Welcome back as we wrap up this week’s countdown. If you missed the previous posts, you can go back and check out songs 40-31, 30-21 and 20-11. Now let’s Return to the week ending August 16, 1986, and count down the 10 biggest hits in the country.

10. “The Edge of Heaven” by Wham!

We’ll begin the Top 10 with Wham!’s final hit before George Michael embarked on a successful solo career. And Andrew Ridgeley disappeared into music oblivion to join Jim Messina and Art Garfunkel.

9. “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin

I like a lot of Berlin’s songs, but this is not one of them.
This love theme from Top Gun was overplayed when it came out. I wasn’t too crazy about the song as it was. But the fact that I couldn’t escape it made it that much worse. I have a feeling that I’m in the minority in that opinion.

8. “Rumors” by The Timex Social Club

I liked this song a lot. But, this new jack swing marked the beginning of the end of the ’80s.

7. “Dancing On the Ceiling” by Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie’s hot streak continued with this awesome and fun song. I still love it. You can’t help but feel good when this song comes on.

6. “Venus” by Bananarama

This song was originally released in 1969 by Shocking Blue, and became a #1 hit.
Then one of our favorite trios of the ’80s, Bananarama, covered the song, making it a #1 hit once again.

5. “We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off” by Jermaine Stewart

Who remembers this – “We don’t have to take our clothes off to have a good time…Bullshit!”
This song may be a little preachy, but man does it have a fun, catchy beat!

4. “Higher Love” by Steve Winwood

This is not one of my favorite Steve Winwood songs. Not because I don’t like this song (I do like it..a lot!). It’s just that he has quite a few other great songs. This one really takes me back and makes me feel nostalgic for this time.

3. “Mad About You” by Belinda Carlisle

What a great debut song for Belinda Carlisle’s solo career!! She does still have a bit of the Go-Go’s sound in this song, which is not a bad thing. The song also features Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor on the guitar solo. So you girls get Andy in this video, and us guys get Belinda. Sounds like a win-win to me!

2. “Glory of Love” by Peter Cetera

Speaking of awesome solo debuts, this was easily my favorite song for a long time after it was released. It doesn’t usually take long for me to get sick of a song if it gets played often. zBut I never got sick of this one. I felt bad that Peter Cetera was no longer in Chicago. But, I loved Cetera’s solo work, and I still loved Chicago (and still do).
This song was featured in The Karate Kid Part II, which was actually a pretty good movie.

1. “Papa Don’t Preach” by Madonna

And we have already reached the #1 song. This was Madonna’s 4th #1 hit. This is a really good video featuring Danny Aiello as Madonna’s father. Is it weird that I felt bad for Madonna back then, but now that I’m older, I’m on the father’s side?

Well, that wraps up this weeks countdown. I hope you enjoyed your trip down Memory Lane. We’ll be back with a new countdown in a week or two. In the meantime Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.

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Welcome back to this week’s countdown. If you missed the previous posts, you can go back and check out songs 40-31 and 30-21. Today we have an interesting list of songs. The list includes two of the most overplayed songs of the ’80s. But the rest of the songs more than make up for it. So, let’s Return to the week ending August 16, 1986, and continue the countdown.

20. “Words Get In the Way” by Miami Sound Machine featuring Gloria Estefan

This is a nice ballad. It was a change of pace for The Miami Sound Machine, which had just scored with the hits “Conga” and “Bad Boy“. “Words Get In the Way” set the path for Gloria Estefan to become a successful adult contemporary artist.

19. “All the Love in the World” by The Outfield

This song does not get the airplay that it deserves.

18. “Baby Love” by Regina

I had forgotten about this song, but remembered it as soon as I heard it. This sounds just like a Madonna song. There’s no truth to the rumor that Regina was heard saying, “Sometimes I sing and dance around the house in my underwear. Doesn’t make me Madonna. Never will.”

17. “Suzanne” by Journey

A lot of people were disappointed with Journey’s Raised On Radio album. I love that album, and this is one of my favorite songs from it.

16. “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins

And here is overplayed song #1. I love Kenny Loggins, and I liked this song a lot when it came out. It just got played too much. I still like listening to it once in a while.

15. “Friends and Lovers” by Gloria Loring & Carl Anderson

I always loved this duet. Gloria Loring had been married to Alan Thicke, and is the mother of Robin Thicke. She and Alan had composed the theme songs for Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. She actually sang The Facts of Life theme song. Carl Anderson was best known for playing Judas in the film and stage versions of Jesus Christ Superstar.

