Just for the heck of it, I've decided to include critiques of the 1988 and 1989 shows, even though we know we'll never hear them on the AT40: The 80s series.
American Top 40 with Shadoe Stevens - The Top 100 of 1988
100: PROVE YOUR LOVE - TAYLOR DAYNE (#7/3/11/18) - Her second Top 40 hit. Like "Tell It To My Heart", it peaked at #7. However, it had a rather fast-rise, fast-fall chart run, so that would explain why it is ranked so far below TITMH. As for my opinion of the song, it's a good one, but I personally preferred her debut hit.
99: WAIT - WHITE LION (#8/2/11/21) - One of two Top Ten hits for this Danish/American rock band. I prefer this one by a fair margin - the second one, "When The Children Cry" is a little too cheesy for my tastes.
98: NOTHIN' BUT A GOOD TIME - POISON (#6/3/11/19) - Wow, we're already getting to the songs that nearly made the Top Five. Needless to say, there are many songs that hit the Top Ten, but fell short of the Top 100 of 1988. Maybe I'll make a list of those songs at the end of my critique. Anyway, this was a great song - my favorite of their hits up to this point (the end of 1988, that is).
97: JUST LIKE PARADISE - DAVID LEE ROTH (#6/3/11/16) - Another Top Five narrow miss, and it's by another rocker - the former lead singer of Van Halen. He had a pretty good solo career going, with three Top 40 hits so far. I liked this one, but I generally preferred him with Van Halen.
96: VALERIE - STEVE WINWOOD (#9/1/12/20) - Originally on his 1982 album "Talking Back To The Night", this song was re-recorded and re-released at the end of 1987. Though I prefer a few other songs from him, I thought this was a great one as well.
95: NEVER TEAR US APART - INXS (#7/3/11/23) - For some reason, this song just never did anything for me - I guess it was too boring. I was never a big fan of them in the first place (though I did like their two mid-1988 songs).
94: I FOUND SOMEONE - CHER (#10/1/12/26) - After a near nine-year absence from the chart, Cher was back and would have many more Top 40 hits. This was one of two that she had in 1988. I preferred the second one, "We All Sleep Alone", which didn't quite make the survey, but this one wasn't bad either.
93: I STILL BELIEVE - BRENDA K. STARR (#13/-/12/26) - Here it is - the only song on the survey that missed the Top Ten. But due to its slow chart climb, it did amass enough points to make the big list. This was a great song - I liked it, as well as her duet with George Lamond, "No Matter What", from late 1990. Not sure which of those I prefer, though.
92: CHERRY BOMB - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (#8/3/12/21) - I used to hate this song during its chart run, but now I think it’s a good one. Still, my favorite song from Lonesome Jubilee was “Check It Out”.
91: KISSING A FOOL - GEORGE MICHAEL (#5/4/10/15) - Here is the top male artist on this year's survey, who, sadly, left us around the time I was making this critique,
with the first of an incredible five hits on the survey. This was the only one of them that did not get up to #1 - in fact, it barely made the Top Five. That could be because, aside from the different music style (sounds more like a piano bar song), it was from an album that nearly everyone had at this point, so it was probably only being bought by teenage fans that didn't make a lot of money. Anyway, I rather liked this song - partially because it wasn't played to death like the other Faith singles.
90: CAN'T STAY AWAY FROM YOU - GLORIA ESTAFAN & MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (#6/3/11/23) - For their album Let It Loose, they put Gloria Estefan's name up front, since she did most of the singing anyway. In fact, IIRC, hers were the only vocals in the song. Anyway, I generally prefer her/their slow songs, but ironically, my favorite song from the album was "Betcha Say That", which was a, well, mid-tempo song. That one, I felt, was way underrated, especially since the songs that book-ended it were big Top Ten hits. This was possibly my second favorite song from the album.
89: ONE MOMENT IN TIME - WHITNEY HOUSTON (#5/4/11/17) - A song recorded for the 1988 Summer Olympics. I thought it was a great song at first, but somehow, it got old pretty fast (probably due to its overplay during its first few weeks on the chart). It's good to hear every now and then, but it's definitely not my favorite song from her.
