Can you name the artist and song:
Now walk those legs right over here
Gimme what I’m dyin’ for
One chance, one love
Hold me down, then let me go
Last Song: “Stay With Me Tonight” by Jeffrey Osborne from Stay With Me Tonight (1984)
Great job Craig (@cdennis0130)!!!
Another morning, you are on my mind,
Takin’ up my time through all the day
If you’d like to get this song from Amazon, click on the album cover below:
Welcome back to another week of some Top 40 music! This time, we Return all the way back to 35 years ago this week. Christmas season had just started, and I was 12 years old. I was past the age of getting kids toys. Instead, it was a time of home video games (in my case, Intellivision), and music. Instead of listening to my parents’ albums, I was beginning to get my own music. I would get cassettes for my birthday and Christmas, and I was constantly listening to the radio. So, the songs this week really bring me back. I hope you feel the same. So let’s Return to the week ending November 27, 1982, and begin this week’s Top 40 countdown.
This was the Australian group’s first number one single in their home country, spending 6 weeks at the top of the charts. It was so successful, that it came over to the U.S., and became a hit there too.
That will wrap things up today. We will continue on with the countdown tomorrow. Where were you at this point in 1982? Did you have any favorite songs here?
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Hey Gang! We’re back with another Top 40 this week! This time, we go back to a time when MTV was coming into full swing, as cable television was coming into more and more homes. There were some acts that still did not catch on to the music video trend, and others full embraced it, and reaped the rewards. Now, let’s Return to August 27, 1983, and begin the countdown!
[If you’d like to see the YouTube video of the song, you can click on the song title. If you’d like to purchase or listen to the song on Amazon, you can click on the album cover]
This song was released just before The Fixx released their signature hit, “One Thing Leads to Another”. “Saved By Zero” was used in a 2008 Toyota campaign. OK, I just realized that when those commercials came out, I already had my current Toyota Corolla for 4 years – and I still have it to this day! Sure, you all have touch screens, and cameras in your car now. But, I bet you don’t have a cassette tape deck like I do!
The Little River Band began changing musical direction here. Meh. It’s kind of like how Saturday Night Live has a great run, then goes into a transitional phase, which sucks, before they go on another great run.
Oh man! You can’t go wrong with the smooth sound of George Benson! This really brings me back to the early 80s. This song is a classic.
Another classic! This song from their Synchronicity album, was the final original single released by the band.
This is from MY James Bond movie. Cable TV was new in our house, and we had HBO, where I watched Octopussy several times a week. I’m not sure if this is a good song or not, but I do love it because it brings me back to that time.
This is my favorite Elton John song of the ’80s, if not of all time. What a great rocker!
I love early ’80s R&B! And it doesn’t hurt that this song is by Rhode Island’s own, Jeffrey Osbourne. He is an awesome guy who does a lot of great charity work. So, he can be forgiven for letting The Bachelor use his signature song, “On the Wings of Love” in 2010.
Classic early ’80s ballad that is awesome! I still listen to this.
Classic early ’80s ballad that irritates me! I couldn’t stand this song when it was first released. I do like it now, as it does make me feel nostalgic about a better time.
This is one of those songs that come to mind when you mention ’80s music. I loved this when it came out. Then got sick of it, after the constant radio and MTV airplay – even after he released the better “Romancing the Stone” single. But, I like it again now, and limit how many times I listen to it.
That wraps up today’s list of songs. What do you think? Do you have any favorites, or any “I forgot about that one!” moments. This is going to be great week, so come back tomorrow to check out the next 10 songs!
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Welcome back as the countdown continues. If you missed the first 10 songs, you can go back and check them out. In the early ’80s, radio was quite diverse. Disco was still winding down, and there were a lot of singer/songwriter, rock, and pop tunes. In the late ’80s, the Top 40 countdowns were still diverse. There was a good combination of pop, rock, and R&B. And today’s list is no exception. So, let’s go back to the good ole days, and Return to the week ending August 8, 1987, and go on with the countdown.
Often imitated, but never duplicated! This pioneering female freestyle group had an incredible start, landing four top 10 hits from their debut album, Exposure. And this was one of them.
Am I the only one that thinks this video would be awesome if it featured Jackie Gleason, Burt Reynolds, and Jerry Reed from Smokey and the Bandit?
Not one of my favorite Huey Lewis songs. But man, were the videos fun back then! The music doesn’t even start until over 3 1/2 minutes in!
Much like Exposé, Crowded House got off to a strong start, turning out hits like this and “Don’t Dream It’s Over” from their debut album.
Yes, people born post ’80s, Bryan Adams had more hits than “Summer of ’69” and “Cuts Like a Knife”. For example…this song! I can’t get enough of it.