Beginning in 1980, Loring played Liz Chandler on my mom’s favorite soap opera – Days of Our Lives. She was a singer on the show, so she performed several songs. One of them was “Friends and Lovers”. This song became the theme music for the couple Shane Donovan (played by Charles Shaughnessy, best known as Maxwell Sheffield on The Nanny) and Kim Brady. The song was so popular that it was released as a single and became a hit.

14. “You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song)” by Jeffrey Osborne

Jeffrey Osborne rules!! I might be a little biased though. He is from my home state of Rhode Island. I do love his voice, and this is a really good song. “The Woo Woo Song” is in the title because his little daughter did not know the exact title, she identified the song saying “Daddy, sing “The Woo Woo Song!” So he nicknamed the song, “The Woo Woo Song”.
Jeffrey Osborne is still active in the community as he just hosted his annual celebrity golf tournament for charity, which just happened to be this week.

13. “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel

Ugh!!! I’m going to take a sledgehammer to my head if I hear this overplayed, overrated song ever ag…

12. “Sweet Freedom” by Michael McDonald

Whew, I came to just in time! I never cared much for Michael McDonald back in the day (I am warming up to all of his music now though), but I could never get enough of this song. It didn’t hurt that it was featured in the awesome Billy Crystal/Gregory Hines movie Running Scared. I may have liked this one regardless.

11. “Love Touch” by Rod Stewart

OK, I just realized that I do not have any Rod Stewart on my iPod. What the hell!?! I’ve loved every one of his songs that we have covered in all of these countdowns. I need to rectify this situation quick. This is a really good song from the Robert Redford/Debra Winger romantic comedy, Legal Eagles.

Wow, is it me or did that go by fast! We are already done with today’s songs. We’ll be back tomorrow to wrap up the countdown. There are going to be some more great songs. Ugh, and one that I really can’t stand. But, I’m probably in the minority. So, please come back and enjoy the music of the ’80s!

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Welcome back to this week’s countdown. If you missed them, you can go back and check out songs 40-31. Let’s jump right into it today, and Return to the week ending August 16, 1986, and continue the countdown.

30. “Walk This Way” by Run DMC & Aerosmith

We’ll begin today with a song that made a strong impact in the music industry. Long time readers of this blog are probably aware of my love of old-school rap and my break dancing days. But by this point, I had fallen away from rap, and was way more into rock. But, “just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in!” This mashup of rap and rock reignited my interest in rap. I wasn’t going to break out the cardboard anytime soon. But, I loved just about everything Run DMC did. It also opened the door for more popular rap acts, such as The Fat Boys, The Beastie Boys, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, and MC Hammer.
Not only did this song bring rap into mainstream, but it also began Aerosmith’s legendary comeback.
They were huge in the ’70s, with their original version of “Walk This Way” among their hits. By the early to mid-’80s, drug issues and infighting just about ended this band. However, the success of this remake of their hit song paved the way to their huge album, Permanent Vacation. They then had a long string of some great hits through the rest of the ’80s, and well into the ’90s.

29. “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” by The Pet Shop Boys

This is one of those songs that stick with you for a while. This is my favorite song about a smart ugly guy, and a hot dumb girl.

28. “Rumbleseat” by John Cougar Mellencamp

I love John Cougar/John Cougar Mellencamp’s early stuff. But by this time, I wasn’t a huge fan. This song is OK. At least it wasn’t overplayed.

27. “Man Size Love” by Klymaxx

I didn’t remember this song. The only song I remember by Klymaxx is “I Miss You.” This song was from the awesome Billy Crystal/Gregory Hines movie, Running Scared. This is actually a pretty good song.

26. “Nasty” by Janet Jackson

Here is a great song by Michael’s baby sister. Man, Baby can dance!! Ooops. her first name “ain’t Baby, it’s Janet – Miss Jackson if you’re nasty.”

25. “That Was Then, This is Now” by The Monkees

Just as we have nostalgia for the ’80s now, back in the ’80s we had nostalgia for the ’50s and ’60s. The Monkees capitalized on that with a huge comeback. I remember that their ’60s television show was being reaired on Nickelodeon every day after school. The Monkees reunited, and had a huge sucessful tour (minus Michael Nesmith, who had prior commitments).
I still like this song a lot.

24. “Stuck With You” by Huey Lewis & The News

This was the first single released from the band’s Fore! album. I never really cared for this song. The video wasn’t bad though.

