Category Archives: 1989

1989, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – February 11, 1989: Songs 10-1

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Welcome back to the conclusion of this week’s countdown! If you’d like to go back too check out the previous songs, you can check out songs 40-31, 30-21, and 20-11. It has been fun going back to this transitional part of my life. We may have been heading into the ’90s, but there are definitely some classic ’80s songs here. So, let’s Return to the week ending February 11, 1989, and wrap up this week’s countdown.

10. “Walking Away” by Information Society

The synth-pop group followed up their smash hit, “What’s on Your Mind (Pure Energy)” with another Top 10 hit. In that previous song, they had sampled Leonard Nimoy’s voice from the Star Trek episode “Errand of Mercy”. In this song, they sampled William Shatner as James T. Kirk saying “It is useless to resist us” from the Star Trek episode, “Mirror, Mirror”, and James Doohan as Scotty saying “Let’s Go See!” from the Star Trek episode, “Wolf in the Fold”. They did not have any other top 10 hits after this song. Maybe they needed to sample Doctor McCoy saying “I’m a doctor, not a ____”.

9. “She Wants to Dance With Me” by Rick Astley

Yes, Rick Astley had other songs besides “Never Gonna Give You Up” and “Together Forever”. Somebody better inform the ’80s radio stations and shows that are out there.

 

8. “I Wanna Have Some Fun” by Samantha Fox

My second ’80s crush of this countdown! This was the first song released from Samantha’s third album, I Wanna Have Some Fun. I always loved her music. And 16-18 year old me really appreciated that every one of her songs at that time were about sex or love…but mostly sex. Pretty much the pop version of the band Kiss.

7. “The Lover in Me” by Sheena Easton

This was one of Sheena Easton’s biggest hits in the U.S., peaking at #2. After having a strong run throughout the early ’80s, this would be her final Top 10 hit. This song was written by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Antonio “L.A.” Reid and Daryl Simmons, who were quite the powerhouse at that time.

6. “All This Time” by Tiffany

This awesome ballad would be Tiffany’s final Top 10 hit. I personally think she is very underrated. She has a very cool and unique voice, and puts a lot of emotion into her songs. And she is another ’80s artist who is still out there recording new music….most recently, 2018’s Pieces of Me.

5. “When the Children Cry” by White Lion

Speaking of unique voices, here is another awesome power ballad. White Lion had a really good run in the late ’80s/early ’90s before they called it quits.

 

 

4. “Born to Be My Baby” by Bon Jovi

2-3-4!!! Bon Jovi was not slowing down one bit at this time. This was the 2nd single released from the New Jersey album, and was the 2nd of 5 Top 10 songs from that album alone. That was the most top 10 hits for any hard rock album.

 

3. “Wild Thing” by Tone Lōc

Thanks Wikipedia for letting us know that the title is a reference to the phrase “doin’ the wild thing,” a euphemism for sex. Duh!!!! This song would peak at #2. It is a lot of fun. I do like rap with guitar and heavy drums. As usual, if a rap song has a great rock sound to it, that means it was stolen. In this case, it used an uncredited sample of Van Halen’s “Jamie’s Cryin'”. There was a lawsuit that was settled out of court.

2. “When I’m With You” by Sheriff


Great power ballad by the Canadian rock group, Sheriff. This song was released in 1983 with minor success. Then in November 1988, Brian Philips, Program Director at KDWB in Minneapolis, and WKTI in Milwaukee began playing the song, and eventually other radio stations nationally followed suit. The song shot up to number 1, which was four years after the band separated in 1985. Freddy Curci held the final note of the song for 19.4 seconds, making it the longest-held note for a male pop singer. Curci went on to form the supergroup Alias, and is still with them to this day.

1. “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul

This was the third song released from Paula Abdul’s Forever Your Girl album (after “Knocked Out” and “The Way That You Love Me”), but this is the one that shot her up to superstardom. This was the first week the song topped the charts, and would stay here for 3 weeks. She had a long string of hits in a short time after this. And the former Laker Girl already had a huge career as a choreographer in many, many music videos and blockbuster movies.

Well, that wraps up this week’s countdown. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have. We’ll be heading back to the U.K. next time. Until then, Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.

1989, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – February 11, 1989: Songs 20-11

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Welcome back to this week’s countdown! If you still need to see what the previous songs were, you can check out songs 40-31, and 30-21. I would also like to point out that T.G. Monahan and I started a new Return to the ’80s series called, Return to 1989. This will be a monthly series, going through all the news events, movies, and music from 30 years ago. So, if you’d like to Return to the glory days of 1989, you can check out our inaugural episode about January 1989.
Now, let’s Return to the week ending February 11, 1989, and continue this week’s countdown.

And don’t forget, you can click on the song title to listen to/watch the video on YouTube, and you can click on the album cover to get the song from Amazon.

20. “A Little Respect” by Erasure

We’ll start off today’s songs with a little synth-pop action. There is no mistaking that this is an 80s song. Erasure had some awesome hits in the U.S. in the late 80s. And they were even bigger in the U.K., as they had 24 straight Top 40 hits there. And by 2009, 34 of their 37 chart-eligible singles and EPs had made the UK Top 40, with 17 climbing into the Top 10. They are still very active, and are constantly releasing new albums. The latest was 2018’s World Beyond.

