Challengers, convention signing, 1983 Best Popular Song Poll Results and 1984 Best Popular Song Launching on Monday Morning Diary (April 29)

by Sam Juliano

Some events are around the corner. I will be chaperoning our annual 8th grade Washington D.C. trip from Wednesday, May 8th, through Friday, May 10th. The Eighth Annual Allan Fish Online Film Festival will be staged sometime in mid-to-late May. I will soon send out the group email to the previous participants.

My wife Lucille and sons Sammy IV and Danny traveled to Parsippany, N.J. on Saturday for a movie star convention. They met William Shatner and other luminaries, but they spoke to Cybil Shepherd and secured an autograph. Lucille told the 74-year-old actress, “THE LAST PICTURE SHOW is my husband’s favorite American film of the past 60 years.” Thank you, Lu!!

The film Challengers combined torrid sex and tennis, but director Luca Guadagnino immersive technique, super performances and a stupendous score by Reznoror and Ross make this one of the best films of 2024 so far!  5/5, Ridgefield Park AMC, Saturday evening.

Thank you again, Tony D’Ambra, for your work in posting the results of our music polls on Spotify. I’m hoping readers will avail themselves of this opportunity.

   “Every Breath You Take” Named Best Song of 1983!

The Police’s monumental hit ‘Every Breath You Take‘—from their Synchronicity album—was not just a chart-topper on Billboard and numerous radio stations, but it also emerged as the undisputed champion of our own poll. Outshining R.E.M.’s ‘Radio Free Europe’ with a significant margin of 305-209, this song truly dominated the year. Voting Tabulator Angelo A. D’Arminio Jr. confirmed that a total of 34 ballots were cast.

1. Every Breath You Take – Police 305

2. Radio Free Europe – R.E.M. 209

3. Modern Love – David Bowie 164

4. Burning Down the House – Talking Heads 160

5. Sweet Dreams – Eurythmics 158

6. Let’s Dance, David Bowie 147

7. Billy Jean – Michael Jackson 144

8. Sunday Bloody Sunday – U2 138

9. King of Pain – The Police 126

10. All Night Long – Lionel Richie 124

11. Every Day I Write the Book – Elvis Costello 120

12. This Must Be The Place – Talking Heads 110

13. Total Eclipse of the Heart, Bonnie Tyler 106

14. Little Red Corvette – Prince 101

15. Thriller – Michael Jackson 99

16. Wrapped Around Your Finger (The Police) 97

17. Come Dancing – The Kinks 93

18. Maneater – Hall & Oates 91

19. True – Spandau Ballet 84

20. New Year’s Day – U2 83

21. Blue Monday – New Order 81

22. In a Big Country – Big Country 77

23. Rebel Yell – Billy Idol 71

24. Electric Avenue – Eddy Grant 69

25. Girls Just Want to Have Fun-Cyndi Lauper 69

26. Here Comes the Rain Again (Eurythmics) 69

27. Come On Eileen (Dexys Midnight Runners) 62

28. I’m Still Standing——Elton John. 62

29. Steppin’ Out – Joe Jackson 62

30. This Charming Man” – The Smiths 62

31. I Love L.A.- Randy Newman 61

32. Rockit” – Herbie Hancock 60

33. Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper 59

34. Rock the Casbah” – The Clash 55

35. She Works Hard for the Money (Donna Summer) 53

36. Undercover Of The Night – The Rolling Stones 51

37. Back On The Chain Gang – Pretenders 50

38. Buffalo Soldier – Bob Marley and the Wailers 50

39. Islands in the Stream, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton 50

40. Stand Back (Stevie Nicks) 50

41. Karma Chameleon-Culture Club 49

42. Flashdance – Irene Cara 48

43. Sweetheart Like You – Bob Dylan 46

44. Beat It – Michael Jackson 45

45. Blister in the Sun – Violent Femmes 45

46. Pride And Joy – Stevie Ray Vaughan 45

47. Stray Cat Strut” – The Stray Cats 44

48. Twilight Zone (Golden Earring) 44

49. Africa (Toto) 43

50. You Got Lucky – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 42

34 ballots cast.

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“Housekeeping For Beginners,” “Sasquatch Sunset” and Mikey’s Absolution on Monday Morning Diary (April 22)

by Sam Juliano

As we approach the end of April, we will focus on the annual Allan Fish Online Film Festival, which is entering its eighth year.  In early May, I will send out a group e-mail to those who have previously participated, and later, I will put together a schedule.

I have reached 55,000 words in writing my third novel, Mikey’s Absolution, and have outlined the basic plot for the fourth novel, Roses for Saoirse.  I am pleased with how everything is progressing.

