# What music was popular the year you graduated high school? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 22, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368 "2009-03-22T19:30:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/21 "2009-03-23T03:02:41Z")
I graduated in 87. A lot of U2. A goodly amount of Prince (aka Squiggly for when he did the symbol rather than name). Tons of synthpop. I remember when Billy Idol wasn’t a batterer OR the inspiration for Spike–I remember when he was just cool. I’m off to google 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/22 "2009-03-23T03:03:13Z")
1971 greatest hits 1. ``` You've Got A Friend - James Taylor ``` 2. Joy To The World - Three Dog Night 3. Brown Sugar - Rolling Stones 4. Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin 5. Imagine - John Lennon 6. Behind Blue Eyes - the Who 7. What’s Going On - Marvin Gaye 8. Proud Mary - Ike and Tina Turner 9. Friends - Elton John 10. ``` Maggie May - Rod Stewart ``` ---
**Author:** ![MisterPeabody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@MisterPeabody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterPeabody)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/23 "2009-03-23T03:25:22Z")
Yeah the music is always better when you were younger. Some of my favorites from . . . . .Sept 1985- June 1986 Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears Money For Nothing - Dire Straits Into The Groove - Madonna Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen Let’s Go Crazy - Prince Private Dance - Tina Turner (which I do a pretty good impression of) Some Like It Hot - Power Station Something About You - Level 42 West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys How Will I Know - Whitney Houston (dance with my gov’t studies teacher at the Prom to this. She was kinda hot) Kyrie - Mister Mister Addicted To Love - Robert Palmer (video is still hot today) Conga - Miami Sound Machine Everybody Have Fun Tonight - Wang Chung You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi What Have You Done For Me Lately - Janet Jackson Fall On Me - REM The Chair - George Strait ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/24 "2009-03-23T03:27:26Z")
1973, a sucky year, apparently. 1. Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Ole Oak Tree, Tony Orlando and Dawn 2. Bad Bad Leroy Brown, Jim Croce 3. Killing Me Softly With His Song, Roberta Flack 4. Let’s Get It On, Marvin Gaye 5. My Love, Paul McCartney and Wings 6. Why Me, Kris Kristofferson 7. Crocodile Rock, Elton John 8. Will It Go Round In Circles, Billy Preston 9. You’re So Vain, Carly Simon 10. Touch Me In The Morning, Diana Ross ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/25 "2009-03-23T03:33:49Z")
In 1972, there was: Deep Purple, Machine Head Yes, Fragile Blue Oyster Cult, Blue Oyster Cult Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Pictures At An Exhibition Jethro Tull, Thick As A Brick Frank Zappa, Just Another Band From L.A Allman Brothers Band, Eat A Peach Eagles, Eagles Alice Cooper: School’s Out David Bowie, Ziggy Stardust ZZ Top: Rio Grande Mud ---
**Author:** ![oliversarmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@oliversarmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliversarmy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/26 "2009-03-23T04:01:38Z")
I nominated “The Letter that Johnny Walker Read” by Asleep at the Wheel, but my classmates went with “Year of the Cat” by Al Stewart. So long ago. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/27 "2009-03-23T04:53:38Z")
In December of my senior year, John Lennon was killed. His music dominated for the rest of high school. Billboard Top 5 for 1981: 1. Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes 2. Endless Love - Diana Ross and Lionel Richie 3. Lady - Kenny Rogers 4. (Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon 5. Jessie’s Girl - Rick Springfield I really didn’t listen much to pop radio in those days, vastly preferring the album rock stations, country (I performed in this genre), folk, big band and oldies. Pop got much better for a few years, but now I’m back to the hard rock, country, folk, bluegrass, jazz and oldies stations again for the most part. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/28 "2009-03-23T04:53:44Z")
It’s not clear to me whether the OP is asking what was most popular, or what each of us liked the most. I’ll go with the latter, since anyone can look up the biggest hits of 1975: At Seventeen Black Water Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain I’m Easy I’m Not in Love Low Rider Over My Head Pick up the Pieces Shining Star Sister Golden Hair Why Can’t We Be Friends? You Are So Beautiful ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/29 "2009-03-23T12:22:06Z")