19. “Don’t Rush Me” by Taylor Dayne

This was the fourth single released from Taylor Dayne’s awesome debut album, Tell It to My Heart. This joins a list of songs about not rushing, such as this, “We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off”, and “Keep Your Hands to Yourself”.

 

18. “Armageddon It” by Def Leppard

2 years after the release of the legendary Hysteria album, Def Leppard was still dominating the charts. This was the sixth single released off of the album, and had landed at #3.

 

17. “Dial My Heart” by The Boys

This is one of those songs that did not look familiar to me at all. But once I heard the chorus, it all came back to me. This is a cute, fun R&B song. It would peak at #13 on this chart, and it was a #1 hit on the Billboard R&B singles chart.

 

16. “Surrender to Me” by Ann Wilson & Robin Zander

In a decade full of incredible duets, this was one of my favorites. It doesn’t hurt that it is Ann Wilson from Heart and Robin Zander from Cheap Trick that are singing it. Also, it was written by Richard Marx, who knows his way around a power ballad. This was featured on the soundtrack to the 1988 film Tequila Sunrise starring Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell.

15. “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” by New Kids On The Block

The second boy band entry on today’s list. I hate to admit it, but this song is kind of catchy. And the New Kids are local to me, so I won’t trash them. You can’t argue with their success. But, I’d rather watch an episode of Blue Bloods, starring Donnie, instead. They have been touring in recent years, and it sounds like they have been very successful tours. If anybody is willing to admit that they have seen them, please let me know how they are singing these songs. I don’t know if it would be cool and fun, or just weird.

14. “Angel of Harlem” by U2

Off of the Rattle and Hum album, this is not one of my favorite U2 songs.

 

 

 

13. “The Way You Love Me” by Karyn White

This was the lead single from Karyn White’s debut, self-titled album. Even though I was definitely more into rock in these days, I still liked Karyn White a lot for some reason. This song was written and produced by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Antonio “L.A.” Reid and Daryl Simmons, and it was the first of four Top 10 singles from Karyn White.

12. “Lost in Your Eyes” by Debbie Gibson

80s CRUSH ALERT!!!! This would be Debbie’s biggest hit, staying at the top of the charts for 3 straight weeks. This was the first single released from her Electric Youth album, ensuring that there would be no sophomore slump. And this was the third song on today’s list for the teen crowd.

11. “What I Am” by Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians

This was the debut single for Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. This was the beginning of the end of the ’80s. It could have easily blended in with the ’90s and the singer/songwriters from that period.

 

That wraps up today’s songs. I’d love to hear what you think so far. We will wrap up the top 10 songs of the week, on Friday.

1989, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – February 11, 1989: Songs 30-21

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Welcome back as we continue this week’s countdown! If you missed the first 10 songs, you can go ahead and check them out. As I look at this countdown, one thing that really stands out to me is the variety of the different genres of music in one countdown. And it was like this throughout the entire decade. It is something you would never hear today. Now, let’s go back to that glorious time, and Return to the week ending February 11, 1989, and continue the countdown.

And don’t forget, you can click on the song title to listen to/watch the video on YouTube, and you can click on the album cover to get the song from Amazon.

30. “Girl You Know It’s True” by Milli Vanilli

This is the song that will live in music-world infamy, as it was the song that was playing when Milli Vanilli were exposed as lip synchers. Up to that point, they were wildly popular, and even won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist (which they had to return). The sin wasn’t just that they were lip synching, but they were lip synching to somebody else’s vocals. Milli Vanilli get all the attention for the scandal. But, what I want to know is, what ever happened to the real singers, and how ugly could they have been in order to not be allowed to be seen?! They had a lot of great hits, so you would think they would have come out of the shadows, and performed for real.

29. “Don’t Tell Me Lies” by Breathe

This song did not sound familiar at all to me. It was actually Breathe’s debut single. It was released in the UK in early 1986. However, it did not chart very high at all, peaking at #77. But, after Breathe’s international success with “Hands to Heaven” and “How Can I Fall?”, “Don’t Tell Me Lies” was reissued, and became much more successful the second time around. It would become their third top 10 hit in the U.S., peaking at #10.

28. “Shake for the Sheik” by Escape Club

This is a song that I had forgotten about, but remembered when I just started playing it. It sounds very similar to “Wild Wild West”. It would peak right here at #28.

 

27. “My Heart Can’t Tell You No” by Rod Stewart

This was the highest charting single of Rod Stewart’s awesome Out of Control album, peaking at #4. It had originally been written for Barbara Mandrell to cover, but Rod Stewart took it instead. This song also features Duran Duran and Power Station guitarist, Andy Taylor.

 

26. “All She Wants Is” by Duran Duran

As the decade was coming to a close, Duran Duran’s sound started changing a bit. Some of it may be due to the musical climate, and some of it may also be that they were now without Andy Taylor. This was Warren Cuccurullo’s first full album with Duran Duran after Andy Taylor’s departure.

25. “Paradise City” by Guns N’ Roses

This is my favorite Guns N’ Roses tune. “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine” rocked. But, they got way overplayed for me. But, I never got sick of this song at all. Each band member really stands out in this song.

