American Top 40 PastBlast Redux, 5/15/76: Billy Ocean, “Love Really Hurts Without You”

Before I started this blog, I posted about songs from old AT40s on Facebook, January-July 2017. I’ll be moving them here over time. This entry has been edited somewhat from the original.

Leslie Charles was born in Trinidad and moved to England when he was ten.  He took the stage name Billy Ocean and, after years of hard work, became an international sensation in 84 following the release of “Caribbean Queen.”  His US stardom lasted four or so years and included three #1 hits.

However, eight-plus years earlier, he had a solitary, modest success on this side of the pond with “Love Really Hurts Without You.”  I definitely remember hearing it during those early months of my AT40 listening.  It was one of the first songs I ever downloaded from iTunes, in 2005, when I was assembling a playlist of the 6/5/76 show (the first chart I’d written down).  Even though I kinda could hum the chorus if pressed, I’d forgotten how groovy it is!  Its great R&B/pop vibe sits much better with me than any of his 80s output.  Here it was #25; it would get three positions higher.