AT40 - the late 70's?

[SeattleRadioPro]

Years ago I had sent a proposal to help Whitburn get his stuff into CD-ROM form (before Internet); but his "handlers" (I think they were attorneys) made it seem like the project was going to be anything but fun.

The problem may not have been with Whitburn but with Billboard.

In the late '80s RCS (the Selector people) put out a product called Musicbase. Essentially, it was the first "online" Billboard chart system. Like all RCS products, it wasn't sold - it was leased.  RCS doesn't make Musicbase anymore but you can see what it looked like here: http://www.8bc.com/main/knihovny_en.htm

As for Whitburn - he now offers online chart services paid for on a per-search basis.

[Lonely Summer]

Great countdown this weekend. Was 1971 the beginning of female dominance on the charts? Top three songs were by the Honey Combs, Carpenters, and Carole King. I recall being told years ago not to play female artists back to back. Sounds kind of stupid now, doesn't it? One of the many unwritten rules of broadcasting from days of old. And why does it seem that so many of the best songs were on the radio in the summertime? Did it just seem that way because we were vacationing, and therefore (presumably) in a better mood? There's always been an undefinable magic to summer songs for me.

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Was more the beginning of singer/songwriter dominance.  C. King ... J Taylor (though this week's obviously NOT his comp) ... Croce ... Denver ... even Richard Carpenter.  All set the tone that it's even more impressive when the artist composed the tune (mid-90's would have been LOST without that concept...remember all the Lillith artists??)

[dlm1129]

Great countdown this weekend. Was 1971 the beginning of female dominance on the charts? Top three songs were by the Honey Combs, Carpenters, and Carole King. I recall being told years ago not to play female artists back to back. Sounds kind of stupid now, doesn't it? One of the many unwritten rules of broadcasting from days of old. And why does it seem that so many of the best songs were on the radio in the summertime? Did it just seem that way because we were vacationing, and therefore (presumably) in a better mood? There's always been an undefinable magic to summer songs for me.

And yet you call yourself Lonely Summer.  There must be a story there.     But I do agree with you -- these AT40s of the summer months are just a notch better.

Looking forward to hearing 1974 this weekend.  The #1 song of this particular week ruled Seattle radio back in the summer of '74 but you'd be hard pressed to hear it with any regularity at any point since.  Oldies radio never put it into any kind of rotation.  I can't wait!