 

24. “Holding On” by Steve Winwood

Here is another song that I had forgotten about. I wish this got more airplay. It would be Steve Winwood’s fourth and final #1 hit on the Adult Contemporary chart, and would peak at #11 on this chart. The music video was directed by famed director, David Fincher.

 

23. “Roni” by Bobby Brown

This is the second time we see Bobby Brown this week. This is a slower tempo song. It would reach all the way up to #3. The song was written by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds.

 

22. “Two Hearts” by Phil Collins

I bought the 45 of this song as soon as it was released. There was no need of that. You could not turn on the radio, or put on MTV, without hearing this song. I got so sick of this. This is another one that I like more now after I haven’t listened to it in a while. It was featured on the Buster soundtrack. Between this song, and “A Groovy Kind of Love” from that movie, I would have thought the movie would have been a smash hit. I don’t know a single person who has seen it, and I’m not even sure if it was released in the U.S.

21. “The Living Years” by Mike + The Mechanics

This world-wide smash hit would top the U.S. charts next month. This is a very moving song, with Paul Carrack on vocals, as it addresses a son’s regret over unresolved conflict with his now-deceased father. It would be nominated for four Grammy awards in 1990, including Record and Song of the Year, as well as Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best Video.

That wraps up today’s list of songs. We are halfway through the countdown. What do you think so far? Come back tomorrow as we continue the countdown.

1989, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – February 11, 1989: Songs 40-31

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Hi Everybody! Time for a new Top 40 countdown! This week, we are Returning to 1989. This is one of the last countdowns that I would have heard before I left for Navy Boot Camp, and be cut off from all pop culture for a couple of months. This should be an interesting week. Some of these songs were new to the countdown, and they would be big hits as I was graduating boot camp. Other songs had been out for a bit, so I knew them very well. And of course there are songs that were new to the countdown, but would not last long, and would be gone by the time I left boot camp. So, let’s Return to the week ending February 11, 1989, and begin the countdown!

Also, you can click on the song title to listen to/watch the video on YouTube, and you can click on the album cover to get the song from Amazon.

40. “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles

This Bangles smash hit broke into the Top 40 right here. This ballad would eventually top the charts. After topping the charts with “Walk Like an Egyptian”, this song helped the Bangles be only the third all-female group to score multiple number-ones in the United States, after the Supremes and the Shirelles.

39. “Little Liar” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

This was the second single released from the Up Your Alley album (after “I Hate Myself for Loving You”). This is one of those awesome songs that I had forgotten about. It has that classic late ’80s/early ’90s rock sound. It had peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

38. “The Love in Your Eyes” by Eddie Money

This is the second song in a row that I love, and had forgotten about! This came off of Money’s Nothing to Lose album, which had the big hit, “Walk on Water”.

 

 

37. It’s No Secret” by Kylie Minogue

Time to sound like a broken record…this is another one I vaguely remember. This was not as a big a smash as Minogue’s cover of “Locomotion”, but it is still a decent throwback to late ’80s pop. Kylie Minogue is still releasing new music to this day. She just released her 14th studio album, Golden, last year. Her single, “Dancing“, was a #1 hit on the U.S. Dance charts.

36. “Dreamin'” by Vanessa Williams

I remember this song, but didn’t realize it was from the ’80s. This was released from Vanessa Williams’ debut album, The Right Stuff, and was her first top 40 and first number-one hit on the Billboard R&B chart, where it stayed at the top of the chart for two weeks.

35. “Just Because” by Anita Baker

And now we have the second awesome R&B ballad in a row. This was off of Anita Baker’s #1 smash hit album, Giving You the Best That I Got.

 

 

34. “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” by Poison

Unless you lived under a rock in the late ’80s, you know this song. It was Poison’s biggest hit, staying at the top of the chart for 3 straight weeks. I loved it when it was first released. But, it got exhausting hearing it everywhere all the time. Of course, some of that was self-inflicted, as I had the 45 of this song. After keeping my distance for a while, I do enjoy going back to this.

33. “You’re Not Alone” by Chicago

I always loved this song, from the great Chicago 19 album. I don’t remember the version from this video. There seems to be a lot of electric guitar in it, which is pretty cool. From September ’88 through this time of February ’89, I had a job working for the newspaper The Providence Journal. I would deliver papers for paper routes that did not have any paperboys. After that, I would go back to the office, and go back out and bring newspapers to people that called in, saying that they didn’t get their paper. So, while I was driving around delivering papers, Chicago 19 would be in heavy rotation in my car. Any of those songs immediately bring me back to that time.

32. “I Beg Your Pardon” by Kon Kan

I had totally forgotten about this song! It was the debut single of the Canadian synthpop band Kon Kan. I love this as it has that classic ’80s sound. It would be Kon Kan’s only top 40 hit inthe U.S.

 

31. “My Prerogative” by Bobby Brown

Sadly, Bobby Brown is known more for his problems, including the train wreck involving the relationship between him and Whitney Houston. We forget how huge a star he was at this time in the late ’80s though. This song was a #1 hit. The album from which it came, Don’t Be Cruel, topped the Billboard 200 album charts, and spawned 5 top 10 hits. It was the best selling album of 1989.

