Billboard 1988: The Rankdown (Winner Revealed)

[Unhinged]

#41

The Flame

Cheap Trick

Total Points: 1668

Billboard Hot 100: 1⁽¹⁾

Billboard Top 100 of 1988: 14

From: Lap of Luxury

Reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100 the week ending July 9, 1988, "The Flame" was the groups only No. 1 hit and launched what was considered to be their comeback, albeit short lived.

Early on when I was calculating the rankdown, this was in the Top 5 but it steadily decreased as the submissions came in (for those that don't know, the order the member names are in is the order that I received submissions - I always tack mine on at the end even though I generally include my list somewhere in the middle).

Top 40 tomorrow!

🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 - 13
Butterflies & Hurricanes - 31
craziaskowboi - 13
mamooshka - 58
campbellssoup - 19
gonecountry - 12
newpower - 27
tallen2001 - 41
singingrulebritannia - 99
God - 93
@crapkuki23 - 36
astorknight - 74
Alex1901 - 64
Doc Indie Party Rock  - 3
Mic Technique - 88
Sambalada - 12
narp - 52
Az Paynter - 78
rgreen0625 - 46
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 45
Cody Wants Out...  - 16
peacebone - 79
Mirago - 28
rowellfarm490  - 38
Red - 90
Ky - 83
Glove Slap  - 54
@antigonerising - 53
Zeebz - 59
Juanca - 15
Unhinged - 49

[Cody Wants Out...]

ROBBED! Plain and simple!

[singingrulebritannia]

Yesss Lobert Ballmer and Our-Creative-Integrity-Sold-For-Cheap Trick are deadddd

But so is my #2 :( though honestly my only hope for it was that it make top half so, cool

[Red]

"The Flame" is one of the great sellout moments in rock history. I don't normally chide bands for that sort of thing, but Cheap Trick fell *hard*.

It going out softens the blow slightly of losing both "Candle in the Wind" and "Nite and Day". The only reason CITW isn't in my top ten is because it's a live version...and even then, I still considered it.

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

Nov 29, 2018 10:15:07 GMT -5 newpower said:

Nov 29, 2018 2:27:23 GMT -5 Doc Indie Party Rock said:

62. Go West - Don't Look Down (The Sequel) (Billboard HOT 100 #39) (DOC #7)
I like this Go West song so much I brought it back in 1988 with its new re release title "don't Look Down- The Sequel". This also became the only time Go West charted a top 40 hit on the HOT 100. 

They actually had two more top 40 hits in the 90s. One of them was a Top 10.

Now I feel dumb.  I get over excited when it comes to Go West.  Right you are. I meant to say this was the first time they broke the top 40. Those two you mention were "King Of Wishful Thinking" (#8),and  "Faithful"(#14). 

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

Nov 29, 2018 15:13:16 GMT -5 Red said:

"The Flame" is one of the great sellout moments in rock history. I don't normally chide bands for that sort of thing, but Cheap Trick fell *hard*.

It going out softens the blow slightly of losing both "Candle in the Wind" and "Nite and Day". The only reason CITW isn't in my top ten is because it's a live version...and even then, I still considered it.

I'm not going to argue the fact that it was sell out. It wasn't even their song. It was written by Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham. Rick Nielson didn't even like the song and Robin didn't like to perform it live. The real story behind this is that Epic probably TOLD them to record it. The reason I love it is because the band put out a great interpretation of an otherwise sappy ballad and made a smart move by taking advantage of the Powerballad era.  Be thankful they didn't choose to record "Look Away" instead

I still think 41 is a total travesty slot for this song. Tank the song, not The band.

[Red]

Nov 29, 2018 22:32:02 GMT -5 Doc Indie Party Rock said:

Nov 29, 2018 15:13:16 GMT -5 Red said:

"The Flame" is one of the great sellout moments in rock history. I don't normally chide bands for that sort of thing, but Cheap Trick fell *hard*.

It going out softens the blow slightly of losing both "Candle in the Wind" and "Nite and Day". The only reason CITW isn't in my top ten is because it's a live version...and even then, I still considered it.

I'm not going to argue the fact that it was sell out. It wasn't even their song. It was written by Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham. Rick Nielson didn't even like the song and Robin didn't like to perform it live. The real story behind this is that Epic probably TOLD them to record it. The reason I love it is because the band put out a great interpretation of an otherwise sappy ballad and made a smart move by taking advantage of the Powerballad era.  Be thankful they didn't choose to record "Look Away" instead

I still think 41 is a total travesty slot for this song. Tank the song, not The band.

