# Best #1 single of the year retrospective: 1982 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 12, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114 "2014-10-12T16:35:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/21 "2014-10-12T23:44:33Z")
Some pretty good songs here. I like both Hall and Oates selections, for example. I voted for John Cougar’s “Jack and Diane” – his whole _American Fool_ album is full of gems, including the hard rocker “Thundering Hearts.” ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/22 "2014-10-13T00:02:07Z")
After that unmitigated audio horror “Physical” spent 10 fucking goddamn weeks at #1, I think I lost my capacity to be sickened by the steady syrup flow that oozed out my radio speaker. Thus, I was mostly indifferent to the crop of number ones that year but there were at least a couple I could tolerate: “I Love Rock & Roll” and “Who Can It Be Now”. 32 years ago, I would’ve gone for Men at Work over Joan Jett but now, my opinion is reversed because I think “I Love Rock & Roll” has aged a lot better than “Who Can It Be Now”. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/23 "2014-10-13T00:04:01Z")
There’s not a single one of those songs I’d pick on a jukebox, or load onto my MP3 player. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/24 "2014-10-13T00:21:03Z")
I saw J. Geils when they opened for the Stones, and man, they nearly out-rocked them. My vote went for **Centerfold.** ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/25 "2014-10-13T00:23:25Z")
This is the year music briefly died. ---
**Author:** ![pseudograph](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pseudograph/32/19768_2.png) [@pseudograph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudograph)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/26 "2014-10-13T01:44:36Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > There’s not a single one of those songs I’d pick on a jukebox, or load onto my MP3 player. Then you have no soul sir - or at least weren’t 11 in 1982.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/27 "2014-10-13T01:55:21Z")
I like many of these songs but I had to go with Eye of the Tiger by Survivor. It is one of the best workout songs ever made and it hits deep and hard as soon as it comes on and never lets up. Centerfold is #2 on this list followed by Don’t You Want Me. The Heavy Metal years will be coming up soon and that is where I plan to fight my real battles. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/28 "2014-10-13T02:04:40Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] There’s not a single one of those songs I’d pick on a jukebox, or load onto my MP3 player. [/QUOTE] > [@pseudograph](#): > > Then you have no soul sir - or at least weren’t 11 in 1982.😛 I was 17 in 1982 and I still feel the same way silenus does about those songs. However, in my case it was because I’ve heard them all so many times I don’t feel the need to voluntarily subject myself to them again. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/29 "2014-10-13T02:06:09Z")
Eye of the Tiger is one of the greatest songs ever written. Clear #1 choice for me this year. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/30 "2014-10-13T02:07:10Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > The Heavy Metal years will be coming up soon and that is where I plan to fight my real battles. Unfortunately, the vast majority of metal songs that made it to #1 were ballads. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/31 "2014-10-13T02:18:37Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Unfortunately, the vast majority of metal songs that made it to #1 were ballads. Excellent! I am not a hard-core metal fan. I am one of those causal poser types with bad taste or at least that is what the ‘real metalheads’ explained to me back in the day. Power ballads are my favorite ones of all. Screw Metallica and Megadeath, I love Top 40 metal from bands like Motley Crue and Poison. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/32 "2014-10-13T02:25:41Z")
its like picking a favourite child, I love them all…but picked MAW because I’m an Aussie and we got to see them a few times in the local pub. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/33 "2014-10-13T02:30:18Z")
“Centerfold” has a somewhat “special” meaning for me, as, after graduating high school in 1984, one of my female classmates (the homecoming queen, no less) appeared in an issue of Playboy’s “Girls of the PAC-10” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/34 "2014-10-13T02:31:28Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Excellent! I am not a hard-core metal fan. I am one of those causal poser types with bad taste or at least that is what the ‘real metalheads’ explained to me back in the day. Power ballads are my favorite ones of all. Screw Metallica and Megadeath, I love Top 40 metal from bands like Motley Crue and Poison. I’m a pop and metal fan, so the pop metal works great for me. But the thing about hair metal is that it had its genre fans and the only time it really crossed over with the exception of Bon Jovi was when they did the ballads. I think Def Leppard might have had a #1 with a rocker or two as well. But Motley Crue, Poison, Winger, etc. I think of those only Poison had a #1 and it was with Every Rose Has Its Thorn. Mind you, I’m not looking at my Billboard #1’s book right now so I’m going from memory. Hopefully I’m wrong and maybe Fallen Angel or Girls Girls Girls made it. I’ll let Smapti surprise me. ---
**Author:** ![dada2fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dada2fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dada2fish)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/35 "2014-10-13T03:17:41Z")
I never liked I Love Rock & Rock. Or Joan Jett for that matter. Don’t You Want Me is a good representation of the New wave era Hall & Oats were great, but they had much better songs The rest? blah! The one I loved back then and still today and had a great video to boot? Centerfold! J. Geils baby! ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/36 "2014-10-13T03:45:40Z")
“Hard to Say I’m Sorry” gets the highest score in the world-famous\*\* Ponch8 Music Rating System\*\*, under the condition that “Get Away” is included. That song kicks buttocks. For once, it’s hard to pick the song that finished dead-ass last. None of them are completely vomit-inducing, although “Up Where We Belong” comes closest. “Mickey” was also considered for dead-ass last, but it’s so stupid it’s awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/37 "2014-10-13T03:49:59Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > “Mickey” was also considered for dead-ass last, but it’s so stupid it’s awesome. “Mickey” was weird because Toni Basil was/is my mom’s age (actually, 8 months older than my mom), and yet was somehow still “hot”. Sorta. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/38 "2014-10-13T04:19:08Z")
I should have voted “Ebony and Ivory”, how come no one gives love to Paul McCartney? I’ve noticed that his solo songs and most Wings singles do not get much votes. What is wrong with Paul McCartney I ask fellow Dopers? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/39 "2014-10-13T04:26:53Z")
I like McCartney solo and Ebony and Ivory is a great song. But for me, I think he has the best voice of the Beatles and writes the best hooks. It’s just that none of his songs will ever be the very best of the year. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114/40 "2014-10-13T04:27:29Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > I should have voted “Ebony and Ivory”, how come no one gives love to Paul McCartney? I’ve noticed that his solo songs and most Wings singles do not get much votes. What is wrong with Paul McCartney I ask fellow Dopers? I love both Paul and Stevie, but both of them have recorded much better songs than the glurge that is “Ebony and Ivory.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1982/701114.md?page=3)