Billboard 1983: The Rankdown (Winner Revealed)

[Butterflies & Hurricanes]

ok, when i saw "25" as my ranking for Sweet Dreams i thought Unhinged had made a mistake, but i looked back at my message & sure enough, that's where i placed it...i can't believe i put it so low...had i put it in my Top 10, then it would've been the winner...sorry guys, i don't know what happened

[Unhinged]

^That's okay, the correct song won. :)

[mamooshka]

This was a lot of fun. You're a phenomenal Games host with the knack of keeping the interesting characters on this board in check. Looking forward to your 80s RD.

Attachment Deleted

[House Lannister]

Will agree that I was surprised that Africa almost had a chance to win at one point. The larger surprise was that Beat It lost to Wanna Be Startin' Something. I didn't see that one coming.

Great job as per usual, Unhinged!

[Red]

No complaints, as far as the top ten is concerned. "Billie Jean" is a most predictable winner, and I would have been fine with either "Africa" or "Sweet Dreams" taking it instead, but I mean, it's "Billie Jean". It's only one of the best pop compositions of the 80's (and probably ever).

Once again, another great job, Unhinged. I have to try and get to work on 1988 sometime soon. I have quite a few rankdowns to do that I've put on the backburner, though, as life has gotten in the way. Let's see if I'll make up for lost time soon.

Oh, and one more thing...

Oct 23, 2018 7:45:55 GMT -5 Glove Slap said:

Oct 22, 2018 16:34:31 GMT -5 Red said:

Imagine thinking "Come on Eileen" is the worst song in this rankdown. Holy mother of god. I get why someone wouldn't like the song all that much, as it has become ubiquitous and quite susceptible to overplay, and Kevin Rowland's voice is...um...of the "unique" variety, to be sure. But the WORST song? Even in a super tough rankdown like this one, that's insanity.

I was going to refrain from bringing this up, but if you insist...

Okay, Mr. "Air Supply made one of the best 40 songs in this rankdown."

[craziaskowboi]

Oct 22, 2018 8:24:07 GMT -5 Unhinged said:

#18

Sexual Healing

Marvin Gaye

Total Points: 1982

Billboard Hot 100: 3⁽³⁾

Billboard Top 100 of 1983: 32

From: Midnight Love

Released in late 1982 as the lead single from the album Midnight Love, this peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late January of 1983. It was the first single released from the singer after parting ways with Motown.

It managed a 10 week stay at No. 1 on the Hot R&B Singles chart. 

 
craziaskowboi - 87

I never really cared for the late-1970s/early-1980s soul sound. Strangely, there are a handful of such songs that I'm madly in love with, but nonetheless, most of it does nothing for me, including this one.

[craziaskowboi]

Oct 22, 2018 8:51:37 GMT -5 Unhinged said:

#17

Flashdance...What A Feeling

Irene Cara

Total Points: 1996

Billboard Hot 100: 1⁽⁶⁾

Billboard Top 100 of 1983: 3

From: Flashdance: Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture

Spending 6 weeks at No. 1 (the years 3^rd longest run at the top), this was released from the soundtrack to the film Flashdance. It was a massive international hit, reaching No. 1 in 13 countries.

It won an a Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

         
craziaskowboi - 16

This song makes me feel good!

[craziaskowboi]

Oct 22, 2018 9:15:33 GMT -5 Unhinged said:

#15

Human Nature

Michael Jackson

Total Points: 2025

Billboard Hot 100: 7

Billboard Top 100 of 1983: 89

From: Thriller

This record breaking song was released in early July of 1983, reaching its peak of No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 by September 17^th. It was the 5^th Top 10 hit from the album Thriller, making Michael the first artist to pull that may Top 10's from an album. He would further extend that total to 7 by the time the era was over.

Forever timeless, this has been and always will be one of my favorite MJ songs.

Three of us lose a No. 2 while seven more lose a Top 10...

         
craziaskowboi - 36

I might have underranked this one. This is another song that makes me feel good. So does "Right Here (Human Nature)" by SWV, for that matter.

[craziaskowboi]

Oct 22, 2018 9:28:06 GMT -5 Unhinged said:

#14

Come On Eileen

Dexys Midnight Runners

Total Points: 2066

Billboard Hot 100: 1⁽¹⁾

Billboard Top 100 of 1983: 13

From: Too-Rye-Ay

Spending one week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (sandwiched between two Michael Jackson songs), this was released in June of 1982 in the UK and eventually charted in the US by the end of January 1983. It won Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards.