That wraps up today’s list of songs. What do you think so far? What were you doing at this time in 1989? Also, feel free to email me a long distance dedication to Returnto80s@gmail.com. We’ll be back tomorrow, to continue the countdown.

1989, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – March 25, 1989: Songs 10-1

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Hi Everybody! Welcome back to this week’s countdown! If you missed the previous posts, you can check out songs 40-31, 30-21, and 20-11. Well, there are no more hair bands the rest of the way. But, we do have some of the best ballads of the year right here in this top 10. Now, let’s Return to the week ending March 25, 1989, and wrap up the countdown.

10. “You’re Not Alone” by Chicago


This is one of my favorite songs on the great album that is Chicago 19. I love Bill Champlin’s vocals in every song he does.

“You’re Not Alone” on Amazon

9. “Roni” by Bobby Brown

Bobby Brown was white hot at this time. This ballad was the third single released from his incredible Don’t Be Cruel album. This hit, written by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, would peak at #3 on the Hot 100.

“Roni” on Amazon

8. “Walk the Dinosaur” by Was (Not Was)


Boom boom acka-lacka lacka boom
Boom boom acka-lacka boom boom
 Oh man, I feel like I shouldn’t like this song, but I think it’s so much fun. I do like a lot of funk songs though. And this song does stay with you. Now, Open the door, get on the floor /
Everybody walk the dinosaur

“Walk the Dinosaur” on Amazon

Now is the part of the countdown where we see what was topping some of the other charts this week:

The #1 Country song was “New Fool at an Old Game” by Reba McEntire.

Topping the R&B chart was “Closer Than Friends” by Surface.

“I’ll Be You” by The Replacements topped the Rock charts (not to be confused with “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts).

The top Adult Contemporary tune was our #16 hit on the Hot 100 – “You Got It” by Roy Orbison.

The best album in the country this week was Electric Youth by Debbie Gibson.

Finally, the #1 Dance song is our #7 song on the Hot 100 this week…

7. “She Drives Me Crazy” by The Fine Young Cannibals

I never cared for this song. It got so much airplay that it drove me crazy. But, if given the choice to listen to this either song, or most current songs on the radio today, I would pick this one.

“She Drives Me Crazy” on Amazon

6. “Lost In Your Eyes” by Debbie Gibson

Even though my music taste leans heavily towards rock, I have never hidden my love for Debbie Gibson on this site. This is her signature hit. Even people, who look down on her, do like this song. This had been a #1 hit for three straight weeks.

Lost In Your Eyes on Amazon

5. “My Heart Can’t Tell You No” by Rod Stewart

Since it seems like all Rod Stewart has done for well over a decade was release his Great American Songbook series, I always forget how good he really is. His 1988 album, Out of Order, is outstanding. This song, from that album, is a nice ballad and was the highest charting song from that album. It peaked at #4.

“My Heart Can’t Tell You No” on Amazon

4. “The Look” by Roxette

I love this Swedish duo so much!! This song was their global breakthrough hit. It would hit number 1 in several countries, including the U.S. This is a really good rock song from Roxette’s awesome Look Sharp! album.

“The Look” on Amazon

3. “Girl You Know It’s True” by Milli Vanilli


This was a huge pop hit at the time. I didn’t hate it, but it’s not something I would be able to listen to on a regular basis. This was the song that exposed Milli Vanilli as lip synchers. While “performing” this song at a concert in Connecticut, the album began skipping and repeating on the same lyric. This was a huge scandal at the time, which destroyed Milli Vanilli. If this happened today, it would be called just another Friday.

“Girl You Know It’s True” on Amazon

2. “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles


This classic love ballad is one of The Bangles’ signature songs. With this song and “Walk Like an Egyptian“, the Bangles became only the third girl group to score multiple number-ones in the United States, after the Supremes and the Shirelles.

“Eternal Flame” on Amazon

1. “The Living Years” by Mike + The Mechanics

What a way to finish the countdown! This is easily my favorite song by Mike + The Mechanics, and one of my favorite songs of the decade. Paul Carrack sings lead vocals on the song. This is an emotional song about a tumultuous father/son relationship and the son’s regret of the unresolved issues after his father died. After all, It’s too late when we die / To admit we don’t see eye to eye

The lyrics are great and the music is great.

“The Living Years” on Amazon

Well, that wraps up this week’s countdown. I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. The next countdown will be earlier in the decade to more of the classic ’80s music we all know and love. Until then, Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.

1989, Artists, Music

Top 40 Songs This Week – March 25, 1989: Songs 20-11

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Hi Everybody! Welcome back to this week’s countdown! If you missed the previous posts, you can check out songs 40-31 and 30-21. Once again, we have a crazy diverse day. We have hair bands, R&B, and pop. And, we also have a Long Distance Dedication! So, let’s Return to the week ending March 25, 1989, and continue the countdown.

20. “Your Mama Don’t Dance” by Poison

We begin today with Poison’s cover of the Loggins and Messina hit, “Your Mama Don’t Dance”. The Loggins and Messina version reached all the way up to #4 in 1972. While Poison didn’t go as high with the song, they did manage to reach #10. This song was kind of a let down for me. But, next year, Poison would release what I feel was their best album – Flesh and Blood.

