Billboard 1986: The Rankdown (Winner Revealed)

[House Lannister]

Wait, I had no idea about this remix?!? Also, no Janet in top 10?!?
(Score out of 5, my rank)

20. I Can’t Wait (2.5, 57)---It was OK for a 1980s pop song. But it felt plastic, lacked personality.

19. You Gave Love a Bad Name (3.5, 25)---Not the ideal Bon Jovi song, but a pretty good one. Back when they still cared to rock.

18. Sledgehammer (5, 3)---An ideal pop song by Gabriel who left Genesis and proved to have the chops to create a good solo career for himself. The video slams.

17. Something About You (5, 1)---Ah, this did much better than in the “Not a rock song” tourney in the rock thread. The combo of synths and rock guitars bring out the best in the lyrics making for the best pop song in 1986. Oh, and the video is bonkers as well.

16. Alive and Kicking (5, 5)---Another great pop song. I find the singing here to be beautiful and the message uplifting. None of these making top 20? Sad!

15. What Have You Done for Me Lately (4, 12)---Heh. I dug the lyrics about a woman demanding more from the man in her relationship. A fun bop.

14. What You Need (4, 10)---A darn nice rocker from the Australian band which proved to be the first American burst from what would be a solid career.

13. When I Think of You (3, 38)---I didn’t quite care for this like I did her other two singles. I find her generally better when she’s more punchy in the early going. She would get better at this side later on though.

12. If You Leave (3.5, 30)---Probably their best known hit, this mixed synths and simple lyrics to pretty good use.

11. Nasty (4.5, 8)---I misspoke. But it’s a tasty mix of tell off jam and empowerment anthem. It’s one misstep? Somehow she calls herself Janet Privacy Control.

10. Conga (4, 23)---Surprised this made it this far. But it’s a fun bop with Latin influences and I will allow it.

9. Take Me Home Tonight (3, 40)---Also surprised at this making it here. The lyrics probably resides in the dictionary under earnest, although Ronnie Spector’s vocals help a bit.

8. Venus (4, 15)---Reprise of my surprise at making top 10, although I’m less so here. Probably their best song. Strange how one of them would also do Stay With Me a handful of years later.

7. Human (3.5, 33)---I’m more a fan of Don’t You Want Me and Fascination, but there’s an interesting blend of synths and emotions at play here.

6. How Will I Know (5, 6)---Definitely a jam that some missed out on dealing with love. Whitney was so innocent then.

5. Live to Tell (4, 13)---What is truly impressive here is that she can take a ballad and make it compelling, something she hadn’t done up to this point in her career. It seems 2018 Madonna could stand to remember that from the 1986 version.

4. Higher Love (3, 41)---The lyrics in this one are a bit too syrupy for my taste, but it’s performed with enough conviction that it’s passable.

3. West End Girls (4, 18)---I think the synths create atmosphere that allow the lyrics to set in. Punchy, and thanks to Tennant’s vocals, memorable.

2. Kiss (5, 7)---Can I say I never bought that Prince could do the twirl? It seems a bit mundane for him. But the right amount of funk and soul make this a pop confection worth sampling.

1. Papa Don’t Preach (4, 14)---Madonna’s storytelling ability is right on point here in this song about dealing with the consequences of one’s actions. Unlike Like a Prayer, I never understood the controversy about this one.

[jenglisbe]

"Cruel Summer" and "I Heard A Rumor" are both far superior to "Venus" for me.

[craziaskowboi]

Jul 19, 2018 10:55:22 GMT -5 Az Paynter said:

Rock. Posters.

'Cuz, I like some of Whitney Houston's songs, but that one's not one of my favorites. It's OK, but I just like other songs better. Remember, I like the songs all the way down into my 70s, and even the ones in the 80s are passable. I only disliked my bottom three or four, really.

[craziaskowboi]

Jul 19, 2018 20:24:47 GMT -5 House Lannister said:

11. Nasty (4.5, 8)---I misspoke. But it’s a tasty mix of tell off jam and empowerment anthem. It’s one misstep? Somehow she calls herself Janet Privacy Control.