Three No. 1's fall with this leaving the rankdown, sorry Red , gonecountry and peacebone ...it just couldn't make up for the three bottom ranks it got.

 
craziaskowboi - 100

Ha, I kept it out of the top 10!

Sorry, but this song sounds like it belongs on The Muppet Show.

[craziaskowboi]

Oct 22, 2018 9:40:00 GMT -5 Unhinged said:

#13

Down Under

Men At Work

Total Points: 2076

Billboard Hot 100: 1⁽³⁾

Billboard Top 100 of 1983: 4

From: Business as Usual

Reaching No. 1 in 7 countries, this was originally released in Australia as a B-side to their single "Keypunch Operator." It was later included on the groups 1981 album Business As Usual and found its way onto North American charts by the end of 1982.  

While this did not receive any No. 1 placements, it did manage to place inside the Top 70 on every list...

         
craziaskowboi - 18

Like "Promises, Promises," this is another song enhanced by its layers of percussion. The drum breaks are killer, and the maracas never stop, which keeps the song chugging right along.

[craziaskowboi]

Oct 23, 2018 7:51:55 GMT -5 Unhinged said:

#10

Total Eclipse Of The Heart

Bonnie Tyler

Total Points: 2138

Billboard Hot 100: 1⁽⁴⁾

Billboard Top 100 of 1983: 6

From: Faster Than the Speed of Night

Written by Jim Steinman, this was released in July of 1983, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week ending October 1, 1983 where it remained for 4 weeks. It was also a huge international hit, reaching the top in 7 countries and eventually reaching 6 million in sales.

Nicki French covered the song in 1995 and took it to No. 2 in the US.

Sorry Juanca but it's time to say good-bye to your No. 1... 

 
craziaskowboi - 7

I enjoy the brooding unease that permeates the entire song, and I especially love the intensity of the instrumental "verse" in the middle of the song. Jim Steinman has a flair for the bombastic.

[craziaskowboi]

Oct 23, 2018 8:11:22 GMT -5 Unhinged said:

#9

1999

Prince

Total Points: 2223

Billboard Hot 100: 12

Billboard Top 100 of 1983: 41

From: 1999

First single released from the album of the same name, "1999" peaked at No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its initial 1982 run. It re-charted in 1983 and peaked at its highest placement yet of No. 12. In 1999 the song re-charted yet again and peaked at No. 40 on the Hot 100. It has since appeared on the Hot 100 for a fourth visit, this time after the singers death in 2016 where it peaked at No. 27.

Losing another No. 1, sorry mamooshka and 9 others lose a Top 10...

         
craziaskowboi - 25

The percussion in this song is quintessential Prince.

[craziaskowboi]

Oct 23, 2018 8:54:26 GMT -5 Unhinged said:

#7

Beat It

Michael Jackson

Total Points: 2250

Billboard Hot 100: 1⁽³⁾

Billboard Top 100 of 1983: 5

From: Thriller

Third single from Thriller, released in February of 1983. It was a huge hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week ending April 30^th where it remained for 3 weeks. It won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance in addition to reaching the Top 20 in over 20 countries.

@walker9 loses his No. 1 and a dozen more Top 10's fall...

craziaskowboi - 28

Angry Michael!

They'll kick you and they'll beat you
And they'll tell you it's fair
So beat it!

Dayum! Best line of lyrics in the song!

[craziaskowboi]

Oct 23, 2018 9:24:33 GMT -5 Unhinged said:

#5

Hungry Like The Wolf

Duran Duran

Total Points: 2259

Billboard Hot 100: 3⁽³⁾

Billboard Top 100 of 1983: 17

From: Rio

"Hungry Like The Wolf" was released in North America in late 1982 and can be seen as the groups breakthrough success in the US, where it peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in large part thanks to the songs music video receiving heavy rotation on MTV at the time.

The video won the first Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video in 1984.

Butterflies & Hurricanes and Cody Wants Out... lose their No. 1 with this leaving the rankdown and with the exception of one outlier it placed within the Top 40 on every list...

