Hair’s to Friday!!!
Can you name the artist and song:
Now she’s bulletproof
She keeps her motor clean
Oh, and believe me, you
She’s a number thirteen
Last Song: “Heaven” by Bryan Adams from Reckless (1984)
Great job Jim (@JimVilk)!!!
Yeah, nothin’ could change what you mean to me
Oh there’s lots that I could say
But just hold me now
Cause our love will light the way
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Can you name the artist and song:
Am I really here in your arms
This is just like I dreamed it would be
I feel like we’re frozen in time
And you’re the only one I can see
Last Song: “Kids Wanna Rock” by Bryan Adams from Reckless (1984)
For a couple of bucks you get a weird haircut
And waste your life away
Around the world or around the block
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If you were alive 30 years ago today, then you were glued to MTV right now. This was our generation’s Woodstock. Or was Woodstock the hippie generation’s bong-watered down version of Live Aid? In any case, just about every great artist from ’80s, for all genres, performed today in either England or Philadelphia. There was also somebody who played live in both places. Here are some great quotes from that day, that I found on imdb. And we will close out with one of the greatest performances of all-time. I’m sure you already know what it is before you even scroll down.
Richard Skinner: It’s 12 noon in London, 7am in Philadelphia, and around the world it’s time for Live Aid. Wembley welcomes their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Adam Ant: There are many of my heroes here. People I’ve worshiped from afar.
Ozzy Osbourne: I came here to play music, and I didn’t really realize the full extent and magnitude of what it is all about. Now I’m here, it’s the greatest event ever.
Tina Turner: It was the most electrifying feeling, being there – no other reason than the cause. I wish I could do even more.
Mike Jagger: I came to play in Philadelphia because of the cause, because of Live Aid, of course. But I also came to have myself a good time. And I’ve sure as hell done that.
Dionne Warwick: They say the entertainment industry can never get together. Fooled them again, didn’t we?
Sting: This is what rock and roll is all about. It’s an event as much as its music.
Bryan Adams: I’m just proud to be here. I’m a Canadian and tears are not enough. Let’s all do what we can for Live Aid.
Tom Petty: Two minutes before we came on stage, we decided to play “American Girl”, since this is, after all, JFK stadium.
Phil Collins: I was in England this afternoon… funny old world, innit?
Bob Geldof: I’ve just realized that today is the best day of my life. Now I’m going home to sleep.
And we’ll close out with one of the best performances by one of the best bands ever. There is no current artist alive today that can hold the world in the palm of his or her hand like Freddie did that day. Here is the full performance. Enjoy!
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Welcome back to this week’s Top 40! If you missed the first 10 songs, you can go ahead and check them out. Today we have a good mix of classic ’80s music and songs that are rarely, if ever, heard today on the ’80s stations. Let’s jump right into it now, Return to the week ending June 18, 1983, and continue the countdown.
We’ll begin today with some synth-pop New Wave music. I was not a fan back in the day. I do like A Flock of Seagulls more now. This isn’t one of their better songs, but it’s ok. I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to it. But, if I heard it come on the radio, I would enjoy my trip back to the ’80s.
This was the lead single from Bryan Adams’ third studio album, Cuts Like a Knife. It was his big breakthrough song in the U.S. I have always loved this song. It is so great, and it takes me back. Bryan wrote this song in the late ’70s. Before he released it himself, it was covered by several people including Ian Lloyd and Rosetta Stone. And one month before Adams released it, Bonnie Tyler released it, and was featured on her album Faster Than the Speed of Night.
This is a pretty generic soft rock tune. However, one thing that stands out with this song is that Steve and Nicole Winwood performed the backing vocals, and Steve also played all the synthesizers, including the solo.
I love me some classic Rod Stewart! I can’t stand that big band crap he’s been doing for the past couple of decades. Geez, has it been that long since he’s done anything good? Man, time flies! This was Stewart’s final #1 hit in the UK. That kind of surprises me because he had some great songs throughout the ’80s, and into the early ’90s.
Here is an extra song that I would like to share. I came across it on the most recent episode of The Classic Rock and Metal Podcast. When you see the title, you’ll know why I’m sharing it (and the song lives up to it’s name:
Wow, Prince two days in a row! I’m glad I was able to find the videos. This is one of my favorites by him, and I still love it today.
I had never heard of this song before. I would have never listened to it back in the ’80s anyway. But, I really like it now. This is a nice R&B slow jam.
In the ’80s, the Bee Gees were mainly either doing solo projects or writing songs for other people. But, they
did get together to record five songs for Staying Alive, the sequel to Saturday Night Fever. Their music was about as successful as the movie. I actually didn’t even know they recorded songs for that soundtrack. I was guessing that “Stayin’ Alive” was on there (it was). Other than that, all I knew was “Far From Over” by Frank Stallone.
Here is another R&B ballad. I like this one more than the DeBarge song. Before I started doing these countdowns, I never even heard of Champaign. After their 1991 album Champaign IV, they did not release another album until 2008. Since then, they’ve released 4 albums, with the most recent being last year – Eyes of the Spirit (2014).
