Wonderful. The Cowboys/Falcons game isn't being aired right now. Instead, Da Bears/49ers game is on. Go San Francisco! That's what I get for living in Ill-annoy. I guess, between watching the game I can post my 1984 list. Here we go --

1. "Purple Rain" - Prince and the Revolution

Quite possibly the best song His Royal Badness ever recorded. Dreamlike, haunting, majestic, this is not only the last song on the soundtrack of the same title, it is also the album centerpiece, as well as masterpiece. Recorded live at 1st Avenue in the summer of 1983, this is a powerful, confident performance by Prince and his best back up band. (New Power Generation has nothing on the Revolution.) Not only does this show Prince to be an excellent song writer, but a highly underrated guitarist as well. The fretwork the Purple One displays at the end of the song is astounding. And Prince's voice is equally noteworthy, running an incredible range that includes the best falsetto this side of the Bee Gees or Earth, Wind and Fire.

2. "The Ghost In You" - the Psychedelic Furs

The music seems to slide back and forth like a cobra ready to strike. The propelling instrument is the keyboards, of course. Richard Butler's hoarse vocals are an almost confessional whisper, only to build as the song progresses. It might not be the most famous song the Furs ever recorded (that would be "Pretty In Pink") but this is one of the best things they ever recorded. It is, at any rate, probably the most romantic song of the New Wave era.

3. "What Is Love?" - Howard Jones

In Howard Jones, New Wave found someone who attempted to make "serious" New Wave songs; political New Wave songs. Even if the politics was personal politics. The only problems with taking Jones seriously was his hairdo (he looked like he was sporting a horse's mane) and that mime he had with him in his videos and on tour. (Jedadiah was his name, I think.) It's hard to be taken seriously when you have a mime as part of your act. It really is. But this song, pondering the meaning of love is earnest without going overboard. It's Pop/Rock at its best, even if it's composed almost entirely of synthesizers.

4. "A Fine Fine Day" - Tony Carey

Let's see, Carey was a member of Richie Blackmore's Rainbow and Planet P, the one hit wonder act famous for the '80s hit, "Why Me?" Just the year or two before this, Carey had a minor solo hit with the song, "I Won't Be Home Tonight". On this, the opening track from his second solo album, Some Tough City, Carey scores big time. The jubilant sounds of this tune belie the darkness of the lyrics about shady Uncle Sonny, just released from prison. The lyrics are great, as is the production and musicianship on this track. A true '80s classic.

5. "Sunset Grill" - Don Henley

The best of Henley's solo career. Sunset Grill, I believe, is an actual place. The lyrics bemoan the impersonal nature of manufacturing today. Not to mention the coldly calculating nature of Big Bidness. The sound is epic and majestic, and yet never loses the personal touch it needs. The outro, reminiscent of the one Henley used for "Hotel California", is sweeping and elegant. Scandal's Patty Smyth provides the backing vocals, while Toto's David Paich does the piano solo. It's Heartbreaker, Benmont Tench on the synthesizers and John Entwistle replacement Pino Palladino (you mean I've heard him perform before?!) on bass. Henley has yet to write a better solo tune.

6. "A Girl In Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)" - Romeo Void

It's the saxophone that opens the song. Hell, when it comes down to it, the saxophone is the most important instrument on this song. I'm not sure, but I've often suspected that this song is about abortion. Though it could just as easily be about how women can use their sexual charms on men to get themselves out of almost anything. Lead singer, Debora Iyall turns in some soft, hushed vocals on this tune, making it sound like she's letting the listener in on a big "secret". Musically, this is bouncy and has a great groove. But again, you've gotta love the saxophone in it - especially on the solo.

7. "Do It Again" - the Kinks

The song's opening is a copy of the opening chords to the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night". But the song takes off in a whole other direction. On their previous album, Ray and Dave and the rest of the Kinks had a major hit with the Dancehall nostalgia of "Come Dancing". Instead of replicating the success of that tune, the Davies brothers instead obdurately chose to go off on another tangent. They re-embraced Rock instead. So maybe it's quite appropriate that "Do It Again" echoes "A Hard Day's Night"'s opening slam of guitar strings. The lyrics are terrific, as often are those by Ray Davies. The desire for change and the acceptance that this is the routine of life one has chosen to go through are the themes of the words. Yet, the music threatens to break out and run rampant and free. Word of Mouth is one of the best and most underrated albums the Kinks have released. And this is one of the album's highlights.

8. "Don't Answer Me" - the Alan Parsons Project

One of the two best ELO songs of 1984. Since 1980's The Turn of a Friendly Card, Parsons had increasingly been learning from Jeff Lynne's book of artpop. The result was a string of hits throughout the early- to mid-Eighties, starting with "Time" and ending with this song and "Prime Time". The vocals are once again handled by Alan Parsons Project mainstay, Eric Woolfson. (He was also Parsons' co-conspirator in the Project.) The drums, which often remind me of waves crashing on the beach, were performed by Stuart Elliot. The excellent saxophone solo is by Mel Collins.

9. "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" - R.E.M.

A great country-rocker by this Athens, GA from their second album, Reckoning. The lyrics about loneliness and being stuck in a rut in life are easier to make out than many of the other words Michael Stipe was singing in those days.

10. "Voices" - Russ Ballard

Eerie, spooky, this was the former Argent guitarist/singer's biggest solo hit. The keyboards are zippy and seem to bound up and down the scales. Is it a song about schizophrenia? I dunno. But I do know this was one of the darkest songs of 1984.

11. "The First Day of Summer" - Tony Carey

Another great song from Some Tough City. It does steal a little of Clapton's "Layla" in the guitar riff, but so what? The song tells of a road trip that goes somewhat awry. There does seem to be a tinge of nostalgia to the lyrics, though the song seems to take place in the recent past.

12. "The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking" - Roger Waters

Yup, that's Eric Clapton playing the guitar on this, the best track from Waters' first solo album of the same title. Of course, it could be argued that it's the only real song on the album. But then, the rest of the tracks, sound like Waters popped some Valium and then composed the songs. "Let's see, I'll put some music here. Oh yeah, I need to add some lyrics. Oops. Need more music." Too bad he didn't put the words and music together. (That's a fault I felt The Final Cut, his last Floyd album had.) "Pros and Cons" was the one song where he did put it all together. The song contains sound bites from the film, Shane and some Clint Eastwood flick. It also disses Yoko Ono. ("Did you understand the music, Yoko/Or was it all in vain?")