Edit: Huge picture alert!

craziaskowboi - 9

I love the pace of this song, plus the drum breaks that surely had to have inspired Shep Pettibone. The woman moaning periodically at the end was a nice touch too. Was that really the sound of one of the band member's girlfriends having sex? Even if not, it's still a funny urban legend.

[craziaskowboi]

Oct 23, 2018 9:59:22 GMT -5 Unhinged said:

#3

Africa

Toto

Total Points: 2319

Billboard Hot 100: 1⁽¹⁾

Billboard Top 100 of 1983: 24

From: Toto IV

Spending one week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week ending February 5, 1983, this was the groups only No. 1 hit in the US. It peaked within the Top 40 in nearly 20 other countries and has been recently covered by Weezer who have taken their version to No. 1 on the Alternative Songs chart this year.

Two more No. 1's fall with this leaving the rankdown, sorry craziaskowboi and rowellfarm490 ...and we also have 3 perfect rankings!

 
craziaskowboi  - 1

BASTARDS! 

You know how I told you that "I'm Still Standing" was a special song to me because it was my first-ever 7" vinyl single? Well, I wanted "Africa" first, but my mother gave it to my older brother instead, so I always had to ask him for permission to play it, and most of the time he said "no!" It was torture! I! LOVE! THIS! SONG! I love the drum breaks before each chorus, which do a wonderful job of building up the suspense and creating a nice release into the chorus, which is sung so f**king triumphantly! It's awesome!

Even the minor details just do it for me, especially in the final chorus. Does anybody else hear the extraneous notes during the drum break before the final chorus? I can't be the only one who does, and they sound kind of neat too, though I don't know why. In the final chorus itself, I love, love, LOVE when the electric guitar kicks in, and also the drum break and cymbal crash in the middle that adds a secondary release. The falsetto improvisation as the chorus repeats itself kicks ass too. The whole song comes together throughout the final chorus, and it's spectacular!

Now you know exactly why this song is my #1, and "I'm Still Standing" is my #2. TANK THIS, FOO!

[craziaskowboi]

Oct 23, 2018 10:39:42 GMT -5 Unhinged said:

#1

Billie Jean

Michael Jackson

Total Points: 2344

Billboard Hot 100: 1⁽⁷⁾

Billboard Top 100 of 1983: 2

From: Thriller

Released January 2, 1983 as the second single from the biggest selling album of time Thriller, this was an absolutely massive single. Peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early March, it held the top for 7 weeks and propelled Thriller to the top of the Billboard 200 where it would remain for 37 non-consecutive weeks throughout 1983 and 1984.

Its music video was one of the first to receive heavy rotation for an African American artist on MTV and Jacksons performance of the song at the Motown 25 special (where he unveiled the Moonwalk for the first time) is considered one of the defining pop culture moments of all time.

Four of us grab a perfect placement and 14 more Top 10's fall with this leaving the rankdown...

Some of ya'll tried it but you just can't beat The King.

         
craziaskowboi - 6

This song has the best opening drum and bass line ever. Period. Bottom line. Honestly, every time I listen to this song, I always rewind it back to the beginning to hear the drum and bass line again, that's how infectious it is. Thank God Michael Jackson overruled Quincy Jones, who wanted to cut it out of the song altogether. He felt it was unnecessary, but Michael said, "But that's the jelly! That's what makes me want to dance!" Damn right. I wanna get down every time I hear it!

Even though my #1 wasn't #1, I have no problem at all with this being #1.

[Juanca]

10. Total Eclipse Of The Heart (1): Awwww!!! I'm a sucker for epic Jim Steinman production. The hits for Meat Loaf, Air Supply, Bonnie Tyler, Celine Dion were all big personal favorites. I had a VERY hard time with my top 3 in this RD, as I could really choose any of them as my yearend #1. In the end I chose this song as I felt it has become slightly more epic with time, and it's a great representative of the uniqueness that the 1980s brought. Plus the song is super strong. It's like a mini classic opus with great melody and instrumentation, with ballad, rock and pop elements, plus GREAT poignant, desperate, heartfelt vocals from Bonnie Tyler, perfectly complemented by Rory Dodd's 'turn around's. This was a big hit back home in 1983 (yearend top 25) and the decade, and is still played in 1980s stations. The video was also in very high rotation.
A few additional bonus points for me:
- The longer version that had an extra verse, longer intro and outro, that I also really liked:

- This song had an extra connection with my beloved Peru... a Spanish version was popularized throughout Latin America by Peruvian-born, Cuban-raised singer Lissette. The song "Eclipse Total del Amor" featured background male vocals of Juan Secada, who would become famous in the early 1990s as Jon Secada.

