Can you name the artist and song:
I’d hold on to you
‘Til the stars no longer wink
I’d hold on to you
‘Til you figure out
Just what to think
Last Song: “Hard To Say I’m Sorry/Get Away” by Chicago from the album Chicago 16 (1982)
Great job Richard (@RichardAnsara), Lisa (@gabbyg89), BeagleLife72 (@TiffanyNGroce72), TB (@fruitynotes), and Ruth (@RuthMas82397116)!!!
Wouldn’t want to be swept away
Far away
From the one that I love
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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.
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.
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”.
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, “
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Were the remaining 3 members of Duran Duran singing this to their former guitarist, Andy Taylor? I don’t know, but it’s a pretty cool tune.
This is the second “Don’t Be Cruel” of the countdown. But, this one is a Bobby Brown original, when he was at the top of his game.
Only in the ’80s could you go from a great new jack swing song to an awesome glam metal power ballad in the same countdown! Yes ’80s, we didn’t know what we had till you were gone.
Chicago is one of my all-time favorite bands, and I could not get enough of this song. This power ballad, written by Diane Warren, is Chicago’s largest selling single. It topped the charts for two weeks, matching the chart success of the group’s “If You Leave Me Now” (1976) and “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” (1982).
Giant Steps was a pop duo from England. This was their only top 40 hit. It came off of their lone album, The Book of Pride.
This jazzy song was the seventh and final single to be released from the Faith album. It was also the least successful single of the album, only peaking at #5. Slacker.
The synthpop duo, Erasure, finally broke through in the U.S. with this song,as it peaked at #12. This was Erasure’s sixth consecutive U.K. Top 20 hit.
This mashup of Peter Frampton’s “Baby I Love Your Way” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird” will soon top the charts (December 3, 1988). Kudos for taking two overplayed classic rock songs, and making them fresh again. Only to become overplayed itself. I’m liking it again, 30 years later.
Great ballad by the British pop group, Breathe. It would go on to peak at #3 on the Hot 100, and top the Billboard adult contemporary chart, Breathe’s only single to accomplish this feat.
What is it with all the questions? This song is OK. But, I had gotten sick of it before it was officially released. It was used in a national TV commercial for Michelob.
This was the end of Lionel Richie’s run in the ’80s. A sweet song to end it. Supposedly, it was written for Lionel’s daughter, Nicole.
Peter Gabriel had some groundbreaking videos in the late ’80s. Which means that they were on MTV every other song. Which also means that I couldn’t stand it! I was dreading listening to this again, but now I’m liking it a little more.
You got my rock in your rap! You got your rap in my rock! What?! Mmmm, delicious. Two great genres that go great together.
Bruce Willis hopped on that actors-turned-singers bandwagon. And he did a very respectful job of it, in my opinion.
At this time, I was too cool to watch cartoon movies. So, I’ve never seen An American Tail. But, I do love this song. Such a perfect duet with two incredible voices.
Nice ballad from The Jets, written by Rupert Holmes (“Escape (The Piña Colada Song)”), and sung by 13-year-old Elizabeth Wolfgramm.
If Chicago is asking us if we will still love them after the departure of Peter Cetera, the answer is Yes!
Between this, and Janet Jackson’s “Let’s Wait Awhile” earlier in the countdown, all we need to do is substitute Samantha Fox’s “Touch Me” with Jermaine Stewart’s “We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off”, and we would have a perfect countdown for a Catholic school dance.
Hands down, this is my favorite Huey Lewis and the News song. “All I want from tomorrow is to get it better than today.” That’s all anybody can ask.
Bon Jovi had a huge hit with “You Give Love a Bad Name”. But, this ’80s anthem is the one that changed them forever. When you say the words “’80s music” to somebody, this is one of a handful of songs that would immediately come to mind. This is totally deserving of the #1 spot, and a great way to end the countdown.
Hey Everybody! Welcome back to this week’s Top 40 Countdown! If you missed the previous songs, you can go back and check out songs 
We start the top 10 with one of the most iconic sax riffs of the ’80s. This is one of the few Wham! songs co-written by Andrew Ridgeley (the other member of Wham!, kids).
One of the most patriotic songs ever. Right President Reagan. Only if you consider a song about how Vietnam veterans were mistreated, to be patriotic. Oops.
One of my favorite Pat Benatar songs. It was the lead single off of her Tropico album and earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Awesome song. Crazy-ass video.
Lead single from one of my favorite albums, Reckless.
What do you get when you combine one of the most successful musicians of the ’80s with a lead singer of Earth, Wind & Fire? Pure perfection.
Great ballad that would be one of Foreigner’s signature songs.
Classic Chicago ballad, made memorable by the fake Madonna and fake Billy Idol in the video.
General Hospital knew how to churn out the musicians!Landing at #2 isn’t too shabby for a soap opera actor!
Madonna was at the top of her game here as one of the biggest ’80s icons.
Awesome Pointer Sisters jam that does as advertises, and gets you excited. This is also a go-to for caffeine pill junkies everywhere.
This was the first of 2 Top 40 hits by The Clash. According to 
This classic country crossover hit ranked number 7 on CMT’s 100 Greatest Duets in Country Music. Rabbitt had several crossover hits in the early ’80s. Sadly, he passed away in 1998 of lung cancer.
Previously unreleased, producers just assumed this would be a hit, and included it on Fogelberg’s Greatest Hits album. Luckily, they were right, and it peaked at #23 on the U.S. charts, and #29 in Canada.
This was the first single as a solo artist for the former Steely Dan frontman. His album, The Nightfly, was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
as the band’s highest charting hit in the UK, peaking at No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart. It would peak at #18 on the U.S. charts. On the album, this song is listed as “The Look Of Love (Part One),” with the last track being a short version of the song called “The Look Of Love (Part Four).” What happened to parts two and three? They appear on the 12″ single along with the others. Part Two is an instrumental, and Part Three is a remix.
Chicago was fading away after having incredible success in the ’70s. Then producer David Foster came along, and kicked them back into high gear, giving them a huge comeback with Chicago 16. This was the second single released from the album. Most of their hits in the ’80s were ballads, including this one. However, I would highly recommend listening to any of their full albums. They have so much more great music that you may not know about.
Forgotten hit of the ’80s. This was released from their self-titled debut album. It would be the first of 2 hits for the band (“Dreamin’ Is Easy” was the other). This was a staple on MTV in the early days. Then again, in those early days, any music video was a staple.
This little ditty would be John Cougar/John Cougar Mellencamp/John Mellencamp’s signature song. It was at the top of the charts for 4 weeks.
This Men At Work song was first released as a single in Australia in June 1981. After it was more than a year old, it found it’s way to the U.S. and became a #1 hit in October of 1982.
(1982)