13. "Couldn't Stand the Weather" - Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble

The title cut from the first SRV album I ever owned. Before that, I'd seen and heard "Cold Cut"'s video on Nightflight (remember that show? ) But this is one of the better songs from the album. An opening rumble froom Stevie's guitar strings then it's on to Tommy Shannon's bass guitar. The back and forth between Stevie and Tommy is wonderful, while Chris "Whipper" Layton lays down a powerful beat. This is the purest blues song of 1984 by someone too often mistaken for a rocker. Still, if that misconception has lead others to explore the powers of the Blues, then it's worth it.

14. "Living On a Thin Line" - the Kinks

A song written by Dave Davies, rather Ray. It's also one of the rare occasions a Dave Davies song was allowed to be a single. The song is about (or so it seems) the decline of the British Empire. It is mournful and elegant. Dave plays some very smooth guitar on this one. And vocally, he does a very good job. It's a shame Ray didn't seem to encourage his brother more. If Dave could have produced more great songs like this (and "Death of a Clown"), the Kinks would have benefitted greatly.

15. "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" - Stevie Ray Vaughan

Jimi's version should have been on my 1968 list. I may have to correct that chart so that it is on it. At any rate, this is Stevie paying tribute to one of his obvious heroes and influences. It's an almost letter perfect cover. But yet, despite the fact that SRV fails to really bring or add anything new to this song - beyond his own personality, it's still a great track. The one thing Stevie does add to it, is reminding us of Jimi's place as a bluesman and the influence the music had on Hendrix. It also helps showcase what a great guitarist SRV was. Very few people can replicate Jimi's power and style so successfully and still have their own personality shine through. Vaughan was most definitely one of them.

16. "Modern Day Delilah" - Van Stephenson

The late Van Stephenson was a member of the country act, the Blackhawks. He scored his only solo hit with this misogynist tune. The guitars slash and burn and Stephenson's voice seems to be filled with anguish. One of the best of the Eighties One Hit Wonders.

17. "Camera" - R.E.M.

Another lonely, melancholy tune from Michael Stipe and the rest. Peter Buck's guitar is at its most jangly on this tune. Unfortunately, Stipe's vocals seem to be buried and mumbled. It's possible to make out a line here and there. ("Will she be remembered?" "Alone in a crowd.") But in a way, it works. It's almost as if Michael's voice was just another instrument, rather than the main way to convey meaning. Atmospheric and dreamlike, this is another classic from Reckoning.

18. "Prime Time" - the Alan Parsons Project

The second best ELO song of 1984. And it's another great song about Losers winning for once. It's also Eric Woolfson on the lead vocals. Ammonia Avenue, the album from which these two songs hail ("Don't Answer Me" being the other), was Parsons' last commercially successful album. It yielded two great singles, though.

19. "Hot For Teacher" - Van Halen

Alex Van Halen's opening drum salvo sounds like a heard of buffalo trampling the landscape, then brother Eddie whips out his axe and plays some hot, killer licks. Diamond Dave utters some great ad-libs. ("Ah man, I think that clock is slow." "I don't feel tardy.") The song is goofy, really. But it's fun. And it's also obvious that Van Halen were having fun making recording this track. Of course, after this, the rot set in and David Lee Roth found his ass shoved out the door.

By the way, did I mention that Van Halen's 1984 was the first album released that year? That was the big gimmick: releasing the album at Midnight December 31st, 1983, when the calendar changed over to January 1st, 1984. Yeah, I wasn't that impressed either.

20. "Hell Hole" - Spinal Tap

How could I not list a song by Tap in the year of their triumphant return? I can't remember if this was from Smell the Glove or not. But I do know it was in the Rockumentary that Marty DiBergi made. Lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel plays some of his best guitar work in years. It showed that the years - and drugs - hadn't taken the edge off his playing skills. Surprisingly, it's Nigel who sings the lead on the verses, showing that he was very much adept at handling those chores when necessary. And of course, David St. Hubbins' vocals are the perfect snarl on the chorus. And let us not forget bass player Derek Smalls, as he maintains his position of being lukewarm, in contrast to the other two frontmen of Tap. The lyrics are of great socio-political significance, unusual for a Heavy Metal song. But only Spinal Tap could get with it. So sit back, crank it up to 11 and enjoy!

21. "Radio Ga Ga" - Queen

Rumor had it that the original title of the song was "Radio Ca Ca", but they couldn't get it past the censors. In some parts of the song, it does sound like that's what Freddie Mercury sings. This song, one of Queen's last hits, is an echo of the Buggles' classic, "Video Killed the Radio Star". It's an ode, and a surprisingly dispassionate one, praising the virtues of radio in the early days of video. Back then, almost all dinosaur rockers hated video. Only a bold few like David Bowie embraced it. Clearly Queen wasn't one of them. Still, no matter how cold and robotic this song is, it is hypnotic. And the lyrics are powerful, if overly optimistic. These days, radio is the red-headed step-child of the music world, hardly worth bothering with. But Freddie's voice is still great, no matter how emotionless his delivery. There's something about this song, despite everything wrong about it that I like. Go figure.

22. "Bad" - U2

The best song from the Irish band's lush and atmospheric album, The Unforgettable Fire. This album was so different from others I had heard so far. It brought me to a new level of music appreciation. Bono's voice, much like Michael Stipe's, could be drowned out by the other instruments. Here, he is quite distinct, even if he seems to be singing from the bottom of a well. Which is appropriate, as this song is about wanting to help someone with a drug addiction. There's a quiet anger and desperation in Bono's voice, as he realizes that no matter how much he may want to free the addicted, they are the only ones who can free themselves. In concert, this song was augmented by including some lines from the Stones' "Sympathy For the Devil" and "Ruby Tuesday".

23. "Turn to You" - the Go Gos

Once again, Belinda Carlisle and the girls crank out another pop classic. But this one's tougher and somewhat harder in tone than earlier hits like "We Got the Beat", "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "Vacation". Belinda sings with an urgency of desire and the music, particularly the guitar work by Charlotte Caffey and Jane Weidlin, reflects that urgency. This is really a sign of maturity for the band. Unfortunately, shortly after this album and tour, the band would call it quits for about 15 years.

24. "Stonehenge" - Spinal Tap

I'm sure that because of this song, there are many people who believe that the members of Tap are Devil worshippers. I think it actually reflects their interest in mysticism more than anything else. At any rate, this is a dark, brooding, atmospheric song, opened by Nigel Tufnel's spooky invocation. Once that is finished, the band whips out the rock and roll, as David St. Hubbins takes over the lead vocals. Derek, as usual stays in the background laying great support with his bass. The middle eighth is sung by Nigel, by the way. And Tufnel plays an excellent mandolin at the song's end that sounds almost like country. The perfect Halloween song!