Ha! My brother and I used to call her "Janet Privacy Control" for this very reason!

[Juanca]

OH!!!! TOP 20!!!
I'll comment on 20-11 first:

20. I Can't Wait (27): A big hit back home and a personal chart-topper. I LOVED the 12" version, but the normal version was also good. Great instrumentation that still feels unique.

19. You Give Love A Bad Name (25): This was a medium-sized hit back home and a personal top 5. I liked Runaway a bit better, and LOAP much better. I really like the chorus but the verses could've been better (I gave it a few extra points for being rock :) )

18. Sledgehammer (48): I LOVE the video. One of my favorites ever for sure. BUT I wasn't a big fan of the song (it didn't make my personal chart, whereas Big Time did). I've grown to like and appreciate it much more with time, though.

17. Something About You (57): My favorite is definitely Lessons In Love. I do like this one, though... I may have slightly under-ranked it in like 10-15 spots...

16. Alive and Kicking (39): Despite my ranking, I'm not really mad at this reaching top 20 This is a strong song and representative of this sort of epic pop-rock of the time that I identified with songs from Mr. Mister (and they're gone >:( ).

15. What Have You Done For Me Lately? (67): FINALLYYYY!!!!! This barely made a dent in the charts back home, but did reach my personal top 20. I like it enough to skip my bottom 1/3, but not for my top half

14. What You Need (22): A national and personal top 5, that I've liked even more with time.

13. When I Think of You (33): This was my favorite Janet song from this album, and it's remained her biggest hit back home. A personal top 5 that I still like.

12. If You Leave (11): OMD is another of my favorite groups. They reached a runner-up spot with this one, but later on they will reach the top several times . Love the music and melody here, including the strings, synths and vocals in the last minute.

11. Nasty (73): FINALLY my lowest remaining song gone. I know it was a big thing in the US, but the style and the song including its repetitiveness and monotony were not a favorite of mine at all. It scrapped the bottom of my top 30 chart back in the day. At least now I like it enough to escape my bottom 25. In all seriousness, I'm VERY surprised to see THREE songs from Janet in the 11-20 range. No hate, but that's just too much standom... I guess just like Prince always staying in the top 10

My remaining songs are: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8 (Yay, no other top 10 lost in this reveal!); 12, 18, 19, 23, 36

[Juanca]

10. Conga (8): YES! YEEES!!!!! YEEEESSSSS!!!!! I really thought this was barely make top 50 (especially after seeing WGITW and BB leave much earlier). This was A MOMENT for Latin music!!! I mean, Dr. Beat was a good introduction and cross-over effort, but this was THE song that made Latin music (OK, the conga genre in particular, but Latin in general) popular everywhere, including with an iconic video :) We loved how the Gloria Fajardo that led the vocals to Miami Sound Machine classics from the late 1970s and early 1980s like Dingui-li-Bangue, Regresa a Mi, Usted Abuso, Me Enamore Otra Vez, A Toda Maquina, had become a global superstar--while we were all dancing the conga in line, with one step to each side

9. Take Me Home Tonight (36): This song wasn't popular back home this year --but became popular at the end of the decade when doing the decade reviews. I've really liked it ever since, and could've ranked it a bit higher in this RD.

8. Venus (5): I heard this for the first time during my first trip to the US in June 1986. It soon became a big hit back home, and a personal multi-week chart-topper, and one of my top 5 songs of the year. I LOVE how the original was completely transformed into a different song, full of energy with classic 1980s synth sounds and female energy to spare. That musical bridge is A+. VERY glad to see this in the top 10!

7. Human (18): YES! Another personal chart-topper and national top 5. I've always loved the music, melodies, harmonies, production... then, when I actually read the full lyrics I loved it even more. Very close to rank it inside my top 10, so I'm quite happy to see it at #7

6. How Will I Know (7): Definitely, Whitney's biggest hit of the decade back home. A national and personal chart-topper, that I still LOVE and use when I need a song to smile to, and in long road-trips. Her voice sounds amazing, the musical intro is pure 80s pop bliss, the bridge with those background vocals and bass line, followed by the saxophone are just classic 80s. Love it!

