Pulse Rankdown: 1980 Year-End Mainstream Rock (complete)

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

THE TOP TEN

Gary Numan - Cars

Pat Benatar - Heartbreaker

Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers

Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb

Pink Floyd - Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 2

Pretenders - Brass in Pocket

Rush - The Spirit of Radio

Split Enz - I Got You

The Clash - Train in Vain

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Refugee



- What surprised you by either making or missing the top 10?
Split Enz ranking higher here than where it should have. I'll  never understand what makes these modern rock song sound better on this format? 


- Care to predict the order these songs leave in?
I'd rather predict the order I want them to leave in.


10. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
At least it's in its correct format this time.
9. Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers
ehh. 
8. The Clash - Train in Vain
7. Split Enz - I Got You
6. Rush - The Spirit of Radio
deal with it. This ain't "Tom Sawyer"

 I won't try to guess the rest. The other 5 came in really close together on my list, except my #1 which I hope takes the crown.

[gonecountry]

Sept 7, 2021 22:54:17 GMT -5 razorshark said:

Walking On The Moon would have had a sweet spot in my top 10 for sure.

It would have likely made my Top 5, definitely my Top 10.  My favorite Police song for sure.  Synchronicity II rocks harder, but this is a great song..

Guesses for the Top 10?  Who knows?  The list is pretty stellar and I'm thrilled to see this Benatar song make the Top 10:

10 Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
9 Split Enz - I Got You
8 The Clash - Train in Vain
7 Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers
6 Pretenders - Brass in Pocket
5 Gary Numan - Cars
4 Pink Floyd - Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 2
3 Pat Benatar - Heartbreaker
2 Rush - The Spirit of Radio
1 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Refugee

- What surprised you by either making or missing the top 10?  Run Like Hell missing it (close, though!) and I Got You making it in.

[Red]

SPOILER: Click to show

{RIGHT BEFORE THE TOP TEN, A WORD WALL MIGHT BE NECESSARY}#25: If nothing else, I'm just glad (though not surprised) that "Heartbreaker" is the highest.
#24: Kind of knew by process of elimination that this would be my first top ten loss. Still crazy to me how big of a hit this was, given the subject matter.
#23: Genuinely surprised this isn't top 20, but it's (technically) one of my lowest remaining, so I'll take it.
#22: I'm just not a fan of Christopher Cross, but this is certainly the best song he ever made.
#21: Right one wound up being highest, but, once again, I'm not really surprised. Glad this did better here, as expected.
#20: Here's another thing that would have happened if I had submitted for 1981: I'm 90+% sure I would have prevented "You've Got Another Thing Coming" from making the top three, as it's the weakest song on Screaming for Vengeance by a considerable margin. Oh, right, it was in 82, not 81, and I sent for 82. Well, then. No real complaints about this placement, anyway.
#19: Damn, I'm the reason it fell out of the top ten for good, and I'm in the top 1/3 of rankers lol
#18: Still wish this was "The River".
#17: Continues to be a nice song that, ultimately, never really rises above that.
#16: You should have saved that "EPIC BRITISH HEAVY METAL FAN ALERT" for Tom. This should have been top ten, we all know this, but it was never going to be.
#15: hahahaha, this is a joke, right
#14: Genuinely thought all three Floyd songs would make the top ten here, but this was always the most susceptible one to fall out. sigh
#13: How the hell did this miss the top ten
#12: At this point, I'm just glad this missed.
#11: Hahahaha, I thought this was a) a lock to be in the top ten and b) a lock to prevent a song like "Games Without Frontiers" from making the top ten...and neither fucking happened.

Other than Gabriel making it, I can't help but be somewhat unexcited about this top ten, and that's despite my lowest remaining being my #16.

I will be shocked if the top two is any combo other than "Refugee" and "The Spirit of Radio".

[DadJokes]

- What surprised you by either making or missing the top 10?

Really surprised "Another One Bites the Dust" and AC/DC missed the top 10. Two of the most well-known (and I thought well-loved) songs for them. Pleasantly surprised to see Split Enz in the top 10.


- Care to predict the order these songs leave in?

