80s0n8 Big 40 Countdown Schedule

sadchild

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#81 Bon Jovi "In And Out Of Love"

I was big into hair bands back in the early/mid 80s. I remember these guys being hailed as the next big thing, including a full page ad (in Rolling Stone I think) for this album (I can still see the flames) -- but this one didn't break them. I was rockin' with Dokken (and Motley and Twisted and Ratt and Krokus and Kiss etc etc) and didn't get into this one. I believe it was considered somewhat of a flop, or at least a step down from their debut. BJ officially became kings of 'chick-rock' (aka heartthrobs of the future cougars) in '87.
 
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HecticArt

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Those were Krokus, Scorpions, VH days for sure. Bon Jovi was still mixed in, but they were starting to come across as chick rock for sure.
I still think that their first album was their best.
 
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Aaron

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Oct 10, 2008
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1987

40. FAKE - ALEXANDER O'NEAL
39. NEVER LET ME DOWN - DAVID BOWIE
38. CROSS MY BROKEN HEART - THE JETS
37. BACK IN THE HIGH LIFE AGAIN - STEVE WINWOOD
36. LET ME BE THE ONE - EXPOSE
35. MAKING LOVE IN THE RAIN - HERB ALPERT
34. CASANOVA - LEVERT
33. GIVE TO LIVE - SAMMY HAGAR
32. PAPER IN FIRE - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP
31. WHO WILL YOU RUN TO - HEART
30. JUMP START - NATALIE COLE
29. U GOT THE LOOK - PRINCE / SHEENA EASTON
28. HEART AND SOUL - T'PAU
27. LIES - JONATHAN BUTLER
26. LIVING IN A BOX - LIVING IN A BOX
25. I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR - U2
24. ONE HEARTBEAT - SMOKEY ROBINSON
23. MARY'S PRAYER - DANNY WILSON
22. CARRIE - EUROPE
21. LOST IN EMOTION - LISA LISA & THE CULT JAM
20. WHO FOUND WHO - JELLYBEAN FEATURING ELISA FIORILLO
19. I WANT YOUR SEX - GEORGE MICHAEL
18. I NEED LOVE - L.L. COOL J
17. I HEARD A RUMOR - BANANARAMA
16. WIPEOUT - THE FAT BOYS AND THE BEACH BOYS
15. TOUCH OF GREY - THE GRATEFUL DEAD
14. IT'S NOT OVER ('TIL IT'S OVER) - STARSHIP
13. LUKA - SUZANNE VEGA
12. LOVE POWER - DIONNE WARWICK & JEFFREY OSBORNE
11. WHEN SMOKEY SINGS - ABC
10. DOING IT ALL FOR MY BABY - HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS
9. ROCK STEADY - WHISPERS
8. HERE I GO AGAIN - WHITESNAKE
7. CAN'T WE TRY - DAN HILL WITH VONDA SHEPARD
6. DON'T MEAN NOTHING - RICHARD MARX
5. DIDN'T WE ALMOST HAVE IT ALL - WHITNEY HOUSTON
4. ONLY IN MY DREAMS - DEBBIE GIBSON
3. WHO'S THAT GIRL - MADONNA
2. I JUST CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU - MICHAEL JACKSON / SIEDAH GARRETT
1. LA BAMBA - LOS LOBOS
 
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sadchild

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Good 7
Okay 5
Bad 28

39: NEVER LET ME DOWN - DAVID BOWIE

I've long said I don't like Bowie 83 - 89, but dear lord this is even worse than the others in this time range.

26: LIVING IN A BOX - LIVING IN A BOX

How many times did they say "Living in a box in a cardbox box" at the end of this song? I thought it would never end.

25: I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR - U2

Mark Goodman's comment about "Have you checked the couch?" was great!

16: WIPEOUT - THE FAT BOYS AND THE BEACH BOYS

Did Alan really say that Wipeout was originally done by the Beach Boys? Please tell me I heard that wrong.