88: DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT THE NIGHT CAN DO - STEVE WINWOOD (#6/3/11/17) - This song always makes me thirsty for a Michelob.
It was a pretty good song, IMO, but it's far from being my favorite song from him.
87: NITE & DAY - AL B. SURE! (#7/2/13/21) - Another mellow, chill-out type song, like the Steve Winwood song above. Al B. Sure! was generally a R&B act, but he did manage to have a crossover Top 40 hit. I liked it - the synths in the song were great!
86: I DON'T WANT TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU - FOREIGNER (#5/4/11/17) - aka Wf*gLY part 2. This song was pretty good, but I preferred many other songs from them.
85: I HATE MYSELF FOR LOVING YOU - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (#8/3/12/26) - This was their first Top Ten hit since 1982, when they had one of the biggest hits of the year, "I Love Rock & Roll", and a remake of the old Tommy James & The Shondells #1 hit "Crimson And Clover". I notice a similarity between this song and "Black Cat" by Janet Jackson. It's a good song, but not quite as good as their biggest hit mentioned above.
84: WE'LL BE TOGETHER - STING (#7/4/12/18) - One of a handful of holdovers from 1987 - in fact, on the first regular survey of 1988, this song was spending its last week in the Top 40. The song is OK, but I prefer many other songs from him, both solo and with the Police.
83: DON'T SHED A TEAR - PAUL CARRACK (#9/3/13/24) - He sang lead for three different bands, having the most success with Mike + The Mechanics, whom he was still with, but also had a solo career going. This is another one of those songs that was great at first, but then my fascination for it eventually dimmed. Strange, because this song wasn't even that overplayed - it had a super-fast chart run on Z95 (Chicago) and WNDU (South Bend) didn't even start playing it until around the time it hit the Top Ten. Anyway, I still like it, but preferred "One Good Raason" and his AC-only hit from 1997, "For Once In Our Lives", as well as songs from said bands that he was in.
82: WHEN IT'S LOVE - VAN HALEN (#5/3/12/19) - Their second hit from OU812. The first only got as high as #34 (must not have been promoted very well), but this one hit the Top Five. It is a great song, IMO - my favorite song from the album.
81: PIANO IN THE DARK - BRENDA RUSSELL (#6/2/13/25) - No, she's no relation to me.
This is one of three songs from her that I know, and I liked all of them, this one being my favorite. That said, it's too bad she didn't have anymore hits than she did.
80: ALWAYS ON MY MIND - PET SHOP BOYS (#4/4/10/15) - Back in 1982, Willie Nelson's version of this song got as high as #5. Six years later, the Pet Shop Boys' techno-dance version of the song bested that by one position. Though I liked the original version, I preferred this one by a fairly wide margin. A great song indeed - possibly my favorite song ever from the Pet Shop Boys!
79: DON'T BE CRUEL - BOBBY BROWN (#8/2/14/26) - One of two songs on the survey with this title (in fact, both songs debuted on the chart the same week, IIRC). This was also the first of many hits from this former New Edition member. This song was pretty good, but I preferred a few others from him.
78: THE VALLEY ROAD - BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE (#5/5/11/16) - I liked all three singles from The Way It Is, but such was not the case with Scenes From The Southside (namely, because that album spawned only Top 40 singles). Both songs were mediocre compared to his first album. This would be my favorite of the two.
77: ELECTRIC BLUE - ICEHOUSE (#7/3/13/21) - One of two Top 20 hits for this six-member Aussie band (the other one, "Crazy" just missed making the survey). Both were great songs; I liked them about the same.
76: FAST CAR - TRACY CHAPMAN (#6/4/12/21) - This one always reminded me of "Oh Very Young" by Cat Stevens. It was a good song - much better than her ad nauseum played "Give Me One Reason".
75: PINK CADILLAC - NATALIE COLE (#5/4/12/17) - Bruce Springsteen wrote this song. It was originally a non-album track (on the "B" side of the first Born In The USA single "Dancing In The Dark") and received regular airplay on AOR stations. It finally saw chart action when Natalie Cole recorded it a few years later. I liked both versions, but slightly preferred this cover version.
