Top 20 Songs - 1990

Yup. It's back. I know you've all been anxiously awaiting the completion of this project.

Some quick thoughts...

- My main association with 1990 is the beginning of my senior year of high school & playing football for the first time.

- Which ten year span featured the most change for me, 1980-1989 or 1990-1999?

- Picking songs for 1990 was MUCH harder than 1980. I've said it before & I'll say it again. The 90's are VERY underrated in terms of music. This point gets pounded home every time I listen to the 90's on 9, which is often.

On with the list...

HONORABLE MENTION: Just A Friend: Biz Markie, Fly High Michelle: Enuff Z'Nuff, The Humpty Dance: Digital Underground, Up All Night: Slaughter, Mentirosa: Mellow Man Ace, Ice Ice Baby: Vanilla Ice, No Myth: Michael Penn, Love And Emotion: Stevie B., Everybody Everybody: Black Box, So Close: Daryl Hall & John Oates, Blaze of Glory: Jon Bon Jovi, What It Takes: Aerosmith

#20
All Around The World, Lisa Stanfield

"I did too much lyin', wasted too much time,
Now I'm here a'cryin', I, I, I"

#19
Escapade, Janet Jackson

"Come on, baby, let's get away.
Let's save our troubles for another day.
Come go with me. We've got it made.
Let me take you on an escapade.
Let's go!"

#18
Feels Good, Tony! Toni! Tone!

"If the rhythm feels good to you baby
Let me hear you sing
If the rhythm feels good to you baby
Let us take you away"

#17
Dangerous, Roxette

"Hey, where’s your work?
What’s your game?
I know your business
but I don’t know your name..."

#16
Black Velvet, Alannah Myles

"Mississippi in the middle of a dry spell
Jimmy Rogers on the Victrola up high
Mama's dancin' with baby on her shoulder
The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
The boy could sing, knew how to move, everything
Always wanting more, he'd leave you longing for"

#15
Ready Or Not, After 7

"I'd climb the highest hill
Cross the widest sea
Nothing could discourage me
And I pray that you will be
Always there for me
Forever more"

#14
Sending All My Love, Linear

"Girl I close my eyes
and then I start to cry for you
You´re the reason why
I have to say goodbye to you
This pain I have inside
just makes me want to die for you
All these lonely nights
they just don´t feel so right for you"

#13
Whip Appeal, Babyface

"When we go to work
How the day seems so long
The only thing I think about
Can't wait 'til we get home
'Cause we got a way of talking
And it's better than words
It's the strangest kind of relationship
Oh, but with us it always works"

#12
Cherry Pie, Warrant

"She's my cherry pie
Cool drink of water
Such a sweet suprise
Tastes so good
Make a grown man cry
Sweet cherry pie"

#11
Cradle Of Love, Billy Idol

"This love starts my rollin train
You can't stop it
It ain't in vain
I ain't nobody's fool
Come on shake it up
Whatever you do"

#10
The Ballad of Jayne, L.A. Guns

"Now shes breakin hearts in heaven
Shinin bright in the sky
I still hear of us in the wind
I still think of you in the night, oh yeah
Well I guess youll never know
How much I need her so"

#9
Miracle, Jon Bon Jovi

"I'm just one man, that's all I'll ever be
I never can be everything you wanted from me
I've got plans so big
That any blind man could see
I'm standing in the river
Now I'm drowning in the sea"

#8
U Can't Touch This, MC Hammer

"My-my-my-my music hits me so hard makes me say oh my Lord
Thank you for blessing me with a mind to rhyme and two hyped feet
It feels good when you know you're down
A superdope homeboy from the Oaktown
And I'm known as such
And this is a beat uh u can't touch"

#7
Epic, Faith No More

"It's so cool, it's so hip, it's alright
It's so groovy, it's outta sight
You can touch it, smell it, taste it so sweet
But it makes no difference cuz it knocks you off your feet"

#6
I Remember You, Skid Row

"We spend the summer with the top rolled down
Wished ever after would be like this
You said I love you babe, without a sound
I said I'd give my life for just one kiss
I'd live for your smile and die for your kiss"

#5
Rub You The Right Way, Johnny Gill

"Can you feel the magic in my hands
When I touch and rub you the right way
Stroke applied with tenderness
When I hold and rub you the right way"

#4
The Power, Snap!

