80s0n8 Big 40 Countdown Schedule

[Jon]

I can't think of NKOTB without thinking of comedian Jimmy Pardo's story about them. He was working for MCA Records at the time, & was watching NKOTB open for Tiffany ( an MCA artist ) at the side of the stage, enjoying a backstage pasta salad. He asked the guy next to him "Who are these guys?". When he got the answer, he said "Mark my words...they'll never make it".

The punchline to the story is modern-day Jimmy saying "I think they had action figures by the time I finished that pasta salad".

It might be #1 on my "All-Time Most Hated Songs" list. If it's not, it's up there.

I don't think I've heard ANY of these before. Hell, there's a couple artists in there I don't think I've ever even heard OF.

Exactly, who the fuck is JJ Fad?

 

[HecticArt]

Exactly, who the fuck is JJ Fad?

Kids were into him for a little while, then they were into someone else shortly after.

 

[Jon]

Kids were into him for a little while, then they were into someone else shortly after.

Hence the name.

 

[MonoStereo]

I recognize the name. But that's it. Rapper, if I remember right. Maybe female?

 

[MonoStereo]

Hey - I was somewhat right! From Wiki :

"J.J. Fad is an American female rap group from Rialto, California. The name was an acronym of the original group members' given names (Juana, Juanita, Fatima, Anna, and Dania), but when the line-up changed the tradition developed that it stood for Just, Jammin', Fresh and Def.[1] The group was backed by DJ Train (Clarence Lars)."

 

[HecticArt]

Kids were into them for a little while, then they were into someone else shortly after.

Oops.

 

[sadchild]

"We're JJ Fad and we're here to rock"

That first line is about as far as I made it into their biggest song, "Supersonic".

The 1988, three members of NWA (Dr Dre, Arabian Prince and DJ Yella) produced this title track from J.J. Fad’s debut album Supersonic. It reached #30 in the US, was certified gold, and was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 1988 Grammys, both firsts for a female rap group.

 

[sadchild]

10/29/83

40: CHURCH OF THE POISON MIND – CULTURE CLUB
39: MIRROR MAN – THE HUMAN LEAGUE
38: HOW MANY TIMES CAN WE SAY GOODBYE – DIONNE WARWICK & LUTHER VANDROSS
37: HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU – LAURA BRANIGAN
36: AUTOMATIC MAN – MICHAEL SEMBELLO
35: QUEEN OF THE BROKEN HEARTS - LOVERBOY
34: TENDER IS THE NIGHT – JACKSON BROWNE
33: SEND HER MY LOVE – JOURNEY
32: PROMISES, PROMISES – NAKED EYES
31: CAN’T SHAKE LOOSE – AGNETHA FALTSKOG
30: SAY IT ISN’T SO – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES
29: FOOLIN’ - DEF LEPPARD
28: DR. HECKYLL & MR. JIVE – MEN AT WORK
27: CRUMBLIN’ DOWN – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP
26: BIG LOG – ROBERT PLANT
25: LOVE IS A STRANGER – EURYTHMICS
24: THIS TIME – BRYAN ADAMS
23: P.Y.T. (PRETTY YOUNG THING) – MICHAEL JACKSON
22: (SHE’S) SEXY + 17 – THE STRAY CATS
21: TELL HER ABOUT IT – BILLY JOEL
20: LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD – PAT BENATAR
19: HEART AND SOUL – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS
18: THE SAFETY DANCE – MEN WITHOUT HATS
17: TONIGHT I CELEBRATE MY LOVE – PEABO BRYSON & ROBERTA FLACK
16: MODERN LOVE – DAVID BOWIE
15: IF ANYONE FALLS – STEVIE NICKS
14: CUM ON FEEL THE NOIZE – QUIET RIOT
13: BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE – TALKING HEADS
12: SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER – THE MOTELS
11: SAY SAY SAY – PAUL McCARTNEY & MICHAEL JACKSON
10: UPTOWN GIRL – BILLY JOEL
9: TELEFONE (LONG DISTANCE LOVE AFFAIR) – SHEENA EASTON
8: DELIRIOUS - PRINCE
7: KING OF PAIN – THE POLICE
6: MAKING LOVE OUT OF NOTHING AT ALL – AIR SUPPLY
5: ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER – THE FIXX
4: TRUE – SPANDAU BALLET
3: ALL NIGHT LONG (ALL NIGHT) – LIONEL RICHIE
2: TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART – BONNIE TYLER
1: ISLANDS IN THE STREAM – KENNY ROGERS WITH DOLLY PARTON

 

[Aaron]

29 good/okay for me. Great countdown

 

[HecticArt]

20 or 21.
For me, that's a lot on a countdown.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

31 for me.

 

[Jon]

31 for me also. Early 80’s FTW!

 

[sadchild]

Good 20
Okay 8
Bad 12

40: CHURCH OF THE POISON MIND – CULTURE CLUB

I've always hated this song

17: TONIGHT I CELEBRATE MY LOVE – PEABO BRYSON & ROBERTA FLACK

3: ALL NIGHT LONG (ALL NIGHT) – LIONEL RICHIE
2: TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART – BONNIE TYLER
1: ISLANDS IN THE STREAM – KENNY ROGERS WITH DOLLY PARTON

These were my three candidates for #1. I went with Eclipse. The other guys went with Islands. I did so well... and still got beat!