“Your Mama Don’t Dance” by Poison on Amazon

19. “I Beg Your Pardon” by Kon Kan

This is one of those songs that I didn’t recognize by the title, but remembered it when I heard it. This has that classic late-80s New Wavey synthpop sound. This song was a worldwide hit for the Canadian synthpop band.

“I Beg Your Pardon” by Kon Kan on Amazon

18. “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” by New Kids On The Block

Oh Good Lord!!! I forgot that we are now in a point in time where the New Kids were white hot. Well, I was never a part of their target audience, so this is not my thing. They are local to me, so I am happy for their success. Donnie is awesome in Blue Bloods, and I actually do enjoy the A&E show, Wahlburgers. I still haven’t been to one of those restaurants yet. By the way, who would have thought that 26 years after this song, New Kids On the Block would still be touring?!?

“You Got It (The Right Stuff)” by New Kids On The Block on Amazon

17. “Superwoman” by Karyn White

“Superwoman” is the second single from R&B singer Karyn White’s self-titled debut album, Karyn White (1988). It became her second U.S. top ten hit and second U.S. R&B number-one hit.

Here is a nice R&B song by Karyn White. She had a nice string of hits in the late ’80s through early ’90s. She then left the music business to start a family. In 2012, she released her first studio album in 17 years – Carpe Diem.

“Superwoman” by Karyn White on Amazon

16. “You Got It” by Roy Orbison

Here is the second song, of this list, titled “You Got It” (minus “The Right Stuff”). I remember this song very well, but thought this was an older song from the ’60s. This song reached #9, and was Orbison’s first Top 10 hit in 25 years. Unfortunately, Orbison never saw this return to the charts, as he died of a heart attack the previous December at the age of 52. A couple of his Traveling Wilburys played on this song – Jeff Lynne on backing vocals and electric guitar, and Tom Petty on backing vocals and acoustic guitar.

“You Got It” by Roy Orbison on Amazon

15. “Just Because” by Anita Baker

Here is another really good R&B hit. This is my favorite song so far today. Anita Baker won a Grammy with this song for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

“Just Because” by Anita Baker on Amazon

14. “Stand” by R.E.M.

Ugh, I can’t “Stand” this song! I don’t know what it is about R.E.M., but they just irritate me. This song just sounds like an annoying children’s song. I will give them credit for having a unique sound.

“Stand” by R.E.M. on Amazon

Now we’re up to our Long Distance Dedication. This is the feature that reminds us what popular music is all about…songs helping us to express important feelings. Here is a letter from Robert from Nebraska:

Dear Casey,

This dedication is for the most important person in my life. I had the great experience of growing up in Frankfurt, Germany. I was part of military family and we moved quite a few times. I was a quiet, shy boy and I had a few good friends, but always had difficulty being comfortable in groups, especially if girls were present. I never really dated much – until the beginning of my senior year when I met Diana. I had signed up for the bus to take us to an away football game. The buses were crowded and I was forced to sit next to one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen. Naturally, I was nervous and had trouble even looking as her- not to mention talking to her. During the football game we gave each other side glances and on the trip home we again sat together- not because we had to this time. When we got back to the school, I somehow summoned enough courage to ask for her phone number. The rest, as they say, is history. We became inseparable and did everything together. Eventually, the time came to return to the U.S. for college. We decided to go to school in Nebraska – I just could not imagine being without her. I was leaving the first week of July and she would leave at the end of August. We spent every day until that week in June. These were the best days I had ever had. I was worried that things would not work out while we were apart and these could be the last days I would ever see her. Casey, would you please play “Endless Summer Nights” by Richard Marx. This song reminds me of the great times I spent with Diana and how much she meant to me. Thank you.

P.S. Casey, everything did work out. This summer we will celebrate our 25th anniversary with our four wonderful children. Even today this song reminds me of her and that summer after our senior year.

Robert. Here is your long distance dedication

From 1987, that was “Endless Summer Nights” by Richard Marx, a long distance dedication from Robert in Nebraska, to his wife Diana.

Now. On with the countdown.

“Endless Summer Nights” by Richard Marx on Amazon

13. “Don’t Tell Me Lies” by Breathe


I had never heard this song before. I do like some songs by Breathe, so I was hoping this would be a pleasant surprise. It’s not bad. Not great either, but far from the worst on this countdown.

“Don’t Tell Me Lies” by Breathe on Amazon

12. “Dreamin'” by Vanessa Williams


This is the third R&B song today, and it is another winner! This was Vanessa’s first top 40 hit, and first #1 R&B hit.

“Dreamin'” by Vanessa Williams on Amazon

11. “Paradise City” by Guns N’ Roses

This is, by far, my favorite Guns N’ Roses tune! It is such a perfect rock song. From Steven Adler’s awesome drumming to Slash’s classic guitar sound, to Axl’s voice, which is perfect for this song. They are just firing on all cylinders at this point. I think that if they all got along, kept their s*!t together, they would have survived through the grunge era. Everybody has been waiting for the original lineup to get back together for years. And after Eddie Trunk’s recent interview with Steven Adler, there is a buzz about this happening. I’m not holding my breathe though.