"Quality I possess something I'm fresh
When my voice goes through the rest
Of the microphone that I am holdin'
Copywritten lyrics so they can't be stolen
If they are snap
Don't need the police to try to save them
Your voice will sink so please stay off my back
Or I will attack and you don't want that"

#3
Poison, Bell Biv DeVoe

"She's so fly, she'll drive you right out of your mind
Steal your heart when you're blind
Beware she's schemin', she'll make you think you're dreamin'
You'll fall in love and you'll be screamin' dreamin'"

#2
(Can't Live Without Your) Love And Affection, Nelson

"So I wait, here for an answer
And wonder if tomorrow will be like yesterday
I'll keep holding on
Can't go on living this way, baby"

#1
Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away), Motley Crue

"My friends called today
Down from L.A.
They were shooting pool all night
Sleeping half the day
They said I could crash
If I could find my own way
I told them you were leaving
On a bus to go away"

Top 20 Nintendo Entertainment System Games

Ah, the NES. This little 8-bit machine of wonder re-awakened my love of video games for good.

I first was introduced to the NES during the summer of 1987. My cousin Andrew had one at his cottage on Fishers Island. There must've been a bunch of rainy days that summer, since there's no way our parents would've let us stay inside all day playing video games. But play we did. Up in the attic, endless games of Baseball & Super Mario Brothers filled the air. It was fantastic.

That same November, my Dad & I spent Thanksgiving with the Burr's in New Jersey. Again, more Nintendo. This time Pro Wrestling worked it's way into the rotation. A month later, I received my own NES for Christmas.

I can still remember the games I received with it. Along with Super Mario Brothers & Duck Hunt, Rad Racer & 10-Yard Fight were under the tree. Soon after, Double Dribble joined the group. Over the next four years, many, many games were either borrowed, rented, bought or played with friends. I have fond memories of them all, but I'm especially fond of these 20.

The NES lives on strong today. Emulation (I can play NES games on my Sega Dreamcast), working original consoles (I have two), and the Virtual Console on the Wii (hopefully I'll have one of those soon) all allow a new generation of gamers to discover this classic. You can even play these games online. Just head to VirtualNES & jump right in!

On with the list. (Once again, these are my favorites, not a reflection on the best games ever)

HONORABLE MENTION: Super Mario Brothers 3, Rambo, Castlevania, Kung Fu, NES Play Action Football, Rad Racer, Rampage, 10-Yard Fight, Rygar, Super Dodge Ball, Rush'n Attack, RBI Baseball

(Click on the title for Youtube links. Great for remembering the fantastic sound effects & music.)

#20
Karnov


#19
RC Pro Am


#18
Golf


#17
Top Gun

Landing that plane is still difficult to this day.

#16
Major League Baseball

The appeal of this game was all MLB rosters. Unfortunately, there wasn't any player names, just numbers. Still, I swear #50 for the Mets was just as fat as Sid Fernandez.

#15
Bases Loaded

Joe Cuff & I had some great battles in this game. In fact, we videotaped one of our greatest games, which included a bench-clearing brawl & the ump calling me "a bum".

#14
Ice Hockey


#13
Blades of Steel


#12
Racket Attack


#11
Legend of Kage


#10
Baseball

Jerry loves this game & always kicked my butt.

#9
Tecmo Bowl/Super Tecmo Bowl


#8
Ikari Warriors


#7
Pro Wrestling


#6
Contra

Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, b, a, start.

#5
Double Dribbe

Ah, the Boston Frogs.

#4
Tetris

Please tell me I wasn't the only one to play this game so much that I started seeing Tetris pieces in real life and trying to figure out how they'll fit together.

#3
Legend of Zelda


#2
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out

007-373-9563. I've never forgotten the code to fight Mike Tyson.

#1
Super Mario Brothers

As much as I played this game, I was only able to rescue the Princess once. I still never made it to the Minus Worlds.

Top 20 Songs of the 80's

Compiled in one location for your convenience!

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

Top 20 Songs - 1989

So this ends my rankings of songs from the 1980s. What a decade. In 1980, I turned 7 & was in first grade. (Just like Payton!) By 1989, I was 16 and was a sophomore in high school. Those 10 years seemed like forever then. Nowadays, 10 years goes by in a blink of an eye. (Foxwoods will turn 16 next month!!!)

