Wednesday, March 29, 2006

The Top 10

After weeks and weeks of waiting, we are finally here - the top 10 Singles of the 1980s According to Bradley - so since I made you wait all this time, let's get started:

10. DON'T CHANGE - INXS
(Andy Farriss/Michael Hutchence)
ATCO single #99874 (US)/ INXS1 (UK)
Chart Debut: July 16, 1983 US
Chart Position: #80 US

You know I love my Michael Hutchence, and the whole band of INXS has a lot to offer, but it's this little single from the album Shabooh Shabah that makes INXS one of the greatest 80s band. Blending new wave and guitar rock into one glorious song is just one of the brilliant things about this single, but Michael's vocal performance, the drums, the keyboards, all of it make it one of the top ten singles of the 80s. "I'm standing here on the ground/the sky above won't fall down/ seeing no evil in all directions..." I've always thought of doing a cover of this song, and apparantly I'm not the only one for No Doubt had the idea as well. When deciding to do an 80s cover song for their singles compilation a few years ago, it came down to "It's My Life" by Talk Talk and this gem by my boys of INXS. Watch the video here!

9. ONLY YOU - Yaz (oo)
(Vince Clarke)
Sire/Mute single #29844 (US)/ Mute #020 (UK)
Chart Debut: February 26, 1983 (US)/ April 17, 1982 (UK)
Chart Position: #67 US (#1 Dance Club Play)/ #2 UK

When Vince Clarke opted out of Depeche Mode after only one album, he immediately took up with the smoky voiced Allison Moyet who had been touting around England singing jazz songs. With her voice and Vince's excellance at synthesized pop, Yazoo (as it was known in England) was a brilliant little blip in music history. Recording only two albums, Vince would go on to create Erasure while Allison would go on to her own thing before retiring on a chicken farm - don't ask me I just report the news.

As for "Only You" the song is pure bliss. Beginning with the quietest tone of synth Allison's voice comes in, "Looking from a window above/it's like a story of love/ can you hear me?.." a mournful twitch of lost love and pop genius the song remains one of the best the 80s had to offer. See the video here.

8. TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART - Bonnie Tyler
(Jim Steinman)
Columbia/CBS single #38-03906 (US)/ CBS #TYLER1 (UK)
Chart Debut: August 13, 1983 (US)/ February 19, 1983 (UK)
Chart Position: #1 US / #1 UK

If including "Sunglasses At Night" won't be enough to send my pal Brian into a gin laced tizzy, including his most abhored song certainly will. But despite Brian's lack of appreciation for Bonnie Tyler's epic masterpiece, I love it. In fact I love the entire Jim Steinman written catalog, from Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell albums, Air Supply's "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All", Barry Manilow's "Read Em And Weep" and the only Celine Dion song I can muster up the courage to listen to, "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" - Jim was a rock theatrical God. Even the video in all of its early 80s cheapness was of epic proportions - with Bonnie portraying some kind of insane school marm with boys with neon blue eyes trying to drive her mad. It was all too surreal and so unforgettable.

The song begins softly enough with a piano and the high octave male voice "turn around... bright eyes..." Bonnie and her ultra gravelly vocal enter, "Every now and then I get a little bit lonely.." and the song goes into an explosion before calming back down and then exploding again. Pure and simple theatrics but enjoyable theatrics none the less. Somewhere there's a Broadway musical in all of Jim's vocals - in fact the whole Bat Out Of Hell was meant to be a rock opera, but include all of his songs including lesser known gems by the likes of Karla Devito, and you have a winning Broadway musical that is not a rehash of a classic film. But I digress.. I guess I'll just turn around and see what my neon blue eyes can see.... Relive the electric blue eyed video here.