23. “Yankee Rose” by David Lee Roth

After David Lee Roth split with Van Halen, he had a couple of huge hits with covers of old pop songs, “California Girls” and “Just A Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody”. I loved “California Girls.” “Just a Gigolo” – meh.
But now this is more like it!!! This is a great rock song. And I remember my mind being blown when Steve Vai made his guitar talk. And as usual, David Lee Roth’s video was very entertaining with the little skit before the song.

22. “One Step Closer To You” by Gavin Christopher

I hadn’t remembered this R&B song. I like it. This was Gavin Christopher’s biggest hit, peaking right here at #22.

21. “Invisible Touch” by Genesis

This is a great song, which is the title track to the classic Genesis album. This song really takes me back to the ’80s.

That wraps up today’s list of songs. I hope you’re enjoying your trip back to the ’80s!

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Welcome to this week’s Top 40 Countdown! This week, we will Return to 1986. This was the summer between my sophomore and junior years of high school. I was listening to a lot of my own music by this time. But early in this countdown, there are quite a few songs that I didn’t remember. Let’s Return to the week ending August 16, 1986, and begin the countdown.

40. “Two of Hearts” by Stacey Q

This popular dance song made Stacey Q a one hit wonder. This was one of the highest selling singles of the year, and would reach all the way to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Stacey Q performed the song on the television show Facts of Life, in character as “Cinnamon”, a rival of Tootie’s.

39. “Dreamtime” by Daryl Hall

This was Daryl Hall’s debut song as a solo performer. He didn’t need John Oates for this song, as it would reach #5 on the charts. But, this was Hall’s biggest solo hit. So maybe he needed Oates after all. I always liked this song a lot.

38. “Take It Easy” by Andy Taylor

Here is another artist that was part of a mega-successful band who went solo for a bit. In 1985, Duran Duran went on hiatus. So, guitarist Andy Taylor, bassist John Taylor joined renowned session drummer and former Chic member Tony Thompson and Robert Palmer formed the band Power Station, which was a big success. Then Andy Taylor recorded this song, “Take It Easy” which would be the theme song to the movie American Anthem. I had forgotten about this song, and like it a lot.

37. “Modern Woman” by Billy Joel

Here is a great Billy Joel song that was on his classic album, The Bridge. It was also featured on the soundtrack to the Danny DeVito/Bette Midler film Ruthless People.

36. “Digging Your Scene” by The Blow Monkeys

I had heard of The Blow Monkeys. But for some reason, I was thinking that this was a punk band like The Dead Milkmen or something. They definitely are not a punk band. This is more like new wavey/pop rock.
Meh. After listening to this, I can see how it would not have been on my radar back then.

35. “Hanging On a Heart Attack” by Device

Here is another song that I didn’t remember. After listening to it, it sounds vaguely familiar. This would be Device’s only hit, peaking right here at #35.

34. “The Captain of Her Heart” by Double

This is the third song in a row that I didn’t remember. But I remember it now that I’m listening to it and I’m bored with it.

33. “Love Zone” by Billy Ocean

Now this is the way to do a love song. I always liked Billy Ocean. What a great voice!

32. “Taken In” by Mike + The Mechanics

I had forgotten about this song. I like Mike + The Mechanics a lot. This song needs to be played more often on ’80s radio.

31. “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” by Glass Tiger

I love this song by the Canadian rock band Glass Tiger. The thing I remember most about Glass Tiger, other than this song, is that they opened for Journey on the Raised On Radio tour.

Well, that wraps up today’s countdown. There were some hits and misses for me. What do you think? What were you doing this week in 1986? Any summer vacation memories? We’ll continue this countdown this week.

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Welcome back as we wrap up this week’s countdown! If you missed the previous songs, you can check out songs 40-31, 30-21 , and 20-11. Now, let’s Return to the week ending June 7, 1986, and finish the countdown.

10. “A Different Corner” by George Michael

This was George Michael’s first solo single to be a top 10 hit. He was technically still in Wham! at this time. But he and Andrew Ridgeley had announced that they would split in the summer after a farewell single, album and concert. Although “A Different Corner” was a George Michael solo song, it appeared on Wham!’s final album Music from the Edge of Heaven.

9. “There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)” by Billy Ocean

Billy Ocean has such a great voice. This song is from his Love Zone album, and would eventually reach the number 1 spot.

8. “Crush On You” by The Jets

The Wolfgramm family (aka The Jets), from Minneapolis, Minnesota, broke through with this top 10 hit. They would go on to have several more hits, but faded away by 1990. They were really good while they lasted.

