American Top 40 PastBlast: 8/9/80

George Benson charted between 76 and 83, generally shifting over the years from jazz to smooth R&B. His first hit, “This Masquerade,” is a great example of the jazzier side, as is the instrumental “Breezin’.” I like his live version of “On Broadway” now more than I did back in the day, and I probably prefer his take on “Greatest Love of All” to Whitney’s. This one, though, is almost certainly my favorite. I don’t know if it’s the presence of the word “night” in the title, but it’s a fabulous track to listen to in the wee hours. Got to #4, his highest peaking single on the pop chart; it’s near the beginning of its AT40 climb here, at #33.

(Chart geek aside: This countdown featured the highest debuting record during all the years I listened to AT40: Diana Ross comes in at #10 with “Upside Down.”)