Welcome to a brand new week of the Top 40 Countdown! It’s been too long since the last one. It is always fun to go back and reminisce with songs from the ’80s, and rediscover songs we may have forgotten about, or discover new old songs we may have missed the first time around. This week, we will Return to 1986. This was right in the middle of high school for me. I had just begun my junior year. This was an ancient time when we actually celebrated Halloween and Thanksgiving, and didn’t just jump from Labor Day to Christmas. Right now, we are between Halloween and Thanksgiving. In high school, we were beginning to wrap up our Fall sports. I did Cross Country, so it was starting to get a little too cold to run in tank tops and those pre-Michael Jordan ’80s shorts. Soccer and Field Hockey were wrapping up, and we were ramping up for the big Thanksgiving Day football game.
Now, let’s Return to the week ending November 8, 1986, and listen to what was on the radio back then. You can click on the song title to get the YouTube video, and you can click on the album cover to check out the song on Amazon.
We begin the countdown with Gregory Abbott’s debut into the Top 40. This lead single from Abbott’s debut album Shake You Down was his biggest hit, and would go on to hit the top of the charts. Gregory Abbott is still out there releasing music – most recently, 2019’s “My Heart Has Found a Home“.
This was from Jones’ third studio album One to One. It didn’t hit the Top 40 in the U.K., peaking at #43. However on this chart, it would peak all the way up to #17.
This is one of my all-time favorite Talking Heads songs. Released as the lead single from their seventh studio album True Stories, it would peak at #25. The video is also a lot of fun, and won “Best Group Video” at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1987.
This song would eventually peak at #10. The Pretenders were in a major transitional period at this point. This was the first single off of the Get Close album. A few years earlier, original members James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon died of drug overdoses. During the recording of this album, Chrissie Hynde found that Martin Chambers’ drumming had deteriorated, still struggling after losing his 2 best friends. So Hynde let him go, leaving her as the only original Pretenders member. The album turned out to be a success. Chambers reunited with The Pretenders for their 1994 album Last of the Independents (which produced the smash single “I’ll Stand By You“), and has been there ever since. I saw them open for Journey and Def Leppard in the summer of 2018, and they still rocked. Look for them touring with Journey in the summer of 2020!
This is easily my favorite Peter Gabriel tune. It would only peak at #26 on this chart, but was a #1 hit on the Mainstream Rock chart. This came of Gabriel’s smash album So. However, it will forever be linked with the iconic scene in the 1989 movie, Say Anything…, as John Cusack’s Lloyd Dobler is holding a boombox, over his head, with this song blaring outside of Diane Court’s (Ione Skye) bedroom.
This classic by the Canadian rock group, Glass Tiger, was starting to drop out of the countdown, falling from 28 to 35. But, it was a smash hit in Canada and in the U.S., hitting #1 and #2, respectively. And yes, that is fellow Canadian Bryan Adams on backing vocals.
This song by the English electronic band was climbing up the charts this week. It would go on to peak at #19 in the US, #11 in the UK, and it would break into the Top 10 in several other countries.
Yes, ‘Til Tuesday had other songs besides “Voices Carry“. And somebody else besides Heart did a song called “What About Love“. This song isn’t as good as either. But Aimee Mann has a great voice, and this song isn’t too bad.
Here is another song on the way out of the countdown, dropping from 23 to 32 this week. But not before becoming a huge hit, peaking at #3, and becoming one of the highest selling singles of 1986. The song was ranked number twenty-seven in VH1’s 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the ’80s.
This 1961 Ben E. King hit song was re-released to coincide with the classic 1986 movie of the same name. It peaked at #4 in 1961 and peaked at #9 in 1986. In the ’80s, there was a lot of ’50s and ’60s nostalgia in movies, television, and music. There were many ’60s covers in the ’80s. And there were several re-releases, including this one.
That wraps up today’s list of songs. Let me know what you think so far. What were you doing this week in 1986? Any favorite memories you’d like to share? We’ll be back tomorrow to continue the countdown.
10. I’ve Had the Time of My Life – Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
9. Songbird – Kenny G
8. I Think We’re Alone Now – Tiffany
7. With or Without You – U2
6. Head to Toe – Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
5. Wanted Dead or Alive – Bon Jovi
4. Respect Yourself – Bruce Willis
3. La Isla Bonita – Madonna
2. Always – Atlantic Starr
1. Heaven is a Place on Earth
I had a lot of great music memories from this year. But, there were also so many bad songs, that I couldn’t just whittle it down to 5 like I have done for all my other Horrible lists. So here are my 10 Horrible Hits of 1987:
The very first time I heard this song was at a dance/mixer. I got there early to set up, and the DJ played this song first, before the rest of the people showed up. I thought it sounded pretty good when it was being blasted on the big speakers. But upon further listening on normal radio, it slowly drove me crazy. “Everybody Have Fun Tonight! Everybody Wang Chung tonight?” Really?!? It seemed a bit desperate (or arrogant) to try to make their band name a part of our vocabulary. Well, it didn’t work, and they didn’t have too many hits after this song.
