Party Like It's 1981 (25 years ago this week)

[mwaite]

WPJB Providence JB105 Top 35 Countdown October 14, 1981

LW TW
1 1 Sheena Easton-For Your Eyes Only (#1-peak position)
4 2 Christopher Cross-Arthur's Theme (#1)
2 3 Little River Band-The Night Owls (#2)
5 4 Kenny Rogers-Share Your Love With Me (#3)
3 5 Rolling Stones-Start Me Up (#2)
12 6 Bob Seger-Trying To Live My Life Without You(#1)
8 7 Moody Blues-The Voice (#7)
9 8 Rick Springfield-I've Done Everything For You (#3)
6 9 Journey-Who's Crying Now (#4)
11 10 Hall & Oates-Private Eyes (#1)
7 11 ELO-Hold On Tight (#6)
10 12 Diana Ross/Lionel Richie-Endless Love (#1)
15 13 Four Tops-When She Was My Girl (#11)
16 14 Billy Joel-Say Goodbye To Hollywood (#13)
17 15 Dan Fogelberg-Hard To Say (#14)
18 16 Al Jarreau-We're In this Love Together (#15)
19 17 Rick James-Super Freak (#9)
20 18 Billy Squier-In The Dark (#4)
21 19 Olivia Newton-John-Physical (#1)
22 20 Blue Oyster Cult-Burnin' For You (#17)
24 21 Burton Cummings-You Saved My Soul (#18)
25 22 Pat Benatar-Promises In The Dark (#19)
26 23 Police-Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (#3)
27 24 Air Supply-Here I Am (#10)
28 25 Carl Carlton-She's A Bad Mama Jama (#5)
29 26 Quincy Jones-Just Once (#2)
30 27 Diesel-Sauselito Summernight (#14)
31 28 Earth Wind & Fire-Let's Groove (#2)
32 29 Barry Manilow-The Old Songs (#11)
33 30 Marty Balin-Atlanta Lady (#8)
34 31 Juice Newton-The Sweetest Thing (#2)
35 32 Chilliwack-My Girl (#5)
x 33 Journey-Don't Stop Believin' (#6)
x 34 Quarterflash-Harden My Heart (#2)
x 35 Diana Ross-Why Do Fools Fall In Love (#9)

Quite a mixture of rock, pop, dance, funk, ballads and even country.
Here is a link to some of Brad Pierce's countdown of these songs on 10/14/81:
http://www.yousendit.com/download/QRjitOgjkY8=

JB105 Personalities as of 10/14/81:
Doc Holliday 2am - 6am
Mike Waite and Jeff Baker 6am - 10am
Johnny Dowd 10am - 2pm
Brad Pierce 2pm - 6pm
Willie B. Goode 6pm - 10pm
Rick Everett 10pm - 2am

WPRO-FM Personalities as of 10/14/81:
Smilin' Jim Halfyard 1am - 5:30am
Jimmy Gray 5:30am - 10am
Tony Bristol 10am - 2pm
David Simpson 2pm - 6pm
Tyler 6pm - 10pm
Giovanni 10pm - 2am

Many of those personalites are still on the radio and sounding great. In fact, Mike Waite's morning show at WJBR Wilmington, DE is now streaming online. Listening to his show, it's hard to believe that 25 years has passed by. He doesn't sound much different at all from how he sounded 25 years ago in morning drive at JB105. As WJBR is an AC station playing music from the 70's to today, he still plays some of the same songs he played on JB105. Since I hadn't heard him on the air since 1983 while at WROR, it does sound kind of strange to hear him also play today's artists, such as Five For Fighting, James Blunt, Natasha Bedingfield, Rob Thomas and Kelly Clarkson.

 

[truthandjustice]

Thanks for posting this! JB-105 and PRO-FM. Were the two main stations for so many years. It makes you wonder
what would of happened (format wise) if the change,back in June 1985 didn't happen.

 

[Ill alert the media]

Thanks for posting this! JB-105 and PRO-FM. Were the two main stations for so many years. It makes you wonder
what would of happened (format wise) if the change,back in June 1985 didn't happen.

Clear Channel or Citadel would have bought them and they'd be playing Five For Fighting, James Blunt, Natasha Bedingfield, Rob Thomas and Kelly Clarkson.

 

[diamondj]

Some say this was an all time low for top 40 music, but I didn't mind Kenny Rogers having a hit streak right along with the Stones. "Endless Love" is the only song that would have made me change the station. What I loved about JB was they played the whole top 40. When they did play something that wasn't nationally a top 40 hit, I always thought it was a "shouldda been" - "Pay You Back With Interest" by Gary O' and "Right Away" by The Hawks are two examples.