Back. Another hiatus with these, but I enjoy doing them so I will get them done. It takes time, because those few songs I don’t recognize by title I will listen to on YouTube and usually get reminded of one I know well. I whittle down 400+ songs that were released that year to a list of songs I actually enjoy.
This was also the year that the worst song in history was released. More on that below.
Unlike most rankings, I won’t be simply tossing these up in a numerical order. Because I know better than anybody that on some days, some songs kick more ass than other songs. A song that is ranked 14th today could very well rank 1st tomorrow, if it suddenly comes on the radio during the perfect moment. So I group them:
Awesome
Great
Pretty Good
Not Bad
…with inter-group splitting.
Awesome – 1 Buffalo Soldier – Bob Marley & the Wailers
Awesome – 1 Every Breath You Take – The Police
Awesome – 1 Gimme All Your Lovin’ – ZZ Top
Awesome – 1 Red Red Wine – UB40
Awesome – 1 Sister Christian – Night Ranger
Awesome – 1 Total Eclipse Of The Heart – Bonnie Tyler
Awesome – 7 All Through The Night – Cyndi Lauper
Awesome – 7 Islands in the Stream – Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
Awesome – 7 Legs – ZZ Top
Awesome – 7 Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top
Awesome – 7 They Don’t Know – Tracey Ullman
Great – 12 Girls Just Want To Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
Great – 12 Hold Me Now – Thompson Twins
Great – 12 It Ain’t Enough – Corey Hart
Great – 12 Safety Dance – Men Without Hats
Great – 12 Straight From The Heart – Bryan Adams
Great – 12 Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper
Great – 12 Union Of The Snake – Duran Duran
Great – 12 Uptown Girl – Billy Joel
Pretty Good – 20 All Night Long (All Night) – Lionel Richie
Pretty Good – 20 Authority Song – John Mellencamp
Pretty Good – 20 Crumblin’ Down – John Mellencamp
Pretty Good – 20 Holiday Road – Lindsey Buckingham
Pretty Good – 20 I Want A New Drug – Huey Lewis & the News
Pretty Good – 20 Karma Chameleon – Culture Club
Pretty Good – 20 King Of Pain – The Police
Pretty Good – 20 Making Love Out Of Nothing At All – Air Supply
Pretty Good – 20 Photograph – Def Leppard
Pretty Good – 20 Pride And Joy – Stevie Ray Vaughan
Pretty Good – 20 Radio Free Europe – R.E.M.
Pretty Good – 20 Say Say Say – Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
Pretty Good – 32 Blue Monday – New Order
Pretty Good – 32 Cruel Summer – Bananarama
Pretty Good – 32 Cuts Like A Knife – Bryan Adams
Pretty Good – 32 Hello – Lionel Richie
Pretty Good – 32 Here Comes The Rain Again – Eurythmics
Pretty Good – 32 Human Nature – Michael Jackson
Pretty Good – 32 I’m Still Standing – Elton John
Pretty Good – 32 Is There Something I Should Know? – Duran Duran
Pretty Good – 32 Keeping The Faith – Billy Joel
Pretty Good – 32 Little Red Corvette – Prince
Pretty Good – 32 Modern Love – David Bowie
Pretty Good – 32 Talk About the Passion – R.E.M.
Pretty Good – 32 Tell Her About It – Billy Joel
Pretty Good – 32 The Longest Time – Billy Joel
Pretty Good – 32 The Reflex – Duran Duran
Pretty Good – 32 Thriller – Michael Jackson
Pretty Good – 32 Who’s That Girl – Eurythmics
Pretty Good – 32 Wrapped Around Your Finger – The Police
Not Bad – 50 1999 – Prince
Not Bad – 50 Bang the Drum All Day – Todd Rundgren
Not Bad – 50 Borderline – Madonna
Not Bad – 50 Break My Stride – Matthew Wilder
Not Bad – 50 Flashdance… What a Feeling – Irene Cara
Not Bad – 50 Holiday – Madonna
Not Bad – 50 How Can I Fall? – Breathe
Not Bad – 50 I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues – Elton John
Not Bad – 50 Illegal Alien – Genesis
Not Bad – 50 Jeopardy – Greg Kihn Band
Not Bad – 50 Joanna – Kool & the Gang
Not Bad – 50 Jump (For My Love) – The Pointer Sisters
Not Bad – 50 Lake Of Fire – Meat Puppets
Not Bad – 50 Love Struck Baby – Stevie Ray Vaughan
Not Bad – 50 Mad World – Tears for Fears
Not Bad – 50 New Year’s Day – U2
Not Bad – 50 P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) – Michael Jackson
Not Bad – 50 Sunglasses At Night – Corey Hart
Not Bad – 50 Talking In Your Sleep – The Romantics
Not Bad – 50 That’s All – Genesis
Not Bad – 50 This Time – Bryan Adams
Not Bad – 50 What Is Love? – Howard Jones
Not Bad – 72 Rise Up – Parachute Club
Not Bad – 72 Let’s Dance – David Bowie
Not Bad – 72 Lick It Up – Kiss
Not Bad – 72 Lucky Star – Madonna
Not Bad – 72 Major Tom (I’m Coming Home) – Peter Schilling
Not Bad – 72 Maniac – Michael Sembello
Not Bad – 72 Mr. Roboto – Styx
Not Bad – 72 On The Dark Side – John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band
Not Bad – 72 Puttin’ On the Ritz – Taco
Not Bad – 72 In A Big Country – Big Country
Not Bad – 72 Say It Isn’t So – Hall & Oates
Not Bad – 72 Stand Back – Stevie Nicks
Not Bad – 72 Sunday Bloody Sunday – U2
Not Bad – 72 The Heart of Rock & Roll – Huey Lewis & the News
Not Bad – 72 Synchronicity II – The Police
Not Bad – 72 True – Spandau Ballet
Not Bad – 72 One Thing Leads to Another – The Fixx
Not Bad – 72 Original Sin – INXS
Not Bad – 72 Pale Shelter – Tears for Fears
Not Bad – 72 She Bop – Cyndi Lauper
Not Bad – 72 She Works Hard For The Money – Donna Summer
Not Bad – 72 Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat
HORRIBLE – 1000000 Owner Of A Lonely Heart – Yes
I can’t picture a music talent scout walking into a bar and hearing “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and thinking that they have to sign such a band! Horrible, ridiculous sound in terms of both music and lyrics. I can’t think of one nice thing to say about it. Please help me understand how this song ever made it to air.
Worst song in history.
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