74: I WANT HER - KEITH SWEAT (#5/5/13/20) - He was definitely a big hit on the Black Singles chart, but he had a few pop crossovers. This was pretty good, but my favorite song from him would be "I'll Give All My Love To You", from early 1991.
73: SAY YOU WILL - FOREIGNER (#6/4/12/19) - Meh, I generally preferred Foreigner's earlier material. Their quality had gone down at this point - this was one of my least favorite songs by them.
72: EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES - HALL & OATES (#3/5/11/16) - They'd had a ton of hits over the past twelve years, but, sadly, this was their last Top Ten hit (though they just barely missed with the ironically titled "So Close" in late 1990). This was pretty good, but I prefer many others from them.
71: CANDLE IN THE WIND - ELTON JOHN (#6/3/12/21) - The original studio version (which I felt was far superior to this one) was a popular album cut from Elton's 1973 album Goodbye Yellowbrick Road, but it didn't hit the charts proper until he released this live version from one of his concerts in Melbourne, Australia.
70: DON'T BE CRUEL - CHEAP TRICK (#4/5/12/17) - This was the second of the two songs with this title on the chart, but while the Bobby Brown song was an original song, this was a remake of one of Elvis Presley's many classic hits. This wasn't bad, but I preferred many other songs from them.
69: ONE GOOD WOMAN - PETER CETERA (#4/3/13/18) - Chicago had just put out their second post-Cetera album and Peter himself put out a solo album around the same time. The first time around, Cetera had them beat, with two #1 singles, while Chicago's first album after Cetera had left the band, while it might have spawned four hits, only one of them hit the Top Ten. This time around, however, Chicago would have three Top 40 hits versus Peter's one Top 40 hit (or two, if you count his duet with Cher). This song was OK, but one of my least favorites from Cetera.
68: ROCKET 2 U - JETS (#6/4/13/22) - I'm not generally a big fan of their upbeat songs, but I actually liked this one.
67: IF IT ISN'T LOVE - NEW EDITION (#7/4/13/21) - Meh, at this point, they weren't New Edition anymore, since their voices had changed by now. I definitely preferred their earlier material.
66: CATCH ME I'M FALLING - PRETTY POISON (#8/3/14/23) - I remember this song during the skating rink scene in the movie Hiding Out. It's a pretty good song, but I preferred the other hit that the soundtrack spawned ("Live My Life" by Boy George, which I thought was totally underrated).
65: NEW SENSATION - INXS (#3/5/12/17) - 1988 had an unusually high number of Aussie acts. Oddly enough, most of their hits didn't chart high enough to make the survey, but INXS was by far the most successful, with all four of their hits making the big list. As mentioned before, I like this song,
64: PERFECT WORLD - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (#3/5/12/15) - Well, Huey Lewis' popularity seemed to be on a downslide. Even though this song was a Top Three hit, it was the only Top Ten from the album Small World, and ended up being his last Top Ten hit, but they definitely had a great run - I believe they were the top group/band of the 1980s. As for this song, it wasn't bad, but he definitely had many other hits that I preferred.
63: MERCEDES BOY - PEBBLES (#2/5/11/18) - Is it me, or were there more songs about cars and driving than usual in the summer of 1988? Who knows; maybe it seems like that because that was the summer I took Driver's Ed. Didn't get my license until seven years later, though (mainly due to procrastination). Anyway, I thought this song was a good one, though I preferred her duet with Babyface, "Love Makes Things Happen" in early 1991
62: 1-2-3 - GLORIA ESTEPHAN & THE MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (#3/5/13/19) - Well, this song did live up to one of the numbers mentioned, as it peaked at #3. Like The Jets, I generally like Gloria's slower songs (with and without the Miami Sound Machine) best. This one wasn't bad, though.
61: DIRTY DIANA - MICHAEL JACKSON (#1(1)/5/11/14) - We're up to the first of 31 #1 songs to make the survey. This one zipped up and down the chart pretty quickly (most likely because, like the situation with George Michael, everyone had the Bad album so not as many people bought the single)
60: GIRLFRIEND - PEBBLES (#5/5/12/20) - Wow, her two songs nearly ended up back-to-back on the countdown! I wonder how many points separated them? Anyway, this was a good one, but I slightly preferred her other song on the survey.