Onto the list...

HONORABLE MENTION: Cryin': Vixen, Girl You Know It's True: Milli Vanilli, Seventeen: Winger, Close My Eyes Forever: Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne, Patience: Guns N' Roses, Electric Youth: Debbie Gibson, I Drove All Night: Cyndi Lauper, Toy Soldiers: Martika, On Our Own: Bobby Brown, Forget Me Not: Bad English, You're My One & Only (True Love): Seduction, Runnin' Down A Dream: Tom Petty

#20
Cherish, Madonna
"I was never satisfied with casual encounters
I can't hide my need for two hearts that bleed with burning love
That's the way it's got to be
Romeo and Juliet, they never felt this way I bet
So don't underestimate my point of view"

#19
Angelia, Richard Marx
"Angelia
Where you running to now
Angelia
Got to make you turn around"

#18
The Look, Roxette
"She's got the look.
She's got the look.
What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue.
When everything I'll ever do I'll do for you and I go:
la la la la la she's got the look."

#17
Rock Wit'cha, Bobby Brown
"I wanna rock wit'cha, baby
All night long
I wanna roll wit'cha, lady
Feelin's so strong
I wanna rock wit'cha, baby
All night long
Rock and roll, and roll and rock
Make your sweet love, don't ya ever stop"

#16
Second Chance, .38 Special
"Since you been gone
I feel my life slipping away
I look to the sky
And everything is turnin' grey
All I made was one mistake
How much more will I have to pay
Why can't you think it over
Why can't you forget about the past"

#15
Baby Don't Forget My Number, Milli Vanilli
"Ba ba ba ba baby
Don't forget my number
Baby love is stronger than thunder
Ba ba ba ba baby
Don't forget my number
Love will see you through"

#14
A Girl Like You, The Smithereens
"Now if I seem a little wild, there's no holding back
I'm trying to get a message to you
I won't take anything from anyone
I won't walk and I won't run, I believe in you
London, Washington, anywhere you are I'll run
Together we'll be
Inside, outside, got my pride
I won't let him take you from me"

#13
Higher Ground, Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Teachers
Keep on teachin'
Preachers
Keep on preachin'
World
Keep on turnin'
'Cause it won't be too long
Oh no"

#12
Fire Woman, The Cult
"Shake shake shake shake it. yeah...
Wound up, can't sleep, can't do anything right, little honey,
Oh, since I set my eyes on you.
I tell ya the truth.
Twistin' like a flame in a slow dance, baby,
You're driving me crazy.
Come on, little honey, come on now!"

#11
I Remember You, Skid Row
"I paint a picture of the days gone by
When love went blind and you would make me see
I'd stare a lifetime into your eyes
So that I knew you were there for me
Time after time you were there for me"

#10
Bust A Move, Young MC
"New movie's showin', so you're goin',
could care less about the five you're blowin'.
Theatre gets dark just to start the show,
then you spot a fine woman sittin' in your row.
She's dressed in yellow, she says hello,
come sit next to me ya fine fellow.
You run over there without a second to lose,
and what comes next, hey, bust a move."

#9
Just Between You And Me, Lou Gramm
"Staring at each other with accusing eyes
Keep our voices low, don't act surprised
If the word gets out, yeah, that's alright"

#8
Poison, Alice Cooper
"I want to love you but I better not
touch (Don't touch)
I want to hold you but my senses
tell me to stop
I want to kiss you but I want it too
much (Too much)
I want to taste you but your lips
are venomous poison"

#7
Every Little Step, Bobby Brown
"Don't matter what your friends try to tell you
We will even fall in love
And we will be together in any kind of weather
Just like that, just like that"

#6
New Thing, Enuff Znuff
"Worry worry is your answer
If you like your wrinkles faster
Nursing old things make em last
The way we did it in the past
Everybody telling you
You ain't got no respect"

#5
One, Metallica
"Back in the womb it's much too real
In pumps life that I must feel
But can't look forward to reveal
Look to the time when I'll live
Fed through the tube that sticks in me
Just like a wartime novelty
Tied to machines that make me be
Cut this life off from me"

