Category: Music

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1976

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date July 30, 2021

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 5TH Friday of the month, so it’s a special, as I go back 45 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday August 01ST 1976:

“Kiss And Say Goodbye” – The Manhattans
“Love Is Alive” – Gary Wright
“Moonlight Feels Right” – Starbuck
“Afternoon Delight” – Starland Vocal Band
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” – Elton John & Kiki Dee

2 of the songs above are actually in heavy rotation on my iPod Shuffles that play at my desk at my workplace, and that would be “Love Is Alive” and “Afternoon Delight”. I like “Moonlight Feels Right” a lot, and I’ve just added it to my iTunes Wish List to purchase in a few days. (YES – I actually buy singles online legally.)

If you go to the moonlightfeelsright web site you can play the Starbuck song in its entirety. #Moonlight #FeelsRight #MarimbaSolo

Incidentally the # 6 hit that week – “Get Closer” from Seals & Crofts – is also in heavy rotation.

I remember all of these great songs playing on the radio back in the day during the patriotic Summer of 1976. I was a 9-year-old getting ready to enter the 4TH grade at Magnolia Elementary School (“The Pride Of P.G.”) in my neighborhood in Lanham Maryland. I listened to all the hits all the time on WPGC – “AM & FM Morningside”. Back then it was the Washington D.C. area’s # 1 Top 40 radio station.

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

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 1976, Maryland, Music, Radio, Top 40

Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 232

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date July 26, 2021

Every Monday I post my all-new Top 10 Christian hit music chart based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from the previous week. It’s the continuation of a weekly hobby that goes back 40+ years. Here’s this week’s chart:

COUNTUP MINISTRIES	FOR THE WEEK ENDING SUNDAY JULY 25TH 2021	WEEK 232

TW	LW	WKS	SONG TITLE	ARTIST / SITE
1	1	9	Be Alright [3RD week @ # 1]	Evan Craft X Danny Gokey X Redimi2
2	2	12	Yes He Can	Cain
3	6	16	Gospel Song	Rhett Walker
4	4	8	Until Grace	Tauren Wells Ft. Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts
5	3	9	When We Fall Apart	Ryan Stevenson Ft. Vince Gill & Amy Grant
6	7	2	Into The Wild	Josh Baldwin
7	8	2	What If	Matthew West
8	5	27	Fires	Jordan St. Cyr
9	9	3	My Jesus	Anne Wilson
10	10	4	Sunday Morning Feeling	Apollo LTD Ft. Ryan Stevenson

# 1 This Week In:
2020 – “No Impossible With You” – I AM THEY
2019 – “Raise A Hallelujah” – Bethel Music
2018 – “Grace Got You” – MercyMe
2017 – “Wonder” – Hillsong United

SLOW CLIMBER AT # 3 – Rhett Walker continues his amazing climb up my chart to enter the Top 3 this week in his 16TH week. “Gospel Song” is also a slow climber nationally at U.S. Christian radio. It just reached the Top 5 in its 19TH week at big market stations, and in its 18TH week at small market stations. It’s his biggest hit ever, and it’s his follow-up to his previous biggest hit ever – “Believer” – which hit # 4 on my chart in December 2019.

Here’s the official music video for “Gospel Song”:

CHART BUSTING just outside of my Top 10 this week is a cool-sounding tune from a 19-year-old by the name of Coby James. When I first heard “Brand New” on K-LOVE – I had to look it up to see who was singing the gem that brought back memories of mid-1980s British smooth pop that I danced to when I was 19-years-old. It’s a “Brand New” song, but it sounds RETRO. It reminds us that each morning is the start of a “Brand New” day to live for Christ. It’s like rising-up from the water. It’s living in the light You’ve called me into. #Hallelujah

This blog is # 74 worldwide on the Top 80 Christian Music Blogs and Websites in 2021 chart. Thank You for including us Feedspot !

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.