10. Pat Benatar - Heartbreaker
9. Rush - The Spirit of Radio
8. The Clash - Train in Vain
7. Pink Floyd - Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 2
6. Split Enz - I Got You
5. Pretenders - Brass in Pocket
4. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Refugee
3. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
2. Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers
1. Gary Numan - Cars

And for posterity, I have left (so I'd be thrilled if half of these win and fine with any but two):
1, 2, 3, 4, 7
11, 12, 15
37
40

[Mirago]

Without my Queen I would like Pink Floyd to win

[singingrulebritannia]

SPOILER: Click to show

{participants and spectators}singingrulebritannia DJDaveMick69 gonecountry peacebone razorshark Butterflies & Hurricanes Doc Indie Party Rock rowellfarm490 Gonza'90 aerodynamite Clode Red Daryl the Beryl DadJokes wheatsquares33 Mirago House Lannister Juanca thethirdcurry tanooki

--#10

Top 5s: 1
Top 10s: 8
Top 25s: 13
Top 50s: 17

High point: 5
Low point: 23
Lists spent in top 10: 12

[singingrulebritannia]

willapted33

---

10

I Got You
Split Enz

Year-End Position: #62
Peak: #16
Weeks: 15

1496 Points
Standard Deviation: 17.88

peacebone - 3
Daryl the Beryl - 7
aerodynamite - 7
Butterflies & Hurricanes - 8
rowellfarm490 - 8
Gonza'90 - 8
singingrulebritannia - 9
DadJokes - 10
wheatsquares33 - 11
Red - 15
Mirago - 19
razorshark - 24
Clode - 25
Doc Indie Party Rock - 30
thethirdcurry - 34
DJDaveMick69 - 44
gonecountry - 46
House Lannister - 52
Juanca - 63

Movements:
20 23 14 13 9 11 9 7 7 6 7 6 5 5 5 9 11 10

Performance history:
#21 Alt 1980 (I Got You) | #42 Alt 1982 (Six Months in a Leaky Boat) | #56 Alt 1981 (Hard Act to Follow)

Spectators:
tanooki
Optical Apex

SPOILER: Click to show

{Remaining Songs}
Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 2
Brass in Pocket
Refugee
The Spirit of Radio
Train in Vain
Games Without Frontiers
Cars
Heartbreaker
Comfortably Numb

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

10. I Got You - Split Enz
easily one of the Modern Rock cruise overs I can give a top 30 rank to. Makes sense this would be one of the fist to fall. If anything It got some of you to appreciate it more on this Rd

[singingrulebritannia]

--#9

Top 5s: 2
Top 10s: 6
Top 25s: 11
Top 50s: 19

7TH LOWEST SD

High point: 8
Low point: 19
Lists spent in top 10: 11

[singingrulebritannia]

I'll always find it funny that the last-minute addition to London Calling is easily the second-best song on the album

---

9

Train in Vain
The Clash

Year-End Position: #13
Peak: #9
Weeks: 19

1500 Points
Standard Deviation: 14.03 (7TH LOWEST)

Daryl the Beryl - 5
rowellfarm490 - 5
peacebone - 6
Red - 6
wheatsquares33 - 9
Gonza'90 - 10
DadJokes - 14
Butterflies & Hurricanes - 15
aerodynamite - 20
Clode - 20
singingrulebritannia - 21
razorshark - 27
House Lannister - 28
DJDaveMick69 - 30
thethirdcurry - 31
gonecountry - 37
Doc Indie Party Rock - 44
Mirago - 45
Juanca - 46

Movements:
18 19 13 11 10 14 12 10 10 11 9 9 10 8 10 10 10 9

Performance history:
#4 Alt 1980 (London Calling) | #6 Active 1982 (Rock the Casbah) | #13 Alt 1982 (Rock the Casbah) | #22 Alt 1980 (Train In Vain) | #40 Alt 1981 (The Magnificent Seven) | #41 Active 1982 (Should I Stay or Should I Go) | #51 Alt 1982 (This Is Radio Clash) | #53 Alt 1982 (Should I Stay or Should I Go) | #56 Alt 1980 (Clampdown) | #59 Alt 1982 (Straight to Hell) | #85 Alt 1982 (Know Your Rights) | #96 Alt 1985 (This Is England)

Spectators:
tanooki
Optical Apex

SPOILER: Click to show

{Remaining Songs}
Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 2
Brass in Pocket
Refugee
The Spirit of Radio
Games Without Frontiers
Cars
Heartbreaker
Comfortably Numb

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

classic Clash. 'nuff said.

[singingrulebritannia]

--#8

Top 5s: 6
Top 10s: 10
Top 25s: 11
Top 50s: 17

High point: 1
Low point: 10

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

Can I get one Pink Floyd song before the other one (you know which one I want), and not both in the top 5?