#4
Cult of Personality, Living Colour
"Look into my eyes, what do you see?
Cult of Personality
I know your anger, I know your dreams
I've been everything you want to be
I'm the Cult of Personality
Like Mussolini and Kennedy
I'm the Cult of Personality"

#3
Paradise City, Guns N' Roses
"Just a' urchin
livin' under the street
I'm a hard case
that's tough to beat
I'm your charity case
So buy me somethin' to eat
I'll pay you at another time
Take it to the end of the line"

#2
18 And Life, Skid Row
"Tequila in his heartbeat, His veins burned gasoline.
It kept his motor running but it never kept him clean.
They say he loved adventure, "Ricky's the wild one."
He married trouble and had a courtship with a gun.
Bang Bang Shoot 'em up, The party never ends.
You can't think of dying when the bottle's your best friend"

#1
Headed For A Heartbreak, Winger
"Darling don't wait up for me, tonight I won't be home
You've become a stranger, I just got to be alone
Don't need nobody on my side to dull the blade I'm on
So don't be waiting for love, 'cause I'll be waiting to ramble on"

Top 20 Songs - 1988

Another solid year. You can really start to see the influence of my rock ways starting to show, although it's still a fairly diverse list.

HONORABLE MENTION: Two Occasions: The Deele, Just Like Paradise: David Lee Roth, Wishing Well: Terence Trent D'Arby, Hands to Heaven: Breathe, Walk on Water: Eddie Money, Edge Of A Broken Heart: Vixen, Look Away: Chicago, Waiting For A Star To Fall: Boy Meets Girl, If It Isn't Love: New Edition, All Fired Up: Pat Benatar, Lost In You: Rod Stewart, Supersonic: JJ Fad

#20
I Still Believe, Brenda K. Starr
"Each day of my life I'm filled with all the joy I could find. You know
that I am not the desperate type. If there's one spark of hope left in
my grasp I hold it with both hands. It's worth the risk of burning to
have a second chance."

#19
Beds Are Burning, Midnight Oil
"The time has come
To say fair's fair
To pay the rent
To pay our share
The time has come
A fact's a fact
It belongs to them
Let's give it back"

#18
Kiss Me Deadly, Lita Ford
"But I know what I like
I know I like dancin' with you
And I know what you like
I know you like dancin' with me
Yeah, yeah"

#17
New Sensation, INXS
"Cry baby cry
When you've got to get it out
I'll be your shoulder
You can tell me all
Don't keep it in ya
Well that's the reason why I'm here"

#16
Nite And Day, Al B. Sure
"Believe me when I say that I do care (I can tell you)
I’d like to run my fingers through your hair (I can tell you)
Baby, if you left I could not bear (I can tell you)
Please don’t share"

#15
Sign Your Name, Terence Trent D'Arby
"Sign your name
Across my heart
I want you to be my baby
Sign your name
Across my heart
I want you to be my lady"

#14
Parents Just Don't Understand, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
"I said, "This isn't shinin' armor, c'mon mom, I'm not Bowser.
Mom, please put back the bell bottom, Brady Bunch trousers.
But if you don't want to I can live with that, but,
You've gotta put back the double-knit, reversable slacks"

#13
Going Back To Cali, LL Cool J
"I'm going back to Cali, rising, surprising
Advising realizing, she's sizing me up
Her bikini - small; heels - tall
She said, she liked, the ocean
She showed me a beach, gave me a peach
and pulled out the suntan lotion"

#12
The Flame, Cheap Trick
"Just can't stand up for fallin' apart.
Can't see through this veil across my heart, over you.
You'll always be the one.
You were the first, you'll be the last."

#11
Endless Summer Nights, Richard Marx
"Do you remember all the nights we spent in silence
Every single breath you took was mine
We can have it all again
Say that you'll be with me when the sun brings your heart to mine"

#10
I Want Her, Keith Sweat
"I seen ya last night
I saw you standing there
Couldn't picture the color of your hair
And all I wanted to know
Were you really there"

#9
When It's Love, Van Halen
"You look at every face in a crowd
Some shine and some keep you guessin'
Waiting for someone to come into focus
Teach you your final love lesson"

#8
Forever Young, Rod Stewart
"May good fortune be with you
May your guiding light be strong
Build a stairway to heaven
with a prince or a vagabond"

#7
Electric Blue, Icehouse
"I just freeze everytime you see through me
and it's all over you, electric blue.
In too deep, standing here waiting
as i'm breaking in two, electric blue."