I was really sick of George Michael by the time this came out. The only song I really liked by him was “Faith”. Remember when this song was the most controversial thing that George Michael did? We all long for those days again!
I love Lionel. But after an extremely long sting of successful hits, this stinker was kind of a jump-the-shark moment for him in my eyes. I even liked “Hello” better than this. I couldn’t listen to the whole song back then, and I can’t do it now.
This song is just meh to me. It might not have made my horrible list if it didn’t make the top 10. But, not only was this a top 10 song, it was a #1 hit! Not my cup of tea.
This was kind of boring for a dance song. I’ll take anything by Janet Jackson over this any day!
5. Hip to Be Square – Huey Lewis and the News
I don’t know why, but this song just rubs me the wrong way.
4. Mandolin Rain – Bruce Hornsby and the Range
Bruce Hornsby has a unique sound on his piano. Unfortunately, every song I’ve heard by him sounds exactly the same. And they are all horrible. I can’t turn this song off fast enough as soon as I hear it.
I love Madonna’s early music, and I even liked her music through the ’90s. But, this crappy boring song was the valley between her coned mountains of hits.
2. The Lady In Red – Chris DeBurgh
Let me know if there is anybody out there that hasn’t danced with a girl/woman in a red dress that actually still likes this song. This is too boring and whiny for me. I don’t care much for male singers that have wussy voices. However, I must admit that I do like DeBurgh’s “Carry Me (Like a Fire in Your Heart)“.
1. Songbird – Kenny G
This was the death of the sax in pop/rock songs, until Lady Ga Ga and the late, great Clarence Clemons brought it back last month. I don’t like the thought of elevator music appearing in the top 100, never mind topping at #4! I have a suggestion if you are planning a wedding. Do as I did, and tell the DJ: “NO KENNY G!!!”
“You Give Love a Bad Name” sent Bon Jovi into the stratosphere, and their follow-up song. “Livin’ on a Prayer” kept them there. I get sick of hearing the same song over and over again, but I could not get enough of this song when it came out. It was inspiring hearing about Tommy and Gina, who would go on to reappear in Bon Jovi’s 2000 smash hit “It’s My Life”.
Georgia Satellites were a one-hit wonder with this song. I think this song might irritate some people, but I really like it. It’s a great Southern Rock song that makes you want to move to the beat.
This is one of my favorite Huey Lewis songs, if not my favorite. Unfortunately, this song was overshadowed by the other songs from the Fore! album, such as “Stuck With You”, “Doing It All for My Baby”, and “Hip to Be Square”. This song was actually written by Bruce Hornsby and his brother John Hornsby. If Hornsby did this song instead of Huey Lewis, I would either hate this song, or I would like Bruce Hornsby.
This song was originally released in 1981, and topped out at #79. But, thanks to Family Ties, “At This Moment” made the charts again, and skyrocketed to #1. “At This Moment” will now forever be linked with Family Ties – which is not a bad thing.
5. Shakedown – Bob Seger
Kenny Loggins may be the king of ’80s movie soundtracks, but Bob Seger made a pretty good mark on movie soundtracks himself. He scored big time with “Old Time Rock and Roll” in an iconic scene in Risky Business. Then he had “Shakedown” for the Beverly Hills Cop II. I like Bob Seger alot, and this is one of my favorite songs by him.
4. Alone – Heart
In my opinion, Ann and Nancy Wilson are among the greatest females in Rock history. This is one of my favorite Heart songs. Ann sings this song with so much power and passion.
Here is an awesome acoustic version:
3. With or Without You – U2
U2 had some great rockin’ songs that I love. But this slower song is probably my favorite U2 tune. I love songs that starts slow, and becomes more and more powerful as it goes on.
2. Will You Still Love Me? – Chicago
Chicago, one of my favorite bands, proved that they could move on without Peter Cetera. Their rock songs are underrated. But, when they do great ballads like this, you can see why these are the ones that get the radio air play.
1. Here I Go Again – Whitesnake
This is a great song without the video. But, much like “At This Moment” is linked with Family Ties, “Here I Go Again” will forever be linked with the video and Tawny Kitaen. How many of us guys wished that we were that car?!? 24 years later I still love this song. It stands the test of time for me.
Welcome to a brand new week of the Top 40 Countdown! It’s been too long since the last one. It is always fun to go back and reminisce with songs from the ’80s, and rediscover songs we may have forgotten about, or discover new old songs we may have missed the first time around. This week, we will Return to 1986. This was right in the middle of high school for me. I had just begun my junior year. This was an ancient time when we actually celebrated Halloween and Thanksgiving, and didn’t just jump from Labor Day to Christmas. Right now, we are between Halloween and Thanksgiving. In high school, we were beginning to wrap up our Fall sports. I did Cross Country, so it was starting to get a little too cold to run in tank tops and those pre-Michael Jordan ’80s shorts. Soccer and Field Hockey were wrapping up, and we were ramping up for the big Thanksgiving Day football game.