- Nicki French's version was a pretty good cover as well that reached the top 3 of my personal chart


9. 1999 (61): This wasn't popular back home, and when I heard it in the 1980s this was just OK for me. I did like it more as time went by, but I still think it's just a bit too basic for him. Practically the same melody in the verses and the chorus made it too monotonous for me. The music and sound are good, sure! But he's done songs with similar styles that are much better, solid, interesting than this one. Disappointed at the complete standom here. Had this been a song by, let's say, Sheena Easton, it would've likely been outside the top 30.

8. Every Breath You Take (2): WOW! Really outside the top 5? Geez! A big hit back home in 1983, and an even bigger hit in the decade rankings. This is one of my favorites of the 1980s. I love the vocals, the structure, with that poignant chorus and strong bridge, plus the background vocals in the last minute. Of course, the fact that it was successfully used for I'll Be Missing You sort of confirmed the greatness of the melody.

7. Beat It (6): This was the second biggest hit of the year in our #1 radio station back home. A big favorite of mine as well. That pop rock sound was great. Eddie Van Halen's riffs and guitar solo in the bridge are among the best in pop music. Michael did a great job pulling off rocker vocals as well. And that video was definitely EPIC.

6. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (31): This is a FUN song, for sure --with a lot of disco influence. I loved the use of the Cameroonian "Soul Makoosa" tune, plus MJ vocals. Of course, its use by Rihanna also confirmed its strength. Back in the day, I liked it but didn't love it. My love went to BJ, BI, Thriller, and then Human Nature. It was curious to say the least that its cousin flopped the following year:


5. Hungry Like The Wolf (24): My 8th favorite single from DD, and a song I really liked back in the day. It was a big hit back home in radio and TV, and a song that put them in the limelight, after the minor airplay of Rio. It has a great melody and sound. I really liked the musical bridge and the last minute with random but effective background vocals. In such a strong year, I won't complain at this being in the top 5. I could've easily put it in my top 10 as well.

4. Little Red Corvette (56): I liked this song back in the day. It wasn't a hit back home, but I remember hearing it in early 1984 and wishing it could become at least a minor hit. So yeah, I don't dislike it or hate it, but it's just too chorus-centric for me to place it higher in a year full of so many unique, complex, melodic, solid songs. The melody in the verses wasn't that good for me. I'm not surprised of course, as I've learned that every year there has to be a Prince song in the top 5 regardless of its relative strength compared with other songs that year (IMO).

3. Africa (11): My brother and I loved this song back in the day :) A big hit back home as well, and a song that is kind of a recurrent staple in 80s radio stations. I love the melody, music and vocals. And actually, had this RD happened a year ago, I could've probably ranked it a bit higher. After that ridiculous viral video and then Weezer's useless cover, I wanted to not hear it that often... Fortunately, I also saw America's Got Talent and the version that Angel City Chorale made of this song, and my love came back :)


2. Sweet Dreams (4): YES!! Such a GOOD 1980s representative! It may seem repetitive, but it has so many nuances that made it unique. Starting from that dark, mysterious synth sound at the beginning, the layered vocals throughout the song, Annie's high-tone 'ooh' ad-libs, the more euphoric 'moving on!!', the orchestra-like musical bridge, the more dynamic music and vocals in the last minute. Such a unique song! A big hit back home (yearend top 40) that is still played frequently in 80s radio stations. A song I loved from the first time I heard, and that I remember was a big contender for my personal favorite of that year (not sure which one was my favorite!). Plus, this was the first song I heard from Annie Lennox, a singer I've been a BIG fan since the Eurythmics era --and the only one I had the opportunity to talk to, shake her hand, take a picture, and talk about development when we were both working in Malawi --will NEVER forget that moment!!!

