Post by Hervard on Mar 1, 2018 15:31:34 GMT -5
Last year, I compiled a list of songs from 1988 only heard during the Shadoe Stevens era and, for the past few months, I've been working on a commentary for AT40's 1989 hits. I finally finished it and have posted it. As was the case in 1988, each song is listed in order of appearance on the chart. The number after each song represents its debut position on American Top 40. I wouldn't be surprised if I overlooked a song or two – but if I did, by all means, let me know and I'll add it.
JANUARY
WALKING AWAY – INFORMATION SOCIETY (34) – Their second Top 40 hit. It was a little better than their first hit “What's On Your Mind”, but still, nothing exceptional.
BACK ON HOLIDAY – ROBBIE NEVIL (39) One of those artists who was popular with his first album, but successive albums, as well as their singles, tank quickly. This song only got as high as #34 (versus three Top 20 hits with the first album, eponymously entitled). I thought it was a pretty good song, but at the same time, can see why it didn't do as well as the singles from his debut album.
SHE WANTS TO DANCE WITH ME – RICK ASTLEY (40) – Never cared for this song. Mainly because, since the title track of his last album Whenever You Need Somebody was charting on American Dance Traxx, I kept hoping that would be his next release, and instead, when the radio DJ of a station I was listening announced the new Rick Astley song and then I hear this mediocre song and, of course, I'm disappointed. Needless to say, I charted “Whenever You Need Somebody” in place of this one on my personal chart.
WHAT I AM – EDIE BRICKELL & NEW BOHEMIANS (32) – This was her/their only Top 40 hit (she did make an appearance on the R&R Top 40 chart with "Good Times", which was Edie without the Bohemians). This song was OK, but nothing exceptional.
ANGEL OF HARLEM – U2 (33) – The second single from Rattle And Hum, and the last to hit the Top 40. I thought this was a good song, a little better than “Desire”.
DIAL MY HEART – THE BOYS (35) – One of the youngest bands ever to hit the Top 40. Ranging in ages 9 to 15, they were huge on the R&B charts, and managed to have one Top 40 hit. I rather liked this song, which is more than can be said for their next single, “Lucky Charm”. What was lucky about that is that it did not hit the Top 40 (it was a Top Ten hit on American Dance Traxx, which I listened to on WZZP (South Bend) on Saturday nights, so that's how I know the song).
YOU GOT IT (THE RIGHT STUFF) – NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (37) – This was the second of many big hits for this boyband who was all the rage in 1989, with six Top 40 hits during the year. I liked this one; had a catchy bassline and chorus.
A LITTLE RESPECT – ERASURE (33) – Their first hit, “Chains Of Love” had peaked at #12 in late October and their second single hit the Top 20 as well. I seem to recall both songs, which I liked about the same, were big American Dance Traxx hits.
SURRENDER TO ME – ANN WILSON & ROBIN ZANDER (35) – This was Wilson's second duet with the lead singer of a rock band – in this case, Cheap Trick, who were in the midst their second wave of popularity on the charts. I liked this song, but preferred the other duet, which was 1984's "Almost Paradise", with Mike Reno of Loverboy.
SHAKE FOR THE SHEIK – ESCAPE CLUB (36) – This song was OK, but it sounded more or less like a watered-down version of “Wild Wild West”. The Top 40 audience apparently thought the same, as this song was nowhere near as big as the first one.
THE LIVING YEARS – MIKE + THE MECHANICS (39) – Back in the early 1990s, I could not listen to this song, since my Dad and I were at odds, sort of like the songwriter was with his father, and I was so afraid that the situation recounted in the final verse was going to apply to us, with my Dad passing before we reconciled. Fortunately, we did eventually settle our differences in the spring of 1993, so now, I don't mind hearing this song every now and again, though it is still quite a depressing song. My favorite song from the Living Years album would be "Nobody Knows", which was released in the summer of 1989, but only charted in the lower reaches on the AC chart, and went nowhere at Top 40 radio (though U93 (WNDU, South Bend IN) occasionally played it)
ALL SHE WANTS IS – DURAN DURAN (40) – Their Big Thing album was one of their worst, IMO, and this is one of the reasons. The first single, “I Don't Want Your Love” was mediocre at best and this song was simply awful. Glad it didn't become one of their bigger hits. They had a few hits earlier in the decade, particularly 1984, that I did not like, but I prefer them over this song, which is saying a lot!
LOST IN YOUR EYES – DEBBIE GIBSON (30) – The first song to debut within the Top 30 during the Shadoe Stevens era! This was one of my favorite songs of 1989 and I kept hoping that it was R&R's #1 song of the year (since it had spent four weeks on top there), but five other songs, even though they'd spent less time at #1, gained more points, so the song had to settle for sixth place. I had no idea at the time what their figuring system was, or else I'd know early on that it wasn't going to come out on top. I was a huge Debbie Gibson fan back in the day – I even bought her Electric Youth album when it first came out and played it so much that it wore out – literally! I did, however, find a CD copy of it, so that replaced the audio tape, which I've long since discarded.
MY HEART CAN'T TELL YOU NO – ROD STEWART (33) – Of the four singles from Stewart's Out Of Order album, this one, surprisingly, is the only song that managed to hit the Top Ten (as well as the only one to place on a year-end chart). I thought it was a pretty good song, but prefer others from Mr. Stewart.
PARADISE CITY – GUNS 'N ROSES (36) – Their third Top 40 hit. It was a little overplayed, but still a great party song!
RONI – BOBBY BROWN (37) – The third of Brown's five Top Ten hits from his Don't Be Cruel album. The first two were dance hits, but he decided to go with a slow jam this time. Contrary to what many people might think, the song is not about pasta or rice dishes.
DON'T TELL ME LIES – BREATHE (40) – After two ballads, they put out an upbeat song. This one holds the record for the biggest move on the chart within the 1980s, jumping 44 spots to #52 the week before, so it looked like it was going to be another Top Five hit like the first two, but the song, in fact, barely made the Top Ten. I liked this song at first, but I seem to remember that I grew tired of it rather quickly.
FEBRUARY
GIRL YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE – MILLI VANILLI (36) – The first of four Top 40 songs during 1989 for whom, at the time, were the top duo of 1989 (of course, they were disqualified in November, 1990, when we found out it was Brad Howell and John Davis that did the actual singing).
I BEG YOUR PARDON – KON KAN (37) – This song samples several songs from the 1970s, including “Rose Garden” by Lynn Anderson, “Disco Nights” by GQ, as well as recreated samples of a few other songs. The only song from this Canadian synthpop band. I liked this song a lot – another song I remember hearing a lot on American Dance Traxx.
IT'S NO SECRET – KYLIE MINOGUE (38) – She had a pretty good year in 1988, mostly for her remake of Little Eva's “The Loco-Motion”, and it looked like she was gearing up to do well in 1989, but unfortunately, this was her only hit that year, and she would not return to the charts until 2002. Of her three Top 40 hits in the 80s, this one would be my favorite – a great song that I felt was underrated!
YOU'RE NOT ALONE – CHICAGO (39) – The follow-up to the top song of1988 1989. Like all three Top 40 hits from their Chicago 19 album, Bill Champlin handled the lead vocals. This was possibly my favorite song from 19, although “Look Away” and “We Can Last Forever” (the fourth single, which petered out at #55) would be very close behind.
JUST BECAUSE – ANITA BAKER (40) – She had just come off of her biggest hit ever, and this song also fared well on the charts, peaking at #14. This would be my favorite song from Giving You The Best That I Got by a fair margin (as the title track was overplayed).
DREAMIN' – VANESSA WILLIAMS (36) – She'd definitely have more success in the 1990s, but she did manage to get one Top Ten in the '80s. This was a great song, but I preferred several others from her.
THE LOVE IN YOUR EYES – EDDIE MONEY (38) – His late 1988 song “Walk On Water” returned him to the Top Ten for the first time in two years, but this one didn't come anywhere near matching that success, which I thought was a shame, as this was a great song IMO.
ETERNAL FLAME – THE BANGLES (40) – Of course, Shakira's 2002 hit "Underneath Your Clothes" sounded much like this song, which was my favorite of their songs during the 1989 chart year, though it didn't hold a candle to “If She Knew What She Wants”, my favorite song by the Bangles.
WALK THE DINOSAUR – WAS (NOT WAS) (36) – They had a minor hit in 1988, but obviously, they decided that they would NOT be ignored, so they decided to put out a song with a title that would catch everyone's eye, a catchy chorus, and an unforgettable chant as their second hit. Sure enough, this song climbed up to #7 and was the biggest of their two Top 40 hits. (And now that I've posted this, I've got the “boom boom, acka lacka lacka boom” chant going through my mind – oy vey!)
MORE THAN YOU KNOW – MARTIKA (39) – She had a wave of success in 1989, with three Top 40 hits, including a #1. This was her debut single, which hit the Top 20 in early spring. It was pretty much your typical late-80s dance tune – nothing exceptional, but not bad either.
YOU GOT IT – ROY ORBISON (40) – Of course, we had lost this legendary singer two months before, and I was surprised that his song with the Traveling Wilburys, “You Got It” did not resurge a few weeks later, but it was already beginning to run out of gas on the chart and the stations that did play it were deleting it from their charts regardless. This song, however, did return him to the Top Ten for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century. It was a great song, of which Bonnie Raitt did a decent cover in 1995, but nothing could be as good as the original.
THE LOOK – ROXETTE (31) – The first hit for one of the most successful Swedish bands, and to number one it went! It remains one of my favorite songs from them, which is surprising, given how much I hated this song when it was first released. With songs like that, I would sometimes “force” myself to at least tolerate it, since I knew I'd be hearing it no less than ten times a day for at least the next few months. However, with this song, it just sort of happened around the time hit hit #1. It made for an odd coincidence, that being the song hitting #1 the same week that two other Swedish Acts hit the top in years past (Blue Swede in 1974 and Abba in 1977) and, in fact, they were the ONLY other two songs by Swedish acts that topped the chart up to that point.
STAND – R.E.M. (32) – Like Vanessa Williams, their chart success began in the 1980s, but they were more successful on the charts during the 1990s. This song was their second Top Ten (following "The One I Love" in late 1987) and my favorite of the two. Ever notice how much the intro of this song sounds like that of "Crazy In The Night" by Kim Carnes?
SUPERWOMAN – KARYN WHITE (37) – A somewhat depressing song about a woman whose man takes her for granted despite her bending over backwards to please him. She makes him a perfect breakfast and all he can do is complain that the O.J. Is beginning to turn. Then, later that day, she fights her way the rush hour so she can cook him dinner before he comes home from work, and he just tells her not to bother him while he reads the paper. Yikes! Despite the subject matter, the tune itself is great – my favorite Karyn White song by a sizable margin.
CRYIN' – VIXEN (38) – The second hit for this female heavy metal band, and easily my favorite of the three. In fact, it was my #1 song of 1989, according to my Personal Top 30. Definitely one of my favorite power ballads of all time!
SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY – FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS (39) – They may not be the top new group of 1989, but they were definitely one of them, with their first two releases going straight to the top. It was so/so, but I remember disliking it a lot at first – this was another one of those songs that I forced myself to tolerate.
THE LAST MILE – CINDERELLA (40) – Possibly their only Top 40 hit that wasn't a power ballad (which might have had something to do with the fact that it was their lowest peaking Top 40 hit – up to that point anyway, and it never hit the R&R Top 40). I actually thought it was a pretty decent song, considering that I'm not generally a fan of that type of music.
MARCH
YOUR MAMA DON'T DANCE – POISON (37) – The follow-up to their biggest hit ever was this cover version of the Loggins & Messina classic. It was a pretty good song and sounded a lot like the original - in fact, on the 20th Anniversary special the following year, Shadoe played a medley of the two songs, switching back and forth between the two versions for listeners to compare the two songs. I slightly preferred this one, most likely because I'd heard it more often than the original.
SHE WON'T TALK TO ME – LUTHER VANDROSS (40) – He had several Top 40 hits here and there during the 1980s, but would not hit the Top Ten until early 1990. This one was a somewhat laid back mid-tempo song that I liked a lot and thought was quite underrated (as it barely touched the Top 30).
FEELS SO GOOD – VAN HALEN (36) – The fourth and final hit from OU812, this song only got as high as #35 (mainly on airplay points, as most Van Halen fans had the album, which sold over four million copies). I thought it was a pretty good song, though certainly not one of their best.
HEAVEN HELP ME – DEON ESTUS (37) – Sometimes dubbed the "unofficial third member of Wham!", this was Estus' only Pop hit. It was a good one, but I preferred his AC hit "Spell", from later on that year.
SECOND CHANCE – .38 SPECIAL (38) – What an appropriate debut position! Many people thought that they sold out on this song, departing from their usual rock style and going the AC way. It did work, however, as this became their biggest hit to date, but it seemed to ruin their chart career in the long run, as they only had a single hit after this, which didn't even crack the Top 30.
ORINOCO FLOW (SAIL AWAY) – ENYA (39) – Shadoe Stevens even pointed out how this was one of the more unsual songs to hit the Top 40. This was the first song for this Irish New Age singer (and would be her last until she hit with “Only Time” in 2001). I thought this song was OK at first, but I've come to appreciate this type of “chill-out” music over the past fifteen or so years, as I used to engage in Yoga, meditation, aromatherapy and the like back in the early 2000s.
ROOM TO MOVE – ANIMOTION (40) – Best known for their 1985 hit “Obsession”, they actually returned to the Top Ten with this song, which was definitely my favorite of the two – a great song indeed, with somewhat of a retro flavor to it.
FUNKY COLD MEDINA – TONE LOC (31) – This, of course, was a rap song, but the samples of songs like "Honky Tonk Women" and "Hot Blooded" gave it somewhat of a classic rock edge. I'm not a big rap fan, as you know all too well, but I actually kind of liked this one. It was much better than the ad nauseum played “Wild Thing” at any rate.
I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU – BON JOVI (34) – I never went to Prom during high school, but I'll bet this song was played during many proms in the spring of 1989, since its melody and theme were perfect for it. This is another song that heavy radio airplay sort of ruined for me, as it was one of my favorite songs in the world when it came out, but to this day, I'm still rather burned out on it.
ROCKET – DEF LEPPARD (36) – I've stated before how their huge album Hysteria spawned seven singles, and this was the last of those (though I think some stations played “Excitable” as an album cut later on in the year). Though not quite my favorite song from them, I did rather like this song.
THINKING OF YOU – SA-FIRE (37) – When this song first came out in early 1989, I'd heard that Madonna was coming out with a new album and I thought this was the first song from it, because it sounded so much like her. It was a great song – one of my favorite songs of the entire year.
LIKE A PRAYER – MADONNA (38) – Well, speak of the devil! This was the first song from said Madonna album – in fact, it was the title track. This song had a somewhat fast-rise, fast-fall chart run – possibly since there were a few radio stations playing other songs from the album, since I don't think it had anything to do with "Express Yourself", since that song was released when "Like A Prayer" was practically out of the Top 40. As for the song, it another one of those songs that I made myself tolerate, as I hated it with a passion, but knew that, because it was a long-awaited new song from one of the top artists of the 1980s, radio stations would be playing it to death for the next few months.
SINCERELY YOURS – SWEET SENSATION (33) – Not sure how they got away with using this name, seeing that there was already a band with that name that had a minor hit in 1975 “Sad Sweet Dreamer” (though I'm fairly sure they'd disbanded at this point), but they had a handful of hits over the next two years. This was the first of those, a freestyle dance song that I'm fairly sure was a big hit on American Dance Traxx. It wasn't bad, but definitely not a song I'd go out of my way to hear.
