I talk a lot about how the summer of 1984 was the greatest moment in pop music history, normally backing that up with examples of some of the songs that were on the chart that summer.<\/p>\n
As I was listening to a 1984 countdown a couple weeks ago, it struck me again how freaking solid those 40 songs were. There were a few duds, as there are in any countdown. But there were also a ton of timeless tracks that still get heavy airplay on Eighties stations today.<\/p>\n
So why not go through a countdown from that summer to see just how loaded it was?<\/p>\n
All my music ratings are highly subjective. In this case, I\u2019m taking it to a whole new level of stupidity, rating each song on a highly arbitrary scale that factors in my like\/dislike, how big of a hit it was at the time, if it is viewed as that act\u2019s biggest hit, and then if it had a lasting cultural impact. I can\u2019t say that I\u2019ll weigh each of these factors equally from song to song. I\u2019ll rank them on a scale from one-to-five, five being The Unforgettables.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not sure if my ratings would hold up if given any serious, scientific scrutiny. We\u2019re here to have fun, so don\u2019t overthink them.<\/p>\n
Here is the chart for the week ending August 11, 1984. That week I would have been in the midst of my month-long visit to my grandparents\u2019 homes in central Kansas, listening on my Pioneer boom box.<\/p>\n
(I\u2019ve copied\/pasted these straight from the terrific Top40weekly.com site and kept their formatting because I don\u2019t want to fix it all.)<\/p>\n
1 – GHOSTBUSTERS \u2013\u2022\u2013 Ray Parker, Jr. Biggest song of his career, theme for one of the biggest movies of the decade. Kitchy and silly, but it still gets played, both ironically and un-ironically. 5<\/strong><\/p>\n 2 – WHEN DOVES CRY \u2013\u2022\u2013 Prince Biggest song of the year from the biggest artist of the year. 5<\/strong><\/p>\n 3 – STATE OF SHOCK \u2013\u2022\u2013 The Jacksons with Mick Jagger When you think of Michael Jackson, The Jacksons, or Mick Jagger, this will not be very high on the list. All three of them had better songs in 1984. The ending is very cringey. 2<\/strong><\/p>\n 4 – WHAT\u2019S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT \u2013\u2022\u2013 Tina Turner The song that kicked off the greatest comeback in music history, and the most iconic song of an iconic career. 5<\/strong><\/p>\n 5 – SAD SONGS (Say So Much) \u2013\u2022\u2013 Elton John Maybe his best song of the 80s? Top three for sure. 3<\/strong><\/p>\n 6 – STUCK ON YOU \u2013\u2022\u2013 Lionel Richie The weakest of his big hits from 1983\u201384. 2<\/strong><\/p>\n 7 – DANCING IN THE DARK \u2013\u2022\u2013 Bruce Springsteen The song that made Bruce BRUCE to the masses. 5<\/strong><\/p>\n 8 – I CAN DREAM ABOUT YOU \u2013\u2022\u2013 Dan Hartman I love this song. But I doubt that\u2019s the case for most people. I\u2019m sadly calling it a 3<\/strong> since I might be the only person in the world who still gets excited when I hear it.<\/p>\n 9 – INFATUATION \u2013\u2022\u2013 Rod Stewart I bet the video had whatever supermodel he was dating at the time in it. It sure sounds slight and of its time now. Pretty low on his career best list, too. 2<\/strong><\/p>\n 10 – SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT \u2013\u2022\u2013 Corey Hart One of these days I\u2019ll write about Corey Hart, who had a better and longer career than most people realize. This is THE song from his career, though. It is a must on any 80s compilation. 5<\/strong><\/p>\n 11 – BREAKIN\u2019\u2026 THERE\u2019S NO STOPPING US \u2013\u2022\u2013 Ollie & Jerry As with Dan Hartman above, a song I love but was never sticky in the culture. Another sad 3<\/strong>.<\/p>\n 12 – MISSING YOU \u2013\u2022\u2013 John Waite This is a great song and the biggest of Waite\u2019s solo career. Not quite iconic, but pretty freaking good. 4<\/strong><\/p>\n 13 – IF EVER YOU\u2019RE IN MY ARMS AGAIN \u2013\u2022\u2013 Peabo Bryson Mid\u201380s, lite R&B schmaltz. 1<\/strong><\/p>\n 14 – LEGS \u2013\u2022\u2013 ZZ Top When a good video on MTV could make even bearded good ol\u2019 boys from Texas into pop stars. 4<\/strong><\/p>\n 15 – PANAMA \u2013\u2022\u2013 Van Halen \u201cJump\u201d was the bigger hit, but this was the better song. Arguably the band\u2019s peak. 4<\/strong><\/p>\n 16 – EYES WITHOUT A FACE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Billy Idol Great track, but \u201cRebel Yell\u201d or \u201cWhite Wedding\u201d are what you think of first when you think of Billy. 