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The Little River Band was big in the late ’70s. This was one of the band’s last singles to reach the top 40. This was a transitional time for the band. This is from their seventh studio album, The Net. This album featured a new lead vocalist and new guitarist. This song isn’t too bad. It’s kind of middle-of-the-road. It’s not bad at all, but nothing really stands out either.
This is the signature hit for Madness in the U.S. This one really brings me back to the early days of MTV.
Well that wraps up today’s list of songs. I hope you’re enjoying this so far. Tomorrow, we’ll be back to continue the countdown, which will feature another Long Distance Dedication.
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Welcome back to this week’s Countdown! If you missed the first 10 songs yesterday, you can go ahead and check them out. Some of these songs bring back memories. At this time in 1985, I was in the second half of my freshman year of high school. I enjoyed making new friends in high school, but did not do too well in classes. While I was struggling with my studies, there were some awesome songs to lean back on and use as an escape. Let’s enjoy some of this music now, by Returning to the week ending March 9, and move on with the countdown.
How about we start the countdown today with a little funk?!? The Time, led by Morris Day, was a pop-funk band which was put together by Prince. You can definitely hear the influence in this song. Not long after this, Morris Day left, and went on to a solo career. They would reunite and break up several more times over the years. Currently, they are known as The Original 7ven.
Oh boy, I’m torn on this song now. Before I started the Springsteen project (a.k.a. “Who’s the Boss?”), I would have said that a song with the word “Fire” in the title needs to have screaming in it.
[Possible Spoiler Alert: This song may or may not be on the Live 1975-85 album I’m reviewing right now. And I may or may not express that sentiment as my initial reaction on said review]
But, as I become a Springsteen student, I am beginning to like this song more each time I listen to it. I may not be on fire about this song, but I am warming up to it. What can I say? I guess what I’m trying to say is, if I can change, and you can change, everybody can change!
With this song, the Commodores finally showed that it may be possible to move on without Lionel Richie. It was their first hit after Richie went solo. “Nightshift” was written by the lead singer at that time, Walter Orange, (along with with Dennis Lambert and Franne Golde). It was a tribute to soul/R&B singers Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, who both died in 1984. The Commodores won a Grammy Award in 1985 for Best Vocal R&B Performance by a Duo/Group for this song.
Great song from the classic album Reckless. This song topped the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The husband and wife songwriting-production team of Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson had their biggest hit, as performers, with this song. It would go on to peak at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
I don’t usually like Mick Jagger’s solo stuff, but this is a good song. It was the first single released from Jagger’s debut solo album, She’s the Boss.
A year and a half after Billy Joel’s An Innocent Man album was released, he was still scoring some hits off of it. This would be the last single released from that album. This is a nice, fun song.
What a great rocking song! This was John Parr’s first hit in the U.S. In 1985, he and his band, The Business, toured with Toto. At the end of the tour, he was approached by super-producer David Foster, who requested Parr to record a song for the film “St. Elmo’s Fire“. And the rest is history.
This hit came off of one of my favorite albums of the ’80s – Vital Signs. This wasn’t my favorite song from the album though. I feel that this song did get overplayed. But, years removed, I do enjoy hearing this once in a while.
We wrap up the countdown today with an interesting song. “Save a Prayer” was released in the U.K. in August of 1982 from the album, Rio. It had not been released in the U.S. as a single. The video did get play on MTV, though. Then in 1985, a special U.S. version of the song was cut with the live version from the Arena album on the flip side. This live version hit the charts, and climbed all the way up to #16.
Well, that’s the end of the countdown for today. I hope you’re enjoying this week’s songs so far. They are just going to keep on getting better! So, please come back tomorrow as we continue the countdown.
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Can you name the artist and song:
Whoa-oh
Watch it touch me deep inside
Whoa-oh
Somethin’ snaps inside my mind
Whoa-oh
When I feel it comin’
ain’t no sense in runnin’
Last Song: “It’s Only Love” by Bryan Adams and Tina Turner from Reckless (1984)
Great job Robert (@mishouenglish)!!!
When your heart has been broken
Hard words have been spoken
It ain’t easy
Hair’s to Friday!!
Can you name the artist and song:
We’re heading for Venus and still we stand tall
Cause maybe they’ve seen us and welcome us all
Last Song: “One Night Love Affair” by Bryan Adams from Reckless (1984)
Great job Robert (@mishouenglish)!!
How was I to know
I’d let my feelings go
And that I’d be yours before the night was through
Can you name the artist and song:
And the beat’s so loud, deep inside
The pressure’s high, just to stay alive
Last Song: “This Time” by Bryan Adams (who turned 53 yesterday)
Great job Rachel (@StarLady82) and Wednesday’s Child!!
I think about her all the time
She’s my fantasy
An image it’s burnin’ in my mind
Callin’ out to me
Return the Artist. The title of the song is somewhere in the lyrics below. Also, do you see a pattern this week yet?