Now, I'm almost resigned to seeing my lowest remaining ranked song (#19) reaching the top instead of my #1 or 2

[Juanca]

5. Live to Tell (11): I remember hearing this song for the first time. What A MOMENT! The full version was like a film made into music. The suspense intro, the subdued instrumentation that led to Madonna's clear and emotional singing in the verse, and then to her using a lower register in the chorus (instead of the typical higher note that she herself did in Crazy for you, and that was typical in 80s ballad). Then, her more heartfelt delivery in the second chorus that led to SILENCE. What? Silence in Pop music? And then a left-field bridge that brought emotion, harmonies, low register again (LOVE that tone). So different and she sounded the best she had yet. It was a hit back home and in my personal chart, and one of Madonna's best songs for sure. (And NO, these are NOT weak vocals are at all. Geez! lol)

4. Higher Love (23): A personal top 5 and national top 10. Almost made my top 20 here, as I do like it (I just like a few other songs a bit more). It's a pretty strong song, for sure. I especially like the bridge and those strong background vocals.

3. West End Girls (2): A BIG hit back home and the first or MANY personal chart-toppers. This was another left-field song for that time. The music was so mesmerizing. Dark, moody, emotional, pensive, cold, enchanting. Multiple layers that captured my ears, including the sax, those choral vocals, the percussion. I mean, from the beginning with that street-sound intro that comes and turns into a synth sound, to that talk-singing that does convey feelings though, to those "how much do you need" almost sinister vocals. Whew!! LOVED IT. A song that has aged perfectly IMO. Although the next singles from Please wouldn't make it to my personal chart (or our local radio charts), It's A Sin would make a great comeback and make them one of the most successful duos in my personal chart alongside Erasure, for many many years more. I'm still a big fan of PSB, to the point that I saw one for the 3rd time last year when they came to DC

2. Kiss (19): A top 3 back home and in my personal chart. I do like this song quite a bit, and I've grown to like it more with time... but this was never going to be a top 10 for me this year. I mean, the funk and pop combo sounds cool, the minimalistic sound works... I"m not the biggest fan of how he sounds especially in those YAYAYA in the last seconds, and the overall song has always felt a bit incomplete to me.

1. Papa Don’t Preach (1): YAAAAYYYYYY!!!!! WE MADE IT!!! After the sacrilege of seeing NO Madonna song in the 1985 RD, it's so good to see Madonna at #5 and #1 for 1986. This WAS my #1 song of the year in 1986, by the way, and the most popular song in English back home that year as well. To me, THIS was the song that made me an official Madonna STAN. Yes, I liked her music before and quite a lot... but I was still Team Cyndi Lauper!! Hearing this song after Live To Tell was enough for me to change teams The string intro (LOVE!), her use of lower register (again! yay!), the grittier, rougher sound of her voice in the chorus and bridge (yes!), that elegant musical bridge with guitar and strings, plus the entire melody and harmonies throughout the song made her sound much more mature than ever. Plus, the lyrics were not easy either. I remember even my mom with her limited English was a bit concerned about how this 'lady' was talking about keeping a baby? like what? Wasn't she a virgin? (lol) Now she's even against her daddy about this! NO!! --but seriously, abortion and pre-marital sex were like taboo topics back home. By the way, after PDP, True Blue would become my second cassette ever (well, the first one was a compilation of songs from 1986, so that almost doesn't count ). I'll never forget the experience of listening to TB in my cassette player at night, time and time again!!


Thanks, Unhinged for hosting this excellent RD!!!! (And BIG hugs to you!!! Keep focusing on what you like to overcome tough times... last week I actually travelled back home to accompany my best friend in the first month of losing her mom, and I just told her to spend time on herself and do what she pleases, but also go through all phases, including crying, and then step by step get back up and continue moving forward as our loved ones would like us to do.)

[craziaskowboi]

"Live To Tell" always made me feel sad whenever I heard it, even though the lyrics are somewhat vague. Like "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)," you can't be in a happy mood and listen to this song, but it's an excellent song nonetheless.