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, Chart, Christian, KLOVE, Music, Radio

1980s Blogging Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1986

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date July 23, 2021

It’s the 4TH Friday of the month, so I go back 35 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday July 27TH 1986:

“The Lady In Red” – Chris De Burgh
“So Macho” – Sinitta
“Heartbeat” – Tippa Irie
“Smile” – Audrey Hall
“Roses” – Haywoode

The Summer of 1986 was an amazing time in the music of my life. I’m not a big fan of ’80s music. It’s perhaps my least favorite decade of music since I’ve been alive. But living in England as a 19-year-old was quite the experience, and the music was beatin’ – whether it be slow pop, smooth pop, bubblegum pop, HI-NRG pop, reggae pop, and all kinds of poppin’. I produced a hectic Top 40 chart back then, and 35 years ago this weekend I had 14 new entries on that chart. Much like the U.K. pop charts it was fast and furious. Most songs lasted less than 10 weeks on the radio and on the charts – even songs that made it all the way to or towards the top of the pops.

Sinitta had one of the biggest HI-NRG pop hits of the summer. It got the whole nation up on their feet and dancin’. It eventually hit # 1 on my chart and # 2 on the U.K. pop charts. It was her first and biggest hit ever. She was actually signed by a young (mid-20s) music executive by the name of Simon Cowell. YES – that Simon Cowell. Sinitta was Simon’s first big pop star, and “So Macho” was his first big pop hit. They even seriously dated for a few years. They’ve been great friends ever since.

Here’s the official music video for Sinitta’s “So Macho” that’s so 1986:

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 1986, BBC, British, England, Music, Radio

Astronomy Blogging Food History Internet Music Television Travel Weather

Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date July 20, 2021

I. #Introduction – Surprise. I’ve brought back an old favorite of this blog, but just for a single return appearance. This won’t become a regular weekly feature again. This was once the flagship of this blog. It started in 2007 on Myspace – inspired by fellow bloggers of the era. It continued here on WordPress for 129 well-read editions. This is the first edition on WordPress in over 11 years. I brought it back briefly on Facebook after that. This is essentially my instant “brain dump” online. It’s what’s on my mind – right here – right now. I have no idea what I’ll write – until my fingers hit the keyboard. Once it’s done it gets posted immediately. I wanted to do something different to observe 2,000 blog posts here on WordPress, and this is what I came up with. #Blogging101

II. #Lunch – I’ve written about Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, and Red Lobster many times before here on my #GrabBag. Back in 2008 and 2009 they were being built and opened in my city right next to each other just 3 miles away from my home. Longhorn and Olive Garden continue to thrive with delicious food, great service, and an abundance of customers all day every day. Red Lobster is struggling. I don’t go there very often anymore, and when I do there aren’t that many people there – both customers and employees. They appear to be poorly managed at this time. As a church group we’ve dropped the place from our regular rotation due to poor service. I went back today solo on a reconnaissance mission to see if they have improved. They failed. They were closed 18 minutes after they were supposed to be open at 11 AM. I went back to Longhorn – the place that I’ve been to more than any other restaurant in my city. My favorite waitress served me. She was fantastic, and my meal was delicious. #CaseClosed

III. #ManOnTheMoon – 52 years ago today on July 20TH 1969 (a Sunday) man walked on the moon for the first time ever. It was one small step for man – one giant leap for mankind. I actually remember watching it as a 2-year-old toddler in our cozy Greenbelt Maryland apartment on our giant (25-inch) living room TV set that was essentially heavy furniture that weighed several hundred pounds. I smiled when R.E.M.‘s “Man On The Moon” played on my iPod Shuffle at my desk at work this morning. #Appropriate

IV. #WeatherOnTheFours – Today we had a lot of quick-moving heavy showers around the area, but we also had a lot of hot sunshine. Sometimes the sun was shining bright while the rain was pouring down. Sounds like a typical “rainy season” day. We started-off this morning right around 78°F / 26°C, and we managed to reach 90°F / 32°C. Slightly drier and hotter days are headed this way – along with some Saharan dust. #Gesundheit

V. #FamilyPhotoOn5 – I stumbled across this photo recently. It’s from a long time ago – the Summer of 1977 (I believe). It could be ’78. I’m 10 (or 11). My little brother is 2 (or 3). We’re definitely in Ocean City Maryland with our neighbor friends. I went fishing for the first time ever in my life, and look what I caught ! Please excuse my outfit. I didn’t dress myself back then. #CutenessOverload

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again this upcoming weekend (which starts very soon) – 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.