#6
Born To Be My Baby, Bon Jovi
"My heart beats like a drum (all night)
Flesh to flesh, one to one (and it's alright)
And I'll never let go cause
There's something I know deep inside"

#5
It Takes Two, Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
"My name is Rob, I gotta real funky concept
Listen up, 'cause I'm gonna keep you in step
I got an idea
That I wanna share
You don't like it? So what, I don't care"

#4
Father Figure, George Michael
"Sometimes I think that you'll never
Understand me
But something tells me together
We'd be happy"

#3
Pour Some Sugar On Me, Def Leppard
"You gotta squeeze a little, squeeze a little
Tease a little more
Easy operator come a knockin' on my door
Sometime, anytime, sugar me sweet
Little miss innocent sugar me, yeah"

#2
Sweet Child O'Mine, Guns N Roses
"She's got eyes of the bluest skies
As if they thought of rain
I hate to look into those eyes
And see an ounce of pain
Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place
Where as a child I'd hide
And pray for the thunder
And the rain
To quietly pass me by"

#1
Hysteria, Def Leppard
"Out of me, into you, yeah
You could hide, it's just a one-way street
Oh, I believe I'm in you, yeah
Open wide, that's right
Dream me off my feet
Oh believe in me"

The Wire - Top 20 Characters

If you're not watching "The Wire", don't worry, this isn't the post where I try & convince you to watch. I've most likely already talked to you about it and if you really need more convincing, just Google "The Wire" + "best show". Wait. I'll save you the time. Just click here. Besides, that post will be coming soon.

Instead, I'd just like to list MY favorite characters from the show.

This show is incredibly written, incredibly cast & acted even more incredibly. David Simon & Ed Burns throw a lot of characters at us over the years, but they all grow on you eventually. I wish I could put into words how great everything about this show is, but again, you can Google for yourself & read what people with far better writing skills than I have to say about it.

For the HM guys, I will try & link to a YouTube clip of theirs. For the other 20, I'll embed the clip right into the post. BEWARE. I can pretty much assure you that all of these videos that will have language NSFW.

One other thing to watch out for. If you plan on watching the show (which I really hope you do), many of these clips will contain spoilers, some pretty big ones too. Just a heads up.

Honorable Mention: Detective Leander Sydnor, Deputy Ops William Rawls, Marlo Stanfield, Slim Charles, Wee-Bey Brice, Avon Barksdale, Poot Carr, Gus Haynes, Randy Wagstaff, Bunny Colvin & Butchie.

#20
Sgt. Jay Landsman

Landsman cracks me up. He's not ashamed to be sitting at his desk, reading some hard-core porn, even in front of the Mayor of Baltimore. He's based on a real Jay Landsman, who happens to play the role of Lt. Dennis Mello. The show really is "all connected."

One of the most memorable moments of the show:


#19
Elena McNulty

Det. McNulty's ex-wife, she didn't make the list because of her character, she made the list because I adore Callie Thorne. I've liked her ever since her role of Detective Laura Ballard on Homicide: Life On The Street. (Another David Simon production.)

#18
Senator Clay Davis

Senator Davis, a horribly corrupt politician, makes the list for his signature line.


#17
D'Angelo Barksdale

One of the many great aspects of this show is how it blurs the line between good guys & bad guys. The guys you're supposed to root against, you end up rooting for. D'Angelo is one of those guys.


#16
Brother Mouzone

A small, but memorable role for the Harper's Weekly reading enforcer.


#15
Dennis "Cutty" Wise

Cutty's rise during season's 3 & 4 is one of the very few uplifting story lines in The Wire.


#14
Preston "Bodie" Broadus

Bodie has lots of memorable scenes in nearly every season. He grows on you.


#13
Det. Kima Greggs

Unfortunately for my faithful readers, there aren't many good YouTube clips of Kima that don't involve her & her girlfriend. I wanted to show her police-ness in this space. :)

#12
Michael Lee

Season 4 focuses on the problems with the schools in Baltimore. We're introduced to a handful of kids, nearly all of which you will become extremely attached to emotionally.


