On Leonard Cohen's birthday, please enjoy this undated photo of the man himself buying cheetos at a 7-Eleven

Top Boxoffice, Stadiums & Festivals and Arenas, Billboard, August 16, 1980 Philly band The Cats are all over this chart opening for Van Halen. The drummer's son has been posting soundboard recordings from the tour, including this one from Omaha, 8/23/80: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZCq...

Saxon - Wheels of Steel Cash Box Single to Watch on August 16, 1980 UK #20 6/10🎧 Lotta love among NWOBHM heads for this one, and the Brits bought a ton. I'd call it rousing if that praise isn't too faint

Millie Jackson - This Is It (Part 1) Cash Box Single to Watch on August 16, 1980 Billboard R&B #88 7/10🎧 I might prefer this to the original Loggins/McDonald recording

Heart - How Can I Refuse (#1 in September 1983) This perfectly serviceable tune became Heart's only Rock #1 and was then more or less forgotten, last appearing on a setlist in 1990. Charts baby!

The Police - King of Pain (#1 in August 1983) Today I learned that Alanis Morrissette covered this on her 1999 Unplugged LP but will not be taking the bait

Charlie's 80s Attic appreciation thread! Today from 10am-10pm ET he's playing every 80s Billboard Rock #1 chronologically and I am going to periodically live skeet it #charlies80sattic

Joust is an all time classic arcade game but its best aspect is it has one button and that button is FLAP

Shari Ulrich - Oh Daddy Cash Box Single to Watch on August 16. 1980 Did Not Chart 7/10🎧 Bump up a point if you're into confessional singer-songwriters of the 70s. Canadian-American who charted on RPM with the Hometown Band and put out three solo discs on A&M

Brass Construction - I'm Not Gonna Stop Cash Box Single to Watch on August 16, 1980 Did Not Chart 6/10🎧 Dance-funk mainstays take it down several notches

Al Jarreau - Gimme What You Got Cash Box Single to Watch on August 16, 1980 Billboard R&B #63 6/10🎧

What people think they 80s were like versus what the 80s was actually like.

John Hiatt - I Spy (For the F.B.I.) Cash Box Single to Watch and Record World Pop Single Pick on August 16, 1980 Did Not Chart 6/10🎧 Semi-sly blues in a pop package doesn't wear out its 2:39 welcome

Stanley Clarke - You/Me Together Cash Box Single Feature Pick on August 16, 1980 Did Not Chart 5/10🎧 Tasteful for sure but a bit of a snooze, missing even the R&B charts

Rodney Crowell - Ain't No Money Cash Box Singles Feature Pick on August 16, 1980 / Record World Single Pick on August 23, 1980 Did Not Chart 8/10🎧 Low-key killer tune. Rosanne Cash took it to #4 Country in 1982

Jim Rushing - Dixie Dirt Billboard First Time Around Pick on August 16, 1980 Billboard Country #81 6/10🎧 More successful as a songwriter, he put out two singles in 1980. Follow-up I've Loved Enough to Know hit #56

La Toya Jackson - Night Time Lover Billboard First Time Around Pick on August 16, 1980 / Record World Front Page Sleeper on August 23, 1980 Did not chart 6/10🎧 Originally written by Michael and La Toya for Donna Summer

A sax player with a backing track busking in my neighborhood is doing a very faithful version of Chicago’s 1988 #1 “Look Away” The guy who replaced Peter Cetera is being stone cold channeled

Flash and The Pan - Welcome to the Universe Billboard Recommended Pop Single Pick and Record World Pop Single Pick on August 16, 1980 Did Not Chart 6/10🎧 A joyous goof from Australia that comes off like a discarded ELO demo

Barry Mann - Brown-Eyed Woman Billboard Recommended Single Pick on August 16, 1980 / Cash Box Feature Pick and Record World Pop Single Pick on August 23, 1980 Did Not Chart 6/10🎧 Bill Medley took this to #43 in 1968, both versions carry some sweet female chorus vocals

Dakota - Crazy For Your Love Billboard Recommended Single Pick on August 16, 1980 Record World #138 4/10🎧 Better than average vocals can't save this from mid-tempo soft-AOR purgatory

Showing an obi-stripped copy of Dangerous Toys’ Hellacious Acres while playing Winger is, on one hand, a mismatch But it *feels* true

Sometimes I think about how Fine Young Cannibals and Neutral Milk Hotel had pretty similar career arcs in their respective genres

Matthew Fisher - Why'd I Have To Fall In Love With You Billboard Recommended Pop Single Pick and Record World Pop Single Pick on August 16, 1980 / Cash Box Feature Pick on August 23, 1980 Did Not Chart 5/10🎧 Whiter Shade of Pale organist has regrets, delivered over some bluesy soft-rock

Secret Affair - My World Billboard Recommended Single Pick, Cash Box Single to Watch, and Record World Pop Single Pick on August 16, 1980 UK #16 6/10🎧 Despite the sultry name this is in fact OK mod power pop from the UK. Came for Isaac Hayes and got the 1980 version of the Gigolo Aunts. Not mad

Judie Tzuke - The Choices You've Made Billboard Recommended Pop Single Pick and Cash Box Feature Pick on August 16, 1980 / Record World Pop Single Pick on August 23, 1980 Did Not Chart 6/10🎧 Tzuke's busier, more produced singles never hit like Stay with Me till Dawn, but they have their charms

"Feed The Flame" by Canadian singer Lorraine Johnson was a #11 Billboard Disco Chart favourite from 1979. Fun fact: Lorraine is the mother of Jane Child ("Don't Wanna Fall In Love" - which also reached #11 on the dance chart in 1990!). youtu.be/3ycE3h4ydfg?...