7. GLORIA - Laura Branigan
(Bigazzi/Tozzi/Veitch)
Atlantic single #4048 (US)/ #11759 (UK)
Chart Debut: September 4, 1982 (US)/ December 18, 1982 (UK)
Chart Position: #2 US / #6 UK

"If everybody wants you why isn't anybody calling?" Oh, poor poor Gloria and her messed up, screwed up love life. As told through the power packed lungs of Laura Branigan, "Gloria" enters our mind with a swirling synth intro where we discover Gloria is going through a number of troubled issues. She dates and dates and yet can't find the simplest of love, perhaps it's something some bastard told her that made her feel bad, or maybe it's just all those voices in her head. Is she sychophrenic?Is she unable to love? Does it really matter when the whole performance is so flawless? Perhaps it's the entire storyline that intriques me so, almost a desperate housewife Gloria isn't sure how she's going to go on her life, "how's it gonna go down?/ will you meet him on the mainline or will you catch him on the rebound?/ will you marry for the money, take a lover in the afternoon/ feel your innocence slipping away/ don't beleive it's coming back soon..." Oh how I felt for Gloria and somehow knew that I would end up being the male version of Miss G herself... See Laura in all her 82 glory-ah!

6. KIDS IN AMERICA - Kim Wilde
(Ricky Wilde/Marty Wilde)
EMI America single #8110 (US)/ RAK single #327 (UK)
Chart Debut: July 17, 1982 (US)/ January 26, 1981 (UK)
Chart Position: #25 US / #2 UK

My girl Kim Wilde in her ultra cool new wave best. It's creepy, it's dance inducing, it's new wave glory! Beginning with fanciful synth loop this English girl introduces the new world of the kids living in America, with their suburbs, malls and endless dance parties. "Looking out a dirty old window/ down below the cars in the city go rushing by/ I sit here alone and I wonder why/ Friday night and everybody's moving/ you can feel the heat but its soothing heading down/ I search for the beat in this dirty town/ downtown..." I love it.

When this song came out and I first saw the video, I thought it was one of the coolest things I had ever heard in the world. I think I have a love for songs that talk about kids, either cool or losers, it's just something I relate to. This was also released around the time of the Valley Girl status craze and it all somehow seemed related to me. As I would skate around and around in a giant circle at High Roller listening to Kim Wilde, it would occur to me that I was a Kid in America and I deserved to be in the Valley.

Incidentally, Kim, whose brother and father wrote most of her music including this song never once questioned the line, "New York to East California" though to this day, she, like the rest of us have no idea what it was supposed to mean. Were the kids west of East California not included in the wave of fun hitting the rest of America? I guess we'll never really know. Another side note, though this song was released in America a year later than it was in the UK, and though it hit the top 40 in July of 1982, it's actual US Top 100 chart debut was May 22, 1982 - my birthday (okay not the actual day I was born but close, very very close I tell you)... and perhaps somehow, someway I knew that and that is why the song has become so popular in my little mind... Watch the video here!

Well kids in America (and beyond) we are almost at the end of our countdown. I can't believe you've stuck with the total eclipse of this list so you deserve to come back and see the top 5 - tomorrow...

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posted by swivek @ 1:10 PM 1 comments

Friday, February 17, 2006

# 60-56

We continue with our TOP 100 SINGLES OF THE 1980s with numbers 60 - 56!


60. NEED YOU TONIGHT - INXS
(Andy Farriss/Michael Hutchence)
Atlantic single #89188 (US)/ Mercury single #INXS12 (UK)
Chart Debut: November 1, 1987 (US)/ November 12, 1988 (UK)
Chart Position: #1 US / #2 UK

As I said back at #90 when we had our last INXS entry, I thought Michael Hutchence was one of the sexiest guys to ever strut across a stage. It wasn’t just the way he looked or acted, it was his voice and the brilliant sexy deliveries of that voice. In all of the INXS singles released with Michael, none capture that raw sexiness like “Need You Tonight”. Just the emphasis of certain phrasing sends me right up a wall whenever I listen to the song. You’ll have to excuse me – I have to go take a cold shower. Watch the video here.