“Paradise City” by Guns N’ Roses on Amazon

1989, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – March 25, 1989: Songs 30-21

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Hi Everybody! Welcome back to this week’s countdown! At this point in time, we were getting away from that classic early to mid-’80s sound. It is kind of sad as we begin to move out of the ’80s. But, I did love the huge range of musical styles. For example, yesterday we had Metallica and Enya on the same list! Today also has a mix of rock acts and pop acts.
There are going to be a couple of different things about today’s list. For each song, I will include an Amazon link to the song. Then you can download it, and put it on your iPod, MP3 player, whatever listening device you use. Don’t worry though. You can still click on the song title to listen/watch the YouTube video of the song.
The second change is that I am going to throw an older song into this list. I listen to Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 station on iHeartRadio whenever I get a chance. I noticed that he often plays an older song in addition to the Long Distance Dedication. So I will do the same thing here.
Now, let’s Return to the week ending March 25, 1989, and continue the countdown.

30. “Room to Move” by Animotion

I had heard this song before. But, I had no idea that Animotion (best known for their smash hit, “Obsession“) was the band who performed this. It has that distinctive late-’80s sound. This song was also featured in the 1988 movie, My Stepmother Is an Alien, starring Dan Aykroyd and Kim Basinger.

“Room to Move” by Animotion on Amazon

29. “Surrender to Me” by Ann Wilson and Robin Zander

This is one of my favorite duets of all-time. I bought the 45 of this song before I joined the Navy. You can’t go wrong with Ann Wilson lead singer of Heart, who I think has one of the best rock voices ever. She sounded really good with Robin Zander, the lead singer of Cheap Trick. It also doesn’t hurt that Richard Marx was one of the songwriters here, as he was at the top of his game. This song was also featured in a 1988 movie. This one was for Tequila Sunrise starring Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell.

“Surrender to Me” by Ann Wilson and Robin Zander on Amazon

28. “Second Chance” by .38 Special

.38 Special is mainly known for their upbeat rock songs. However, this awesome ballad would be the band’s biggest hit, peaking at #6. It also peaked at #2 on the Mainstream Rock chart, and became the band’s first #1 single on the Adult Contemporary chart.

“Second Chance” by .38 Special on Amazon

27. “I’ll Be There For You” by Bon Jovi

This is one of the biggest power ballads of all-time. Bon Jovi was in the peak of their incredible run at this point, and this song shot right up to #1. I still love this song. Richie Sambora’s backing vocals are just incredible. And it feels like Jon is putting everything he has into this song – Especially, at the part where he screams after the lyrics I didn’t mean to miss your birthday, baby/I wish I’d seen you blow those candles out. So, so great!

“I’ll Be There For You” by Bon Jovi on Amazon

26. “Funky Cold Medina” by Tone Lōc

He’s back. Yesterday, we hit Tone Lōc’s “Wild Thing”. Now here is his other song. This song does sound like “Wild Thing” to me, but I still like it.

“Funky Cold Medina” by Tone Lōc on Amazon

25. “Like a Prayer” by Madonna

This is one of my favorite Madonna songs. It was the first song released off of the album of the same name. I think that Like a Prayer was Madonna’s last solid album. I would not hear this title track until I got to San Diego a month later. I instantly loved this song, and still love it today.

“Like a Prayer” by Madonna on Amazon

24. “Heaven Help Me” by Deon Estus

I love this song by Deon Estus! Deon was the bass player in Wham!, and was the bassist on George Michael’s first two solo albums. And how’s this for a resume? Deon has played with Marvin Gaye, Tina Turner, Frank Zappa, George Clinton, Annie Lennox, Edgar Winter, Aaron Neville, and Elton John. This song was his biggest hit, peaking all the way up at #5. George Michael sang the backing vocals here.

“Heaven Help Me” by Deon Estus on Amazon

“Our Day Will Come” by Ruby and the Romantics

This countdown took place 26 years ago this week. Now that we have Returned to 1989, let’s go back another 26 years – to 1963. This week in 1963, unless you saw them in a club in Hamburg Germany, chances are that you have never heard of the Beatles yet. Before the music landscape changed forever, let’s take a look at what was at the top of the charts this week in 1963.
It was Ruby and the Romantics. Their song “Our Day Will Come” was their first mainstream hit, and it topped the charts. They didn’t go on to be anywhere near as successful.

“Our Day Will Come” by Ruby and the Romantics on Amazon

OK, I had enough of that for now. Let’s Return to 1989.

23. “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul

Yeah, yeah, I know. Now a lot of you want to go back to 1963 again! But, this was a huge hit, and put Paula Abdul on the map. I know I loved this song when it came out. I don’t love it so much now, but it’s still not bad to hear once in a while.

“Straight Up” by Paula Abdul on Amazon

22. “Cryin'” by Vixen

I love Vixen! I could not get enough of this all-female hard rock group. They are mainly known for this song and “Edge of a Broken Heart“. But, I loved every song on their first two albums. And I still love them today.

“Cryin'” by Vixen on Amazon

21. “More Than You Know” by Martika

I was unfamiliar with this hit from the “Toy Soldiers” singer, Martika. Martika rose to prominence by starring in the musical television show, Kids Incorporated, which also launched the careers of Stacy Ferguson (aka Fergie) and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Martika was a stand-out on that show. I love her voice. I don’t know why, but even though I was really into rock (and still am), I loved this freestyle pop sound of the very late ’80s.