7: CAN'T WE TRY - DAN HILL WITH VONDA SHEPARD

849ec66b71f5b46eaaf54fdc6fd56492.jpg


2: I JUST CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU - MICHAEL JACKSON f/SIEDAH GARRETT

My friend's son's guess for #1

1: LA BAMBA - LOS LOBOS

My guess for #1. I've called it 3 weeks in a row. I'm truly shocked. And all four of my potential choices were in the top 20. Shocked by that too. My friend's old college roomate picked this one.

#88 David Hallyday "He's My Girl"

Is he a she, is she a he
I guess it doesn't matter to me
Cause he's my girl


Dude Looks Like A Lady revisited?

#84 Nylons "Happy Together"

Yes THAT Happy Together.

#100 Georgio "Tina Cherry"

Prince wannabe.

Will never reach the top 40
#41 38 Special "Back To Paradise"
#42 Pointer Sisters "Be There"
#51 Curiosity Killed the Cat "Misfit"
#54 Yello "Oh Yeah"
#57 Will To Power "Dreamin'"
#61 Atlantic Starr "One Lover At A Time"
#62 Donna Summer "Dinner With Gershwin"
#66 Hooters "Johnny B"
#71 Crowded House "World Where You Live"
#74 Noel "Silent Morning"
#76 Ray Parker Jr "I Don't Think That Man Should Sleep Alone"
#77 Great White "Rock Me"
#78 Pepsi & Shirlie "Heartache"
#79 Anita Baker "No One In The World"
#80 Def Leppard "Women"
#81 Chris Rea "Let's Dance"
#82 Silencers "Painted Moon"
#83 John Waite "These Times Are Hard For Lovers"
#84 Nylons "Happy Together"
#85 INXS "Good Times"
#86 Glenn Medeiros "Watching Over You"
#88 David Hallyday "He's My Girl"
#89 Force MDs "Love Is A House"
#90 Laura Branigan "Shattered Glass"
#93 Regina Belle "Show Me The Way"
#94 Cure "Why Can't I Be You"
#97 Kim Wilde "Say You Really Want Me"
#99 Breakfast Club "Kiss And Tell"
#100 Georgio "Tina Cherry"
 
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IdRatherBeSkiing

Sherbert is NOT and NEVER WILL BE ice cream.
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The not making top 40 is as bad as the top 40. That is unusual. Only surprise, and I have mentioned this before, the Oh Yeah song. With Ferris Beuiler this should have been bigger (although I think Ferris may have been later).
 
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Channel98

Don't yell or hit.
Feb 2, 2019
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In 1958, Bob Keane, Ritchie Valens' manager, heard the Mexican folk song La Bamba on the radio and talked Valens into recording the song. Valens didn't speak Spanish but he learned the lyrics. His recording, which included Little Richard's drummer Earl Palmer, reached #22 in February 1959, just a few days before Valens died in a plane crash along with Buddy Holly and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. Los Lobos formed in 1973 in East Los Angeles and often performed La Bamba in concert. Luis Valdez, writer and director of La Bamba, the 1987 biographical movie about Valens, , chose Los Lobos to record six Valens songs for use in the film. Actor Lou Diamond Phillips, who portrayed Valens, lip-synched to the recordings. At least he tried. Los Lobos' version of La Bamba was number one for three weeks in August-September 1987. The single was a measly 2:54 in length. The 12-inch version was 6:45 and ended with some excellent flamenco guitar work:




In the 17th century, Spanish slave traders brought tribesmen from Angola and Congo to the Mexican port city of Veracruz. The slaves' African music began to be influenced by Mexican and Spanish rhythms. One of the results was the song La Bamba, which also led to a dance with the same time. To this day, La Bamba is traditionally performed at weddings in Mexico. Guests are encouraged to make up their own verses. The name derives from the Spanish bambolear, which means "to shake." The song was recorded by many artists in the early 1900s but the oldest version known to still exist is this 1939 recording by El Jarocho (Alvaro Hernández Ortiz). Jarocho is the Spanish word for a native of Veracruz.

 
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sadchild

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I'm surprised that this didn't break the top 40.

Yeah me too. I bought Hysteria when it came out on cassette and listened to it constantly - probably almost daily. But I do remember it being a slow burn, not becoming popular until several months later. I listened to it constantly for quite a while, then put it aside - wanting to take a break from it. And that was the moment people suddenly started asking me to borrow it (1988) and it was suddenly all over radio. That was the only cassette I listened to so much (and then other people borrowed it too) that I had to buy it a second time.

I wrote the song bio for "Women" at genius.com

Whereas “Animal” was the first taste of Hysteria across Europe, propelling the album into the top 10 in seven countries including topping the chart in their homeland the UK, “Women” was instead chosen as the album’s lead single in the US.

The song stalled at #80 on the pop chart, prompting people to prematurely label it a ‘disappointment’ and ‘failure’. However, subsequent singles would finally send the album to #1 in the US almost a full year after its release.
 
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HecticArt

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Yeah. I was a DL fan from their earlier albums, and was really bummed when the drummer lost his arm. It seemed like it was forever waiting for that album to drop, but then the sound was soooo huge.
 
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sadchild

Dude
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They originally wanted to release their follow-up to Pyromania within a year. I wrote the album bio at genius as well because I was really curious why it had taken so long. It's an interesting story. This is the first 2/3rds of it. Links are clickable for more deets.

After the success of Pyromania, hard rockers Def Leppard went immediately into the studio to record a follow-up, intending for it to come out within a year. It ended up taking three grueling, expensive and emotional years to do.

The band’s intention from the start was not to make ‘Pyromania 2’, but instead ‘broaden their scope’ and crossover into pop. When Pyromania producer Mutt Lange told the band he wouldn’t be involved in the album, they turned to producer Jim Steinman (Meatloaf, Air Supply) but it didn’t work out.

Soon after the departure of Steinman, drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in a car accident. When Lange got the news he visited the band, and changed his mind – deciding to helm the project. Allen then designed a drum kit that could be played with only one arm.

Over the next two years, Lange worked painstakingly with the band to make the album meet what he envisioned – a multi-layered rock album that would cross over into pop without being too ‘sweet or soft’.
 
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HecticArt

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I think that the production is what made it work so well.
I love a big sound with a lot of attention paid on layering and orchestration.
Without Lange, I think they would have been doomed.
 
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Aaron

Moderator
Oct 10, 2008
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1983

40. HOLD ME 'TILL THE MORNIN' COMES - PAUL ANKA
39. AFTER THE FALL - JOURNEY
38. ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER - THE FIXX
37. TELEFONE (LONG DISTANCE LOVE AFFAIR) - SHEENA EASTON
36. TONIGHT I CELEBRATE MY LOVE - PEABO BRYSON AND ROBERTA FLACK
35. YOU'RE DRIVING ME OUT OF MY MIND - LITTLE RIVER BAND
34. ISLANDS IN THE STREAM - KENNY ROGERS AND DOLLY PARTON
33. BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE - TALKING HEADS
32. BIG LOG - ROBERT PLANT
31. TELL HER NO - JUICE NEWTON
30. LADY LOVE ME - GEORGE BENSON
29. HOT GIRLS IN LOVE - LOVERBOY
28. KISS THE BRIDE - ELTON JOHN
27. DON'T YOU GET SO MAD - JEFFREY OSBORNE
26. TAKE ME TO HEART - QUARTERFLASH
25. DEAD GIVEAWAY - SHALAMAR
24. STAND BACK - STEVIE NICKS
23. CHINA GIRL - DAVID BOWIE
22. TRUE - SPANDAU BALLET
21. KING OF PAIN - THE POLICE
20. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU - LAURA BRANIGAN
19. PROMISES, PROMISES - NAKED EYES
18. HUMAN TOUCH - RICK SPRINGFIELD
17. FAR FROM OVER - FRANK STALLONE
16. IT'S A MISTAKE - MEN AT WORK
15. MAKING LOVE OUT OF NOTHING AT ALL - AIR SUPPLY
14. (SHE'S) SEXY + 17 - STRAY CATS
13. LAWYERS IN LOVE - JACKSON BROWNE
12. (KEEP FEELING) FASCINATION - THE HUMAN LEAGUE
11. DON'T CRY - ASIA
10. I'LL TUMBLE 4 YA - CULTURE CLUB
9. HUMAN NATURE - MICHAEL JACKSON
8. TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART - BONNIE TYLER
7. SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY - DONNA SUMMER
6. EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE - THE POLICE
5. TELL HER ABOUT IT - BILLY JOEL
4. PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ - TACO
3. THE SAFETY DANCE - MEN WITHOUT HATS
2. SWEET DREAMS (ARE MADE OF THIS) - EURYTHMICS
1. MANIAC - MICHAEL SEMBELLO
 

sadchild

Dude
Mar 28, 2016
14,943
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www.asimplecomplex.com
Good 17
Okay 6
Bad 17

