BILLBOARD FLASHBACK 4/28/79

[FireNightDance]

Here's a look at the Disco/Dance scene from 24 years ago. This was my absolute favorite period in Dance Music (My User name comes from #31). There were several major disco stations in many markets across the USA. WKTU-NYC,WCAU-FM Philly,WXKS-Boston,KIIS-FM LA,KSET-El Paso,KFMX-Minneapolis,DISCO 14-Harrisburg,WDAI-Chicago. Also we had WBLS in NYC which was heavy on Disco and this was the time frame that WABC-NYC flirted with a disco format. They went deep into playing hardcore disco tracks as well as long disco segues, many of the very songs on this list were played. But all good things must come to an end, in about another month the DISCO SUCKS movement started to gain momentum and along with it Disco/Dance Radio started to crash. The only survivors in the long run were WKTU & WBLS with the relaunch of the Urban formats.
To me it seems the radio industry never got over those times of backlash and this is why we still do not have too many true dance formats today. Luckily living in the Metro NYC area did have the benefit of WBLS, 92 KTU and WXLO's minor flirt with dance, before becoming WRKS 98 Kiss in 1981. So us fans of Dance Radio go a long way back as you can see. Now on with the countdown..lol

Muggy

4/28 4/21 BILLBOARD DISCO TOP 80 4-28-1979

1 1 DANCE TO DANCE/ DANCER - GINO SOCCIO LP WB/RFC
2 2 TAKE ME HOME - CHER LP CASABLANCA
3 3 DISCO NIGHTS (ROCK FREAK) - G.Q. LP ARISTA
4 4 FORBIDDEN LOVE - MADLEEN KANE LP-12 WB
5 6 DOUBLE CROSS/GREAT EXPECTATIONS - FIRST CHOICE LP GOLDMIND
6 5 WE ARE FAMILY / HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER/LOST IN MUSIC - SISTER SLEDGE LP COTILLION
7 8 DANCE WITH YOU - CARRIE LUCAS 12 SOLAR
8 9 BANG A GONG/ALL RIGHT NOW - WITCH QUEEN LP ROADSHOW
9 10 MY BABY'S BABY - LIQUID GOLD 12 PARACHUTE
10 12 I (WHO HAVE NOTHING)/STARS/BODY STRONG - SYLVESTER LP-12 FANTASY
11 13 ONE MORE MINUTE/FILL MY LIFE WITH LOVE/BELLE DU JOUR - St.TROPEZ LP BUTTERFLY
12 11 MAKIN' IT - DAVID NAUGHTON 12 RSO
13 7 I GOT MY MIND MADE UP (YOU CAN GET IT GIRL) - INSTANT FUNK LP-12 SALSOUL
14 18 WORK THAT BODY - TAANA GARDNER 12 WESTEND
15 19 LET ME BE YOUR WOMAN (ALL CUTS) - LINDA CLIFFORD LP-12 CURTOM
16 17 BY THE WAY YOU DANCE (I KNEW IT WAS YOU) - BUNNY SIGLER 12 GOLDMIND
17 14 (EVERYBODY) GET DANCIN' - BOMBERS 12 WESTEND
18 41 RING MY BELL - ANITA WARD 12 JUANA
19 38 BAD BAD BOY - THEO VANESS LP PRELUDE
20 25 MUSIC IS MY WAY OF LIFE - PATTI LABELLE LP EPIC
21 31 HAPPINESS - POINTER SISTERS 12 PLANET
22 20 THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD GO I - MACHINE 12 RCA
23 15 KNOCK ON WOOD - AMII STEWART LP-12 ARIOLA
24 26 IN THE NAVY/MANHATTAN WOMAN - VILLAGE PEOPLE LP-12 CASABLANCA
25 28 IT MUST BE LOVE - ALTON MCCLAIN & DESTINY LP-12 POLYDOR
26 27 SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) - JACKSONS LP-12 EPIC
27 30 PICK ME UP I'LL DANCE - MELBA MOORE 12 EPIC
