When I asked readers for their top five favorites among our Lost Factor leaders, some stuck mostly with songs from their favorite era; a few had a spread from the early ‘70s through the early ‘90s (the full range of years in consideration). Generally, there was not much that ‘70s and ‘90s kids agreed on, except the KLF. Maybe a band that began as the Timelords, sampling the Dr. Who theme in “Doctorin’ the Tardis,” had a special edge in warping the time/space continuum.
“Justified and Ancient” is, in many ways, the right record to share the top of your Lost Factor voting. It was a critically respected record and a goofy novelty. It was one of a relatively few Alternative hits that made it to Top 40 during a great time for new-wave dance pop, especially from the UK. Peaking just short of power rotation at No. 11, KLF never went to recurrent or gold for most Top 40 stations. Besides, as those stations fled the CHR format in 1992, there were relatively few songs that endured anyway.
Ross On Radio readers were asked to choose songs that made the Lost Factor Top 100 of the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990-94. The resulting top 10 features a good spread of the eras, including the three songs that tied for No. 1, also including “Starting All Over Again” and “How Do I Make You.” (Both of those songs made my list as well.) Many individual lists were a mix of the respected and ridiculed, but in the aggregate, it’s a strong group of quality songs that are not “better off lost.” Besides the KLF, only “Timothy” ticks the “goofy ‘70s” box, but its combination of daring and genuine power-pop greatness makes it more than an oddity.
Here’s the overall reader top 10, followed by individual lists. (There are a few cases where listeners voted for overall Lost Factor favorites and not the 260 songs in consideration. Choosing from the lists when we’ve run so many was an involved assignment, and I wanted to include everybody who voted.) You can hear or see them on this YouTube playlist. Thanks to all who participated. And thanks for your support of Lost Factor.
Overall Reader Top 10
1T – KLF f/Tammy Wynette, “Justified and Ancient”
1T – Linda Ronstadt, “How Do I Make You”
1T — Mel & Tim, “Starting All Over Again”
4T – Bangles, “In Your Room”
4T – Beginning of the End, “Funky Nassau”
6T – Buoys, “Timothy”’
6T – Gary “U.S.” Bonds, “This Little Girl”
6T – Paul McCartney, “Take It Away”
6T – Quarterflash, “Take Me to Heart”
6T – Ray, Goodman & Brown, “Special Lady”
Steve Allan, Research Director, Inc.
1 – Melanie, “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)”
2 – Clarence Carter, “Patches”
3 – Buoys, “Timothy”
4 – Gary “U.S.” Bonds, “This Little Girl”—“If Bruce Springsteen had done this himself, we’d still be hearing it”
5 – Boz Scaggs, “Jojo”==”One of his best songs”
Brett Allen
1 – Paul McCartney, “Take It Away”
2 – Dirt Band, “An American Dream”
3 – Charlie Dore, “Pilot of the Airwaves”
4 – Hot Butter, “Popcorn”
5 – Linda Ronstadt, “How Do I Make You”
Rich Appel, Host of That Thing With Rich Appel
1 – Gary “U.S.” Bonds, “This Little Girl”
2 – Gilbert O’Sullivan, “Get Down”
3 – Mariah Carey, “Anytime You Need a Friend”
4 – Lobo, “Don’t Expect Me to Be Your Friend”
5 – Charlie Dore, “Pilot of the Airwaves”
Ken Barnes, Ross On Radio Editor
1 – Bangles, “In Your Room”—“Easy winner, still think it’s a great record”
2 – Linda Ronstadt, “How Do I Make You”
3 – Madonna, “Who’s That Girl”—“Can’t shake decades of fandom”
4 – Cover Girls, “Wishing on a Star”
5 – Buoys, “Timothy”—“Not for general consumption, but it deserves a place for sheer audacity”
Jim Bartlett, Magic 98, Madison Wis.
1 – Ronnie Dyson, “(If You Let Me Make Love to You) Why Can’t I Touch You”
2 – Mel & Tim, “Starting All Over Again”—“I’ll bet this one ends up No. 1 on your list”
3 – Little River Band, “Man on Your Mind”
4 – Daryl Hall & John Oates, “Did It in a Minute”—“I’d rather hear this than ‘Private Eyes’ again”
5 – Osmonds, “Down by the Lazy River”
David Carroll, WRCB-TV Chattanooga
1 – Lobo, “Don’t Expect Me to Be Your Friend”
2 – Robin McNamara, “Lay a Little Lovin’ on Me”
3 – Clarence Carter, “Patches”
4 – Billy Joel, “An Innocent Man”
5 – Rick Astley, “Cry for Help”
William Eby
1 – Charlie Dore, “Pilot of the Airwaves”
2 – George Michael, “Monkey”
3 – C+C Music Factory, “Here We Go (Let’s Rock and Roll)
4 – Rick Astley, “Cry for Help”
5 – KLF f/Tammy Wynette, “Justified and Ancient”
Dylan Estep
1 – Madonna, “Justify My Love”
2 – George Michael, “Praying for Time”
3 – PM Dawn, “Looking Through Patient Eyes”
4 – Prince, “Batdance”
5 – Hot Butter, “Popcorn”
Julie Marie-Frank Feighery
1 – Shakespears Sister, “Stay”
2 – Bangles, “In Your Room”
3 – Breathe, “How Can I Fall?”
