Chart Nostalgia - AT40's Comeback - 03/28/98
Mar 29, 2008 10:12:01 GMT -5
Post by Cerebro on Mar 29, 2008 10:12:01 GMT -5
This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of American Top 40's "un-cancellation".
For those who might not recall back to the summer of 1994, low ratings and dwindling affiliates forced ABC Radio to pull the plug on AT40. Most American affiliates aired their final broadcast the weekend of June 24, 1994. The following weekend, ABC sent the Rick Dees' Weekly Top 40 to their affiliates as a replacement (WT40 was a, then, recent acquisition by the network). AT40, apparantly, faired better in international markets and would continue airing though the end of the year. The show appeared to close it's doors for good after the final weekend of January 1995.
Fast forward to 1998, and after three years out of production, ABC's rights to AT40 had lapsed and reverted back to the show's creators, Casey Kasem and Don Bustany. At the time, I had no idea what was going on behind the scenes. All I knew was that there were a lot of changes happening with Casey's, then, current show Casey's Top 40. The last CT40 to, actually, be hosted by Casey aired the weekend of February 28th. After that, Casey seemed to disappear. For the next three weeks, Casey's usual go-to guest host, David Perry, stepped in. Jeff Wyatt took over for the fourth week. For the last two of those four weeks, any and all mention of Casey was stripped from the show and it was renamed to, the amazingly generic, Top 40 Countdown (those Westwood One folks were so creative). For some reason, Westwood One wasn't interested in reviving AT40 so Casey took his creation to the burgeoning AM/FM Radio Network (AM/FM was, later, absorbed by Premiere, which has been Casey's home ever since).
On March 28th, I was pleased to hear Casey, finally, return to the airwaves after a month off. Of course, when the name of the show was announced, I, literally, did a double-take at the radio. The return of the American Top 40 name, certainly, came as a surprise to me. Structurewise, the show was pretty much a continuation of Casey's Top 40. There were some subtle changes; the "Long Distance Dedication" returned in place of CT40's "Request and Dedication" (I'm guessing the LDD was part of the AT40 rights package). Here is AT40's "comeback" chart from a decade ago this week:
AMERICAN TOP 40 - MARCH 28, 1998
LW TW Artist - Title
39 40 James Horner - Southampton
40 39 Tonic - Open Up Your Eyes
35 38 Aerosmith - Pink
-- 37 Shania Twain - You're Still The One
32 36 Lisa Loeb - I Do
38 35 Inoj - Love You Down
-- 34 Backstreet Boys - Everybody (Backstreet's Back)
21 33 Spice Girls - Too Much
34 32 Dakota Moon - A Promise I Make
27 31 Green Day - Time Of Your Life (Good Riddance)
36 30 Usher - Nice And Slow
31 29 Paula Cole - Me
30 28 Uncle Sam - I Don't Ever Want To See You Again
33 27 Edwin McCain - I'll Be
28 26 Chumbawamba - Tubthumping
29 25 Chumbawamba - Amnesia
26 24 The Tuesdays - It's Up To You
23 23 The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony
20 22 Eric Clapton - My Father's Eyes
24 21 Marcy Playground - Sex And Candy
15 20 Jimmy Ray - Are You Jimmy Ray?
22 19 Robyn - Do You Really Want Me (Show Respect)
16 18 Robyn - Show Me Love
19 17 Aqua - Turn Back Time
18 16 Ben Folds Five - Brick
13 15 Usher - You Make Me Wanna...
14 14 Loreena McKennitt - The Mummers' Dance
17 13 Will Smith - Gettin' Jiggy Wit It
12 12 Smash Mouth - Walkin' On The Sun
11 11 Third Eye Blind - How's It Going To Be
10 10 'N Sync - I Want You Back
09 09 Natalie Imbruglia - Torn
08 08 K-Ci and JoJo - All My Life
05 07 Janet - Together Again
04 06 Backstreet Boys - As Long As You Love Me
06 05 Billie Myers - Kiss The Rain
07 04 Madonna - Frozen
03 03 Matchbox 20 - 3 A.M.
