Top Ten of the 80s: The Final Countdown!

Ironically, that song didn't make the list anywhere!

Disclaimer: The videos posted below are the best available on YouTube. In a few cases, the original video was unavailable for imbed and I had to go with a "knock-off," like one showing just the album cover, or lyrics. At least one has a minor error in the lyrics, sharp eyes & ears will spot it easily. In some cases, & this is true of the "cut" list, also, a song was chosen as representative of several songs by that artist: e.g. Journey, Def Leppard, and darn near half of everything Foreigner ever released as singles!

This is my Top Ten Songs of the 1980s list, otherwise known as The Reason I Have High Frequency Hearing Loss!

Number 10
One Night in Bangkok - Murray Head


Number 9
Shadows of the Night - Pat Benatar


Number 8
Urgent - Foreigner


Number 7
Photograph - Def Leppard


Number 6
Mr. Roboto - Styx


Number 5


Number 4
Who's Crying Now - Journey


Number 3
Subdivisions - Rush


Number 2
Against All Odds - Phil Collins


And the Number One Song of the 1980S.....
Twilight Zone - Golden Earring


This has been a fun project! Thanks for all who followed along & offered suggestions as the list took shape!

Best of the 80s: Missed the Cut

These are the songs that didn't quite make it into the top ten, for a variety of reasons. Several were in my top ten before being bumped as the final list (which I will post tomorrow) took shape. Again, in no particular order after the first one.

Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
End of the Innocence – Don Henley
Cold As Ice – Foreigner
Living Years – Mike & the Mechanics
Shot in the Dark -Ozzy Osbourne
Holding out for a Hero - Bonnie Tyler
Livin on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
You Belong to The City - Glenn Frey
18 & Life - Skid Row
Here I Go Again - Whitesnake
Don’t Stop Believing - Journey
Faithfully - Journey
In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins
Smokin in the Boys Room - Motley Crue
Devil Went Down to Georgia - Charlie Daniels Band
When You Say Nothing at All - Keith Whitley
Should Have Known Better -Richard Marx
Sister Christian – Night Ranger
Wild Flower – The Cult
He Stopped Loving Her Today - George Jones

Best of the 80s - Songs Born Too Early/Late

These are the top songs (in no particular order after the first one) that were awesome, but fell in the 70s/90s, and thus were ineligible for my Best of the 80s List.


Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
When I Call Your Name - Vince Gill
Hotel California - The Eagles
Wheel in the Sky - Journey
High Enough - Damn Yankees
Fading Like A Flower - Roxette
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Turn the Page - Bob Seger
Enter Sandman - Metallica
Feel Like Making Love – Bad Company
Let Me Touch You For a While – Alison Krauss & Union Station


Tomorrow, I reveal the 20 songs that didn't make the cut for the top ten!

Sugarland - Settlin'

Minor liberties taken with the lyrics.



Fifteen minutes left to throw me together
For Miss Right Now, not Miss Forever
Don't know why I even try when I know how it ends
Looking like another "maybe we could be friends"
I've been leaving it up to fate
It's my life so [I'll wait for God's grace]

I ain't settling for just getting by
I've had enough so-so for the rest of my life
Tired of shooting too low, so raise the bar high
Just enough ain't enough this time
I ain't settling for anything less than everything, yeah

With some good red wine and my brand new [boots]
Gonna dance a blue streak around my living room
Take a chance on love and try how it feels
With my heart wide open yeah you know I will
Find what it means to be the [guy]
Change [his world] and change [his mind]

I ain't settling for just getting by
I've had enough so-so for the rest of my life
Tired of shooting too low, so raise the bar high
Just enough ain't enough this time
I ain't settling for anything less than everything

I ain't settling for just getting by
I've had enough so so for the rest of my life
Tired of shooting too low, so raise the bar high
Just enough ain't enough this time

I ain't settling for just getting by
I've had enough so so for the rest of my life
Tired of shooting too low, so raise the bar high
I ain't settling no, no, no, no, no, no, ohhh

So raise the bar high

I miss you, Mom.