Oh, believe me, I did. :kii:

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

50-41 are a bit more well known to this group. Only gonna showcase a few Freestyle and NRG MVs


41. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Dreaming (Billboard HOT 100 #16) (DOC #4)
Don't know how this one missed Billboard's top 10. Even after establishing themselves with "If You leave"


42. Cheap Trick - Don't Be Cruel (Billboard HOT 100 #4) (DOC #4)
Loved this Elvis remake a lot more than most rockers.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-oYFEXScEU

43. First Impression - Forbidden Lover (Extended) (Billboard N/A) (DOC #4)
A classic among Freestyle fans. Released on Arista label, the song had the style of early Expose club hits. The lead singer was often compared to Madonna's vocals.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgEI-aUWubE

44.  ?  (Billboard HOT 100 #1) (DOC #4)

45. Samantha Fox - Naughty Girls (Need Love Too) (Billboard HOT 100 #3) (DOC #2)
Here is were I slotted this Samantha Fox classic. I have been upgrading Samantha's songs in this rank downs, but I won't be too kind with "I Wanna Have Some Fun". Be warned I never liked house music.  

46. Sweet Sensation - Never Let You Go (Extended)(Billboard HOT 100 #58) (Hot Dance Club Play #1) (DOC #3)
Freestyle should have been the dance genre to dominate the late 80's on through the 90's. Billboard with its big influence on music, could have helped out, but for bands like these only their ballads were upgraded on HOT 100. This however was a #1 dance/Club hit. Here you can watch  Betty LeBron, Margie Fernandez, Mari Fernandez dance it up .



47. Shy Rose - I Cry For You (Extended) (Hi-Energy) (DOC #5)
Elsewhere in the world Italo Hi Energy Disco was taking over the underground club scene.  Italo Disco was also a driving force in the Mexican continent. Little was known about the vocalists, but many sang under different aliases. The songs could also be sped up or slowed down for vinyl mixing effect. The particular 12' inch single cost me over $30 dollars to aquire from Italy, but worth every penny.

Original vers.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtpp6H559NQ

U.S. Remix
Adds a bit more Latin NRG flava and slows the BPMs a bit, but still very good
www.youtube.com/watch?v=f97h1SXNyoo


48.  ? (Billoard HOT 100 #2) (DOC #6)

49. The Jets - Make It Real (Billboard HOT 100 #4) (DOC #4)
The Jets never do good on these rankdowns. This one and "Crush On You" are my favorites.

50. Aerosmith - Dude (Looks Like A Lady) (Billboard HOT 100 #14) (DOC #7)
Billboard peaked this one in 1987. I obviously kept it in for a longer chart run. This was another song showcasing the more Bluesy/Jazzy leaning sound of Glam Metal.

[Unhinged]

#40

Catch Me (I'm Falling)

Pretty Poison

Total Points: 1682

Billboard Hot 100: 8

Billboard Top 100 of 1988: 66

From: Catch Me I'm Falling

Included on the soundtrack to the film Hiding Out starring Jon Cryer, this was released in August of 1987 and peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week ending December 26^th.

🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 and 🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 both start the day with a Top 10 loss...

🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 - 9
Butterflies & Hurricanes - 26
craziaskowboi - 23
mamooshka - 70
campbellssoup - 71
gonecountry - 67
newpower - 18
tallen2001 - 95
singingrulebritannia - 18
God - 41
@crapkuki23 - 62
astorknight - 29
Alex1901 - 91
Doc Indie Party Rock - 12
Mic Technique - 11
Sambalada - 90
narp - 29
Az Paynter - 61
rgreen0625 - 39
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 8
Cody Wants Out... - 48
peacebone - 17

Mirago - 41
rowellfarm490 - 74
Red - 29
Ky - 71
Glove Slap - 41
@antigonerising - 28
Zeebz - 87

Juanca - 94
Unhinged - 47

[newpower]

I'm happy Catch Me made it to the top half. I wish it was a little bit higher.

[Unhinged]

#39

I Get Weak

Belinda Carlisle

Total Points: 1689

Billboard Hot 100: 2⁽¹⁾

Billboard Top 100 of 1988: 57

From: Heaven On Earth

Written by Diane Warren (who had Stevie Nicks in mind while writing it), this was the 2^nd single from the album Heaven On Earth. It peaked at No. 2 in the US and No. 4 in Canada and managed Top 40 placements in 8 other countries.

 This landed in the middle for a lot of you and only one of you ranked it below 80...

🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 - 44
Butterflies & Hurricanes - 59
craziaskowboi - 5
mamooshka - 46
campbellssoup - 63
gonecountry - 63
newpower - 48
tallen2001 - 42
singingrulebritannia - 42
God - 73
@crapkuki23 - 80
astorknight - 53
Alex1901 - 46
Doc Indie Party Rock  - 63
Mic Technique - 21
Sambalada - 79
narp - 33
Az Paynter - 67
rgreen0625 - 43
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 30
Cody Wants Out...  - 31
peacebone - 33
Mirago - 42
rowellfarm490  - 35
Red - 56
Ky - 16
Glove Slap  - 50
@antigonerising - 65
Zeebz - 11
Juanca - 81
Unhinged - 22

[Unhinged]

#38

Hungry Eyes

Eric Carmen

Total Points: 1713

Billboard Hot 100: 4

Billboard Top 100 of 1988: 25

From: Dirty Dancing Soundtrack

Released in late November of 1987 as the 2^nd single from the hugely successful soundtrack to the film Dirty Dancing. It was written in 1984 by John DeNicola & Franke Previte who also wrote "(I've Had) The Time of My Life".
 

19 Top 40's fall with this leaving the rankdown...

🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 - 68
Butterflies & Hurricanes - 93
craziaskowboi - 34
mamooshka - 68
campbellssoup - 26
gonecountry - 35
newpower - 81
tallen2001  - 30
singingrulebritannia - 31
God - 26
@crapkuki23 - 35
astorknight - 16
Alex1901 - 25
Doc Indie Party Rock  - 58
Mic Technique - 47
Sambalada - 59
narp - 66
Az Paynter - 49
rgreen0625 - 70
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 21
Cody Wants Out...  - 14
peacebone - 62
Mirago - 8
rowellfarm490  - 43
Red - 39
Ky - 69
Glove Slap  - 39
@antigonerising - 100
Zeebz - 9
Juanca - 33
Unhinged - 64

[Az Paynter]

Oh s**t Cynthia lmao!

[Unhinged]

#37

Girlfriend

Pebbles

Total Points: 1719

Billboard Hot 100: 5

Billboard Top 100 of 1988: 60

From: Pebbles

Written and produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, "Girlfriend" was released as the lead single from her self-titled debut album in October of 1987. It hit No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

This ranked fairly high on quite a few lists but just couldn't make up for the 3 bottom 10 ranks it received...

🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 - 34
Butterflies & Hurricanes - 78
craziaskowboi - 75
mamooshka - 29
campbellssoup - 94
gonecountry - 92
newpower - 22
tallen2001 - 67
singingrulebritannia - 11
God - 15
@crapkuki23 - 68
astorknight - 28
Alex1901 - 52
Doc Indie Party Rock  - 46
Mic Technique - 34
Sambalada - 68
narp - 100
Az Paynter - 12
rgreen0625 - 63
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 32
Cody Wants Out...  - 37
peacebone - 32
Mirago - 53
rowellfarm490  - 54
Red - 37
Ky - 12
Glove Slap - 36
@antigonerising - 33
Zeebz - 5
Juanca - 40
Unhinged - 59

[Glove Slap]

I missed three perfect rankings BY ONE!

[Deleted]

Nov 30, 2018 9:17:09 GMT -5 Az Paynter said:

Oh s**t Cynthia lmao!

Yeahhhh I can't stand Eric Carmen apparently! Lose Control was my #99.

It's hard to explain but it's not that his were bad songs on their face, but that the production/melody was too on the nose, to the point of being completely devoid of human feeling. The verses start off fine, if unremarkable, but when both songs flip into the hook something about it sounds like the music I would hear in an elevator on the way to the second circle of hell.

[campbellssoup]

Nov 30, 2018 8:39:18 GMT -5 Unhinged said:

#40

Catch Me (I'm Falling)

Pretty Poison

campbellssoup - 71

I’m not a huge fan of most dance club music, hence the low ranking, but I have to say this song has one of the best intros I’ve ever heard.

[Zeebz]

“Girlfriend” </3

[Az Paynter]

Nov 30, 2018 9:39:39 GMT -5 @antigonerising said:

Nov 30, 2018 9:17:09 GMT -5 Az Paynter said:

Oh s**t Cynthia lmao!

Yeahhhh I can't stand Eric Carmen apparently! Lose Control was my #99.

It's hard to explain but it's not that his were bad songs on their face, but that the production/melody was too on the nose, to the point of being completely devoid of human feeling. The verses start off fine, if unremarkable, but when both songs flip into the hook something about it sounds like the music I would hear in an elevator on the way to the second circle of hell.

That last bit legit made me lol.

[Unhinged]

#36

Got My Mind Set On You

George Harrison

Total Points: 1731

Billboard Hot 100: 1⁽¹⁾

Billboard Top 100 of 1988: 3

From: Cloud Nine

Cover of the original 1962 song by James Ray which was titled "I've Got My Mind Set on You", this was a big hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 January 16, 1988.

It was Harrison's last No. 1 and also the last from any of the ex-Beatles. It also hit No. 1 in Canada, Australia, Belgium and Ireland.