“More Than You Know” by Martika on Amazon

I hope you are all enjoying this trip back to 1989. At least this gives you something else to listen to instead of Taylor Swift.
Tomorrow is going to be an even bigger range of musical styles than it was today. And tomorrow, we will have the return of the Long Distance Dedication!!! So come back tomorrow, and check it out!

1989, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – March 25, 1989: Songs 40-31

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Hi Everybody! Back by popular demand is the Top 40 Countdown!!! The last countdown – from 1985 – was classic. Personally, I think this is going to be an outstanding week as well. This week, we are Returning to 1989. At the time of this countdown, I was cut off from pop culture civilization as I was in the middle of Navy boot camp. There are some songs on this countdown that I had heard before boot camp, and there are some that were new to me after boot camp. But, there are also some that had come and gone in the 9 week period that I was away. This should be interesting! Now, let’s get started, and Return to the week ending March 25, 1989, and begin the countdown!

40. “One” by Metallica

Earlier in the decade, who would have thought that Metallica would have a Top 40 hit on the pop charts? This was Metallica’s first Top 40 hit, and it was the third and final song released from their album …And Justice for All. In a couple of years later the band would release their controversial album Metallica (aka The Black Album). It wasn’t the material that was controversial. The controversy was that they changed their sound, causing them to lose a lot of fans. But, they would gain plenty of new fans. So, I suppose this was the beginning of the end of Metallica’s true heavy metal sound.

39. “Feels So Good” by Van Halen

This is my favorite song from the second Van Halen album to feature Sammy Hagar – OU812. I didn’t think this album was as good as 5150 (although, it would have been almost impossible to top that one), but OU812 was a pretty solid album. And this song came as advertised – it made me feel good.

38. “Wild Thing” by Tone Lōc

Is it bad that I like this “Wild Thing” better than the Trogg’s “Wild Thing”? Tone Lōc’s song was not a remake, and had nothing to do with the Troggs, except for the title.

37. “The Love In Your Eyes” by Eddie Money

I could not find this song anywhere on the internet at all. So I linked up to his hit, “Walk On Water”, which also came off of his album, Nothing to Lose.

36. “Orinoco Flow” by Enya

I wish I could “sail away, sail away, sail away” from this new-agey song. This song was a world wide hit for the Irish singer, Enya. But this song is not for me.

35. “She Won’t Talk to Me” by Luther Vandross

I love Luther! This song was a huge R&B hit. It was nominated for a Grammy for “Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male”.

34. “The Lover in Me” by Sheena Easton

This is one of those songs that I didn’t remember until I just listened to it again. I hadn’t realized that Sheena Easton lasted this late into the ’80s. But, this was her biggest hit in the U.S. since “Morning Train”, topping out at #2. This song was produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, who were hitting their stride at this point.

33. “Sincerely Yours” by Sweet Sensation & Romeo J.D

Time for some freestyle from Sweet Sensation, the latin trio from New York! This was off of their debut album, Take It While It’s Hot. Although I was still heavy into rock music at that time, I loved Sweet Sensation.

32. “Thinking of You” by Sa-Fire

I loved this nice ballad by Sa-Fire. I bought this cassingle when I got out of boot camp, and went to my Navy schooling in San Diego. It was a perfect song for being very far away from home for the first time.

31. “Rocket” by Def Leppard

Two years after the release of the legendary Hysteria album, Def Leppard were still hitting the charts with songs from that album! This was the final single released from that album. I still love it, and it is still one of the kost popular songs they play in concert.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m loving this countdown already. What a variety! There was only one stinker for me. We’ll be back to continue the countdown tomorrow.

1989, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – August 5, 1989: Songs 10-1

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Hi Everybody, welcome back as we wrap up this week’s countdown. You can go back and check out songs 40-31, 30-21, and 20-11 if you missed them. This has been a solid week so far. This top 10 is going to be pretty good. A lot of times when you get to the top 10, there are a lot of songs that have been overplayed throughout the years. But, that is not the case with these ten songs. There is one that was overplayed at the time, but I don’t hear it too often anymore. So let’ss jump into it, and Return to the week ending August 5, 1989, and wrap up the countdown.

10. “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” by Simply Red

This is one of those songs that I did not really like when I first heard it. I had been into rock and dance music at this point, so this song had bored me. However now that I’m older, I love this song. I also love the original version by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes from 1972.

9. “Cold Hearted” by Paula Abdul

This song is just the opposite of the last song. I loved Paula Abdul at the time. She was red hot (in more ways than one). But, now I can’t really listen to too many of her songs all the way through.

8. “I Like It” by Dino

When I first saw this title and artist, I had no idea what this song was.The only Dinos I have heard of was Fred Flinstone’s pet and Dino Bravo from the WWF. I pulled the video up on YouTube, and before I played the song, I saw Dino had long hair, so I thought, “Cool! Maybe this is another rock song that I’ll like.” Then the music started. Definitely not rock! And then I totally remembered this song! I always thought Bobby Brown did this song! And just as the title of the song states, I Like It. I had totally forgotten about this one.

