BNR Radio

08/08/2026

01/08/2026

The memories on the Retro Top 20 Countdown with Brent Meder this morning. The time machine travelled back to the SA Charts as of 31 July 1981. What memories do these ring back for you? Please share in the comments below.

This was the 17th time we had seen the top 2 spots occupied by solo female artists and only the second time we had seen acts with the same first name being at 1 and 2. The previous time we had acts with the same first name in the top 2 positions was when Neil Diamond was at 1 with ‘Longfellow Serenade’ and Neil Herbert was at 2 with ‘She’s A Woman’.

There were 2 songs that left the charts this week, the first of which was the one that had been the oldest in the top 20 for the last 6 weeks and that was David Scobie’s ‘Gypsy Girl’ which had just missed out on 20 weeks in the charts as it had managed 19. It peaked at 5.

We also bid farewell to Shakin’ Stevens’ ‘This Ole House’. It had managed a run of 12 weeks and spent 5 of those at the top of the charts., He would see further success on our top 20 with his next hit coming along in a few weeks’ time.

Kim Wilde became the 69th act to see more than 1 hit in the top 20 in the same week and the 12th woman to do so. Her new one was ‘Chequered Love’ which arrived at 11 this week, joining ‘Kids In America’ which was at 1.

29/07/2026

Join Brent Meder this evening as we celebrate and honour the women who rocked the airways.

28/07/2026

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25/07/2026

This morning's SA Chart Top 20 Countdown with Brent Meder as we jumped aboard the Swinging Sixties Express for a journey of notalgia, memories and music. 26 July 1968 - the destination. Do you remember hearing these songs on your radio? What was the first song that you remember hearing on radio and what was the first record you bought? Please comment below.

Hilary’s ‘Sunglasses’ enjoyed a 4th week at the top of the charts. This was 1 week behind the total that ‘Master Jack’ by Four Jacks & A Jill had spent at 1 and 2 behind ‘Goodbye My Love’ by Murray Campbell, the 6 weeks that the latter spent at 1 being the record to date for a local song. That said, neither ‘Master Jack’ nor ‘Goodbye My Love’ had managed a run of 4 consecutive weeks at the top, so ‘Sunglasses’ achievement was a new record for a local act.

The Equals’ ‘Baby Come Back’ was the only song to manage a 4 or more place climb so was the biggest climber and only star rater this week. It moved up 4 from 19 to 15.

Louis Armstrong’s world wouldn’t have been quite so wonderful this week as his hit ‘What A Wonderful World’ was the biggest faller, dropping 5 from 19 to 14. The oldest on the chart was The 1910 Fruitgum Company’s ‘Simon Says’ which had now been with us for 15 weeks and was actually moving up the charts, climbing 1 place from 8 to 7.

The only new entry this week was Herb Alpert’s second hit in SA, ‘This Guy’s In Love With You’. Unusually for Alpert, the song was not an instrumental, but it had lyrics which he sang.

25/07/2026

Join Brent Meder this morning between 9-12 for another trip into the Time Machine as he relives your memories with the Air FM Retro Top 20 Countdown.