28 29 ROCK IT TO THE TOP - MANTUS LP SMI
29 21 NIGHT TIME FANTASY - VICKI SUE ROBINSON 12 RCA
30 33 EVERYBODY HERE MUST PARTY - DIRECT CURRENT 12 TEC
31 23 FIRE NIGHT DANCE (ALL CUTS) - PETER JACQUES BAND LP PRELUDE
32 24 CLIMB / RUSHIN' TO MEET YOU/MIDNIGHT RHYTHM - MIDNIGHT RHYTHM LP ATLANTIC
33 35 PANIC - FRENCH KISS LP POLYDOR
34 34 KEEP ON DANCIN' / DO IT AT THE DISCO - GARY'S GANG 12 SAM/COL.
35 36 HOT FOR YOU - BRAINSTORM 12 TABU
36 45 CUBA - GIBSON BROTHERS 12 MANGO
37 37 LA BAMBA - ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ 12 BUDDAH
38 39 FOR YOUR LOVE - CHILLY LP POLYDOR
39 42 POUSSEZ (ALL CUTS)- POUSSEZ LP VANGUARD
40 44 WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES - DOOBIE BROTHERS 12 WB
41 43 SUNSHINE HOTEL - RICHARD T. BEAR 12 RCA
42 46 AIN'T NO STOPPIN' US NOW - MCFADDEN & WHITEHEAD 12 PIR
43 77 HOT STUFF - DONNA SUMMER 12 CASABLANCA
44 16 ULTIMATE LP (ALL CUTS) - ULTIMATE LP CASABLANCA
45 49 HOT NUMBER - FOXY LP-12 TK
46 22 STAR LOVE - CHERYL LYNN LP-12 COLUMBIA
47 47 I ONLY WANNA GET UP AND DANCE - RAES LP-12 A&M
48 51 HERE COMES THE NIGHT - BEACH BOYS 12 CARIBOU
49 48 SPANK - JIMMY BO HORNE (REMIX) 12 SUNSHINE/TK
50 40 I WILL SURVIVE/ANYBODY WANNA PARTY/I SAID YES- GLORIA GAYNOR LP POLYDOR
51 52 STREET SENSE/212 NORTH 12TH - SALSOUL ORCHESTRA LP SALSOUL
52 32 PARTY SONG/TAKIN' A CHANCE/NIGHT TIME - STICKY FINGERS LP PRELUDE
53 63 BOOGIE WOOGIE DANCIN' SHOES - CLAUDJA BARRY 12 CHRYSALIS
54 55 KEEP YOUR BODY WORKIN' - KLEEER 12 ATLANTIC
55 53 WHOLE LOTTA LOVE / WONDERFUL MEDLEY - THE WONDER BAND LP-12 ATCO
56 56 WUTHERING HEIGHTS LP (ALL CUTS) - FERRARA LP MIDSOMG
57 60 SATURDAY NIGHT SUNDAY MORNING - THELMA HOUSTON 12 MOTOWN
58 70 I CAN TELL - CHANSON 12 ARIOLA
59 61 HEART OF GLASS - BLONDIE 12 CHRYSALIS
60 65 MY LOVE IS MUSIC - SPACE LP-12 CASABLANCA
61 54 CRAZY - THE GLASS FAMILY 12 JDC
62 59 LET THE MUSIC PLAY (ALL CUTS) - ARPEGGIO LP POLYDOR
63 64 JAMMIN' AT THE DISCO - PHILLY CREME 12 WMOT/FANT.
64 68 GOOD GOOD FEELIN' - WAR 12 MCA
65 57 LIKE AN EAGLE / N.Y. BY NIGHT - DENNIS PARKER LP-12 CASABLANCA
66 66 I DON'T WANT NOBODY ELSE - NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN 12 ATLANTIC
67 58 AT MIDNIGHT - T CONNECTION LP-12 TK
68 72 DON'T YOU NEED - LINDA EVANS 12 ARIOLA
69 69 IT'S OVER - ALMA FAYE LP-12 CASABLANCA
70 50 DO YA THINK I'M SEXY - ROD STEWART 12 WB
71 62 MIDNIGHT RENDEVOUZ - TASHA THOMAS LP ATLANTIC
72 73 HAVE A CIGAR - ROSEBUD 12 WB
73 74 JUST KEEP THINKING ABOUT YOU/GET IT UP FOR LOVE - TATA VEGA LP-12 MOTOWN
74 75 CAPTAIN BOOGIE - WARDELL PIPER LP-12 MIDSOMG
75 76 KISS YOU ALL OVER / SO STRANGE - PHYLISS HYMAN 12 ARISTA
76 NE SHOULDA GONE DANCING - HIGH ENERGY LP-12 MOTOWN
77 67 I'M GONNA DANCE - ASHA LP-12 DASH/TK
78 NE LET ME TAKE YOU DANCING - BRYAN ADAMS 12 A&M
79 80 BOOGIE UP ROCK DOWN / OUTSIDE LOOKING IN -CARLIS MUNRO 12 WESTBOUND
80 79 OUR LOVE IS INSANE - DESMOND CHILD & ROUGE 12 CAPITOL