59: I WANT TO BE YOUR MAN - ROGER (#3/5/13/21) - Meh, not a big fan of this one. R.I.P., though.
58: SIGN YOUR NAME - TERRANCE TRENT DARBY (#4/5/13/21) - This and "Wishing Well" are pretty much the only two songs by him that I like (such was the case with the general Pop audience, as those were his only real big hits). I preferred this one - had a somewhat haunting sound to it.
57: I GET WEAK - BELINDA CARLISLE (#2/5/13/16) - She came so close to having two consecutive #1 hits, but this one just missed. This was definitely my favorite song from her sophomore album, as well as one of my all-time faves from her!
56: DESIRE - U2 (#3/5/13/17) - This song just barely made it onto the countdown, as it peaked the last week of November (I believe the cutoff date was December 3, but I'm not sure). This was a pretty good song, but I prefer a few others from them.
55: DON'T YOU WANT ME - JODY WATLEY (#6/6/14/23) - She seems to have pairs of songs that sound alike. Her next hit, "Some Kind Of Lover" sounds a lot like this one (and "Real Love" is a dead ringer for "Looking For A New Love"), plus A-minor seems to be her favorite key in which to sing, as most of her songs are in that key. I thought this song was pretty good.
54: OUT OF THE BLUE - DEBBIE GIBSON (#3/5/13/17) - his one looked like it would peak at #4, like her first two singles, but it managed to climb a spot higher the following week. This was a good song, but I much preferred the follow-up, which would go all the way to #1 and is coming up later in the show.
53: TELL IT TO MY HEART - TAYLOR DAYNE (#7/4/15/25) - I'd been hearing this one on Chicago's B96 about a month before it hit the chart, and I always thought that, based on the opening synth notes, it sounded like a dance version of Glenn Frey's "The One You Love". This was probably my favorite song from the album of the same title.
52: WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND - INFORMATION SOCIETY (#3/6/14/25) - The first of two Top Tens for this pop-dance quartet formed in Minneapolis. Nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
51: MAKE IT REAL - JETS (#4/5/13/20) - Hey how about that - two bands from Minneapolis back-to-back on the survey! This song peaked at #4, besting the #6 peak of "Rocket 2 U", also from the album Magic. This was a great song, though I slightly preferred "You Got It All".
50: WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS - PET SHOP BOYS w/DUSTY SPRINGFIELD (#2/5/13/18) - Meh, for some reason, this song just never did anything for me. Definitely one of my least favorite songs from them.
49: LOCOMOTION - KYLIE MINOGUE (#3/6/13/27) - The last of three versions of this song to hit the Top Ten. It was also the lowest peaking version of the song. I preferred the other two versions (by Little Eva and Grand Funk, both of which hit #1), though it would have been neat if this song had made it also, making it the first time that the same song performed a hat trick.
48: I DON'T WANT TO LIVE WITHOUT YOUR LOVE - CHICAGO (#3/5/13/21) - I generally preferred the band with Peter Cetera on lead vocals, but Bill Champlin, who sang lead on this song, would probably be my second favorite lead singer. This song was a pretty good one.
47: SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER - RICHARD MARX (#3/5/13/21) - I often compare this song to Kenny Loggins' "I'm Free (Heaven Helps The Man)" since they both sound alike. I prefer the Kenny Loggins song, but this is also a great one - my favorite from his self-titled album.
46: DEVIL INSIDE - INXS (#2/5/12/17) - Another song from one of the most successful acts of 1988. This and "New Sensation" are pretty much in a horse race for my favorite songs of the year.
45: MONKEY - GEORGE MICHAEL (#1(2)/6/12/16) - Michael, as well as being the top male act of 1988, was THE most successful act of the year overall, as all five of his charted hits made the survey.
44: TOGETHER FOREVER - RICK ASTLEY (#1(1)/6/12/18) - Ah, part 2 of "Never Gonna Give You Up". I prefer "Part 1", but my favorite song of 1988 was the underrated "It Would Take A Strong Strong Man". I do prefer this song over "She Wants To Dance With Me", which was starting its chart climb around the time that this countdown was broadcast.