4 – Erasure, “Always”
5 – Murray Head, “Superstar”
Ron Gerber, Crap From The Past
1 – Shalamar, “Dead Giveaway”
2 – Buoys, “Timothy”
3 – Donna Summer, “Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)”
4 – Olivia Newton-John, “Make a Move on Me”
5 – Paul McCartney, “Take It Away”
Steve Greenberg, S-Curve Records
1 – KLF f/Tammy Wynette, “Justified and Ancient”
2 — Melanie, “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)”
3 – Beginning of the End, “Funky Nassau”
4 – Ray, Goodman & Brown, “Special Lady”
5 – Clarence Carter, “Patches”
Bob Harlow
1 – Robin McNamara, “Lay a Little Lovin’ on Me”
2 – Mel & Tim, “Starting All Over Again”
3 – Ray, Goodman & Brown, “Special Lady”
4 – Mac & Katie Kissoon, “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep”
5 – Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, “Love Land”
Wyatt Herman, Big Radio, Freeport, Ill./Monroe, Wis.
1 – Paul McCartney, “Take It Away”
2 – Kenny Rogers & the First Edition, “Something’s Burning”
3 – Meat Loaf, “Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through”
4 – Milli Vanilli, “Baby Don’t Forget My Number”
5 – Ray Parker Jr., “The Other Woman”
Wesley Hyatt
1 – Elvis Presley, “Way Down”
2 – Ray, Goodman & Brown, “Special Lady”
3 – Dean Friedman, “Ariel”
4 – Ronnie Dyson, “(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can’t I Touch You?”
5 – Mel & Tim, “Starting All Over Again”
Chris Kelly, Fifth House Public Relations
1 – Bill Conti, “Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky)”
2 – Helen Reddy, “Peaceful”
3 – Isaac Hayes, “Don’t Let Go”
4 – Madonna, “Deeper and Deeper”
5 – Mel & Tim, “Starting All Over Again”
Dan Kois
1 – Madonna, “Who’s That Girl”
2 – Bangles, “In Your Room”
3 – PM Dawn, “Looking Through Patient Eyes”
4 – Amy Grant, “Every Heartbeat”
5 – Randy Newman, “Short People”
Mara Kuge, Superior Music Publishing
1 – Alice Cooper, “I Never Cry”
2 – Janet Jackson, “If”
3 – Hot Butter, “Popcorn”
4 – Gilbert O’Sullivan, “Get Down”
5 – Jan Hammer, “Miami Vice Theme”
Tom Lane, Tom Lane’s Blog
1 – Joe Tex, “I Gotcha”
2 – Mel & Tim, “Starting All Over Again”
3 – Daryl Hall & John Oates, “Wait for Me”
4 – Ray, Goodman & Brown, “Special Lady”
5 – KLF f/Tammy Wynette, “Justified and Ancient”
Wally Leisering
1 – Beginning of the End, “Funky Nassau”
2 – Dirt Band, “An American Dream”
3 – Pointer Sisters, “Neutron Dance”
4 – Suzanne Vega, “Luka”
5 – Boyz II Men, “In the Still of the Night”
Scott Lowe, WNYL (Alt 92.3) New York
1 – Isaac Hayes, “Don’t Let Go”—“completely transformed into something all his own”
2 – Regina, “Baby Love”—”considering its lost factor, maybe Madonna was right to pass, but I consider it among pop radio’s highlights of that year.”
