Skip to main content

Maverick Ad

Home

Main navigation

  • Home
  • Cover Stories
  • Features
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Cashbox Legacy Awards
  • Past Covers
  • Weekly Archive
When Did Casey Kasem Finally Sign Off of the American Top 40?

Breadcrumb

  • Home
  • When Did Casey Kasem Finally Sign Off of the American Top 40?
When Did Casey Kasem Finally Sign Off of the American Top 40?
Fri Aug 10, 2018
Courtesy of Rob Durkee

On August 6, 1988, thirty years ago Monday, August 6, 1988, thousands of "American Top 40" fans tuned in to hear Casey Kasem do what was believed to be his very last AT40 show. Shadoe Stevens would replace him at the mike the following week. Fans particularly wanted to hear how Casey would end the show, fully expecting him to say goodbye.

Only he didn't. After promoting his TV show, Casey said, "Til then, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars."

No farewell from Casey...but that was because it really WASN'T "farewell" for him. He would be back. The ABC network would actually PAY Casey to NOT count 'em down for the rest of 1988 and the first two weekends of 1989. But that's when Casey's contract with ABC expired. On the weekend of January 21, 1989, Casey sounded like he'd never been away when he debuted with "Casey's Top 40" on the Westwood One radio network. He was just starting a then-unheard-of radio contract for a disc jockey....five years, $15 million.

Rob Durkee
Rob Durkee

Casey stayed with Westwood One for about nine years and one month. Then, around February 1998, he abruptly left Westwood One in a contract dispute. Essentially, Casey was able to leave Westwood One because his shows (Casey's Top 40, Casey's Countdown, Casey's Hot 20) didn't generate $6 million in profit. On the weekend of March 28, 1988, the man who pioneered the art of counting 'em down for AT40 was reunited WITH "American Top 40" on the AM-FM Network.

Oh, that show of 30 years ago at this time? "Roll With It" by Steve Winwood was #1...

youtube.com/watch?v=u_vkKozA8OI

Oh, and there was a bit of chart irony that my AT40 friend and fan, Larry Cohen, passed along to me years ago. We had one artist and one act which were on the very first AT40 show the Fourth Of July, 1970, and that August 6, 1988 show. And on the latter show, they were in the countdown back-to-back!

At #31 was "Another Part Of Me" by Michael Jackson, who was with the Jackson Five 18 years earlier at #2 with "The Love You Save." And #30 was "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" by the Moody Blues, who 18 years earlier on the first AT40 show were at #27 with "Question."

So when DID Casey say goodbye? Not until 21 years later on the first weekend of July 2009.

youtube.com/watch?v=lCxq6vjAvWs

Editor’s Note: Rob Durkee is the author of American Top 40: The Countdown of the Century. "American Top 40," the radio program co-founded in the 1960s by host Casey Kasem and producer Don Bustany, developed a winning formula of countdown and commentary. By the 1970's the show was providing music fans around the world with behind-the-scenes trivia about the pop stars of the day. The program helped develop the notion (first made popular in the 1930's by the classic Your Hit Parade) of a radio format catering specifically to the most-requested songs of its listeners. This book provides a complete history of the highly successful countdown radio program, from its beginnings in the 1960's through years of success and decline, its disappearance, and its rebirth. American Top 40 offers compelling portraits of Kasem and Bustany, its later host Shadoe Stevens, their colleagues behind the scenes, guest hosts including Hall and Oates and Donny Osmond, and the corporations that (for better or worse) steered its course.

For further information email Rob Durkee urkeejai@earthlink.net

Features
Music
Month: Mar 2020
Sultans Of String Release New Video Asi Soy Mar 20
Legendary Tower of Power ‘Step Up’ with a New Release Mar 20
BTW -Dan MacDonald, Rory Block, Young Thieves, Girl Pow-R, Rose Cousins, Sarah… Mar 13
Juno-Nominated Girl Pow-R Releases Medley of Single Of The Year Mar 13
Don't Bail Out Too Soon Mar 13
My Son the Hurricane Mar 13
BTW- Ibrahim Ferrer, Tony Allen/Hugh Masakela, Busty and the Bass, Sour Widows… Mar 06
Self-Sabotage and the Damager Mar 06
Peter Åstedt How Swede It Is! Mar 06
Month: Feb 2020
Huey Lewis and the News – Weather Feb 28
BTW - Ka Fu, Jonathan Emile, Beauty in Chaos, Sass Jordan, Woodhawk, Big… Feb 28
What You Need is Stamina Feb 28
BTW--Bif Naked, Aloe Blacc, Orchid Ensemble, Yasi, Natalie MacMaster, Gail… Feb 21
All-Girl Teen Pop Supergroup Girl Pow-R Land First JUNO Award Nomination for “… Feb 21
Finding Dory In an Artist! Feb 21
‘Princess of Everything’ Bif Naked Spares No Punch With New Single & Video “JIM” Feb 21
Mastering the Music Business Showcase Festival Kicks Off in Romania Feb 21
BTW-Wes Carroll & Confabulation, PUP, Lexxicon, Jim Beard & John… Feb 14
A Festival Needs Curation! Bigger Is Not Better! Feb 14
The Zombies “Still Got That Hunger” with New Release and Canadian Dates Announced… Feb 14

Pagination

  • First page « First
  • Previous page ‹ Previous
  • …
  • Page 44
  • Page 45
  • Page 46
  • Page 47
  • Current page 48
  • Page 49
  • Page 50
  • Page 51
  • Page 52
  • …
  • Next page Next ›
  • Last page Last »

CEO/PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF
SANDY GRAHAM

email:sandygrahamemg@gmail.com 

Canadian Journalists:

Contributing Journalist - Canada and Global
Don Graham
email: dongrahamwriter@gmail.com

Contributing Journalist - Canada and Global
Lisa Hartt
email: lisahartt87@hotmail.com

Contributing Journalist - Canada 
Michael Williams
email: greydread@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

International Journalists:

Contributing Journalist - Sweden
Malin Osth
email: malin@musicdays.se

Contributing Journalist - Sweden
Jonas Tancred
email: jonas@musicdays.se

Contributing Journalist - USA
Rob Durkee 
email: rockster2746@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Web Developer/Technical Support
Chris Wardman

email: info@chriswardman.com
website: chriswardman.com

Cashbox Cover Design and Graphic Artist
Jain McMillan

email: jainmcmillan@gmail.com

Contributing Photographer 
Tracey Savein - South Paw Productions
southpawproductions@rogers.com

 

 

 

Footer menu

  • Home
  • Features
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Cashbox Archive
  • Issue Archive
  • Past Covers