7. “Something About You” by Level 42

This was the awesome British jazz-funk band’s biggest hit in the U.S. In my opinion, this is a very underrated band. And I know for a fact that I’m not the only one who feels that way. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine wrote an article for this site – “One-Hit Wonders? Not Level 42!“. Jim wrote a great piece about them, and included some great songs and an incredible bass solo by Mark King. Be sure to check out the article if you want to learn more about Level 42.

6. “If You Leave” by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

This was OMD’s biggest hit, due in no small part to the fact that it was featured in the John Hughes movie Pretty in Pink. According to a New York Times article about OMD, The band wrote “If You Leave” after John Hughes decided to change the ending to Pretty in Pink after poor test audience reactions. Hughes had asked the band for a song for the new ending two days before they were due to begin a tour, and “If You Leave” was written and recorded in under 24 hours as a result. The original ending featured another OMD song, “Goddess of Love“, which was released on the band’s album The Pacific Age later in 1986.

5. “All I Need Is a Miracle” by Mike + The Mechanics

This is a nice upbeat song from Mike + The Mechanics’ self-titled debut album. Mike + The Mechanics had two lead vocalists – Paul Carrack and former Sad Café vocalist Paul Young (not to be confused with the Paul Young who sings “Every Time You Go Away“). Paul Carrack usually did the slow songs, such as “The Living Years“. Paul Young did the lead vocals on this song.

4. “I Can’t Wait” by Nu Shooz

Here is a forgotten hit. This is a fun, freestyle dance song.

3. “Greatest Love of All” by Whitney Houston

My heart breaks every time I play a Whitney Houston song. I loved this song when it came out. It usually didn’t take me long to get sick of listening to a song over and over. But, this song is a rare exception. I never got sick of this one, and I still love it.

2. “On My Own” by Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald

This song was written and produced by Burt Bacharach and his former wife Carole Bayer Sager. It was originally recorded by Dionne Warwick, and it was supposed to be on her album, Friends. But for some reason, it was not included on the album.
Instead, it was performed by Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald, and included on LaBelle’s first platinum album, Winner in You. It would go on to be the biggest single ever for both singers as it hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

1. “Live To Tell” by Madonna

And we have reached the #1 song this week. Ah, the good ole days when Madonna was relevant! Even her harshest critics liked this song. Many consider it to be her best ballad. This song was used for Madonna’s then-husband Sean Penn’s film At Close Range. This was Madonna’s third number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, and her first number-one on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this week’s countdown as much as I did. Some of these songs really bring back some memories. Feel free to share some of your memories here. Did you have any favorite songs this week. Well, until next week, Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.

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Welcome back as we continue on with this week’s countdown! If you missed the previous songs, you can go back and check out songs 40-31 and 30-21. I think this has been a pretty strong week so far, and today is no different. Let’s Return to the week ending June 7, 1986, and continue on with the countdown.

20. “West End Girls” by Pet Shop Boys

We’ll begin the countdown today with some synthpop. This song was released twice as a single. The initial version was produced by Bobby Orlando and was released on Columbia Records in 1984. It became a club hit in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and a minor dance hit in Belgium, and France, but was only available in the United Kingdom as a 12″ import. In March 1985, after long negotiations, Pet Shop Boys cut their contractual ties with Orlando, and hired manager Tom Watkins, who signed them with EMI. They re-recorded “West End Girls” with producer Stephen Hague, and re-released the song in late 1985 for their first studio album Please. The song topped the charts in both the UK and the U.S.

Recently, this song was played at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.

19. “What Have You Done For Me Lately” by Janet Jackson

This was Janet Jackson’s breakthrough hit. It was her first song to hit the top 10, peaking at #4. The video was choreographed by Paula Abdul, who also appears in the video as Jackson’s friend.

18. “Who’s Johnny?” by El DeBarge

This is a fun song that was featured in the movie Short Circuit. It would eventually peak at #3 n the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B Singles chart.

17. “I Wanna Be a Cowboy” by Boys Don’t Cry

This song made Boys Don’t Cry a one-hit wonder. It would peak at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. And yes, that’s Lemmy from Motörhead in this video!

16. “Holding Back the Years” by Simply Red

This is a nice song from Simply Red’s debut studio album Picture Book. This song and their cover of “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” each reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

15. “Nothin’ At All” by Heart

Heart was already a very successful band with some smash hits in the ’70s. They did have some really good songs in the early ’80s. But, their self-titled album in 1985 was a huge comeback, and made Heart one of the best rock bands of the ’80s. “Nothin’ at All” was the fourth single released from that album, and was the fourth song from the album to hit the U.S. Top 10.