25. "99 Red Balloons" - Nena

You say "Luftballons", I say "Red Balloons". But that's because that's the version I heard down in Orange, TX. Unless I flipped the 45 over. Anyway, this anti-nuke song is pure New Wave. It's emotionless and all synths. Nena does a good job phonetically pronouncing the English words. And of course, you gotta love the shout out to Captain Kirk. Still, artificial thought it is, it's still a great song.

And there you have it. The Top 25 for the Class of 1984! Hope you liked it!

np - Tennessee Titans vs. the Oakland Raiders Go Titans!

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

I gotta throw two more Lyres songs into the mix: "Not Like the Other One" and "I'm Telling You Girl"

np - Soft Sounds For Gentle People - Avante Garde

Though I've never heard the whole Nena album from which "99 Luftballons/Red Balloons" came from, a friend of mine said that each song on it was sung in both English and German. Of course, I couldn't borrow his cd to actually hear it for myself...
I was wondering if anyone was going to list any Spinal Tap tunes. LOL! I also like "Rock and Roll Creation," though it's just a little more choppy than the two tracks Benn listed. (Sure, "It's the rolling of the ocean, and the rocking of the earth" may not be deep lyrics, but they're cool.)

Re "Radio Ga Ga"
The song was always "Radio Ga Ga" BUT writer of the song, Roger Taylor, remembers that he got the title from his baby daughter who always said "Radio Poo Poo". Knowing that it really wouldn't make that great a song with those words he changed it. That's straight from the horses mouth BTW.

And since when was that one of their last hits???
"I Want To Break Free"
"Hammer To Fall"
"One Vision"
"A Kind Of Magic"
"I Want It All"
"Breakthru"
"Innuendo"
"Bohemian Rhapsody" (after Freddie died)
"Heaven For Everyone"

Sorry Benn, I think your research was a little wrong there.

Todd's list for 1984:

1. "No Surrender", BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Born In The USA was THE record of the year, and if I didn't employ prudent restraint I could easily list eight or nine of its tracks here (I've managed to limit myself to just three). But this relatively lesser-known number has to be my favorite of all of the great songs on the album. An absolutely thunderous, driving anthem, heck, this may even be better than "Born To Run". And what great lyrics, "We learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school". That says it all, so true.

2. "The Boys Of Summer", DON HENLEY
Heart-tugging and haunting in every way imaginable, Henley's classic radio staple and lament for a lost past.

3. "I'm Free", KENNY LOGGINS
Footloose is actually one of my favorite soundtracks, although the title track is a bit hokey and a couple of the songs are near-unlistenable. The best number is this rousing anthem, which manages to overcome its disco-fied production to become a decent rock number, memorable in nearly every way.

4. "Almost Paradise", MIKE RENO AND ANN WILSON
We'll stick with the Footloose soundtrack. Hey man, pickings are really slim here in the mid 80's. A nice little ballad with some great emotional singing.

5. "Drive", THE CARS
I never developed much taste for the Cars' rockers, which I tended to find rather bland and soulless. But this gorgeous and emotive slow song shows Rik and the boys did have great musical talent after all.

6. "Bears", ZEBRA
Hmmm . . . a band named after an animal with a song named after an animal. A complex and well-realized tune that manages to rock out pretty well from a lesser-known hair metal band of the eighties. Zebra's No Telling Lies album has another great number in "Lullaby", a fine power ballad reminiscent of Aerosmith's "Dream On".

7. "Stonehenge", SPINAL TAP
Benn of course listed this one too, but I'm thinking shouldn't this count as a 1975 song, since that is when it was supposed to have come out? The writers of Spinal Tap honed their skills in song parody/pastiche working on The National Lampoon radio show. "Stonehenge" sends up such fantasy rock as "By-Tor The Snow Dog" and "The Magician's Birthday", but does so with true affection for and understanding of its subject.

8. "Dancing In The Dark", BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
The actual "hit" from BITUSA, blending the upbeat seamlessly with the downbeat. Some of Bruce's best lyrics.

9. "Knockin' On Your Back Door", DEEP PURPLE
Purple triumphantly reunited the classic lineup and hit the charts with this very good raveup, which perfectly encapsulated their seventies style but was adapatable enough not to sound too out of place in the new wave of metal.

10. "Self Control", LAURA BRANIGAN
Poppish in all the best ways, and not too terribly over-technified. Another nostalgic choice, this was one of my favorite radio hits in the summer of '84 as a teen.

11. "Panama", VAN HALEN
From Van Halen's somewhat overrated album titled after the year in question, it contained a lot of filler and a couple of really simplistic hits in "Jump" and "Hot For Teacher". But such minimalism works well on this speed rocker which is reminiscent of Deep Purple's "Highway Star".

12. "Downbound Train", BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
A really low key and somewhat depressing song which sounds like it should be on Nebraska instead of Born. I let this get in over such songs as "Darlington County" and others because of the unforgettable effect it leaves on the listener.

13. "A Month Of Sundays", DON HENLEY
Actually a "bonus track" which was originally not availible on the vinyl edition of the LP. I wonder if Henley was inspired by John Updike's 1975 novel for the title? Probably not by Route 66's 1961 second season opener guest starring Anne Francis. Anyway, neither has anything to do with the subject matter of this song, reflecting the plight of the everyday fasrmer.

14. "Go Fishing", ROGER WATERS
I agree with Benn's comments about the Pros and Cons album. It could have been a really great album if Roger had concentrating on producing more songs instead of audio sound collages and if he had toned down his annoying screaming. "Go Fishing" is one of the more cohesive and effective pieces on the album. The narrator is telling about taking his family into the country to live a Waldenesque existence and how they eventually leave back for civilization at the onset of winter. It is well-moving both musically and lyrically.

15. "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll", JUDAS PRIEST
I remember first hearing Priest's Defenders Of The Faith album and going "Why don't they play stuff like this on the radio?" That was about the time I stopped listening to top forty radio for good and all.

Well, thanks for reading my list for '84. I'm off to the pub to watch Monday Night Football.