#11
Chris Partlow

I love, love, love this character. The way he goes about his business, expressionless & without emotion (with one notable exception) is fun to watch.


#10
Bubbles

How Andre Royo has not won himself a handful of Emmy's for his role of Bubbles is beyond me.


#9
Sgt. Ellis Carver

For all the bleakness The Wire shows, there are many, many funny scenes. Sgt. Carver seems to be behind a lot of them.


#8
Duquan "Dukie" Weems

Poor Dukie. I love this kid. His interaction with Prez is inspiring to this future teacher.

#7
Proposition Joe

Prop Joe, the master of negotiations.


#6
Major Cedric Daniels

Major Daniels climbs the ladder, but has a questionable past, which we may learn about in season 5.


#5
Stringer Bell



#4
Det. Bunk Moreland

Bunk is a funny man!


#3
Set. Lester Freamon

Lester is the Father Figure of the bunch. Stand-up guy & real po-lice.


#2
Det. Jimmy McNulty

McNulty would probably be considered the main character. I could post 20 clips just of him. Good stuff here.



#1
Omar Little

Omar is not only the best character on The Wire, he may be the best character in the history of television. A modern-day Robin Hood, Omar answers to a code & that's it. For all the cursing these characters do, good like finding one coming from Omar's mouth. (Only one to be exact & that was it.)

Top 20 Songs - Christmas Edition

I figured I'd take a break from documenting my favorite songs from the 80's & 90's and list my favorite Christmas songs.

I'd list my favorite TV/movie specials, but that would be very difficult to pick a favorite. They are all required viewing each season & they all hold special memories. That list would include Rudolph, Frosty, The Grinch, Emmett Otter, Charlie Brown's Christmas, Year Without Santa Claus, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, It's A Wonderful Life, Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story & Elf.

Anywho(ville), here is my Top 20 Christmas songs:

#20
Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me) - Elvis Presley

#19
Little Saint Nick - The Beach Boys

#18
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - The Carpenters

#17
Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes

#16
Linus & Lucy - Vince Guaraldi Trio

#15
A Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives

#14
Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses

#13
Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley

#12
White Christmas - Bing Crosby

#11
Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms

#10
All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

#9
Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano

#8
Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

#7
The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole

#6
All Alone On Christmas - Darlene Love

#5
Christmas In Hollis - Run DMC

#4
Winter Wonderland - Stryper

#3
Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid

#2
Sleigh Ride - Boston Pops

#1
Last Christmas - Wham!, Jimmy Eat World, Carrie Underwood

Top 20 Songs - 1987

This may be the pinnacle year for me in the 80's music-wise. A great summer, a great Thanksgiving and just an all-around great year for music. This was the last summer that I strictly listened to music on FM & MTV.

HONORABLE MENTION: (I Just)Died In Your Arms: Cutting Crew, Tunnel of Love: Bruce Springsteen, Should've Known Better: Richard Marx, One Heartbeat: Smokey Robinson, Casanova: Levert, Since You've Been Gone: The Outfield, Point Of No Return: Expose, Something So Strong: Crowded House, Head To Toe: Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Pump Up The Volume: M/A/R/R/S, I Want To Be Your Man: Roger, Faith: George Michael

#20
Fascinated, Company B
"'Cuz I, I'm fascinated by your love boy
And I'm fascinated by your love toy
I'm fascinated by the way U make me feel"

#19
Seasons Change, Expose
"Some dreams are in the night time
And some seem like yesterday
But leaves turn brown and fade
Ships sail away
You long to say a thousand words
But seasons change"

#18
I Just Can't Stop Loving You, Michael Jackson
"Each time the wind blows
I hear your voice so
I call your name...
Whispers at morning
Our love is dawning
Heaven's glad you came..."

