Hey, did you know that in the video for Dancing in the Dark, future mega-star Courtney Cox goes from enjoying Bruce Springsteen’s song in the crowd to being invited on stage to dance with him? Oh, you did? Yes, because the entire world knows it. I love Dancing in the Dark and don’t give a … Read More
I’ve always found it peculiar how people remember things from your teenage years that seem so uneventfully random, particularly the older you get. Considering I’m 46 this undeniably pertains to me. I distinctly recall an assembly while a junior at Lafayette High School in Buffalo. The gathering was for S.A.D.D. (Students Against Drunk Driving) and … Read More
Never did a song make me wish I had girlfriend with a specific first name solely so I can play a song for her more than Toto’s “Rosanna” in `1982. Unfortunately I struck out in the girlfriend department during those days seeing I was 11, and in hindsight I’m not confident I even knew a … Read More
As a young child, there’s precious few bass guitar leads I remember more fondly than Maneater. Honestly, if the entire 4:31 had zero vocals and contained nothing else than the baseline I’d be satisfied. Of course, Darryl Hall (and I guess Oates too) do sing in it and do so quite well. This is the … Read More
Madonna is no stranger to this countdown, with Crazy For You marking her fourth appearance already, joining Papa Don’t Preach (No. 96), Borderline (88) and Like A Prayer (84). Here’s a spoiler alert—this isn’t quite the last you’ll see of Madonna either. While she’s far better known for delivering pop records that govern clubs and … Read More
Everyone knows Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” is the preeminent song to get down to. Not everyone knows is exactly how America’s unofficial humping anthem came out. It turns out Gaye was quite the pornography addict. From Songfacts.com: “The renown writer David Ritz gave Gaye the idea for this song. Gaye had a large collection of … Read More
Let me provide some clarification before proceeding. Even if a video for Michael Jackson’s “Thriller’ was never made, I’d still be a fan of the title track off the greatest album I’ve heard in my lifetime. But I gotta keep things real. “Thriller” is at the halfway point of my Top 100 countdown because … Read More
If there’s a noise that lets you know the funk is coming more prominently than the animal sounds preceding “Jungle Love’, I’ve yet to hear it. The best non-Prince song from the movie Purple Rain that ever lived, (Morris Day &) The Time made “Jungle Love” a must have for every party in 1984 and … Read More
When I commenced this countdown several weeks ago, I knew there’d be at least a handful of selections readers glance to and immediately question my musical taste if not my sanity or manhood all together. To those critics I say— tough shit. This is a daily rundown of my favorite 80s songs, not necessarily its … Read More
I should probably provide a little context that accompanies this selection. I don’t think Olivia Newton John’s “Physical” is one of the more exquisite songs of the 80s. It’s simple and borderline corny. However, what made it so fantastic was the insanely sexual overtures that both boys and men (and I’m sure many females for … Read More