I walk in certain shame that the year of my graduation, 1989, my young music-buying peers and I put not one but _two_ songs by Paula Abdul in the top 10 for the year, which was pretty dismal: 1. Look Away - Chicago 2. My Prerogative - Bobby Brown 3. Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Poison 4. Straight Up - Paula Abdul 5. Miss You Much - Janet Jackson 6. Cold Hearted - Paula Abdul 7. Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler 8. Girl You Know Its True - Milli Vanilli 9. Baby, I Love Your Way-Freebird - Will To Power 10. Giving You The Best That I Got - Anita Baker There are only three songs in that top ten which have musical value today, and one of them was a medley cover of songs from the 70s. What were we thinking? For kicks, the rest of the top 20: 1. Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx 2. Waiting For A Star To Fall - Boy Meets Girl 3. Lost In Your Eyes - Debbie Gibson 4. Don’t Wanna Lose You - Gloria Estefan 5. Heavan - Warrant 6. Girl I’m Gonna Miss You - Milli Vanilli 7. The Look - Roxette 8. She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals 9. On Our Own - Bobby Brown 10. Two Hearts - Phil Collins Only one of those acts is still making pop music, but it’s not in English. Sad. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/30 "2009-03-23T13:13:31Z")
For 1971, the Billboard Hot 100 lists the following top 25. As is the case with most years, it is a mixed list of great classics and cringe-worthy abominations. 1. **Joy To The World** , Three Dog Night (ah yes: “Jerimiah was a bull frog, doot doot dooo”) 2. **Maggie May/(Find A) Reason To Believe**, Rod Stewart (not the best Rod Stewart, but not embarrassing either) 3. **It’s Too Late/I Feel The Earth Move** , Carole King (off the spectacular Tapestry album) 4. **One Bad Apple** , Osmonds (the Jackson 5 with little Michael Jackson got nothin’ on Donny) 5. **How Can You Mend A Broken Heart** , Bee Gees (pre-disco Bee Gees; sing it Robin!) 6. **Indian Reservation** , Raiders (I always thought this song was titled “Cherokee Nation”. Paul Revere was still with the band, but they were trying to get away from their 1960’s sound.) 7. **Go Away Little Girl** , Donny Osmond (ouch – little Donny had a single?) 8. **Take Me Home, Country Roads** , John Denver (say what you like about John Denver, this was IMHO his best song.) 9. \*\*Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) \*\*, Temptations (can’t go wrong with the mighty Temptations) 10. **Knock Three Times** , Dawn (earworm! earworm!) 11. **Me And Bobby Mcgee** , Janis Joplin (from her posthumously released album Pearl) 12. **Tired Of Being Alone** , Al Green (I don’t even remember this song.) 13. **Want Ads** , Honey Cone (a disco-type song without the disco beat) 14. **Smiling Faces Sometimes** , Undisputed Truth (a Tempations sound-alike; I should download this great song.) 15. **Treat Her Like A Lady** , Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose (two brothers and their sister singing funky soul) 16. **You’ve Got A Friend** , James Taylor (sigh – made out with my girlfriend to this song, reassuring her I would not leave her as I went off to college.) 17. **Mr. Big Stuff** , Jean Knight (heh, heh) 18. **Brown Sugar** , Rolling Stones (one of my least favorite Stones tunes, but it sure was a big hit) 19. **Do You Know What I Mean** , Lee Michaels (another awful earworm!) 20. **The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down** , Joan Baez (classic) 21. **What’s Going On** , Marvin Gaye (now HERE was a good make-out song) 22. **Uncle Albert-Admiral Halsey** , Paul McCartney (great melodic fragments, nonsense lyrics) 23. **Aint No Sunshine** , Bill Withers (his first hit, with Stephen Stills on guitar) 24. **Signs** , Five Man Electrical Band (an anthem to my anti-establishment leanings, which of course led to me getting tear-gassed by the National Guard that fall) 25. **She’s A Lady** , Tom Jones (“woah, woah, woah”) ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/31 "2009-03-23T14:28:48Z")
I graduated from high school in 1969. Going from memory, I remember these songs being huge as we approached graduation: Get Back – Beatles Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In - the 5th Dimension Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel Proud Mary - Creedence Clearwater Revival Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Crosby, Stills and Nash Son Of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield Everybody’s Talkin’ - Nilsson I’ll have a look at a Billboard list and see where they rank, although I’d be stunned if they weren’t all in the top 100. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/32 "2009-03-23T15:26:08Z")
It turns out “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” wasn’t in the top 100. At least, according to [this](http://www.chairborneranger.com/top100/top100-1969.htm) site. I’m very surprised. Can’t believe I forgot “Atlantis” by Donovan. That was a smash hit for sure. Lots of dreck in the list as well. I was never a big fan of the David Clayton Thomas version of Blood Sweat and tears, but they sure had the hits in 1969. I’m happy to see local boy Joe South on the list with “Games People Play.” It was a huge hit in Atlanta, of course, but I didn’t realize it went so high in the national charts. ---
**Author:** ![Lunar\_Saltlick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@Lunar\_Saltlick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunar_Saltlick)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/33 "2009-03-23T15:58:35Z")
Mexicali Rose was pretty big, as was It Ain’t Gonna Rain No Mo. Who’s Sorry Now? was heard from time to time, for those as got around some, but I was awful partial to Yes! We Have No Bananas, and Somebody Stole my Gal. Also heard quite often were Carolina in the Morning and Chicago, That Toddlin’ Town. By that time, of course, Ain’t We Got Fun was being sung by everybody, sometimes right out in the street! Men with their hats off, right out in the street breaking into song! Can you imagine? I also liked I’m Just Wild About Harry. ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/34 "2009-03-23T16:01:45Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I graduated in 1992 and I remember… > > Nirvana > Pearl Jam > Red Hot Chili Peppers > REM > Guns N’ Roses > Metallica > U2 > > It’s not just me, right? Objectively speaking, music was much better back then than it is now, wasn’t it? I graduated in 1991. I am very much a product of that era in terms of musical taste, so I’m totally on board with your opinion! ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/35 "2009-03-23T16:48:43Z")