BTW there's only TWO 'will never make the 40' songs from #41 - #69!

#74 SOS Band "Just Be Good To Me"

Early Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, before the Grammys and #1 hits.

#75 Roman Holliday "Don't Try to Stop It"

If you ever need a song that SCREAMS 80s, but nobody knows, use this one.

#79 Bette Midler "Favorite Waste of Time"

Same album as the "Beast Of Burden" cover she did that we recently talked about on another thread.

#81 Survivor "Caught In The Game"

Between the success of Eye Of The Tiger with Dave Bickler, and the success of Vital Signs with Jimi Jamison, I guess there was one more album with Bickler that didn't do so well. #themoreyouknow

Will never reach the top 40
#58 Commodores "Only You"
#59 Pointer Sisters "I Need You"
#70 Paul Young "Wherever I Lay My Hat"
#73 Genesis "Mama"
#74 SOS Band "Just Be Good To Me"
#75 Roman Holliday "Don't Try to Stop It"
#76 Cliff Richard "Never Say Die"
#78 Quarterflash "Take Another Picture"
#79 Bette Midler "Favorite Waste of Time"
#81 Survivor "Caught In The Game"
#82 Four Tops "I Just Can't Walk Away"
#83 Jennifer Holliday "I Am Love"
#84 Linda Ronstadt "What's New"
#85 New Edition "Is This the End"
#86 Joe "Bean" Esposito "Lady Lady Lady"
#87 Alabama "Lady Down on Love"
#90 Eye To Eye "Lucky"
#91 Melissa Manchester "No One Can Love You More Than Me"
#93 Heart "Allies"
#94 Axe "I Think You'll Remember Tonight"
#96 Glenn Shorrock "Doin't Girls Get Lonely"
#97 AC/DC "Guns For Hire"
#98 Anne Murray "A Little Good News"
#99 Herbie Hancock "Rockit"
#100 Cee Farrow "Should I Love You"

 

[MonoStereo]

10/29/83

I heard bits 'n' pieces of this countdown in the car, as I was schlepping around doing the weekend composting & recycling.

35: QUEEN OF THE BROKEN HEARTS - LOVERBOY

I hadn't heard this one in years, & was laughing at how much it sounded like "Working For The Weekend". If you're gonna rip somebody off, who better than yourself I guess.

31: CAN’T SHAKE LOOSE – AGNETHA FALTSKOG

I don't think I'd ever heard this one, which I always find weird. It also struck me how much it sounds like a Sahara Hotnights tune ( or I guess I should say how much SH sounds like this ).

30: SAY IT ISN’T SO – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES

I'd completely forgotten this was "just" a bonus track on their greatest hits album. Jeezus, they were just unstoppable at this point.

8: DELIRIOUS - PRINCE

I was surprised that this was this big of a hit. I don't even remember it being a single.

1: ISLANDS IN THE STREAM – KENNY ROGERS WITH DOLLY PARTON

As featured on the episode of "Schitt's Creek" we watched just the other night! ( this Fun Fact applies only to the author, more than likely ).

Man...what a countdown of great 80's pop goodness.

 

[MonoStereo]

Will never reach the top 40

#78 Quarterflash "Take Another Picture"

I assume this is the 3rd or 4th single from their sophomore album. This would be the beginning of the end for them - I remember how hard that 3rd record stiffed. We played the lead-off single, & it just got NOTHIN'.

#79 Bette Midler "Favorite Waste of Time"

Wasn't familiar with this, but thought "Is that the Marshall Crenshaw classic?". It is. No idea she covered it. Shame it didn't go higher, as I would've loved to see Marshall get that mailbox money.

#86 Joe "Bean" Esposito "Lady Lady Lady"
#90 Eye To Eye "Lucky"
#100 Cee Farrow "Should I Love You"

Absolutely zero memory of these songs and/or artists.

And "Rockit" wasn't a hit song? WOW. That friggin' video was on MTV every 10 minutes. Sometimes I think they played it while it was already playing.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

17: TONIGHT I CELEBRATE MY LOVE – PEABO BRYSON & ROBERTA FLACK

I guessed this correctly.

Will never reach the top 40

#99 Herbie Hancock "Rockit"

Minor surprise. I would have thought it would have grazed the lower 40.

 

[sadchild]

If you're gonna rip somebody off, who better than yourself I guess.
Ha! Yep. Bon Jovi did it on Slippery When Wet 2 (aka New Jersey)

Jeezus, they were just unstoppable at this point.
True! They were my fav music act until I discovered heavy (well, hair) metal at 13/14 years old.

I don't even remember it being a single.
Same. If I remember right, when I finally bought 1999 years later "Delirious" sounded kinda vaguely familiar-ish - but nowhere near as familiar as "Corvette" or the title track.

And "Rockit" wasn't a hit song?
Crazy, right?

 

[sadchild]

Minor surprise. I would have thought it would have grazed the lower 40.

"Rockit" peaked at #71. That's nuts. But it was a top 10 hit in six European countries!

 

[HecticArt]

#73 Genesis "Mama"

#99 Herbie Hancock "Rockit"

These are surprises. Especially Rockit.

 

[Jon]

And "Rockit" wasn't a hit song?
Crazy, right?

I do remember it winning quite a few Grammys that year.