Finally Cain’s “Rise Up (Lazarus)” is now a Top 20 hit overall for this entire era of the past (now) 201 weeks. It replaces Crowder’s “Forgiven” as my # 20 hit. (This past Tuesday I featured my Top 20 hits of the past 200 weeks.)

Next Tuesday (December 29TH 2020) I’ll present my Top 20 hits of 2020. Cain will be on there. It’ll be a fun look back at this unique year that is 2020.

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again this upcoming weekend – with 5 new entries on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, Monday, and a special edition on Tuesday. I don’t blog on Saturdays. That’s my day of rest.

Your likes, follows, and comments are always appreciated. Thank You for being part of my online ministry to share God’s Good News and win souls for Christ through His music. I’m also on Twitter and Flickr.

Be blessed my friends ! May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Tags Blog, Christian, KLOVE, Music, Radio

1990s Blogging Driving Music Radio Travel

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1990

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date December 18, 2020

It’s the 3RD Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday December 16TH 1990:

“You’re Amazing” – Robert Palmer
“Disappear” – INXS
“Love Will Never Do Without You” – Janet Jackson
“After The Rain” – Nelson
“Impulsive” – Wilson Phillips

What a solid Top 5 chart that was exactly 30 years ago this weekend !

Robert Palmer scored a # 1 smash with his very underrated single “You’re Amazing”. It’s my 2ND-favorite song from him – 2ND to “Simply Irresistible” – which this song sounds a lot like. I’d love to purchase it online, but it is a rarity apparently. It’s not even on iTunes.

INXS and Janet Jackson held down the # 2 and # 3 spots with my favorite songs from each artist. I still love to hear them today. Nelson’s “After The Rain” is currently in heavy rotation on my iPod Shuffles that I listen to at the workplace. I hear it almost every day.

30 years ago this past week I drove from Homestead AFB Florida (where I still work today) to McLean Virginia (my parents’ home at the time and my home as a teenager). I departed the airbase at 3:35 AM on Sunday December 16TH 1990, and I arrived at my pitstop for the night – South Of The Border (along the North / South Carolina border) – at 3:37 PM. I drove 724.7 miles that day – averaging 60.2 MPH. I departed South Of The Border the next morning at 4:58 AM on Monday December 17TH 1990. I arrived at my parents’ home at 11:17 AM. I drove 378.3 miles that day – averaging 59.9 MPH. My 1,103-mile trek up the U.S. East Coast was complete, and I spent 10 days at home with my Mom, Dad, Brother, and Cats.

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 35 years ago to December 1985. It was my first Christmas away from home in a foreign land …

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 1990, Music, Radio

Bible Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio Scripture

My Top 20 Hits – 200 Weeks

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date December 15, 2020

200 weekly hit music charts and 190 positive and encouraging hits have created this cumulative hit music chart of my Top 20 hits of this current era of my chart ever since it was resurrected on Presidents’ Day Weekend of 2017 here in the U.S. after a 7-year hiatus. It’s based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay.

RK	PK	WKS	SONG TITLE	ARTIST / SITE
1	1	25	Nobody (But Jesus)	Casting Crowns Ft. Matthew West
2	1	24	Almost Home	MercyMe
3	1	22	Do It Again	Elevation Worship
4	1	27	Even Then	Micah Tyler
5	1	26	I Will Fear No More	The Afters
6	1	24	Grace Got You	MercyMe
7	2	25	Alive & Breathing	Matt Maher
8	1	21	Church (Take Me Back)	Cochren & Co.
9	2	30	Known	Tauren Wells
10	1	22	Broken Things	Matthew West
11	1	19	Even If	MercyMe
12	1	17	Fear No More	Building 429
13	1	25	Dead Man Walking	Jeremy Camp
14	1	19	Nobody Loves Me Like You	Chris Tomlin
15	1	25	The God Who Stays	Matthew West
16	1	26	Different	Micah Tyler
17	1	20	Home	Chris Tomlin
18	1	20	Gracefully Broken	Matt Redman Ft. Tasha C. Leonard
19	1	20	No Impossible With You	I AM THEY
20	1	20	Forgiven	Crowder

What a great chart of glorious music that gives thanks to our God. Matthew West, MercyMe, Micah Tyler, and Chris Tomlin have been quite active over the past 200 weeks placing multiple songs on my cumulative Top 20 chart. They represent 4 out of my Top 6 artists during this era with 10 # 1 hits, 44 weeks at # 1, and 18 hits overall.

Every song on here sounds as fresh today as it did when I first heard it on the radio. You know this era has been extra special for me. It’s lasted 200 weeks, and it’s still going strong. God used Christian music to rescue and save me almost 14½ years ago at the age of 39. In the beginning I solely listened to Christian music on the radio. I did that for about 3½ years. The “Salvation Era” of my chart lasted about 180 weeks, and then I completely stopped producing a weekly hit music chart after 24 years. I was actually turned-off by Christian music on the radio, but my journey with Christ continued moving forward. (I actually went in to church leadership after that.)

After a “revival” of sorts during Presidents’ Day Weekend of 2017 in Tallahassee Florida and on-the-road between there and home – this weekly hit music chart was resurrected after a 7-year hiatus into this current era.

If you’re not familiar with one or any of these songs then use Google, Bing, or YouTube to check them out. Enjoy the music, but especially listen to the words. The words of these songs represent God’s Word. Any one of these songs can change your life forever.

He has given me a new song to sing – a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done, and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD. (Psalm 40:3 NLT)

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again this upcoming weekend – with 4 new entries on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday. I don’t blog on Saturdays. That’s my day of rest.

Be blessed my friends ! May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.