40. HOLD ME 'TILL THE MORNIN' COMES - PAUL ANKA

First time ever on the VJ Big 40? New to me.

34. ISLANDS IN THE STREAM - KENNY ROGERS AND DOLLY PARTON

849ec66b71f5b46eaaf54fdc6fd56492.jpg


20. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU - LAURA BRANIGAN

Alan said Michael Bolton hit #1 in '88 with this one. Nope, 1990.

2. SWEET DREAMS (ARE MADE OF THIS) - EURYTHMICS

My choice this week for #1. I picked it 9 weeks ago and it was #20. Figured it would hit the top around now, seeing Every Breath was #1 for two months. I was close.

1. MANIAC - MICHAEL SEMBELLO

The other two guys picked this one. It was one of my three suspects (Tumble 4 Ya was the other).

#51 Animals "The Night"

Imagine a song that is the polar opposite of "House Of The Rising Sun", and that's this song.

#75 Club House "Do It Again/Billie Jean"

This act beat the internet to weird song mashups by about three decades. #11 in the UK.

#78 Kajagoogoo "Hang On Now"

Mixing animation and live action two years before A-ha.

#81 Bette Midler "All I Need to Know"

Taken to #1 years later by Linda and Aaron under the title "Don't Know Much". Notably lacking overuse of vibrato-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh.

Will never make the top 40
#48 Styx "High Time"
#50 Beegees "Someone Belonging To Someone"
#51 Animals "The Night"
#52 Sergio Mendes "Rainbow's End"
#54 Eddy Grant "I Don't Wanna Dance"
#58 Ronnie Milsap "Don't You Know How Much I Love You"
#62 Wham "Bad Boys"
#68 FR David "Words"
#69 Donna Summer "Unconditional Love"
#70 Midnight Star "Freak-A-Zoid"
#71 Chris de Burgh "Ship To Shore"
#72 SOS Band "Just Be Good To Me"
#74 ZZ Top "Sharp Dressed Man"
#75 Club House "Do It Again/Billie Jean"
#77 Aretha Franklin "Get It Right"
#78 Kajagoogoo "Hang On Now"
#79 Kansas "Fight Fire With Fire"
#80 Jim Capaldi "Living On The Edge"
#81 Bette Midler "All I Need to Know"
#82 Smokey Robinson "Blame It on Love"
#83 Crystal Gayle "Baby, What About You"
#86 Herbie Hancock "Rockit"
#87 Liquid Gold "What's She Got"
#88 Crystal Gayle "Baby, What About You"
#89 Al Jarreau "Trouble in Paradise"
#90 Eddie Rabbitt "You Put The Beat In My Heart"
#91 Big Ric "Take Away"
#92 Tears For Fears "Change"
#96 Herb Alpert "Garden Party"
#100 Louise Tucker "Midnight Blue"
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

Sherbert is NOT and NEVER WILL BE ice cream.
Oct 11, 2008
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36. TONIGHT I CELEBRATE MY LOVE - PEABO BRYSON AND ROBERTA FLACK

I thought for sure this would get the bevis & butthead monicker.

Mark came out of this song and said something like smooth. Just once I want them to say: "My God, that song sucks. WTF were we thinking of in the 80s when we wanted this shit on the radio?". Once will be enough to make me happy.
 
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IdRatherBeSkiing

Sherbert is NOT and NEVER WILL BE ice cream.
Oct 11, 2008
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No surprises in bottom 40.

My picks were either "Eye of the Tiger", "Maniac" or Bonny Tyler. I had forgotten that Survivor was 1982. I think you missed Sweet Dreams by 1 week.
 
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