4<\/strong><\/p>\n 17 – ROUND AND ROUND \u2013\u2022\u2013 Ratt Arguably the song that ushered in the glam metal sound that was huge in the back half of the \u201880s. The video that was very popular with dickheads like me. 4<\/strong><\/p>\n 18 – JUMP (For My Love) \u2013\u2022\u2013 The Pointer Sisters Nice song, but I bet you think of \u201cNeutron Dance\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m So Excited\u201d way before this. 3<\/strong><\/p>\n 19 – IF THIS IS IT \u2013\u2022\u2013 Huey Lewis & The News Did you know they had three-straight singles that peaked at #6 in 1984? Did they make a deal with the devil?!?! Fortunately they had a much bigger hit a year later that keeps us from having to decide which of those \u201984 tracks was their finest overall. 4<\/strong><\/p>\n 20 – SHE BOP \u2013\u2022\u2013 Cyndi Lauper Good enough song, but her third-best track of 1984. 3<\/strong><\/p>\n 21 – SHE\u2019S MINE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Steve Perry I was really into Perry\u2019s first solo album back then. Can\u2019t say the songs beyond \u201cOh Sherrie\u201d hold up. 2<\/strong><\/p>\n 22 – ROCK ME TONITE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Billy Squier As it gave us one of the worst, most cringey videos of all time, it has a special place in history and gets an extra bump. 4<\/strong><\/p>\n 23 – LIGHTS OUT \u2013\u2022\u2013 Peter Wolf The first solo hit by the J Geil\u2019s Band\u2019s lead singer. Not super memorable. 2<\/strong><\/p>\n 24 – SEXY GIRL \u2013\u2022\u2013 Glenn Frey Yuck. 1<\/strong><\/p>\n 25 – THE WARRIOR \u2013\u2022\u2013 Scandal Featuring One of the great one-hit-wonders of the decade. Great song, great video. 5<\/strong><\/p>\n 26 – I\u2019M FREE (Heaven Helps The Man) \u2013\u2022\u2013 Kenny Loggins I shared not too long ago that this was the best track on the Footloose<\/em> soundtrack. Our third 3<\/strong> that makes me sad.<\/p>\n 27 – THE GLAMOROUS LIFE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Sheila E. Checks every box you need to check to earn a 5<\/strong>, including being written by Prince.<\/p>\n 28 – SELF CONTROL \u2013\u2022\u2013 Laura Branigan Sorry, if it ain\u2019t \u201cGloria\u201d no one is going to remember it. 2<\/strong><\/p>\n 29 – ALIBIS \u2013\u2022\u2013 Sergio Mendes White dude yowling pop (Joe Pizzulo sang the lead). 2<\/strong><\/p>\n 30 – ALL OF YOU \u2013\u2022\u2013 Julio Iglesias & Diana Ross Oof. 1<\/strong><\/p>\n 31 – LEAVE A TENDER MOMENT ALONE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Billy Joel Billy cranked out a lot of hits from his An Innocent Man<\/em> album. The fact this was the only one not to reach the Top 20 is telling. 2<\/strong><\/p>\n 32 TURN TO YOU \u2013\u2022\u2013 The Go-Go\u2019s Pales in comparison to their classic hits. 3<\/strong><\/p>\n 33 DYNAMITE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Jermaine Jackson I have a big, soft spot in my heart for this song, mostly because of its goofy ass video. 3<\/strong><\/p>\n 34 DRIVE \u2013\u2022\u2013 The Cars What Cars song you think of first is very dependent on your age. Not one of my personal favorites so 3<\/strong> to me, 4<\/strong> to the world.<\/p>\n 35 LET\u2019S GO CRAZY \u2013\u2022\u2013 Prince & The Revolution Prince was so not fucking around in 1984. 5<\/strong><\/p>\n 36 WHEN YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES \u2013\u2022\u2013 Night Ranger My personal favorite Night Ranger song. But, come on, mention their name and there\u2019s another song from 1984 that EVERYONE thinks of first. 4<\/strong> to me, 3<\/strong> to the world.<\/p>\n 37 CRUEL SUMMER \u2013\u2022\u2013 Bananarama I really struggled with this one. I can\u2019t decide whether it is a classic of the decade, or just another fun song tied to a very popular movie. I\u2019ll split the difference and call it a 4<\/strong> but open to arguments that it is either a 3<\/strong> or 5<\/strong>.<\/p>\n 38 ALMOST PARADISE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Mike Reno & Ann Wilson I have some good friends that love this song. I think it\u2019s trash. But it was from Footloose<\/em> and a lot of people probably slow-danced to it with people that were very important to them, so I\u2019ll give it a 2<\/strong>.<\/p>\n 39 MY, OH MY \u2013\u2022\u2013 Slade Zero memory. Zero cultural relevance. 1<\/strong><\/p>\n 40 RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Eurythmics The Eurythmics were a great band and I don\u2019t think they ever made a bad song. But even Mr. Big Music Brain me forgot about this one. 2<\/strong> because I bet no one else remembers it either.