This is the second part of our look at the WLS Music Survey dated July 18, 1981. Click HERE for Part One, where we covered the Thirty-threes. This time out, we're featuring the Forty-fives.
Moving up three spots to number 17 this week is Franke & The Knockouts with "Sweetheart". They are the subject of the Bio feature on the survey. The single would move up one more spot to reach number 16 as its peak position, though it would somehow end up at number 20 on the bewildering year-end Big 89 of 1981.
Here's a brief excerpt from the 50 songs on the 1981 Rock Hall Of Fame list, included on the back of the survey, to illustrate the crookedness of the printing. Discovered only today, I have two copies of this week's survey: the one recently scanned, and a slightly straighter one scanned for the 1981 Rock Hall Of Fame feature back in 2018. I didn't check the back of the most recent survey before scanning it.
There are two EXTRA singles listed at the bottom of the list of Forty-fives. Pat Benatar's "Fire And Ice" will spend two weeks as an EXTRA before breaking into the chart at number 30 on August 1. Three weeks later, the single will peak at number 10 before ending its chart run at number 43 after 18 weeks in November. Journey's "Who's Crying Now" will also spend two weeks as a Forty-fives EXTRA before debuting at number 31 on August 1. The single will peak at number 5 before ending its chart run at number 43 after 28 weeks at the end of January 1982. "Who's Crying Now" ended up at number 12 on the Big 89 of 1981. Twenty other songs on this week's Forty-fives first appeared as EXTRAS before making the list.
Two of those former EXTRA singles are debuting on the chart this week. Steve Winwood's "Arc Of A Diver" spent last week as an EXTRA before debuting at number 45 this week. It would plateau at number 33 on August 8 before ending its chart run at number 42 after just 8 weeks on September 5, 1981. "Arc Of A Diver" had the shortest stay on the list and the lowest peak of this week's singles, yet still managed to wind up at number 17 on the Big 89 of 1981. Foreigner's "Urgent" was an EXTRA for two weeks before making its numerical debut on the Forty-fives at number 37 this week. The single would rise to number 2 in September and stay on the chart until January 1982, landing at number 45 in the final week of a 29-week run. "Urgent" clocks in at number 39 on the Big 89 of 1981.
Neither of Hall & Oates' two singles on the Forty-fives began life as an EXTRA. "You Make My Dreams" debuts at number 44 and will peak at number 24 on August 8. It will bottom out at number 45 after a 10-week run on September 26. "Kiss On My List" falls four this week to number 38 after peaking at number 3 for a couple of weeks back in May. Next week, the single will hit number 44 during its last appearance on the Forty-fives and come in at number 25 on the Big 89 of 1981.
Phil Collins has two singles off his Face Value album on the list of Forty-fives. "I Missed Again" debuted at number 42 back in April, peaking at number 10 for two weeks in May. This week, the single falls six spots to number 42, with just two weeks before it leaves the chart after hitting number 45. "In The Air Tonight" was an EXTRA for two weeks in May and June before debuting at number 26 in the second week of June. The single peaked at number 4 the week of July 4th and would find itself at the very bottom of the Forty-fives on September 19 after a 16-week stay. Inexplicably, "In The Air Tonight" came in at number 5 on the Big 89 of 1981.
Champaign's own REO Speedwagon also has two singles on this week's Forty-fives, both lifted from their Hi Infidelity album. "Take It On The Run" served two weeks as an EXTRA back in March before debuting on the list at number 34 in April. The single moves up one this week to number 36, but will finish at number 42 in August after a 20-week trip. "Take It On The Run" is number 27 on the Big 89 of 1981. The rockin' "Don't Let Him Go" spent two weeks as an EXTRA before coming in at number 44 in June. The single moves up one this week to number 27 and will peak at number 25 next week. In its eleventh and final week on the Forty-fives, "Don't Let Him Go" checks in at number 45 before ending up at number 77 on the Big 89 of 1981.