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[fabio]

Really enjoyed going trough the chart. I was living in Italy at that time and didn't have the chance to hear much disco. The only radio worth listening to was Radio Milano International with the great DJ Leopardo, presenting the radio chart and the American Disco Action (never played on it's entirety). Have you got any other listing?
I would like more please!!!!!!!!!!!

[discodjii]

Hey Firenight, when WBLS was "stereo in black" there was WPIX - plays the best disco. Remember that????

My playlist of lately:
Get up & dance (rock your body) - 202 Machine
Love Machine - Tempest Trio
Get on the funk train - Munich Machine
The entire Body Shine album - Munich Machine
First hand experience in 2nd hand love - Giorgio Moroder
Space Bass - Slick
Pinocchio - Boris Midney
Secret Love Affair - Madleen Kane
Cheri - " "
Opportunities - Pet Shop Boys
Trouble Maker - Roberta Kelly
After Dark - Patti Brooks
Soul Cloud - Biddu Orch.
Hot to trot - Alfredo De La Fe
---to be continued

[jim]

Here's a look at the Disco/Dance scene from 24 years ago. This was my absolute favorite period in Dance Music (My User name comes from #31). There were several major disco stations in many markets across the USA. WKTU-NYC,WCAU-FM Philly,WXKS-Boston,KIIS-FM LA,KSET-El Paso,KFMX-Minneapolis,DISCO 14-Harrisburg,WDAI-Chicago. ... in about another month the DISCO SUCKS movement started to gain momentum and along with it Disco/Dance Radio started to crash. The only survivors in the long run were WKTU & WBLS with the relaunch of the Urban formats.

WXKS Remained with an urban oriented format for a number of years. 1980 brought the end of Top 40 radio for a few years in Boston. During that time Jams like Heartbeat,Funkin for Jamacia,and You're THe One for ME hit #1 at Kiss 108,which technically makes them #1 POP hits in the Hub!

[FireNightDance]

Yes, I remember WPIX, didn't they go by DISCO 102?? WICC in Bridgeport use to do disco on Friday Nights in the summer of 1975. Also right before WRKS-KISS (NYC) signed on, they had a format very similar to the then current 92 KTU. Every Wednesday night Chuck Leonard would countdown the top 20 songs on WXLO. They were all urban hits, including a mix of dance, R&B, pop and some new wave dance tracks.
I kept those WXLO list from Dec 80 to May 81, but like a jerk through them out before the internet days :cry: I also had list from KTU when they did the top ten club hits for the week and then when they switche dit do an urban top 20 countdown on Sundays, circa 1980. Also WRKS top 15/10 list from late 83-86 or so. All Gone :( The only thing I did keep were my own year end charts,based on NYC urban radio.
I also spent some time recently in the nearby Bridgeport library going through old Billboard magazines and taking notes of what was added to WXLO and WKTU ( 80-81 WXLO and 82-83 WKTU). I would eventually like to post that list, when I get it organized. We can see how many Urban/Dance jams we can recall. It's funny how we can all remember certain songs played on the different urban formats?? Yoko Ono's Walking On Thin Ice on WXLO and Numbers by Kraftwerk on WBLS. Also Money by Flying Lizards on WBLS. If you all could I would glady like to hear some of the records that stand out in your minds for the various Urban-Dance hybrids.

Muggy