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I talk a lot about how the summer of 1984 was the greatest moment in pop music history, normally backing that up with examples of some of the songs that were on the chart that summer. As I was listening to a 1984 countdown a couple weeks ago, it struck me again how freaking solid those 40 songs were. There were a few duds, as there are in any countdown. But there were also a ton of timeless tracks that still get heavy airplay on Eighties stations today. So why not go through a countdown from that summer to see just how loaded it was? All my music ratings are highly subjective. In this case, I\u2019m taking it to a whole new level of stupidity, rating each song on a highly arbitrary scale that factors in my like\/dislike, how big of a hit it was at the time, if it is viewed as that act\u2019s biggest hit, and then if it had a lasting cultural impact. I can\u2019t say that I\u2019ll weigh each of these factors equally from song to song. I\u2019ll rank them on a scale from one-to-five, five being The Unforgettables. I\u2019m not sure if my ratings would hold up if given any serious, scientific scrutiny. We\u2019re here to have fun, so don\u2019t overthink them. Here is the chart for the week ending August 11, 1984. That week I would have been in the midst of my month-long visit to my grandparents\u2019 homes in central Kansas, listening on my Pioneer boom box. (I\u2019ve copied\/pasted these straight from the terrific Top40weekly.com site and kept their formatting because I don\u2019t want to fix it all.) 1 – GHOSTBUSTERS \u2013\u2022\u2013 Ray Parker, Jr. Biggest song of his career, theme for one of the biggest movies of the decade. Kitchy and silly, but it still gets played, both ironically and un-ironically. 5 2 – WHEN DOVES CRY \u2013\u2022\u2013 Prince Biggest song of the year from the biggest artist of the year. 5 3 – STATE OF SHOCK \u2013\u2022\u2013 The Jacksons with Mick Jagger When you think of Michael Jackson, The Jacksons, or Mick Jagger, this will not be very high on the list. All three of them had better songs in 1984. The ending is very cringey. 2 4 – WHAT\u2019S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT \u2013\u2022\u2013 Tina Turner The song that kicked off the greatest comeback in music history, and the most iconic song of an iconic career. 5 5 – SAD SONGS (Say So Much) \u2013\u2022\u2013 Elton John Maybe his best song of the 80s? Top three for sure. 3 6 – STUCK ON YOU \u2013\u2022\u2013 Lionel Richie The weakest of his big hits from 1983\u201384. 2 7 – DANCING IN THE DARK \u2013\u2022\u2013 Bruce Springsteen The song that made Bruce BRUCE to the masses. 5 8 – I CAN DREAM ABOUT YOU \u2013\u2022\u2013 Dan Hartman I love this song. But I doubt that\u2019s the case for most people. I\u2019m sadly calling it a 3 since I might be the only person in the world who still gets excited when I hear it. 9 – INFATUATION \u2013\u2022\u2013 Rod Stewart I bet the video had whatever supermodel he was dating at the time in it. It sure sounds slight and of its time now. Pretty low on his career best list, too. 2 10 – SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT \u2013\u2022\u2013 Corey Hart One of these days I\u2019ll write about Corey Hart, who had a better and longer career than most people realize. This is THE song from his career, though. It is a must on any 80s compilation. 5 11 – BREAKIN\u2019\u2026 THERE\u2019S NO STOPPING US \u2013\u2022\u2013 Ollie & Jerry As with Dan Hartman above, a song I love but was never sticky in the culture. Another sad 3. 12 – MISSING YOU \u2013\u2022\u2013 John Waite This is a great song and the biggest of Waite\u2019s solo career. Not quite iconic, but pretty freaking good. 4 13 – IF EVER YOU\u2019RE IN MY ARMS AGAIN \u2013\u2022\u2013 Peabo Bryson Mid\u201380s, lite R&B schmaltz. 1 14 – LEGS \u2013\u2022\u2013 ZZ Top When a good video on MTV could make even bearded good ol\u2019 boys from Texas into pop stars. 4 15 – PANAMA \u2013\u2022\u2013 Van Halen \u201cJump\u201d was the bigger hit, but this was the better song. Arguably the band\u2019s peak. 4 16 – EYES WITHOUT A FACE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Billy Idol Great track, but \u201cRebel Yell\u201d or \u201cWhite Wedding\u201d are what you think of first when you think of Billy. 