I will once again be serving as a chaperone for the annual Washington D.C. 8th grade school trip, to be staged on May 8th through the 10th.

Voting on the 1983 Best Song Poll continues through Saturday, April 27th.  I’m urging readers to check out the song list Tony D’Ambra has faithfully posted after every result!

The ratings for this past week’s two films seen in theaters are as follows:

Housekeeping For Beginners      ****

Sasquatch Sunset                           ***

 

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“Civil War,” 1982 Song Poll Results and 1983 Song Poll Launching on Monday Morning Diary (April 15)

by Sam Juliano

   Alex Garland’s “Civil War”

I was asked by several friends not to reveal SPOILERS, so this will restrict what I can report on my screening of CIVIL WAR. Visceral and terrifying, the film is a dystopian exploration of the societal breakdown of order and how witnesses of some jolting acts of gun violence stay the course in chronicling the horrors with their cameras. Kirsten Dunst is brilliant in conveying the densification in an episodic journey greater than the sum of its parts. It is often sloppy and overly bombastic but undeniably powerful. The last twenty minutes of the film are extraordinary. 4/5

“Come On Eileen” Named Best Popular Song of 1982!

The biggest surprise of all our song polling was confirmed when Voting Tabulator Angelo A. D’Arminio Jr. sent the results of the 1982 song polling this morning. The coronation of the British group Dexys Midnight Runners and the Emerald Express’s “Come On Eileen” was eye-opening because the song didn’t open in the US until January 1983. However, it debuted in the UK in the summer of 1982, and our voters went with that time frame. The vote was exceedingly close, with several songs bunched near the top! “Come On, Eileen” won with 190 votes, followed by “1999” by Prince (185),” “I Melt with You” by Modern English, (185) “Steppin Out” by Joe Jackson (184) and “More Than This” by Roxy Music (173) 43 ballots were cast!

1 Come On Eileen – Dexys Midnight Runners 190

2 1999 – Prince 185

3 I Melt with You – Modern English 185

4 Steppin’ Out – Joe Jackson 184

5 More Than This – Roxy Music 173

6 Sexual Healing – Marvin Gaye 163

7 Atlantic City – Bruce Springsteen 157

8 Abracadabra – Steve Miller Band 142

9 Don’t You Want Me – The Human League 140

10 Rock the Casbah – The Clash 137

11 I Love Rock ‘n Roll – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts 134

12 Town Called Malice – The Jam 126

13 Maneater – Hall & Oates 125

14 Eye of the Tiger – Survivor 124

15 Back on the Chain Gang – Pretenders 123

16 Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash 123

17 White Wedding (Billy Idol) 119

18 Here I am- Air Supply 118

19 Dirty Laundry – Don Henly 117

20 IGY – Donald Fagen 115

21 Gloria – Laura Braningan 108

22 Sweet Dreams – Eurythmics 108

23 Shoot Out the Lights – Richard & Linda Thompson 106

24 Shock the Monkey-Peter Gabriel 94

25 The Message – Grandmaster Flash 92

26 Eminence Front – The Who 87

27 Always On My Mind – Willie Nelson 84

28 Senses Working Overtime – XTC 76

29 Save It for Later (The English Beat) 75

30 Love My Way (Psychedelic Furs) 74

31 Avalon – Roxy Music 73

32 Shake It Up – The Cars 72

33 Somebody’s Baby-Jackson Browne 72

34 Don’t Stop Believing – Journey 71

35 Ebony and Ivory…McCartney / Wonder 68

36 Temptation – New Order 62

37 Private Eyes (Hall & Oates) 58

38 She Blinded Me With Science – Thomas Dolby 57

39 Hold Me – Fleetwood Mac 54

40 Cat People (Putting Out Fire), David Bowie 53

41 Who Can It Be Now…Men At Work 53

42 You Got Lucky (Tom Petty) 52

43 Gypsy (Fleetwood Mac) 51

44 Our House – Madness 50

45 Do I Do (Stevie Wonder) 47

46 Edge of Seventeen…Stevie Nicks 47

47 Hungry Like the Wolf” – Duran Duran 47

48 Only You – Yaz 45

49 Up Where We Belong—–Joe Cocker-Jennifer Warnes. 45

50 I Can’t Go For That (Hall & Oates) 42

43 ballots cast.

