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Then you should like: Billy Vera and Carol Bayer Sager Sayer

Billy Vera and Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds.

I'm a child of the 80s, and sort of tuned out most of the 90s, so I'm no expert if someone else wants to take on the challenge. I do have an idea in another direction to address the 90s.

Cool catch there, Legeis. I always like it when bands rotate lead vocals.

Barnable’s Most 80-est Number One Songs of the ‘80s. Not the brightest. Not the best. But the most-iconic examples of 80s sound, culture, and themes. Songs people immediately identify with the 80s and, perhaps, would never have been hits in any other decade. 1. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” Simple Minds 2. “Don’t You Want Me” The Human League 3. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” Tears for Fears 4. “Take on Me” A-ha 5. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” Eurythmics 6. “Total Eclipse of the Heart” Bonnie Tyler 7. “Karma Chameleon” Culture Club 8. “Come on Eileen” Dexys Midnight Runners 9. “Down Under” Men At Work 10. “Time after Time” Cyndi Lauper 11. “Beat It” Michael Jackson 12. “When Doves Cry” Prince 13. “Careless Whisper” George Michael/Wham! 14. “The Reflex” Duran Duran 15. “Maneater” Hall and Oates 16. “Like a Virgin” Madonna 17. TBA 18. TBA 19. TBA 20. “Walk Like an Egyptian” The Bangles Hey, TNOCS! Don’t you forget about me! I’m still alive and kicking out here, though you can probably tell by my relative silence how I feel about the doldrums of the later 80s. Don’t you want me back? Not everybody wants to rule Tom’s blog! Anyone who does will have to take on me! As Tom has documented several times, by 1986 the glint had been removed from MTV and music videos. The originality and creativity sparked in the early to mid-80s had long been copied, corrupted, and corporatized so that little if anything exciting or exceptional broke through the mire. And I’m not saying this song is exceptionally exciting or unusual. But the breakthrough of The Bangles did mark an historic, if not sorely overdue, landmark. Correct me if I’m wrong, TNOCS, but I remember “Walk Like an Egyptian” being heralded as the first #1 song by an all-female BAND, not just a vocal group like the Supremes or, more recently, Bananarama, but women who played instruments and wrote songs (though none of their biggest hits). Building on the success of groups like The Go-Go’s, the Bangles were able to break through the glass ceiling, building off their own success and much better predecessor, “Manic Monday,” to score their first number one hit and the biggest song of 1987. And despite a poorly-aged and rather morbid video (Princess Di and Gaddafi walking like Egyptians?), the cultural significance of WLAE allows it to sneak onto Barnable’s List of the 80est Number One Songs of the 80s. Maybe that will be a consolation prize for Debbi Peterson. I promise that I won’t be gone as long before my next appearance. I’ll actually be back twice in 1987! Like me, perhaps you, too, are dreading this inestimable list coming to an end.

It's songs like this one that makes me wish I'd learned how to play the piano. Hornsby just makes it look do much fun. When is it too late to learn. I love this song, but the only thing holding it back is that pre fab drum track. I'd love to hear a version without that if anyone comes across it. So a 9.99 from me for craftmanship and skill.

Three piano solos on fact.

I'm a sucker for a piano solo. So I'm looking forward to Friday!

Same here with Murray Head and One Night On Bangkok. Anyone remember Jesus Christ Superstar?

I totally agree TWD74. I've just seen several lists of "One Hit Wonders" that aren't as pedantic as us.

Aah. Living in a Box. https://youtu.be/mHzfhU8t5i8 I'll admit that any fondness I have for this song is wrapped into my fondness for the Human League and how unlikely it was for them to hit #1 again so many years later. It saved them from being labeled One Hit Wonders. Also, didn't Sulley sing the counterpoint in DYWM?

Who is more of a national treasure? A. Cyndi Lauper B. Dolly Parton C. Betty White Ladies that can light up any room just by their mere presence.

Now that's what I call talent!

Nice Tardis, DJEJak. You may actually recognize my screen name.

I don't have many talents, but one of them is growing hair. Straight and thick. In my mid-50s, I still have a rather grandiose head of hair. I particularly remember Top Gun. I rocked the Iceman flat-top, and, if I say so myself, it was the bomb. My poor roommate went to the same barber to get the same cut, but was told his hair was too thin. Serious disappointment at the time. Now if I only displayed demonstrable talents for something more employable or beneficial to society. And BTW, while I prefer Pleasure Victim, Nunn hits it out of the park with TMBA. It's at least a 9, unusual as Tom describes for a movie ballad. Even The Motels' version is awesome.

I was originally going to include "Sledgehammer" on my list of the 80est Number One Songs of the 80s. But then I decided it was because of the video and not really the song.