14. “No One Is To Blame” by Howard Jones

This is my favorite HoJo song. Phil Collins has his fingerprints all over the countdown this week! First, there was “Invisible Touch” by his band, Genesis. Next, was his solo hit, “Take Me Home”. Now, in this song, Collins co-produced (along with Hugh Padgham), and he also added his own backing vocals and drum work.
This song was Howard Jones’ biggest hit single in the U.S., peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

13. “Is It Love” by Mr. Mister

Here is a forgotten hit. Mr. Mister are mainly known for “Broken Wings” and “Kyrie“. I like this song just as much, if not better. It was also used during the end credits of the 1987 movie Stakeout.

12. “Move Away” by Culture Club

Culture Club was one of the biggest bands in the early to mid ’80s. But, this was the end of their great run. “Move Away” was the first single from their album From Luxury to Heartache. It was their last successful song in the U.S.

11. “Be Good To Yourself” by Journey

What a way to finish the countdown today! Journey is one of my all-time favorite bands, and this is one of my favorite songs by them. “Be Good to Yourself” was the first single released from Raised On Radio – the band’s first studio album in three years. A lot of people have a negative reaction to Raised On Radio, but I love that album. It sucks that drummer Steve Smith, and founding member Ross Valory were not with the band anymore at this point. But, I loved the music. This is a great, feel-good rock song.

Wow, the end of the week is rapidly approaching! We will wrap up the countdown tomorrow. And it’s going to be awesome! A lot of times, when you get to the top songs of a countdown. However, this is not the case tomorrow. Actually, I think we already got the overplayed songs out of the way earlier in the countdown. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

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Welcome back, as we count down the biggest hits this week in 1986! If you missed yesterday’s post, you can go back and check out songs 40-31.

This countdown really brings me back to my high school days. I was literally in the middle of high school at this point, as I was wrapping up my Sophomore year. Now, let’s Return to the week ending June 7, 1986, and continue the countdown.

30. “Like No Other Night” by .38 Special

Any countdown that has a .38 Special song is a good countdown.

29. “Why Can’t This Be Love” by Van Halen

This was the first Van Halen song to feature Sammy Hagar on lead vocals after he replaced David Lee Roth. 5150 is one of my all-time favorite albums. I love every song on that album, including this one.

28. “Like a Rock” by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

Too bad we couldn’t have gotten this song out of the way yesterday along with “Sledgehammer” and “Addicted to Love”. I feel like this song was overplayed as well. But, that may have been because it was the slogan for the Chevy truck commercials for years.

27. “Your Wildest Dreams” by The Moody Blues

This was my introduction to The Moody Blues. I had never heard of 1972’s “Nights in White Satin” until I had heard this song (which was their last top 10 hit before “Your Wildest Dreams”). I like this song, but I prefer this song’s sequel, “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere“.
But, this song does bring me back to the ’80s.

26. “Take Me Home” by Phil Collins

This is yet another song in a long list of Phil Collins’ solo hits. This one is from the classic No Jacket Required album.

25. “Your Love” by The Outfield

Here is an ultimate ’80s tune. This is The Outfield’s signature song from their debut album, Play Deep. This song was just featured in an awesome skit this past season on Saturday Night Live. You should definitely check out this skit if you like the song, or are a fan of the ’80s.

24. “Tuff Enuff” by The Fabulous Thunderbirds

This was the blues rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds’ biggest hit. It would eventually peak at #10, making The Fabulous Thunderbirds a one hit wonder. I don’t think they mind though. Lead singer Kim Wilson said, “Blues rock groups aren’t supposed to have Top Ten hits.”

23. “Vienna Calling” by Falco

This was Falco’s follow-up to “Rock Me Amadeus.” This was not as big a hit, but it did moderately well. I had forgotten how much I liked this song.

22. “Rain On the Scarecrow” by John Cougar Mellencamp

This song is about the financial difficulties farmers in the Midwest US face. John Cougar Mellencamp puts his money where his mouth is too, as he founded the Farm Aid benefit concerts along with Neil Young and Willie Nelson.