59. HIDIN’ FROM LOVE – Lisa Hartman
(Bryan Adams/Jim Vallance)
RCA single #13251
Released: 1982
Chart Position: -

And we’re back… Oh, my poor girl. All Lisa Hartman ever wanted to do was sing. Her mother swears she didn’t speak her first words, she sang them. While in high school, Lisa ran around Houston as the front woman in a rock band. In 1976, at the ripe old age of 19, Jeff Barry who had written such 60s classics as the Shangri-Las “Out In The Streets” saw Lisa perform and immediately had her signed to Don Kirshner’s namesake label. In LA, she recorded her very first album, the self titled ditty captured all that was oh so 1976 Olivia Newton-John pop but it failed. So Lisa took up some modeling and acting gigs, got a lead in the ABC series Tabitha, and released another single in 1978. Nothing.

In 1979, she recorded yet another album Hold On – studying close to the 60s Motown stuff she loved. Again, no hits. So it was back to acting and modeling.

In 1982, our girl released what is her best album of recorded material, Letterock. Clad in a blue teddy on the back of the record sleeve, you knew you were onto something good. The songs were perfect for the 1982 woman rock stuff happening. She had covers of uber popular Rick Springfield, she had originals about gay boyfriends, Juice Newton styled ballads, and a Holly Knight song that had reached the top 40 two years earlier for the band Spider; and she had this single – “Hidin’ From Love” written by a then fairly unknown Bryan Adams. The song has all the power packed punch of Quarterflash or Scandal – two female led rock outfits scoring hits around this time, but for some reason our girl just never had the hit she deserved.

So Lisa went back to acting and onto one of my all time favs - Knots Landing where she played ill-fated rock singer Ciji Dunne in the fourth season (1982-83) and when she was proved to be uber popular, she came the following year as Cathy Dunne in one of the more better crafted "look-alike" soap scenerios (think "Vertigo"). After her success on Knots Landing, RCA Records re-released the Letterock album in 1984 retitled Lisa Hartman and with the front and back covers switched. Lisa even did some promotion appearing on Solid Gold and a few other shows (as you can see); but still the album did nothing chart wise.


I guess in the end Lisa Hartman scored out all right considering her acting career definitely took off starring for three years on my beloved Knots Landing, and making a slew of TV movies through the 90s, and though a fourth and final album in 1987 didn’t score any better than her previous efforts, an almost forced collabaration with husband Clint Black scored her a top 40 pop hit, a number one country hit and a few awards for the song “When I Said I Do” – so Lisa Hartman got what she wanted after all. You Letterock girl! Check out this awesome My Space site dedicated to Lisa Hartman's music and you can even hear our #59 song right on the site!

58. CHANGE – John Waite
(Holly Knight)
Chrysalis single #42606
Released: 1982
Chart Position: #54 US

I have to admit that John Waite has always kind of bothered me. I think it’s his endless changing of bands and styles. Is he trying to be Steve Perry? Is he trying to be Nick Gilder? Is he trying to be Stephen Tyler? I just don’t get it. But the one thing that he did do and he did very well is this single. “Change” is written by my beloved Holly Knight and produced by Neil Geraldo – that’s right Ms. Pat Benatar’s right hand man, and it was even released on the same label as Pat and Blondie, so it’s really no wonder it’s so good. The story of always wanting more than you have or deserve is fuelled by a pretty high energy guitar rock song and everyone can relate to the lyrics – “We always wish for money/ we always wish for fame/ we think we have the answers/ some things aren’t ever gonna change…” Perhaps Holly should’ve also handed this one over to Lisa Hartman – I’m sure she could’ve nailed it even better. I couldn't find the video for it, but here is John performing an acoustic live version though it's nowhere near as great as his original recorded version.

57. SWEET CHILD O MINE - Guns n Roses
(Adler/Hudson/McKagan/Rose/Stradlin)
Geffen single #27963
Chart Debut: July 23, 1988 (US)/ August 20, 1988 (UK)
Chart Position: #1 US / #24 UK

There are numerous claims that Appetite For Destruction changed the music scene when it debuted in 1988. For some reason I didn’t notice, all I knew was that it was a damn good album. When I threw my cassette into the car player, rolled down the windows, turned up the volume and drove along Wausau, Wisconsin – it was an exuberating experience. Plus I was finally able to be cool with all the head bangers. “Sweet Child O Mine” is the single that drove the album into the stratosphere and likely so. It’s a great song that makes you turn up the volume and sing along. I mean who doesn’t do the Axl sway when the song starts playing? Watch the video here!

