Welcome back to this week’s countdown! I hope you are all enjoying it so far. Here are some famous quotes from 1988. Can you guess who made them:

“Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy”

“Read my lips: no new taxes”

“Just do it”

“It’s everywhere you want to be”

“I’m not bad- I’m just drawn that way”

Now let’s Return to the week ending November 5, 1988 and continue the countdown. Don’t forget, you can click on the song title to get the YouTube video, and you can click on the album cover to get the song from Amazon. Now, on with the countdown!

---

20. “I Don’t Want Your Love” by Duran Duran

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.

 

 

19. “Don’t Be Cruel” by Bobby Brown

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.

 

 

18. “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)” by Cinderella

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.

 

17. “Look Away” by Chicago

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).

 

16. “Another Lover” by Giant Steps

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.

 

 

15. Kissing a Fool” by George Michael

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.

 

 

14. “Chains of Love” by Erasure

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.

 

 

13. “Baby I Love Your Way/Freebird” by Will to Power

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.

 

12. “How Can I Fall?” by Breathe

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.

 

 

11. “Don’t You Know What the Night Can Do?” by Steve Winwood

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 is shaping up to be a damn good countdown! We will wrap this up on Friday. See you then!

Follow @returntothe80s