1. Billie Jean (3):YEESSS!!! This was a song that defined an era. A classic of the 1980s for multiple reasons, including the visuals --I remember watching that special when he did the moonwalking and being at awe with my mom at what we were witnessing. The video then would become a big hit in our TV music channel, which in multiple occasions would play back-to-back BJ, Beat It and the full version of Thriller. The song is just a pop masterpiece. Simple but effective. That percussion-bass-synth progression at the beginning is pop bliss. MJ's vocals, including his many ad-libs and backing vocals are great. The extra synths in the second verse, the string-like sounds to give extra drama! the guitar-like sound in the bridge, etc. And the lyrics :) It's all so well crafted that it certainly deserved to be the #1 song in this RD!
PS: I finally watched CNN's The Eighties episode of Video Killed the Radio Star, and there was a section discussing the absence of black artists playing in MTV, and that the CBS executives threatened to pull all its artists from MTV if they weren't to play Billie Jean -- a song that was selling like cupcakes and became a phenomenon, but MTV still wouldn't play (!). I also LOVED seeing David Bowie asking Mike Goodman why they weren't playing black artists that were just as good as white artists and laughing surprised and astonished with a Wow! at the response about the fear that people in middle America wouldn't feel comfortable with that type of music (!!!).


Thanks a lot for hosting, Unhinged!! another great RD experience!

[Red]

Oct 23, 2018 22:00:11 GMT -5 craziaskowboi said:

Oct 22, 2018 9:28:06 GMT -5 Unhinged said:

 
craziaskowboi - 100

Ha, I kept it out of the top 10!

Sorry, but this song sounds like it belongs on The Muppet Show.

You sound like you belong on The Muppet Show.

:kii:

(Sorry, I know, I'm bitter.)

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

Oct 23, 2018 14:45:19 GMT -5 Butterflies & Hurricanes said:

ok, when i saw "25" as my ranking for Sweet Dreams i thought Unhinged had made a mistake, but i looked back at my message & sure enough, that's where i placed it...i can't believe i put it so low...had i put it in my Top 10, then it would've been the winner...sorry guys, i don't know what happened

Wow you really screwed that one up. That would be like me putting "Photograph" at #10.  Let's hope you do better with Manson's Version?

[Juanca]

Soooo at the end of this RD, I'd like to share a few songs in Spanish that were memorable hits that year back home, in some cases they became real classics, in other cases they were milestones of big artists, and in other cases they were just big hits that year. And the main thing in common is that all of them were personal favorites this year :) (I wanted to do this in other 1980s RDs, but I couldn't keep up! I was only able to do the French songs in the 1987 RD...)
Hope some recognize some of these songs --and if not, take a listen!!

- Embrujada (Tino Casal): This was a BIG hit that year that became a 1980s classic. Very New-Waveish pop and fun, coming from Spain, with a nice video too. He had a couple of other minor hits, but nothing like this one. In my top 5 of songs in Spanish this year.


- Victimas del Desamor (Video): Also in my top 5, another electro-pop hit coming from Spain. This group was a one-hit wonder, though.


- Barco a Venus (Mecano): After a huge era with their previous album, they started to mature their sound, although their lyrics were still a bit childish. They would eventually become an iconic group from Spain with beautiful songs with intricate lyrics and timeless production.


- No Controles (Ole Ole): Nacho Cano, from Mecano, wrote this song and gave it to Ole Ole, a Spanish group that in a way was created to follow the footsteps and compete with Mecano. The producer of the first album was the same producer of Mecano's first albums. No Controles was the song that made them popular and BIG in all Spanish-speaking countries. The song was later covered by the female group Flans and became a hit with that version as well. Although, to me, there's no version like this one. Great electro-pop jam!


- Conspiracion (Ole Ole): This was another minor hit this year --but the video had much bigger rotation back home. This adaptation from a piece off Bizet's Carmen had a darker vibe with quite strong vocals. The lead singer Vicky Larraz would only record another album with Ole Ole --which would then recruit Martha Sanchez, with whom they'd have a HUGE success. Marta then would become a successful solo artist, collaborating with Andrea Bocelli and more recently with Flo Rida


- Un Loco Dia (Sergio Mendes): Back in the day, I'd confuse the claps of this song with that of New Song lol. Completely different songs, I know. This was a hit, although not a big one, but a personal favorite --plus it was from a crossover artist


- Chicos Malos (Pato de Goma): A BIG hit back home from this group of Spanish kiddos. I did like this feel-good electro-pop song --the saxophone was a good addition to the song. They'd only have a minor hit with the follow-up Piel de Terciopelo


- Quien Piensa en Ti (Gonzalo):
This was Spain's submission to the OTI festival (like a Eurovision for Latin-American countries + Spain and Portugal) and one of the most successful songs from that festival. A big hit back home --we were all about electro pop!


