[atari 2600]

My ten favorites so far

Public Enemy / "Fight the Power"
Queen and David Bowie / "Under Pressure"
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts/ "I Love Rock N' Roll"
The Police / "Every Breath You Take"
Talking Heads / "Burning Down the House"
Styx / "Mr. Roboto"
Guns N' Roses / "Welcome to the Jungle"
Eurythmics / "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
Ratt / "Round and Round"
The Cure / "Just Like Heaven"



Yeah, Wham! did have some better songs (yes, they are planning some reunion concerts for December), but of course, the list will opt for the more well-known ones. The worst case of this is with Devo, R.E.M., & Talking Heads who have oodles of better songs than the VH1 selections (which were voted on by online users).
This issue was addressed a bit in the case of The Pretenders because Chrissie Hynde stated how much she dislikes "Brass in Pocket" and even more so with Berlin. Terri Nunn told of how the success of "Take My Breath Away" from the Top Gun soundtrack caused a rift in the band; their Pleasure Victim is a pretty good '80s album. And of course, Mr. Roboto and Kilroy was Here caused Styx to short-circuit too.

[CHOUT]

My band occasionally covers Wham!'s Everything She Wants.

[king_buzzo]

26. Guns N' Roses / "Welcome to the Jungle"
40. The B-52's / "Love Shack"
42. The Clash / "London Calling"
63. Devo / "Whip It"
78. Blondie / "Call Me"



these are okay

[Danny Himself]

No Club Tropicana, Chout?

[sonicl]

I had hoped that I could at least find an appropriate UK list for comparison, but I couldn't even find a list of the 100 top-selling singles in the UK in the 1980's. The best I could manage was the top-selling singles in the UK since the official charts began. The 1980s ones from that list are:

2. Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? (1984), sold 3.55m
7. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax (1984), sold 1.91m
13. Stevie Wonder - I Just Called To Say I Love You (1984), sold 1.775m
22. Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Two Tribes (1984), sold 1.51m
25. Human League - Don't You Want Me (1981), sold 1.43m
26. Wham - Last Christmas (1984), sold 1.42m
29. Culture Club - Karma Chameleon (1983), sold 1.41m
34. George Michael - Careless Whisper (1984), sold 1.37m
38. Jennifer Rush - The Power of Love (1985), sold 1.32m
48. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen (1982), sold 1.2m
57. Soft Cell - Tainted Love (1981), sold 1.135m
79. New Order - Blue Monday (1983), sold 1.001m
83. Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger (1982), sold 0.99m
86. Adam and the Ants - Stand and Deliver (1981), sold 0.985m
89. Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan - Especially For You (1988), sold 0.98m
92. Tight Fit - The Lion Sleeps Tonight (1982), sold 0.978m
94. Irene Cara - Fame (1982), sold 0.975m
95. Ray Parker Jr. - Theme From Ghostbusters (1984), sold 0.974m
96. Billy Joel - Uptown Girl (1983), sold 0.974m
97. Black Box - Ride On Time (1989), sold 0.973m

How many of those would now be voted among the 100 best of the decade is another point altogether, of course. But it's horrifying to notice that that list coincides almost exactly with the play list of a number of 40th birthday parties that I've been to in the last couple of years.

[pantophobia]

Originally Posted by sonicl

On what basis is this listing chosen? Is it a public vote, or sales, or numbers of requests? Or is it a list cobbled together by journalists in the pub on a Friday lunchtime? It's not a matter of importance, I'm just wondering.

it's an internet poll from viewers

[CHOUT]

Originally Posted by Danny Himself

No Club Tropicana, Chout?

Club Tropicana, drinks are free.
Fun and sunshine, there's enough for everyone.
All that's missing is the sea.
But don't worry, you can suntan!

WHAM! Reunite in '06!

 

[jon boy]

why anyone could think they are gay, i have no idea?

[CHOUT]

I have no idea either

 

[jon boy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZcBbltcUw4

the scene when they are dressed as airline pilots is the best.

[atari 2600]

While George has been passing out in cars, Andrew has been racing them (or at least did in the late '90s); Ridgeley has been married to Bananarama singer Keren Woodward (who appears in the countdown show) for several years.

[CHOUT]

Originally Posted by atari 2600

While George has been passing out in cars, Andrew has been racing them (or at least did in the late '90s); Ridgeley has been married to Bananarama singer Keren Woodward (who appears in the countdown show) for several years.

A man with superior knowledge of Devo, REM and WHAM! You're my new hero. Did you get my pms?

[atari 2600]

Yeah. I thought you knew I wanted that Madison, WI '82 one whenever you got around to transferring it.

Since that last R.E.M. thread, there have been some (actual) soundboards over at Dime from Tyrone's OC to add to my growing collection of early R.E.M. shows.
9/22/81 Tyrone's O.C. Athens, GA sbd
9/23/81 Tyrone's O.C. Athens, GA sbd x2
The first one sounds a bit thin and you can't hear the audience at all, but the second one (2 discs) is really good; I suppose the kinks were worked out by the second night.

[thewall91]

My band occasionally covers Wham!'s Everything She Wants.

do you have any mp3s of this? i'd love to hear it.