"Higher Love" has a nice, complex song structure, with at least five different elements in it, which has always made the song more interesting to me. The chorus is very uplifting. Chaka Khan provided the backing vocals, and she shines during the closing choruses.

[craziaskowboi]

Speaking of Chaka Khan, "Love Of A Lifetime" was another great song from 1986. It was actually written by Green Gartside of Scritti Politti, and you can definitely that Scritti Politti sound in it. (Remember that I ranked "Perfect Way" #2 on this rankdown.)

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

#3. West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys
This is a great song. Not my favorite from them, That would come in the form of "Opportunities", "New York City Boy", What have I Done...." What I really wanna know is would you all rank the original Bobby "O' version this high? This is the version I would put in my top 10.

[Juanca]

Sorry for the multiple posts (I saw most people was able to follow up the reveals earlier on ).
I'd like to share a few songs of 1986 as well, even now that this is over, as this was another important year of music for me.
A few songs that were BIG hits in my personal chart that would've made my top 50 for sure:

- Baby Talk (Alisha): This was a BIG Summer hit in early 1986 back home and a 2-week personal chart-topper. It was one of the first female Madonna-Inspired hits back home (Into The Groove vibes?). I still LOVE this song (the percussion, synths, guitars, and especially the longer version)!:


- The Sun Always Shines on TV (A-ha): A top 10 back home and a personal chart-topper, that is my favorite A-ha song ever (yup, I like it more than TOM). I love its epicness from the intro to the outro, the slowdown before the bridge, the high energy of the music, the strings throughout the song, and of course the vocals (lead and background). Another case where I prefer the longer version.


- Don't Leave Me This Way (The Communards): I hadn't heard of Bronski Beat before, so this was my first taste of Jimmy's talent. This was a BIG hit back home and a personal chart-topper. This is the version I prefer of this song (I mean over the 1970s versions of it). The high energy, the explosion in the chorus, the harmonies in the bridge, and those piano sounds throughout the song (especially in the longer version). I was very surprised when I learned this had flopped in the US (!!!)


- 21st Century Boy (Sigue Sigue Sputnik): This song was a rapid and big hit back home, and a personal chart-topper as well. Rock Me Amadeus was a super normal song following this one lol. I did like this a lot, and even though it sounds a bit too 1980s now, I'd still give it a high rank for nostalgia and weirdness factor alone! I know there is a video /shorter version, but the version that was a hit was the longer one [by the way, they managed another top 10 with Love Missile]


- Madonna's Eyes (Jayne Collins): This was the last 45 RPM that I bought :'( A song that I liked since the first time I heard it. I guess the whole orchestra intro is something I'm into Years later I learned that Jennifer Rush was the original singer of this song. Jayne's version was the one played in a few radio stations back home this year, though, and it went to the top of my personal chart quickly. I still listen to it. That bridge is pure 80s bliss :)


- Dancing in Paris (Angel): One of the last Italo-disco hits back home. It was very popular in one radio station, and it reached the top of my personal chart quickly and had great longevity. Angel is not the best of singers or dancers lol but the music with Latin influences is A+ in my book :)


- Right Between The Eyes (Wax): This was a big hit back home and a personal chart-topper that has had pretty good longevity, and remained a personal favorite of this year.


- Sidewalk Talk (Jellybean and Madonna):... This was presented by the DJs back home as a song by Jellybean and Madonna (to the point that I thought Jellybean was the name of the other woman -Catherine Buchanan- singing in the song lol). This was just a medium-sized hit back home in early 1986 (perfect for the Summer!), but a personal chart-topper that brings back memories of this type of Breakdance-like music. (And another case where I prefer the extended version)


- Face The Face (Pete Townshend): I like the longer version of this song, where the piano-based intro and then the drums transitioning to the rock-n-roll energy. The horns, background vocals and harmonies at different parts of the song make it quite unique too, although quite the divergence from his previous material with The Who. This was a bonafide hit back home and personal chart-topper


- The Edge of Heaven (Wham!): Love the slightly retro vibe with modern touches. A personal and national top 3 song, that I consider one of my top 10 George Michael/Wham! songs. Another song that brings back memories from my first trip to the US.