Often, the question comes up, Can you name a song with the same name as its artist? This, Night Ranger, and Danger Danger are always my go-to’s. This song has that classic ’80s pop sound.
Meh. If you want to listen to some real Crüe, go back to their first 2 albums – Too Fast For Love and Shout At the Devil.
Music whiplash! We go from a rocker to a slow duet ballad. There were a lot of great duets in the ’80s, and this is definitely one of them.
Another ballad I remember slow dancing to back in those high school days.
We wrap up today with a classy song. This song was written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. I love both Dionne Warwick’s and Jeffrey Osborne’s voices. And together, they sound great.
Well, we’re halfway through the countdown. What do you think so far? Do you have any favorites, or are there any surprises that you had forgotten about? Let me know.
Follow @returntothe80sCan you name the artist and song:
I like to look, to long run
I like to take each step, one by one
Right on time, you will arrive
By keepin’ the dream alive
Last Song: “On the Wings of Love” by Jeffrey Osborne from the album Jeffrey Osborne (1982)
Great job RMJR (@14rmjr)!!!
Up and above the clouds
The only way to fly is
Can you name the artist and song:
In the high school halls
In the shopping malls
Conform or be cast out
Last Song: “You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song)” by Jeffrey Osborne from Emotional (1986)
I’ll be there just wrapped around you
I can’t hold back
What I feel inside
It’s just a fact
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Welcome to the Return of the Top 40!!! And what a week to jump back into this! These were the biggest hits in the U.S. 30 years ago this week. There are going to be some true classics this week. Remember, you can click on the song title to see the video. This is going to be exciting, so let’s get to it, and Return to the week ending March 9, 1985, and begin the countdown.
What better way to Return to the countdown than to begin with one of my favorite Chicago songs. Not only is this a fun, upbeat song, but the video is totally awesome! The first half is Indiana Jones-like, and the second half was influenced by Casablanca.
Boy, summer does sound good about now! This classic Don Henley song went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. The video won the Video of the Year at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards, and also won that year’s awards for Best Direction, Best Art Direction, and Best Cinematography.
It’s always great to hear Jeffrey Osborne, who is from my home state of Rhode Island. This song is off of his 3rd album, Don’t Stop. I had never heard this song before. It is more uptempo than most of his other songs that have been released. I’m liking this one!
This is a very fun dance song by the family DeBarge. This song was written by legendary songwriter Diane Warren. This song reached all the way up to #3 on the Hot 100 charts, making it the biggest hit by DeBarge.
This was the fifth and final single released from the classic album, Heartbeat City. This is another song that I was unfamiliar with. This ballad isn’t too bad. Not one of my favorites by them, but not too bad.
This collaboration between David Bowie and the jazz fusion band the Pat Metheny Group, was recorded for the soundtrack to the film The Falcon and the Snowman – a movie I never heard of, which starred Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn. This has that classic David Bowie new wavey sound to it.
This is a nice song, written, composed, and produced by Lionel Richie as a tribute to Marvin Gaye, who had died earlier in the year. This is one of those songs that I remembered as soon as I heard it. This song was Diana Ross’ last major hit on the US pop singles chart, hitting the Top 10 in the spring of 1985.
Well, I’m getting better at digging up these Prince videos! If you are new to these countdowns, Prince usually makes an appearance. However, he is about the only artist that does not allow their music on YouTube, or just about anywhere else on the internet, for that matter. So I normally substitute it with another song. The is the second Prince song in a row I was able to find. This song was the final single to be released from the Purple Rain soundtrack.
This awesome song is about as ’80s as you can get! I think I remember this synth-pop classic as the opening theme to one of the WWF shows. Hulk Hogan always comes to mind when this song comes on.
Turn it up!! Now, we’re in my wheelhouse! This was the lead single released from Autograph’s debut album, Sign in Please. It would be their only Top 40 hit, reaching No. 29 in the Billboard 100. In 1985, Guitar Player magazine awarded Steve Lynch “Guitar Solo of the Year” for this song.
Well, that wraps up the countdown for today. It will continue tomorrow. Did you like these first 10 songs so far? Even though I was 14 at the time of this countdown, I only remembered about half of these songs. I would have thought it would have been more. Did you discover any new music here? Give me your thoughts on the countdown, and what you were doing at this time in 1985.
Follow @returntothe80sCan you name the artist and song:
Run, run, run away
Like a train runnin’ off the track
Last Song: “On the Wings of Love” by Jeffrey Osborne from his self-titled debut album (1982)
Just smile for me
And let the day begin
You are the sunshine
That lights my heart within
Return to the 80s 