Hotter Than July of ’82

In July of 1982 I was busy hauling hay, playing softball, socializing with my friends, spinning records for wing dings, and getting ready for Trans American School of Broadcasting. Nineteen Hundred Eighty-Two was one of the last great years for Top 40 music (if you ask me). I don’t mean to say that there hasn’t been awesome music since. It just seems to me that good songs are fewer and far between. That year there were so many new artists, long time hit makers were still relevant, country artists were having cross over fame, and MTV was making little known British artists big stars. Some of my favorites in July of ’82 as I traveled in my cutoff blue jean shorts and long tube socks were Dancing in the Street-Van Halen, Crimson and Clover-Joan Jett, Heat of the Moment-Asia, Caught Up in You-.38 Special, Don’t You Want Me-Human League, Let It Whip-Dazz Band, Only the Lonely-Motels, Wasted On the Way-Crosby, Stills and Nash, I Found Somebody-Glenn Frey, and Love Will Turn You Around-Kenny Rogers. These were songs that played as I racked up the pool balls, steamed up the windows in my Ford Maverick, or milked our 30-cow herd and slopped our 10 sows. This weekend during Those Were the Days, I will use what I learned at broadcast school to bring you the soundtrack of that summer.

I hope you enjoy the tunes Saturday night. Thank you for all of the positive comments. Next year Those Were the Days on WRCO will turn 40 years old! It seems more like it’s only been 10 at the most. This weekend I will be attempting to get more ‘hip’. We will have more on that in later posts. Take care everyone. I can’t wait for you to hear the show Saturday night between six and midnight.

Phil