- Who's That Girl (A Flock of Seagulls): Seems this song title was quite appealing in the mid-80s lol. This was AFoS' last hit back home, reaching the top of my personal chart. I like I Ran and The More You Live... more, but this is a favorite as well. Just high-energy synth pop! I wonder who's "got it" more: Venus or That Girl?


- Woody Boogie (Baltimora): A top 5 back home and a personal chart-topper, following the success of TB the previous year. Italo disco with some orchestral intro gave it enough bonus points for a good positioning in my 1986 ranking :)

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

#20. I Can't Wait - Nu Shooz
This song had a hint of Latin Freestyle elements. KPWR the Hi-NRG dance station I would listen to back then, played this one almost every hour on the hour.

#19. You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi
I wonder how many so called rock fans, tried their hardest, to keep this classic, out of the top 10. Hmmmmmm.....Very few of us got this rank right. Anyway this was the best era for hard rock. Fun Times never die.

#18. Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
I was never really a fan of this song. It paled considerably next to "Shock The Monkey"

#17. Something About You - Level 42
It's great to see these one hit wonders score high on these rank downs. This is a good slot for this song. BTW, my rank of #15, is where it came in my own top 100 of 1986.

#16. Alive And Kicking - Simple Minds
Very happy to see this song make the top 20. Simple Minds are one of the best New Wave Alternative bands ever. Guess I might as well ,pimp ,they have a new album for 2018; with great music. Listen to "The Signal and The Noise".

#15. What Have You Done For Me Lately - Janet Jackson
Not really of fan. #rockster or not; My favorite Janet Jackson songs, all came from her 1984 album; "Dream Street". In perticaular the song "Fast Girls"Listen to it, and you will know why?

#14. What You Need - INXS
One of my all time favorite INXS songs. I'm usually for their Brass sections, but this song had a super cool Guitar breakdown.

#13. When I Think Of You - Janet Jackson
The lesser known third single is the one I liked the best. Why? because I'm Doc Indie Party Rock .

#12. If You Leave - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
This is the wrong song to leave out of the top 10. Again I'll take honors for being the highest ranker of this song.

#11. Nasty - Janet Jackson
Strike three for Janet. See ya.

#10. Conga - Miami Sound Machine
Never expected this song to get this high, but it has a mean ass Latin flavour, so I'm all for it.

#9. Take Me Home Tonight - Eddie Money
I forget this song was even , still in here? The biggest surprise by a long shot, is Eddie Money in a pulse Top 10? I love Eddie Money, but I bet half of you don't even know about "Two Tickets To paradise", "Shaken" "Big Crash", "Walk On water"? oh well, Good for Eddie.

#8. Venus - Bananarama
HAha! To all the haters. Suck my huevos. It only took three of us to put this song in the top 10. Hi- Energy dance for ever!!!


#7. Human - Human League
The greatest New Wave synthpop ballad ever. Human League brought,, New Wave, into the top 40 ,and kept it in there with Philip Oakey's picture perfect vocals. BTW, if you ever fuck up on your partner. This is your song.

#6. How Will I Know - Whitney Houston
I'll admit that this is a fun pop song. Not a s fun as K-pop, but still pretty fun. The trouble was ,there were, funner songs on the list.

#5. Live To Tell - Madonna
This is a great pop ballad. maybe a bit too adult for me back then, but always a good listen.

#4. Higher Love - Steve Winwood
I like this one in the top 5. I left it out of my top 10, but I like that you put here together. I have the 12' extended of this song on vinyl too.

#2. Kiss - Prince and The Revolution
Classic Prince. The songs sounds a bit simple, but very impressive. One of Prince aliases; should have been "Purple Genius". Just saying.

#1. Papa Don't Preach - Madonna
Always happy when one of my top 10 songs makes the #1 position. This is one of my favorite Madonna songs. The music , production and her incredible vocal tones all sounded like perfect 80's.

Great winner.

[Juanca]

HA!
Same thoughts on When I Think Of You :)
On Peter Gabriel: Agree with Shock the Monkey!! (Although later on Steam made my personal top 5 as well)
On Eddie: Give me "I Think I'm In Love", first! Love that one since my childhood. And then of course Walk On Water, a CLASSIC.
Hi-five on Venus --plus I remember there was a fun 12" version --although in that case I liked the original better, just perfection.
Whereas I did like the longer version of Higher Love better.

