Comments

Congratulations, Justice!!! Btw, your playlist is amazing! Any mix that has Pure, Idaho, Hold On When You Get Love And Let Go When You Give It, Cut to the Feeling, Do You Love Me, You and I, Tongue Tied, Rainbow Connection, Something So Strong, I've Been Waiting, Ask, Home, and Sun -- top tier songs and some of my favorites -- gets all the 10s from me. So much so that I'd be curious if you have other favorite lesser-known artists/albums/songs from that I might like. Regardless, have an awesome day, tomorrow! Enjoy it all!!!!
+12 | 10/8/21 10:09 AM
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Catching up, LittleShade finally finalized her score for NKOTB's "Step by Step." To my slight surprise, she gives it a 6.
+5 | 9/30/21 12:59 PM
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At the school bus stop this morning, LittleShade finalized her ranking of "Vision of Love." Not giving much hint beforehand, I did not know which way she would go with this one. In the end, LittleShade gave "Vision of Love" a "3 or a 4."
+6 | 9/30/21 12:58 PM
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Although I am generally not a fan at all of melisma, I actually liked several of MC's songs off her first two albums before her musical direction veered in one direction while my musical tastes veered in another. "Vision of Love," though, was never one of my favorite MC songs. It holds up okay thanks to Mariah's vocal, but not as well as some of her other early songs. I give "Vision of Love" a 5.
+4 | 9/30/21 12:56 PM
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reggie, yes, LittleShade has! See my post at the bottom of this TNOCS.
+2 | 9/30/21 12:52 PM
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I really like "I'll Be Your Chauffeur" - also never had heard it before. Solid song.
+5 | 9/29/21 2:28 PM
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Fortunately LittleShade does not like BTS (yet?), but that will give her a good frame of reference!
+6 | 9/28/21 9:37 AM
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Haha, she can take it
+6 | 9/28/21 9:20 AM
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Thanks, blu_cheez!
+3 | 9/28/21 9:19 AM
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Week one: Mellow Man Ace Week two: The Lightning Seeds (note: also my #1 favorite song released in 1989)
+4 | 9/28/21 9:17 AM
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Catching up with rankings on the past few songs: "Nothing Compares 2 U" Sinéad O'Connor – My Rank: 6; LittleShade’s Rank: 4 "Vogue" Madonna – My Rank: 5; LittleShade: 6 "Hold On" Wilson Phillips – Me: 7; LittleShade: 8 "It Must Have Been Love" Roxette – Me: 6; LittleShade: 7 "Step By Step" New Kids on the Block – Me: 5; LittleShade: --NOT YET ABLE TO FINALIZE A RANKING-- (note: this song has been particularly hard for LittleShade to figure out how to score)
+14 | 9/27/21 5:15 PM
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LittleShade, my 10-year-old daughter, was more in line with all of you regarding "She Ain't Worth It" - she gives it a 3.
+8 | 9/27/21 5:08 PM
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I fall closer to Pauly Steyreen's camp than most of the rest of you on SAWI: Although I haven't heard it in many, many years, I pretty quickly remembered the chorus and rap parts before clicking the YouTube 'play' button. It's probably because I LOVED "She Ain't Worth It" back in 1990 - it was probably people with my taste back then that led to it getting to #1, haha. While, no, it does not hold up well to the passing of time, I was still able to listen to it with a smile on my face. I give "She Ain't Worth It" a 5.
+10 | 9/27/21 5:07 PM
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Great song, prefab! The whole Cake album is great, but I especially love Obscurity Knocks and You Made Me Feel -- two of the better songs of 1990 IMO
+5 | 9/17/21 5:05 PM
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Oooh, that is worth looking up ozcorp! You are right that LittleShade hardly ever has given a #1 song 2 or more rating points higher than me. It looks like the record is 3.5 rating points by the following two songs: "Man in the Mirror" Michael Jackson - My Rank: 4; LittleShade's Rank: 7.5 "Rock On" Michael Damian - My Rank: 2; LittleShade's: 5.5 The more you know...
+6 | 9/14/21 10:23 AM
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Haha! Yes, DanceFever!
