WLS Music Survey - February 21, 1981 (Part Two: Forty-fives)

Warning! Reading this post may make you sea-sick as the off-kilter crookedness continues as we extend our look at the WLS Music Survey from the week ending February 21, 1981. Last time out, we focused on the long players. Now its time for the singles. Please swipe right to continue.

This week's list of Forty-fives features The Police's "Don't Stand So Close To Me" as a rare Extra song outside of the Top 45. The following week, it would enter the Forty-fives chart and eventually peak at number 8. The Police also have the number 14 song on this week's chart with "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" and the number 7 album on the Thirty-threes chart with Zenyatta Mondatta. Besides The Police, AC/DC (as mentioned in a prior post) and six other artists also had a pair of singles on this week's chart: 

Deborah Harry and Blondie's "Rapture" was one of five singles appearing on the Forty-fives chart for the first time this week, starting at number 39 on its journey to number 2 near the end of April. Down one spot from its peak position at number 3 last week was the group's cover of "The Tide Is High". Their album Autoamerican (listed as Auto American) is holding at number 9, number 9, number 9.    

Cliff Richard's "A Little In Love" debuted at number 45 this week while his previous single, "Dreaming" (released as Dreamin' everywhere else in the world except here in the USA), is at number 41. Alan Tarney produced, arranged and wrote both songs. Leo Sayer, Tarney's co-writer on "Dreaming" also has two songs on the chart this week.

Alan Tarney, who would find his biggest success producing the hit version of a-ha's "Take On Me", also produced and arranged both of Leo Sayer's singles on the Forty-fives chart, co-writing with Sayer, "Living In A Fantasy" at number 38. "More Than I Can Say", holding at number 24, is a cover version of a song originally written and recorded by The Crickets; yup, those Crickets.

Eddie Rabbitt's "Drivin' My Life Away" had peaked up at number 5 back in October 1980 but was still hanging around at number 37 this week. The equally catchy "I Love A Rainy Night" was still climbing the list at number 6 and would eventually top out at number 4 on the Forty-fives chart in another couple of weeks.

Two months after the senseless and tragic loss of John Lennon, the world was still mourning and seeking comfort in his music, both new and old. "Woman" is the biggest mover on the list, debuting at number 32 last week and vaulting up to number 17 this week on the way to number 3. "(Just Like) Starting Over" is up at number 8 and falling slowly after topping the Forty-fives chart just after Christmas.

Pat Benatar wins for having both her singles in the Top 13: "Treat Me Right" is on the rise at number 13 though it will barely squeak into the Top 10 at number 10 in two short weeks while former number 2 "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" is downward bound at number 5.

One of the two remaining debut singles this week is Donnie Iris's wonderful "Ah! Leah!" at number 44. The single would climb to number 7 during a seventeen-week stay. Roger Daltrey came in at number 42 with "Without Your Love" but only topped out at number 37 in a fifteen-week bid.

Probably one of my favorite songs on the Forty-fives chart this week is the former Top 10 segue of both sides of the single pictured. "This Beat Goes On"/"Switchin' To Glide" swaps the sides  as they appear on the single so that the original B-side plays first and is immediately and seamlessly followed by the A-side, which is how they appear on the album The Kings Are Here! 

To encourage and facilitate playing both songs this way, Elektra sent to radio stations one of two promotional twelve-inch singles as well as gold-stamped promo copies of the full album. The single pictured above has the two-song segue on the B-side with "Switchin' To Glide" and "Partyitis" on the A-side; the second single has the 5:41 segue on both sides. As for the rest of the chart, there are eight songs that I need never hear again.

The lyrics on the back of this week's survey are for the number 2 song, Dolly Parton's "9 To 5", from the film of the same name. Along with Eddie Rabbitt's "Drivin' My Life Away" which was included on the Roadie soundtrack album, there are two other songs on the list of Forty-fives from soundtracks:

Outlaw Country star Waylon Jennings scored his biggest Top 40 hit with his "Theme from The Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)", an extended version of the television show's distinctive theme song. "Love On The Rocks" was the first and most successful of three singles Neil Diamond saw released from his soundtrack to the updated The Jazz Singer.