- Amor Por Computadora (Miguel Rios): He was THE male rocker for music in Spanish --also from Spain. He had many classics in the 1980s, and this was arguably his last BIG hit back home


- Africa (Puskarra): Another one-hit wonder from Spain. I wonder if they wanted to hop on the success of another Africa song that year... this was a simple, catchy, fun pop-rock song though

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

Oct 23, 2018 15:24:23 GMT -5 mamooshka said:

This was a lot of fun. You're a phenomenal Games host with the knack of keeping the interesting characters on this board in check. Looking forward to your 80s RD.

Did someone mention The Knack? Where where?

Unhinged.
Anyway this was loads of fun like always. Looking forward to 1988.

So here are my remaining missing numbers  from my own Personal 1983 list. Gonna showcase some of the classic videos from songs in my own top 10.


#10 . Total Eclipse Of The Heart -  Bonnie Tyler
This was a great song, I just never really got into Bonnie's vocals. I would have loved if Samantha Fox did the singing. The pin up girl turned singer, not the porn actress.

#9.. 1999 -  Prince (DOC #39)
One of my favorite 80's songs and videos. I have liked it a lot more since when I first chart it. You can tell the big difference with my rank here and my own 1983 chart. Prince gives a flawless vocal delivery but I also like how the two female singers mimic his voice, Unless that was just in the MV? Either way One of the best Party songs ever. The whole band looks great ion the music video.  By now Warner Brothers told Prince to put on some pants and leave the lace to the girls. 


#8 . Every Breath You Take - The Police (DOC #20)
Another 80's classic. I love how sting always did these sort of stalker lyrics. My favorite is another another Police Classic "Don't Stand So Close To Me" 

#7 . Beat It - Michael Jackson (DOC #81)
My favorite of the 3 M.J. songs out first. It's between this one and "Thriller" for me. I loved this one especially for the guitars and Eddie Van Halen's Guitar Solo.

#6 . Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - Michael Jackson (DOC #209)
Truth be told. I was never the biggest Michael Jackson vocals fan. I did enjoy the songs on "Off The Wall" a lot more. THis song is cool, but not better than beat it.

#5 . Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran (DOC #3)
A true classic for any Music era.  belive it or not, I heard this classic for the first time on the a Pop music station . This one was also a nightly contender on KIQQ's top 5 at eight. I love that Simon is the prey and the woman is the predator in this one. The Music video is full of gorgeous images of the exotic animals and the jungle.


#4 . Little Red Corvette - Prince  (DOC #2)
I would have loved if this song won. It's my favorite Prince song of all time. The melody, so sultry and sexy. the effects, Prince always used New Wave effects in his music.. the lyrics are so damn tasty, but my favorite part is the theme of the Little Red Corvette. My favorite car in the world is the 1968 Corvette Stingray. This goes as far back as Mark Hamill's 'Covette Summer". I must have watched that movie more times than Star Wars just to see that car. This Music Video? probably more times than you can imagine. The only thing that surprises me is that some one ranked this song higher than me. 



#3 . Africa - Toto (DOC #11)
This would be my last top 10 remaining in this game. This one is a classic. Toto could write a mellow pop song like no one else could. This is another 80's classic that pulls you in with the melody. One thing that always stood out for me were the subtle flutes in the backround. More exotic images and colours make the song come alive in the music video too. That being said, I doubt Weezer's cover version will end up this high?  [img src="http://images.proboards.com/tongue.gif" class="smile" src="http://images.proboards.com/tongue.gif" alt=""]


#2 . Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) - Eurythmics (DOC #63)
Damn. This one  blows "Billie Jean" away, but oh well. I was actually surprised Butterflies & Hurricanes and I ranked this at the same spot, until that last post. I was sure he meant to put this in his top 10. I will save that top 10 action for this song, when we run into Marylin Manson's version.  

#1.  Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
Eh, what can I say? It's a decent M.J. song. I liked the songs melody a bit more than his vocal delivery. I kind of get tired of all those oohs and ahhs after every line. It almost seems like overkill by the end of the song. Anyway, the song does have one of the best song intros ever. I'll give it that.