ONE – METALLICA (40) – This heavy metal band had been together for many years, finally hit the Top 40 with this dark power ballad that was pretty good melodically, but the subject matter is quite depressing (as it is about a soldier severely wounded in a war, begging God to put him out of his constant pain). This song was mainly fueled by sales, as I imagine very few radio stations ever played this song.
APRIL
AFTER ALL – CHER & PETER CETERA (34) – This was the love theme from the film "Chances Are", which received generally positive reviews, but did not do very well at the box office. I never saw the movie, so I can't say whether or not I thought it was good, but I certainly did like the song.
RADIO ROMANCE – TIFFANY (35) – One of the highest peaking one-week wonders on AT40, this song, which was the second hit from the album of the same name, was OK, but she was definitely a has-been at this point. This was her final hit, both on AT40 and the Hot 100.
FOREVER YOUR GIRL – PAULA ABDUL (36) – Another title track here, only this was from a woman who was just getting started. Her first hit, “Straight Up” had topped the chart back in February and this song followed in that song's footsteps. I liked this song a lot better than her first #1 hit, but I preferred several others from her.
REAL LOVE – JODY WATLEY (37) – This song was more or less “Looking For A New Love Part 2”, as it had a similar melody and the subject matter was pretty much the same as well. This was a song I could take or leave.
CULT OF PERSONALITY – LIVING COLOUR (39) – The first of two Top 40 hits for this band formed in New York City in 1984, this one became their signature song. Two famous quotes from the inaugural addresses of two presidents (John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt, respectively) are heard at end of the song.
IKO IKO – THE BELLE STARS (40) – Originally a #20 hit for the Dixie Cups back in 1965, this female British band came along and bested that peak by six spots, becoming the most successful version of the song, which was featured in the Dustin Hoffman/Tom Cruise film Rain Man. I liked this song – had a very catchy beat.
I WANNA BE THE ONE – STEVIE B (34) – This R&B artist from Fort Lauderdale had two minor hits in 1988, but this was his first time in the Top 40, with a song with a freestyle dance beat, like said 1988 hits. It was a pretty good song, IMO.
SEVENTEEN – WINGER (36) – The first of three Top 40 hits for this heavy metal band from the Big Apple. It was the only hit of theirs that was upbeat, as the other two were power ballads, which I preferred, though this wasn't half bad either.
ROCK ON – MICHAEL DAMIAN (37) – Meh, not a fan of this one at all. The slightly haunting sound of David Essex' original is absent in this lame duck of a cover.
EVERLASTING LOVE – HOWARD JONES (38) – I wonder how many people thought that, based on the title of this song, it was a remake of the oft-covered song first made famous by Robert Knight. However, the song, in fact, was a completely different song. This was Jones' last big hit (peaked at #12 in early June); clearly, he'd already had his day in the sun.
SOLDIER OF LOVE – DONNY OSMOND (30) – A somewhat random comeback, but a pretty successful one, as this song hit the Top Five, plus he had two other Top 20 hits over the next two years. I liked this one (was reminscent of “Undercover Angel” by Alan O'Day), but my favorite song from his self-titled comeback album was “I'll Be Good To You”, which was an AC hit in early 1990.
ELECTRIC YOUTH – DEBBIE GIBSON (31) – The second hit and title track from the Debbie Gibson album that I was so obsessed with back in the day. Of the singles, this was my least favorite, but it was still a great song, like most of the songs on Electric Youth.
WIND BENEATH MY WINGS – BETTE MIDLER (35) – This song became very popular in the LDD department, stealing thunder from songs like “Thank You For Being A Friend” and others with a similar theme. The song was from the film Beaches, which I hear has been known to bring even the most macho men to tears. I never saw the movie, but if I had back in the day, it probably would have made me cry as well, given my emotional status back in my teen years. As for the song, it was a good song – my favorite of her two big movie hits back in the 80s.
BIRTHDAY SUIT – JOHNNY KEMP (36) – Tell you what, like many high-school kids, I had a generally gutter-mind, but for some reason, this song just didn't do anything for me. I was never a big Johnny Kemp fan anyway.
EVERY LITTLE STEP – BOBBY BROWN (38) – He was still cranking out hits from his Don't Be Cruel album and, like his first three, this one sailed into the Top Ten. It was a good song – possibly my favorite from Don't Be Cruel. Although I'm not generally a big fan of R&B dance music, there was something about this song that I liked.
A SHOULDER TO CRY ON – TOMMY PAGE (40) – Here's another friendship type song like the Bette Midler song at #35. Had this song been more popular, this one might have also become a LDD (and I seem to recall that it was one, either on AT40 or CT40 one time). It was a great song; I'm frankly quite surprised that this one didn't get any higher than #29. It sure did well on my Personal Top 30 – spent five weeks at #1.
PATIENCE – GUNS 'N ROSES (33) – After three upbeat songs, they went with a ballad for their spring '89 hit. I didn't like this one at first (I especially found the whistling part annoying, since it could stick in my mind forever), but now I think it's a good one.
CLOSE MY EYES FOREVER – LITA FORD & OZZY OSBOURNE (35) – There were several superstar duets on the charts in the spring of 1989, and this one paired two hard rock artists together for a great power ballad.
I'LL BE LOVING YOU (FOREVER) – NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (37) – Another act whose third hit was a ballad after two upbeat songs. This song was one of two #1 hits for the band during 1989 and, IMO, by far the best.
WHERE ARE YOU NOW – JIMMY HARNEN & SYNCH (40) – Wow – all four debut songs on this week's chart were ballads. That sure didn't happen very often, did it? Anyway, this was a minor hit in 1986; peaked at #77 in March of that year. The decision to re-release it three years later proved to be worthwhile, as this song hit the Top Ten. It was a great song!
THROUGH THE STORM – ARETHA FRANKLIN & ELTON JOHN (36) – Another one of the aforementioned superstar duets. This one, the title-track from Aretha's 1989 album, helped to keep Elton's streak of having at least one Top 40 hit each year alive. It was a good song and, given how big both stars were, I'm surprised that this song didn't hit the Top Ten.
VOICES OF BABYLON – THE OUTFIELD (37) – They just couldn't seem to equal the success of their 1986 album Play Deep, as none of their singles past that album could make it into the Top 20. This song wasn't bad, but I can see why this song tanked so fast.
I ONLY WANNA BE WITH YOU – SAMANTHA FOX (39) – Dusty Springfield originally charted with this song back in 1964, peaking at #12, then the Bay City Rollers also hit #12 with their cover version in 1976. This was the third version of the song, and possibly my favorite, although the Bay City Rollers' version would be a close second.
MAY
BUFFALO STANCE – NENEH CHERRY (32) – She indeed came from a musical family – her dad was the famous jazz trumpeter Don Cherry, and ten years later, her brother Eagle-Eye had one of the biggest hits of the year with "Save Tonight". Neneh had several chart hits, but this one was by far her biggest and pretty much the only one she's known for anymore. The song's pretty good (I especially like the hook that's heard several times through the song).
CRY – WATERFRONT (34) – The only Top 40 hit for this Welsh duo. The song was pretty good, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
SATISFIED – RICHARD MARX (39) – The first release from what became one of Marx' most successful albums, spawning five singles, all of which made the Top 20. This was definitely one of my favorite songs from him – very upbeat and positive sounding.
DOWNTOWN – ONE 2 MANY (40) – Another rather faceless band, like Waterfront. This song, however, was a great one IMO. Too bad it only got as high as #37.
POP SINGER – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (36) – I must say, Big Daddy was quite disappointing in the way of singles, as this was the only song from the album to hit the Top 40, and it only got as high as #15 (and came and went rather quickly, IIRC). I liked the song, though I preferred many others from him.
MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY – NATALIE COLE (37) – I first heard this song either on AT40 or on "American Dance Traxx" as one of the Top Five requests and instantly loved it. It did get quite a lot of airplay, but I never got tired of it. Definitely one of her best hits ever, IMO.
LITTLE JACKIE WANTS TO BE A STAR – LISA LISA & CULT JAM (38) – Of course, they had what became the #1 song of the entire decade, according to my Personal Top 30, but this song was also a good song, though it was their last hit to make the AT40 chart.
THIS TIME I KNOW IT'S FOR REAL – DONNA SUMMER (28) – Her heyday was definitely the late-70s, but she had a few hits here and there in the 1980s, including this one. Of her post-1980 songs, this was definitely my favorite.
BABY DON'T FORGET MY NUMBER – MILLI VANILLI (30) – They continued to fool us into thinking they were doing the singing. This song, which sounded a lot like “Girl You Know It's True”, was passable, but probably my least favorite of their 1989 hits.
COMING HOME – CINDERELLA (34) – This blues-based power ballad was the third and final Top 40 hit from their Long Cold Winter album. It was possibly my all-time favorite song from them.
GOOD THING – FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS (35) – This song had sort of a Motown flavor to it, which apparently worked, as this song hit #1, just like their first single. It was also my favorite of their two #1s.
I DROVE ALL NIGHT – CYNDI LAUPER (40) – Roy Orbison had recorded this song two years before, but Cyndi Lauper was the one who had the hit with it. It was a great song and somewhat underrated IMO.
I WON'T BACK DOWN – TOM PETTY (32) – The first of three Top 40 hits from Petty's Fool Moon Fever album. I liked it; had sort of a southern rock flair to it.
VERONICA – ELVIS COSTELLO (36) Elvis and Paul had sort of a tradeoff deal in 1989 – Paul wrote this song and Elvis wrote Paul's “My Brave Face”, which hit the Top 40 a few weeks later. This song was not bad, but nothing exceptional either.
CUDDLY TOY (FEEL FOR ME) – ROACHFORD (37) – The only Top 40 hit from this band, headed up by Andrew Roachford. It was a good song, though rather faceless.
GIVING UP ON LOVE – RICK ASTLEY (38) – His sophomore album Hold Me In Your Arms certainly didn't match up to Whenever You Need Somebody! The first single was a Top Ten hit, but the follow-up barely touched the Top 40. It was a good song – much better than said first single “She Wants To Dance With Me”, but I preferred the next release, his cover of the Temptations classic “Ain't Too Proud To Beg”, which was a Top 20 AC hit in the fall of 1989.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME BY NOW – SIMPLY RED (40) – Originally a #3 hit by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes in late 1972, this cover did even better, hitting the top – the second of two #1 songs from this band from Manchester, England. I preferred this version, since the other one sounds very dated.
JUNE
INTO THE NIGHT – BENNY MARDONES (35) – Of course, this song charted twice in the 1980s – first in 1980, when it peaked at #12, and then again in 1989 when it climbed to #20. Oddly enough, I remember it more from its second time around (as I don't recall ever hearing it in 1980). Anyway, because I liked it so much, I recorded it from AT40 one week and listened to it again and again, and eventually got a little tired of it. It's good to hear every now and then, though I prefer a few other songs from him, such as “How Can You Love Me” and “I'll Be Good To You”, both from his self-titled album that he put out soon after this was re-released, which includes an updated version of this song.
WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW – EXPOSE (36) – The title-track from their sophomore album. Except for “Point Of No Return”, which remains one of my personal faves from them, I'm not a fan of their upbeat material at all, including this one. I prefer their slower songs, two of which would be released from the “What You Don't Know” album later on down the line.
ROOMS ON FIRE – STEVIE NICKS (37) – Her first solo hit in a little over three years (when she charted with the Top 20 hit “I Can't Wait”). This song, unfortunately, would be her last solo song to hit the Top 40. This was a good song, IMO.
BE WITH YOU – THE BANGLES (39) – Another artist with their final Top 40 appearance. This was one of their weaker songs, IMO. I didn't mind too much that this song barely touched the Top 30.
THE DOCTOR – THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (40) – They had been absent from the chart for most of the 1980s, since they disbanded in 1982. Five years later, they reformed and began recording again, including this song, which became their fifth Top Ten hit (yes, I thought they had more as well). It was a pretty good song, though I preferred many others from them.
EXPRESS YOURSELF – MADONNA (32) – The second hit of five Top 40 hits from “Like A Prayer”. The song looked like it would hit #1 like the title-track, but the song did peak at #2, which is great as well. It was a good one – apparently Lady Gaga thought so too, since her song "Born This Way" sounded a lot like it.
TOY SOLDIERS – MARTIKA (33) – This is one of the songs responsible for blocking Madonna from the top spot. This song was #4 the week “Express Yourself” hit #2, then it leapfrogged over that song into the top spot. That's OK; I preferred this song anyway. One of my favorite #1 songs during 1989!
CRAZY ABOUT HER – ROD STEWART (35) – The fourth and last single from Out Of Order. The song just barely missed the Top Ten, peaking at #11. The song would also be featured on his Storyteller album, which came out later that year.
WHO DO YOU GIVE YOUR LOVE TO – MICHAEL MORALES (37) – One of two Top 40 hits for this San Antonio native. It was a good song, IMO.
DOWN BOYS – WARRANT (39) – The debut hit for this glam metal band formed in LA two years before. It wasn't bad, but I generally preferred their power ballads (which seemed to perform better on the charts than the upbeat songs like this one.
SEND ME AN ANGEL '89 – REAL LIFE (40) – Another song that hit the chart twice during the 1980s, like “Into The Night”. This song's first chart run was in early 1984, when it peaked at #29 and then a new version was recorded and released five years later and peaked three spots higher. It was a good song.
SO ALIVE – LOVE AND ROCKETS (35) – The only Top 40 hit for this English alternative band named after a comic book by the Hernandez Brothers. It was OK, but the chords in the organ notes at the beginning were kind of misleading, as the rest of the song did not follow such a chord progression.
MY BRAVE FACE – PAUL McCARTNEY (36) – This was the Elvis Costello-penned song that I mentioned earlier. I liked this song, but it was still far from being one of my favorites from McCartney.
LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME – BON JOVI (37) – The fourth single from New Jersey and, like the last three, this song also hit the Top Ten. The song wasn't bad (and I do prefer it over the Thompson Twins song of the same title from 1985), but I preferred many other songs from them.
ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY – GREAT WHITE (40) – The opening guitar solo in this song always reminded me of the beginning of “Taking Care Of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive. I especially remember this song at the after-game dances that I went to during my senior year in high school, since during the last one of season, the seniors were getting so rowdy that the DJs ended the dance early, and we all refused to leave, chanting "HELL NO, WE WON'T GO!" and other stuff. Fun times, indeed!
I LIKE IT – DINO (39) – Just another typical late-80s R&B dance song. I could take it or leave it.
DRESSED FOR SUCCESS – ROXETTE (40) – Their second Top 40 hit certainly didn't match up to their first, as this song only got as high as #14. It seemed to be riding on the coattails of “The Look” and I'm sure that many people were wondering if this would be their final hit. As it turned out, it was far from it, which was great, since they put out a lot of great hits during the 1990s (as well as what was left of 1989).
JULY
BATDANCE – PRINCE (22) – Wow! With a debut this high, it was clear where this song was going! This was first of three Top 40 hits from Prince's album inspired by the film Batman, and the only one to hit the Top Ten. It was more or less a novelty song, with all the snippets from the movie. I wasn't a huge fan of it, however – the only song from the soundtrack that I liked was his duet with Sheena Easton, “The Arms Of Orion”.
ON OUR OWN – BOBBY BROWN (27) – This was the first time in quite awhile that two songs debuted in the Top 30 the same week, although the last time was not back in 1984, as Shadoe Stevens said. It had actually happened a few times in 1987 – in fact, I seem to recall a week in which there were three debuts in the Top 30. Both songs are from summer blockbuster movies, in this case, Ghostbusters II (oddly enough, one of the two Top 30 debut songs in 1984 was Ray Parker, Jr's theme from the first Ghostbusters movie). As for the song, I wasn't a huge fan of it (although it has a resemblance to “Every Little Step”, there's quite a bit of rap in it, which I don't like), but it's passable, especially now that you don't hear it on the radio very often anymore.