According to Billboard, in 1987 it was: 1. Faith - George Michael 2. Alone - Heart 3. I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Whitney Houston 4. C’est La Vie - Robbie Nevil 5. Shake You Down - Gregory Abbott 6. La Bamba - Los Lobos 7. Livin’ On A Prayer - Bon Jovi 8. Here I Go Again - Whitesnake 9. Heaven Is A Place On Earth - Belinda Carlisle 10. (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life - Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes My friends and I were listening to: The Cure The Smiths Depeche Mode Echo & the Bunnymen XTC New Order R.E.M. Love and Rockets Gene Love Jezebel Siouxsie and the Banshees The Cult The Psychedelic Furs World Party Flesh for Lulu OMD Sisters of Mercy Good heavens, I think we were emo… ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/36 "2009-03-23T17:03:03Z")
I graduated high school in 1987. I have no idea what was the bestselling records of the year were, nor did I care. In fact, whenever I see one of these VH1 specials about the 80s, I am always amazed at how many ‘huge hits’ I do not remember ever hearing. But anyway, I do remember that I owned all of the following Lps: **the Joshua Tree** - U2 **Orange** - REM **Learning to Fly** - Pink Floyd **In My Tribe** - 10,000 Maniacs **Pleased to Meet Me** - the Replacements **Live Alive** - Stevie Ray Vaughn Hair metal acts like Whitesnake and Poison were big - apparently, even though every one I knew sneered at them. A couple of girls would admit to liking Bon Jovi, but no guy would. What would become known as ‘alternative’ music was just surfacing. I remember seeing the Red Hot Chili Peppers at a free concert the summer of my senior year, just before they exploded, and I think Jane’s Addiction started up around that time. I also remember the first classic rock stations. Although they’re typically derided nowadays, i do remember that they seemed like something new & novel to us kids who’d never heard any of that music before. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/37 "2009-03-23T17:35:14Z")
> [@BetsQ](#): > > I graduated in 1991. I am very much a product of that era in terms of musical taste, so I’m totally on board with your opinion! Really, I guess you missed this list then from 91. 1. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, Bryan Adams 2. I Wanna Sex You Up, Color Me Badd 3. Gonna Make You Sweat, C+C Music Factory 4. Rush Rush, Paula Abdul 5. One More Try, Timmy T 6. Unbelievable, EMF 7. More Than Words, Extreme 8. I Like The Way (The Kissing Game), Hi-Five 9. The First Time, Surface 10. Baby, Baby, Amy Grant Three of those I had no idea who the hell they where and only remembered one when I listened to it. The next ten aren’t so hot either. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/38 "2009-03-23T17:39:04Z")
Here’s another source for these things, somewhat better than my OP’s source. Still with my graduation year in the link but many more years to search than before. All the way back from 2009 to: 1925 Hits 1924 Hits 1923 Hits 1922 Hits 1921 Hits 1920 Hits 1900-1919 Hits 1800s Hits [http://www.popculturemadness.com/Music/Pop-Modern/1959.html](http://www.popculturemadness.com/Music/Pop-Modern/1959.html) ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/39 "2009-03-23T18:12:39Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > All the way back from 2009 to: > > 1925 Hits . . . I wouldn’t trust any list of hits from that long ago. Prior to the mid-forties there were no industry statistics on top-selling records or songs. There is a book by Joel Whitburn called “Pop Memories 1890 - 1954” that is widely used as a reference, and is reviled by serious music historians. The book lists things like chart positions for years when there were no charts. I suspect that [popculturemadness.com](http://popculturemadness.com) used Whitburn’s book in putting together their site (I could try to verify this by comparing their listings to Whitburn’s, but that would be a lot of work). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/40 "2009-03-23T18:17:47Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > I wouldn’t trust any list of hits from that long ago. Prior to the mid-forties there were no industry statistics on top-selling records or songs. There is a book by Joel Whitburn called “Pop Memories 1890 - 1954” that is widely used as a reference, and is reviled by serious music historians. The book lists things like chart positions for years when there were no charts. I suspect that [popculturemadness.com](http://popculturemadness.com) used Whitburn’s book in putting together their site (I could try to verify this by comparing their listings to Whitburn’s, but that would be a lot of work). Let me put in a vote for “moot point” unless we have Dopers who graduated high school that far back. Do we? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368.md?page=3)