43: I DON'T WANT TO GO ON WITH YOU LIKE THAT - ELTON JOHN (#2/6/13/18) - One of two "I Don't Wanna" songs on the survey - and those songs pretty much climbed the chart together. I preferred the other one, but this was a great one as well.
42: KOKOMO - BEACH BOYS (#1(1)/5/15/28) - Who knew that the Beach Boys, more famous for their 1960s hits, would still be hitting #1 in the late 1980s? This is possibly the song of theirs that receives the most recurrent airplay, especially since 1960s hits have pretty much disappeared from oldies stations.
41: BAD MEDICINE - BON JOVI (#1(2)/6/12/20) - Another late 1988 #1 song, the first of five Top Ten hits from the album named after the state where they formed, New Jersey. It was pretty much just there IMO, though it sure doesn't get much in the way of recurrent airplay.
40: SHE'S LIKE THE WIND - PATRICK SWAYZE WITH WENDY FRASER (#3/6/13/21) - From the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, one of the most successful of all time, this was sung by one of the stars of the movie, the late Patrick Swayze. It was a good song - please don't even get me started about how Lumidee went and messed it up...
39: RED RED WINE - UB40 (#1(1)/6/12/25) - This was the song's second appearance on the chart - it peaked at #34 in 19785
38: MAKE ME LOSE CONTROL - ERIC CARMEN (#3/6/13/20) - It seems to me that at least half the time, they cut the second verse in the song. Such was the case with this show, but I guess cramming 100 songs into 8 hours necessitated a little editing.
37: DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY - BOBBY McFERRIN (#1(2)/6/13/26) - This song doesn't get much recurrent airplay, but it sure was played ad nauseum during its chart run, wasn't it? At this point, I didn't care if I never heard the song again, but now it's not so bad.
36: THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL - MICHAEL JACKSON (#1/6/13/18) - Michael Jackson also had quite a year, with five big hits within the year (though two of them didn't make it - one peaked too low, the other didn't quite make the cutoff date (and based on its stats, might not have made it anyway). This would be my favorite of his three songs on the countdown, though my sentiments were quite different back in the day, since I hated this song back then - I referred to it as "a dicky song" in my journal entry when this song was #1. Now I think it's a good song!
35: HAZY SHADE OF WINTER - BANGLES (#2/5/14/21) - This song came out the right time of year for its title, as it peaked in the dead of winter - as a matter of fact, I believe we had a good-sized snowstorm that very day (2/6/1988). This song was OK, but one of my least favorite songs from them.
34: ANGEL - AEROSMITH (#3/5/15/25) - This was one of my favorite songs in the world when it came out and, based on its initial chart performance, I was worried that it was not going to do very well - however, it went on the become their biggest hit up to that point, and remained that way for over ten years. One of their all-time best, indeed!
33: WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO - WHITNEY HOUSTON (#1(2)/6/13/18) - This was also one of my favorite songs of 1988 (and it charted around the same time as the Aerosmith song). So glad that this song made it to #1!
32: FOOLISH BEAT - DEBBIE GIBSON (#1(2)/6/14/20) - Another one of my favorite songs of the year, by then 18-year old Debbie Gibson. Several times during the song's chart run (as well as this show), they cut out the bridge, going right from the end of the second chorus, to the part near the end where she sings "do do doo doo doo", making for a very bad edit - totally screwing up the continuity of the song. Oh well...
31: ENDLESS SUMMER NIGHTS - RICHARD MARX (#2/6/15/21) - It looked as though this was going to be Marx's first #1 song, but it didn't quite make it. It was a good song, though not quite as good as many of his other hits.
30: LOVE BITES - DEF LEPPARD (#1(1)/6/13/23) - After over five years of charting, they finally had their first #1 song, with their only power ballad that they released from their behemoth album Hysteria, which spawned a total of seven singles!
29: GROOVY KIND OF LOVE - PHIL COLLINS (#1(2)/6/13/23) - The original version of this song, by the Mindbenders, was a mid-tempo song, but Phil turned it into a ballad - and it apparently worked, as the song went all the way to the top. It was a great one, but I preferred his next hit, "Two Hearts", which also went to #1.