[atari 2600]

I don't know if you peeked or if you're prescient or what, but you are correct, Patti.


100 Greatest 80's Songs #20-1
1. Bon Jovi / "Livin' on a Prayer"
2. Def Leppard / "Pour Some Sugar On Me"
3. Duran Duran / "Hungry Like the Wolf"
4. Michael Jackson / "Billie Jean"
5. Prince / "When Doves Cry"
6. Hall & Oates / "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)"
7. Guns N' Roses / "Sweet Child O' Mine"
8. Madonna / "Like a Virgin"
9. Run-D.M.C. / "Walk This Way"
10. AC/DC / "You Shook Me All Night Long"
11. Journey / "Don't Stop Believin'"
12. Whitney Houston / "How Will I Know"
13. U2 / "With Or Without You"
14. The Bangles / "Walk Like an Egyptian"
15. Van Halen / "Jump"
16. INXS / "Need You Tonight"
17. Whitesnake / "Here I Go Again"
18. Dexy's Midnight Runners / "Come On Eileen"
19. Cyndi Lauper / "Time after Time"
20. Rick Springfield / "Jessie's Girl"




There's so much cheese in this top twenty.

"Livin' on a Prayer" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me" are truly awful. "Hungry Like the Wolf" is a great song, but even "Rio" (the title track) from the same album is better as are "Save A Prayer" and "The Chauffeur." "Billie Jean" rocks glittered socks, I agree. "When Doves Cry" is a hypnotic tour-de-force. "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" is my favorite Hall & Oates tune; this one was a pleasant surprise. "Sweet Child O' Mine" features what may be Slash's best guitar solo. "Like a Virgin" is more memorable for Steve Buscemi's diatribe in Reservoir Dogs than anything else. "Walk This Way" is one of the most overhyped pieces of junk ever, and even though I like the album it comes from, every other early rap or hip-hop track on the countdown trumps it easily. "You Shook Me All Night Long" is a great rocker, but shit, the Back in Black album has even better to offer; it's rock solid from beginning to end. "Don't Stop Believin'" is indeed a soaring anthem, but hardly top twenty-worthy. "How Will I Know," Whitney's first, is definitely her best song although that isn't saying much. "With Or Without You" is a masterpiece. The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" is much better than the "Walk Like an Egyptian" pick; Susanna Hoffs is still smokin' hot. "Jump" ...I'd like a physicist to explain to me just how David Lee Roth was able to leap that high and do the splits in mid-air like that in the video; I'll settle for the opinion of a gymnast. "Need You Tonight" has always been able to get into one's head. Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" was horrible then...it's absolutely abysmally wretched now. Ditto for "Come On Eileen"...hopefully no one out there destroyed their television with a brick, hammer, or other blunt instrument. "Time after Time"...so she did it on Howard Stern with a dulcimer...whatever. Jessie's Girl?": what the hell is going on with these supposed online voters? Is this all a bad joke?

[jennthebenn]

Originally Posted by atari 2600

I don't know if you peeked or if you're prescient or what, but you are correct, Patti.

 

100 Greatest 80's Songs #20-1
1. Bon Jovi / "Livin' on a Prayer"
2. Def Leppard / "Pour Some Sugar On Me"
3. Duran Duran / "Hungry Like the Wolf"
4. Michael Jackson / "Billie Jean"
5. Prince / "When Doves Cry"
6. Hall & Oates / "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)"
7. Guns N' Roses / "Sweet Child O' Mine"
8. Madonna / "Like a Virgin"
9. Run-D.M.C. / "Walk This Way"
10. AC/DC / "You Shook Me All Night Long"
11. Journey / "Don't Stop Believin'"
12. Whitney Houston / "How Will I Know"
13. U2 / "With Or Without You"
14. The Bangles / "Walk Like an Egyptian"
15. Van Halen / "Jump"
16. INXS / "Need You Tonight"
17. Whitesnake / "Here I Go Again"
18. Dexy's Midnight Runners / "Come On Eileen"
19. Cyndi Lauper / "Time after Time"
20. Rick Springfield / "Jessie's Girl"

 

1, 6, 9, 12, 14 and 17 have no business on the top 20 of anything other
than "awesome songs to trigger a killing spree at a mcdonalds". the rest can
at least have a half-ass case made for them.

[krastian]

^Preach!

[alteredcourse]

walkin down a centre aisle at wal-mart about a year ago i passed by a display full of ugly stuffed...what was it...bears ? and my walking by triggered their motion sensors, sending them into convusing rotating fits while a high pitched midi recording of that GOD DAMNED WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN SONG played out from inside them .
i ran .

[Tokolosh]

Originally Posted by sonicl

I think that there are other Cure songs that would be more likely to figure in a UK version of the list (probably In Between Days or Close To Me), and The Clash were never as popular here as in the USA, although Should I Stay Or Should I Go might get into the list.

Numbers 72 and 99 I've never even heard of!

The Fixx are British but they were more popular in the US. I'm sure I saw Wank chung on top of the pops in those days though.

[CHOUT]

I'm baffled by the placing of that hall and oates tune. Private Eyes and Maneater were way bigger songs than that one.