02 02 Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply
01 01 Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On ** 7 weeks @ no. 1 **
LONG DISTANCE DEDICATIONS:
Donna Lewis - I Love You Always Forever
Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch
R. Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly
NUMBER ONES ON THE OTHER CHARTS:
Alternative Rock: Marcy Playground - Sex And Candy
R&B: Destiny's Child - No, No, No
Adult Contemporary: Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On
DROPPERS:
All Saints - I Know Where It's At (from 37)
Sugar Ray - Fly (from 25, recurrent)
For those who might not recall back to the summer of 1994, low ratings and dwindling affiliates forced ABC Radio to pull the plug on AT40. Most American affiliates aired their final broadcast the weekend of June 24, 1994. The following weekend, ABC sent the Rick Dees' Weekly Top 40 to their affiliates as a replacement (WT40 was a, then, recent acquisition by the network). AT40, apparantly, faired better in international markets and would continue airing though the end of the year. The show appeared to close it's doors for good after the final weekend of January 1995.
Fast forward to 1998, and after three years out of production, ABC's rights to AT40 had lapsed and reverted back to the show's creators, Casey Kasem and Don Bustany. At the time, I had no idea what was going on behind the scenes. All I knew was that there were a lot of changes happening with Casey's, then, current show Casey's Top 40. The last CT40 to, actually, be hosted by Casey aired the weekend of February 28th. After that, Casey seemed to disappear. For the next three weeks, Casey's usual go-to guest host, David Perry, stepped in. Jeff Wyatt took over for the fourth week. For the last two of those four weeks, any and all mention of Casey was stripped from the show and it was renamed to, the amazingly generic, Top 40 Countdown (those Westwood One folks were so creative). For some reason, Westwood One wasn't interested in reviving AT40 so Casey took his creation to the burgeoning AM/FM Radio Network (AM/FM was, later, absorbed by Premiere, which has been Casey's home ever since).
On March 28th, I was pleased to hear Casey, finally, return to the airwaves after a month off. Of course, when the name of the show was announced, I, literally, did a double-take at the radio. The return of the American Top 40 name, certainly, came as a surprise to me. Structurewise, the show was pretty much a continuation of Casey's Top 40. There were some subtle changes; the "Long Distance Dedication" returned in place of CT40's "Request and Dedication" (I'm guessing the LDD was part of the AT40 rights package). Here is AT40's "comeback" chart from a decade ago this week:
AMERICAN TOP 40 - MARCH 28, 1998
LW TW Artist - Title
39 40 James Horner - Southampton
40 39 Tonic - Open Up Your Eyes
35 38 Aerosmith - Pink
-- 37 Shania Twain - You're Still The One
32 36 Lisa Loeb - I Do
38 35 Inoj - Love You Down
-- 34 Backstreet Boys - Everybody (Backstreet's Back)
21 33 Spice Girls - Too Much
34 32 Dakota Moon - A Promise I Make
27 31 Green Day - Time Of Your Life (Good Riddance)
36 30 Usher - Nice And Slow
31 29 Paula Cole - Me
30 28 Uncle Sam - I Don't Ever Want To See You Again
33 27 Edwin McCain - I'll Be
28 26 Chumbawamba - Tubthumping
29 25 Chumbawamba - Amnesia
26 24 The Tuesdays - It's Up To You
23 23 The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony
20 22 Eric Clapton - My Father's Eyes
24 21 Marcy Playground - Sex And Candy
15 20 Jimmy Ray - Are You Jimmy Ray?
22 19 Robyn - Do You Really Want Me (Show Respect)
16 18 Robyn - Show Me Love
19 17 Aqua - Turn Back Time
18 16 Ben Folds Five - Brick
13 15 Usher - You Make Me Wanna...
14 14 Loreena McKennitt - The Mummers' Dance
17 13 Will Smith - Gettin' Jiggy Wit It
12 12 Smash Mouth - Walkin' On The Sun
11 11 Third Eye Blind - How's It Going To Be
10 10 'N Sync - I Want You Back
09 09 Natalie Imbruglia - Torn
08 08 K-Ci and JoJo - All My Life
05 07 Janet - Together Again
04 06 Backstreet Boys - As Long As You Love Me
06 05 Billie Myers - Kiss The Rain
07 04 Madonna - Frozen
03 03 Matchbox 20 - 3 A.M.
02 02 Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply
01 01 Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On ** 7 weeks @ no. 1 **
LONG DISTANCE DEDICATIONS:
Donna Lewis - I Love You Always Forever
Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch
R. Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly
NUMBER ONES ON THE OTHER CHARTS:
Alternative Rock: Marcy Playground - Sex And Candy
R&B: Destiny's Child - No, No, No
Adult Contemporary: Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On
DROPPERS:
All Saints - I Know Where It's At (from 37)
Sugar Ray - Fly (from 25, recurrent)
