The great eighties countdown week 4

Some things need to be not forgotten.  I didn’t forget this on Time Machine- just hadn’t had time to deal yet.  After I posted TM, I youtubed On The Radio and sat back to cry.  Scrappy hopped up, put an arm around me, and gave me a kiss.  And we watched the video.  Kinda feels like either she was too young to go, or I’m too old to stay.  Sorry, but we’ve just lost so much this year.

Anyhow, the countdown of my 300 best 80’s songs goes rolling merrily on.

240- No Getting Over Me, Ronnie Milsap, #5 hot 100 and #1 country, 1981.  The first country artist (other than Johnny Cash) I considered myself a fan of. One of 2 for him.

239- Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do, Huey Lewis and the News, #36, 1982.  Everybody say, yeah (YEAH), Yea-ee-eah (YEAH)… First of three for possibly the best group to come out of the 80s.

238- Sledgehammer, Peter Gabriel, #1, 1986.  One of three for the former Genesis frontman.

237- Mixed Emotions, the Rolling Stones, #5, 1989.  Steel Wheels was THE Stones lp for me.  2nd of 4 in the mix.

236- So Far Away, Dire Straits, #19, 1985.  A soft tune from Brothers In Arms, overshadowed by Money For Nothing, which is one of two more times we’ll see DS.

235- Drinkin’ And Dreamin’, Waylon Jennings, #2 country, 1985.  When I started keeping a country top 5, this was in the opening class.

234- Pink Houses, John Mellancamp, #8, 1983.  The first of 4 for the former Mr. Cougar- and the others might not be what you expect.

233- New Years Day, U2, #53 and #2 mainstream rock, 1983.  The higher of the pair U2 lands in the count.  As you can see, I liked them much better early on.

232- The Road To Hell, Chris Rea, #11 mainstream rock, 1989.  Perhaps the most chilling look at the future of this society ever.

231- Southern Cross, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, #18, 1982….for the truth you might be running from is so small…

230- Stone Cold, Rainbow, #40 and #1 mainstream, 1982.  A very underrated hard driving band.  First of two for them.

229- Born In The USA, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band, #9, 1984.  The verse about his friend in Vietnam is hard to take.  Oddly enough, hit #1 in Ireland and New Zealand…

228-  Living On A Prayer, Bon Jovi, #1, 1986.  For me, this song was the difference between a dude the girls thought was cute and real musicianship.

227- Love Shack, the B52s, #3, 1989.  Seemingly, the first song I karaoked to.  Fortunately, I remember nothing from the time I reached the stage until about an hour later on the way home.

226- Athena, The Who, #28, 1982.  Like Rick Springfield, brings back warm memories of Snow Lake.

225- Tom Sawyer, Rush, #44, #8 mainstream, 1981.  Powerful musicianship.  I could take or leave Geddy Lee.

224- One Night In Bangkok, Murray Head, #3, 1984. We have a cheap version of this on the cd player at work.  Without Murray’s snark, it sucks.

223- She Blinded Me With Science, Thomas Dolby, #5, 1982.  With some of the weird stuff the Brits listen to, you’d have thought the chart positions (#49 in the UK) would have been reversed.

222- Change Of Heart, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, #21, #10 mainstream, 1983.  First of 6 from the Heartbreakers.

221- The Way It Is, Bruce Hornsby and the Range, #1, 1986.  A song that you could enjoy and be ashamed of yourself at the same time.  First of two trips into the list for them.

And that takes care of another list.  See you next week for more of the best of the decade!