Re: Don Henley: I always liked "Drivin' with Your Eyes Closed," not because it has a lot of lyrical depth, but because it sounds cool... just a nice rock tune to jam to while stuck in traffic or something. (To each his own, obviously!)
I forgot about Laura Branigan's "Self Control" for a long time, even though it was my favorite single of hers. A few years later (and now a few years ago), I heard a few more cuts off of that album, and thought it was all pretty good. At that time (around 1992, I think), the music didn't sound terribly dated as some 80's stuff does. I'll have to find it & listen again to see if that still holds true.
I have a couple more songs not on the lists I'd like to add, but I have to look up which year(s) they came out.

"The Boys of Summer", however has the classic line:

Out on the road today
I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac

But what about "DwYEC"'s line about scraping off tarantulas? (See my 29 Dec '02 post on the Misheard Lyrics-Part 1 board. )

Some random notes on 1983 and 4- (other selections always seem to pop into my head on the drive home after I post one of these. I'll have to tally them some other time, otherwise you guys'll leave me in the dust )

1983
"Add It Up"- Violent Femmes
Or anything else off of the debut, for that matter. If you've heard it then you probably know every lyric by heart- it's one of those.

"This Must be the Place (Naive Melody)"- Talking Heads
Always been one of my favorite Heads tunes.

"Radio Free Europe"- REM
I'll second the calls for this one. A landmark song, actually.

"Color Me Impressed"- The Replacements
Did anybody say these guys were snotty?

"Love on a Farmboy's Wages"- XTC
A major developmental step for these guys and a magnificent song to boot.

"Uncertain Smile"- The The
The song that introduced Matt Johnson to us yanks.

"Tear Stained Letter"- Richard Thompson
RT goes cajun with the best band he's ever assembled. Other Louisiana artists (like Jo El Sonnier) may have had a hit with this one but there's really no comparison to hearing the master shread like he does here.

"16 Shells From a Thirty-ought-six"- Tom Waits
WooHoo!!! Foot stomping, celebratory and absolutely menacing. Old Tom made a quantum leap here, and you could tell from the very instant you played Swordfishtrombones for the first time. Rain Dogs got the press, but this is where it happened.

1984

"Nicaragua"- Bruce Cockburn
From Stealing Fire, which is also home to "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" as well as a host of other classics. This is the best, hoowever. No one else could have conceived, much less pulled off, a song that's both so personal and topical.

" Whatever "- Husker Du
One of the moost intense songs from Zen Arcade, and that's saying something.

"Favorite Thing"- The Replacements
Hay, Paul Westerberg can write some incredible hook laden pop songs. How 'bout that?

"My Ever Changing Moods"- The Style Council
I don't care...yes, I know...yes it has been a staple of supermarket backround music programmers everywhere since its release...still don't care...great change of pace from the ModFather. Loved it then, still do.

"Sorry Benn, I think your research was a little wrong there." - Rodney Hravtin

Are we talking about here in the States with I live? Because if we are, my statement, is pretty much true. Going by the most recent edition (#7) of The Harmony Encyclopedia of Rock (copyright 1992), Queen had two more "hits" in the US: "I Want It All" (which went to #50) and "Breakthru" (which peaked at #45). Not exactly earthshattering hits, sir. I'll go along with "Bohemian Rhapsody" in its re-release being a major hit. But all the rest of the songs you mentioned did nothing here in America from what I can tell.

Geez, how could I have forgotten Violent Femmes' "Add It Up" from '83? And "Blister in the Sun," from the same album, fits in themematically with Benn's choices "Turning Japanese" and "She Bop." Hey, in what year was Billy Squire's "Stroke Me" released?

Benn, I'm glad to see R.E.M.'s "Rockville" on your '84 list. "Camera" was a great second choice from the album "Reckoning," much better than "So. Central Rain," which may be better known. I've been hot on R.E.M. since I heard their new song, "Bad Day," which will be on their greatest hits album out next month. The song is based on tracks laid down for '86's "Lifes Rich Pageant" but the lyrics have been updated to slam Bush and the Iraq war.

Benn- Your wording in the description was "This song, one of Queen's last hits" implied that it was one of their last hits anywhere. In that context your statement ISN'T true. I do not doubt for a moment that it is true within the confines of the US- Queen have never been as huge there as anywhere else- and as such, you should have specified more clearly. Unless of course you're one of these Americans that think that what the US thinks is what the world thinks, but I suspect you're a better person than that.

Queen's "One Vision" got quite a bit of airplay where I lived at the time it was new, in the American Midwest.
Obviously, Benn was looking at things from an American point of view because that's what frame of reference he had when the songs he's listed came out. But I'm certain he didn't mean it to be nationalistic or "only America counts" in nature. (I'm not trying to speak for him; I'm just offering my perspective on how I interpereted what was said. Hopefully my being American doesn't imply bias! )

By the way, "A Kind of Magic" (also on Rodney's list just after "One Vision") was used as the closing theme of the film Highlander... come to think of it, the whole soundtrack was by Queen. I wonder if that soundtrack's still around?

"Obviously, Benn was looking at things from an American point of view because that's what frame of reference he had when the songs he's listed came out. But I'm certain he didn't mean it to be nationalistic or "only America counts" in nature." - CR

Thanks, Craig. That pretty much does explain my position. It's not a matter of nationalism, it's more a matter of geography. Sure, I have access to the appropriate information, but let's face it, the one chart I'm going to be the most familiar with is the one that emanates from the United States. Moreover, it seems that most of the people who post here at Nitcentral are those who are residents of the United States. (This does not mean that posters from other nations are not welcome here. Far from it.)

If it makes you feel any better you can amend my statement to read "This song, one of Queen's last hit here in the States..." that's fine. And if it makes you feel better to think I'm one of those "Americans that think that what the US thinks is what the world thinks...", that's fine, too.

np - The Hindu Love Gods - the Hindu Love Gods (Rest in peace, Warren Zevon.)

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

And on the other side of the coin, I don't think Rodney was actually accusing Benn of being an "Ameri-centric" individual, either.
That's the drawback of this kind of communication: we all know what we mean, but sometimes when we type it out, we don't quite say what we mean, and/or someone misinterprets what was said. I know I've made both of those mistakes from time to time. Anyway, I hope everyone can forgive my commentary about it on this board, and I, for one, won't say anymore on this board that doesn't relate more closely to the topic.

So, to try to get back to music, a random offering... one that I like from the mid-1980's was Animotion's "Obsession." Sure, it's another one-hit wonder (where I'm from), a catchy pop-rock number for the dance clubs, but as such, I think it isn't all that bad. Occasionally, I'll hear it on the radio, and it still gets me moving. (Don't read anything into that one, please! )

Actually Benn, I quite admire the skill at which you and Todd have kept these lists going. You've inspired a lot of discussion and made people think about the music they listened to.

