Tag Archives: joan jett and the blackhearts

Remember That Song – 3/5/20

March 5, 2020 Paul Stroessner Leave a comment

Can you name the artist and song:

There is no monopoly on common sense
On either side of the political fence
We share the same biology, regardless of ideology

Last Song: “I Love Rock ‘N Roll” by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts from the album I Love Rock ‘N Roll (1982)

Great job Adora (@Adora2000) and Lynne (@LynneAshton2)!!!

The beat was goin’ strong
Playin’ my favorite song

If you’d like to get this song from Amazon, you can click on the album cover below:

1989, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – February 11, 1989: Songs 40-31

February 11, 2019 Paul Stroessner Leave a comment

Hi Everybody! Time for a new Top 40 countdown! This week, we are Returning to 1989. This is one of the last countdowns that I would have heard before I left for Navy Boot Camp, and be cut off from all pop culture for a couple of months. This should be an interesting week. Some of these songs were new to the countdown, and they would be big hits as I was graduating boot camp. Other songs had been out for a bit, so I knew them very well. And of course there are songs that were new to the countdown, but would not last long, and would be gone by the time I left boot camp. So, let’s Return to the week ending February 11, 1989, and begin the countdown!

Also, you can click on the song title to listen to/watch the video on YouTube, and you can click on the album cover to get the song from Amazon.

40. “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles

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.

39. “Little Liar” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

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.

38. “The Love in Your Eyes” by Eddie Money

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”.

37. It’s No Secret” by Kylie Minogue

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, “Dancing“, was a #1 hit on the U.S. Dance charts.

36. “Dreamin'” by Vanessa Williams

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.

35. “Just Because” by Anita Baker

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.

34. “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” by Poison

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.

33. “You’re Not Alone” by Chicago

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.

32. “I Beg Your Pardon” by Kon Kan

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.

31. “My Prerogative” by Bobby Brown

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.

That wraps up today’s list of songs. What do you think so far? What were you doing at this time in 1989? Also, feel free to email me a long distance dedication to Returnto80s@gmail.com. We’ll be back tomorrow, to continue the countdown.

Follow @returntothe80s

Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song – 10/22/18

October 22, 2018 Paul Stroessner Leave a comment

Can you name the artist and song:

Your cruel device
Your blood, like ice
One look, could kill
My pain, your thrill

Last Song: “I Hate Myself for Loving You” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts from the album Up Your Alley (1988)

Great job Melissa!!!

Hey man bet you can treat me right
You just don’t know what you was missin’ last night
I wanna see your face and say forget it just from spite

If you’d like to get this song from Amazon, you can click on the album cover below

Follow @returntothe80s

1982, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – September 25, 1982: Songs 20-11

September 28, 2016 Paul Stroessner 3 Comments

Hi Everybody! Welcome back to this week’s Top 40 Countdown. Today, we will cover songs 20-11. If you missed the previous songs, you can go back and check out songs 40-31 and 30-21.
Just like the previous songs, this list has a mixed bag of styles. There is rock, country, pop, and R&B. This was a very interesting time. The ’70s were disappearing, but we have not really gotten to the classic ’80s sound yet. Looking over this list, everybody here had gotten their start in at least the ’70s or earlier. So let’s get to it, and Return to the week ending September 25, 1982, and continue the countdown.

20. “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

I love when the list starts with a great rock song! I used to love this song – until 5 minutes ago when I found out that this is actually a Gary Glitter song. Now this song takes on a whole new meaning. If you aren’t aware of Gary Glitter’s history, I don’t want to get into details here, but you can look him up. But. I’ll still listen to Joan Jett’s version, and rock out to it.

19. “Hold On” by Santana

This is a very good Santana song, which features Alex Ligertwood on vocals. Santana is still around today. Just this year the album Santana IV was released and reunited the ’70s classic lineup of Carlos Santana, Gregg Rolie, Neal Schon, Mike Carabello and Michael Shrieve. This was the first time in 45 years they recorded together.
I know that most of us say that music sucks these days. But, I feel that it’s just Top 40 music that sucks. A lot of our bands are still releasing new work, but we never hear about it through normal channels. You just need to know where to look. As I am writing this, I’m thinking that I can help keep us informed.

18. “Let Me Tickle Your Fancy” by Jermaine Jackson

This is the title track of Jermaine Jackson’s final album for for Motown Records.
He married Berry Gordy’s daugther, Hazel, just as he started his solo career, while still playing with the Jackson 5. When The Jackson 5 left Motown for CBS records, Jermaine broke with the group and stayed loyal to Motown. After Jermaine’s 9th studio album here, he left Motown for Arista Records.

17. “Only Time Will Tell” by Asia

I really enjoy all of supergroup, Asia’s songs. The band consists of John Wetton (former bassist/vocalist of bands including King Crimson, Family, Roxy Music, Uriah Heep, UK and Wishbone Ash), Steve Howe (guitarist of Yes), Geoff Downes (keyboardist of Yes and The Buggles) and drummer Carl Palmer (of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, and Atomic Rooster). This song, “Only Time Will Tell”, is my favorite by them.

16. “Think I’m In Love” by Eddie Money

Gotta love Eddie Money! This song is classic. It was just after this that Money’s career was starting to fall apart. I’m sure his drug use didn’t help. But, he did have a huge comeback a few years later with the album Can’t Hold Back, which featured “Take Me Home Tonight” and “I Wanna Go Back.” As far as I know, his most recent work was in this Geico commercial:

15. “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near) by Michael McDonald

This song was off of If That’s What It Takes, Michael McDonald’s first solo album away from The Doobie Brothers. I think that in every single countdown I’ve covered, Michael McDonald has been involved in at least one song that week in one way or another, whether it’s singing lead, backup, part of a duet, or even written. I was not a fan at all. Now I’m loving everything he has done. I think my friend Jim performed some sort of jedi mind trick on me. Hey, whatever works, right? I like this song a lot now, where in the past, I may have skipped right over it. Now, somebody has to get me to like Bruce Hornsby, and one other band which will be featured in the top 10 this week.

14. “Blue Eyes” by Elton John

I know this may be blasphemous on this site, but I much prefer Elton John’s music in the ’70s than I did in the ’80s. There are some ’80s songs by him I love. But, overall there is nothing like his earlier music. This is one of those songs I don’t love. I do like it a lot if I’m in the mood for it. Otherwise, this is kind of boring for me.

13. “Love Will Turn You Around” by Kenny Rogers

Earlier, we heard my favorite Asia song. Now we get to hear my favorite Kenny Rogers tune! This was also the theme song for the movie Six Pack, in which Kenny Rogers starred. I watched it constantly when it came on HBO. I haven’t seen that movie in years. I really need to revisit it though. In addition to Rogers, the movie stars some other actors you may have heard of: Diane Lane, Erin Gray, and Anthony Michael Hall.