Tag Archives: Was (Not Was)

Remember That Song – 4/5/22

Can you name the artist and song:

There’s no balance
No equality
Be still
I will not accept defeat


Was_(Not_Was)_-_Walk_the_DinosaurLast Song: “Walk The Dinosaur” by Was (Not Was) from What Up, Dog? (1989)

Great job Craig (@cdennis0130) and Adora (@Adora2000)!!!

The sun was spitting fire, the sky was blue as ice
I felt a little tired, so I watched Miami Vice

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

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.

Top 40 Songs This Week – March 25, 1989: Songs 10-1

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.

“You’re Not Alone” on Amazon

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.

“Roni” on Amazon

8. “Walk the Dinosaur” by Was (Not Was)


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

“Walk the Dinosaur” on Amazon

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.

Lost In Your Eyes on Amazon

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

I love this Swedish duo so much!! This song was their global breakthrough hit. It would hit number 1 in several countries, including the U.S. This is a really good rock song from Roxette’s awesome Look Sharp! album.

“The Look” on Amazon

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.

“Eternal Flame” on Amazon

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.

“The Living Years” on Amazon


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.

Remember That Song: 1/16/15

Hair’s to Friday!!

Can you name the artist and song:

That’s right here’s where the talkin’ ends
Well listen this night there’ll be some action spent


Last Song: “Walk the Dinosaur” by Was (Not Was) from What Up, Dog? (1988)

It was a night like this forty million years ago
I lit a cigarette, picked up a monkey, start to go