Billboard Top 5 - 1987

Wow, this was an interesting year for me - the first time I hadn't worked in the theater for several years. I was working for a multimedia firm, mainly doing slide shows for real estate ventures. Yes, you read that right, slide shows. They were multi-projector shows particular to corporate real estate, and every bit as boring and awful as it sounds. But it paid well. Very quickly I worked my way up to the job of line producer, and was traveling with photographers, overseeing photoshoots of various real estate around the country. While driving around in rental cars, I would listen to the radio, hearing all the songs listed below. And what a great list it is, starting with former lead singer of The GoGos, Belinda Carlisle singing Heaven Is A Place On Earth. I was, and still am a fan of Belinda. When the solo album was released, I ran out to buy it and loved it.And I would be remiss if I didn't mention Belinda's strong support of LGBT rights, having embraced following her own son's coming out. Only made me love her more.



Anyone who watched Family Ties is familiar with Billy Vera & The Beaters romantic song At This Moment. The song was the score to the love scenes between Alex P. Keaton and Ellen, played by Micheal J. Fox and the woman who became his real life wife, Tracy Pollan. Lore has it that Billy Vera had already given up on his musical career, playing occasional dates for the bucks, when a Family Ties producer caught his show, and decided the song would be perfect for the show. The song was originally released in 1981, with minimal success. But when fans of the show started wanting a copy, the album was not available - the record company had gone under. So Rhino Records put out an album, and the song hit #1 on the chart, and remained on the Pop chart for 15 weeks.



George Michael had recently left Wham!, and was wanting to work with one of his all-time favorite singers, Aretha Franklin. So he worked on I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) to get that done, and it was actually an amazing performance. And while it would be tough to think of many bad efforts by Aretha, I really loved this, and was surprised to see George hold his own [insert giggling here]. The song hit #1 in the US and in the UK. While it was not George's first, it shockingly was Franklin's one and only UK #1. Who'd a thunk it?



Written by Albert Hammond and Diane 'Queen of the Power Ballad' Warren, Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now managed to get Starship back on top of the charts in April of 1987. This enabled the amazing Grace Slick to be pegged with the dubious honor of being the oldest woman to have a number one song. She was later displaced by Cher, who had the 1999 hit Believe, which I blame for the popularity of autotune, which still is killing much pop music to this day. Anyway, the Starship song also appeared on the soundtrack to the wacky comedy Mannequin, and it was nominated for an Academy Award. It lost the award to (I've Had) The Time Of My Life, performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.



This is the year U2 released their monster album, Joshua Tree. The band was already crowned the Band of the 80s by many because of their popularity, both on records and in concert. But the new album took it to a new level, as did the ballad off the album, With Or Without You. I was already crazy for the band, having gotten on the bandwagon when my sister Kim, still in college, gave me the War album in 1983. I instantly loved the Irish boys, and went and bought their earlier music. In fact, Kim and I, along with another friend, went to see them on this tour, during the stop at Giants Stadium. This is a great song, and deserves to be the #! song of the year.

Billboard Top 5 - 1986

1986 was a transitional year in many ways, including in my own life. I moved into my own apartment in Park Slope. Bill & I had gone are separate ways, and lost touch for a bit. We have, however, been in touch, and he might, in fact, be reading this, and if so, hope he enjoys it. He was, and still remains, a good man. In music, however, we were seeing a greater influence of the women in rock, with trailblazers like Grace Slick, Debbie Harry and the ladies from The Go-Gos, making it possible for the top group on this list. And speaking of influences, the #5 song on the list is Sara by the band Starship. The song was from their first album since changing the name from Jefferson Airplane, the first single being We Built This City. The lead vocals were not Grace Slick, but Mickey Thomas. Here is Sara.



If there is a video, a song, or a performer who is more synonymous with 80s music, it is the combination of Robert Palmer, the song Addicted To Love, and his bevy of women in the video. Together, they made remarkable history, a glistening package that measured so much of pop culture. I don't know anyone who didn't love the song, and appreciate the video. I have to say, I am surprised the song finished at #4 for the year on the Billboard chart.



Mr. Mister had a bit of a run on the charts, and it included the amazing song Kyrie, my personal favorite of theirs. The song was rich and strong, a great addition to the musical line up for the year, and ended up in the #3 slot.



Stuck With You was a great camp song by the kings of pop charts in the 80s Huey Lewis & The News. After the resounding success of The Power of Love, the theme song to the megahit movie Back To The Future, the band seemed unstoppable, and for their next album, Fore!, their success continued. They charted 5 songs in the Billboard Top Ten, including the #2 song for 1986, Stuck With You.



Like I said earlier, with ladies like Debbie Harry, Grace Slick and the GoGos leading the way, a musical landscape included the fantastic band The Bangles, an all-female collection of talented young ladies. In their third single from their debut album, they had a surprising hit that topped the charts. Walk Like An Egyptian ended the year at #1, so here is the video.

Billboard Top 5 - 1985

25 years ago, I was living in Brooklyn, working Off-Broadway theater in Greenwich Village, a poor, but happy camper. While working at the theater, the radio was often on, so I knew all three of these songs well, although only one or two was really a part of my record collection at that point. And, I am sorry to say, it wasn't the song that was in fifth place, We Built This City by Starship. I apologize because I loved Jefferson Airplane, and thought Grace Slick truly rocked. I might have tolerated the move to become Jefferson Starship, but when they went only by Starship, I had written them off. Listen to Grace and the boys sing this song, and tell me you don't think they are capable of way better...



There is some Pop music you just have to accept at face value - it is what it is. Huey Lewis and the News is one of those - a band that created catchy hooks and fun music, but it wasn't really gonna be breaking any boundary, or moving you with insightful reflection. Don't get me wrong, some music has to be like that, and Huey and the boys did it well. Here is the #4 song of the year, The Power of Love. If I am not mistaken, it was the theme song to one of the Back To The Future movies.



I will admit to having a weird fascination for the # 3 song, Mr. Mister's Broken Wing. Well, truthfully, I had a much greater interest in the song Kyrie, which was released immediately following this one, but liked this one, too. Partially, it was my interest in Richard Page's vocals, as well as the nicely structured musical accompaniment. Could be the beautifully photographed videos that went with the band, but you never know for sure. Just know I liked them, and these songs found their way into my listening rotation.



OK, I was already a fan of Tears For Fears since the first album, 1983s The Hurting. The complex music aligned with the introspective lyrics made the band a perfect brooding English schoolboy-like crush, and I was there. Songs From The Big Chair was released in 1985, and was a great follow-up to the debut, with more polish while still keeping the elements. Here is the #2 song of 1985, the primal Shout.



On one hand, how can you not like REO Speedwagon? I mean, they are a classic American rock band, and don't think they ever released anything as embarrassing as J. Geils Band's Centerfold song. On the other hand, I don't really remember many of their songs when I think of them, more like just a thought of a fun band. When I heard this, I knew the song instantly, but if someone had asked me what was their top song of 1985, I don't know if I would have had an answer. Anyway, this is Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon. Enjoy!