As for the Highlander soundtrack, I believe (and I could be wrong) that because most of the songs were on the "Kind Of Magic" album they didn't bother with a proper album. Hence the reason no-one can get a version of Freddie singing "New York, New York" unless they rip it off the movie itself. Doubtless it will crop up on some highly over-priced box set in the near future. (Don't laugh- go to the official site- it's in The Works (pardon the pun))

Well, I'm finishing up my list for 1985, and I just have to say, what a vast wasteland this year is! It seems like all the major classic artists took a sabbatical for '85. There's only one record that clearly stands out as album of the year, also. I'll probably only have ten selections for this year, and even then I'll have to scramble for choices. Anyway, I'll post my list after Benn posts his.

Which may be tomorrow. Gawd, what a week it's been. Monday I got home from my CNA class to find my electricity has been cut off. But that's because I forgot to let the electric company know when I'd be paying them. Fortunately, I was able to borrow the money from my parents to get the lights turned back on.

Tuesday, I graduated from CNA classes. I now need only to pass the state exam in October to become more fully certified, if that makes sense. (Hold on. I'm gonna pour me a glass of wine.)

There. Anyway, to continue with my eminently boring life, yesterday was payday. It was also a work day for me and I work second shift, which means I couldn't cash my check yesterday. Near the end of my shift, three of my fellow CNAs called in "sick". I was talked into working a double shift. That means I didn't get off work until after 6 this morning. (The only way they could get me to agree to pull the double shift is to let me have tonight off instead. That helps.)
I stayed up long enough to cash my check and email Craig and read Rodney's post.

The reason I went into all that trivia is to explain my silence this week. I've been through a lot this week.

Anyway...

"Actually Benn, I quite admire the skill at which you and Todd have kept these lists going. You've inspired a lot of discussion and made people think about the music they listened to." - Rodney Hravtin

Thank you. Let me just say that even if it doesn't seem like it, I do value and appreciate the comments people like you, Craig, Scott, MrPorter, Sparrow and Trike have made on these boards. I have found them interesting, entertaining and often thought provoking. If I seem to have been a bit cross in my most recent post... well, you've just read what kind of week it's been for me. It's no excuse, true. But maybe it'll help you understand.

I am working on my 1985 list. As I plan to at least get a buzz tonight, I doubt I'll be posting it tonight. I'm off work tomorrow, too, so it'll undoubtedly be up then.

Just in case anyone's been wondering, my process for making these lists has been thus: I consult this webring that links me to various charts for the appropriate years (admittedly, it is the American charts I'm using. I'm mostly trying to reflect the years as I knew them. Some songs are songs I've learned of after the fact, but are still good enough to be made a part of my charts.) I then raid my CD collection for discs released that year. (This isn't always an accurate gauge, btw. Some albums may have a 1985 copyright notice, but were released in early 1986.) I go through those discs and list the significant tracks from each. The lists are compiled in my Microsoft Word program and then kept on a floppy. Usually they run about three pages, single spaced, 12 point fonts.

After compiling my master list, I start to mark (with an asterisk) the songs that really stand out to me. These are then placed at the top of the page. From there I determine how many songs there are. Usually I have about 40 listed. I then begin to hack away from that list of 40 until I've got 25 good songs - the 25 best cuts. (Time for more wine.) Then I pick out the most significant songs from that list of twenty-five. And I rank them in their proper order. And so it goes for the rest.

I mention this because of how the year 1985 is shaping up. Strangely. As I've said, I normally get a master list that's just shy of three pages long. This one, the one for '85 is only about a page and a half. Trimming that down was incredibly easy. My first elimanation run, gave me a list of 23. I was able to pick two more songs to augment it to create a Top 25. I've already got the top seven decided on. I only need to rank the remaining 18 songs and we're good to go. I'll probably do that before I get too buzzed. But I don't think I'm gonna want to post them 'til I'm more level headed.

Anyway, that's where things stand right now. Thanks for your patience everyone!

np - Is There Anyone Out There? The Wall Live - Pink Floyd

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

If I may again get the jump on a year, I've got two pics for '85:

"Bag Full Of Thoughts" and "Garden Of Eyes/Forever Is A Long Time" by The Flaming Lips

Great acid rock off their self titled debut ep. Play either of these to someone who's only familiar with the modern Moody Blues music they make today and get a VERY startled expression.

np - Sweet Floral Albion - The Universals

Some initial thoughts on 85:

"Downtown Train"- Tom Waits
Seems that Rod Stewart broke into the big man's house and watered down his scotch...just because Chivas sells more than Laphroaig15 doesn't make it better.

"Scorpio Rising"- 10000 Maniacs
"Driver 8"- REM
(Producer) Joe Boyd was a busy man this year. I really like what hae got out of both bands this year. Actually, the Maniacs started to sound "handled" from here on out.

"Celebrated Summer"- Husker Du
"Left Side of the Dial"- Replacements
More classics from Minneapolis.

"How Soon is Now"- The Smiths
Later became the Charmed theme song.

"Cloudbusting"- Kate Bush
Great song, great video (with Donald Sutherland), great album.

"Going Down to Liverpool"- Katrina and the Waves
Ex-Soft Boy Kimberly Rew's side project becomes his main focus.

"Undertow"- Suzanne Vega
From her excellent debut

"Faron"- Prefab Sprout
They kick up a bit of dust on this one and still sound sophisticated.

"Life in a Northern Town"- Dream Academy
Talk about an appropriately named band...

"She Said the Same Things to Me"- John Hiatt
He was on the cusp of putting it all together but still putting out at least 6 great songs per album. This one's been covered by others, but not enough. Catchy and clever, as usual...

"Sweet Sweet Baby (I'm Falling)"- Lone Justice
Or anything else from the first one, for that matter.

"Bigger Stones"- Beat Farmers
Early Cowpunk, plus they gave the world Country Dick Montana. This is one of their poppier efforts, though.

"Bitchin' Camaro"- Dead Milkmen
The title says it all...

"Life In a Northern Town" was released in '85? I forgot about that. I may have to revise my list.

np - Ain't Love Grand? - X

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

[repeat from previous message]

1985: "Centerfield" - John Fogarty

And here we go...!

