Yeesh. For my money the Top 40 really declined after '84. All the cool kids were listening to college radio: R.E.M., The Smiths, Psychedelic Furs, Jason and the Scorchers, Guadalcanal Diary, Del Fuegos…
I voted for The Bangles, because at least they had the jangly guitars going.
This will always be remembered as the year that Eddy Murphy should have been euthanized.
I went with Kenny Loggins for the straight-ahead rock effort. I like Robert Palmer a lot, but “Didn’t Mean To Turn You On” wasn’t one of his better efforts. Never could stand Susanna Hoffs’ voice, either.
After reading the choices, I approached this year’s poll with the mindset of “If forced at gunpoint to listen to one of these songs right now, which would I choose?”
So it’s down to OMD or Dire Straits. I guess OMD wins by a nose.
Wow. I must’ve missed something 'cause none of those songs really bring back any memories for me. Not a very inspiring list as far as I’m concerned but there’s one song on that list that I’ll still look for the video of online so it’s the one I picked: “I Can’t Wait” by Nu Shooz.
I voted for Simple Minds, love that song and I like the change that occurs in the middle. Few others I like such as Sly Fox, Level 42, Bangles, and even the Kenny Loggins song. Level 42 would have been second place to vote.
Relatively easy vote for the Bangles, but, as a Cubs fan especially, Walk of Life would have been my second choice. (Like Van Halen’s “Jump” before that, “Walk of Life” was used extensively on WGN broadcasts of games.) But that roller rink organ does get a bit grating after awhile.
HUGE difference in paying attention to the wider world between those two ages.
I love the Bangles, but I love Dire Straights and “Walk of Life” in particular, so that’s where I voted. “Manic Monday” is popular but far from their best anyway. OMD is a good, solid 3rd place. I would have thought that song is three or four years older than 1986.