# Best of the Rest of the Top 40: 1984 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 22, 2015, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346 "2015-02-22T16:46:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/21 "2015-02-23T03:14:23Z")
Switching from Bruce to Cyndi - they’re both “fun” songs but Bruce wins only if we include the video with Courtney Cox dancing. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/22 "2015-02-23T03:36:25Z")
Another good year. Eurythmics. For my money, Annie Lennox has the most compelling, passion-filled voice in pop music. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/23 "2015-02-23T06:27:40Z")
Sheila E, for timelessness; Cyndi Lauper for best karaoke song 2015 ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/24 "2015-02-23T07:59:23Z")
Eurythmics, my favourite song of this band, ahead of Nena (who had better songs that did not chart in the USA). ---
**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 23, 2015, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/25 "2015-02-23T11:31:40Z")
This is the most difficult year so far. So many worthy songs… I really thought that I was going to vote for **Cyndi Lauper** as she has two great entries in this list. But it is with some regret that I vote for her then-rival **Madonna**. _Borderline_ is probably the only song of hers that I really like. And I just love that move from major in the verse to minor in the short bridge before the chorus (_Just try to understand…_). Not the boldest chord progression in history but it’s very well-done and the melody above it complements it wonderfully. Other tunes I could have voted for: **Laura Branigan** - _Self Control_. **Nena** - _99 Luftballons_. \*\*Billy Idol \*\*- _Eyes Without a Face_. **Eurythmics** - _Here Comes the Rain Again_. **The Cars** - _Drive_ (technically, perhaps the “best” song here). Heck, I even like **Rockwell** ’s _Somebody’s Watching Me_. As a matter of fact, I saw the video 2-3 weeks ago and it’s still enjoyable. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/26 "2015-02-23T14:04:33Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > I voted for “She Bop”. Yes, I know what the lyrics are about. I just think it’s a catchy, innovative tune and video. No excuses needed. Smokin’ hot alt-chick singing a catchy, groove-filled song about playing with herself? To ask the question is to know the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/27 "2015-02-23T14:07:47Z")
Easy choice - Cyndi Lauper, _Girls Just Wanna Have Fun_. Pure, upbeat high-energy fun. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/28 "2015-02-23T15:07:26Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > No excuses needed. Smokin’ hot alt-chick singing a catchy, groove-filled song about playing with herself? To ask the question is to know the answer. Can’t argue with that! “She Bop” gets my vote. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/29 "2015-02-23T15:10:08Z")
There is one area where the 1984 Best of the Rest falls short of the 1983 version - Weird Al parodies. Just one this year: _Some girls like to buy new shoes, and others like driving trucks and wearing tattoos. There’s only one thing that they all like a bunch…_ ---
**Author:** ![justmeetee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@justmeetee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justmeetee)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/30 "2015-02-23T15:27:03Z")
Several to choose from but went with Elton John simply because it was the only one on the list that when I saw it my mind went well beyond the title line. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/31 "2015-02-23T15:32:51Z")
“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” is a classic, but I had to vote for The Cars’ “Drive.” It’s one of my favorite love songs from the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/32 "2015-02-23T15:37:40Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Easy choice - Cyndi Lauper, _Girls Just Wanna Have Fun_. Pure, upbeat high-energy fun. I could have easily voted for half the songs on this list, but I ended up going with Cyndi for the same reason - it’s just such a fun song, [and it’s so radically different from the original](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aLNwOxPsjg) that it becomes its own thing. ---
**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 23, 2015, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/33 "2015-02-23T15:58:36Z")
Cyndi - either one. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/34 "2015-02-23T19:06:53Z")
I voted for Hall and Oates _Say It Isn’t So_, but liked several there, including _99 Luftballons_. Anyone who voted for\* Sister Christian\* is either toying with us or needs therapy. ---
**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 23, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/35 "2015-02-23T20:04:10Z")
Or are big “Boogie Nights” fans. ---
**Author:** ![racepug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/36 "2015-02-23T22:31:35Z")
Again - for me LOTS of good choices but I decided to go with the one that, at the time, I think I liked best: _Drive_ by The Cars. But it’s close. There are about 4 or 5 others on that list that I liked a great deal at the time, as well (and still do). ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/37 "2015-02-24T02:35:21Z")
Well, well, 1984 was \*good \*in both the #1s and Runners-up polls. The ladies have command of this one – we’re wanting to talk to Annie like lovers do, with Cindy bopping and having fun; Nena messing with the over-the-horizon DEW radars, Laura trying to be self controlled while the Sisters jump and Sheila lives the glamorous life. Which detracts not a bit from putting on my sunglasses at night to ask who’s gonna drive you home tonight, or from the Twins and the perma-sneer on Billy’s face. _Hab 'nen Luftballoon gefunden, denk an Dich un lass ihn fliegen._ (With special credit for namechecking Captain Kirk.) ---
**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, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346/38 "2015-02-24T08:26:50Z")
Great year…Dan Hartmann took it for me… it was a crappy movie it originated from “Streets of Fire” (try watching that NOW lol) Just a great song…as a kid I and many others thought a black guy was singing… RIP Dan!! And the video of the “Sorrells” was excellent [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1984/713346.md?page=1)