1984

Well it’s that time of the year when everyone picks their favorite songs and albums of 2013. This year I’m celebrating by picking all of my songs from the year 1984. 

Included below is a full list of my favorite jams on a Spotify playlist if you want to throw a log in the fire, get out a few board games, open a bottle of wine and casually debate whether or not the Big Brother concept is alive and well today…

John Waite – Missing You

I have no idea why I’m starting with this song but here are two interesting facts you probably never cared to know about Mr Waite…1) This song beat out Tina Turner’s What’s Love Got To Do With It? for #1 on the US charts so Tina decided to record Missing You herself which became a top 100 hit again. 2) John Waite was in Bad English and had a #1 hit in 1989 with this song. 

Prince – When Doves Cry

I can’t find a video on youtube that doesn’t rickroll you so here is a clip of Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner presenting Prince an Oscar for Purple Rain and him accepting in a resplendent shiny purple hooded wardrobe thing. Important side note: One of my favorite movies as a kid was Romancing The Stone starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner therefore this clip has even more meaning to me than you originally cared to know. Bruce Springsteen has to have a personal disdain for this song as it forever blocked Dancing In The Dark from reaching #1 keeping the Boss from NEVER having a #1 hit on the Billboard Top 100 chart.

Tina Turner – What’s Love Got To Do With It

This is Tina Turner’s only solo #1 hit in America. She was without a hit on the charts for over 24 years until this song was released in 1984 on her fifth solo album. Tina was 44 when went it reached #1 and she held the record for the oldest solo female to have a #1 hit until Cher’s Believe made it the top of the charts when she was 53 years old.

Madonna – Lucky Star

Lucky Star was the first top 5 hit in a record breaking string of 16 top ten hits for Madonna.

Bruce Springsteen – Dancing In The Dark

This was the last song written for the Born in the USA album because some guy named Landau “needed a hit”.

Also, never forget:

And never forget that Prince forever blocked Bruce from his closest shot at a #1 song.

Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time

I have a soft spot for this song in a big way. Supposedly the title was inspired by Malcolm McDowell’s sci fi flick and was written with Rob Hyman of the Hooters who would be named best new band of 1985 by Rolling Stone.

Until tonight I had no idea that Miles Davis covered Time After Time on his album You’re Under Arrest:

Here’s a live performance of the song as well:

Thompson Twins – Hold Me Now

I just love this song for some reason…maybe it’s the falsetto near the end?

Sheila E – The Glamorous Life

Prince’s reign continues in 1984 by writing this song and giving it to Sheila E – no surprise there.

Also, am I crazy or does it sound like this hit from 2005 ripped off this song?

Huey Lewis & The News – The Heart of Rock & Roll

There is nothing I can write that will explain Huey Lewis better than Christian Bale in American Psycho:

The Cars – Drive

Benjamin Orr, not Ric Ocasek, sang The Cars’ biggest hit. I love this song.

Banarama – Cruel Summer

Evidently this song floated around without a home on a chart in for a year in 1983 and finally blew up in 1984 thanks to the song’s inclusion in the Karate Kid movie meaning the Banarama holiday card that year looked something like this:

Van Halen – Jump

This is the only number one song for the Van Halen bros and they loved 1984 so much they named their album after it.

Ray Parker, Jr – Ghostbusters

It’s hard to imagine this song being #1 for three weeks but alas it was…it was also the basis for a fun law suit between our friends Huey Lewis & The News who claimed the song sounded too much like I Want A New Drug. The lawsuit was settled out of court once they found out who the judge of the case would be:

Phil Collins – Against All Odds

Our good friend Phil won a Grammy for this song, his first #1 as a solo artist. Later that year he released the classic Easy Lover and just rolled right into 1985 by releasing No Jacket Required which gave him three #1 hits, the most of any other artist that year.

Stevie Wonder – I Just Called To Say I Love You

Remember when Claire Huxtable sang this song with Mr. Wonder:

Corey Hart – Sunglasses At Night

You can’t have a best of list from the 80’s with a little Corey Hart:

Michael Jackson – Thriller

The fact that this album has sold over 29 million copies in the United States ALONE warrants inclusion on any list and seems fitting to end with.

Here’s wishing everyone a safe and happy new year’s eve…

Spotify Playlist: