Hi Everybody! Welcome back to this week’s countdown! If you missed the previous posts, you can check out songs 40-31, 30-21, and 20-11. Well, there are no more hair bands the rest of the way. But, we do have some of the best ballads of the year right here in this top 10. Now, let’s Return to the week ending March 25, 1989, and wrap up the countdown.
10. “You’re Not Alone” by Chicago
This is one of my favorite songs on the great album that is Chicago 19. I love Bill Champlin’s vocals in every song he does.
9. “Roni” by Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown was white hot at this time. This ballad was the third single released from his incredible Don’t Be Cruel album. This hit, written by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, would peak at #3 on the Hot 100.
8. “Walk the Dinosaur” by Was (Not Was)
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Boom boom acka-lacka lacka boom
Boom boom acka-lacka boom boom
Oh man, I feel like I shouldn’t like this song, but I think it’s so much fun. I do like a lot of funk songs though. And this song does stay with you. Now, Open the door, get on the floor /
Everybody walk the dinosaur
Now is the part of the countdown where we see what was topping some of the other charts this week:
The #1 Country song was “New Fool at an Old Game” by Reba McEntire.
Topping the R&B chart was “Closer Than Friends” by Surface.
“I’ll Be You” by The Replacements topped the Rock charts (not to be confused with “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts).
The top Adult Contemporary tune was our #16 hit on the Hot 100 – “You Got It” by Roy Orbison.
The best album in the country this week was Electric Youth by Debbie Gibson.
Finally, the #1 Dance song is our #7 song on the Hot 100 this week…
7. “She Drives Me Crazy” by The Fine Young Cannibals
I never cared for this song. It got so much airplay that it drove me crazy. But, if given the choice to listen to this either song, or most current songs on the radio today, I would pick this one.
“She Drives Me Crazy” on Amazon
6. “Lost In Your Eyes” by Debbie Gibson
Even though my music taste leans heavily towards rock, I have never hidden my love for Debbie Gibson on this site. This is her signature hit. Even people, who look down on her, do like this song. This had been a #1 hit for three straight weeks.
5. “My Heart Can’t Tell You No” by Rod Stewart
Since it seems like all Rod Stewart has done for well over a decade was release his Great American Songbook series, I always forget how good he really is. His 1988 album, Out of Order, is outstanding. This song, from that album, is a nice ballad and was the highest charting song from that album. It peaked at #4.
“My Heart Can’t Tell You No” on Amazon
4. “The Look” by Roxette
3. “Girl You Know It’s True” by Milli Vanilli
This was a huge pop hit at the time. I didn’t hate it, but it’s not something I would be able to listen to on a regular basis. This was the song that exposed Milli Vanilli as lip synchers. While “performing” this song at a concert in Connecticut, the album began skipping and repeating on the same lyric. This was a huge scandal at the time, which destroyed Milli Vanilli. If this happened today, it would be called just another Friday.
“Girl You Know It’s True” on Amazon
2. “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles
This classic love ballad is one of The Bangles’ signature songs. With this song and “Walk Like an Egyptian“, the Bangles became only the third girl group to score multiple number-ones in the United States, after the Supremes and the Shirelles.
1. “The Living Years” by Mike + The Mechanics
What a way to finish the countdown! This is easily my favorite song by Mike + The Mechanics, and one of my favorite songs of the decade. Paul Carrack sings lead vocals on the song. This is an emotional song about a tumultuous father/son relationship and the son’s regret of the unresolved issues after his father died. After all, It’s too late when we die / To admit we don’t see eye to eye
The lyrics are great and the music is great.
Well, that wraps up this week’s countdown. I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. The next countdown will be earlier in the decade to more of the classic ’80s music we all know and love. Until then, Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.
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