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And The Countdown Continues...

BRADLEY'S TOP 100 SINGLES OF THE 1980s continues with numbers 95-91!



95.CHEQUERED LOVE – Kim Wilde
(Marty & Ricky Wilde)
RAK Single (UK) #330
EMI America Single (US) #8139
Chart Debut: April 27, 1981 (UK)
Chart Position: #4 UK

The first official single from her debut album and the follow up to the immensely popular “Kids In America”, Kim Wilde kept up her new wave manically driven pop. I love the first album and really find it to be one of the best albums of the decade – it even made it into the bubbatunes reissue catalog as it has yet to see an official remastered version on CD. The song was released almost a year later in America as once again the follow up to “Kids” but it didn’t do nearly as well here as it did in the UK – which is a shame because Kim’s witty barrage on this and all songs on the first album is worth listening to over and over again. After two more albums she would score a major market contract with MCA Records and turn to dance but this big hair new wave princess is how I like my Kim - wild. See video here.

94. THE HARDEST PART - Blondie
(Debbie Harry/Chris Stein)
Chrysalis Single #2408
Chart Debut: January 1980
Chart Position: #84 (US)

Speaking of new wave royalty we have our first of a few (MANY) Blondie singles in our countdown. “The Hardest Part” was released in the US as the follow up to “Dreaming" from the band’s 1979 Eat To The Beat album. In the UK they got the single “Union City Blue” and while that too is a great song – the Brits thought so since it went to #13 and this one only went to #84 - the thumping funk of this track has always made it stand out, not only on album but as a single in itself. The more typical single to include in this list from the Eat album would be the third single “Atomic” and that would’ve fit in here fine with its electro whiz sound and grainy feel – however, due to time restraints (and too much Blondie) I had to choose and because “Atomic” was released as a single in an edited form cutting out the awesome bass line and changing a few things here and there – the single was never as good as the album version (though it too hit big in the UK at #1) so it was “The Hardest Part” that made the list and here are a few of the reasons why:

First and foremost, all you have to do is listen to the chugging drum beats and Jimmy’s insatiable keyboards when Debbie starts barreling through: “Bullet proof vest/ shatter proof glass/ overdrive, we’re gonna pass…” It’s a band effort if ever there was one, with every one of the 6 members pulling out all their punches… and then about two years ago, I went to a Blondie concert (imagine) and as we headed back into West Hollywood we went to Rage, on their alternative night. As we entered the bar pumping from the system was “The Hardest Part” and you can’t believe how enormous, thunderous and wonderful the song sounded even 26 years later. As Debbie scowls and crashes through the drums telling the tale of an armored car heist, you can’t help but tap your fingers, stomp your feet and throw on a black wig and sunglasses – or maybe it’s just me. See it here! For more Blondie video excitement, after years and years the whole Eat To The Beat album is finally on DVD, though you have to buy it as a CD/DVD combo with the Eat To The Beat album, but hey there's no losing in that.

93. YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG – AC/DC
(Johnson/Young/Young)
Atlantic Single #3761 (US)/ #11600 (UK)
Chart Debut: October 25, 1980 (US)/ September 13, 1980 (UK)
Position: #35 US / #38 UK

“She was a fast machine/she kept her motor clean/she was the best damn woman that I ever seen….” Now who isn’t singing the song once you read it? AC/DC’s Back In Black is arguably one of the best albums of the 80s. Recuperating after the death of singer Bon Scott, the AC/DC camp got Brian Johnson, Angus kept his schoolboy outfit and the team put out an excellent album that has been on head banger’s players since its inception. This single was the end all for all pot heads, metal heads and even the ones who didn’t know what a guitar was. A timeless classic no one has ever stopped singing. Watch the video.

92. VOO DOO – Rachel Sweet
(Rachel Sweet/Marc Blatte/Larry Gottlieb)
Columbia/CBS Single #38-03411 (US)/
#17016 (UK)
Chart Debut: November 1982
Chart Position: #72 US

My poor Sweet chanteuse – Rachel Sweet is one of those performers who pushed and pushed and yet never really made it to the big time. It’s not too surprising, as I believe she was just too damn talented. Her only real claim to the charts was the duet “Everlasting Love” with (gulp!) Rex Smith – who I do believe Rachel was horrified to find out she was being hooked up with. However, on her own, the girl did very nicely and “Voo Doo” is the single that really introduced me to the girl with the high and powerful voice. Creepily and sleekly produced the single is a moody little piece of pop seducing us in, with “the voo doo that you do … so well”.

It was after I heard this single I tried in vain to find other Rachel Sweet stuff. It wasn’t until just very recently that I was able to find all the music I had been so deprived of. Her best albums are definitely the ones that came before this, but this single did the introduction, and now thanks to record execs who are my age this album is finally available on CD; as a two-fer with her previous album …And Then He Kissed Me in which she does the original version of “Shadows Of The Night.” Definitely get your hands on some sweet, you won’t regret it… oh did I mention at the time of this her 4th album she was a whole 19 years old! Brittney isn’t worthy to hold Rachel’s microphone of talent. Abracadabra, baby!
Watch the video!

91. ASHES TO ASHES – David Bowie
(David Bowie)
RCA Single #12078 (US)/ BOW6 (UK)
Chart Debut: August 16, 1980
Chart Position: #101 US / #1 UK

Here is a perfect example of how the UK and US differ in musical taste. From one spectrum to the other “Ashes To Ashes” covered both ends of the charts. I have to admit the video for this one with Bowie stretched out by feeding tubes and his creepy clown man walking on the radioactive beach creeped me out. But the song is excellent. I found as I was doing this list, a lot of my more alternative style songs are all fairly dark or at least appear dark on the surface – perhaps it’s the fact I’m a Gemini that something dark and powerful can excite me just as much as some piece of fluff pop. Either way, Bowie’s 1980 Scary Monsters, the album which spawned this single and “Fashion” is arguably one of his best albums of the 80s and this song still stands the test of time as the Tony Visconti production pumps the more sordid tale of Major Tom, the junkie through the stereo.
Watch the video! But it's scary....

See you tomorrow when we conquer numbers 90-86 as our countdown of the TOP 100 SINGLES OF THE 1980s continues!

posted by swivek @ 3:12 PM