"Born to Be Alive" - Patrick Hernandez
Printed From: Top 40 Music on CD
Category: Top 40 Music On Compact Disc
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URL: https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=384
Printed Date: 16 May 2025 at 2:26am
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Topic: "Born to Be Alive" - Patrick Hernandez
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Subject: "Born to Be Alive" - Patrick Hernandez
Date Posted: 26 August 2005 at 11:20am
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Pat:
Edtop40 has reported that the 45 version of Patrick Hernandez's "Born to Be Alive" runs 3:23 which I believe is also the run time printed on the record label. Therefore, it can be said then that the song fades out :05 sooner on the Mega Hits Dance Classics Volume 9 (Priority 7058) CD and presumably on other CDs sporting a 3:18 run time. |
Replies:
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 24 August 2012 at 6:53pm
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Did this song get much airplay during it's Hot 100 chart run? The reason I ask is because it's nowhere to be found on the Radio & Records pop chart archive, which would mean that it didn't crack the top 40 for airplay. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: musicmanatl
Date Posted: 24 August 2012 at 6:59pm
| Aaron, that is odd because it received a ton of airplay in Cleveland on both G98 and Zip 106. It definitely was an airplay hit in my part of the country. |
Posted By: Hykker
Date Posted: 24 August 2012 at 7:08pm
| According to Whitburn, it made #16 in Billboard. Top 10 in Boston on WRKO, remember hearing it a lot on JB-105 in Providence too. |
Posted By: Santi Paradoa
Date Posted: 24 August 2012 at 7:36pm
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This song was all over South Florida radio back in '79. ------------- Santi Paradoa Miami, Florida |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 24 August 2012 at 7:42pm
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I wonder if the archive has just accidentally omitted it. I'll send the webmaster an email to find out.
As a side note, there have been big Hot 100 hits that never made the R&R top 40, such as "Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring and "Pac Man Fever" by Buckner & Garcia. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: Fetta
Date Posted: 24 August 2012 at 7:46pm
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WABC was playing primarily Disco in 1979 but "Born To Be Alive" didn't even make their year end Top 100.
http://www.musicradio77.com/Top1979.html I know that 92 KTU definitely played it. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 24 August 2012 at 7:50pm
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That's interesting, Jeff! Here's another disco record that doesn't appear in the R&R archive: "Come To Me" by France Joli, which made it to #15 on the Hot 100. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: MMathews
Date Posted: 25 August 2012 at 3:05am
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Ah
summer of '79 is burned into my memory, and both of those songs got lots of airplay on long island. |
Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 25 August 2012 at 3:27am
Don't recall this one getting much airplay in the Minneapolis/St. Paul market, outside of AT40. Remember, the national R&R chart was only a Top 30 at that time. A lot of disco records had a hard time cracking Top 40 playlists, especially in the midwest markets. |
aaronk wrote:Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 25 August 2012 at 7:59am
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That's interesting, Paul, and it definitely helps explain why some of
those disco records had significantly higher peak positions than on Billboard than on R&R. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 25 August 2012 at 8:31am
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A couple of early 1980s hits that didn't even crack the R&R Top 30 that really surprised me:
Master Blaster - Stevie Wonder Let It Whip - Dazz Band Both peaked at #5 on the Hot 100 and I do remember hearing them on Minneapolis/St. Paul radio. |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 25 August 2012 at 8:37am
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Re: diferences between R&R & Billboard
People also seem to forget that the way the R&R charts were tabulated back then, there seemed to be a heavy weighting on records that a large amount of stations were playing (or "on"). Therefore a bland record that was inoffensive & easy to get many stations to try would get high up the charts before the program directors realized the audience had no passion for the record, while an active disco or rock record that people had real passion for if played might not get on the majority of stations due to perceived polarization & not chart highly if at all. Billboard never had a problem with active, polarizing hit records because of their chart methodology & the fact that most of their charts included sales info (most active, polarizing hits sell well). Andy |
Posted By: jono
Date Posted: 25 August 2012 at 9:20am
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Yeah, "Born To Be Alive" was played very frequently on WKAU
(Kaukauna/Appleton/Green Bay), from what I recall, in 1979. Either that station or WIXX out of Green Bay. Or both. I remember being surprised when I bought my first Whitburn book and found the song hadn't cracked the Top 10. I thought it was a huge hit, based on radio play around my area (plus my Mom(!) bought the 45, although I think it was technically for my younger brother, who disowned it in High School, giving it to me).. Jon O. |