HEY BABY – HENRY LEE SUMMER (38) – He had moderate success in 1988 with his #20 hit “I Wish I Had A Girl”, and did a little better with this song, which peaked two spots higher. I liked both songs about the same, as both were great. My favorite song from him, however, was “Darlin' Danielle Don't”, which petered out at #57 in the summer of 1988.
SECRET RENDEZVOUS – KARYN WHITE (39) – The third single from White's self-titled album. This one did quite well, both on American Dance Traxx (where I believe it hit #1) and on the Hot 100, where it got as high as #6. Though I did slightly prefer it over “The Way You Love Me”, neither song held a candle to “Superwoman”.
NO MORE RHYME – DEBBIE GIBSON (33) – After rocking out with “Electric Youth”, Gibson returned to her slow ballads. As I mentioned earlier, I listened to the Electric Youth album constantly, and was hoping that this song would be the next release, and indeed it was. The song peaked at #17, which disappointed me – since her previous two ballads had hit #1, I was hoping this would do the same. It turned out to be her last Top 40 hit from “Electric Youth”, as her next release, “We Could Be Together” (another favorite of mine from the album), only got as high as #71. Both songs, as well as an album cut, “Should've Been The One” did well on my Personal Top 30 chart, all of them reaching the Top Ten.
I'M THAT TYPE OF GUY – LL COOL J (35) – His third Top 40 hit, containing the familiar chant from the “March of The Winkies” song (from the Wizard Of Oz) in the chorus. That, to me, was what made the song memorable – otherwise, it would have just been another late-80s rap song.
COLD HEARTED – PAULA ABDUL (36) – Her third hit from Forever Your Girl, and to #1 it went. This song almost won out for 1989 on the R&R chart, despite only having spent a single week at the #1 there. It didn't perform half bad on the 1989 Billboard year-ender, either, placing at #6. It was my favorite of her three #1s during 1989.
HEADED FOR A HEARTBREAK – WINGER (37) – As mentioned earlier, the other two Winger songs to make the Top 40 were power ballads and this was the first of them, as well as my favorite (though the other slow song, "Miles Away", from late the following year, was also a great one).
THE END OF THE INNOCENCE – DON HENLEY (39) – His album of the same title put out Five hits, all of which made the upper half of the Hot 100, but oddly enough, this was the only Top Ten from the album, which was Henley's best-selling one of all-time, so people were apparently buying the album and ignoring the singles. As for this song, I liked it at first, but quickly grew tired of it. My favorite track from the album would be the last release, "New York Minute", which ran out of gas at #48 in late 1990.
FRIENDS – JODY WATLEY f/ERIC B & RAKIM (40) – A song that gives a more realistic perspective of friendship, in that, in many cases, two people that are friends with each other become jealous and competitive, which is more or less imitative friendship according to me – as Jody says in the song, (true) friends are hard to find.
RIGHT HERE WAITING – RICHARD MARX (38) – Meh, I was never too crazy about this even before it got overplayed. I seem to recall that the song became quite popular in AT40's LDD department, since it definitely was fitting for many across-the-miles relationships.
SACRED EMOTION – DONNY OSMOND (39) – His second single from his self-titled comeback album. It was another one of those songs, like the Don Henley song, that I initially liked a lot, but became tired of it rather quickly. I definitely preferred “Soldier Of Love” over this song.
HOOKED ON YOU – SWEET SENSATION (40) – Your typical late-80s freestyle dance song. I could take it or leave it.
DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU – GLORIA ESTEFAN (33) – She'd had a ton of chart success as lead singer of Miami Sound Machine over the past three years and, in 1989, decided to embark on a solo career, which was just about as successful – she didn't have quite as many Top Tens, but had two #1s (as opposed to one with MSM), as well as a few other mid-charters. This song a tad cheesy, but it was pretty good. I did prefer the next two hits, "Get On Your Feet" and "Here We Are", both of which hit the Top Ten.
ME, MYSELF AND I – DE LA SOUL (34) – I associate this song more with American Dance Traxx than with AT40, as it spent only a few weeks on the latter. It had a somewhat unusual chart run on AT40, as it debuted at its peak position, then began moving down the following week. This song samples several songs, the most prominent being the bassline of “Knee-Deep”, a R&B hit by Funkadelic.
HANGIN' TOUGH – NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (38) – This was the second of two #1 hits from the Kids, and by far the worst! I detested this song (although I loved teasing my then eight-year old cousin, who hated the New Kids with a passion, by singing the "Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh" part of the song over and over).
ANGEL EYES – JEFF HEALEY BAND (39) – Generally a blues act, he did have a pair of Top 40 hits, this one being by far the biggest. It was another song that was regularly played at the after game dances I mentioned earlier. I liked it a lot when it first came out, but due to the overplay, I got a little tired of it.
KEEP ON MOVIN' – SOUL II SOUL (34) – This was the song that kicked off AT40's annual wrap-up of the year's biggest hits. It wasn't bad but not one of my favorites (I still prefer it over the extremely repetitive "Back To Life").
COVER OF LOVE – MICHAEL DAMIAN (36) – This song clearly rode the coattails of “Rock On”, as it tanked quite fast, spending but four weeks in the Top 40. Indeed, Damian's fifteen minutes of fame were just about over. I did like this better than “Rock On” (by far, might I add), but my favorite of his three Top 40 hits was “Was It Nothing At All”.
IN MY EYES – STEVIE B (37) – The second Top 40 hit for this Fort Lauderdale-born R&B artist. Melodically, the song was pretty good, but boy, did he ever sing off-key!
SHOWER ME WITH YOUR LOVE – SURFACE (38) – They had a mid-charter in the summer of 1987 called "Happy", a mid-tempo ballad and returned two years later with a slow song, which I remember hearing at just about every after game dance during the fall of my senior year. It was a good one, but I preferred their 1991 songs, as well as their holiday song "Christmas Time Is Here".
18 AND LIFE – SKID ROW (39) – Heavy metal definitely had a huge wave of popularity in the late 1980s and this band managed to get two hits out of it. I liked both this and "I Remember You", from early the following year, about the same.
AUGUST
IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME – CHER (34) – Her 1988 comeback was indeed no fluke, as she released a second album in the summer of 1989, with this song being the lead single. It was a good song, but I preferred the follow-up, "Just Like Jesse James", which also hit the Top Ten (and topped my Personal Top 30 charts in early 1990).
HEAVEN – WARRANT (36) – For some reason, I always confused them with Skid Row (as they both had songs charting at the same time, with the same kind of music. Anyway, this is another one I remember from my senior year (and I seem to remember sharing a slow dance with a girl I'd known for several years to this song). A great song indeed!
TALK IT OVER – GRAYSON HUGH (39) – This song had sort of a country sound to it – in fact, the week this song, which I had never heard before debuted, I was trying to get the radio station on which I caught the show tuned in and I thought that the country station right next ro it was overpowering it, which tended to happen every now and then. I liked this song, but preferred his next one, “Bring It All Back”, which was a Top Ten AC hit in late 1989.
GIRL I'M GONNA MISS YOU – MILLI VANILLI (35) – This was the second of three #1 songs for the Milli Vanilli (well...) in 1989. I thought it was a great song - my favorite of their hits (with "Blame It On The Rain" being a close second).
SOUL PROVIDER – MICHAEL BOLTON (36) – The title-track from his sixth studio album, which was the biggest for him hit-wise (as five singles from the album hit the Top 40). This one peaked at #17, but the best was yet to come, as his next song went all the way to the top!
THE PRISONER – HOWARD JONES (38) – The second hit from “Cross That Line”. This song was quite underrated, IMO, but as I said before, Jones had already seen his heyday, back in the mid-part of the decade.
ONE – THE BEE GEES (40) – They'd been all over the charts in the late 1970s, but they did have a comeback with this song, their first Top 40 hit since 1983 and their first Top Ten in over a decade. This song, reminiscent of their first #1 hit “Jive Talkin'”, was pretty good, but I generally preferred their 70s hits.
KISSES ON THE WIND – NENEH CHERRY (32) – Another artist, like Michael Damian, who enjoyed fifteen minutes of fame in 1989 (though this song did hit the Top Ten, like “Buffalo Stance” and she did have a comeback hit in 1993). This was another one of those songs that I could take or leave.
THAT'S THE WAY – KATRINA & THE WAVES (35) – The other half of KC & The Sunshine Band's big #1 hit from 1975 (as “I Like It” by Dino was up in the Top Ten). I seem to remember this being mentioned in Billboard's “Chart Beat” column. This was a good song, and it looked like this band might have another wave of popularity, as this song returned them to the Top 20, but that was not to be.
CHERISH – MADONNA (39) - I remember hearing this song on Z95 earlier in the spring, when they gave this, as well as one or two others, a few weeks of early action, in order to promote Madonna's then newly released Like A Prayer album. I was glad she ended up releasing it, as it was one of my favorites from the album.
PUT YOUR MOUTH ON ME – EDDIE MURPHY (40) – Meh, he was better at acting and stand-up comedy than singing.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH – STARSHIP (35) – The first song from their third studio album as Starship, and the first since the departure of Grace Slick, who herself had reformed Jefferson Airplane, the original incarnation of this band around this time. In fact, now that she had left Starship, there were original members left in the band. The self-titled Jefferson Airplane album that came out in 1989 saw modest sales (and spawned the Top 20 AC hit “Summer Of Love), but the accompanying tour was a success. As for this song, well, it was possibly my favorite song from any of the three incarnations of the band. A great song indeed; spent five weeks at #1 on my Personal Top 30 in October.
LOVE SONG – THE CURE (36) – Up to this point, they'd had only one Top 40 hit – just barely, as “Just Like Heaven” peaked at #40 (but gets quite a lot of recurrent airplay on 80s stations). This song peaked at #2 in October, but that may have been due to vacuum effect (as it was unbulleted that week and plunged to #11 the following week, so I don't think it exactly narrowly missed the top spot). As for the song, it was pretty good, but I preferred others from them.
HEY LADIES – THE BEASTIE BOYS (37) – Meh, next song, please...
DON'T LOOK BACK – FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS (38) – Classic example of “Third Single Syndrome” here – after two #1 hits, this one didn't even hit the Top Ten (didn't miss by much though, as it peaked at #11). This was actually my favorite song from them (presumably because it wasn't overplayed like the other two.
RUNNIN' DOWN A DREAM – TOM PETTY (39) – Great driving music here! Of Tom Petty's three Top 40 hits from “Full Moon Fever”, this was by far my favorite.
BUST A MOVE – YOUNG MC (40) – This was the first song since 1983 to spent 20 weeks in the Top 40 (and the first such song that failed to hit #1 since I don't know when). I wasn't a big fan of this song (since it was rap). I preferred his next Top 40 entry, “Principal's Office”.
SEPTEMBER
YOU'RE MY ONE AND ONLY (TRUE LOVE) – SEDUCTION (37) – The first of four Top 40 hits for this female dance-pop and freestyle trio. I always got them confused with Sweet Sensation, who charted around the same time, did the same kind of music, and were also from New York. As for this song, it was one of those typical dance numbers that I could take or leave.
WHEN I LOOKED AT HIM – EXPOSE (39) – I mentioned that they released two ballads from their What You Don't Know album and this was the first. This one did have that dark, rainy-day sound to it, but it was still a great song!
PARTYMAN – PRINCE (40) – The second hit from the Batman soundtrack. Based on its initial chart action, it looked as if this one would be a Top Ten hit like the first one, but it tanked rather quickly and fell like a rock. Looks like the first wave of Batmania wore out quite fast!
MISS YOU MUCH – JANET JACKSON (29) - The first of an amazing seven singles (as well as an eighth radio-only song) from Janet's Rhythm Nation 1814 album, all of which made the Top Ten. I strongly disliked this song for the longest time, even when it was #1 (so naturally, I was irked that this song wound up at #1 on the R&R year-ender). Now, I actually like the song, though it's certainly not one of my favorite songs from her.
IT'S NO CRIME – BABYFACE (31) - Initially a songwriter and record producer, this was Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds first Top 40 hit. It was OK, but I preferred the other three singles from Tender Lover. I preferred the other three singles from Tender Lover.
MIXED EMOTIONS – THE ROLLING STONES (36) – The first of two Top 40 hits from what became one of the Stones' biggest selling albums ever. The song was OK, but I generally preferred their earlier material.
LISTEN TO YOUR HEART – ROXETTE (38) – Many people I knew thought that this was by Heart, since it was the first single to feature Marie Fredrickson, whose voice sounds a little like Ann Wilson, especially on the similar sounding “What About Love”, on lead vocals. Roxette's first two songs were upbeat, but they slowed the tempo for their third single, and got another number one song out of it. I liked this song and feel that it should have been left alone, but the Belgian duo D.H.T. had other ideas...
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU – MICHAEL MORALES (39) – The Romantics' original version of this, of course, is the most well-known, but it was Michael Morales who brought it to the Top 40 nearly a decade later. The remake of the song was actually really good.
SOWING THE SEEDS OF LOVE – TEARS FOR FEARS (40) - I've heard that this song was misheard as "Sewing Machine Of Love", which I thought was pretty funny. As for the song, it was good, but I preferred the third release, "Advice For The Young At Heart", which was a low-charter on the Hot 100 in the early spring of 1990.
ROCK WIT'CHA – BOBBY BROWN (38) – Bobby Brown definitely had a great year in 1989! He was the top male act of the year, with five Top 40 hits - all of which made the Top 100 of 1989! This was a good song - pretty much your typical late-80s slow jam.m.
LOVE IN AN ELEVATOR – AEROSMITH (39) – Like Cheap Trick, Aerosmith was in the midst of their second wave of popularity. After being away from the charts for over ten years, they returned the year before with one of the biggest hits of their career, and this one also did well on the charts, hitting the Top Five. I liked this song - possibly my favorite song from Pump (though "What It Takes" would be a close second).
HEALING HANDS – ELTON JOHN (40) – As well as charting with a duet with Aretha Franklin earlier in the year, Elton also hit the chart on his own, with the first of three Top 40 hits from his then-new Sleeping With The Past album. It was a great song – most likely my favorite of the singles from that album, as well as one of my all-time favorites from him!
DR. FEELGOOD – MOTLEY CRUE (31) – This heavy-metal band had hit the Top 40 twice before, but this was their very first Top Ten. It was a good song – definitely one that I associate with the fall of my senior year in HS!
COVER GIRL – NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (36) - As stated earlier, Bobby Brown was the top male solo act of the year, but the New Kids earned the honor for the top group/band of 1989. They had an incredible six Top 40 hits during 1989, and this was the fourth of them, and one of my favorites!
THE BEST – TINA TURNER (38) – This song was originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler the year before, but it was Tina Turner's version that became the hit. The first hit from the similarly-titled Simply The Best album, this song didn't really live up to its name, both on the charts and according to me, but it was passable.
I FEEL THE EARTH MOVE – MARTIKA (35) – Of course, most people are familiar with the original version of this song by Carole King, who also wrote the song and put it on what was by far her biggest and best-selling album Tapestry. Martika's dance version of the song was pretty good (I seem to remember hearing it on American Dance Traxx, which was nearing its end on WZZP, so I won't be mentioning it too many more times, LOL!)
CALL IT LOVE – POCO (36) – This was their first Top 40 hit in almost exactly ten years (as their last hit before this, “Heart Of The Night” charted in the summer of 1979). This was a great song, but I preferred the next single, which hit AT40 at the beginning of 1990.