4 17 – ROUND AND ROUND \u2013\u2022\u2013 Ratt Arguably the song that ushered in the glam metal sound that was huge in the back half of the \u201880s. The video that was very popular with dickheads like me. 4 18 – JUMP (For My Love) \u2013\u2022\u2013 The Pointer Sisters Nice song, but I bet you think of \u201cNeutron Dance\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m So Excited\u201d way before this. 3 19 – IF THIS IS IT \u2013\u2022\u2013 Huey Lewis & The News Did you know they had three-straight singles that peaked at #6 in 1984? Did they make a deal with the devil?!?! Fortunately they had a much bigger hit a year later that keeps us from having to decide which of those \u201984 tracks was their finest overall. 4 20 – SHE BOP \u2013\u2022\u2013 Cyndi Lauper Good enough song, but her third-best track of 1984. 3 21 – SHE\u2019S MINE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Steve Perry I was really into Perry\u2019s first solo album back then. Can\u2019t say the songs beyond \u201cOh Sherrie\u201d hold up. 2 22 – ROCK ME TONITE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Billy Squier As it gave us one of the worst, most cringey videos of all time, it has a special place in history and gets an extra bump. 4 23 – LIGHTS OUT \u2013\u2022\u2013 Peter Wolf The first solo hit by the J Geil\u2019s Band\u2019s lead singer. Not super memorable. 2 24 – SEXY GIRL \u2013\u2022\u2013 Glenn Frey Yuck. 1 25 – THE WARRIOR \u2013\u2022\u2013 Scandal Featuring One of the great one-hit-wonders of the decade. Great song, great video. 5 26 – I\u2019M FREE (Heaven Helps The Man) \u2013\u2022\u2013 Kenny Loggins I shared not too long ago that this was the best track on the Footloose soundtrack. Our third 3 that makes me sad. 27 – THE GLAMOROUS LIFE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Sheila E. Checks every box you need to check to earn a 5, including being written by Prince. 28 – SELF CONTROL \u2013\u2022\u2013 Laura Branigan Sorry, if it ain\u2019t \u201cGloria\u201d no one is going to remember it. 2 29 – ALIBIS \u2013\u2022\u2013 Sergio Mendes White dude yowling pop (Joe Pizzulo sang the lead). 2 30 – ALL OF YOU \u2013\u2022\u2013 Julio Iglesias & Diana Ross Oof. 1 31 – LEAVE A TENDER MOMENT ALONE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Billy Joel Billy cranked out a lot of hits from his An Innocent Man album. The fact this was the only one not to reach the Top 20 is telling. 2 32 TURN TO YOU \u2013\u2022\u2013 The Go-Go\u2019s Pales in comparison to their classic hits. 3 33 DYNAMITE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Jermaine Jackson I have a big, soft spot in my heart for this song, mostly because of its goofy ass video. 3 34 DRIVE \u2013\u2022\u2013 The Cars What Cars song you think of first is very dependent on your age. Not one of my personal favorites so 3 to me, 4 to the world. 35 LET\u2019S GO CRAZY \u2013\u2022\u2013 Prince & The Revolution Prince was so not fucking around in 1984. 5 36 WHEN YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES \u2013\u2022\u2013 Night Ranger My personal favorite Night Ranger song. But, come on, mention their name and there\u2019s another song from 1984 that EVERYONE thinks of first. 4 to me, 3 to the world. 37 CRUEL SUMMER \u2013\u2022\u2013 Bananarama I really struggled with this one. I can\u2019t decide whether it is a classic of the decade, or just another fun song tied to a very popular movie. I\u2019ll split the difference and call it a 4 but open to arguments that it is either a 3 or 5. 38 ALMOST PARADISE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Mike Reno & Ann Wilson I have some good friends that love this song. I think it\u2019s trash. But it was from Footloose and a lot of people probably slow-danced to it with people that were very important to them, so I\u2019ll give it a 2. 39 MY, OH MY \u2013\u2022\u2013 Slade Zero memory. Zero cultural relevance. 1 40 RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE \u2013\u2022\u2013 Eurythmics The Eurythmics were a great band and I don\u2019t think they ever made a bad song. But even Mr. Big Music Brain me forgot about this one. 2 because I bet no one else remembers it either.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[40,9,39],"class_list":["post-12127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-at40","tag-music","tag-rfts"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12127"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12127\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12130,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12127\/revisions\/12130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}