21. “Bad Boy” by Miami Sound Machine featuring Gloria Estefan

We’ll wrap up today’s list with the second single released from The Miami Sound Machine’s second English language album, Primitive Love. This was so early in the band’s history, that Gloria Estefan did not yet have top billing. This was a very good follow-up to the band’s breakthrough hit, “Conga“.

Well, we are halfway through this week’s countdown. What do you think so far? I like so many songs on today’s list that I can’t even pick a favorite today. And this countdown is going to get even better! Tomorrow’s list will include one of my favorite songs by one of my all-time favorite bands. So be sure to come back.

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Welcome back for a new week of the Top 40 Countdown. This week, we will Return to the week ending June 7, 1986. Last week, we covered the countdown from 1982. Just 4 years later, they style of music has totally changed. It’s amazing to me how different the music is, while at the same time it is still undeniably all ’80s. There are no more easy listening or Country Crossover tunes. Instead, New Wave was the style that was crossing over to pop radio. Of course we still have our rock music, ’cause Rock ‘N Roll will never die, Baby!!! Oh I’m sorry. I know your name isn’t “Baby”. It’s Janet… Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty! There is also plenty of pop and freestyle music. So, let’s Return to this week in 1986, and begin the countdown.

40. “Out of Mind, Out of Sight” by Models

We begin the countdown with the Australian band, Models. They were successful in their home country.
In 1985, “Out of Mind, Out of Sight” became their biggest hit. Geffen Records released the single internationally in 1986, and it reached the Top 40 in the U.S., eventually peaking at #37. The band toured the US in November, supporting Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.

39. “Mothers Talk” by Tears for Fears

In the U.K., “Mothers Talk” was the first single to be released from Tears for Fears’ 1985 album, Songs from the Big Chair. In the U.S., “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” was the first single released from that album, while “Mothers Talk” was the fourth and final single released from that album.

38. “All the Things She Said” by Simple Minds

Wow, they had another song besides “Don’t You (Forget About Me)“!?! Oh, and “Sanctify Yourself“. I like those other songs better than this one.

37. “Invisible Touch” by Genesis

Although this song got played to death, along with every other song on the Invisible Touch album, I still love it. I find this hard to believe, but “Invisible Touch” was the band’s first #1 hit in the U.S. It remained at the top on the Billboard Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks.

36. “The Love Parade” by The Dream Academy

The Dream Academy’s first single, “Life in a Northern Town“, was their biggest hit. When “The Love Parade” came out, it was promoted pretty well. The band even did a live performance on American Bandstand. But the song did not catch on too well. This is the highest it charted, preventing The Dream Academy from being a One Hit Wonder.

35. “When the Heart Rules the Mind” by GTR

This is my personal pick for Song of the Day. GTR were a short-lived rock band founded in 1985 by former Yes and Asia guitarist Steve Howe and former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. This is a very cool rock song.

34. “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins

If you were alive in 1986, you know this song, unless you lived under a rock. Here are some interesting facts about the song that you may not know, or have forgotten:

• The band Toto were originally intended to perform the track, but legal conflicts between the producers of Top Gun and the band’s lawyers prevented this.

• Bryan Adams was approached to allow his song “Only the Strong Survive” on the soundtrack and perform “Danger Zone”, but Adams refused any involvement, feeling that the film glorified war and he did not want any of his work linked to it.

• REO Speedwagon were also approached to perform “Danger Zone”, but the group declined due to not being allowed to contribute any of their own compositions to the soundtrack.

• Dann Huff, lead vocalist and guitarist from the 1980s hard rock group Giant (“I’ll See You In My Dreams“), performed guitar on the song.

33. “Nasty” by Janet Jackson

This was the second single from Janet’s classic Control album, and is one of her signature songs. The song won for Favorite Soul/R&B Single at the 1987 American Music Awards.

32. “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel

Ugh. One of my least favorite songs of the ’80s. I already didn’t like it much. But, the fact that this song got shoved into our ears so much made it even worse.
However, I do have to admit that the video was groundbreaking with the claymation, pixilation, and stop motion animation that were used. The video would win a number of awards, including a record nine MTV Awards at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards, and Best British Video at the 1987 Brit Awards.

31. “Addicted to Love” by Robert Palmer

Another Ugh! This is another song that got way overplayed. And this is another song that became popular due to the video. Palmer was surrounded by a band of robots women. I do prefer this song to “Sledghammer”, but not by much.

And that wraps up today’s list. This wasn’t exactly my favorite list of songs, but the rest of the countdown is going to be outstanding. So, did you like these songs? Do you have any memories from the beginning of the Summer of ’86?

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