Did you grow up listening to American Top Forty with Casey Kassem? I did. It came on Sunday nights on WSGN, 610 AM here in Birmingham. It was my little window on the national music scene. “Three hours with American Top Forty and you know where your songs are on the national music scene.†That was what one of the promotional spots said. Add in the fascinating tidbits about the various artists and songs, and it made for an interesting three hours.
Today you can hear those original uncut AT40s without any commercials on XM satellite radio. They come on the 70s and 80s channels on Wednesday and Thursday night and again on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
It was fun to go back in time yesterday morning and be transported to November 27, 1971, to the sounds of songs like “I Found Someone Of My Own” by Free Association, “You Are Everything” by the Stylistics, “I’d Love to Change the World” by Ten Years After and “Absolutely Right” by Five Man Electrical Band. Then there was “Never My Love” by the Fifth Dimension. And I thought that only John Cougar Mellencamp had done the song “Wild Night.†Turns out Van Morrison was climbing the charts in 1971 with that song. The haunting theme from the movie Summer of 42 was in the top forty that week.
How about “One Tin Soldier” from the movie the Legend of Billy Jack? The Canadian band Coven recorded the anti-war song for the soundtrack. Chicago’s song “Questions” brought back some memories.
Wow. Lots of fun. And I didn’t really realize how important popular music was, to even a nine year old growing up in Crestline and attending forth grade at McElwain Elementary.