1. "All You Zombies" - Hooters

Spooky, atmospheric music with apocalyptic biblical lyrics, this was one of the most surprising hits of '85. The Hooters were composed of two of Cyndi Lauper's backup musicians from her She's So Unusual album. The two who were on the Cynid Lauper album - Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian - co-wrote this song. For a tune about events in the Bible, this is a really dark, scary song. The highlight of the song is the guitar solo, which sounds like the axe's strings were being torn up.

2. "Voices Carry" - 'til tuesday

Speaking of "scary", am I the only one who thought Amie Mann was singing "It's so scary" instead of "Voices carry"? This is a great song. The lyrics, about being in an abusive, controlling relationship, are superb. The instrumentation is sonically dense and eerie. They give the tune an apropriately claustaphobic feel. 'Til tuesday would never have as big a hit as this, but this is an absolute classic.

3. "Bittersweet" - the Hoodoo Gurus

Probably the signature song from this Australian band. At least here in the States (before Rodney corrects me. ) The bass shudders as a guitar erratically strums in the opening. Then all hell breaks loose in this song of romantic betrayal. David Faulkner turns in some really impassioned vocals. I miss the Gurus, especially the "Thanks to..." and dedications on their albums. Those were always a lot of fun. I'm just glad I got to see them live on their Crank tour.

4. "Here Comes a Regular" - the Replacements

One of Paul Westerberg's greatest drunk/drinking songs. Lush (in both senses of the word), melancholy, hell, depressing, this is an awesome number about wanting to belong and being lonely. The piano solo is absolutely one of the best there is. I don't care what the critics say, Tim, not Pleased to Meet Me was the 'Placemats' best album. This is one of the many highlights from that album.

5. "E=MC²" - Big Audio Dynamite

So, what do you do when the big name Punk Rock band you were a member of disbands (the Clash)? If you're Mick Jones, you abandon Punk and create dance music. Hell, you can even call it Techno if you like. It's close enough to it. There was never anything big or political to B.A.D., but then that wasn't the point. For dance music, though, this is really aggressive. The drums slam through the speakers insistently, making sure they have your attention. The lyrics are about sex dwarfs, pop stars, politicians and space guys. And in spite of all of that, I have no idea what connection the words (and song) have to Einstein's theory of relativity, though the chorus does mention it: "Rituals, ideas, relativity/Only buildings/No people prophecy/Time slides/Space to hide/Nudge reality/Foresight/Minds wide/Magic imagery." Still, this is a cool tune.

6. "Bastards of Young" - the Replacements

"God what a mess." The opening words say it all. But what a glorious mess the 'Mats have cooked up. This is fury and anguish incarnate. Westerberg screams the lyrics out cathartically. And the lyrics are more clever than they should be for the anger and hurt felt in this song. But that's what made the 'Mats so damned great. This is the best Punk song of '85.

7. "After the Fire" - Roger Daltrey

Pete Townshend wrote it, Roger Daltrey sang it. Could've been a Who song. Should've been a Who song. It's that good. The lyrics are the usual introspective musings from Towser and Daltrey delivers them with his usual masterful skill. Thoughtful and thought-provoking.

8. "Nothing At All" - Heart

This is a song (sung by Nancy Wilson, IIRC) about a man who easily and stealthily steals her heart away. It's so easy "it was nothing at all". I'd love to meet a woman like that. I doubt it happens, but I've this song to fantasize through. On this, their self-titled album, the Wilson Sisters changed to a more radio friendly sound. The aggression of earlier tunes like "Heartless" and "Baracuda" was gone. Forget "Never". This is the best song from the album, Heart. It's also the closest to the original Heart sound.

9. "Trapped" - Bruce Springsteen

The Boss covered this Jimmy Cliff song and pretty much removed the reggae elements from it. But that didn't hurt it any. An exclusive for the Michael Jackson We Are the Weird, er, We Are the World project, this is actually probably the best thing on that benefit album. It really does sound like something the Boss would've written. If you missed it, you missed a good one.

10. "Life In a Northern Town" - Dream Academy

Thank you MrPorter for reminding me of this one! God, this was a beautiful song. It was written as an elegy for Nick Drake, who had died some 11 years before the songs' release. It is haunting and elegant. The arrangement is pretty simple. IIRC, Pink Floyd's Dave Gilmour produced it.

11. "Broken Wings" - Mr. Mister

A thudding bass line is probably what you remember about this song. It's what I remember. That and the melancholy and optimistic lyrics. This is a lush and whispery song that lyrically echoes the Beatles' "Blackbird". "Kyrie" may the song everyone liked the best, but this is the one I most prefer.

12. "One of the Living" - Tina Turner

Why is this song unavailable??! It was the other hit from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. But unlike the very easily obtainable "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thuderdome)", this was a very macho rock tune. It's taunt and aggressive. The lyrics tend towards the apocalyptic, but so what? The guitars are outstanding. And the sax solo? That was just fantastic. Would somebody please reissue the Thunderdome soundtrack? Please?

13. "Under a Raging Moon" - Roger Daltrey

Surprisingly, this tribute to the late Kit Lambert (and one suspects, the late, great Keith Moon) wasn't written by Roger, Peter or John. Instead, it was co-written by John Parr, of "Naughty, Naughty" fame. Go fig. The lyrics, though, does capture the feel of the Who adequately enough. It's Daltrey's vocals, of course, that are the song's selling point. He's lived the words that Parr can only write about it. One point of irony, it takes seven drummers - in order of appearance: Martin Chambers (the Pretenders), Zak Starkey (Ringo's son), Roger Taylor (Queen), Carl Palmer (ELP), Cozy Powell (ditto ), Mark Brzezicki (?) and Stewart Copeland (the Police) - to approximate Moony's style. We miss you, Keith!

14. "Sleeping Beauty" - the DiVinyls

From their second album, What a Life!, this is another fantasy song for me. A companion to Heart's "Nothing At All". Christina Amphlett's vocals are somewhat less abrasive this time around. And this is more of a pop tune than many of the songs off Desperate, but the group still hasn't yet surrendered the way they did on '92's DiVinyls album. (The one with "I Touch Myself".)

15. "Driver 8" - R.E.M.

A nice little chuggin' song by the boys from Athens, GA. The song's rhythm aptly suggests a train. Michael Stipe's vocals are still such that it's hard to make out the lyrics, but so what? They sound great. A good country rocker.