LOVE SHACK – THE B-52'S (37) – After twelve years of trying, they finally hit the Top 40 in late 1989. This was a great party song - I remember getting down to this song at a lot of dances, including the aforementioned post-game dances.
WHEN I SEE YOU SMILE – BAD ENGLISH (38) – One of many chart hits during the 1980s and well beyond written by the great Diane Warren. This supergroup, consisting of members of the Babys (including lead singer John Waite) and Journey, had just missed the Top 40 with the first hit from their self-titled debut album, “Forget Me Not”, but the second single, on the other hand, went all the way to #1. I liked this song, though overplay tarnished it somewhat. My favorite song from them would probably be "Possession", which peaked at #21 in August, 1990 (but did make the Top Ten on the R&R chart).
DIDN'T I (BLOW YOUR MIND) – NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (39) – This song was actually the flipside of “Hangin' Tough”, which may have been partially responsible for its fast-rise, fast-fall chart run (as well as the fact that it was released pretty much concurrently with “Cover Girl”. Of their six Top 40 hits in 1989, this would probably be my favorite (with “Cover Girl” being a very close second).
LET GO – SHARON BRYANT (40) – The former lead singer of Atlantic Starr (before they hit really big in the mid-80s) fared best on the R&B charts as a solo artist, but managed to have one crossover Top 40 hit. It was actually a pretty good song.
OCTOBER
(IT'S JUST) THE WAY THAT YOU LOVE ME – PAULA ABDUL (39) – This was the lone debuting song on the October 7 chart, the first one-debut week since early 1988. The song had actually come out a year before, but after hitting #1 three times in a row, Paula decided to give this song, which had initially peaked at #88 in late 1988, another chance. It definitely proved to be worthwhile, as the song climbed to #3 the second time around. It was one of those songs that I could take or leave.
GLAMOUR BOYS – LIVING COLOUR (33) – Their second and last Top 40 hit, produced by Mick Jagger, who also sang back-up on this song. It was OK, but I preferred “The Cult Of Personality” from earlier in 1989.
POISON – ALICE COOPER (35) – He seemed to fare best with his slower songs, especially back in the mid to late 1970s, but he went with a rocker for what would be his last Top 40 hit. It was good, but I preferred said ballads.
DON'T SHUT ME OUT – KEVIN PAIGE (37) – The first of two Top 40 hits for this man from Memphis. It was a good one, IMO.
BACK TO LIFE – SOUL II SOUL f/CARON WHEELER (38) – As I stated earlier, this one was way too repetitive. Back To Life, back to reality, you wanna be a wombat, you wanna be anemic, yadda yadda yadda... Next song, please...
SUNSHINE – DINO (40) – His second Top 40 hit. I preferred this one over “I Like It” (most likely because it wasn't as overplayed.
ANGELIA – RICHARD MARX (26) – The third single from Repeat Offender, and possibly my favorite (although, except for the maudlin “Right Here Waiting”, all the singles from the album were great!) I was hoping this would be his fourth #1 in a row, but the song's chart run was too quick for that. It did peak at #4, so that was cool.
BLAME IT ON THE RAIN – MILLI VANILLI (29) – Earlier, I mentioned songwriter Diane Warren. She wrote this song and it succeeded “When I See You Smile” at #1, only the seventh time in the rock era that a songwriter had back-to-back #1 hits. Since Diane Warren seems to write mainly slow songs, I wonder if this song was meant to be a ballad, since I can definitely hear it as a slow song. But Milli Vanilli was more of a dance group (even their ballad "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" had sort of a dance tempo to it).
GET ON YOUR FEET – GLORIA ESTEFAN (35) – Back during its chart run, this song was just there, but years later, I grew to really like it a lot. There's another song that sounds a little like it (an instrumental, I believe), but I can't quite put my finger on it.
ME SO HORNY – 2 LIVE CREW (37) – Now THIS is a song that I heard most on American Dance Traxx – namely, because the station on which I caught AT40 (WNDV, South Bend) was one of the stations that edited this song out of the broadcast. Even Shadoe Stevens was hesitant on using the title (mentioning it only three times, and then never again, not even the week that it dropped out). So, for the weeks it was on the chart, I had to listen closely for the position that was skipped in the countdown.
DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES – KIX (38) – This anti-suicide song was the only Top 40 hit for this hard rock quintet from Maryland. It was a good song that, I believe, was requested as a LDD (or at least an R&R) on a few occasions.
MY HEART SKIPS A BEAT – THE COVER GIRLS (39) – Another song I associate most with American Dance Traxx, since it only lasted two weeks in the Top 40. Considering I'm not a huge fan of the freestyle dance music that was all the rage back in the late-80s, this was a pretty good song IMO.
WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE – BILLY JOEL (40) – A rapid-fire fifty year history lesson that defies Rule 16 of Rock & Roll (according to Jimmy Guterman & Owen O'Donnell in their book “The Worst Rock & Roll Records Of All Time”). I was never a huge fan of this song before radio drove it into the ground all the way to China, so I think I could do without hearing it ever again. DISCLAIMER: I realize that there are many people in the world who love this song to death, and really, more power to you, but I'm sorry; it just wasn't my cup of tea.
DON'T KNOW MUCH – LINDA RONSTADT f/AARON NEVILLE (35) – The first of three duets with Aaron Neville to be released from Ronstadt's album Cry Like A Rainstorm, Howl Like The Wind. It took me awhile to warm up to this song, but eventually, I came to really like it. Not sure if I prefer this or their other Top 40 duet, “All My Life”, which hit the chart a few months later.
LEAVE A LIGHT ON – BELINDA CARLISLE (36) – Her third album, Wild Horses, yielded two Top 40 hits, and this was the first. It just barely missed the Top Ten, peaking at #11, which was too bad, since it was a great song!
SUGAR DADDY – THOMPSON TWINS (37) – Meh, this one was kind of annoying, especially the falsetto lala lala la la la la's at the end of the chorus. Frankly, I'm quite glad this song didn't stay around long.
LIVIN' IN SIN – BON JOVI (39) – This was the fifth and final single from New Jersey, and, like the other four singles, it hit the Top Ten. It was OK, but a little dark for my liking.
NOVEMBER
WITH EVERY BEAT OF MY HEART – TAYLOR DAYNE (35) – She had been notably absent from the chart during 1989 as she was working on her sophomore album Can't Fight Fate, which was released a month before. The lead-off single from the album pretty much picked up where she left off earlier in the year, hitting the Top Five. I liked it, but it wasn't one of my favorite songs from her.
DON'T MAKE ME OVER – SYBIL (39) – Dionne Warwick remakes seemed to be the in-thing during the 1989-90 period, since Sybil had covered another Dionne Warwick song, “Walk On By” as her follow-up to this, as did Melissa Manchester, whose remake was a Top Ten AC hit in early 1990. As for this song, it was my favorite of Sybil's two covers (the second of which ran out of steam at #74 in early 1990), and I even preferred it over the original.
DON'T ASK ME WHY – THE EURYTHMICS (40) – For years, I mistook Julia Fordham's “Happy Every After” for this song, since she sounds a little like Annie Lennox and the song starts off with the lyrics “Don't Ask Me Why”. I had forgotten how this song goes (since this was its only week on AT40), but seemed to recall that it was sort of a dark song, as is “Happy Ever After”. That's probably because this was somewhat of a dark weekend for me, for several personal reasons, but that's another story for another time. Anyway, the song is actually quite upbeat and it's a shame that this was all the higher it got.
ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE – PHIL COLLINS (33) – This song, on the other hand, was a huge hit. The song focuses on the plight of homelessness, like his song with Genesis “Man On The Corner”. The song straddled two decades at #1, as its first two weeks at the top were in 1989 and its last two in 1990. I liked the song, though I preferred a few others from him, including ones from the ...But Seriously album, which yielded five hits, all of which made the Top 40.
THE LAST WORTHLESS EVENING – DON HENLEY (36) – The second single from The End Of The Innocence, about a man seeing a dejected girl, who had recently broken up with her boyfriend, at a party and trying to get up the courage to talk to her. I sure knew the feeling all too well at the time! As for the song, it's not bad, but I prefer others from Henley, both solo and with the Eagles.
PUMP UP THE JAM – TECHNOTRONIC f/FELLY (37) – This electronic music project from Belgian had a trio of Top 40 hits and this was the biggest, as well as the one they're most famous for. I remember hearing this one at the after-game dances that I've mentioned several times. It's not bad,
LICENCE TO CHILL – BILLY OCEAN (38) – Not sure whether or not the title of this song was inspired by the James Bond movie from earlier in the year. Whatever the case, it definitely wasn't one of Ocean's biggest hit, and even worse, it turned out to be his last Top 40 hit.
LOVE SONG – TESLA (40) – The second song by this title to chart in 1989 (in fact, the week this song debuted, the Cure's song was spending its last week on the chart). This was a power ballad and the first of two Top 40 hits for this heavy-metal band from Sacramento. A great song, IMO!
RHYTHM NATION – JANET JACKSON (34) – This was the second hit from Janet's behemoth Rhythm Nation 1814 and the title-track. That said, I'm surprised that this song didn't hit #1. Not that I mind, since I found this song somewhat annoying, especially with the constant whoops heard throughout the song.
JUST LIKE JESSE JAMES – CHER (35) – Her second release from Heart Of Stone and by far my favorite of the four that made the Top 40. This was the first chart topper of the 1990s on my Personal Top 30 chart – a great song indeed! Possibly my favorite of all her hits!
EVERYTHING – JODY WATLEY (36) – After charting with many upbeat, dance songs, she slowed down the tempo for this song. It apparently worked, as it became one of her biggest hits ever, peaking at #4. I myself thought the song was a good one.
JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME – LOU GRAMM (37) – Still on hiatus from Foreigner, he put out a second solo album, Long Hard Look. Though not quite as successful as Ready Or Not, it did produce two Top 40 singles. This was the first one, which hit the Top Ten. This was possibly my favorite of his solo hits.
THE ANGEL SONG – GREAT WHITE (38) – Indeed, the late-80s and early 90s was when power ballads by hard rock bands were all the rage. This was their second and last Top 40 hit. It was also my favorite of the two.
SWING THE MOOD – JIVE BUNNY & THE MASTERMIXERS – SWING THE MOOD (34) – A medley of a number of early rock & roll records, as well as a few songs from the big band era. I had actually been hearing this song over the past few months, since it got early action on Chicago's Z95 (in fact, it reached #1 on their playlist). By now, the song had fallen off of their list (the previous week, in fact) and was starting its climb on AT40, where it would peak at #11. I thought it was a good one.
HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU – MICHAEL BOLTON (36) – As we all know, he wrote this song and gave it to Laura Branigan, who took it to #12. Then, as soon as he became an established artist, he decided to take a shot at it. Good move, as it went all the way to #1 in January, 1990 (a great 18th Birthday present for me!). One of my favorite songs from him! I always thought that the guitar solo in the bridge sounded much like that of Dan Hill's “Perfect Love”. No coincidence, as Mike Landau played on both songs.
THIS ONE'S FOR THE CHILDREN – NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (37) – This was their sixth song to chart in 1989. It is from their Christmas album Merry Merry Christmas and its message was to be conscientious about the children around the world who are less fortunate and that Christmas is just another day for them. The song was OK, but a little depressing, due to the subject matter discussed.
I LIVE BY THE GROOVE – PAUL CARRACK (38) – Based in this song's fast start (debuted at #71 on the Hot 100 the week before), it looked like it was going to be another Top Ten hit for him. Alas, it didn't even hit the Top 30, which I thought was a shame, since it was a great song. I have a feeling that it might have done better had it been released six months prior (since it sounds like a great summer type song).
ROCK AND A HARD PLACE – THE ROLLING STONES (39) – Their second Top 40 hit from Steel Wheels and by far my favorite of the two. This is another song that might have done a little better had it been released in time for summer.
OH FATHER – MADONNA (40) – This song was about the relationship between her and her father, which had gone bad after her mother's death in 1963 and his remarriage two years later. The heavy subject matter of the song might have contributed to how it underperformed on the chart compared to her others.
DECEMBER
FREE FALLIN' – TOM PETTY (31) – His third single from Full Moon Fever (his fourth, “A Face In The Crowd” would fall short of the top 40 in March, 1990). This turned out to be his biggest hit, solo or with the Heartbreakers (their biggest was their collaboration with Stevie Nicks, “Stop Draggin' My Heart Around”, which peaked at #3 in 1981). This song would get as high as #7.
WHEN THE NIGHT COMES – JOE C0CKER (37) – Sorry the “o” in his last name looks so weird – using a zero was the only way to get past the censors on the board. Anyway, this was one of two songs from him that charted in the 1980s (of course, the other one was his duet with Jennifer Warnes, “Up Where We Belong”). I'm not a huge Joe Cocker fan and I didn't like this song much during its chart run, but now I actually think it's a pretty good song.
THE ARMS OF ORION – PRINCE w/SHEENA EASTON (39) – The third and final hit from the Batman soundtrack. Sheena Easton finally got due label credit on this song (as her other duet with Prince, “U Got The Look”, of course, was billed as being by Prince solo. This was my favorite song from Batman and I thought it was a shame that the song only got as high as #36 – it was the perfect wintertime love song IMO.
DOWNTOWN TRAIN – ROD STEWART (40) – He had just come off of having four hits from Out Of Order, and, around the end of 1989 he compiled several Greatest Hits type albums. This song was on all three of them (that I know of). A great song indeed – reminds me a little of “Tonight's The Night”.
TWO TO MAKE IT RIGHT – SEDUCTION (38) – Their second hit, as well as their biggest, remaining true to its title by peaking in the runner-up position the following February. It was OK, but I preferred their two other 1990 hits.
I REMEMBER YOU – SKID ROW (40) – Their second of two Top 40 hits from them, both power ballads. As mentioned earlier, I liked both songs about the same.
I'LL BE GOOD TO YOU – QUINCY JONES f/RAY CHARLES & CHAKA KHAN (37) – The first of two Top 40 hits from Quincy Jones' album On The Block. Originally done by the Brothers Johnson, who took the song to #3 in the summer of 1976, this version didn't do half bad either, peaking at #18. It was a great song IMO – my favorite of the two charted versions!
FOOL FOR YOUR LOVING – WHITESNAKE (39) – It seemed like they only did well with power ballads, as this was the only of their upbeat songs to hit the Top 40 and even it didn't go much higher.
JANIE'S GOT A GUN – AEROSMITH (40) – This song was never my favorite song from them in the first place, but several years after this song charted, when one of my cats, whose name was Jane, was having a certain intestinal disorder and I was casually telling my friend about it, he began singing “Janie's Got The Runs”. Ever since then, I never saw this song in the same light ever again.
TENDER LOVER – BABYFACE (32) – Super producer/singer/songwriter Kenny Edmunds' second solo effort. I preferred it over “It's No Crime” by a sizable margin. The next two hits from the album to which this song is the title track were also great songs.
PEACE IN OUR TIME – EDDIE MONEY (34) – This was one of the new tracks on Money's Greatest Hits album, and it did end up being a big hit, just missing the Top Ten, peaking at #11. I liked it, but my favorite of the new songs was “Looking Through The Eyes Of A Child”. Too bad that song wasn't released as well.
WHAT KIND OF MAN WOULD I BE – CHICAGO (38) – And what do you know? Here's another new song from a Greatest Hits album. Some of the biggest artists of the 1980s seemed to want to end the decade with a wrap-up of their most memorable hits of that decade. Like most of Chicago's slow songs, this was a great one IMO.
WAS IT NOTHING AT ALL – MICHAEL DAMIAN (39) – His third of three Top 40 hits during 1989 and my favorite of the two. This was another ballad suited for wintertime.