[singingrulebritannia]

Kate Bush technically makes a Mainstream Rock top 10 (she's on background vocals)

---

8

Games Without Frontiers
Peter Gabriel

Year-End Position: #35
Peak: #14
Weeks: 17

1502 Points
Standard Deviation: 20.02

DadJokes - 2
singingrulebritannia - 2
rowellfarm490 - 3
Butterflies & Hurricanes - 4
aerodynamite - 4
Red - 5
DJDaveMick69 - 7
Daryl the Beryl - 9
peacebone - 9
Gonza'90 - 9
wheatsquares33 - 20
Mirago - 28
Clode - 32
gonecountry - 33
House Lannister - 42
thethirdcurry - 47
razorshark - 48
Juanca - 52
Doc Indie Party Rock - 61

Movements:
1 4 3 6 5 10 7 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 6 8 8 8

Performance history:
#1 Active 1986 (Sledgehammer) | #3 Alt 1986 (Sledgehammer) | #4 Active 1986 (Red Rain) | #5 Alt 1986 (Red Rain) | #5 Active 1987 (Big Time) | #7 Alt 1986 (In Your Eyes) | #7 Active 1986 (In Your Eyes) | #12 Alt 1980 (Games Without Frontiers) | #12 Alt 1987 (Big Time) | #13 Active 1992 (Digging in the Dirt) | #21 Active 1982 (Shock the Monkey) | #28 Alt 1992 (Digging in the Dirt) | #28 Active 1993 (Steam) | #30 Alt 1982 (Shock the Monkey) | #38 Alt 1993 (Steam) | #65 Active 1993 (Kiss That Frog) | #91 Alt 1994 (Lovetown)

Spectators:
tanooki
Optical Apex

SPOILER: Click to show

{Remaining Songs}
Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 2
Brass in Pocket
Refugee
The Spirit of Radio
Cars
Heartbreaker
Comfortably Numb

[singingrulebritannia]

--#7

Top 5s: 5
Top 10s: 9
Top 25s: 13
Top 50s: 17

High point: 2
Low point: 14
Lists spent in top 10: 14

[singingrulebritannia]

my condolences DadJokes and Butterflies & Hurricanes. There goes my top 5 lol
(Drops 1 spot from the Hot 100 RD)

---

7

Cars
Gary Numan

Year-End Position: #38
Peak: #20
Weeks: 20

1508 Points
Standard Deviation: 24.32

DadJokes - 1
singingrulebritannia - 1
Butterflies & Hurricanes - 1
rowellfarm490 - 4
razorshark - 5
Daryl the Beryl - 6
peacebone - 7
Doc Indie Party Rock - 7
aerodynamite - 9
House Lannister - 12
Red - 13
Mirago - 22
wheatsquares33 - 25
Gonza'90 - 26
DJDaveMick69 - 32
Juanca - 45
gonecountry - 47
thethirdcurry - 52



Clode - 96

Movements:
7 14 11 5 2 2 2 3 3 10 11 11 9 9 9 7 7 7

Performance history:
#8 Alt 1980 (Cars)

Spectators:
tanooki
Optical Apex

SPOILER: Click to show

{Remaining Songs}
Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 2
Brass in Pocket
Refugee
The Spirit of Radio
Heartbreaker
Comfortably Numb

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

8. Games Without Frontiers - Peter Gabriel
I would have preferred if "Shock The Monkey" got this rank when it was on mainstream. I like better for Modern Rock. I always thought his vocals were kinda ruff here. Didn't know about Kate on backups. One of the better aspects of the song imop.

[singingrulebritannia]

--#6

Top 5s: 3
Top 10s: 7
Top 25s: 14
Top 50s: 18

8TH LOWEST SD

High point: 3
Low point: 10

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

7. Cars - Gary Numan
We really got rid of the Modern Rock jams first. I totally agree on this being top 10, because of the guitar strums, but I see why it fell short of Top 5.

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

please make this next one be the one that makes me uncomfortably numb

[singingrulebritannia]

unfortunately for Doc Indie Party Rock this doesn't quite match "Invincible"'s performance like he wanted
Though it does gain 2 positions from the Hot 100 rankdown

---

6

Heartbreaker
Pat Benatar

Year-End Position: #44
Peak: #19
Weeks: 24

1563 Points
Standard Deviation: 14.21 (8TH LOWEST)

Doc Indie Party Rock - 1
House Lannister - 3
Juanca - 4
gonecountry - 7
singingrulebritannia - 8
Clode - 8
wheatsquares33 - 10
rowellfarm490 - 14
aerodynamite - 14
Gonza'90 - 14
Red - 16
Daryl the Beryl - 18
Butterflies & Hurricanes - 23
DJDaveMick69 - 24
razorshark - 29
Mirago - 34
peacebone - 36
DadJokes - 39
thethirdcurry - 54