#17
Don't Shed A Tear, Paul Carrack
"Cab fare to nowhere is what you are
A white line to an exit sign is what you are
Oh but I saw in you, now I see through"

#16
Don't Disturb This Groove, The System
"Pay attention are you listening
You're my favorite girl
Excuse me for the moment
I'm in another world"

#15
I Need Love, LL Cool J
"When I'm alone in my room sometimes I stare at the wall and in
the back of my mind I hear my conscience call, telling me I need a
girl who's as sweet as a dove for the first time in my life I see
I need love"

#14
Rock Steady, The Whispers
"You looked at me to my surprise
You were too anticipating
I should have known -- It was in your eyes
That you were getting tired of waiting"

#13
Lost In Emotion, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
"Between you and me
Just how true are the rumors
I am hearing
About this crush you have on me"

#12
Carrie, Europe
"Can't you see it in my eyes
This might be our last goodbye"

#11
Heaven Is A Place On Earth, Belinda Carlisle
"When you walk into the room
You pull me close and we start to move
And we're spinning with the stars above
And you lift me up in a wave of love..."

#10
Is This Love, Whitesnake
"Can't stop the feeling I've been this way before
With you I'll find the key to open any door
I can feel my love for you was stronger day by day
And I can't wait to see you again
So I can hold you in my arms"

#9
Meet Me Halfway, Kenny Loggins
"Meet me halfway
Across the sky
Out where the world belongs
to only you and I"

#8
Brilliant Disguise, Bruce Springsteen
"I hold you in my arms as the band plays
What are those words whispered baby just as you turn away
I saw you last night out on the edge of town
I wanna read your mind and know just what Ive got in this new thing I've found"

#7
Jacob's Ladder, Huey Lewis & The News
"Step by step, one by one, higher and higher
Step by step, rung by rung climbing Jacob's ladder"

#6
Don't Dream It's Over, Crowded House
" Now I'm walking again to the beat of a drum
And I'm counting the steps to the door of your heart
Only shadows ahead barely clearing the roof
Get to know the feeling of liberation and relief"

#5
Midnight Blue, Lou Gramm
"And I remember what my father said
He said "Son, life is simple"
It's either cherry red or...
Midnight Blue..."

#4
Here I Go Again, Whitesnake
"I'm just another heart in need of rescue
Waiting on love's sweet charity
And I'm gonna hold on
For the rest of my days
Cos I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams"

#3
The Way You Make Me Feel, Michael Jackson
"Hey pretty baby with the high heels on
You give me fever
Like I've never, ever known
You're just a product of loveliness
I like the groove of your walk,
Your talk, your dress"

#2
Only In My Dreams, Debbie Gibson
"Couldn't see how much I missed you (now I do)
couldn't see how much it meant
now I see my world come tumbling down
now I see the road is bent"

#1
Heart & Soul, T'Pau
"More than an ocean,
Keeps us apart.
I feel a tearing in half of my heart.
A walk on the water,
Is all that I need.
But miracles are not happening"

Top 20 Songs - 1986

Finally! After many requests (one), here's 1986. (Seriously, I can count the number of regular readers to this blog on one hand and have enough fingers left over to tie my shoes. Oh well.)

This is a fantastic year. I'll probably list the top three years when I finish this, but 1986 should be up there. Lots of tough choices.

HONORABLE MENTION: I Can't Wait: Nu Shooz, Who's Johnny: El Debarge, Human: Human League, The Captain Of Her Heart: Double, Brand New Lover: Dead Or Alive, Tuff Enuff: Fabulous Thunderbirds, Dreamtime: Darryl Hall, Heartbeat: Don Johnson, Word Up: Cameo, Walk Like An Egyptian: Bangles, Invisible Touch: Genesis, Something About You: Level 42

#20
True Blue, Madonna
"I've had other lips
I've sailed a thousand ships
but no matter where i go
you're the one for me
baby this i know cause..."

#19
Rock Me Amadeus, Falco
"Er war Superstar
Er war populär
Er war so exaltiert
Because er hatte Flair
Er war ein Virtuose
War ein Rockidol
Und alles rief:
Come and rock me Amadeus
Amadeus, Amadeus..."

#18
Venus, Bananarama
"Her weapons were her crystal eyes
Making every man a man
Black as the dark night she was
Got what no-one else had
Wa!"

