40 49 IS IT LOVE –•– Mr. Mister – 3 (40)
This one didn't make it all the way to the top like "Broken Wings" and "Kyrie", but it still matches them in greatness, seeing as all three of those tunes are pristine slices of westcoast lite-AOR.
39 17 BEATS SO LONELY –•– Charlie Sexton – 18 (17)
Didn't Turner Coates once get to work with this guy and/or his brother Will? Decent rockabilly-tinged new wave rock.
38 41 A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE (IS ALL IT TAKES) –•– New Edition – 8 (38)
NE's final Bobby Brown-era top 40 before he splits and goes new jack swing. Typical danceable boy band R&B for the time, but quite good.
37 45 ALL I NEED IS A MIRACLE –•– Mike + The Mechanics – 4 (37)
This and "Silent Running" are both absolute classics. Play 'em back-to-back for some all-time great 80's power pop.
36 39 I CAN’T WAIT –•– Nu Shooz – 6 (36)
Valerie Day and John Smith's signature hit and an absolute dancefloor banger.
35 26 HOW WILL I KNOW –•– Whitney Houston – 19 (1)
First two singles ("You Give Good Love" and "Saving All My Love For You") got her recognition, but this one made her a megastar. Heading on its way down this week from its #1 peak. 8/10
34 28 NO EASY WAY OUT –•– Robert Tepper – 12 (22)
Tepper's only top 40 was featured on the Rocky IV soundtrack and is almost as instantly recognizable to Rocky fans as "Burning Heart" and "Living in America". Very good.
33 32 LIVE IS LIFE –•– Opus – 12 (32)
This one was a big hit in Europe that somehow managed to cross over to the lower echelons of the top 40 here in the states and became synonymous with a Diego Maradonna warmup session a few years later. Decent peppy live track.
32 38 SOMETHING ABOUT YOU –•– Level 42 – 9 (32)
An all-time new wave sophisti-pop classic complete with killer vocals from Mark King. 10/10
31 36 FOR AMERICA –•– Jackson Browne – 7 (31)
Jackson Browne with a "Born In the U.S.A."-style protest song, and a good one at that.
30 37 I DO WHAT I DO –•– John Taylor – 6 (30)
The Duran Duran bassist goes solo for the theme song to Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger's classic erotic thriller "9 and a 1/2 Weeks". Rather bland compared to Taylor's Duran hits, and not nearly as titilating as the movie.
29 40 GREATEST LOVE OF ALL –•– Whitney Houston – 3 (29)
Whitney's 3rd straight #1 on its way up the chart to that position as she teaches self-love to the younger generation. 7/10
28 34 SATURDAY LOVE –•– Cherrelle & Alexander O’Neal – 9 (28)
According to Nina Blackwood this weekend some 80's on 8 listener used this one teach her child the days of the week. Forget that crap, though, and let's all dance and groove to a stone cold classic Cherrelle and Alex duet. Would make a great tune for all the high school kids at prom to dance to.
27 15 SARA –•– Starship – 16 (1)
2nd straight #1 and only slightly less ubiquitous than "We Built This City". It's killer power pop rock even if it's a bit cheesy.
26 35 IF YOU LEAVE –•– Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – 6 (26)
OMD's classic "Pretty in Pink” soundtrack hit, and a damn good slice of new wave romantic pop.
25 18 CALLING AMERICA –•– Electric Light Orchestra – 11 (18)
ELO's final top 40 sounds like typical Jeff Lynne fare, like something I could imagine his fellow Traveling Willburys bandmate George Harrison recording. Good/Very good.
24 30 OVERJOYED –•– Stevie Wonder – 8 (24)
Written for 1979's "Journey Through 'Secret Life of Plants'", but didn't see the light of day until the '85 album. Great, soulful R&B ballad.
23 33 BAD BOYS –•– Miami Sound Machine featuring Gloria Estefan – 6 (23)
Gloria and her Miami Sound Machine had no shortage of great hit songs, and here's the followup to "Conga" at #23 this week. Let's dance and groove Miami-style!
22 27 SO FAR AWAY –•– Dire Straits – 7 (22)
Knopfler and Co.'s final top 40 has some nice bluesy slide guitar to it. 7/10
21 13 THIS COULD BE THE NIGHT –•– Loverboy – 13 (10)
Well done AOR power ballad from Mike Reno and his band of loverboys.