16. "Face the Face" - Pete Townshend

I love the walking bass that opens the song. It sounds so ominous, doesn't it? Then a drum slams up and down (well, that's the image I get) and we're bombarded with "Face the face/Got to face the face". Probably a Quadrophenia reference, but so what? (How many times am I going to say that?) The bass solo is strenuous and exhausting just to listen to. There's a wonderful desperation to this song. It is definitely one of the two best tracks from Towser's White City: A Novel album. (The other's "Give Blood".)

17. "Beats So Lonely" - Charlie Sexton

Sexton was supposed to be something like the new Stevie Ray Vaughan. That never happened. What happened instead was this tough, heavy song. Sexton shows off some really powerful licks, but it wasn't enough to elevate him to Guitar God status.

18. "Change It" - Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble

Speaking of SRV... By the time of his third album, Soul to Soul, Stevie was deep into his cocaine and alcohol addictions. Soul to Soul was a somewhat weak album compared to the two that had come before it. "Change It" though, had some great chord changes and a great blues strut to it. Maybe it isn't Soul's best cut, but it is my personal favorite from it.

19. "Let's Go All the Way" - Sly Fox

Another one hit wonder. This was a superb, staccato song. Monotone, deadpan, the lyrics are rather clever, referencing "California Dreaming", "Eight Days a Week" and Hollywood Squares. Nothing deep here, just a fun song.

20. "Red Wine and Whisky" - Katrina and the Waves

Is anyone gonna list "Walking On Sunshine"? This fatalistic song from the debut album by Katrina and the Waves is better than the unrepentently upbeat hit they're most famous for. I love how the song sounds like it's sliding along. It's really another great drinking song, come to think of it.

21. "I Saw It On T.V." - John Fogerty

Let me first take time to correct ScottN; it Fogerty - F.o.g.e.r.t.y. Not Fogarty. There. Centerfield was a great album, no doubt. But of all the songs on it, the highlight for me has to be this one. It pays tribute to the importance television has taken in our collective lives. Nostalgic and wistful, this is the best non-CCR song John has written thus far.

22. "Around My Heart" - X

By this time, the L.A. Punk band had mellowed out - some. To be sure, by the time of the See How We Are, the band will have given up and become a somewhat pop-country band, but on Ain't Love Grand?, John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Billy Zoom and D.J. Bonebrake, prove they can still rock and rock hard. "Around My Heart" is so beautiful for such a rocker. Pleading and anguished (there's that word again), this song represents a new level of sophistication for X.

23. "Sun City" - Artists United Against Apartheid

Of all the benefit songs that came out in '84 and '85 (you know the ones I'm talking about), this was actually the best. Organized by former E Streeter, Little Steven Van Zandt, this tune was not as popular as the gawdawful "We Are the World". (Those of you who helped make that song popular should be ashamed of yourselves. I don't care how worthy the cause was. It sucked!) (There! I've said it. I'm happy now.) Nor did "Sun City" have the same caliber of artists on it. (It was actually more eclectic. Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Jimmy Cliff, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Run-DMC, Lou Reed, Rueben Blades, Pat Benatar, Bonnie Raitt, Ringo Starr, Pete Townshend, Peter Wolf, Stiv Bators, Daryl Hall, Afrika Bambaataa and Miles Davis. Sure, they are all very important artists, but they weren't overall the pop sensations that appeared on the Michael Jackson project.) Moreover, this song was overtly political. It was tough, arrogant and insistent. Now repeat after me, "I (I) ain't gonna play Sun City!"

24. "In My Life" - the DiVinyls

Nope, it ain't the Beatles song. That would've been interesting, though. Instead, we have a song about boredom. Christina Amphlett's vocals are raw and almost shrill. The song rocks. And that's all that's necessary.

25. "Home, Sweet Home" - Motley Crue

Probably the best power ballad of the Eighties, though I'm sure that everyone else has their own candidate for the position. This is, nonetheless, probably the song that helped popularize the power ballad. For a frightening group, this is a lovley song. Vince Neil does his best turn at the lead vocals.

And there you have it. Todd, it's your turn.

np - Pulse - Pink Floyd

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

I'll just sneak in a comment here... I bought the Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome soundtrack just for "One of the Living," a much cooler song than Turner's other big hit from that soundtrack, IMO.

Short list this year, as I indicated before. I probably could have expanded it to 15 items and included songs like Heart's "Never" and Fogerty's "Centerfield", but then I would still have had a few more slots to fill, and I know my devoted readers would never stand for a watered-down list from me (and ten for '85 is watered-down enough as it is).

1. "Somebody", BRYAN ADAMS
Adams' Reckless probably wins the title of album of the year by default if nothing else. This song is the rocking and emotive highlight and one of his best. I adopted this as one of my own personal anthems during my senior year of high school, when I was hopelessly in love with a raven-haired freshmen cheerleader who had the most beautiful and expressive eyes I've ever seen in my life. The line "your eyes were like diamonds / and they cut right through" always bring her to mind.

2. "After The Fire", ROGER DALTREY
As powerful and passionate as anything Rog ever sang, with a terrific arrangement. One of the best uses of a keyboard on a Who-related release.

3. "Wishing", ASIA
Asia's third disc Astra (minus Howe) falls a little short of the standard set by the first two, but is still one of the best slivers of the year. This song, shouldered out of the spotlight by tracks like the hard-rocking "Go", the arena-rock "Voice Of America" and the semi-progressive "Rock And Roll Dream", has an irresistible groove and exemplifies all the qualities of mid-80's pure pop magic. Should have been in the soundtrack of one of the myriad teen comedy/drama movies which propogated in this era.

4. "Play This Game", TODD RUNDGREN'S UTOPIA
Absolutely one of Todd's best commercial tunes ever, with an edge provided by some sharp guitars and drumming. Hand-clapping stomper with loads of intricacies.

5. "Heaven", BRYAN ADAMS
The lush ballad from the Reckless album deservedly became one of the top songs of the year.

6. "Lavender", MARILLION
"Kayleigh" got all the accolades from Misplaced Childhood, but I feel this song is better and more indicative of the band's musical talent.

7. "Angel", URIAH HEEP
That's how bad things are in '85, that I'm forced to include a song from Equator! Actually this is a great, driving metal-pop number with excellent guitar and keyboard flourishes, catchy as all get-out. The album was drowned in synth-dominated, hair-metal production, but as hair-metal pieces go this one is just fine (even though at this stage in their career the guys were starting to lose their hair).