TELL ME WHY – EXPOSE (40) – Expose held the honor for having the very last Top 40 hit of the 1980s! This was their third hit from What You Don't Know and, like the title-track, it was an upbeat song. Reminds me a lot of “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul. It was not bad, but my favorite song from the album was their next release, “Your Baby Never Looked Good In Blue”.
Again, I would be surprised if I didn't omit a song or two. If I did, do not hesitate to let me know!
JANUARY
WALKING AWAY – INFORMATION SOCIETY (34) – Their second Top 40 hit. It was a little better than their first hit “What's On Your Mind”, but still, nothing exceptional.
BACK ON HOLIDAY – ROBBIE NEVIL (39) One of those artists who was popular with his first album, but successive albums, as well as their singles, tank quickly. This song only got as high as #34 (versus three Top 20 hits with the first album, eponymously entitled). I thought it was a pretty good song, but at the same time, can see why it didn't do as well as the singles from his debut album.
SHE WANTS TO DANCE WITH ME – RICK ASTLEY (40) – Never cared for this song. Mainly because, since the title track of his last album Whenever You Need Somebody was charting on American Dance Traxx, I kept hoping that would be his next release, and instead, when the radio DJ of a station I was listening announced the new Rick Astley song and then I hear this mediocre song and, of course, I'm disappointed. Needless to say, I charted “Whenever You Need Somebody” in place of this one on my personal chart.
WHAT I AM – EDIE BRICKELL & NEW BOHEMIANS (32) – This was her/their only Top 40 hit (she did make an appearance on the R&R Top 40 chart with "Good Times", which was Edie without the Bohemians). This song was OK, but nothing exceptional.
ANGEL OF HARLEM – U2 (33) – The second single from Rattle And Hum, and the last to hit the Top 40. I thought this was a good song, a little better than “Desire”.
DIAL MY HEART – THE BOYS (35) – One of the youngest bands ever to hit the Top 40. Ranging in ages 9 to 15, they were huge on the R&B charts, and managed to have one Top 40 hit. I rather liked this song, which is more than can be said for their next single, “Lucky Charm”. What was lucky about that is that it did not hit the Top 40 (it was a Top Ten hit on American Dance Traxx, which I listened to on WZZP (South Bend) on Saturday nights, so that's how I know the song).
YOU GOT IT (THE RIGHT STUFF) – NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (37) – This was the second of many big hits for this boyband who was all the rage in 1989, with six Top 40 hits during the year. I liked this one; had a catchy bassline and chorus.
A LITTLE RESPECT – ERASURE (33) – Their first hit, “Chains Of Love” had peaked at #12 in late October and their second single hit the Top 20 as well. I seem to recall both songs, which I liked about the same, were big American Dance Traxx hits.
SURRENDER TO ME – ANN WILSON & ROBIN ZANDER (35) – This was Wilson's second duet with the lead singer of a rock band – in this case, Cheap Trick, who were in the midst their second wave of popularity on the charts. I liked this song, but preferred the other duet, which was 1984's "Almost Paradise", with Mike Reno of Loverboy.
SHAKE FOR THE SHEIK – ESCAPE CLUB (36) – This song was OK, but it sounded more or less like a watered-down version of “Wild Wild West”. The Top 40 audience apparently thought the same, as this song was nowhere near as big as the first one.
THE LIVING YEARS – MIKE + THE MECHANICS (39) – Back in the early 1990s, I could not listen to this song, since my Dad and I were at odds, sort of like the songwriter was with his father, and I was so afraid that the situation recounted in the final verse was going to apply to us, with my Dad passing before we reconciled. Fortunately, we did eventually settle our differences in the spring of 1993, so now, I don't mind hearing this song every now and again, though it is still quite a depressing song. My favorite song from the Living Years album would be "Nobody Knows", which was released in the summer of 1989, but only charted in the lower reaches on the AC chart, and went nowhere at Top 40 radio (though U93 (WNDU, South Bend IN) occasionally played it)
ALL SHE WANTS IS – DURAN DURAN (40) – Their Big Thing album was one of their worst, IMO, and this is one of the reasons. The first single, “I Don't Want Your Love” was mediocre at best and this song was simply awful. Glad it didn't become one of their bigger hits. They had a few hits earlier in the decade, particularly 1984, that I did not like, but I prefer them over this song, which is saying a lot!
LOST IN YOUR EYES – DEBBIE GIBSON (30) – The first song to debut within the Top 30 during the Shadoe Stevens era! This was one of my favorite songs of 1989 and I kept hoping that it was R&R's #1 song of the year (since it had spent four weeks on top there), but five other songs, even though they'd spent less time at #1, gained more points, so the song had to settle for sixth place. I had no idea at the time what their figuring system was, or else I'd know early on that it wasn't going to come out on top. I was a huge Debbie Gibson fan back in the day – I even bought her Electric Youth album when it first came out and played it so much that it wore out – literally! I did, however, find a CD copy of it, so that replaced the audio tape, which I've long since discarded.
MY HEART CAN'T TELL YOU NO – ROD STEWART (33) – Of the four singles from Stewart's Out Of Order album, this one, surprisingly, is the only song that managed to hit the Top Ten (as well as the only one to place on a year-end chart). I thought it was a pretty good song, but prefer others from Mr. Stewart.
PARADISE CITY – GUNS 'N ROSES (36) – Their third Top 40 hit. It was a little overplayed, but still a great party song!
RONI – BOBBY BROWN (37) – The third of Brown's five Top Ten hits from his Don't Be Cruel album. The first two were dance hits, but he decided to go with a slow jam this time. Contrary to what many people might think, the song is not about pasta or rice dishes.
DON'T TELL ME LIES – BREATHE (40) – After two ballads, they put out an upbeat song. This one holds the record for the biggest move on the chart within the 1980s, jumping 44 spots to #52 the week before, so it looked like it was going to be another Top Five hit like the first two, but the song, in fact, barely made the Top Ten. I liked this song at first, but I seem to remember that I grew tired of it rather quickly.
FEBRUARY
GIRL YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE – MILLI VANILLI (36) – The first of four Top 40 songs during 1989 for whom, at the time, were the top duo of 1989 (of course, they were disqualified in November, 1990, when we found out it was Brad Howell and John Davis that did the actual singing).
I BEG YOUR PARDON – KON KAN (37) – This song samples several songs from the 1970s, including “Rose Garden” by Lynn Anderson, “Disco Nights” by GQ, as well as recreated samples of a few other songs. The only song from this Canadian synthpop band. I liked this song a lot – another song I remember hearing a lot on American Dance Traxx.
IT'S NO SECRET – KYLIE MINOGUE (38) – She had a pretty good year in 1988, mostly for her remake of Little Eva's “The Loco-Motion”, and it looked like she was gearing up to do well in 1989, but unfortunately, this was her only hit that year, and she would not return to the charts until 2002. Of her three Top 40 hits in the 80s, this one would be my favorite – a great song that I felt was underrated!
YOU'RE NOT ALONE – CHICAGO (39) – The follow-up to the top song of
JUST BECAUSE – ANITA BAKER (40) – She had just come off of her biggest hit ever, and this song also fared well on the charts, peaking at #14. This would be my favorite song from Giving You The Best That I Got by a fair margin (as the title track was overplayed).
DREAMIN' – VANESSA WILLIAMS (36) – She'd definitely have more success in the 1990s, but she did manage to get one Top Ten in the '80s. This was a great song, but I preferred several others from her.
THE LOVE IN YOUR EYES – EDDIE MONEY (38) – His late 1988 song “Walk On Water” returned him to the Top Ten for the first time in two years, but this one didn't come anywhere near matching that success, which I thought was a shame, as this was a great song IMO.
ETERNAL FLAME – THE BANGLES (40) – Of course, Shakira's 2002 hit "Underneath Your Clothes" sounded much like this song, which was my favorite of their songs during the 1989 chart year, though it didn't hold a candle to “If She Knew What She Wants”, my favorite song by the Bangles.
WALK THE DINOSAUR – WAS (NOT WAS) (36) – They had a minor hit in 1988, but obviously, they decided that they would NOT be ignored, so they decided to put out a song with a title that would catch everyone's eye, a catchy chorus, and an unforgettable chant as their second hit. Sure enough, this song climbed up to #7 and was the biggest of their two Top 40 hits. (And now that I've posted this, I've got the “boom boom, acka lacka lacka boom” chant going through my mind – oy vey!)
MORE THAN YOU KNOW – MARTIKA (39) – She had a wave of success in 1989, with three Top 40 hits, including a #1. This was her debut single, which hit the Top 20 in early spring. It was pretty much your typical late-80s dance tune – nothing exceptional, but not bad either.
YOU GOT IT – ROY ORBISON (40) – Of course, we had lost this legendary singer two months before, and I was surprised that his song with the Traveling Wilburys, “You Got It” did not resurge a few weeks later, but it was already beginning to run out of gas on the chart and the stations that did play it were deleting it from their charts regardless. This song, however, did return him to the Top Ten for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century. It was a great song, of which Bonnie Raitt did a decent cover in 1995, but nothing could be as good as the original.
THE LOOK – ROXETTE (31) – The first hit for one of the most successful Swedish bands, and to number one it went! It remains one of my favorite songs from them, which is surprising, given how much I hated this song when it was first released. With songs like that, I would sometimes “force” myself to at least tolerate it, since I knew I'd be hearing it no less than ten times a day for at least the next few months. However, with this song, it just sort of happened around the time hit hit #1. It made for an odd coincidence, that being the song hitting #1 the same week that two other Swedish Acts hit the top in years past (Blue Swede in 1974 and Abba in 1977) and, in fact, they were the ONLY other two songs by Swedish acts that topped the chart up to that point.
STAND – R.E.M. (32) – Like Vanessa Williams, their chart success began in the 1980s, but they were more successful on the charts during the 1990s. This song was their second Top Ten (following "The One I Love" in late 1987) and my favorite of the two. Ever notice how much the intro of this song sounds like that of "Crazy In The Night" by Kim Carnes?
SUPERWOMAN – KARYN WHITE (37) – A somewhat depressing song about a woman whose man takes her for granted despite her bending over backwards to please him. She makes him a perfect breakfast and all he can do is complain that the O.J. Is beginning to turn. Then, later that day, she fights her way the rush hour so she can cook him dinner before he comes home from work, and he just tells her not to bother him while he reads the paper. Yikes! Despite the subject matter, the tune itself is great – my favorite Karyn White song by a sizable margin.
CRYIN' – VIXEN (38) – The second hit for this female heavy metal band, and easily my favorite of the three. In fact, it was my #1 song of 1989, according to my Personal Top 30. Definitely one of my favorite power ballads of all time!
SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY – FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS (39) – They may not be the top new group of 1989, but they were definitely one of them, with their first two releases going straight to the top. It was so/so, but I remember disliking it a lot at first – this was another one of those songs that I forced myself to tolerate.
THE LAST MILE – CINDERELLA (40) – Possibly their only Top 40 hit that wasn't a power ballad (which might have had something to do with the fact that it was their lowest peaking Top 40 hit – up to that point anyway, and it never hit the R&R Top 40). I actually thought it was a pretty decent song, considering that I'm not generally a fan of that type of music.
MARCH
YOUR MAMA DON'T DANCE – POISON (37) – The follow-up to their biggest hit ever was this cover version of the Loggins & Messina classic. It was a pretty good song and sounded a lot like the original - in fact, on the 20th Anniversary special the following year, Shadoe played a medley of the two songs, switching back and forth between the two versions for listeners to compare the two songs. I slightly preferred this one, most likely because I'd heard it more often than the original.
SHE WON'T TALK TO ME – LUTHER VANDROSS (40) – He had several Top 40 hits here and there during the 1980s, but would not hit the Top Ten until early 1990. This one was a somewhat laid back mid-tempo song that I liked a lot and thought was quite underrated (as it barely touched the Top 30).
FEELS SO GOOD – VAN HALEN (36) – The fourth and final hit from OU812, this song only got as high as #35 (mainly on airplay points, as most Van Halen fans had the album, which sold over four million copies). I thought it was a pretty good song, though certainly not one of their best.
HEAVEN HELP ME – DEON ESTUS (37) – Sometimes dubbed the "unofficial third member of Wham!", this was Estus' only Pop hit. It was a good one, but I preferred his AC hit "Spell", from later on that year.
SECOND CHANCE – .38 SPECIAL (38) – What an appropriate debut position! Many people thought that they sold out on this song, departing from their usual rock style and going the AC way. It did work, however, as this became their biggest hit to date, but it seemed to ruin their chart career in the long run, as they only had a single hit after this, which didn't even crack the Top 30.
ORINOCO FLOW (SAIL AWAY) – ENYA (39) – Shadoe Stevens even pointed out how this was one of the more unsual songs to hit the Top 40. This was the first song for this Irish New Age singer (and would be her last until she hit with “Only Time” in 2001). I thought this song was OK at first, but I've come to appreciate this type of “chill-out” music over the past fifteen or so years, as I used to engage in Yoga, meditation, aromatherapy and the like back in the early 2000s.
ROOM TO MOVE – ANIMOTION (40) – Best known for their 1985 hit “Obsession”, they actually returned to the Top Ten with this song, which was definitely my favorite of the two – a great song indeed, with somewhat of a retro flavor to it.
FUNKY COLD MEDINA – TONE LOC (31) – This, of course, was a rap song, but the samples of songs like "Honky Tonk Women" and "Hot Blooded" gave it somewhat of a classic rock edge. I'm not a big rap fan, as you know all too well, but I actually kind of liked this one. It was much better than the ad nauseum played “Wild Thing” at any rate.
I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU – BON JOVI (34) – I never went to Prom during high school, but I'll bet this song was played during many proms in the spring of 1989, since its melody and theme were perfect for it. This is another song that heavy radio airplay sort of ruined for me, as it was one of my favorite songs in the world when it came out, but to this day, I'm still rather burned out on it.
ROCKET – DEF LEPPARD (36) – I've stated before how their huge album Hysteria spawned seven singles, and this was the last of those (though I think some stations played “Excitable” as an album cut later on in the year). Though not quite my favorite song from them, I did rather like this song.
THINKING OF YOU – SA-FIRE (37) – When this song first came out in early 1989, I'd heard that Madonna was coming out with a new album and I thought this was the first song from it, because it sounded so much like her. It was a great song – one of my favorite songs of the entire year.
LIKE A PRAYER – MADONNA (38) – Well, speak of the devil! This was the first song from said Madonna album – in fact, it was the title track. This song had a somewhat fast-rise, fast-fall chart run – possibly since there were a few radio stations playing other songs from the album, since I don't think it had anything to do with "Express Yourself", since that song was released when "Like A Prayer" was practically out of the Top 40. As for the song, it another one of those songs that I made myself tolerate, as I hated it with a passion, but knew that, because it was a long-awaited new song from one of the top artists of the 1980s, radio stations would be playing it to death for the next few months.
SINCERELY YOURS – SWEET SENSATION (33) – Not sure how they got away with using this name, seeing that there was already a band with that name that had a minor hit in 1975 “Sad Sweet Dreamer” (though I'm fairly sure they'd disbanded at this point), but they had a handful of hits over the next two years. This was the first of those, a freestyle dance song that I'm fairly sure was a big hit on American Dance Traxx. It wasn't bad, but definitely not a song I'd go out of my way to hear.
ONE – METALLICA (40) – This heavy metal band had been together for many years, finally hit the Top 40 with this dark power ballad that was pretty good melodically, but the subject matter is quite depressing (as it is about a soldier severely wounded in a war, begging God to put him out of his constant pain). This song was mainly fueled by sales, as I imagine very few radio stations ever played this song.