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“Mikey’s Absolution,” Best Song Polling, and “Godzilla vs. Kong” on Monday Morning Diary (April 7)

by Sam Juliano

As of this morning, I have approached 50,000 words in writing my third novel, Mikey’s Absolution. A bevy of new ideas have emerged, and I’m excited. I will not finish the novel in May, as I previously predicted, but I am thinking of July or August.  I unexpectedly ran into my artist, Andrew Castrucci, a few days ago at a wake, and he expressed excitement at being on board again.  I assured him that, God willing, I plan to write five novels in this series.  The title of the fourth will be Roses for Saoirse, and the fifth is yet to be determined.  If I can complete the book in August, I guess it will be published well before Christmas, even with the editing figured in.  I have been painstakingly tweaking and editing every sentence I write as I go along, so with this novel, the finished product will be in the best shape possible.  This is the reason why I am not further along.

I want to thank those who have cast ballots for the song polling. We will continue until voters claim they stopped following music in the popular vein. I can’t imagine us not reaching the year 2000. As I previously promised, we will go back and do 1957 to 1962, six years we skipped over when we launched the project with the songs of 1963. We should include those earliest years since the rock era began in 57.   We will also do a comprehensive “Best Albums” of every year poll when the song polling concludes, but we are far from that stage.

No, I did not see Godzilla vs. Kong.  I took a pass.  But since my wife Lucille and our three sons saw it this past Thursday evening at the Ridgefield Park theater, I figured I’d include it on the MMD at the time of the year when I see very few movies in theaters.  They rather liked it and rated it a “B.”

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1981 Song Poll Results and 1982 Best Song Launch on Tuesday Morning Diary (April 2)

 

by Sam Juliano

The Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up” Named Best Popular Song of 1981 by Razor-Thin Margin!

The Rolling Stones became the first group or person to win a third #1 placement when their 1981 “Start Me Up” placed first in our polling! Previously, the Stones won for “Satisfaction” and Paint It Black.” According to Voting Tabulator Angelo A. D’Arminio Jr., “Start Me Up” edged out Blondie’s “The Tide is High” and Kim Carnes’s “Bette Davis Eyes,” 252-248-240. Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me” and Hall & Oates’s “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” rounded out the Top 5. Only 36 points separated Number 1 and Number 5. An impressive total of 46 ballots were cast.

1 Start Me Up – Rolling Stones 252

2 The Tide Is High – Blondie 248

3 Bette Davis Eyes – Kim Carnes 240

4 Don’t You Want Me – The Human League 233

5 I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) – Hall and Oates 216

6 Under Pressure – Queen & David Bowie 187

7 In the Air Tonight…Phil Collins 186

8 Tainted Love – Soft Cell 177

9 Pretty in Pink – Psychedelic Furs 164

10 Our Lips Are Sealed – The Go Go’s 144

11 Down Under (Men at Work) 139

12 Arthurs Theme – Christopher Cross 135

13 Waiting On A Friend – Rolling Stones 125

14 Centerfold – J Geils Band 122

15 The Waiting – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 112

16 9 To 5 – Dolly Parton 101

17 Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic – The Police 97

18 Ghost Town – The Specials 96

19 Celebration-Kool & The Gang 93

20 Super Freak (Rick James) 92

21 Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around – Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks 91

22 Watching the Wheels – John Lennon 89

23 I Love Rock n’ Roll – Joan Jett 87

24 Jesse’s Girl – Rick Springfield 84

25 Spirits in the Material World – The Police 84

26 Destroyer – The Kinks 82

27 Kiss on My List – Hall and Oates 82

28 Rapture – Blondie 79

29 You Better You Bet-The Who 77

30 Hungry Heart – Bruce Springsteen 76

31 Shake It Up – The Cars 76

32 Hey Nineteen – Steely Dan 75

33 Hit Me With Your Best Shot-Pat Benatar 75

34 Talk of the Town – The Pretenders 75

35 Edge of Seventeen- Stevie Nicks 70

36 Chariots of Fire” – Vangelis 69

37 Tom Sawyer – Rush 68

38 Key Largo – Bertie Higgins 64

39 Walking on Thin Ice – Yoko Ono 64

40 Homosapien – Pete Shelley 60

41 Seven Year Ache – Rosanne Cash 60

42 All Those Years Ago – George Harrison 54

43 Genius of Love – Tom Tom Club 54

44 Endless Love Diana Ross and Lionel Richie 49

45 I Can’t Stand It – Eric Clapton 49

46 The Best of Times – Styx 48

47 Woman – John Lennon 46

48 Message of Love (Pretenders) 44

49 Angel Of The Morning – Juice Newton 43

50 Golden Brown – The Stranglers 43

51 Hang Fire (Rolling Stones) 43

46 ballots cast.

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