That's all I have today. It's all I have to say.

"Smash Hits sent Tennant to New York to interview the Police, a group whose music he didn’t much like." Ha! Something else in common between Tennant and Tom! Still, great write-up!

99 Luftbalons getting a 9 makes me happy.

It made my short list. I might post an addendum of "honorable mentions" once the list is complete.

Yeah, BW may be much maligned, but it is one of my favorite 80s songs. As is Mr Mr's next. Where I'm going, will you follow?

I have no memory of this song. I do remember "White Nights." Vaguely.

Houston's vocals make Marilyn McCoo sound like a rank amateur. And that's not exactly easy to do.

I agree, so I had to include DD, but I only had 2 options.

I consider The Reflex as the list's example of 80s over-production and "style over substance. :

1985 had three of the top 5!

Yeah, that is straight up one of Tom's always classic factoids.

It's easier to hit that note in the shower when you can't really hear yourself and you can convince yourself that you did. The dog begs to differ.

*form* a band

Sing Street (2016) Conor meets Raphina. She asks him to sing "Take On Me." Now he just needs to firm a band to get the girl. https://youtu.be/nHD8rz6O-Fg

I seriously considered it. What it came down to was my opinion that the 3 songs ahead of it could stand more on their own without the associated videos. Definitely the 80est music video of the 80s.

Barnable’s Most 80-est Number One Songs of the ‘80s. Not the brightest. Not the best. But the most-iconic examples of 80s sound, culture, and themes. Songs people immediately identify with the 80s and, perhaps, would never have been hits in any other decade. Ok. Who didn’t see this one coming? 1. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” Simple Minds 2. “Don’t You Want Me” The Human League 3. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” Tears for Fears 4. “Take on Me” A-ha 5. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” Eurythmics 6. “Total Eclipse of the Heart” Bonnie Tyler 7. “Karma Chameleon” Culture Club 8. “Come on Eileen” Dexys Midnight Runners 9. “Down Under” Men At Work 10. “Time after Time” Cyndi Lauper 11. “Beat It” Michael Jackson 12. “When Doves Cry” Prince 13. “Careless Whisper” George Michael/Wham! 14. “The Reflex” Duran Duran 15. “Maneater” Hall and Oates 16. “Like a Virgin” Madonna 17. TBA 18. TBA 19. TBA 20. TBA By 1985, the MTV formula was become stale. It was becoming harder and harder to stand out as, what was once a novelty, was now becoming de rigueur. To be a hit, a song had to have a presence on MTV, and to be on MTV, a song had to have a video. And by 1985, it seemed like every concept and cool idea had been tried, and copied, and tried, and copied, ad nauseum. And then came A-ha. “Take on Me’ had already been released twice in the US, and had failed to make an impression. Twice. Then, came the video. And what a video. History was made. The live action/animated/rotoscope video which everyone will mention in these comments was a game changer. With over a billion views on YouTube, it still holds up today over 35 years later. But claiming this song’s success is merely due to the video can be misleading. There’s the propulsive, instant ear-worm of the synth hook which immediately distinguishes the track from its tinny synth-pop neighbors. There’s Morten Harket’s spiraling, three-octave vocals. And then there’s the note. That note. How the hell does Harket hit that note? No, he’s not done. He does it again, and again . . . and again. (Oh, and there’s also those cheek bones . . . ) I often imagine the pressure Harket is under, 35 years later, to still have to hit that note in concert. From what I hear, he is still able to manage it quite well. As a result, “Take on Me” is essential to any 80’s playlist, and thus required reading for any student of the music of the 80s. It is still one of the most-played songs of the decade, and slides easily into the #4 spot on Barnable’s list of the 80-est Number One Song of the 80’s. On any given day, I could easily make a justifiable argument for any of the Top-5 being the “80est Number One Song of the 80s.” And now, we hit a dry spell. Our top-16 is now complete. What does that tell us about the 80’s? Is it over? There will only be four final entries on my list (which may be good since I started my new job this week), and those are admittedly a bit of a stretch. One from 1986 (barely), two from 1987, and one from 1988. When do the 80s musically come to an end? Or, rather, become reduced to formulaic repetition and imitation?

Tom has a -2 point bias against The Police.

Words are hard to find. They're only checks I've left unsigned. From the banks of chaos in my mind.

Yes, yes it does!

Ditto

As is Don't Stand So Close To Me.

Shout was the soundtrack to my High School yearbook staff beach trip to Bald Head Island. Bonfires and Twister and sparkling, phosphorescent sand. A 10 for nostalgia alone.

Carpenters anyone?

If TFF were Australian, they probably would have been in Moulin Rouge.