APRIL
AFTER ALL – CHER & PETER CETERA (34) – This was the love theme from the film "Chances Are", which received generally positive reviews, but did not do very well at the box office. I never saw the movie, so I can't say whether or not I thought it was good, but I certainly did like the song.
RADIO ROMANCE – TIFFANY (35) – One of the highest peaking one-week wonders on AT40, this song, which was the second hit from the album of the same name, was OK, but she was definitely a has-been at this point. This was her final hit, both on AT40 and the Hot 100.
FOREVER YOUR GIRL – PAULA ABDUL (36) – Another title track here, only this was from a woman who was just getting started. Her first hit, “Straight Up” had topped the chart back in February and this song followed in that song's footsteps. I liked this song a lot better than her first #1 hit, but I preferred several others from her.
REAL LOVE – JODY WATLEY (37) – This song was more or less “Looking For A New Love Part 2”, as it had a similar melody and the subject matter was pretty much the same as well. This was a song I could take or leave.
CULT OF PERSONALITY – LIVING COLOUR (39) – The first of two Top 40 hits for this band formed in New York City in 1984, this one became their signature song. Two famous quotes from the inaugural addresses of two presidents (John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt, respectively) are heard at end of the song.
IKO IKO – THE BELLE STARS (40) – Originally a #20 hit for the Dixie Cups back in 1965, this female British band came along and bested that peak by six spots, becoming the most successful version of the song, which was featured in the Dustin Hoffman/Tom Cruise film Rain Man. I liked this song – had a very catchy beat.
I WANNA BE THE ONE – STEVIE B (34) – This R&B artist from Fort Lauderdale had two minor hits in 1988, but this was his first time in the Top 40, with a song with a freestyle dance beat, like said 1988 hits. It was a pretty good song, IMO.
SEVENTEEN – WINGER (36) – The first of three Top 40 hits for this heavy metal band from the Big Apple. It was the only hit of theirs that was upbeat, as the other two were power ballads, which I preferred, though this wasn't half bad either.
ROCK ON – MICHAEL DAMIAN (37) – Meh, not a fan of this one at all. The slightly haunting sound of David Essex' original is absent in this lame duck of a cover.
EVERLASTING LOVE – HOWARD JONES (38) – I wonder how many people thought that, based on the title of this song, it was a remake of the oft-covered song first made famous by Robert Knight. However, the song, in fact, was a completely different song. This was Jones' last big hit (peaked at #12 in early June); clearly, he'd already had his day in the sun.
SOLDIER OF LOVE – DONNY OSMOND (30) – A somewhat random comeback, but a pretty successful one, as this song hit the Top Five, plus he had two other Top 20 hits over the next two years. I liked this one (was reminscent of “Undercover Angel” by Alan O'Day), but my favorite song from his self-titled comeback album was “I'll Be Good To You”, which was an AC hit in early 1990.
ELECTRIC YOUTH – DEBBIE GIBSON (31) – The second hit and title track from the Debbie Gibson album that I was so obsessed with back in the day. Of the singles, this was my least favorite, but it was still a great song, like most of the songs on Electric Youth.
WIND BENEATH MY WINGS – BETTE MIDLER (35) – This song became very popular in the LDD department, stealing thunder from songs like “Thank You For Being A Friend” and others with a similar theme. The song was from the film Beaches, which I hear has been known to bring even the most macho men to tears. I never saw the movie, but if I had back in the day, it probably would have made me cry as well, given my emotional status back in my teen years. As for the song, it was a good song – my favorite of her two big movie hits back in the 80s.
BIRTHDAY SUIT – JOHNNY KEMP (36) – Tell you what, like many high-school kids, I had a generally gutter-mind, but for some reason, this song just didn't do anything for me. I was never a big Johnny Kemp fan anyway.
EVERY LITTLE STEP – BOBBY BROWN (38) – He was still cranking out hits from his Don't Be Cruel album and, like his first three, this one sailed into the Top Ten. It was a good song – possibly my favorite from Don't Be Cruel. Although I'm not generally a big fan of R&B dance music, there was something about this song that I liked.
A SHOULDER TO CRY ON – TOMMY PAGE (40) – Here's another friendship type song like the Bette Midler song at #35. Had this song been more popular, this one might have also become a LDD (and I seem to recall that it was one, either on AT40 or CT40 one time). It was a great song; I'm frankly quite surprised that this one didn't get any higher than #29. It sure did well on my Personal Top 30 – spent five weeks at #1.
PATIENCE – GUNS 'N ROSES (33) – After three upbeat songs, they went with a ballad for their spring '89 hit. I didn't like this one at first (I especially found the whistling part annoying, since it could stick in my mind forever), but now I think it's a good one.
CLOSE MY EYES FOREVER – LITA FORD & OZZY OSBOURNE (35) – There were several superstar duets on the charts in the spring of 1989, and this one paired two hard rock artists together for a great power ballad.
I'LL BE LOVING YOU (FOREVER) – NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (37) – Another act whose third hit was a ballad after two upbeat songs. This song was one of two #1 hits for the band during 1989 and, IMO, by far the best.
WHERE ARE YOU NOW – JIMMY HARNEN & SYNCH (40) – Wow – all four debut songs on this week's chart were ballads. That sure didn't happen very often, did it? Anyway, this was a minor hit in 1986; peaked at #77 in March of that year. The decision to re-release it three years later proved to be worthwhile, as this song hit the Top Ten. It was a great song!
THROUGH THE STORM – ARETHA FRANKLIN & ELTON JOHN (36) – Another one of the aforementioned superstar duets. This one, the title-track from Aretha's 1989 album, helped to keep Elton's streak of having at least one Top 40 hit each year alive. It was a good song and, given how big both stars were, I'm surprised that this song didn't hit the Top Ten.
VOICES OF BABYLON – THE OUTFIELD (37) – They just couldn't seem to equal the success of their 1986 album Play Deep, as none of their singles past that album could make it into the Top 20. This song wasn't bad, but I can see why this song tanked so fast.
I ONLY WANNA BE WITH YOU – SAMANTHA FOX (39) – Dusty Springfield originally charted with this song back in 1964, peaking at #12, then the Bay City Rollers also hit #12 with their cover version in 1976. This was the third version of the song, and possibly my favorite, although the Bay City Rollers' version would be a close second.
MAY
BUFFALO STANCE – NENEH CHERRY (32) – She indeed came from a musical family – her dad was the famous jazz trumpeter Don Cherry, and ten years later, her brother Eagle-Eye had one of the biggest hits of the year with "Save Tonight". Neneh had several chart hits, but this one was by far her biggest and pretty much the only one she's known for anymore. The song's pretty good (I especially like the hook that's heard several times through the song).
CRY – WATERFRONT (34) – The only Top 40 hit for this Welsh duo. The song was pretty good, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
SATISFIED – RICHARD MARX (39) – The first release from what became one of Marx' most successful albums, spawning five singles, all of which made the Top 20. This was definitely one of my favorite songs from him – very upbeat and positive sounding.
DOWNTOWN – ONE 2 MANY (40) – Another rather faceless band, like Waterfront. This song, however, was a great one IMO. Too bad it only got as high as #37.
POP SINGER – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (36) – I must say, Big Daddy was quite disappointing in the way of singles, as this was the only song from the album to hit the Top 40, and it only got as high as #15 (and came and went rather quickly, IIRC). I liked the song, though I preferred many others from him.
MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY – NATALIE COLE (37) – I first heard this song either on AT40 or on "American Dance Traxx" as one of the Top Five requests and instantly loved it. It did get quite a lot of airplay, but I never got tired of it. Definitely one of her best hits ever, IMO.
LITTLE JACKIE WANTS TO BE A STAR – LISA LISA & CULT JAM (38) – Of course, they had what became the #1 song of the entire decade, according to my Personal Top 30, but this song was also a good song, though it was their last hit to make the AT40 chart.
THIS TIME I KNOW IT'S FOR REAL – DONNA SUMMER (28) – Her heyday was definitely the late-70s, but she had a few hits here and there in the 1980s, including this one. Of her post-1980 songs, this was definitely my favorite.
BABY DON'T FORGET MY NUMBER – MILLI VANILLI (30) – They continued to fool us into thinking they were doing the singing. This song, which sounded a lot like “Girl You Know It's True”, was passable, but probably my least favorite of their 1989 hits.
COMING HOME – CINDERELLA (34) – This blues-based power ballad was the third and final Top 40 hit from their Long Cold Winter album. It was possibly my all-time favorite song from them.
GOOD THING – FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS (35) – This song had sort of a Motown flavor to it, which apparently worked, as this song hit #1, just like their first single. It was also my favorite of their two #1s.
I DROVE ALL NIGHT – CYNDI LAUPER (40) – Roy Orbison had recorded this song two years before, but Cyndi Lauper was the one who had the hit with it. It was a great song and somewhat underrated IMO.
I WON'T BACK DOWN – TOM PETTY (32) – The first of three Top 40 hits from Petty's Fool Moon Fever album. I liked it; had sort of a southern rock flair to it.
VERONICA – ELVIS COSTELLO (36) Elvis and Paul had sort of a tradeoff deal in 1989 – Paul wrote this song and Elvis wrote Paul's “My Brave Face”, which hit the Top 40 a few weeks later. This song was not bad, but nothing exceptional either.
CUDDLY TOY (FEEL FOR ME) – ROACHFORD (37) – The only Top 40 hit from this band, headed up by Andrew Roachford. It was a good song, though rather faceless.
GIVING UP ON LOVE – RICK ASTLEY (38) – His sophomore album Hold Me In Your Arms certainly didn't match up to Whenever You Need Somebody! The first single was a Top Ten hit, but the follow-up barely touched the Top 40. It was a good song – much better than said first single “She Wants To Dance With Me”, but I preferred the next release, his cover of the Temptations classic “Ain't Too Proud To Beg”, which was a Top 20 AC hit in the fall of 1989.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME BY NOW – SIMPLY RED (40) – Originally a #3 hit by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes in late 1972, this cover did even better, hitting the top – the second of two #1 songs from this band from Manchester, England. I preferred this version, since the other one sounds very dated.
JUNE
INTO THE NIGHT – BENNY MARDONES (35) – Of course, this song charted twice in the 1980s – first in 1980, when it peaked at #12, and then again in 1989 when it climbed to #20. Oddly enough, I remember it more from its second time around (as I don't recall ever hearing it in 1980). Anyway, because I liked it so much, I recorded it from AT40 one week and listened to it again and again, and eventually got a little tired of it. It's good to hear every now and then, though I prefer a few other songs from him, such as “How Can You Love Me” and “I'll Be Good To You”, both from his self-titled album that he put out soon after this was re-released, which includes an updated version of this song.
WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW – EXPOSE (36) – The title-track from their sophomore album. Except for “Point Of No Return”, which remains one of my personal faves from them, I'm not a fan of their upbeat material at all, including this one. I prefer their slower songs, two of which would be released from the “What You Don't Know” album later on down the line.
ROOMS ON FIRE – STEVIE NICKS (37) – Her first solo hit in a little over three years (when she charted with the Top 20 hit “I Can't Wait”). This song, unfortunately, would be her last solo song to hit the Top 40. This was a good song, IMO.
BE WITH YOU – THE BANGLES (39) – Another artist with their final Top 40 appearance. This was one of their weaker songs, IMO. I didn't mind too much that this song barely touched the Top 30.
THE DOCTOR – THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (40) – They had been absent from the chart for most of the 1980s, since they disbanded in 1982. Five years later, they reformed and began recording again, including this song, which became their fifth Top Ten hit (yes, I thought they had more as well). It was a pretty good song, though I preferred many others from them.
EXPRESS YOURSELF – MADONNA (32) – The second hit of five Top 40 hits from “Like A Prayer”. The song looked like it would hit #1 like the title-track, but the song did peak at #2, which is great as well. It was a good one – apparently Lady Gaga thought so too, since her song "Born This Way" sounded a lot like it.
TOY SOLDIERS – MARTIKA (33) – This is one of the songs responsible for blocking Madonna from the top spot. This song was #4 the week “Express Yourself” hit #2, then it leapfrogged over that song into the top spot. That's OK; I preferred this song anyway. One of my favorite #1 songs during 1989!
CRAZY ABOUT HER – ROD STEWART (35) – The fourth and last single from Out Of Order. The song just barely missed the Top Ten, peaking at #11. The song would also be featured on his Storyteller album, which came out later that year.
WHO DO YOU GIVE YOUR LOVE TO – MICHAEL MORALES (37) – One of two Top 40 hits for this San Antonio native. It was a good song, IMO.
DOWN BOYS – WARRANT (39) – The debut hit for this glam metal band formed in LA two years before. It wasn't bad, but I generally preferred their power ballads (which seemed to perform better on the charts than the upbeat songs like this one.
SEND ME AN ANGEL '89 – REAL LIFE (40) – Another song that hit the chart twice during the 1980s, like “Into The Night”. This song's first chart run was in early 1984, when it peaked at #29 and then a new version was recorded and released five years later and peaked three spots higher. It was a good song.
SO ALIVE – LOVE AND ROCKETS (35) – The only Top 40 hit for this English alternative band named after a comic book by the Hernandez Brothers. It was OK, but the chords in the organ notes at the beginning were kind of misleading, as the rest of the song did not follow such a chord progression.
MY BRAVE FACE – PAUL McCARTNEY (36) – This was the Elvis Costello-penned song that I mentioned earlier. I liked this song, but it was still far from being one of my favorites from McCartney.
LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME – BON JOVI (37) – The fourth single from New Jersey and, like the last three, this song also hit the Top Ten. The song wasn't bad (and I do prefer it over the Thompson Twins song of the same title from 1985), but I preferred many other songs from them.
ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY – GREAT WHITE (40) – The opening guitar solo in this song always reminded me of the beginning of “Taking Care Of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive. I especially remember this song at the after-game dances that I went to during my senior year in high school, since during the last one of season, the seniors were getting so rowdy that the DJs ended the dance early, and we all refused to leave, chanting "HELL NO, WE WON'T GO!" and other stuff. Fun times, indeed!
I LIKE IT – DINO (39) – Just another typical late-80s R&B dance song. I could take it or leave it.
DRESSED FOR SUCCESS – ROXETTE (40) – Their second Top 40 hit certainly didn't match up to their first, as this song only got as high as #14. It seemed to be riding on the coattails of “The Look” and I'm sure that many people were wondering if this would be their final hit. As it turned out, it was far from it, which was great, since they put out a lot of great hits during the 1990s (as well as what was left of 1989).
JULY
BATDANCE – PRINCE (22) – Wow! With a debut this high, it was clear where this song was going! This was first of three Top 40 hits from Prince's album inspired by the film Batman, and the only one to hit the Top Ten. It was more or less a novelty song, with all the snippets from the movie. I wasn't a huge fan of it, however – the only song from the soundtrack that I liked was his duet with Sheena Easton, “The Arms Of Orion”.
ON OUR OWN – BOBBY BROWN (27) – This was the first time in quite awhile that two songs debuted in the Top 30 the same week, although the last time was not back in 1984, as Shadoe Stevens said. It had actually happened a few times in 1987 – in fact, I seem to recall a week in which there were three debuts in the Top 30. Both songs are from summer blockbuster movies, in this case, Ghostbusters II (oddly enough, one of the two Top 30 debut songs in 1984 was Ray Parker, Jr's theme from the first Ghostbusters movie). As for the song, I wasn't a huge fan of it (although it has a resemblance to “Every Little Step”, there's quite a bit of rap in it, which I don't like), but it's passable, especially now that you don't hear it on the radio very often anymore.
HEY BABY – HENRY LEE SUMMER (38) – He had moderate success in 1988 with his #20 hit “I Wish I Had A Girl”, and did a little better with this song, which peaked two spots higher. I liked both songs about the same, as both were great. My favorite song from him, however, was “Darlin' Danielle Don't”, which petered out at #57 in the summer of 1988.