+6 | 9/14/21 10:19 AM
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LittleShade was extremely bored by and did not like “I’ll Be Your Everything” at all either. She also gave it a 1. Catching up with our past several rankings: "Another Day in Paradise" - Phil Collins - My Rank: 4; LittleShade's Rank: 3 "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" - Michael Bolton - My Rank: 2; LittleShade's Rank: 1 "Opposites Attract" - Paula Abdul & The Wild Pair - My Rank: 7; LittleShade's Rank: 8 "Escapade" - Janet Jackson - My Rank: 6; LittleShade's Rank: 8 "Black Velvet" - Alannah Myles - My Rank: 4; LittleShade's Rank: 4.5 ("a 4 or a 5") "Love Will Lead You Back" - Taylor Dayne - My Rank: 3; LittleShade's Rank: 3.5
+14 | 9/13/21 5:13 PM
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Hi everyone. Since I started reading TNO column "live" with you in early 1980, this the first #1 song that I knew I had heard before, as listened to/watched either AT40 &/or AT10 virtually every week at this time, but had no recollection at all of how the song went. Of course this morning at breakfast, as I listened to this song with LittleShade, my 10-year-old daughter, the memory of the song slowly came back. I knew nothing of Tommy Page's life, and the sad end to it, before today. Unfortunately, “I’ll Be Your Everything” is not a good song, and its production & vocals do not hold up to 2021 scrutiny at all. I give “I’ll Be Your Everything” a 1.
+12 | 9/13/21 5:08 PM
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I remember getting the "Affection" album on cassette for my mom way back in 1990 -- and she loved it! Listened to that album all the time.
+6 | 9/7/21 11:01 AM
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"Roxette made dubious history in 1989-1990. They had two #1 singles from an album that didn't hit Billboard's Top 20." ...and America missed out. Great album! Easily my most listened to of 1989 and 1990.
+12 | 9/3/21 10:52 AM
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1. Call Me – Blondie 2. Dreams – Fleetwood Mac 3. Downtown Train – Rod Stewart 4. Funky Town – Lipps Inc. 5. Help – The Beatles 6. Lucille – Kenny Rogers 7. Dangerous – Roxette 8. I Remember You – Skid Row 9. Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder 10. Couldn’t Get It Right – Climax Blues Band Closest battles: “I Remember You” vs. “Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer” and "Couldn't Get It Right" vs. "There But For Fortune" - all four solid songs
+6 | 9/3/21 10:37 AM
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Love "Broken Arrow," Chris
+9 | 9/3/21 10:26 AM
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Agreed, DevastationWagon. This then-13-year-old loved Rod's "Downtown Train," and it holds up & still sounds great today
+12 | 9/3/21 10:06 AM
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What the heck, I will add in my top ten #1's of the 1980s as well, a little more 1987-heavy than most of yours, haha: 10. “Need You Tonight” - INXS 9. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” - Tears for Fears 8. "Here I Go Again" - Whitesnake 7. “Africa” - Toto 6. "Call Me" - Blondie 5. “Take On Me” - A-ha 4. "Time After Time" - Cyndi Lauper 3. “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” - Starship 2. “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” - Belinda Carlisle 1. “Lost in Emotion” - Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
+7 | 8/30/21 3:07 PM
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Thanks, Chris!
+4 | 8/30/21 2:22 PM
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Solid list, Bix, and a great choice for #1!
+2 | 8/30/21 12:52 PM
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Great lists, shadowboxer!
+6 | 8/30/21 12:49 PM
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Great list, Chris!