#17
I Didn't Mean To Turn You On, Robert Palmer
"When I took you out
I knew what you were all about
But when I did
I didn't mean to turn you on
Now I bring you home
You tell me the night's not enough for you
I'm sorry, baby
I didn't mean to turn you on"

#16
This Is The Time, Billy Joel
"And so we embrace again
Behind the dunes
This beach is so cold
On winter afternoons
Ah, but holding you close is like holding the summer sun
I'm warm from the memory of days to come"

#15
When The Heart Rules The Mind, GTR
"When the heart rules the mind
One look and love is blind
When you want the dream to last
Take a chance forget the past"

#14
Your Wildest Dreams, Moody Blues
"Once upon a time
Once when you were mine
I remember skies
Mirrored in your eyes
I wonder where you are
I wonder if you
Think about me
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams"

#13
Your Love, The Outfield
"Josie's on a vacation far away
Come around and talk it over
So many things that I wanna say
You know I like my girls a little bit older
I just wanna use your love tonight
I don't wanna lose your love tonight"

#12
Point Of No Return, Nu Shooz
"No turnin' back
it's much too late
To go back now would be a big mistake.
It's taken me a while to learn
I'm at the point of no return."

#11
Mad About You, Belinda Carlisle
"Something 'bout you
Right here beside me
Touches the touched part of me like I can't believe
Pushing the night into the daytime
Watching the sky's first light
While the city sleeps"

#10
West End Girls, Pet Shop Boys
"Too many shadows, whispering voices
Faces on posters, too many choices
If, when, why, what?
How much have you got?
Have you got it, do you get it, if so, how often?
And which do you choose, a hard or soft option?
(How much do you need?)"

#9
Dreams, Van Halen
"Run, run, run away
like a train runnin' off the track
got the truth bein' left behind
falls between the cracks
standin' on broken dreams
never losin' sight, ah
well just spread your wings"

#8
The Rain, Oran "Juice" Jones
"I gave you silk suits, blue diamonds and gucci handbags.
I gave you things you couldn't even pronounce!
But now I can't give you nothing but advice.
Cause you're still young, yeah, you're young.
And you're gonna find somebody like me one of these days . . .
Until then, you know what you gotta do?
You gotta get on outta here with that alley-cat-coat-wearing,
punch-bucket-shoe-wearing crumbcake I saw you with. Cause you
dismissed!
That's right, Silly rabbit, tricks are made for kids, don't you know
that. You without me is like corn flakes without the milk! This is my
world. You're just a squirrel trying to get a nut! Now get on outta
here. Scat!
Don't touch that coat..."

#7
Danger Zone, Kenny Loggins
"Revvin' up your engine
Listen to her howlin' roar
Metal under tension
Beggin' you to touch and go"

#6
Living On A Prayer, Bon Jovi
"Gina dreams of running away
When she cries in the night
Tommy whispers: Baby it's okay, someday
We've got to hold on to what we've got
'Cause it doesn't make a difference
If we make it or not
We've got each other and that's a lot
For love - we'll give it a shot"

#5
Rumors, Timex Social Club
"I can't go no place without somebody pointin' a finger- I can't show my
face cuz when it comes to rumors I'm a dead ringer- I'll think I'll
write
my congressman and tell him to pass a bill- the next time they catch
somebody started rumors-shoot to kill!--"

#4
Heaven In Your Eyes, Loverboy
"I can tell by the look in your eyes
You've been hurtin
You know i'll never let you down oh, no
And i'll try anything to keep it workin
You gave me time to find out
What my heart was lookin for
And what i'm feelin inside"

#3
Take Me Home Tonight, Eddie Money
"I feel hungry it's a hunger
That tries to keep a man awake at night
Are you the answer I shouldn't wonder
When I can feel you whet my appetite
With all the power you're releasing
It isn't safe to walk the city streets alone
Anticipation's running through me
Let's find the keys and turn the engine on."

#2
Yankee Rose, David Lee Roth
"When she walks
Watch the sparks go flyin'
Firecrackin' on the 4th of July
No sad songs tonight
Somethings in the air
Yeah, the feeling gets you
A real state of independence
So pretty when her rockets fly
Still provin' any night
That her flag's still there"

#1
Walk This Way, Run DMC
"School girl sleezy with a classy kinda sassy
Little skirt's hangin way up her knee,
There was three young ladies in the school gym locker
And I find they were looking a D.
I was a high school loser, never made it with the ladies
Till the boys told me somethin' I missed,
Then my next door neighbor had a daughter had a favor
So I gave her just a little kiss alike this"