 6 Top 20's fall with this leaving the rankdown...

🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 - 95
Butterflies & Hurricanes  - 38
craziaskowboi - 62
mamooshka - 11
campbellssoup - 69
gonecountry - 32
newpower - 7
tallen2001 - 82
singingrulebritannia - 78
God - 61
@crapkuki23 - 89
astorknight - 47
Alex1901 - 66
Doc Indie Party Rock  - 84
Mic Technique - 42
Sambalada - 38
narp - 13
Az Paynter - 52
rgreen0625 - 20
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 83
Cody Wants Out...  - 27
peacebone  - 42 
Mirago  - 26 
rowellfarm490  - 14
Red - 35
Ky - 52
Glove Slap  - 29
@antigonerising - 45
Zeebz - 50
Juanca - 5
Unhinged - 29

[Glove Slap]

The syncopation during the second verse bumped this up several spots for me.

[singingrulebritannia]

I don't know why but I've always felt this song was hokey as hell

[Deleted]

Backtracking a bit to earlier reveals: 46-44 was looking like a Pulse drive by shooting for a second there. Y'all just rounded up all the new jack swing starters you could get your hands on and sniped them off in succession Not really complaining; Bobby and MJ are the only two r&b singers who really had a chance of doing any better (and I'm starting to get a little worried about Bobby) so top half is an accomplishment in itself. Seeing so many go at once just felt kind of jarring.

And Don't Shed a Tear deserved better! Paul Carrack's career may be like the 70s/80s equivalent of a One Hit Wonder Pokemon evolution - every band he was in had one or two chart successes at best and almost as soon as they got the hit, Paul was on to the next - but it's probably not a coincidence that each band's hit came about when Paul was the one on lead vocals.

[Deleted]

Nov 30, 2018 9:59:31 GMT -5 singingrulebritannia said:

I don't know why but I've always felt this song was hokey as hell

It's probably a coin flip as to whether Got My Mind Set On You or [insert any Wings song here] is the bigger cheesefest, but I got the sense that George was a lot more self-aware of his cheesiness than Paul ever was.

[Glove Slap]

[Unhinged]

#35

Is This Love

Whitesnake

Total Points: 1742

Billboard Hot 100: 2⁽¹⁾

Billboard Top 100 of 1988: 17

From: Whitesnake

Whitesnake took this song to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December of 1987, making it their 2^nd highest peaking single in the US. It was the second single released from the diamond album Whitesnake.

Saying good-bye to 4 Top 10's with this leaving the rankdown...

🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 - 96
Butterflies & Hurricanes - 58
craziaskowboi - 9
mamooshka - 87
campbellssoup - 16
gonecountry - 21
newpower - 70
tallen2001 - 7
singingrulebritannia - 29
God  - 43
@crapkuki23  - 48
astorknight - 40
Alex1901 - 81
Doc Indie Party Rock  - 7
Mic Technique - 36
Sambalada - 29
narp - 58
Az Paynter - 30
rgreen0625 - 50
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 39
Cody Wants Out...  - 43
peacebone - 70
Mirago - 65
rowellfarm490  - 31
Red - 50
Ky - 76
Glove Slap - 24
@antigonerising  - 8
Zeebz - 66
Juanca - 57
Unhinged - 25

[Deleted]

Tell the truth Doc Indie Party Rock, how many chicks did you pick up with this song?

[Glove Slap]

This one jumped up about 50 spots from where I expected to place it because I hadn't head it in ages and forgot how good it is. Perfect "all the money in the world won't take the place of a prostitute tonight" track.

[Unhinged]

#34

Kissing A Fool

George Michael

Total Points: 1761

Billboard Hot 100: 5

Billboard Top 100 of 1988: 91

From: Faith

First of 5 appearances from the late/great George Michael, this was the 5^th and final single from the album Faith (6^th if you count "I Want Your Sex").

"Kissing A Fool" peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week ending November 26, 1988 which was the last week used for consideration by Billboard for their 1988 year end list.

🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 - 49
Butterflies & Hurricanes - 33
craziaskowboi - 86
mamooshka - 66
campbellssoup - 76
gonecountry - 68
newpower  - 2
tallen2001 - 55
singingrulebritannia - 26
God - 4
@crapkuki23 - 17
astorknight - 68
Alex1901 - 29
Doc Indie Party Rock  - 68
Mic Technique - 37
Sambalada - 42
narp - 32
Az Paynter - 36
rgreen0625 - 13
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 80
Cody Wants Out...  - 69
peacebone - 7
Mirago - 55
rowellfarm490  - 67
Red - 42
Ky - 21
Glove Slap  - 15
@antigonerising  - 35 
Zeebz - 41
Juanca - 72
Unhinged - 56

[Glove Slap]

This is not my lowest ranked GM song.