28: NAUGHTY GIRLS NEED LOVE TOO - SAMANTHA FOX (#3/6/14/27) - Of her four Top 40 hits, this was the biggest. Wasn't quite one of my favorites, and it was pretty much rehashed in her next Top 40 hit "I Wanna Have Some Fun". I preferred "Touch Me" and her cover of "I Only Wanna Be With You", as well as their Top 40 miss from the previous summer, "Do Ya Do Ya (Wanna Please Me).
27: FATHER FIGURE - GEORGE MICHAEL (#1(2)/6/13/17) - He was really on a roll with big solo hits - this was his second #1, and he definitely didn't stop there. I like this song a lot better than I did back during its chart run, when it seemed that I heard this one no less than ten times a day.
26: SHATTERED DREAMS - JOHNNY HATES JAZZ (#2/6/13/19) - Here's a song that was kept out of the top spot by another George Michael hit (coming up later) This was my favorite of their three songs from Turn Back The Clock? The title track, which was an AC-only hit late that year, would be a close second
25: HUNGRY EYES - ERIC CARMEN (#4/5/16/25) - This song peaked a spot lower than his other 1988 hit, but spent a longer time in the Top 40 and on the Hot 100, enabling it to be ranked higher on the year-ender. I preferred that other song - I never really got into this one, for some reason.
24: HOLD ON TO THE NIGHTS - RICHARD MARX (#1(1)/6/14/21) - A rare example of the final release from an album (that spawned three or more hits) was the biggest. The first three hit the Top Five, but this one went all the way. I preferred several others from him, though - most of them from Repeat Offender.
23: SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE - ROBERT PALMER (#2/6/14/20) - Meh, this is another one that was overplayed - and it wasn't one of my favorite songs in the first place.
22: SHAKE YOUR LOVE - DEBBIE GIBSON (#4/7/15/22) - I like most of her hits, but always thought this one was a little too teenybopper sounding for my tastes.
21: MAN IN THE MIRROR - MICHAEL JACKSON (#1(2)/7/13/17) - His fourth of what was then a record five #1 hits from the same album. The song definitely has a good message, but is still far from being his best, IMO
20: I'LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU - TAYLOR DAYNE (#3/6/16/30) - Meh, this song was sort of a yawner. Odd, as her other Top Five ballad, "Love Will Lead You Back" is possibly my favorite from her.
19: POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME - DEF LEPPARD (#2/7/15/24) - This song just missed hitting #1 on AT40 (Richard Marx leapfrogged over it), but it did manage to make it on the R&R chart. It was a good song, IMO
18: WILD WILD WEST - ESCAPE CLUB (#1(1)/7/16/27) - This song was pretty good, but the video for the song always creeped me out.
17: IS THIS LOVE - WHITESNAKE (#2/7/13/19) - Their second hit, and both of them hit the Top Ten. In fact, they came close to having their first two hits make it all the way to the top, as this song made it to #2, shut out by a song that was definitely unstoppable. Anyway, I slightly prefer this over their first hit "Here I Go Again" - both are good songs.
16: SEASONS CHANGE - EXPOSE (#1(1)/6/16/20) - 1988 was definitely the year for the rare "last single with most success". We've already talked about Richard Marx, and the Jets also did it with "Make It Real". This was the ultimate example - their first two hits from Exposure peaked at #5, and the third, which was a ballad, got as high as #7. Who knew that the fourth hit, another ballad, would make it all the way to the top! Though I preferred "Point Of No Return", as well as other songs from other albums of theirs, this was a great one as well!
15: GET OUT OF MY DREAMS GET INTO MY CAR - BILLY OCEAN (#1(2)/7/14/20) - This song, inspired by songs by Ringo Starr and the Rolling Stones, was R&R's top song of 1988, and it snagged a decent position on Billboard's year-ender as well. I liked this song - reminded me a little of his 1986 hit "When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going", only it had a different tempo.
14: THE FLAME - CHEAP TRICK (#1(2)/6/14/27) - After an eight-year absence from the chart, Cheap Trick came back in a major way, as this song went all the way to the top and was one of the most played songs of the summer of 1988. As a result, I'm still kind of burned out on this one, but it's tolerable. Still, I preferred many of their earlier hits, including "I Want You To Want Me" and "Voices".
