Tag Archives: Pet Shop Boys

1988, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 This Week – Week Ending November 5, 1988: Songs 40-31

November 5, 2018 Paul Stroessner Leave a comment

Time for another Top 40 countdown! With Election Day tomorrow, I decided to go with the week of an Election Day from the 80s. I had already done 1984 for this week. So, we will go towards the end of the Reagan era. This Presidential race was George H. W. Bush against Michael Dukakis. This was the first election I voted in.

I had graduated earlier in the year, and was now attending Community College. Well actually, I was registered at the Community College of Rhode Island. However, I attended DG’s Arcade instead of actual college classes. 3 months later I was heading to Great Lakes, in the dead of winter, for Navy boot camp.

Now, let’s Return to the week ending November 5, 1988, and see what songs may have come on the radio in my 1981 Chevy Citation, on the way to the arcade.

As usual, you can click on the song title to get the YouTube video, and you can click on the album cover to check out this song on Amazon.

40. “Spy in the House of Love” by Was (Not Was)

This is a pretty good song with a funky beat. But, I spend the entire song waiting for them to burst out singing about walking a dinosaur.

39. “I’ll Always Love You” by Taylor Dayne

Taylor Dayne burst on to the scene in 1987 with her debut album, Tell It to My Heart. She was one of the hottest acts around in the late ’80s/early ’90s. This was the 3rd song released from her debut album, and first ballad. It got Taylor Dayne nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal, was also nominated for Best R&B Song.

38. “Time and Tide” by Basia

This song from Basia’s debut album of the same name, is her biggest hit.

37. “Small World” by Huey Lewis and the News

This is the title track of Huey Lewis and the News’ last album released release on Chrysalis. The album did not sell as well as the band’s previous albums, Sports and Fore!.

36. “True Love” by Glenn Frey

This forgotten gem (well, I had forgotten about it anyway), was released off the late great Glenn Frey’s third studio solo album Soul Searchin’.

35. “Finish What Ya Started” by Van Halen

According to the book, Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga, Van Halen’s OU812 album was complete (or so they thought), Eddie came up with the riff at 2 in the morning and went down to his then-neighbor Sammy Hagar to show it. Hagar let Eddie in, and the two played guitars in his balcony until they had a completed song.

34. “Dance Little Sister” by Terence Trent D’Arby

This is a pretty cool, funky song. I would have never listened to it back when it was originally released. That may explain why I don’t remember this song at all.

33. “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses

This is probably one of the most iconic hard rock songs of the ’80s.

32. “Domino Dancing” by Pet Shop Boys

This seems like a little different sound for the Pet Shop Boys. The music is a freestyle dance style. Before the vocals come in, this sounds like it could be a song by Exposé, Sweet Sensation, or the Cover Girls.

31. “Downtown Life” by Daryl Hall & John Oates

Hall and Oates seem to have a different perspective of the city than Guns N’ Roses! Even though Hall & Oates had their best years behind them as far as climbing the charts is concerned, this is a pretty good tune. If it was released in 1982, it may have been a bigger hit.

That wraps up today’s list of songs. Not a bad start. Come back tomorrow to check out songs 30-21.

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Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song – 10/15/18

October 15, 2018 Paul Stroessner 2 Comments

Can you name the artist and song:

You have gone and made me such a fool
I’m so lost in your love
And oh, we belong together
Won’t you believe in my song?

Last Song: “It’s A Sin” by Pet Shop Boys from the album Actually (1987)

Great job Mel, Golden Memories and Silver Tears (@MarcCorbishley), Rose (@Rosefreckelton), and Tim (@burrowsjon)!!!

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

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1987, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week (UK Edition) – July 12, 1987: Songs 10-1

July 12, 2018 Paul Stroessner Leave a comment

Welcome back as we conclude this week’s countdown! It has been fun getting back into this. There are some classic songs in this top 10. Again, you can click on the album cover to get the song from Amazon, and you can click on the song title to watch the video on YouTube. WARNING: If you click on the #3 song title, you can’t unsee or unhear that song! Now, let’s Return to the U.K. for the week ending July 12, 1987, and wrap up this week’s countdown!

10. “Misfit” by Curiosity Killed the Cat”

This has that classic 80s British pop sound. And yes, that is Andy Warhol in the video doing an impersonation of Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues”.

9. “You’re the Voice” by John Farnham

This is my favorite song of the countdown by far! I cannot believe that this didn’t even chart in the U.S. I had never heard of it until I bought Heart’s The Road Home album (1995). I instantly fell in love with the song, and looked more into it, and found out that it was an ’80s song by Australia’s John Farnham. There are several versions of this song, and every one of them is really good.

8. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” by Whitney Houston

Whitney was beloved all over the world. It still breaks my heart whenever I hear her music. What a talent.

7. “Always” by Atlantic Starr

If you were to pick the top wedding songs of the ’80s, this would be on the list. This song hit #1 on all of the U.S. charts, and it landed at #3 in the U.K.

6. “My Pretty One” by Cliff Richard

This song was the lead single off of Richard’s Always Guaranteed album. I like all of his songs when they appear on these countdowns, yet I still don’t own anything by him. I’ll have to rectify that. Or at least add him to some of my Spotify playlists.

5. “The Living Daylights” by a-ha

ha. a-ha. Yes, they had more than one hit song! Pretty good James Bond theme, and the first James Bond film to star Timothy Dalton.

4. “Wishing Well” by Terence Trent D’arby

This is one of those songs that I hated back in the day, but I appreciate it more now. I’m not loving it, but I like it a little bit more now.

3. “Star Trekkin'” by The Firm

3 words – What the Fuck?!?!?!

2. “Under the Boardwalk” by Bruce Willis

For an actor jumping into the music business, Bruce Willis is actually pretty respectable. This is a good cover of The Drifters’ 1964 hit.

1. “It’s a Sin” by Pet Shop Boys

A great way to finish the Top 40! This happens to be my favorite song by the British synthpop duo. it was a top 10 hit in the U.S., but was #1 in the U.K. for three weeks.

That wraps up this week’s U.K. countdown! I hope you enjoyed it. The next one will be back at stateside. In the meantime, Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.

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1986, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – April 5, 1986: Songs 20-11

April 4, 2018 Paul Stroessner Leave a comment

Welcome back as we continue the countdown! If you missed the previous songs, you can go back and check out songs 40-31 and 30-21. The hits are getting bigger and bigger. However, there are still two songs on today’s list that I was unfamiliar with. That’s always exciting for me. Now, let’s Return to the week ending and move on with the countdown. And as usual, if you’d like to listen to the song on YouTube, click on the song title. And if you want to listen or buy this song on Amazon, you can click on the album cover.

20. “King for a Day” by Thompson Twins

If I were king for just one day, I would make sure this song gets played just as much as “Hold Me Now”.

19. “I Can’t Wait” by Stevie Nicks

This is the second song, on this countdown, with this name. This is defintely the superiour song. I love Stevie Nicks, and this is one of my favorites by her.

18. “Calling America” by Electric Light Orchestra

I didn’t realize that ELO was still around at this point. This would be their last U.S. hit, peaking right here at #18. I like this one.

17. “Beats So Lonely” by Charlie Sexton

Here is another pleasant surprise for me! And you would never know that this was a 16 year old that recorded this!

16. “Why Can’t This Be Love” by Van Halen

This was our introduction to the Van Hagar years. Great way to start them!

15. “Sara” by Starship

Awesome 80s power ballad. It was the band’s second number-one hit after the song “We Built This City”.

14. “Harlem Shuffle” by the Rolling Stones

This cover of the 1963 Bob & Earl song would go on to be a #5 hit. The animation, in the video, was directed by John Kricfalusi, who would go on to create The Ren & Stimpy Show.

13. “This Could Be the Night” by Loverboy

Another awesome power ballad. They don’t make ’em like they used to.

12. “West End Girls” by Pet Shop Boys

Classic ’80s tune that became a #q hit in both the U.S. and U.K.

11. “Tender Love” by Force M.D.’s

Very cool R&B song just before New Jack Swing music became big.

That wraps up today’s list of songs. Come back Friday as we wrap up this weeks awesome countdown!

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Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song: 10/5/17

October 5, 2017 Paul Stroessner Leave a comment

Can you name the artist and song:

I’ll be the sun
Shining on you
Hey Cinderella
Step in your shoe

Last Song: “It’s A Sin” by Pet Shop Boys from the album Actually (1987)

Great job Jeri (@Jemattox)!!!