+7 | 8/30/21 12:32 PM
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Great list, jondeutsch! We're going to have some overlap on both accounts, especially amongst the hits of '89
+5 | 8/30/21 9:48 AM
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I also ranked my overall top 10 favorite songs released (in one way or another) in 1989; they are: 10. Silver Blue - Roxette 9. Closer to Fine - Indigo Girls 8. Summer Rain - Belinda Carlisle 7. Leave a Light On - Belinda Carlisle 6. Dressed for Success - Roxette 5. Lovesong - The Cure 4. Listen to Your Heart - Roxette 3. She Bangs the Drum - The Stone Roses 2. Always Changing Probably - Toad the Wet Sprocket 1. Pure - The Lightning Seeds Here’s “Always Changing Probably” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m34CSWo9KY
+8 | 8/30/21 9:45 AM
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LittleShade, my 10-year-old fifth grader, also gave a 1 to 10 ranking to each #1 from 1989 (except the subject of this column, for which she has not yet finalized her grade). These 11 songs got a rank of at least a 7 from her: Two Hearts - Phil Collins – Her Rank: 7 I'll Be There for You - Bon Jovi: 7 Satisfied - Richard Marx: 7 Miss You Much - Janet Jackson: 7 When I See You Smile - Bad English: 7 The Look - Roxette: 8 Like a Prayer - Madonna: 8 Forever Your Girl - Paula Abdul: 8 Cold Hearted - Paula Abdul: 8 Listen to Your Heart - Roxette: 8 Straight Up - Paula Abdul: “an 8 or a 9” My average ranking of 1989 #1’s: 5.2; Tom’s average: 6.1; LittleShade’s to-date average: 5.2 (note: the closest the three of us have been with our year-end averages) My 1988 average: 5.2; Tom’s: 5.8; LittleShade’s: 4.4 My 1987 average: 7.0; Tom’s: 6.7; LittleShade’s: 5.7 My 1986 average: 5.3; Tom’s: 6.3; LittleShade’s: 4.1 My 1985 average: 4.9; Tom’s: 6.4; LittleShade’s: 4.5 My 1984 average: 6.0; Tom’s: 7.1; LittleShade’s: 5.0 My 1983 average: 6.2; Tom’s: 7.7; LittleShade’s: 5.4 My 1982 average: 5.3; Tom’s: 6.2; LittleShade’s: 5.3 My 1981 average: 5.5; Tom’s: 5.9; LittleShade’s: 4.5 My 1980 average: 5.4; Tom’s: 6.4; LittleShade’s: 3.1
+7 | 8/30/21 9:44 AM
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Here's my ranked list of top 10 1989 #1’s: 10. Toy Soldiers - Martika – My Rank: 7 9. Like a Prayer - Madonna: 8 8. My Prerogative - Bobby Brown: 8 7. Good Thing - Fine Young Cannibals: 8 6. Eternal Flame - The Bangles: 8 5. Miss You Much - Janet Jackson: 9 4. Straight Up - Paula Abdul: 9 3. The Look - Roxette: 9 2. She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals: 9 1. Listen to Your Heart - Roxette: 10
+8 | 8/30/21 9:42 AM
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Hi everyone! I always liked "I Wish It Would Rain Down" and "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven," but I am not a huge fan of this song. I give "Another Day in Paradise" a 4.
+6 | 8/30/21 9:41 AM
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Agreed, thegue, about "Downeaster Alexa" and "And So it Goes." Definitely my two favorite songs on that album (and two of my favorite Joel songs overall).
+6 | 8/27/21 12:47 PM
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Great entry, as always, irishbeartx!
+6 | 8/26/21 9:56 AM
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...and, with the solid production and Marie's amazing vocal work, "Listen to Your Heart" still sounds great when I listen to it today.
+6 | 8/26/21 9:54 AM
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Note: "Listen to Your Heart" is my first 10 since "Need You Tonight" at the beginning of 1988. Roxette's Look Sharp! album was the first album I really loved, listening to that cassette tape over and over again in late 1989 and the early 1990s, and "Listen to Your Heart" with that great orchestral part at the end of the song made for the perfect last track on that album - always giving me something to look forward to at the end of that great album.
+7 | 8/26/21 9:53 AM
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Catching up on LittleShade's and my rankings of thepast few 1989 Number Ones: "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" Milli Vanilli - Me: 3; LittleShade: 3 "Miss You Much" Janet Jackson - Me: 9; LittleShade: 7 "Listen to Your Heart" Roxette - Me: 10; LittleShade: 8 "When I See You Smile" Bad English - Me: 5; LittleShade: 7
+7 | 8/26/21 9:47 AM
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LittleShade likes "Blame It On The Rain," and especially that chorus, a little bit more than me; she give it a 6.
+5 | 8/26/21 9:45 AM
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"...Whatever you do, don't put the blame on you-ou-ou..." My ten-year-old daughter LittleShade and I have been randomly singing the chorus of "Blame It On The Rain" to each other since we first played it at breakfast yesterday. Man, that is a catchy chorus. Without the above-quoted line, I think I would give the song about a 3. The writing and vocal performance of that one line, though, elevates the song enough for me to give "Blame It On The Rain" a 5.
+5 | 8/26/21 9:43 AM
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