7. “Lay Your Hands On Me” by Bon Jovi

Great, great Bon Jovi tune from their best album, New Jersey. I love the music leading up to the beginning of the song, and then it leads in to the keyboards and vocals. This song just rocks!

6. “Once Bitten Twice Shy” by Great White

This is a bit of a sensitive topic for me. Many of you probably know that I am from Rhode Island. Most people know about the tragic fire, involving Great White, at The Station night club in West Warwick, RI on February 20, 2003. 100 people died after Great White set off some pyrotechnics to start off the show, which caused the cheap soundproofing foam to catch fire, which then engulfed the whole club within minutes. In addition to the 100 who died, there were 230 more people that were injured/burned. Being from a small state, if you didn’t know one of the victims, you know somebody who did.

It took me a long time to be able to listen to Great White again. But, they did lose a member of the band themselves in that fire – guitarist Ty Longley. I mainly blame the cheap-ass owners of the club for the tragedy. They put in that cheap foam instead of using something better. And they allowed way too many people in that club at one time – probably just so they could pull in more money.

OK, enough of being downer. Let’s get to the music. This is a fun bluesy rock song.

5. “Toy Soldiers” by Martika

I love Martika, and I still love this song by the Kids Incorporated alum.

4. “Right Here Waiting” by Richard Marx

This song got way overplayed when it was released. But, what a great song! I still like it. I can’t listen to it too often, but I do enjoy it when I hear it.

3. “So Alive” by Love and Rockets

By the late ’80s, New Wave was fading away. I guess you couldn’t call it “New” Wave anymore since it was no longer new. Maybe this is when it was transitioning over to that dreaded Alternative music. I don’t remember this song from back in the day. I have heard it more recently. I would not have liked it back then. It’s not bad. Not great either.

2. “On Our Own” by Bobby Brown

Ghostbusters in the hoooouuuuse!!!! This was when Bobby Brown was talented. And this was probably the best thing about the movie Ghostbusters II.

1. “Batdance” by Prince

Well that wraps up the countdown for this week. I hope you enjoyed it. I’m sorry that Prince won’t let us watch his videos. But, that video I showed was probably more entertaining anyway. Especially since “Prince” was not followed by “and the Revolution.”
We’ll be back with another countdown soon. In the meantime, Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.

1989, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – August 5, 1989: Songs 20-11

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Hi Everybody, welcome back to this week’s countdown. You can go back and check out songs 40-31 and 30-21 if you missed them. There is a decent variety of music today, although there are no hair bands. However, there are two people on today’s list who each currently star on successful television crime dramas. So, let’s Return to the week ending August 5, 1989, and continue the countdown.

20. “No More Rhyme” by Debbie Gibson

This is no “Lost In Your Eyes”. However, this is still a really good ballad by my late ’80s crush. Speaking of which – yes, that is Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years‘ Winnie Cooper) playing the cello in the video. Be still my heart!

Don’t worry my female readers. You get your turn coming up in a few songs.

19. “Friends” by Jody Watley featuring Eric B. & Rakim

I had not remembered this song. I like this one, which also features a rap by the hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim.

18. “Hey Baby” by Henry Lee Summer

This is one of those songs that I had forgotten about, but remembered it when I heard the chorus. I like this song a lot. It doesn’t hurt that it was written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones of Foreigner.

17. “Hangin’ Tough” by New Kids On the Block

Here you go girls. This is actually one of the few songs by NKTOB that I find somewhat tolerable. They do score some points with me because they are from my general area. And Donnie Wahlberg, who sings the lead vocals on this song, is currently starring as a kick-ass detective on the show Blue Bloods, which also stars Magnum P.I.’s Tom Selleck as Donnie’s father.

OK ladies, which New Kid was your favorite? I know you have one.

16. “Dressed for Success” by Roxette

I love Roxette, and this is a great song. It was the second single released from their awesome Look Sharp! album.

15. “I’m That Type of Guy” by LL Cool J

I had only heard of a couple of LL Cool J songs, and this was not one of them. The Ladies my Love Cool James, but I’m not a big fan. He is pretty decent on the television show NCIS: Los Angeles.

14. “Don’t Wanna Lose You” by Gloria Estefan

This ballad by Gloria Estefan would go onto become her second #1 single. This song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance but lost against Bonnie Raitt’s “Nick of Time.”

13. “Secret Rendezvous” by Karyn White

R&B singer Karyn White scored a big hit with this song, which would reach #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and would be a #1 hit on the dance chart.

12. “Crazy About Her” by Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart was on a hot streak through the ’70s and ’80s. I forgot how good his 1988 album Out of Order was, which not only featured this song, but also had “Lost in You“, “Forever Young“, and “My Heart Can’t Tell You No.”

11. “Express Yourself” by Madonna

Speaking of artists who used to be good, but aren’t so good these days, we will wrap up today’s list with this awesome song by Madonna. This is one of my favorites from the Like a Prayer album.

The video was directed by David Fincher.

Even though there was a song or two that I wasn’t too crazy about, I think this countdown has been very good so far this week. Tomorrow’s list is also going to be very good as we wrap up the countdown. So come on back if you dare!