The Ides of March, "Vehicle"...A bit on the macho side, but it jumps out of the radio.
The Undisputed Truth, "Smiling Faces Sometimes"...Our four-record set of 64 Motown hits had this haunting one on it. More on the album:
www.45worlds.com/vinyl/album/nc353196usJonathan Edwards, "Sunshine"...A simple folk arrangement for a tune that spoke to people's mindsets at the time. Not exactly Thomas Dolby.
Deodato, "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)"...This Brazilian giant broke through by rolling classical, jazz, and R&B into one song.
David Essex, "Rock On"...A quirky production that caught everyone's ear.
Pilot, "Magic"...Produced by Alan Parsons, this uplifting record has shown outstanding staying power.
Elvin Bishop, "Fooled Around and Fell in Love"...A blues guitar phenom had help from the right sources.
The Sanford-Townsend Band, "Smoke from a Distant Fire"...Expertly played, sung, and written. Hey, Warner Bros., why no other chart dents?
Santa Esmeralda Starring Leroy Gomez, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"...Got hooked on drums for good thanks in part to this one. First flamenco song to go top-40?
Bobby Caldwell, "What You Won't Do for Love"...When I discovered used record stores in the '90s, the heart-shaped pressing was a must-have.
The S.O.S. Band, "Take Your Time (Do It Right)"...No better advice was ever given in a song title. Disco wasn't dead.
Delbert McClinton, "Giving It Up for Your Love"...It was a happy go-to for radio in the sad and mellow first quarter of '81.
Patrice Rushen, "Forget Me Nots"...A simple jazz-funk arrangement with a subtle yet infectious bass line.
Thomas Dolby, "She Blinded Me with Science"...The ultimate nerd-funk anthem from a guy whose work with Foreigner alone was enough to seal his place in rock history.
Talk Talk, "It's My Life"...The late Mark Hollis sounded like a young Pete Townshend, but with more sadness and self-doubt in that voice.
Godley & Creme, "Cry"...In its time, a quirky chance of pace from cookie cutter power ballads and fourth, fifth, and sixth singles from albums by already overplayed artists.
Oran "Juice" Jones, "The Rain"...Stick with this one through the mellow hip-hop first section and the Juice rewards you with the funniest spoken portion of any '80s hit.
The Georgia Satellites, "Keep Your Hands to Yourself"...Come on, man, she's got you by the short 'n' curlies. Convince yourself that it's your life!
Midnight Oil, "Beds Are Burning"...It's almost a full-circle thing that started to happen in the late '80s: Topical music was welcome on the charts once again.
Kix, "Don't Close Your Eyes"...After omitting several records from FT20 that made passing references to taking one's own life, I sent this anti-suicide anthem to #1.
Faith No More, "Epic"...Rock 'n' roll and hip-hop collided as pop music entered its slowest period of the Casey/Shadoe/pre-BDS-SoundScan era: fall '90 and winter '91.
Oleta Adams, "Get Here"...Sure, I'll windsurf to my lover who's waiting at home. Or ride a hot air balloon. Or swing rope to rope. Or jump on a carpet. Yeah, I got this.