56. I WANT THAT MAN – Deborah Harry
(Currie/Bailey)
Sire/Red Eye single #22816 (US)/ Chrysalis single #3369
Chart Debut: October 7, 1989
Chart Position: #2 Modern Rock (US) / #13 UK

“Here comes the 21st century/ it’s gonna be much better for a girl like me..” and so declared the chorus of this ultra cool Deborah Harry solo single. Co-written and produced by the Thompson Twins’ Alannah Currie and Tom Bailey, I thought for sure this would be the single that made it clear Debbie could score huge on her own. The keyboard intro, the dance back beat, the shaking little breakdowns and the sing along lyrics make it one of the best singles of the late 80s. They even played it on the Wausau, Wisconsin rock radio station! Plus Debs looked super cool as a vampire/singer in the video who goes after the man she wants – of course she gets him; she even rips off his cross and bites his neck. That’s our Debs - if she wants it, she gets it. By the way, I too want to be the Queen of the USA – but you don’t have to send me roses every other day – make it twice a week. Watch the video here and see a great live performance from 1989 from the Roller Derby show. It's almost as cool as the video!

The 21st century may be here but our #1 single of the 80s won't be here for a while yet, so stay put and I'll be back with numbers #55-51!

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posted by swivek @ 3:33 PM 0 comments

Friday, February 10, 2006

# 90 - 86

BRADLEY'S TOP 100 SINGLES OF THE 1980s continues with
numbers 90-86!



90.NEVER TEAR US APART - INXS
(Andy Farris/Michael Hutchence)
Atlantic Single #89038 (US)/ Mercury Single #INXS11 (UK)
Chart Debut: September 17, 1988 (US)/ June 25, 1988 (UK)
Chart Position: #7 US / #24 UK

Here is the first of my many man musician crushes I have had – how I loved and still love Michael Hutchence. He was to me the 80s version of Jim Morrisson. I don’t know if they happened to look alike, act alike or what, but I do know I got that same strange feeling when I looked at Michael that Jim also seems to conjur up. “Never Tear Us Apart” in all of its desperation and symphonic sound is one of the best all time singles ever – I know you’re thinking, “Then why is it #91?” that’s because this is the 100 best all time singles ever and there’s even better ones coming up… but as I digress, I have to say this song is pure perfection. In only 3 minutes Michael and his band mates of Farris brothers throw together enough despair and drama to last all fourteen seasons of Knots Landing. I love it, and can’t wait for the next karaoke night! Watch the video here.

89. VOICES CARRY – ‘Til Tuesday (Hausman/Holmes/Mann/Pesce)
Epic/CBS Single #38-04795
Chart Debut: May 18, 1985 (US)
Chart Position: #8 US / #- UK

“In the dark I like to read his mind/ but I’m frightened of the things I might find…” One more moody, chilling and threatening little ditty on our list. Aimee Mann has one of those indistinguishable voices that capture you the minute she utters a line. With her low register and offbeat dialect, I always thought the song said, “Keep it down now/oh so scary…” Then I saw the video and realized what a fool I was. Til Tuesday came out with one brilliant single after another, “Love In A Vacuum”, “What About Love?”, “Coming Up Close” – all of which were considered for this list, but “Voices Carry” is the quisessential ‘Til Tuesday song and I have to admit I thought the abusive boyfriend in the video was hot – I’m not sure what’s wrong with me. Watch the video and see the abusive hottie.