8. "We Built This City (On Rock and Roll)", JEFFERSON STARSHIP
One of the most compelling hits of the year, with some very good hooks. Loses points for artificial instrumentation, ironic considering the song's title and subject matter. The sound of this song is far, far removed from the San Francisco sound the lyrics pay tribute to. Forget what you learned in history class about SF being built on gold prospecting.

9. "Run With The Pack", ALASKA
Terrific little commercial hard rock number with a memorable chorus and singing. Rather obscure, it can be heard on the Dressed To Kill 1996 3-CD Masters Of Rock anthology. Not to be confused with Bad Company's "Running With The Pack", whose album has a song called "Simple Man" which is not to be confused with the song of the same name by Lynyrd Skynyrd, whose current member Hugh Thomasson is not to be confused with the Irma Thomas who originally performed the Rolling Stone's "Time Is On My Side", which is not to be confused by the original song of the same name by the band Marmalade, who also did a song called "Kalidescope" which is not to be confused with the band Kalidescope who did "A Dream For Julie" and is not to be confused with the band Kalidescope who did "Beacon Of Mars." Confused? Don't be.

10. "You Belong To The City", GLENN FREY
Not to be one-upped by his former bandmate Don Henley, Frey produces his own little gem in the same style.

I was hoping nothing by Starship would make Benn's & Todd's lists, but I figured if either one did list it, it would be Todd... his lists tend to be more accepting of commercial pop hits than Benn's. I'm not complaining about that, as we all have differing musical (and other) tastes.
I just can't stand Starship's music. Jefferson Starship still rocked a bit, but once they changed the name, and the format, they became just another commercial pop-rock band that catered to formula hits. I guess I can't blame them, since everyone needs to earn a living, and why not go for the sure thing that guarantees sales/income? But the mid-1980's saw a lot of bands completely chucking artistry out the window for money (OK, I know it's always been about money, but come on!), and new groups that popped up were little more than money-making things that had little staying power.
Yes, I'm generalizing, or more accurately pointing out a general trend, as I perceived it at the time and even to this day... and no, I haven't looked up any statistics or anything; this is just a "brash reflection." Obviously, there were exceptions to that trend, and eventually we'd see music head off in different directions in the 1990's (some good, some bad). But that downward spiral really took off en masse by the middle of this decade (the 80's).
I cringed every time I'd hear a band known for a rocking reputation get so light & fluffy. Styx comes to mind. Rush is another one. (Yep, I said Rush... it started with Power Windows, although that album still had some good rock tracks, but there the foundation was laid for more commercially accessible sounds that would come to dominate Rush's subsequent songs and sound for years.)
One group that managed to change but still sound good was Yes. They made commercially available songs that weren't typical formula pop, but were distinctly different than their stuff from the 1970's. (Still had some weird lyrics, though.)
I think Billy Idol managed to adapt pretty well to the commercial changes, and still rocked, to boot!
Anyway, these are just a couple of examples to make my point, or rather to explain my feelings. I now return this board to its regularly scheduled lists. And thanks for listening, even if you disagree with me.

CR, as this is a Nitpicking site, I must point out to you that so far Starship HASN'T shown up on a list yet. That's a JEFFERNON Starship song up there.

Well, anyway, I've got one more song to throw into the mix;

"It Was Raining" The Verlaines

D'OH!
On the other hand, as this is a nitpicking site and all, who is Jeffernon Starship?

You know, for a while, you had me thinking I was in an alternate universe, where everything was the same as my own universe, except that Jefferson Starship, not Starship, made "We Built This City." But I figured the alternate universe thing was a little far-fetched, so I just chalked my error up to faulty memory on my part.
But it bugged me... I could have sworn it was Starship (sans Jefferson) who'd made that one, so I (GASP!) actually looked something up for a change. I found a brief history at Rolling Stone.com of the band, covering their original incarnation as Jefferson Airplane, through Jefferson Starship, then Starship, then back to Jefferson Starship . Turns out that the tune in question was indeed by Starship, off their 1985 Knee Deep in the Hoopla album.

Oh, by the way, I recall hearing two versions of "We Built This City" back in '85. One was just the song, and the other had a "radio dj" voice-over (during the instrumental bit about 2/3 of the way into the song) making references to San Francisco. I wonder if the plain version was made so local stations could do thier own voice-overs about their own cities...

"I was hoping nothing by Starship would make Benn's & Todd's lists, but I figured if either one did list it, it would be Todd... his lists tend to be more accepting of commercial pop hits than Benn's." - CR

Interesting. I would have thought I was the one who tended more towards commercial pop hits. I certainly did during the Seventies. I suppose it could be that in the Eighties, my tastes changed. Still, to me, Todd seems to pick the more obscure cuts. He tends more to the Classic Rockers and Art(Prog)- Rockers than anything else. On the other hand, as the Eighties progresses, I guess I'm emerging as more of a Punk/New Wave/Alternative/Post Modern Rocker.

But then there's the fact that many of the songs off my lists were hit singles. Whereas, it seems, few of Todd's have been.

When it comes down to it, I'd say Todd is less commercial in his tastes than I am.

Oh, and for the record, I really hated "We Built This City". I also don't like "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" or anything else by Whimp!, er Wham! (Sorry John A. Lang.) I can't stand "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco, "Take On Me" by Aha and a few others I can't think of right now. So there's never been any danger of any of those tunes popping up on my lists.

np - Icehouse - Icehouse

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

A-Ha's "Take On Me" was a bit overplayed, but the video was cool, even if it did "borrow" the idea for some imagery at the end from a movie (Altered States, IIRC). While having dental work done almost two decades ago, I was listening to some music piped in via headphones (so I wouldn't hear the drill or something--yeah, like that worked!), and heard an A-Ha song that was pretty good, and which I'd not heard before or since. Go figure.

I guess I should clarify that I meant Todd's 1980's lists seem to have more commercial stuff--or more accurately songs that became big commercial hits--on them, rather than pop tunes per se, as I posted earlier. (And yes, he does include stuff that may be more "obscure" or less well-known, too.) Sorry for the confusion.

Got a change to make for my 1984 list. "99 Red Balloons" is being omitted to make way for the Nails' "88 Lines About 44 Women". This is a cool, pulsating look into the lead singer's little black book of semi-dysfunctional women. Of course, my favorite line is "Tonya Turkis likes to f... while leather biker boots." It's been parodied a couple times. (The best is "88 Lines About 44 Simpsons" by Lukeski.) It's still a great New Wave style number.

np - Back From Rio - Roger McGuinn

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

"88 Lines About 44 Women" also turned up in a late-90s Mazda commercial.