For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
Has one thing in common, too

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

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Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song: 7/11/17

July 11, 2017 Paul Stroessner Leave a comment

Can you name the artist and song:

Sometimes you tell the day
By the bottle that you drink
And times when you’re alone all you do is think

Last Song: “West End Girls” by Pet Shop Boys from the album Please (1986)

Great job bierpumpe, Jim (@JimVilk), and MC Chunky (@MCChunkyA)!!!

Too many shadows whispering voices
Faces on posters too many choices
If when why what how much have you got

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

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1988, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – May 21, 1988: Songs 10-1

May 22, 2015 Paul Stroessner 2 Comments

Hi Everybody! Welcome back as we conclude this week’s countdown! If you missed the previous songs, you can go ahead and check out songs 40-31, 30-21, and songs 20-11. This is an interesting top 10, as there is quite the variety of music. Now, let’s Return to the week ending May 21, 1988, and wrap up the countdown.

10. “Two Occasions” by The Deele

We kick off the top 10 with an R&B ballad. I had never heard of The Deele until recently. There were a couple of music moguls as part of this group – Babyface and L.A. Reid. I remembered this song when I heard it. I like it.

>9. “Everything Your Heart Desires” by Hall & Oates

As we were approaching the end of the decade, we were approaching the end of Hall & Oates’ great run of hits. This song would peak at #3, and become the duo’s 16th, and final, Top 10 hit.

8. “Wait” by White Lion

We are back with another rock song. I loved White Lion. The rocked, and had a little different sound than some bands at the time. Mike Tramp has an interesting voice, and Vito Bratta is an awesome guitarist. This song was White Lion’s big breakthrough hit.

7. “Electric Blue” by Icehouse

Icehouse, not to be confused by the early ’90s hair band Firehouse, was an Australian synthpop band. This is another song that I recognized as soon as I heard it. This song was written by Icehouse lead singer Iva Davies (who happens to turn 60 today) and John Oates. I really enjoy this song.

6. “I Don’t Want to Live Without You” by Foreigner

This rock ballad would also be Foreigner’s 16th, and final top 40 hit.

5. “Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)” by Samantha Fox

As I mentioned earlier in the week, even though I was more of a rock fan, I loved freestyle music too. So I was a huge fan of Samantha Fox. This was big hit for Samantha, peaking at #3.

4. “Always On My Mind” by The Pet Shop Boys

Earlier in the decade, Willie Nelson had a huge hit with this song. The Pet Shop Boys were successful with it as well, with their own synthpop take on it.

Now let’s take a look at what was topping some of the other charts this week:

Topping the Rock charts was “The Valley Road” by Bruce Hornsby and the Range, which we saw at #25 on the Hot 100 this week.

The #1 R&B hit was “Mercedes Boy” by Pebbles

The biggest Country hit was “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses” by Kathy Mattea

Topping the Dance charts was “Like a Child” by Noel

The biggest Album this week was Faith by George Michael

The #1 Adult Contemporary hit is also our #3 hit on the Hot 100 this week:

3. “Shattered Dreams” by Johnny Hates Jazz

This song was a worldwide hit for the English pop group. It was a #5 hit in England in 1987. A year later it would be even more successful in the U.S., hitting #2.

2. “One More Try” by George Michael

The ’80s were a good time for George Michael. He had some huge hits as a member of Wham!, and he had an even bigger solo career. This was a #1 hit off of his classic Faith album. This is one of those songs that I didn’t care for much back then, but love it now.

1. “Anything For You” by Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine

Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine already had a handful of big hits in the U.S. by this point. But, this was their big breakthrough hit throughout the rest of the world. Just about every hit for Estefan this point forward was an adult contemporary song.

Well that wraps up this week’s countdown. Thanks so much for checking it out. I hope you enjoyed it. There will be more to come in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.

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Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song: 4/30/15

April 30, 2015 Paul Stroessner 2 Comments

Can you name the artist and song:

Now, there’s no looking forward
Now, there’s no turning back

Last Song: “Always On My Mind” by Willie Nelson (who turned 82 yesterday) from the album Always on My Mind (1982)

Great job Emma (@emmakwall) and Jim (@JimVilk)!!!

And maybe I didn’t hold you
All those lonely, lonely times
And I guess I never told you
I’m so happy that you’re mine

Here is another version that ’80s fans may appreciate. The year that Willie turned 70, he did a couple of concerts where he sang with many different singers such as: Steven Tyler, Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20), Sheryl Crow, ZZ Top, and Elvis Costello. And here he is with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. This is a really good version.