Top 7 @ 7

Back in the early 80s the radio station Q107 started a show at 7pm nightly called "The Top 7 At 7", on which they would play one song from each of the top 7 metal records in the charts. Between 1983-1985 there were a few dominating albums that stood the test of time in the ranks and I was quite fond of them all. These 7 albums were essentially my soundtrack for grade 5 & 6.

The 7 records were (in no particular order):

1. AC/DC - Flick Of The Switch

2. Ratt - Out Of The Cellar

3. Ozzy Osbourne - Bark At The Moon

4. Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry

5. Def Leppard - Pyromania 

6. Iron Maiden - Live After Death

7. Mötley Crüe - Shout At The Devil

My birthday was coming up and I had my master plan set. I was going to tell each kid coming to my party exactly what record to buy, which they in turn would have to relay to their parents. That day at school I took each friend aside individually and had a confidential one on one meeting with them. They all agreed and the plan was now set in stone.

My birthday finally came and as planned all the kids showed up with flat, square presents that measured 12" x 12 "....except for one who brought a rectangular box, sure to be some kind of "bored" game. When it was time to open my gifts I was more than happy to discover that each of my friends had gotten me exactly what I had instructed them to....except for that one gift.

Turned out my friend Shawn, who's father was a fire fighter, decided not to get me Mötley Crüe's "Shout" as it contained a large pentagram on the front cover, the sign of the devil. Instead he opted to get me a board game, but not just any old board game. When I finally unwrapped his present (which I saved for last) I did not find mousetrap or life or candyland.... It was something I had never heard of or ever seen before.....a ouija board.

To this day it still baffles me, the logic behind the whole matter. He wouldn't but me a record to listen to because it had a satanic symbol on the cover yet he bought me a gift that I could use to contact spirits and perhaps even bring people back from the dead with! I tried it out a few times but never had any results. Years later I came to learn I was doing it all wrong....but I still had all of those records to play backwards!