[Aretha Franklin cover band of copy editors] 🎶who’s zoomin’ WHOM

Chuck Francour - Under the Boulevard Lights Billboard Recommended Pop Single Pick and Cash Box Feature Pick on August 16, 1980 DId Not Chart 7/10🎧 Title track from the former Kracker vocalist's only solo LP is a nice slice of Seeger-esque AOR

Chris Rea - Since I Don't See You Anymore Billboard Recommended Pop Single Pick and Record World Pop Single Pick on August 16, 1980 Did Not Chart 8/10🎧 This one cooks. Chris Rea sounds like the craggiest fisherman alive

Eddy Grant's 1979 LP Walking on Sunshine has at long last made it to streaming this week, including this cut and its extended riff Frontline Symphony (h/t @mikeduquette.bsky.social at the Second Disc) open.spotify.com/album/2Lztm0...

Close-Up from ‘81 #thosefrenchgirls #MusicSky #VinylSky

Maxine Nightingale - Take Your Heart Billboard Recommended Pop Single Pick and Cash Box Single to Watch on August 16, 1980 Did Not Chart 5/10🎧

The Pretenders - Kid Billboard Recommended Single Pick and Cash Box Hit Out of the Box on August 16, 1980 / Record World Single Pick on August 23, 1980 UK #33 / Australia #90 8/10🎧

Eric Carmen - All For Love Billboard Recommended Pop Single Pick on August 16, 1980 / Record World Pop Single Pick on August 23, 1980 Did Not Chart 4/10🎧 Forgettable low-power ballad from an album with an all-time awful album cover

West Village 1971

Rocky Burnette - Baby Tonight Billboard Single Pick, Cash Box Feature Pick and Record World Front Page SIngle Pick on August 16, 1980 Did Not Chart 6/10🎧 Follow-up single to Tired of Toein' the Line is a rave-up that shoulda cracked the Hot 100

The Blues Brothers - Jailhouse Rock Billboard Single Pick, Cash Box Hit Out of the Box, and Record World Front Page Single Pick on August 16, 1980 Record World #117 5/10🎧 Top billing across the three trades but only a bubbling-way-under in Record World, with radio collectively yawning

Every week, Billboard’s panel spun the latest slabs of promotional vinyl and predicted what would chart, and how high. Let's see how their August 16, 1980 picks fared, and shine a spotlight on the ones that never charted This week, Billboard bats an astonishing .095 with two hits (Queen & Chicago)

Lovers in Hard Times 2 Lovers 2 Hard Lovers 3: The Hardening Hard Four Lover5 New Lovers, Same Hardness Se7en Times Hard 8 Crazy Hard Loves Hardness Scale 9 (For Lovers) X Hardens the Love

Holly Penfield - Only His Name Billboard debut at #110 on August 16, 1980 Peaked at #105 Record World #101 7/10🎧 Throwback wall of sound and vocals that hit both brassy and vulnerable. Lost gem!

Rob Hegel - Tommy, Judy & Me Billboard debut and peak at #109 on August 16, 1980 Record World #131 7/10🎧 A minor regional hit on the east coast, though network censors wouldn't allow it to be played on Bandstand. Hegel went on to write Air Supply's Just As I Am

Joyce Cobb - How Glad I Am Billboard debut at #108 on August 16, 1980 Peaked at #107 / R&B #90 Record World #101 7/10🎧

Earl Klugh - Doc Billboard debut and peak at #105 on August 16, 1980 5/10🎧 Rating this as a pop single, it's remarkable it bubbled under. It was a different time, a smooth, smooth time

Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers Billboard debut at #90 on August 16, 1980 Peaked at #48 Cash Box #60 / Record World #56 UK #4 / Australia #44 / Canada #7 8/10🎧 Angry young Peter inside a busy thicket of drums and synths is enough, Kate Bush is almost too much (she bumps this up a point)

Irene Cara - Out Here On My Own Billboard debut at #89 on August 16, 1980 Peaked at #19 / AC #20 Cash Box #25 / Record World #32 UK #58 / Australia #41 8/10🎧

📣 New Podcast! "We Are Scientists' Keith Murray on The Nostalgia of The Lost Boys Soundtrack (1987) and His New Album" on @Spreaker #coreyfeldman #coreyhaim #joelschumacher #soundtrackyourlife #thelostboys #wearescientists

Larsen-Feiten Band - Who'll Be The Fool Tonight Billboard debut at #88 on August 16, 1980 Peaked at #29 / AC #22 Cash Box #25 / Record World #22 Australia #91 6/10🎧 Yacht rock compilations and setlists need these deep cuts to pad things out

The Brothers Johnson - Treasure Billboard debut at #87 on August 16, 1980 Peaked at #73 / R&B #36 Cash Box #103 / Record World #104 4/10🎧 After Stomp!, this is more of a snooze

Mickey Gilley - True Love Ways Billboard debut at #86 on August 16, 1980 Peaked at #66 / Country #1 / AC #40 Cash Box #88 / Record World #86 7/10🎧 Sweet Buddy Holly cover was the first of an incredible six consecutive Country #1 singles