20 29 AMERICAN STORM –•– Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band – 5 (20)
Seger with an anti-drug epic that sounds like standard Silver Bullet Band classic rock fare. Fair/good.
19 31 TAKE ME HOME –•– Phil Collins – 5 (19)
Final single from "No Jacket Required" is absolutely flawless just like the rest of the album.
18 24 I THINK IT’S LOVE –•– Jermaine Jackson – 8 (18)
Jermaine gets some help from Stevie Wonder in the songwriting department for his final top 40 before ceding all Jackson family chart success to Michael and Janet. He's swingin' and groovin' on this one.
17 10 NIKITA –•– Elton John – 13 (7)
Sir Elton's cold war ode to a beautiful female guard on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall. Thank God that wall would come down in a few years and Elton could visit her all he wanted. Decent, but I prefer his previous "Ice on Fire" single, the superb George Michael duet "Wrap Her Up".
16 19 I CAN’T WAIT –•– Stevie Nicks – 8 (16)
Second "I Can't Wait" of the countdown and Stevie's second "Rock a Little" single. Both this and "Talk to Me" are quite good pop rock.
15 23 YOUR LOVE –•– The Outfield – 9 (15)
"Josie's on a vacation far away...". 'Nuff Said. 9/10
14 21 WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY –•– Janet Jackson – 8 (14)
For some reason this one got intro'ed and then accidentally skipped over during the countdown this weekend, thus depriving me of listening to Janet's awesome breakout hit.
13 5 THESE DREAMS –•– Heart – 13 (1)
But it's okay because the Wilson sisters are up next with the first of their two chart-toppers. A soild AOR ballad.
12 16 WHY CAN’T THIS BE LOVE –•– Van Halen – 5 (12)
Van Hagar's debut single continues the cheesy keyboard path that "1984" started, but I still say it rocks.
11 4 SECRET LOVERS –•– Atlantic Starr – 16 (3)
Songs about cheating lovers are as old as the sun, and this one makes for a good slow jam. Their second biggest hit before "Always" hit #1.
10 11 TENDER LOVE –•– Force MD’s – 11 (10)
These guys were a big influence on new jack swing, but this song's a slow jam that doesn't necessarily represent that. Still great, though.
9 14 HARLEM SHUFFLE –•– Rolling Stones – 5 (9)
The Stones' take on a Bob & Earl 60's tune just friggin' grooves, and the video is pretty damn neon just like the album cover for "Dirty Work".
8 12 WEST END GIRLS –•– Pet Shop Boys – 7 (8)
PSB's first US single was an instant hit right out of the gate, and it's not hard to see why: it's perfect new wave.
7 8 LET’S GO ALL THE WAY –•– Sly Fox – 16 (7)
One hit wonder single that's infectiously catchy. I love this one.
6 9 ADDICTED TO LOVE –•– Robert Palmer – 10 (6)
Mak Gilchrist and her band of models made the video an instant iconic classic, but even without the video it's still Palmer's finest hour. An absolute 10/10 rock hit.
5 6 WHAT YOU NEED –•– INXS – 13 (5)
Hutchence and Co.'s first top five and somewhat of a breakthrough hit for them. Quite good.
4 2 R.O.C.K. IN THE U.S.A. –•– John Cougar Mellencamp – 11 (2)
Mellencamp's tribute to the 60's is solid classic rock, though far from my favorite hit of his.
3 7 MANIC MONDAY –•– The Bangles – 12 (3)
How many of you crushed on Susannah Hoffs back in the day? How many of you think she still looks hot for her age? How many of you enjoy this Prince-penned classic that introduced her to the music masses? Okay, I'll stop.
2 3 KISS –•– Prince & The Revolution – 8 (2)
Speaking of Prince, this one could have made Mazerati (not to be confused with a former banned Sludger of the same nym) a household name if Prince hadn't changed his mind and decided he wanted to keep it for himself. Still would have probably been a hit regardless of who recorded it because it's that good.
1 1 ROCK ME AMADEUS –•– Falco – 10 (1)
Hans Holzel's iconic tribute to Mozart in its final week at #1. Crank this one now, dammit!
