Customer Reviews

AMERICAN TOP 40 WITH CASEY KASEM (THE 1970'S)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The book, while full of tidbits about each of the shows in terms of production, does -NOT- have the lists of the specific 40 biggest songs of any given week. That was a major disappointment.

I started listening to "American Top 40" in May of 1974-When I heard that Pete Battistini was coming out with a book chronicling the first 10 years of the show's existence,I knew I had to pick it up-This book is divided into three sections-Part 1 lists a brief recap of every "AT 40" program from July 1970 to December 1979-Part 2 lists every station,foreign or domestic,that carried the show at one time or another-Part 3 & my favorite part of the book,is Pete's recollection of hearing "AT 40" for the first time in 1971 & then trying to find a station in his hometown of Indiana that carried the show-It was also a treat to see reproductions of ads for "AT 40" that originally appeared in the pages of Billboard magazine-All in all,this is a book that every fan of "AT 40" should have in their collection.

If you listened to Top 40 radio during the 1970's, chances are you heard the syndicated program "American Top 40" (at one time or another). As an avid fan of the show and a close friend to those involved with it, author Pete Battistini does an excellent job giving minute facts about every single American Top 40 program from July, 1970 to December, 1979. Along with this are reprints of trade advertisements and company memos for the show at various points in time, as well as reflections from people who were either connected to the show, or felt a connection to it, including the author himself. It's a great source of information and trivia that really encapsulates what went into producing the first syndicated program of its kind.

Being a big American Top 40 fan while growing up in the 1970s, I was pleasantly surprised to hear about this book being available. I really enjoyed reading Pete Battistini's memories about his developing love for pop music during the 60s & 70s, for it triggered many happy (and sometimes, like Pete, frustrating) memories in seeking out AT40 and becoming more familiar with the pop artists & their songs, not to mention the fun trivia about their backgrounds. I even became a "chart-aholic" in following AT40 beginning in 1979, when I started keeping track of the top 40 hits for each week in notebook form. I have heard dozens of AT40 shows from the 70s, and I'm glad I was able to read the basic outlines of what was featured on each broadcast beginning with the first AT40 show from July 4th, 1970 (listing things like what artists & their stories aired on each 70s program, commercials, special segments, etc.) I also enjoyed reading brief reflections from AT40 founders such as host Casey Kasem, Tom Rounds, and Don Bustany, as well as looking at many old 70s AT40 ads, memos, and other collectibles interspersed throughout the book. Battistini did a fine job in putting all of this together. I recommend this to any 1970s AT40 fan.

Really enjoyed this book-the program summnary kicks it off, with some excellent notes on the show, such as program errors, stories that were used, and also some wonderful archives from the author's collection. Second part, the radio station summary, helped me to find when different stations carried the program!! Rounding things off, is a really cool recollection of Mr. Battistini's tracking down the show on the radio dial from his home area!! Anyone who has an interest in Casey Kasem or American Top 40 will love this book. This is a must have add to my music book library!! Ed Mitkus

If you liked "AT40-The 70's",you're sure to love "AT40-The 80's"-Once again,Pete Battistini has done a yeoman job-Highly recommended for aficionados of classic "AT40".

As someone who is a chart buff and very interested in the history of Top 40 radio, this book is a tremendous resource. It primarily seems to be a reference guide for AT40 fans, as you get a brief rundown of every AT40 show from the beginning in 1970 until the end of the decade, plus an exhaustive station list and a lengthy essay from the author about his love affair with AT40, which is actually an enjoyable read and will ring true if you were ever a radio geek or the kind of music fanatic that would make up your own charts of your favorite songs (as I was). The only drawback, in my opinion, is that the remainder of Casey's first run as host of AT40 (from 1980 to 1988) ISN'T covered in this book. Still, if you are within listening range of a radio station that runs the old AT40 countdowns from the '70s and/or '80s on the weekends and make it "appointment listening," or if you are at all interested in the history of Top 40 radio or America's signature countdown show before it was hosted by a vapid bleach-blond Dick Clark wannabe by the name of Ryan Seacrest, this book is for you!

This is a great book for the true radio geek. Rob Durkee's book combined with this one gives you a real close look into one of the true radio success stories of the 70's and 80's. Flipping thru the pages - I was reminded of my days running AT40 at WDIF in Marion, OH. If you ever board-op'ed AT40, you will love this. If you are not a 'radio insider', buy the Durkee book - it tells the story better.

Greetings!

First of all: there are a lot of reviews here that have been carried over from the 70's book, and as of this writing the "Look Inside" feature is also carried over from the 70's book. But this is indeed the 1980's sequel book--I ordered from this page and got my book today.

If you have the 70's book, there's not a whole lot more I have to say...Pete Battistini applies his unique format of weekly recaps, fan memories and historical material--trade ads, internal memos, radio station hit lists, etc-- to the 1980-'88 time period (through Casey Kasem's final episode).

If you were a fan of "American Top 40" in the 80's I am certain the book will bring back some great memories...and if you are approaching this subject for the first time I would also recommend (as Pete does) the Rob Durkee "American Top 40" book, which offers an outstanding history of the program's creation and eventual downfall. The Durkee book combined with Pete's two immaculately researched volumes will give you the complete story in words and pictures of a true radio classic!

I was expecting to see a list of the song titles and their rank for the week. I was very disappointed with this book.