# Best of the Rest of the Top 40: 1982 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 18, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026 "2015-02-18T18:28:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/21 "2015-02-19T00:30:27Z")
I could vote for… Soft Cell - “Tainted Love” Quarterflash - “Harden My Heart” Toto - “Rosanna” Foreigner - “Waiting For A Girl Like You” Willie Nelson - “Always On My Mind” The Cars - “Shake It Up” The Dazz Band - “Let It Whip” The Go-Go’s - “We Got the Beat” George Benson - “Turn Your Love Around” The Motels - “Only the Lonely” Earth, Wind, & Fire - “Let’s Groove” Stevie Nicks & Don Henley - “Leather and Lace” Asia - “Heat of the Moment” I actually voted for Quarterflash, but any of the above could have gotten the vote if you asked me this question at other points in my life. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/22 "2015-02-19T00:33:11Z")
Voted for Alan Parson’s _Eye in the Sky_, but it should always be introduced by his song _Sirius_. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/23 "2015-02-19T01:28:25Z")
> [@justmeetee](#): > > There are several I went back and forth between before I made my pick. When I did I kindda expected to be picking one that would get only a few votes. What a surprise to find I voted for the leader, “Tainted Love”. I felt the same way. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/24 "2015-02-19T01:37:20Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I actually voted for Quarterflash, but any of the above could have gotten the vote if you asked me this question at other points in my life. Weird. I just listened to it, and I don’t recognize this song at all. I mean, sure, I was only 8 or 9 at the time, but I recognize pretty much everything else on this list. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/25 "2015-02-19T01:42:14Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Weird. I just listened to it, and I don’t recognize this song at all. I mean, sure, I was only 8 or 9 at the time, but I recognize pretty much everything else on this list. They were a one hit wonder. And some people thought it was Pat Benatar at first. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/26 "2015-02-19T03:33:08Z")
“Jenny,” but “I’ve Never Been To Me” is a contender for not only worst song of 1982, but also the worst song of 70s (first charted in 1977) AND the 80s. Dig: Whoooa, I’ve been to Nice And the Isle of Greece While I’ve sipped champagne on a yacht I’ve moved like Harlow in Monte Carlo And showed 'em what I’ve got I’ve been undressed by kings And I’ve seen some things That a woman ain’t supposed to see I’ve been to paradise But I’ve never been to me ---
**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:** [February 19, 2015, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/27 "2015-02-19T04:11:42Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Voted for Alan Parson’s _Eye in the Sky_, but it should always be introduced by his song _Sirius_. I agree. I voted for “Eye in the Sky,” under the assumption that “Sirius” gets played first. It was a very tight contest for superiority in the world-famous **Ponch8 Music Rating System** , with other contenders including “Rosanna” and “We Got the Beat.” “Tainted Love” wasn’t that far behind either. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/28 "2015-02-19T05:11:58Z")
This list is a perfect example of why I don’t understand a lot of negative comments I hear about 80’s music. I was in my 20’s at the time and really enjoyed the quality and variety of the music. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/29 "2015-02-19T05:15:09Z")
> [@rsa](#): > > This list is a perfect example of why I don’t understand a lot of negative comments I hear about 80’s music. I was in my 20’s at the time and really enjoyed the quality and variety of the music. Wait a few years. It gets much, much worse. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/30 "2015-02-19T05:28:22Z")
Now this is more like it. Lots of songs to get behind here. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/31 "2015-02-19T09:33:59Z")
**The Alan Parsons Project** - _Eye In the Sky_ They had another great (even better) single a couple of years later (_Don’t Answer Me_). I’m pretty sure I got it as a gift for my 10th birthday. I used to love **Soft Cell** ’s cover of _Tainted Love_ when I was in my “Let’s rediscover the 80s music that I missed at the time” phase but I think I’ve listened to it too often. Other singles from the same era like **Visage** ’s _Fade to Grey_ still work for me however. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/32 "2015-02-19T15:12:00Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > “Jenny,” but “I’ve Never Been To Me” is a contender for not only worst song of 1982, but also the worst song of 70s (first charted in 1977) AND the 80s. Dig: > > Whoooa, I’ve been to Nice > And the Isle of Greece > While I’ve sipped champagne on a yacht > I’ve moved like Harlow in Monte Carlo > And showed 'em what I’ve got > I’ve been undressed by kings > And I’ve seen some things > That a woman ain’t supposed to see > I’ve been to paradise > But I’ve never been to me Aw, you shoulda heard me and my little friends belting it out at that sixth grade slumber party…😃 ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/33 "2015-02-19T15:38:49Z")
Voted for the Go-Go’s because I like the song and I think they are truly underrated in terms of their talent and legacy as trailblazers. Now we’re getting to the music I grew up with. I’m not saying it’s great music, but a lot of it has a sentimental place in my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/34 "2015-02-19T15:46:15Z")
This was the hardest one so far for me to choose just one. I finally picked “Key Largo” because I figured I might be the only one. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/35 "2015-02-19T17:25:10Z")
Several songs here I like (or liked back in the 80’s) but none I love. Went with Eye in the Sky using the “Is it on my iPod?” tiebreaker method. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/36 "2015-02-19T17:44:26Z")
This year totally belongs to the ladies. I voted for the Go-Go’s, but absent their entry could have gone with Quarterflash, the Motels, Fleetwood Mac, or Stevie Nicks. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/37 "2015-02-19T17:55:47Z")
I’m torn between “Hurt So Good” and “Leather and Lace.” I’d like to vote for the Go-Go’s, but “We Got the Beat” was, to me, one of the least interesting songs on that album. (My favorite song from the album, “You Can’t Talk In Your Sleep (if you can’t sleep)” wasn’t even a single.) I’d like to have voted for The Cars in an earlier year for “My Best Friend’s Girl” or “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight” or “Just What I Needed” or something similar. “Shake It Up” was OK, but not one of their best. And what **dropzone** said about “Never Been to Me.” ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/38 "2015-02-20T01:52:04Z")
Not even a contest for me. “Let it Whip.” ---
**Author:** ![TheInimitableMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@TheInimitableMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheInimitableMaven)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/39 "2015-02-20T06:21:00Z")
Gave a pity vote to “Let’s Groove”…but would have voted for “Eye In The Sky” if it had, well, caught my eye beforehand. Absolutely love the sci-fi atmosphere of ‘Eye’ right down to its rather supervillain-esque words. _“I am the maker of rules, dealing with fools…I can cheat you blind.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026/40 "2015-02-24T08:36:39Z")
Strong R&B songs… Dazz Band… George Benson’s… Shake it up is okay…Cars had way better Heat of the Moment… and Rosanna are great rock/pop songs… Waiting by Foreigner is the playbook of the rock power ballad of which tons of songs emerge from…that was #2 for me… Only the Lonely… still holds up… great song… the lyrics only grow on you as you listen with age… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1982/713026.md?page=3)