As a kid, one of my very favorite things was listening to the weekly American Top 40 Countdown (first with Casey Kasem, then Shadoe Stevens). I was obsessive about which songs were up, down, and holding. I’d make my own lists, but as the magazine says (said?), “It’s not a hit until it’s a hit in Billboard.”
As you’ve no doubt witnessed, television sitcoms are prone to a serious turn in hopes of capturing an elusive Emmy® (for example, that terribly serious Family Ties episode with Alex on a set shrouded in black). But even music-countdown shows couldn’t resist turning out a “very special episode” of their own every year. At the end of the year, natch.
See, it wasn’t just the Top 40 songs of the year that were counted down, one by one to #1. No, 100 was the magic number, and December’s close was time to review the 100 most popular songs of the past 12 months: Which artist had the most hits? Who missed reaching the very top? What fleeting favorite had hit their pop pinnacle, never to visit again in future years?
The year-end countdown show was broadcast in two parts, because what’s more “special” than a two-parter? Over the course of two weekends, I’d huddle with notebook and pencil and keep track of each chart entry, as Casey (and later, Shadoe) counted down to #1. I’d record every minute to cassette, especially if I had to leave the radio for any length of time (parental interruptions being the main culprit). I’d listen, review, reconsider, and tally up how many of these pop wonders I had added to my collection that year.
As if my annual countdown fix wasn’t fully satisfied, there were always the local Chicago stations’ year-end rankings to consume, too (usually broadcast on New Year’s Day). Getting my hands on a printed version of the tally from WLS-FM, Z95, or B96 was much easier (via a SASE or visit to Musicland) than petitioning my parents to purchase a Billboard subscription for their musically-obsessed progeny. Apparently, ensuring their son had a copy of the Hot 100 at home every week wasn’t worth $300 or so a year.
Many years have since passed, with my music obsession only getting stronger (a regular paycheck is my prime enabler). And while year-end music countdowns continue (the seemingly ubiquitous Ryan Seacrest is now behind the AT40 mic), now I’m the one who can’t quite be persuaded to spring for that Billboard subscription.