SECRET RENDEZVOUS – KARYN WHITE (39) – The third single from White's self-titled album. This one did quite well, both on American Dance Traxx (where I believe it hit #1) and on the Hot 100, where it got as high as #6. Though I did slightly prefer it over “The Way You Love Me”, neither song held a candle to “Superwoman”.
NO MORE RHYME – DEBBIE GIBSON (33) – After rocking out with “Electric Youth”, Gibson returned to her slow ballads. As I mentioned earlier, I listened to the Electric Youth album constantly, and was hoping that this song would be the next release, and indeed it was. The song peaked at #17, which disappointed me – since her previous two ballads had hit #1, I was hoping this would do the same. It turned out to be her last Top 40 hit from “Electric Youth”, as her next release, “We Could Be Together” (another favorite of mine from the album), only got as high as #71. Both songs, as well as an album cut, “Should've Been The One” did well on my Personal Top 30 chart, all of them reaching the Top Ten.
I'M THAT TYPE OF GUY – LL COOL J (35) – His third Top 40 hit, containing the familiar chant from the “March of The Winkies” song (from the Wizard Of Oz) in the chorus. That, to me, was what made the song memorable – otherwise, it would have just been another late-80s rap song.
COLD HEARTED – PAULA ABDUL (36) – Her third hit from Forever Your Girl, and to #1 it went. This song almost won out for 1989 on the R&R chart, despite only having spent a single week at the #1 there. It didn't perform half bad on the 1989 Billboard year-ender, either, placing at #6. It was my favorite of her three #1s during 1989.
HEADED FOR A HEARTBREAK – WINGER (37) – As mentioned earlier, the other two Winger songs to make the Top 40 were power ballads and this was the first of them, as well as my favorite (though the other slow song, "Miles Away", from late the following year, was also a great one).
THE END OF THE INNOCENCE – DON HENLEY (39) – His album of the same title put out Five hits, all of which made the upper half of the Hot 100, but oddly enough, this was the only Top Ten from the album, which was Henley's best-selling one of all-time, so people were apparently buying the album and ignoring the singles. As for this song, I liked it at first, but quickly grew tired of it. My favorite track from the album would be the last release, "New York Minute", which ran out of gas at #48 in late 1990.
FRIENDS – JODY WATLEY f/ERIC B & RAKIM (40) – A song that gives a more realistic perspective of friendship, in that, in many cases, two people that are friends with each other become jealous and competitive, which is more or less imitative friendship according to me – as Jody says in the song, (true) friends are hard to find.
RIGHT HERE WAITING – RICHARD MARX (38) – Meh, I was never too crazy about this even before it got overplayed. I seem to recall that the song became quite popular in AT40's LDD department, since it definitely was fitting for many across-the-miles relationships.
SACRED EMOTION – DONNY OSMOND (39) – His second single from his self-titled comeback album. It was another one of those songs, like the Don Henley song, that I initially liked a lot, but became tired of it rather quickly. I definitely preferred “Soldier Of Love” over this song.
HOOKED ON YOU – SWEET SENSATION (40) – Your typical late-80s freestyle dance song. I could take it or leave it.
DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU – GLORIA ESTEFAN (33) – She'd had a ton of chart success as lead singer of Miami Sound Machine over the past three years and, in 1989, decided to embark on a solo career, which was just about as successful – she didn't have quite as many Top Tens, but had two #1s (as opposed to one with MSM), as well as a few other mid-charters. This song a tad cheesy, but it was pretty good. I did prefer the next two hits, "Get On Your Feet" and "Here We Are", both of which hit the Top Ten.
ME, MYSELF AND I – DE LA SOUL (34) – I associate this song more with American Dance Traxx than with AT40, as it spent only a few weeks on the latter. It had a somewhat unusual chart run on AT40, as it debuted at its peak position, then began moving down the following week. This song samples several songs, the most prominent being the bassline of “Knee-Deep”, a R&B hit by Funkadelic.
HANGIN' TOUGH – NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (38) – This was the second of two #1 hits from the Kids, and by far the worst! I detested this song (although I loved teasing my then eight-year old cousin, who hated the New Kids with a passion, by singing the "Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh" part of the song over and over).
ANGEL EYES – JEFF HEALEY BAND (39) – Generally a blues act, he did have a pair of Top 40 hits, this one being by far the biggest. It was another song that was regularly played at the after game dances I mentioned earlier. I liked it a lot when it first came out, but due to the overplay, I got a little tired of it.
KEEP ON MOVIN' – SOUL II SOUL (34) – This was the song that kicked off AT40's annual wrap-up of the year's biggest hits. It wasn't bad but not one of my favorites (I still prefer it over the extremely repetitive "Back To Life").
COVER OF LOVE – MICHAEL DAMIAN (36) – This song clearly rode the coattails of “Rock On”, as it tanked quite fast, spending but four weeks in the Top 40. Indeed, Damian's fifteen minutes of fame were just about over. I did like this better than “Rock On” (by far, might I add), but my favorite of his three Top 40 hits was “Was It Nothing At All”.
IN MY EYES – STEVIE B (37) – The second Top 40 hit for this Fort Lauderdale-born R&B artist. Melodically, the song was pretty good, but boy, did he ever sing off-key!
SHOWER ME WITH YOUR LOVE – SURFACE (38) – They had a mid-charter in the summer of 1987 called "Happy", a mid-tempo ballad and returned two years later with a slow song, which I remember hearing at just about every after game dance during the fall of my senior year. It was a good one, but I preferred their 1991 songs, as well as their holiday song "Christmas Time Is Here".
18 AND LIFE – SKID ROW (39) – Heavy metal definitely had a huge wave of popularity in the late 1980s and this band managed to get two hits out of it. I liked both this and "I Remember You", from early the following year, about the same.
AUGUST
IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME – CHER (34) – Her 1988 comeback was indeed no fluke, as she released a second album in the summer of 1989, with this song being the lead single. It was a good song, but I preferred the follow-up, "Just Like Jesse James", which also hit the Top Ten (and topped my Personal Top 30 charts in early 1990).
HEAVEN – WARRANT (36) – For some reason, I always confused them with Skid Row (as they both had songs charting at the same time, with the same kind of music. Anyway, this is another one I remember from my senior year (and I seem to remember sharing a slow dance with a girl I'd known for several years to this song). A great song indeed!
TALK IT OVER – GRAYSON HUGH (39) – This song had sort of a country sound to it – in fact, the week this song, which I had never heard before debuted, I was trying to get the radio station on which I caught the show tuned in and I thought that the country station right next ro it was overpowering it, which tended to happen every now and then. I liked this song, but preferred his next one, “Bring It All Back”, which was a Top Ten AC hit in late 1989.
GIRL I'M GONNA MISS YOU – MILLI VANILLI (35) – This was the second of three #1 songs for the Milli Vanilli (well...) in 1989. I thought it was a great song - my favorite of their hits (with "Blame It On The Rain" being a close second).
SOUL PROVIDER – MICHAEL BOLTON (36) – The title-track from his sixth studio album, which was the biggest for him hit-wise (as five singles from the album hit the Top 40). This one peaked at #17, but the best was yet to come, as his next song went all the way to the top!
THE PRISONER – HOWARD JONES (38) – The second hit from “Cross That Line”. This song was quite underrated, IMO, but as I said before, Jones had already seen his heyday, back in the mid-part of the decade.
ONE – THE BEE GEES (40) – They'd been all over the charts in the late 1970s, but they did have a comeback with this song, their first Top 40 hit since 1983 and their first Top Ten in over a decade. This song, reminiscent of their first #1 hit “Jive Talkin'”, was pretty good, but I generally preferred their 70s hits.
KISSES ON THE WIND – NENEH CHERRY (32) – Another artist, like Michael Damian, who enjoyed fifteen minutes of fame in 1989 (though this song did hit the Top Ten, like “Buffalo Stance” and she did have a comeback hit in 1993). This was another one of those songs that I could take or leave.
THAT'S THE WAY – KATRINA & THE WAVES (35) – The other half of KC & The Sunshine Band's big #1 hit from 1975 (as “I Like It” by Dino was up in the Top Ten). I seem to remember this being mentioned in Billboard's “Chart Beat” column. This was a good song, and it looked like this band might have another wave of popularity, as this song returned them to the Top 20, but that was not to be.
CHERISH – MADONNA (39) - I remember hearing this song on Z95 earlier in the spring, when they gave this, as well as one or two others, a few weeks of early action, in order to promote Madonna's then newly released Like A Prayer album. I was glad she ended up releasing it, as it was one of my favorites from the album.
PUT YOUR MOUTH ON ME – EDDIE MURPHY (40) – Meh, he was better at acting and stand-up comedy than singing.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH – STARSHIP (35) – The first song from their third studio album as Starship, and the first since the departure of Grace Slick, who herself had reformed Jefferson Airplane, the original incarnation of this band around this time. In fact, now that she had left Starship, there were original members left in the band. The self-titled Jefferson Airplane album that came out in 1989 saw modest sales (and spawned the Top 20 AC hit “Summer Of Love), but the accompanying tour was a success. As for this song, well, it was possibly my favorite song from any of the three incarnations of the band. A great song indeed; spent five weeks at #1 on my Personal Top 30 in October.
LOVE SONG – THE CURE (36) – Up to this point, they'd had only one Top 40 hit – just barely, as “Just Like Heaven” peaked at #40 (but gets quite a lot of recurrent airplay on 80s stations). This song peaked at #2 in October, but that may have been due to vacuum effect (as it was unbulleted that week and plunged to #11 the following week, so I don't think it exactly narrowly missed the top spot). As for the song, it was pretty good, but I preferred others from them.
HEY LADIES – THE BEASTIE BOYS (37) – Meh, next song, please...
DON'T LOOK BACK – FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS (38) – Classic example of “Third Single Syndrome” here – after two #1 hits, this one didn't even hit the Top Ten (didn't miss by much though, as it peaked at #11). This was actually my favorite song from them (presumably because it wasn't overplayed like the other two.
RUNNIN' DOWN A DREAM – TOM PETTY (39) – Great driving music here! Of Tom Petty's three Top 40 hits from “Full Moon Fever”, this was by far my favorite.
BUST A MOVE – YOUNG MC (40) – This was the first song since 1983 to spent 20 weeks in the Top 40 (and the first such song that failed to hit #1 since I don't know when). I wasn't a big fan of this song (since it was rap). I preferred his next Top 40 entry, “Principal's Office”.
SEPTEMBER
YOU'RE MY ONE AND ONLY (TRUE LOVE) – SEDUCTION (37) – The first of four Top 40 hits for this female dance-pop and freestyle trio. I always got them confused with Sweet Sensation, who charted around the same time, did the same kind of music, and were also from New York. As for this song, it was one of those typical dance numbers that I could take or leave.
WHEN I LOOKED AT HIM – EXPOSE (39) – I mentioned that they released two ballads from their What You Don't Know album and this was the first. This one did have that dark, rainy-day sound to it, but it was still a great song!
PARTYMAN – PRINCE (40) – The second hit from the Batman soundtrack. Based on its initial chart action, it looked as if this one would be a Top Ten hit like the first one, but it tanked rather quickly and fell like a rock. Looks like the first wave of Batmania wore out quite fast!
MISS YOU MUCH – JANET JACKSON (29) - The first of an amazing seven singles (as well as an eighth radio-only song) from Janet's Rhythm Nation 1814 album, all of which made the Top Ten. I strongly disliked this song for the longest time, even when it was #1 (so naturally, I was irked that this song wound up at #1 on the R&R year-ender). Now, I actually like the song, though it's certainly not one of my favorite songs from her.
IT'S NO CRIME – BABYFACE (31) - Initially a songwriter and record producer, this was Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds first Top 40 hit. It was OK, but I preferred the other three singles from Tender Lover. I preferred the other three singles from Tender Lover.
MIXED EMOTIONS – THE ROLLING STONES (36) – The first of two Top 40 hits from what became one of the Stones' biggest selling albums ever. The song was OK, but I generally preferred their earlier material.
LISTEN TO YOUR HEART – ROXETTE (38) – Many people I knew thought that this was by Heart, since it was the first single to feature Marie Fredrickson, whose voice sounds a little like Ann Wilson, especially on the similar sounding “What About Love”, on lead vocals. Roxette's first two songs were upbeat, but they slowed the tempo for their third single, and got another number one song out of it. I liked this song and feel that it should have been left alone, but the Belgian duo D.H.T. had other ideas...
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU – MICHAEL MORALES (39) – The Romantics' original version of this, of course, is the most well-known, but it was Michael Morales who brought it to the Top 40 nearly a decade later. The remake of the song was actually really good.
SOWING THE SEEDS OF LOVE – TEARS FOR FEARS (40) - I've heard that this song was misheard as "Sewing Machine Of Love", which I thought was pretty funny. As for the song, it was good, but I preferred the third release, "Advice For The Young At Heart", which was a low-charter on the Hot 100 in the early spring of 1990.
ROCK WIT'CHA – BOBBY BROWN (38) – Bobby Brown definitely had a great year in 1989! He was the top male act of the year, with five Top 40 hits - all of which made the Top 100 of 1989! This was a good song - pretty much your typical late-80s slow jam.m.
LOVE IN AN ELEVATOR – AEROSMITH (39) – Like Cheap Trick, Aerosmith was in the midst of their second wave of popularity. After being away from the charts for over ten years, they returned the year before with one of the biggest hits of their career, and this one also did well on the charts, hitting the Top Five. I liked this song - possibly my favorite song from Pump (though "What It Takes" would be a close second).
HEALING HANDS – ELTON JOHN (40) – As well as charting with a duet with Aretha Franklin earlier in the year, Elton also hit the chart on his own, with the first of three Top 40 hits from his then-new Sleeping With The Past album. It was a great song – most likely my favorite of the singles from that album, as well as one of my all-time favorites from him!
DR. FEELGOOD – MOTLEY CRUE (31) – This heavy-metal band had hit the Top 40 twice before, but this was their very first Top Ten. It was a good song – definitely one that I associate with the fall of my senior year in HS!
COVER GIRL – NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (36) - As stated earlier, Bobby Brown was the top male solo act of the year, but the New Kids earned the honor for the top group/band of 1989. They had an incredible six Top 40 hits during 1989, and this was the fourth of them, and one of my favorites!
THE BEST – TINA TURNER (38) – This song was originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler the year before, but it was Tina Turner's version that became the hit. The first hit from the similarly-titled Simply The Best album, this song didn't really live up to its name, both on the charts and according to me, but it was passable.
I FEEL THE EARTH MOVE – MARTIKA (35) – Of course, most people are familiar with the original version of this song by Carole King, who also wrote the song and put it on what was by far her biggest and best-selling album Tapestry. Martika's dance version of the song was pretty good (I seem to remember hearing it on American Dance Traxx, which was nearing its end on WZZP, so I won't be mentioning it too many more times, LOL!)
CALL IT LOVE – POCO (36) – This was their first Top 40 hit in almost exactly ten years (as their last hit before this, “Heart Of The Night” charted in the summer of 1979). This was a great song, but I preferred the next single, which hit AT40 at the beginning of 1990.
LOVE SHACK – THE B-52'S (37) – After twelve years of trying, they finally hit the Top 40 in late 1989. This was a great party song - I remember getting down to this song at a lot of dances, including the aforementioned post-game dances.