3 – Jesus Jones, “Real Real Real”
4 – Vangelis, “Chariots of Fire-Titles”
5 – Bo Donaldson & Heywoods, “Billy Don’t Be a Hero”—“from the year when I was starting to be aware of the current hits on the radio … it remains a sentimental favorite”
Mark Lyles
1 – Europe, “Carrie”
2 – George Michael, “Monkey”
3 – Olivia Newton-John, “Twist of Fate”
4 – Gary “U.S.” Bonds, “This Little Girl”
5 – Christopher Cross, “Think of Laura”
Joe McCombs
1 – Beginning of the End, “Funky Nassau”
2 – Murray Head, “Superstar”
3 – Ray Parker Jr., “The Other Woman”
4 – Donna Summer, “Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)”
5 – KLF f/Tammy Wynette, “Justified and Ancient”
Chris Molanphy, Slate
1 – Olivia Newton-John, “Make a Move on Me”
2 – Janet Jackson, “If”
3 – KLF f/Tammy Wynette, Justified and Ancient”
4 – Jackson 5, “Mama’s Pearl”
5 – Daryl Hall & John Oates, “Family Man”
Patrick Mondro
1 – Alice Cooper, “You and Me”
2 – Hurricane Smith, “Oh Babe (What Would You Say)”
3 – Shalamar, “Dead Giveaway”
4 – Cliff Richard, “A Little in Love”
5 – Quarterflash, “Take Me to Heart”
Kent Parks
1 – Sheena Easton, “You Could Have Been With Me”
2 – Helen Reddy, “Delta Dawn”
3 – Cher, “Dark Lady”
4 – Madonna, “Deeper and Deeper”
5 – Captain & Tennille, “Lonely Night (Angel Face)”
Tony Pizza
1 – Murray Head, “Superstar”
2– Stevie Wonder, “Boogie On Reggae Woman”
3 – Helen Reddy, “Angie Baby”
4 – Alice Cooper, “I Never Cry”
5 – Dean Friedman, “Ariel”
Will Pritchard
1 – Shaun Cassidy, “Hey Deanie”
2 – Ray Parker Jr., “The Other Woman”
3 – O’Jays, “Put Your Hands Together”
4 – Dean Friedman, “Ariel”
5 – Daryl Hall & John Oates, “Did It in a Minute”
Dan Reed, OM/MD WXPN Philadelphia
1 – Dennis Coffey, “Scorpio”
2 – Daryl Hall & John Oates, “Wait for Me”
3 – Linda Ronstadt, “How Do I Make You”
4 – 8th Day, “She’s Not Just Another Woman”
5 – Hurricane Smith, “Oh Babe, What Would You Say”
Bobby Rich, KDRI (The Drive) Tucson, Ariz.
1 – Keith Carradine, “I’m Easy”
2 – Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, “Love Land”
3 – Bells, “Stay Awhile”
4 – David Dundas, “Jeans On”
5 – Dennis Coffey, “Scorpio”
Todd Riley
1 – Huey Lewis & News, “Perfect World”
2 – Linda Ronstadt, “How Do I Make You”
3 – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, “Hooked on Classics”
4 – Quarterflash, “Take Me to Heart”
5 – Bay City Rollers, “You Made Me Believe in Magic”
Les Rinehart, Make Great Music Known
1 – Shaun Cassidy, “Hey Deanie”
2 – Bay City Rollers, “You Made Me Believe in Magic”
3 – Silver, “Wham Bam Shang-a-Lang”
4 – John Travolta, “Let Her In”
5 – Roger Voudouris, “Get Used to It”
Joel Rubinoff, the Waterloo Region [Ont.] Record
1 – Melanie, “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)”
2 – Osmonds, “Down by the Lazy River”
3 – Mel & Tim, “Starting All Over Again”
4 – Linda Ronstadt, “How Do I Make You”
5 – Meat Loaf, “Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through”
Dave Sholin, BoomerMusicUpdate.com/KSJJ Bend, Ore.
1 – Beginning of the End, “Funky Nassau”
2 – Gary “U.S.” Bonds, “This Little Girl”
3 – Chakachas, “Jungle Fever”
4 – Donny Osmond, “Soldier of Love”
5 – Chuck Berry, “My Ding-a-Ling”
1 – KLF f/Tammy Wynette, “Justified and Ancient”
2 – Beginning of the End, “Funky Nassau”
3 – Ronnie Dyson, “(If You Let Me Make Love to You) Why Can’t I Touch You?”
4 – Robin McNamara, “Lay a Little Lovin’ on Me”
5 – Eighth Day, “She’s Not Just Another Woman”
Paul Tuch, MRC Data
1 – Quarterflash, “Take Me to Heart”
2 – Boz Scaggs, “Jojo”
3 – Little River Band, “Take It Easy on Me”
4 – Donna Summer, “Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)”
5 – Cyndi Lauper, “Change of Heart”
Warren Vendorwater
1 – Supremes, “Up the Ladder to the Roof”
2 – Carpenters, “Top of the World”
3 – Billy Preston, “Outa Space”
4 – Marmalade, “Reflections of My Life”
5 – Osmonds, “Down by the Lazy River”
Pete Walker, KX96 Oshawa/Toronto
1 – Melanie, “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)”
2 – Sweet, “Love Is Like Oxygen”
3 – Ringo Starr, “No No Song”
4 – Linda Ronstadt, “How Do I Make You”
5 – Bangles, “In Your Room”
Guy Zapoleon, veteran programmer/consultant
1 – Buoys, “Timothy”
2 – Bangles, “In Your Room”
3 – Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, “Love Land”
4 – Gilbert O’Sullivan, “Get Down”
5– Isaac Hayes, “Don’t Let Go”
Rob Zerwekh, KC Radio
1 – Quarterflash, “Take Me to Heart”
2 – Billy Idol, “To Be a Lover”
3 – Genesis, “No Son of Mine”
4 – George Michael, “Too Funky”
5 – Tara Kemp, “Piece of My Heart”