Dolly Parton, Disco, And Social Media

It's Valentine's Day. What better way to celebrate than to turn on Casey Kasem's American Top 40 from February 1979 on XM Satellite Radio?

At number twenty-six, second week in a row, is the disco hit "Baby I'm Burnin'" by Dolly Parton.

Mr. Kasem reminded his loyal audience that Ms. Parton became the first artist to ever record a hit single on the three major charts ... the Top 40 Chart, the Country Chart, and the Disco Chart.

It would have been fun to be a fly on the wall, as Dolly's management team discussed whether disco was an extension of the "Dolly Parton brand".

In twenty-eight years, will we see social media the same way we see Dolly's brief foray into the world of disco?

Ironically, the song currently playing, at number twenty-three, is "What A Fool Believes" by the Doobie Brothers!

Casey Kasem's American Top 40

If you subscribe to DirecTV, you probably receive several music channels from XM Satellite Radio. Each Wednesday evening at 7:00pm PDT, on Channel 804, they replay an old episode of Casey Kasum's American Top 40. Tonight, they are playing the forty biggest hits from December, 1979, including the long-distance dedications.

The diversity of the artists is surprising. From Kenny Rogers to John "Cougar", Prince to Kenny Loggins, Isaac Hayes to Fleetwood Mac, Andy Gibb to "M", country music to disco, a lot of ground is covered during the airing of forty songs.

Interesting fact: I can record any television show I want, and burn it onto a DVD, using my HD-DVR. I can rewind, pause, fast forward as well. When it comes to the music channels, no-go, those functions are disabled. I can make a copy of the movie "Titanic", but I cannot make a copy of The Eagles "Heartache Tonight", which dived eleven notches to number twenty in the countdown.