Among my birthday twins are Casey Kasem, Ace Frehley, Lizzo, Kate Pierson, John Osborne, and Sheena Easton. The latter has a pair of singles on the Forty-fives this week. "Morning Train (Nine To Five)" debuted at number 40 on the list at the end of March. The single peaked at Number One for four weeks in May, is down nine to number 23, and would end its 21-week chart run at number 44 at the end of August. Despite being at the top of the Forty-fives for four weeks, "Morning Train (Nine To Five)" ranked number 71 on the Big 89 of 1981. Her follow-up single "Modern Girl" had debuted at number 44 in June and is up two this week to number 22. The single will peak at number next week (July 25) and leave the Forty-fives at number 42 after a 14-week stay.
Juice Newton has two cover songs on the Forty-fives this week. Her take on "Queen of Hearts" debuted last week at number 43. The single jumps eleven spots to number 32 this week on its way to a peak of number 4 in October. After 26 weeks, "Queen Of Hearts" spent its final week on the chart at number 43 in January 1982. "Angel Of The Morning" initially landed on the Forty-fives at number 42 in April. This week, the single moves down three to number 26 after peaking at number 5 in May. "Angel Of The Morning" enjoyed a 20-week journey on the Forty-fives, ending with number 45 in August.
Two songs written by Bruce Springsteen are among this week's Forty-fives. The last of three Springsteen songs from his debut album Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., recorded by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, was "For You". After spending the usual two weeks as an EXTRA in April, "For You" debuted on the chart at number 38 in early May and peaked at number 14 in late May. This week, "For You" drops six spots to number 33 before ending a 17-week jaunt on the Forty-fives with a number 44 in August. The single ended up at number 32 on the Big 89 of 1981. One of the many songs reportedly written for The River, Springsteen ultimately decided to give "This Little Girl" to Gary U.S. Bonds. The single debuted at number 43 in May, then peaked at number 14 for two weeks in June. This week finds the song down three to number 24 on its way to a final spot at number 45 in August after more than 12 weeks on the Forty-fives.
The six songs in the graphic above are also cover versions of previously released songs. In the case of Stars on 45, their medley includes brief excerpts of sound-alike covers of "Sugar, Sugar" and 9 Beatles songs.
The Forty-fives list features a prior Number One song, the previously mentioned "Morning Train (Nine To Five)", as well as the current Number One, Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes", enjoying its eighth consecutive week at the top of the list. Next week, Billy Squier's "The Stroke" will rise up to the top spot before being displaced after just one week by Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl". The latter will sit atop the Forty-fives for five weeks. Despite its lengthy run at the chart summit, "Bette Davis Eyes" came in at number 38 on the Big 89 of 1981. "Jessie's Girl" nabbed number 40, and "The Stroke" was left off the year-end list completely despite spending more weeks on the Forty-fives than those other three Number Ones. As something of a head-scratchin' consolation, Squier would land two other lesser singles on the Big 89 of 1981.
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As mentioned in the Thirty-threes part of this post, the timing of this survey was around the time of my final weeks of listening to WLS before we moved. The time I spent tuned into WLS had become less and less as I began to listen more and more to the glorious, clean, and clear FM stereo sound of WLRW. Much to my delight, both stations had adopted very similar formats and playlists, and I recall hearing nearly all of the songs on this week's Forty-fives on WLRW. I was so enamored of the sound on the FM side of the dial that is where I first searched for new stations when we arrived in Tucson, finding two great stations in KWFM and KLPX. I've since met nearly a dozen folks from both stations and heard all sorts of behind-the-scenes tales. A former PD at the latter station even ended up coming out of retirement for a couple of months to jock weekends at The Drive. She was one of three jocks – all women – at The Drive I used to listen to on various other stations. She was the only one who did not disappoint with a love and a passion for music that surpassed my own. I'll always treasure the long and winding conversations we shared.
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