Well, 1984 was such a doozy of a year, I have to change the format a little. I used bold for the songs I loved back in 1984 and, dammit, still like (plus an asterisk if I bought the album). Italics are for the songs I love to hate (I know they're awful but have a ridiculous weak spot for them—I just can’t help it). The songs I don't remember or have no feelings for or against, those are in plain text. The single instance of strikethrough is for the one song I hate and do not secretly love (Laura Branigan’s oeuvre is worthless). As for a single favorite song, how can I choose? Culture Club, The Police, Prince, Peabo, Huey Lewis—these are all my precious children.
Too much bold? Too much italics? Nonsense. 1984 was a grand year. Play any of the bold or italic songs on the car radio, and I’ll be instantly transported to age 17, and you won’t be able to stop me from singing along and massacring the lyrics.
Looking on the bright side, I more or less stopped following pop music after 1984. A list of the top 100 songs from any subsequent year wouldn’t resonate with me, but 1984? Forget about it. I mean, who could forget? (For bonus enjoyment, envision the MTV video when you start singing to yourself. Maybe even act it out. You know you can.)
1. When Doves Cry, Prince *
2. What's Love Got To Do With It, Tina Turner
3. Say Say Say, Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
4. Footloose, Kenny Loggins
5. Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now), Phil Collins
6. Jump, Van Halen
7. Hello, Lionel Richie
8. Owner Of A Lonely Heart, Yes
9. Ghostbusters, Ray Parker Jr.
10. Karma Chameleon, Culture Club *
11. Missing You, John Waite
12. All Night Long (All Night), Lionel Richie
13. Let's Hear It For The Boy, Deniece Williams
14. Dancing In The Dark, Bruce Springsteen *
15. Girls Just Want To Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper *
16. The Reflex, Duran Duran
17. Time After Time, Cyndi Lauper *
18. Jump (For My Love), Pointer Sisters
19. Talking In Your Sleep, Romantics
21. Let's Go Crazy, Prince and The Revolution *
22. Say It Isn't So, Daryl Hall and John Oates
23. Hold Me Now, Thompson Twins *
24. Joanna, Kool and The Gang
25. I Just Called To Say I Love You, Stevie Wonder
26. Somebody's Watching Me, Rockwell
27. Break My Stride, Matthew Wilder
28. 99 Luftballons, Nena
29. I Can Dream About You, Dan Hartman
30. The Glamorous Life, Sheila E.
31. Oh Sherrie, Steve Perry
32. Stuck On You, Lionel Richie
33. I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues, Elton John
34. She Bop, Cyndi Lauper *
35. Borderline, Madonna
36. Sunglasses At Night, Corey Hart
37. Eyes Without A Face, Billy Idol
38. Here Comes The Rain Again, Eurythmics
39. Uptown Girl, Billy Joel *
40. Sister Christian, Night Ranger
41. Drive, Cars *
42. Twist Of Fate, Olivia Newton-John
43. Union Of The Snake, Duran Duran
44. The Heart Of Rock 'N' Roll, Huey Lewis and The News *
45. Hard Habit To Break, Chicago
46. The Warrior, Scandal
47. If Ever You're In My Arms Again, Peabo Bryson
48. Automatic, Pointer Sisters
49. Let The Music Play, Shannon
50. To All The Girls I've Loved Before, Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson
51. Caribbean Queen, Billy Ocean
52. That's All, Genesis *
53. Running With The Night, Lionel Richie
54. Sad Songs (Say So Much), Elton John
55. I Want A New Drug, Huey Lewis and The News *
56. Islands In The Stream, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
57. Love Is A Battlefield, Pat Benatar
58. Infatuation, Rod Stewart
59. Almost Paradise, Mike Reno and Ann Wilson
60. Legs, ZZ Top
61. State Of Shock, Jacksons
62. Love Somebody, Rick Springfield
63. Miss Me Blind, Culture Club *
64. If This Is It, Huey Lewis and The News *
65. You Might Think, Cars *
66. Lucky Star, Madonna
67. Cover Me, Bruce Springsteen *
68. Cum On Feel The Noize, Quiet Riot
69. Breakdance, Irene Cara
70. Adult Education, Daryl Hall and John Oates
71. They Don't Know, Tracy Ullman
72. An Innocent Man, Billy Joel *
73. Cruel Summer, Bananarama
74. Dance Hall Days, Wang Chung
75. Give It Up, K.C.
76. I'm So Excited, Pointer Sisters
77. I Still Can't Get Over Loving You, Ray Parker Jr.
78. Thriller, Michael Jackson
79. Holiday, Madonna
80. Breakin'... There's No Stopping Us, Ollie And Jerry
81. Nobody Told Me, John Lennon
82. Church Of The Poison Mind, Culture Club *
83. Think Of Laura, Christopher Cross
84. Time Will Reveal, Debarge
85. Wrapped Around Your Finger, Police *
86. Pink Houses, John Cougar Mellencamp *
87. Round And Round, Ratt
88. Head Over Heels, Go-Go's
89. The Longest Time, Billy Joel *
90. Tonight, Kool and The Gang
91. Got A Hold On Me, Christine McVie
92. Dancing In The Sheets, Shalamar
93. Undercover Of The Night, Rolling Stones
94. On The Dark Side, John Cafferty and The Beaver Brown Band
95. New Moon On Monday, Duran Duran
96. Major Tom (Coming Home), Peter Schilling *
97. Magic, Cars *
98. When You Close Your Eyes, Night Ranger
99. Rock Me Tonite, Billy Squier
100. Yah Mo B There, James Ingram and Michael McDonald
5 comments:
This was the year I discoved the wonderfulness of cable. I remember the videos for most of these songs! (I also saw Culture Club in concert. Jealous?)
Mona, you know I'm jealous! When people ask about my religion, I am always tempted to say that I belong to the Church of the Poison Mind.
It's obvious that the '80's music scene took a year or three to really take off. Man, just 4 years after me and you already had a much better selection than I had. I'm with you on most of your choices. Too bad it's not just a year earlier: I was kookoo for She Blinded Me With Science and Maneater...
Ohhhh we need to have a party! Except I have to admit it, I was on the Duran Duran side as opposed to the Prince side. Ah well.
Oh, PK, I loooved Duran Duran's album before the "New Moon/Union of the Snake" one. I actually bought the CD of Rio a couple years ago in a moment of weakness. I was so in love with Simon LeBon in the videos (but to look at him now? Ew!).
Joe, Thomas Dolby = total geek chic. Loved that song, too. And I had a deep fondness for Hall & Oates between, like, 1982 and 1983.
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