[Juanca]

In the early 1980s pop music in Spanish was primarily pop music from Spain... but other less-pop music started to come from Latin America too, though, although sometimes with some Spanish support...

- Fuego (Miguel Bose): He's arguably the biggest male pop artist from Spain, and one of the most influential Hispanic artists in general. He started his career when he was quite young in the late 1970s with bubble-gum pop. In 1983 he tried to evolve his sound a bit and project a sexier image. The first taste of this was the song Fuego, with colorful and 'sexier' (for the time) imagery. The flamenco pop sound was just a taste of the complete breakthrough that happened in 1984 with his album Bandido that turned him into a much more serious artist.


- Mi Nina Veneno (Ritchie): Randomly, this song became a BIG hit back home. Not common for Brazilian pop artists to make it in Peru, but Ritchie made it, also thanks to a version in Spanish. It was great to hear more pop and less AC or traditional Brazilian music. A song I really, really liked that year and I still have a soft spot for.


- Mentiras (Daniela Romo): This was the breakthrough hit for a female artist that would become a mega star in the 1980s, although primarily in the ballad and soft pop area. Nice voice --and a super long black hair that was her distinct feature for many years. Catchy tune with a good electro-pop and AC mix


- Celos (Daniela Romo): For this video, Daniela featured Miguel Bose. The song had an unusual style for a pop song, but became another big hit for Daniela. Nine years ago, Colombian singer Fanny Lu released a cover of this song, which became a BIG hit in Latin America.


- Olvidame y Pega La Vuelta (Pimpinela): This was the breakthrough hit of siblings duo Pimpinela. Although it was a bit weird to see brothers playing the role of husband-wife, they had a lot of success in Latin America. Their songs were almost like listening to a telenovela in 4 minutes :) Lucia Galan's voice was quite strong, though, and she really acted the part of the upset, disheartened, frustrated, desperate wife --as in this song, a big hit back home in 1983, later covered by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony


- Dimelo delante de Ella (Pimpinela): Follow-up single was also a hit, especially in AC radio stations. Although their performances in TV shows were always fun!! Like here when Lucia is challenging Joaquin to keep telling nice things in front of the other woman


- Lagrimas (Roberto Blades & Orquesta Inmensidad): I wasn't a big fan of Salsa music back in my childhood. I liked dancing Salsa :) but I wouldn't really listen to Salsa radio stations. However, this song was SUPER popular. It was incapable in parties. And deservedly so. It was in my top 5 songs of the decade in Spanish, regardless of genre. It's one of the best Salsa songs that I've ever heard, and that I can still listen to. Starts mellow and tender, but then it goes into high-energy mode after the 3rd minute with multiple iterations of percussion and brass sounds, and the typical Salsa background vocals.


- Y Como Es El (Jose Luis Perales): He is considered one of the best songwriters / storytellers in Spanish. This ballad was his breakout hit as a singer, and made the top 20 of our #1 pop radio station. A classic, timeless ballad.


- Lo Dudo (Jose Jose): A Mexican icon in terms of ballads. His voice had a limited range, but he was able to emote tenderly like few. He had many timeless classics, and this was his last big hit back home

[mamooshka]

Oct 23, 2018 23:30:10 GMT -5 Juanca said:

2. Sweet Dreams (4): Plus, this was the first song I heard from Annie Lennox, a singer I've been a BIG fan since the Eurythmics era --and the only one I had the opportunity to talk to, shake her hand, take a picture, and talk about development when we were both working in Malawi --will NEVER forget that moment!!!

Annie is one of the most underrated human beings in the last 50 years. Beyond her obvious talents as a musician and celebrity, she's been an advocate and activist for human rights for nearly 30 years. She supports the LGBT community and is a champion for education and health care for those affected by HIV, particularly women and children.

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[Butterflies & Hurricanes]

Oct 23, 2018 22:00:11 GMT -5 craziaskowboi said:

Oct 22, 2018 9:28:06 GMT -5 Unhinged said:

#14

Come On Eileen

Dexys Midnight Runners

craziaskowboi - 100

Ha, I kept it out of the top 10!

Sorry, but this song sounds like it belongs on The Muppet Show.

Bohemian Rhapsody & many other great songs have been featured on the Muppet Show...don't go throwing shade on my boy Kermit!!!