88. THE WANDERER – Donna Summer
(Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder)
Geffen Single #496563
Chart Debut: September 27, 1980
Chart Position: #3 US / #48 UK

If anyone had any doubt that Donna Summer wasn’t merely The Disco Queen, 1979’s Bad Girls album proved to every one the woman could do just about anything. With the album’s mixture of rock and dance music she had the biggest hit on her hands, and she wanted to move away from Casablanca Records and the owner’s control over it. So David Geffen signed her as the second artist added to his new Geffen Records, and along came this little gem of a single, “The Wanderer.” Once again pushing forward with techno pop and rock, the imagery of the happy wanderer captured me, and the song was on constant rotation. With clever little lines about Alice In Wonderland (“She climbed right through the mirror oh that nearly blew my mind”) and Donna’s declaration that the 9 to 5 life’s a bore – my wandering little heart followed through with her rhythm and her rhyme. Watch the rather rare video here.

87. FAST CAR – Tracy Chapman
(Tracy Chapman)
Elektra Single #69412
Chart Debut: July 16, 1988 (US)/
June 11, 1988 (UK)
Chart Position: #6 US / #5 UK

“Fast Car” was the very last brand new 7” I ever purchased before the record stores stopped selling them and we were all forced to get the smaller “cassingles” of the late 80s/early 90s. I am so glad I bought it and to this day constantly play it, and I may add - I do a kick ass karaoke version of it.

“Fast Car” has so many little connotations for me. First and foremost I once again love the idea presented of speeding away from the oh so tiresome small town and running off to the exciting city. Of course this is Tracy Chapman’s world of folk, so the city holds just as much horror as the small town did. When this song came out I happened to be a bit of a teenaged runaway living in an apartment with a bunch of guys in Wausau, Wisconsin. As it turned out this rooming situation led to my first summer fling with one of the guys. We spent the entire summer camping out and basically living out of his fast car – a 1964 Camaro Z with Rally Sport Options (for the car buffs it’s a pretty rare model.) I learned how to drive a stick shift (as you can imagine…) I was so sure that his fast car was going to take us away and his arms always felt great wrapped around my shoulders. Incidentally, I always thought Tracy said, “your arms and legs wrapped around my shoulder” which is perfectly plausible as I found out – not to mention a hell of an image. But of course I also couldn’t figure out Tracy’s gender at that point and still have a few questions should I ever meet her/him. Incidentally, the fast car that was actually fast enough so I could fly away ended up being my VW dubbed Farfie - the Wonder Fox but that’s another story. Watch the video.

86. WE LIVE FOR LOVE – Pat Benatar
(Neil Geraldo)
Chrysalis Single #2419 (US)/ #2403 (UK)
Chart Debut: May 17, 1980 (US)
Chart Position: #27 US

You had to know this was coming – the first of my Pat Benatar singles. “We Live For Love” was Pat’s second big single from her 1979 debut album In The Heat Of The Night, but it was actually the fourth though final single released. The first two didn’t do anything chart wise (“I Need A Lover”/ “If You Think You Know How To Love Me”) while the third is her now signature classic “Heartbreaker” which debuted on the top 100 in late 1979 and climbed up to #23 in early 1980 (because of it’s release/chart debut it’s exempt from this list - though you will find it on the top 100 Singles of the 70's). Following shortly after "Heartbreaker" was this little new wave ditty written by boyfriend and guitarist Neil Geraldo which hit #27 in the summer of 1980.

Produced by Blondie engineer Peter Coleman, the song (as well as a lot of In The Heat Of The Night) has a more new wave feel than what you would later hear when picking up a 7” with Pat's lovely face pouting from its sleeve. Which is perhaps why a lot of people who are into new wave or aren’t real fans of the Benatar school of rock tend to like this song over all of all of her other gems.

The breathy aahs and Pat’s high octave vocals on the chorus proved that my girl could do just about anything when you stuck her in front of a microphone and the song is still enjoyable all these years later. You can hear the single version and stare at a picture of the album cover here, or you can watch Pat singing it live circa 2006.

Just as your love is contagious, and one kiss is most definitely dangerous, as is our fun little countdown so stop back tomorrow as we head into numbers 85-81!

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posted by swivek @ 3:07 PM 0 comments