Movements:
6 3 10 7 8 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 6 7 8 6 5 6

Performance history:
#5 Active 1985 (Invincible) | #16 Active 1981 (Fire And Ice) | #18 Active 1988 (All Fired Up) | #24 Active 1985 (We Belong) | #25 Active 1983 (Love Is a Battlefield) | #25 Active 1980 (Hit Me With Your Best Shot) | #27 Active 1980 (You Better Run) | #29 Active 1981 (Promises in the Dark) | #39 Active 1983 (Shadows of the Night) | #39 Active 1993 (Everybody Lay Down) | #40 Active 1986 (Sex as a Weapon) | #56 Active 1981 (Just Like Me) | #68 Alt 1980 (Hit Me With Your Best Shot) | #82 Active 1983 (Looking for a Stranger)

Spectators:
tanooki
Optical Apex

SPOILER: Click to show

{Remaining Songs}
Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 2
Brass in Pocket
Refugee
The Spirit of Radio
Comfortably Numb

[singingrulebritannia]

--#5

Top 10s: 10

High point: 4

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

ask for something and you give me the complate opposite. 

6. Heartbreaker - Pat Benatar
This song right here wouldn't have been my #1 had we done this a few years back, but it really reflects how much I'm into female rock vocals these days. DIAMANTE, Chez Kane, The Pretty Reckless, Symphonic Metal, and I dare say it all kinda sparked up when I went to see Demi Lovato Neon Lights concert, but it's around that time powerful Females vocals starting becoming the norm on my charts. I have always loved this song, but probably appreciate it much more now than ver. It's definitely fire glazed. The way I like em.

[singingrulebritannia]

The Wall more like The Droll
(condolences Gonza'90, Red, and thethirdcurry)

---

5

Comfortably Numb
Pink Floyd

Year-End Position: #79
Peak: #5
Weeks: 7

1601 Points
Standard Deviation: 20.55

Gonza'90 - 1
Red - 1
thethirdcurry - 1
Daryl the Beryl - 2
aerodynamite - 3
DadJokes - 3
wheatsquares33 - 4
Clode - 5
Mirago - 5
Butterflies & Hurricanes - 7
rowellfarm490 - 11
peacebone - 12
House Lannister - 15
gonecountry - 21
DJDaveMick69 - 28
razorshark - 31
Juanca - 41
singingrulebritannia - 50
Doc Indie Party Rock - 77

Movements:
33 24 16 16 14 21 20 15 14 12 10 10 7 6 4 4 6 5

Performance history:
#7 Active 1987 (Learning to Fly) | #10 Alt 1980 (Comfortably Numb) | #18 Alt 1980 (Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 2) | #14 Active 1980 (Run Like Hell) | #19 Active 1994 (High Hopes) | #22 Alt 1987 (Learning to Fly) | #24 Active 2000 (Young Lust [live]) | #32 Active 1988 (On the Turning Away) | #38 Active 1994 (Keep Talking) | #40 Active 1995 (Lost for Words) | #41 Active 1994 (Take It Back) | #47 Active 1987 (One Slip) | #52 Active 1994 (What Do You Want from Me) | #56 AAA 2014 (Louder Than Words) | #94 Active 1983 (Not Now John)

Spectators:
tanooki
Optical Apex

SPOILER: Click to show

{Remaining Songs}
Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 2
Brass in Pocket
Refugee
The Spirit of Radio

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
At least the correct one prevails. Not much more to say about this song other than Bottom half cleared. Pleasantly surprised our host doesn't like this that much either.

[singingrulebritannia]

--#4

Top 10s: 9

High point: 4

[singingrulebritannia]

Sept 8, 2021 19:58:51 GMT -5 Doc Indie Party Rock said:

Can I get one Pink Floyd song before the other one (you know which one I want)

Well, you did get this part of your wish!
condolences, Daryl the Beryl and Juanca
(Falls 1 spot from the Hot 100 rankdown)