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

There are only a few more songs from my own top 100 that don't appear on this list. A lot of these also scored on the Billboard Hot 100.

#38. Andy Taylor - Take It Easy - (DOC #3) (BB #25)
A picture perfect party Rock song, from one of the first members to exit Duran Duran ,and form The Power Station. ...but later came back to DD. This song is also from the American ANthem soundtrack.


#37. Kim Wilde - Say You Really Want Me (DOC #4) (BB #44 in 1987)
I charted this one in 1986, because it was hot in Europe. This is the original picture perfect pop MV featuring the shirtless male models and my; eye candy; Kim. I saved 1987 for "You Keep Me Hanging On"


#34. Magazine 60 - Don Quichotte (DOC #6) (BB #56)
I don't know where you all resided, but you couldn't get away from this; NRG dance, classic in France. Needless to add, I have this one in 12' extended vinyl too.

#32. Loverboy - This Could Be the Night (DOC #3) (BB #10)
This one hit the top 10 on Billboard but missed the top 100 of 1986. Stoopid Billboard.



From here we jump to my own band in the top 30. LOL! NOT!!!

#24. Doctor and the Medics - Spirit In The Sky (DOC #4) (BB #69)
Not a fan of cover songs, but this one was unavoidable in France 1986.


#21. Pet Shop Boys - Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) (DOC #3) (BB #10)


and we make another big jump into my top 10 with a huge Latin Hi- NRG song;

#9. Secret Ties - Dancing In My Sleep (DOC #2) (BB N/A)


#4. Wham - Edge Of Heaven (DOC #1) (BB #10)
As @jotaciea mentioned; this one was also a huge hit in Europe, so naturally it went straight to #1 on my personal charts. I can't imagine why Billboard dropped the ball on this one? You know what's missing in pop music today? Guitars and Brass.


#2. Samantha Fox - Touch Me (I Want Your Body) (DOC #1) (BB #4 1987)
Since my #1 song was "Tonight She Comes"; My #2 song for 1986 was one we are gonna rank for 1987. It was #1 in Europe and in my chart forever and a day. The song was a perfect blend of guitars and synths, which molded my hard rock preference throughout my youth. Plus Samantha was so hot, you could get sunburned just watching her Music videos. 

[craziaskowboi]

Favorite 1986 songs of mine that were not part of this rankdown:


"The Rain" - Oran "Juice" Jones
"Tuff Enuff" - The Fabulous Thunderbirds
"Nothin' At All" - Heart
"Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)" - Pet Shop Boys
"Modern Woman" - Billy Joel
"Heaven In Your Eyes" - Loverboy
"I Wanna Be A Cowboy" - Boys Don't Cry
"Sanctify Yourself" - Simple Minds
"When The Heart Rules The Mind" - GTR
"Emotion In Motion" - Rick Ocasek
"The Captain Of Her Heart" - Double
"Yankee Rose" - David Lee Roth
"You Know I Love You...Don't You?" - Howard Jones
"Girl Can't Help It" - Journey
"Suzanne" - Journey
"Sidewalk Talk" - Jellybean
"Vienna Calling" - Falco
"The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" - Timbuk 3
"Forever Live And Die" - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
"So Far Away" - Dire Straits
"The Sun Always Shines On T.V." - A-Ha
"Love Walks In" - Van Halen
"No Easy Way Out" - Robert Tepper
"Dreams" - Van Halen
"Mountains" - Prince & The Revolution
"Wild Wild Life" - Talking Heads
"In Your Eyes" - Peter Gabriel
"Mothers Talk" - Tears For Fears
"Point Of No Return" - Nu Shooz
"Sex As A Weapon" - Pat Benatar
"One Hit (To The Body)" - The Rolling Stones
"You Be Illin' " - Run DMC
"If She Knew What She Wants" - Bangles
"Paranoimia" - The Art Of Noise w/ Max Headroom
"Hanging On A Heart Attack" - Device
"Superbowl Shuffle" - The Chicago Bears Shufflin' Crew
"Pretty In Pink" - The Psychedelic Furs
"Peter Gunn" - The Art Of Noise f. Duane Eddy
"Ruthless People" - Mick Jagger
"Love Of A Lifetime" - Chaka Khan
"Listen Like Thieves" - INXS
"Strength" - The Alarm
"Secret" - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
"Anotherloverholenyohead" - Prince & The Revolution
"Shot In The Dark" - Ozzy Osbourne
"Heart's On Fire" - John Cafferty
"In My Dreams" - Dokken
"Like Flames" - Berlin
"Life's What You Make It" - Talk Talk
"Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)" - Scritti Politti
"Fall On Me" - R.E.M.
"Red Rain" - Peter Gabriel
"I Still Believe (Great Design)" - The Call

