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August 29, 2005
When I Was Seventeen... It Was A Very Bad Year
Ok, I'm lifting this from PSoTD. It's a fun enough idea: Pick your high school graduation year, grab the top 100 songs of that year, bold the songs you still like, strikethrough the songs you hate, and underscore your favorite from the list.
This was gonna be fun until I checked the list for 1986, the year I graudated high school. And never mind the whole strikethrough thing... the thing is, 1986 was just a god-awful year for chart music. I mean, like hideous. In the whole list of the top 100 songs of 1986, I liked all of 11. And that's when I'm being generous. The thing is, I don't remember '86 being so tragic. Apparently it was, though. This is an ugly, ugly list. So instead of the strikethrough thing, I simply bolded the handful that I like. Geez, what an embarrassing year.
1. That's What Friends Are For, Dionne Warwick, Elton John, and Gladys Knight
2. Say You, Say Me, Lionel Richie
3. I Miss You, Klymaxx
4. On My Own , Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald
5. Broken Wings, Mr. Mister
6. How Will I Know, Whitney Houston
7. Party All The Time, Eddie Murphy
8. Burning Heart, Survivor
9. Kyrie, Mr. Mister
10. Addicted To Love, Robert Palmer
11. Greatest Love Of All, Whitney Houston
12. Secret Lovers, Atlantic Starr
13. Friends And Lovers, Carl Anderson and Gloria Loring
14. Glory Of Love, Peter Cetera
15. West End Girls, Pet Shop Boys
16. There'll Be Sad Songs, Billy Ocean
17. Alive And Kicking, Simple Minds
18. Never, Heart
19. Kiss, Prince and The Revolution
20. Higher Love, Steve Winwood
21. Stuck With You, Huey Lewis and The News
22. Holding Back The Years, Simply Red
23. Sledgehammer, Peter Gabriel
24. Sara, Starship
25. Human, Human League
26. I Can't Wait, Nu Shooz
27. Take My Breath Away, Berlin
28. Rock Me Amadeus, Falco
29. Papa Don't Preach, Madonna
30. You Give Love A Bad Name, Bon Jovi
31. When The Going Gets Tough, Billy Ocean
32. When I Think Of You, Janet Jackson
33. These Dreams, Heart
34. Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone), Glass Tiger
35. Live To Tell, Madonna
36. Mad About You, Belinda Carlisle
37. Something About You, Level 42
38. Venus, Bananarama
39. Dancing On The Ceiling, Lionel Richie
40. Conga, Miami Sound Machine
41. True Colors, Cyndi Lauper
42. Danger Zone, Kenny Loggins
43. What Have You Done For Me Lately, Janet Jackson
44. No One Is To Blame, Howard Jones
45. Let's Go All The Way, Sly Fox
46. I Didn't Mean To Turn You On, Robert Palmer
47. Words Get In The Way, Miami Sound Machine
48. Manic Monday, Bangles
49. Walk Of Life, Dire Straits
50. Amanda, Boston
51. Two Of Hearts, Stacey Q
52. Crush On You, Jets
53. If You Leave, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
54. Invisible Touch, Genesis
55. The Sweetest Taboo, Sade
56. What You Need, INXS
57. Talk To Me, Stevie Nicks
58. Nasty, Janet Jackson
59. Take Me Home Tonight, Eddie Money
60. We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off, Jermaine Stewart
61. All Cried Out, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam With Full Force
62. Your Love, Outfield
63. I'm Your Man, Wham!
64. Perfect Way, Scritti Politti
65. Living In America, James Brown
66. R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A., John Cougar Mellencamp
67. Who's Johnny, El Debarge
68. Word Up, Cameo
69. Why Can't This Be Love, Van Halen
70. Silent Running, Mike and The Mechanics
71. Typical Male, Tina Turner
72. Small Town, John Cougar Mellencamp
73. Tarzan Boy, Baltimora
74. All I Need Is A Miracle, Mike and The Mechanics
75. Sweet Freedom, Michael McDonald
76. True Blue, Madonna
77. Rumors, Timex Social Club
78. Life In A Northern Town, Dream Academy
79. Bad Boy, Miami Sound Machine
80. Sleeping Bag, ZZ Top
81. Tonight She Comes, Cars
82. Love Touch, Rod Stewart
83. A Love Bizarre, Sheila E.
84. Throwing It All Away, Genesis
85. Baby Love, Regina
86. Election Day, Arcadia
87. Nikita, Elton John
88. Take Me Home, Phil Collins
89. Walk This Way, Run-D.M.C.
90. Sweet Love, Anita Baker
91. Your Wildest Dreams, Moody Blues
92. Spies Like Us, Paul McCartney
93. Object Of My Desire, Starpoint
94. Dreamtime, Daryl Hall
95. Tender Love, Force M.D.'s
96. King For A Day, Thompson Twins
97. Love Will Conquer All, Lionel Richie
98. A Different Corner, George Michael
99. I'll Be Over You, Toto
100. Go Home, Stevie Wonder
Geez, how pathetic is it that there were only 11 decent songs that year? Meanwhile, about half of these songs make my list of Worst. Songs. Ever.
Comments
oh...god. I'm afraid. I'm very afraid.
Posted by: jillian at August 30, 2005 01:29 AM
Tarzan Boy? George Michael? My god, man, with those picks you sound like the Kevin Kline of the blogosphere.
Posted by: The SpinMD at August 30, 2005 01:36 PM
Yes, Liberace, I am secure enough in my own masculinity that I can like whatever songs I want without feeling I need to apologize for them. I realize that you're sensitive due to the ribbing you take over your Frankie Goes To Hollywood collection, but I am just not as insecure as you.
Maybe we should ask Mrs. Doc what you were listening to on the way to Hawaii in your iPod?
Posted by: Curmudgeon at August 30, 2005 02:30 PM
Hey, relax. It's not like I questioned your infatuation with that Devo song.
Posted by: The SpinMD at August 30, 2005 02:39 PM
Doctor Detroit? What's wrong with that?
Posted by: Curmudgeon at August 30, 2005 03:14 PM
Tarzan Boy is cool.
Although anything by Devo is not. Mark Mothersbaugh now writes the scores for such cartoons as "Rugrats" and "All Grown Up" Once a dork, always a dork I guess.
I remember watching the video for "walk of life" thinking it was he funniest thing Id ever seen.
So lets see... you were 17so, I was 7 or 8.
your almost caught up to Michael, maybe you should have a kid.
Posted by: Cuzin Jose at August 30, 2005 05:24 PM
Very little on this list is good...even among Mudge's picks.
Posted by: Brent at August 30, 2005 09:26 PM
That's a rough list.
Posted by: Corey at August 31, 2005 10:45 AM
1986 rocked.
i have no idea why u are so disappointed.
Posted by: Marquette Hoops at August 31, 2005 12:00 PM
Gadddammmm.... since I looked at this list last night I haven't been able to get "Secret Lovers" out of my head. CURSE YOU MUDGE!
Posted by: Campbell at September 1, 2005 09:48 AM
