I’m an obsessive Library Book Sale attendee. Usually, Library Book Sales around here occur in the Spring mostly. But, I found a January Library Book sale and rooted out these three CDs (for a quarter each!). The 1980s was a decade of Big Hair and Heavy Metal. These Rhino Records collections reflect a “softer side” of the Eighties music. How many of these songs do you remember?
BILBOARD TOP HITS: 1987
1. “With or Without You” — U2 5:00
2. “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” — Kim Wilde 4:18
3. “C’est la Vie” — Robbie Nevil 3:27
4. “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” — Aretha Franklin & George Michael 4:02
5. “At This Moment” — Billy Vera & The Beaters 4:15
6. “I Heard a Rumour” — Bananarama 3:26
7. “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” — Belinda Carlisle 4:14
8. “Don’t Dream It’s Over” — Crowded House 4:00
9. “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” — Starship 4:35
19. “The Lady in Red” — Chris DeBurgh 4:17
BILBOARD TOP HITS: 1988
1. Wishing Well – Terence Trent D’Arby
2. Shattered Dreams – Johnny Hates Jazz
3. Seasons Change – Expose
4. Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car – Billy Ocean
5. Anything For You – Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
6. Hold On To The Nights – Richard Marx
7. Wild, Wild West – The Escape Club
8. The Flame – Cheap Trick
9. Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley (Free Baby) – Will To Power
10. Don’t Worry, Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin
BILBOARD TOP HITS: 1989
1. When I See You Smile – Bad English
2. Eternal Flame – Bangles
3. Sowing The Seeds Of Love – Tears For Fears
4. Toy Soldiers – Martika
5. Heaven – Warrant
6. Don’t Wanna Lose You – Gloria Estefan
7. Soldier Of Love – Donny Osmond
8. Hangin’ Tough – New Kids On The Block
9. Right Here Waiting – Richard Marx
10. Lost In Your Eyes – Debbie Gibson
Remember most of these but not fondly. Few really good records here: The U2, Crowded House, Terence Trent D’Arcy. Some really bad song here: Bobby McFerrin, NKOTB, Richard Marx, Debbie Gibson, Donny Osmond, Billy Ocean. Billy Vera. Warrant and Chris Debugh.
Steve, I can only guess the “Top Hits” were big sellers. Quality was not the criteria.
I’m familiar with a handful! For me, music stopped being listenable when disco started and (c)rap drove a stake into its heart!
Bob, I would think a guy like you who is a very good dancer would love the Disco Era!
I don’t remember those songs myself, but my grandparents used to listen to that stuff when they were kids and they told me all about it. Groovy, Man!
Dan, I can barely remember the 1980s myself!
It will be no surprise that I know almost every song listed and love many of them (“Don’t Dream It’s Over” and “Heaven Is A Place on Earth” being two of my very favorites). The late 1980s were probably the last time I was listening to contemporary top-40 music and knew all the songs. By the time the 1990s (and kids) showed up, I lost touch with what the young ‘uns were listening to.
By the way, if you’re ever looking for a cautionary tale about too much success too soon, check out the story of Terrence Trent D’arby. Dude went off the rails in a major way.
Deb, you are so right about Terrence Trent D’arby’s rise and fall. Talented guy whose career ended much too soon.
I’m like Steve. I remember them but not fondly. That Starship song is an abomination, as bad as their “We Built This City” abortion. I will always associate “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” with the George Bush campaign. Thankfully, I have never heard the Donny Osmond song. There are NO songs on these that I could say, “you know, I really liked that one.” None. That says it all.
And stay off my lawn!
Jeff, after reading your comments I’m starting to think I over paid (75 cents!) for these sets!
Not my era, but I do like a couple of the songs. Probably wouldn’t listen to the CDs more than once, though.
Bill, I usually “rip” the songs I like from these compilations and “burn” a CD-ROM with just the best songs.
I agree with bob, disco was when I cut back on my music listening, though I do like many disco songs. I think it was the dancing and clothing of the disco era I really didn’t like. This collection has few I recognize by title, would probably know more if I heard them. I’d be interested in hearing the Aretha Franklin/George Michael song, as well as the Gloria Estefan ones.
I should add, I liked watching the disco dancing in Sat. night fever, but at clubs it was too orchestrated
Maggie, there were a lot of duets back in the 1980s.
