Time to close out the '80s. This is the last really big year for #1s, and hopefully the last time I’ll have to dig deep in the chart to put 25 songs together (I went all the way to #59 for this one, the farthest I’ve had to go for any of these polls.)
Tone-Loc - Wild Thing
Young MC - Bust a Move
B-52’s - Love Shack
Tone-Loc because that song was huge in the ATL.
Young MC because I saw him perform w/in the past year and most of his set was about rapping about how people come to his concerts waiting to hear his One Big Song. Pretty funny and entertaining.
B-52’s because it’s the B-52’s and I lived in Athens, GA at the time and my girlfriend (eventually wife) loved this song.
This is the first year in about 10-12 where I had to look up some of the songs on YouTube. In about another decade, I’m going to have to look up pretty much all the songs.
I could have gone for “Love Shack”, but I had to give “Armageddon It” the pity vote…my Leppard favorite, and one I’ve always felt was/is a smidge underappreciated.
The poll has barely begun and The B-52’s are already running away with it. I can see why: it’s arguably the quirkiest and most fun in the (rather poor) field. I can’t bring myself to vote for it, though as I’ve never really liked it (always had the feeling they were trying too hard to be weird) and it’s going to win anyway.
Now, what to choose?
Wild Thing is OK but no. Bon Jovi? Hmmm, I was a huge fan at the time of the Slippery when Wet album but I was disappointed with the follow-up on which this song appeared.
Well, Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance it will be, then…
Well, I like Cher and Madonna, but these particular songs were not favorites. “Bust a Move” is cute, still like it. Def Leppard, Tears for Fears…again, not very good songs. “Love Shack” doesn’t suck one bit, though it’s been played to death.
“Love Shack” is downright annoying as the song drags on, it is a happy song and I do like the beginning “I’m heading down the Atlanta highway” line I’ll admit.
I voted for the Tears for Fears song in Woodstockybird’s Alternative #1 songs of 1989. “Funky Cold Medina” was Tone Loc’s better song though similar. Young MC is good but not enough to vote.
It came down to Love and Rockets or the two Madonna entries, a three way. A three way involving Madonna.
Since my 1988 vote by accident went to a song I don’t like, this vote is important. Madonna’s “Express Yourself” got my vote, the video is good and Madge looks pretty fine. Plus the song has a grunt factor I like.
There are quite a few good choices here (along with some diarrhea like NKOTB). I’ll have to decide later. Note: I will NOT be voting for the overrated “Love Shack.”
The songs are starting to move away from the 80’s sound. For me it was between So Alive and Love Shack. Went with Love and Rockets just because of the line “her legs are strong and so so long”.
I looked at the list and knew the B-52s would take the early lead. To me *this *list is kind of low on good choices, then again this was one of the years I was sort of off-the-grid when it comes to charting music. I’m headed to the Love Shack … but Express Yourself gets close for me.
Sorry to keep everybody in suspense. Just like with 1989’s #1 singles poll, there were a lot of contenders for the best song according to the world-famous Ponch8 Music Rating System. It took me a long time to sort everything out. This vote was tighter than a Texas tick on a bull’s scrotum on the Fourth of July. In the order that they are listed above, I considered voting for “Wild Thing,” “Buffalo Stance,” “Bust a Move,” “So Alive,” and “Express Yourself.” “Sowing the Seeds of Love” and even “On Our Own” weren’t too far behind either.
My vote went to “So Alive.” “Bust a Move” finished second in the Ponch8 Music Rating System; “Buffalo Stance” was third; “Express Yourself” was fourth; and “Wild Thing” was fifth. All five of them easily could have won my vote in weaker years.
“Waiting for a Star to Fall” finished dead-ass last.
If the also-ran charts are anything like the #1 charts, I think we’re about to enter a world of pain for the next two decades now that the 80s are ending.