13: ANYTHING FOR YOU - GLORIA ESTEFAN (#1(2)/7/14/23) - This was their only #1 song (as a group, anyway, as Gloria went on two have two #1 songs on her own). It was a good song - they played the "Spanglish" version of the song on this show, like they did on many other occasions during its chart run.
12: WISHING WELL - TERRANCE TRENT DARBY (#1(1)/6/15/25) - Like "Angel", this song had sort of a slow start on the charts, but it picked up steam and went all the way to the top! I liked it, but, as stated earlier, I preferred his next hit, "Sign Your Name".
11: ONE MORE TRY - GEORGE MICHAEL (#1(3)/7/14/18) - This is said song that shut "Shattered Dreams" out of the top spot. Of George Michael's five hits on the big list, this was definitely my favorite. I remember when "Father Figure" was riding high on the charts, I listened to the "Faith" album for the first time and heard this song. I loved it instantly and hoped it would be released next and, sure enough, it was. This was one of very few songs to top the chart for more than two weeks in 1988. How I miss the days when the charts moved fast! There was absolutely no need for a recurrent rule.
10: ROLL WITH IT - STEVE WINWOOD (#1(4)/7/14/18) - This was the longest-running #1 song within the 1988 calendar year. However, since the song had a somewhat fast-rise, and fast fall (didn't even spend 20 weeks on the Hot 100), it didn't even come close to being the top song of the year. I remember that I hated this song with a passion when it first came out, but then I gradually grew to like it more and more. This is a great one to crank up while driving (but not too loud, especially in cities with noise ordinances, lol!)
9: HANDS TO HEAVEN - BREATHE (#2/6/19/29) - Well, here is the top-ranked song on the chart that didn't quite make it to the top. It was shut out by the Steve Winwood song that we just talked about, but it had the last laugh when it was ranked higher on the year-ender. When I first heard this song, I thought it was a new hit by Air Supply - the singer sounded a lot like Russell Hitchcock in the choruses. I liked this song at first, but overplay tarnished it for me. I preferred their songs on their Peace Of Mind album two years later.
8: COULD'VE BEEN - TIFFANY (#1(2)/6/14/20) - This was her second Top 40 hit and, like her first, it went to #1. I definitely prefer this one over her lame Tommy James cover, which, of course, was her other #1.
7: HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH - BELINDA CARLISLE (#1(1)/6/15/21)
6: SO EMOTIONAL - WHITNEY HOUSTON (#1(1)/8/14/19) - This would become Whitney's sixth number one in a row (limited to songs that hit the Hot 100, that is), setting a record. I liked this one, but much preferred the next release, "Where Do Broken Hearts Go", which would extend her #1 streak to seven.
5: SWEET CHILD OF MINE - GUNS & ROSES (#1(2)/7/14/24) - This is the song that started their chart career, and remains their biggest hit to date. It's a good song - one of my favorites from them.
4: NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP - RICK ASTLEY (#1(2)/7/14/24) - This was his biggest hit of 1988, and the biggest song of the entire year whose chart run was within the chart year (which started with the 12/6/87 chart). As I said, this song and "Together Forever" are pretty much the same song, but I slightly preferred this one. My favorite song from Whenever You Need Somebody" - it would be a close race between the aforementioned "It Would Take A Strong, Strong Man" and the title track, the latter of which wasn't released here in the states (though I believe it made an appearance on the dance charts).
3: GOT MY MIND SET ON YOU - GEORGE HARRISON (#1(1)/8/15/22) - This was George's first hit in over six years, and he picked up right where he left off, as this was a big hit like "All Those Years Ago", his last one before this (only this one went to #1 on the Hot 100). I liked the song when it first came out, but to this day, I'm still a tad burned out on it due to overplay.
2: NEED YOU TONIGHT - INXS (#1(1)/8/17/25) - The first of four Top 40 hits from what would become their best singles album, Kick. I wasn't a huge fan of it, or INXS in general, but they did have a few good songs (this just wasn't one of them).
1: FAITH - GEORGE MICHAEL (#1(4)/9/15/20) - Not one of his best songs by any means, but that's all I will say about it. R.I.P. George Michael.