My former favorite oldies station moved from 60s to 70s with a smattering of early 80s stuff (like Jackie’s favorite, “Don’t You Want Me” by Human League, which they used in a Chips Ahoy commercial and which she always refers to as “the cookie song”), to the current playlist of all 80s with just a smattering of 60s and some 70s. That’s why we keep CDs in the car.
I like a lot of Disco Era songs (Bee Gees, ABBA) but not much from the 80s.
Sorry, Deb.
Don’t You Want Me commercial.
Jeff, like Bill Crider I like ABBA.
One more: I have always INTENSELY HATED “Baby I Love Your Way” by Peter Frampton. The remake is no better.
Wow, I like the song a lot, and the whole album. You must have a bad association with it, or with Frampton, Jeff.
We’re each entitled to our own opinions and taste, right?
I have good memories of the Frampton Comes Alive album, so naturally I’d like that one.
Jeff, Peter Frampton held a free out-door concert at ArtPark in Lewiston, NY (where we ate that yummy Hibbard’s Custard). Thousands of fans showed up!
thanks for the commercial link I had forgotten how cute that was
I actually own the one for 1987 because of the Crowded House song.
I didn’t listen to much new music in the late 1980s and most of the 1990s.
The good stuff is called “classic rock” for a reason.
Beth, the 1980s was the last decade where I listened to music on the radio a lot. Now, I only listen to music on the radio when I’m driving around running errands.
George, love those old Rhino CDs, especially the multi-volume “Didn’t It Blow Your Mind” series. Your CDs are a much better find that what I usually see at library book sales. Lately, the ones in this area tend to run to Dan Brown, 50 Shades, and romance pb’s. The last one where I really scored some decent merchandise was about ten years ago, where I found a box of late ’50s/very early ’60s Ace SF Doubles and a handful of Edgar Rice Burroughs vintage G&D reprints in good shape. I pretty much stopped listening to radio in the late ’70s and early ’80s, then began to follow the charts again in the late ’80s when my kids were in junior high and HS. We took our younger daughter to a Debbie Gibson concert at Kings Dominion in 1989. Even better, a Vanilla Ice and Milli Vanilli concert in 1990.
Fred, those are some great book finds! I’ll have to track down DIDN’T I BLOW YOUR MIND. I took my daughter and her friends to NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK and N’SYNC concerts.
I find very little at Library sales. Mostly romance novels and James Patterson. The SF section mostly Dean Koontz and that Left Behind series. Just as well. I have too much to read already.
Steve, I’ve been lucky at Library Sales. I’ve found whole SF collections that people have dumped.
Okay, I admit I like the Saturday Night Fever album, but hate the movie for obvious reasons! My main complaint with disco is that it was the turning point away from rock to something else!
I suggest everyone go on YouTube and check out the Mona Lisa Twins. Lovely young ladies that do great cover versions of classic rock songs!
Bob, thanks for the tip on the Mona Lisa Twins!
Those late 80s were really horrible for pop music!
I only remember a few of these titles though I was on the road often with the radio blasting – did the first holiday trips to the US (Florida and the Western Coast to the Death Valley and Vegas) and was always happy when I found an oldies’ station …
PS and rather OT:
Haven’t been too active right now – got a “slight” problem with my heart:
Vorhofflimmern – Atrial fibrillation for you, which made my doc send me to ER asap. Well, I was lucky, a kind of electro shock treatment brought my heart rate back to normal and I went home from the hospital the next morning – but have to take more pills now and be careful …
But be asssured, as long as I can use my computer I’ll be following George and his guests here – even if I don’t comment too often!
Wolf, you have to pace yourself! And we always are interested in your comments!
Thanks, George!
And now for something totally OT:
Everybody at home in Germany is talking about a new movie: The Horror thriller “A Cure for Wellness” by Gore Verbinski.
It was shot not in the Alps but in the famous Castle Hohenzollern, not too far from where we live in Germany – the castle was closed for public access for around two weeks …
And Verbinski and his people stayed in a hotel in Tübingen and he told everybody how he enjoyed this – and the Schwab food.
And he also gave a significant amount of money for a mobile ER center for the refugees from Africa and Asia – the head doc of our ER services managed this.
Wolf, A CURE FOR WELLNESS has been getting terrible reviews. The director is the same guy who has ruined THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movies.
George, I agree, the eighties had some of the best Grammys and Billboards songs. After that I more or less stopped listening to English music.
Prashant, music changed when MP3 files became available. Once file sharing was possible, CD sells plummeted.