Half our lives we spend waiting
For the knock upon the door
When it comes, will it be the one
That I’ve been waiting for
Somebody’s out there, somewhere
Waiting for someone to come their way
Yesterday’s: “Cuts Like a Knife” by Bryan Adams
Well I heard it on the street
I heard you mighta found somebody new – yeah
Well who is he baby – who is he
And tell me what he means to you – oh yeah
On September 6, 2009, Stuck in the 80s released their Horrible Hits of 1985 Podcast (Episode 178). Here is their list:
10. Walking on Sunshine – K.C. and the Sunshine Band
9. Neutron Dance – Pointer Sisters (vetoed by Steve)
8. All I Need – Jack Wagner (vetoed by Cathy)
7. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go – Wham!
6. Wild Boys – Duran Duran
5. One Night In Bangkok – Murray Head
4. Some Like It Hot – Power Station (vetoed by Cathy and Steve)
3. Sea of Love – The Honeydrippers
2. We Built This City – Starship
1. We Are the World – U.S.A. For Africa
You can see the top 100 hits from Billboard that year.
This was a tough one for me. There were so many horrible songs from 1985, and there were so many great ones. But, I was finally able to compile my list, so here is my top 5 (or worst 5) of Horrible songs from that year:
This is one of the most overrated songs of the ’80s. Sure, the video was different from anything else at the time. And MTV is mentioned in the song. This was the perfect storm for the video to play in a seemingly endless loop for a long time on MTV. This would have been my #1 for most horrible song, if not for the awesome guitar lick at the beginning of the song. Once that guitar part is done, I go off in a daze, and forget that it’s on.
I never cared much for this song at all. It was too boring for me. This song might not be on too many peoples’ lists of horrible songs, but I have a personal grudge against this song. As some longtime Return to the ’80s readers may know, I served in the military. The day I left, the recruiter picked me up at home to send me off to boot camp. I got in the car, and as we were pulling away, this song came on. Since this song mocked me, it is now on my Horrible list.
Typical song that lands on my Horrible list – boring and overplayed. I would have to turn off the radio whenever this song came on. I may be in the minority here, but I don’t like too many of this songwriting duo’s songs, including “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing”, and “I’m Every Woman”.
The Stuck in the 80s guys were told to keep this song off their Horrible list. It did sound like they wanted it on there though. So, I will place it on my list. Is this even a song? It is more like slow torture! Slow, slow torture.
Ecchhhh. Wham! ranks right up there with Culture Club as one of my least favorite groups. The only song I don’t mind by them is “Freedom”, so at least there’s that. I wasn’t sure if “Wake Me Up..” or “Careless Whisper” would be my #1 Horrible song. Since this song is played the most on the 80s on 8 radio station, and on all radio stations that play 80s songs, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” wins. Once you hear this crappy song, it sticks with you, whether you like it or not.
Here is my top songs from that year:
I love Billy Ocean’s voice. This is a fun song.
This is a really good Commodore’s song without Lionel Richie. It’s a nice tribute about music legends.
This song is just as good as the movie. Great rockin’s song with a Joe Cocker feel to it.
Heart was at the beginning of their resurgence with this song. Great song, and Ann Wilson has one of the best female rock voices of all time.
Kool and the Gang may be best known for their party anthem – “Celebration”. But, their Emergency album is incredible, and “Misled” is perhaps the best of the bunch. Great rockin’ song.
You can’t help but want to move to this song. “Neutron Dance” was the Pointer Sisters’ fourth top ten single in a row, which was on their album Break Out. It was also featured in Beverly Hills Cop. I love the Pointer Sisters, and this song is right up there among my favorites.
This was Madonna’s first ballad, which came off of the great Vision Quest soundtrack. This song was surrounded with controversy at the time. The Vision Quest soundtrack was on Geffen Records, and Warner Brothers had just released Madonna’s Like a Virgin album. Warner Brothers did not want “Crazy For You” released as a single, as it would take attention away from Like a Virgin. But Geffen producers Jon Peters and Peter Guber were able to convince Warner to greenlight the single. As a result, Madonna was able to prove that she had more talent than your typical attention-getting pop star. I believe that due to the fact that she could sing different styles of music, this song went a long way in making her an 80s icon.
This is one of my favorite songs by Survivor. This came off the great Vital Signs album, which was their first with lead singer Jimi Jamison. They had other hit songs from this album, such as “High On You” and “The Search Is Over”, but “I Can’t Hold Back” is my favorite. It was featured prominently in the recent movie “Paul Blart: Mall Cop“, which made it the best part of the movie.
I had a hard time deciding which Bryan Adams song to throw on here, so why not add both? Summer of ’69 is a great rocker. I’m sure we can all relate to looking back at the “good ole days”, or you wouldn’t be reading this. And “Heaven” is a great ballad. It is a nice slow-dance song.
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Summer of ’69 |
Heaven |
The ultimate ’80s song from the ultimate ’80s movie. You can’t think of one without the other. It even has staying power as this song is played while the losing American Idols are being booted. This song does gte played alot, but somehow I cannot get sick of it.
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Return to the 80s 