In 25 years of watching the charts, even as an obvious generation gap has grown beneath me, I’ve never lost interest in what’s hot and what’s not. But here’s something you might not have thought of before: what’s hot today won’t necessarily be hot tomorrow. Why is it that some of the very biggest hits don’t stand the test of time, while some songs that weren’t big hits at the time come out as classics?
For instance, here’s a side-by-side comparison of the top hits of the 1980s from two different perspectives.
The top hits of the 1980s at the time (listed with their original peak position on the Hot 100):
10. Kenny Rogers – Lady (#1 for 6 weeks)
9. Survivor – Eye of the Tiger (#1 for 6 weeks)
8. Blondie – Call Me (#1 for 6 weeks)
7. Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson – Say Say Say (#1 for 6 weeks)
6. Queen – Another One Bites the Dust (#1 for 4 weeks)
5. Irene Cara – Flashdance … What a Feeling (#1 for 6 weeks)
4. The Police – Every Breath You Take (#1 for 8 weeks)
3. Diana Ross & Lionel Richie – Endless Love (#1 for 9 weeks)
2. Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes (#1 for 9 weeks)
1. Olivia Newton-John – Physical (#1 for 10 weeks)
The top hits of the 1980s on pop radio stations this week (again, with original chart peak position):
10. Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar on Me (#2)
9. U2 – With or Without You (#1 for 3 weeks)
8. Modern English – I Melt with You (#78)
7. Simple Minds – Don’t You (Forget About Me) (#1 for 1 week)
6. The Police – Every Breath You Take (#1 for 8 weeks)
5. Bryan Adams – Summer of ’69 (#5)
4. U2 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (#1 for 2 weeks)
3. Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’ (#9)
2. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – If You Leave (#4)
1. Bon Jovi – Livin’ on a Prayer (#1 for 4 weeks)
What leaps out at you? Discuss …
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