---

4

Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 2
Pink Floyd

Year-End Position: #2
Peak: #1
Weeks: 13

1609 Points
Standard Deviation: 21.28

Daryl the Beryl - 1
Juanca - 1
Mirago - 2
Butterflies & Hurricanes - 2
Gonza'90 - 3
House Lannister - 4
gonecountry - 4
DJDaveMick69 - 4
Red - 10
DadJokes - 11
Clode - 11
Doc Indie Party Rock - 11
wheatsquares33 - 17
thethirdcurry - 18
aerodynamite - 19
peacebone - 30
rowellfarm490 - 35
singingrulebritannia - 36





razorshark - 91

Movements:
10 5 8 23 18 13 14 12 13 13 13 12 12 11 7 5 4 4

Performance history:
#5 Active 1980 (Comfortably Numb) | #7 Active 1987 (Learning to Fly) | #10 Alt 1980 (Comfortably Numb) | #18 Alt 1980 (Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 2) | #14 Active 1980 (Run Like Hell) | #19 Active 1994 (High Hopes) | #22 Alt 1987 (Learning to Fly) | #24 Active 2000 (Young Lust [live]) | #32 Active 1988 (On the Turning Away) | #38 Active 1994 (Keep Talking) | #40 Active 1995 (Lost for Words) | #41 Active 1994 (Take It Back) | #47 Active 1987 (One Slip) | #52 Active 1994 (What Do You Want from Me) | #56 AAA 2014 (Louder Than Words) | #94 Active 1983 (Not Now John)

Spectators:
tanooki
Optical Apex

SPOILER: Click to show

{Remaining Songs}
Brass in Pocket
Refugee
The Spirit of Radio

[singingrulebritannia]

--#3

Top 10s: 7

High point: 2

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

4. Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 2 - Pink Floyd
Kinda hurt to keep this one out of my top 10, but sacrifices had to be made (for "Don't Do Me Like That"). As far as Pink Floyd goes this isn't anything fierce ,nor fast ,nor even catchy, but it vocally delivers. Not only lead singer, but the kids choir as well. Not a rock anthem, but basically a rebellious song for start to finish. The flipside of Alice Cooper's "School's Out"

[singingrulebritannia]

LMAO that the 2 highest Modern Rock crossovers didn't make the top 10 on Alt but beat songs that did
Rises 4 positions from the Hot 100 RD

---

3

Brass in Pocket
Pretenders

Year-End Position: #4
Peak: #8
Weeks: 17

1638 Points
Standard Deviation: 9.99 (2ND LOWEST)

aerodynamite - 5
DadJokes - 6
Clode - 6
singingrulebritannia - 6
House Lannister - 9
Juanca - 10
rowellfarm490 - 10
Red - 11
peacebone - 11
Daryl the Beryl - 12
thethirdcurry - 12
Doc Indie Party Rock - 13
gonecountry - 14
Gonza'90 - 15
Mirago - 20
razorshark - 21
Butterflies & Hurricanes - 22
DJDaveMick69 - 34
wheatsquares33 - 44

Movements:
11 7 4 2 6 4 4 4 4 2 2 3 2 3 3 3 2 3

Performance history:
#9 Active 1986 (Don't Get Me Wrong) | #14 Active 1984 (Middle of the Road) | #17 Alt 1980 (Brass In Pocket) | #17 Active 1983 (Back on the Chain Gang) | #22 Alt 1982 (Back on the Chain Gang) | #22 Alt 1986 (Don't Get Me Wrong) | #23 Active 1990 (Never Do That) | #25 Active 1981 (Message of Love) | #30 Active 1987 (My Baby) | #33 Alt 1981 (Talk of the Town) | #35 Alt 1980 (Mystery Achievement) | #35 Alt 1984 (Middle of the Road) | #35 Active 1984 (Show Me) | #37 Active 1994 (Night in My Veins) | #40 Alt 1980 (Tattooed Love Boys) | #40 Active 1981 (The Adultress) | #40 Active 1984 (Time the Avenger) | #42 Alt 1987 (Room Full of Mirrors) | #46 Alt 1981 (Message of Love) | #48 AAA 2020 (The Buzz) | #53 Alt 1980 (The Wait) | #53 Alt 1990 (Never Do That) | #64 Alt 1994 (Night in My Veins) | #64 AAA 2020 (Didn't Want to Be This Lonely) | #65 Alt 1981 (The Adultress) | #66 Alt 1981 (Pack It Up) | #68 AAA 2016 (Holy Commotion) | #75 Alt 1981 (Bad Boys Get Spanked) | #76 Alt 1983 (2000 Miles) | #78 Alt 1987 (Where Has Everybody Gone?)

Spectators:
tanooki
Optical Apex

SPOILER: Click to show

{Remaining Songs}
Refugee
The Spirit of Radio