WHEN I SEE YOU SMILE – BAD ENGLISH (38) – One of many chart hits during the 1980s and well beyond written by the great Diane Warren. This supergroup, consisting of members of the Babys (including lead singer John Waite) and Journey, had just missed the Top 40 with the first hit from their self-titled debut album, “Forget Me Not”, but the second single, on the other hand, went all the way to #1. I liked this song, though overplay tarnished it somewhat. My favorite song from them would probably be "Possession", which peaked at #21 in August, 1990 (but did make the Top Ten on the R&R chart).
DIDN'T I (BLOW YOUR MIND) – NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (39) – This song was actually the flipside of “Hangin' Tough”, which may have been partially responsible for its fast-rise, fast-fall chart run (as well as the fact that it was released pretty much concurrently with “Cover Girl”. Of their six Top 40 hits in 1989, this would probably be my favorite (with “Cover Girl” being a very close second).
LET GO – SHARON BRYANT (40) – The former lead singer of Atlantic Starr (before they hit really big in the mid-80s) fared best on the R&B charts as a solo artist, but managed to have one crossover Top 40 hit. It was actually a pretty good song.
OCTOBER
(IT'S JUST) THE WAY THAT YOU LOVE ME – PAULA ABDUL (39) – This was the lone debuting song on the October 7 chart, the first one-debut week since early 1988. The song had actually come out a year before, but after hitting #1 three times in a row, Paula decided to give this song, which had initially peaked at #88 in late 1988, another chance. It definitely proved to be worthwhile, as the song climbed to #3 the second time around. It was one of those songs that I could take or leave.
GLAMOUR BOYS – LIVING COLOUR (33) – Their second and last Top 40 hit, produced by Mick Jagger, who also sang back-up on this song. It was OK, but I preferred “The Cult Of Personality” from earlier in 1989.
POISON – ALICE COOPER (35) – He seemed to fare best with his slower songs, especially back in the mid to late 1970s, but he went with a rocker for what would be his last Top 40 hit. It was good, but I preferred said ballads.
DON'T SHUT ME OUT – KEVIN PAIGE (37) – The first of two Top 40 hits for this man from Memphis. It was a good one, IMO.
BACK TO LIFE – SOUL II SOUL f/CARON WHEELER (38) – As I stated earlier, this one was way too repetitive. Back To Life, back to reality, you wanna be a wombat, you wanna be anemic, yadda yadda yadda... Next song, please...
SUNSHINE – DINO (40) – His second Top 40 hit. I preferred this one over “I Like It” (most likely because it wasn't as overplayed.
ANGELIA – RICHARD MARX (26) – The third single from Repeat Offender, and possibly my favorite (although, except for the maudlin “Right Here Waiting”, all the singles from the album were great!) I was hoping this would be his fourth #1 in a row, but the song's chart run was too quick for that. It did peak at #4, so that was cool.
BLAME IT ON THE RAIN – MILLI VANILLI (29) – Earlier, I mentioned songwriter Diane Warren. She wrote this song and it succeeded “When I See You Smile” at #1, only the seventh time in the rock era that a songwriter had back-to-back #1 hits. Since Diane Warren seems to write mainly slow songs, I wonder if this song was meant to be a ballad, since I can definitely hear it as a slow song. But Milli Vanilli was more of a dance group (even their ballad "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" had sort of a dance tempo to it).
GET ON YOUR FEET – GLORIA ESTEFAN (35) – Back during its chart run, this song was just there, but years later, I grew to really like it a lot. There's another song that sounds a little like it (an instrumental, I believe), but I can't quite put my finger on it.
ME SO HORNY – 2 LIVE CREW (37) – Now THIS is a song that I heard most on American Dance Traxx – namely, because the station on which I caught AT40 (WNDV, South Bend) was one of the stations that edited this song out of the broadcast. Even Shadoe Stevens was hesitant on using the title (mentioning it only three times, and then never again, not even the week that it dropped out). So, for the weeks it was on the chart, I had to listen closely for the position that was skipped in the countdown.
DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES – KIX (38) – This anti-suicide song was the only Top 40 hit for this hard rock quintet from Maryland. It was a good song that, I believe, was requested as a LDD (or at least an R&R) on a few occasions.
MY HEART SKIPS A BEAT – THE COVER GIRLS (39) – Another song I associate most with American Dance Traxx, since it only lasted two weeks in the Top 40. Considering I'm not a huge fan of the freestyle dance music that was all the rage back in the late-80s, this was a pretty good song IMO.
WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE – BILLY JOEL (40) – A rapid-fire fifty year history lesson that defies Rule 16 of Rock & Roll (according to Jimmy Guterman & Owen O'Donnell in their book “The Worst Rock & Roll Records Of All Time”). I was never a huge fan of this song before radio drove it into the ground all the way to China, so I think I could do without hearing it ever again. DISCLAIMER: I realize that there are many people in the world who love this song to death, and really, more power to you, but I'm sorry; it just wasn't my cup of tea.
DON'T KNOW MUCH – LINDA RONSTADT f/AARON NEVILLE (35) – The first of three duets with Aaron Neville to be released from Ronstadt's album Cry Like A Rainstorm, Howl Like The Wind. It took me awhile to warm up to this song, but eventually, I came to really like it. Not sure if I prefer this or their other Top 40 duet, “All My Life”, which hit the chart a few months later.
LEAVE A LIGHT ON – BELINDA CARLISLE (36) – Her third album, Wild Horses, yielded two Top 40 hits, and this was the first. It just barely missed the Top Ten, peaking at #11, which was too bad, since it was a great song!
SUGAR DADDY – THOMPSON TWINS (37) – Meh, this one was kind of annoying, especially the falsetto lala lala la la la la's at the end of the chorus. Frankly, I'm quite glad this song didn't stay around long.
LIVIN' IN SIN – BON JOVI (39) – This was the fifth and final single from New Jersey, and, like the other four singles, it hit the Top Ten. It was OK, but a little dark for my liking.
NOVEMBER
WITH EVERY BEAT OF MY HEART – TAYLOR DAYNE (35) – She had been notably absent from the chart during 1989 as she was working on her sophomore album Can't Fight Fate, which was released a month before. The lead-off single from the album pretty much picked up where she left off earlier in the year, hitting the Top Five. I liked it, but it wasn't one of my favorite songs from her.
DON'T MAKE ME OVER – SYBIL (39) – Dionne Warwick remakes seemed to be the in-thing during the 1989-90 period, since Sybil had covered another Dionne Warwick song, “Walk On By” as her follow-up to this, as did Melissa Manchester, whose remake was a Top Ten AC hit in early 1990. As for this song, it was my favorite of Sybil's two covers (the second of which ran out of steam at #74 in early 1990), and I even preferred it over the original.
DON'T ASK ME WHY – THE EURYTHMICS (40) – For years, I mistook Julia Fordham's “Happy Every After” for this song, since she sounds a little like Annie Lennox and the song starts off with the lyrics “Don't Ask Me Why”. I had forgotten how this song goes (since this was its only week on AT40), but seemed to recall that it was sort of a dark song, as is “Happy Ever After”. That's probably because this was somewhat of a dark weekend for me, for several personal reasons, but that's another story for another time. Anyway, the song is actually quite upbeat and it's a shame that this was all the higher it got.
ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE – PHIL COLLINS (33) – This song, on the other hand, was a huge hit. The song focuses on the plight of homelessness, like his song with Genesis “Man On The Corner”. The song straddled two decades at #1, as its first two weeks at the top were in 1989 and its last two in 1990. I liked the song, though I preferred a few others from him, including ones from the ...But Seriously album, which yielded five hits, all of which made the Top 40.
THE LAST WORTHLESS EVENING – DON HENLEY (36) – The second single from The End Of The Innocence, about a man seeing a dejected girl, who had recently broken up with her boyfriend, at a party and trying to get up the courage to talk to her. I sure knew the feeling all too well at the time! As for the song, it's not bad, but I prefer others from Henley, both solo and with the Eagles.
PUMP UP THE JAM – TECHNOTRONIC f/FELLY (37) – This electronic music project from Belgian had a trio of Top 40 hits and this was the biggest, as well as the one they're most famous for. I remember hearing this one at the after-game dances that I've mentioned several times. It's not bad,
LICENCE TO CHILL – BILLY OCEAN (38) – Not sure whether or not the title of this song was inspired by the James Bond movie from earlier in the year. Whatever the case, it definitely wasn't one of Ocean's biggest hit, and even worse, it turned out to be his last Top 40 hit.
LOVE SONG – TESLA (40) – The second song by this title to chart in 1989 (in fact, the week this song debuted, the Cure's song was spending its last week on the chart). This was a power ballad and the first of two Top 40 hits for this heavy-metal band from Sacramento. A great song, IMO!
RHYTHM NATION – JANET JACKSON (34) – This was the second hit from Janet's behemoth Rhythm Nation 1814 and the title-track. That said, I'm surprised that this song didn't hit #1. Not that I mind, since I found this song somewhat annoying, especially with the constant whoops heard throughout the song.
JUST LIKE JESSE JAMES – CHER (35) – Her second release from Heart Of Stone and by far my favorite of the four that made the Top 40. This was the first chart topper of the 1990s on my Personal Top 30 chart – a great song indeed! Possibly my favorite of all her hits!
EVERYTHING – JODY WATLEY (36) – After charting with many upbeat, dance songs, she slowed down the tempo for this song. It apparently worked, as it became one of her biggest hits ever, peaking at #4. I myself thought the song was a good one.
JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME – LOU GRAMM (37) – Still on hiatus from Foreigner, he put out a second solo album, Long Hard Look. Though not quite as successful as Ready Or Not, it did produce two Top 40 singles. This was the first one, which hit the Top Ten. This was possibly my favorite of his solo hits.
THE ANGEL SONG – GREAT WHITE (38) – Indeed, the late-80s and early 90s was when power ballads by hard rock bands were all the rage. This was their second and last Top 40 hit. It was also my favorite of the two.
SWING THE MOOD – JIVE BUNNY & THE MASTERMIXERS – SWING THE MOOD (34) – A medley of a number of early rock & roll records, as well as a few songs from the big band era. I had actually been hearing this song over the past few months, since it got early action on Chicago's Z95 (in fact, it reached #1 on their playlist). By now, the song had fallen off of their list (the previous week, in fact) and was starting its climb on AT40, where it would peak at #11. I thought it was a good one.
HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU – MICHAEL BOLTON (36) – As we all know, he wrote this song and gave it to Laura Branigan, who took it to #12. Then, as soon as he became an established artist, he decided to take a shot at it. Good move, as it went all the way to #1 in January, 1990 (a great 18th Birthday present for me!). One of my favorite songs from him! I always thought that the guitar solo in the bridge sounded much like that of Dan Hill's “Perfect Love”. No coincidence, as Mike Landau played on both songs.
THIS ONE'S FOR THE CHILDREN – NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (37) – This was their sixth song to chart in 1989. It is from their Christmas album Merry Merry Christmas and its message was to be conscientious about the children around the world who are less fortunate and that Christmas is just another day for them. The song was OK, but a little depressing, due to the subject matter discussed.
I LIVE BY THE GROOVE – PAUL CARRACK (38) – Based in this song's fast start (debuted at #71 on the Hot 100 the week before), it looked like it was going to be another Top Ten hit for him. Alas, it didn't even hit the Top 30, which I thought was a shame, since it was a great song. I have a feeling that it might have done better had it been released six months prior (since it sounds like a great summer type song).
ROCK AND A HARD PLACE – THE ROLLING STONES (39) – Their second Top 40 hit from Steel Wheels and by far my favorite of the two. This is another song that might have done a little better had it been released in time for summer.
OH FATHER – MADONNA (40) – This song was about the relationship between her and her father, which had gone bad after her mother's death in 1963 and his remarriage two years later. The heavy subject matter of the song might have contributed to how it underperformed on the chart compared to her others.
DECEMBER
FREE FALLIN' – TOM PETTY (31) – His third single from Full Moon Fever (his fourth, “A Face In The Crowd” would fall short of the top 40 in March, 1990). This turned out to be his biggest hit, solo or with the Heartbreakers (their biggest was their collaboration with Stevie Nicks, “Stop Draggin' My Heart Around”, which peaked at #3 in 1981). This song would get as high as #7.
WHEN THE NIGHT COMES – JOE C0CKER (37) – Sorry the “o” in his last name looks so weird – using a zero was the only way to get past the censors on the board. Anyway, this was one of two songs from him that charted in the 1980s (of course, the other one was his duet with Jennifer Warnes, “Up Where We Belong”). I'm not a huge Joe Cocker fan and I didn't like this song much during its chart run, but now I actually think it's a pretty good song.
THE ARMS OF ORION – PRINCE w/SHEENA EASTON (39) – The third and final hit from the Batman soundtrack. Sheena Easton finally got due label credit on this song (as her other duet with Prince, “U Got The Look”, of course, was billed as being by Prince solo. This was my favorite song from Batman and I thought it was a shame that the song only got as high as #36 – it was the perfect wintertime love song IMO.
DOWNTOWN TRAIN – ROD STEWART (40) – He had just come off of having four hits from Out Of Order, and, around the end of 1989 he compiled several Greatest Hits type albums. This song was on all three of them (that I know of). A great song indeed – reminds me a little of “Tonight's The Night”.
TWO TO MAKE IT RIGHT – SEDUCTION (38) – Their second hit, as well as their biggest, remaining true to its title by peaking in the runner-up position the following February. It was OK, but I preferred their two other 1990 hits.
I REMEMBER YOU – SKID ROW (40) – Their second of two Top 40 hits from them, both power ballads. As mentioned earlier, I liked both songs about the same.
I'LL BE GOOD TO YOU – QUINCY JONES f/RAY CHARLES & CHAKA KHAN (37) – The first of two Top 40 hits from Quincy Jones' album On The Block. Originally done by the Brothers Johnson, who took the song to #3 in the summer of 1976, this version didn't do half bad either, peaking at #18. It was a great song IMO – my favorite of the two charted versions!
FOOL FOR YOUR LOVING – WHITESNAKE (39) – It seemed like they only did well with power ballads, as this was the only of their upbeat songs to hit the Top 40 and even it didn't go much higher.
JANIE'S GOT A GUN – AEROSMITH (40) – This song was never my favorite song from them in the first place, but several years after this song charted, when one of my cats, whose name was Jane, was having a certain intestinal disorder and I was casually telling my friend about it, he began singing “Janie's Got The Runs”. Ever since then, I never saw this song in the same light ever again.
TENDER LOVER – BABYFACE (32) – Super producer/singer/songwriter Kenny Edmunds' second solo effort. I preferred it over “It's No Crime” by a sizable margin. The next two hits from the album to which this song is the title track were also great songs.
PEACE IN OUR TIME – EDDIE MONEY (34) – This was one of the new tracks on Money's Greatest Hits album, and it did end up being a big hit, just missing the Top Ten, peaking at #11. I liked it, but my favorite of the new songs was “Looking Through The Eyes Of A Child”. Too bad that song wasn't released as well.
WHAT KIND OF MAN WOULD I BE – CHICAGO (38) – And what do you know? Here's another new song from a Greatest Hits album. Some of the biggest artists of the 1980s seemed to want to end the decade with a wrap-up of their most memorable hits of that decade. Like most of Chicago's slow songs, this was a great one IMO.
WAS IT NOTHING AT ALL – MICHAEL DAMIAN (39) – His third of three Top 40 hits during 1989 and my favorite of the two. This was another ballad suited for wintertime.
TELL ME WHY – EXPOSE (40) – Expose held the honor for having the very last Top 40 hit of the 1980s! This was their third hit from What You Don't Know and, like the title-track, it was an upbeat song. Reminds me a lot of “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul. It was not bad, but my favorite song from the album was their next release, “Your Baby Never Looked Good In Blue”.
Again, I would be surprised if I didn't omit a song or two. If I did, do not hesitate to let me know!