History Radio / AmericanTop40

In addition to playing the week's most popular songs, ''[=AT40=]'' frequently included various extra segments. Perhaps most famous among these was Kasem's "Long Distance Dedication": a write-in request from a listener for a particular song, always sentimental in nature, typically directed at a person the listener had not seen in a considerable amount of time (such as a long-distance romantic couple, wife to overseas-based military husband, someone's birth parent on the other side of the country, etc). These particular segments were probably best remembered for the almost {{narm}}ish tone with which Kasem would read the requests on air.

Song-ranking data was originally derived from ''Magazine/{{Billboard}}'' Magazine's "Hot 100" pop/rock singles chart before switching over to ''Radio and Records'' (which Kasem had used in his competing program) in 1998. Currently, songs are ranked by data from Mediabase.

* LongRunner: The program debuted in 1970 and has been going strong ever since. Well, except for that hiatus in the mid-1990s.

* QuietlyPerformingSisterShow: ''Radio/AmericanCountryCountdown'' is radio's longest-running, continuously produced syndicated program, outlasting ''[=AT40=]'' (whose current run dates from 1998, the year it returned from a three-year hiatus).

** ''Casey's Countdown'', later renamed to ''American Top 20'', even ''later'' renamed to ''American Top 10''. Hosted by Casey, all three programs were essentially ''American Top 40'' for the Adult Contemporary market. Previously, a similar program also named ''American Top 10'' (also hosted by Casey) had aired from 1980 to 1992; unlike the former shows, ''[=AT10=]'' was a music video showcase and aired on television.

Reruns of the program, mostly from the mid and late '70s, are syndicated weekly on "oldies" stations, typically late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

->''Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.''
-->-'''CaseyKasem'''

* NothingButHits: The entire premise of the program. Averted in hindsight by the syndicated reruns, featuring hit songs of their day which have been all but forgotten by now.

** ''Casey's Countdown'', later renamed to ''American Top 20'', even ''later'' renamed to ''American Top 10''. All three programs were essentially ''American Top 40'' for the Adult Contemporary market. Previously, a similar program also named ''American Top 10'' had aired from 1980 to 1992; unlike the former shows, ''[=AT10=]'' was a music video showcase and aired on television.
* SpiritualSuccessor: ''Casey's Top 40'', created the year after Casey left ''[=AT40=]'' and running from 1989-1998. The program even used the "Casey's Coast to Coast!" bumper that had been present in ''[=AT40]''.

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''Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.''
->-'''CaseyKasem'''

!!''American Top 40'' provides examples of:

* ''Weekly Top 40'', hosted by radio personality RickDees;

* DuelingShows: Rick Dees' ''Weekly Top 40'' and, ironically enough, ''Casey's Top 40'' in the early 1990s. For the MusicVideo side of things, ''Top 20 Video Countdown'' for ''America's Top 10''.

** UnCancelled

** QuietlyPerformingSisterShow: See above. ACC is radio's longest-running, continuously produced syndicated program, outlasting ''[=AT40=]'' (whose current run dates from 1998, the year it returned from a three-year hiatus).

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: Through the years, a few of the commercial bumpers, most notably, a 1977 cue styled after the Starlight Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight."

** To clarify, the show itself never refused to play any songs because of content concerns, but allowed local stations to do so if they wanted. They also occasionally created their own in-house edited versions of songs, for content or time purposes (or both, sometimes). Most infamously, they edited "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" by The GetoBoys down to a little over one minute.

** To clarify, the show itself never cut any songs because of content, but allowed local stations to do so if they wanted. They also occasionally created their own in-house edited versions of songs, for content or time purposes (or both, sometimes). Most infamously, they edited "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" by The GetoBoys down to a little over one minute.

* WhateverHappenedToTheMouse and ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: An occasional feature was "Whatever Happened To ... ?" where Casey would profile a one-hit wonder, or early prolific star of the rock era who suddenly disappeared off the charts, quit recording, etc. Casey would simply explain what said artist (or group, as appropriately) had been doing in recent years, if they were involved with current projects, and so forth.

In 1988, Kasem left the show and was replaced by ShadoeStevens. The change, as well as an altered format, went over poorly, and ''[=AT40=]'' was eventually cancelled in 1995. Kasem, though, had in the meantime started up a [[DuelingShows rival program]], ''Casey's Top 40'', and eventually managed to acquire the rights to the ''American Top 40'' title, and the show was UnCancelled in 1998. Kasem subsequently retired from the program in 2004; Ryan Seacrest took over hosting duties and helms ''[=AT40=]'' to this day.

* HeyItsThatVoice: Casey "[[ScoobyDoo Zoinks, Scoob!]]" Kasem, Shadoe Stevens, Ryan Seacrest

''American Top 40'' is a weekly, [[LongRunner long-running]], syndicated radio program, originally hosted by CaseyKasem and currently hosted by RyanSeacrest, which counts down the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin forty most popular]] radio songs in the United States.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: Through the years, a few of the commercial bumpers, most notably, a 1977 cue styled after the Starlight Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight." Additionally, the show ending theme used from 1979-1984, a synthesizer-heavy piece, had a few of its bars inspired by Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio's 1978 hit "Jack and Jill."

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: Through the years, a few of the commercial bumpers – most notably, a 1977 cue styled after the Starlight Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight." Additionally, the show ending theme used from 1979-1984, a synthesizer-heavy piece, had a few of its bars inspired by Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio's 1978 hit "Jack and Jill."

* SpinOff: ''AmericanCountryCountdown'', a country music-version of ''[=AT40=]'' that premiered in 1973 and is still going strong today. The current host is Kix Brooks (one half of the long-running duo Brooks & Dunn); before him were original host Don Bowman (who once guest-hosted ''[=AT40=]'') and later, Bob Kingsley (the host at the height of ACC's run).

* SpinOff: ''AmericanCountryCountown'', a country music-version of ''[=AT40=]'' that premiered in 1973 and is still going strong today. The current host is Kix Brooks (one half of the long-running duo Brooks & Dunn); before him were original host Don Bowman (who once guest-hosted ''[=AT40=]'') and later, Bob Kingsley (the host at the height of ACC's run).