How I Make These WLS Top 30s

Once a month I list all of the songs on the WLS Survey.  The rest of the month I just list the Top Ten songs and Debuts.

But, once a month I do the Top 30 songs in Chicago and go through an involved process to do the five posts for that week.  The first four are in groups of five and the last one is the Top Ten.

The first thing I do is go to the wlsyear - Oldiesloon site which has all the WLS surveys on it.  I go to the week's survey that I am going to do and then copy all the songs down on a sheet of paper.  I then go to You Tube and start playing them.  I listen to every single song on the list and make comments about the song and also read other people's comments to gather information about the song.

I also look to see if the song was climbing the charts or going down the charts.

Next, I go to my "Top Pop Singles 1955-1993" by Joel Whitburn.  This is where I find out how high the song went on the Billboard Hot 100 National chart.

Then, it's typing away with my two little fingers to make the post.  I do not write much about the Top ten songs since I have already written about it in the previous months.

It is a real trip back, especially listening to the songs.  I know there are some who enjoy trying to figure out the artist for the song I have in the title and then others enjoy trying to figure out what song has the words at the bottom of the post.  Name That Tune.

That's How I Do It.  --RoadMuch

How I Do These Music Deaths Posts

I get the names and dates from the Hope I Die Before I Get Old site.  The first thing about the person you read also comes from that site.  

Then I go to obituaries and/or Wikipedia for the rest of the information as well as Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1993."

Then, I go to You Tube and listen to their music, especially if it is an artist I don't know very well.  I have found a lot of artists that I wish I had known about earlier.  Outstanding music.

--RoadDog

TRIVIA:  With the aid of three servicemen, what actress and pin-up girl left an imprint of one of her million dollar legs at Grauman's Chinese Theatre?

Betty Grable

WLS Top 40 for the Week of February 9, 1970-- Part 3: "Someday We'll be Together"

I get how high the songs got on the Billboard Hot 100 charts from Joel Whitburn's "Top Pop  Singles 1955-1993."

30.  JAM UP AND JELLY TIGHT--  Tommy Roe      #8    Just 2:13 long.    Could have been much longer on this great little pop song.  Was this a "dirty" song?  His last Top Ten.

29.  WINTER WORLD OF LOVE--  Engelbert Humperdinck       #16    Move over Dean, we've got another crooner.  Some great singing on this ballad.

28.  SOMEDAY WE'LL BE TOGETHER--  Diana Ross /Supremes      #1   One comment was that it was his song in Vietnam and kept him going.  He did get back together with his girl.  Some of his buddies didn't get back.  Another said he tapped a young girl on the shoulder as this played as the last song of the night and they're still together 47 years later.  That's Johnny Bristol doing the male singing parts.

27.  ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM--  Glen Campbell & Bobby Gentry     #27    Country and pop go together.

26.  DIDN'T I--  Delfonics      #10   Love those horns in the beginning.  Part of the Philadelphia Sound.  Formed in 1965 as the Four Gents.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  ""You Look A Little Naughty, But You're So Polite."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Jam Up and Jelly Tight"

How I Make the WLS Top 40s

Yesterday I completed the WLS Top 40 music survey for August 4, 1969.  Every week I do the WLS Top Ten along with debuts, but once a month I take on the whole 40 songs on the list.

When I do this, I do it  in groups of five songs for the numbers 40 to 11.  Then I do the last ten on the last, usually seventh post.

I get the WLS Surveys from the Oldies Loon web site. wlsyear-oldies loon.

This is a rather time consuming (but completely enjoyable) task for me as it requires me to listen to every single song on You Tube and often many more times than once, especially with songs I am not familiar with or have only rarely heard.  Then I make comments.

Then I use Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1993 to find out how high the song charted on the national Billboard charts as well as some more information about the band.

Then, of course, comes the long, drawn-out two fingered typing on the keyboard.

For fun, you can try to guess the performer of the song in the title and then name that tune from a line in the song at the bottom of the list.

Well, That's How I Do It Once A Month.  --RoadDog

Billboard's Top 100 Charts-- Part 2

When I was deejaying more-or-less full time, part time,I used the Billboard charts a lot. I always tried to have the top ten pop and country songs at all times, either on 45 or lp. I even cut the lists out of the Chicago Tribune and put them in a scrapbook.

I also bought Joel Whitburn's Top 40 chart books that went from the 50s and were updated every couple of years. I even purchased a massive book listing EVERY top 100song as well as one for the top R&B songs. I would especiallyuse these to keeptrack ofmy always growing collection of albums and 45s, later cassettes and then CDs. It helped greatly if I was doing a wedding or private party and I had special requests for songs.

Joel Whitburn turned a passion into a full-time career with his Record Research Company. He started collecting records as a teenager back in the 50s and as his holdings grew began sorting and categorizing. I believe I heard that he has every top 100 song from the 50s.

It's Great When You Can Turn a Hobby Into a Career. Congrats, Joel!! --RoadDog