[Juanca]

A few other "special" 1986 songs...

WEIRD / INSTRUMENTAL?
Like Rock Me Amadeus, Do The Rap, 21st Century Boy, there were couple other songs in 1986 that relied a lot on instrumental but also had some extra level of weirdness:
- 19 (Paul Hardcastle): A personal top 10 and a song that reached the top 10 in the 2nd most popular radio station back home as well, and grouped into what we associated with 'breakdance' music The Miami Vice style music made quite a big contrast to the seriousness of the lyrics. Quite a unique song.


- Don Quichotte (Magazine 60): A personal top 10 as well, and a guilty pleasure, especially with the weirdly pronounced Spanish lyrics


SAXOPHONES
- Your Latest Trick (Dire Straits): A personal top 10 that I've appreciated even more with time. The saxophone melody is just butter. Max's voice complements the sensual mood, and the few guitars give an extra edge. But the SAX is everything here!


- You're A Friend of Mine (Clarence Clemons & Jackson Browne): Like Tenderness in 1985, this was just a bubbly song that made me smile throughout the Summer of 1986. A personal top 5 where Clarence's saxophone played a key part. And this is how I knew about Clarence before Edge of Glory :)


REINVENTED CLASSIC ACTS:
- Don't Stand So Close To Me '86 (The Police): A personal top 10 although barely charted in radios back home. I guess the original was just too good to be messed with. I did like this new, very mid-80s, lush version of the song, but with time I've had a harder time to go back to it as it just doesn't sound much like a Police song. Good attempt, though.


- Real Wild Child (Iggy Pop): A personal top 20, included in the first cassette I ever bought :) I loved the energy of this song, and the more modern sound that Iggy had here.


- Chain Reaction (Diana Ross): It was interesting to hear Diana collaborate with Bee Gees. This was her last song to make it to my personal chart -until 1995.


FLOPS REVENGE!
- Dance With Me (Alphaville): This song barely made a dent in our #2 radio station, and it reached my personal top 20. At the end of the 90s, this would have high rotation in radio stations playing 80s music and used in multiple shows, commercials, etc. I bought an Alphaville Best of album in the late 1990s and re-discovered this song and now it's one of my favorites of them and of 1986
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tmY1GEH3_Y

- So In Love (OMD): Following the success of Enola Gay in 1985-86, the mid-popularity of Secret, and the bigger hit of If You Leave, a radio station played this one as well, but it didn't catch and I overlooked it as well. Around the Sugar Tax era I listened to this again and I fell in love with it completely. One of my favorite OMD songs. The melody, piano, synths, saxophone, vocals. All makes me daydream and remember of great times... It's also interestingly gotten more rotation in retro radio stations than other much more popular 80s hits (


- Thorn In My Side (Eurythmics): This song was barely played in our radios and I completely overlooked it. So it was quite interesting to listen to it in some radio stations summarizing best of the 80s and stuff like that. I LOVED it when I heard it in 1990, and it's another of my favorites of this year. (As I said at the beginning of this thread, there are just A LOT Of songs in my personal list of favorites from 1986 that didn't make the Hot 100 of 1986...)

[craziaskowboi]

"19" and "So In Love" were actually 1985 hits here in the U.S., though both are excellent. "Real Wild Child" makes me feel good listening to it. :)