TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:02:05 GMT 1
51 Walk This Way – Run–D.M.C., Aerosmith
Another song with a very memorable video. In 1986 both bands were new to me but from this moment I was a huge Aerosmith fan. I appreciated hip hop more as well and this single helped break in big across the world reaching #8 in the UK and #4 in the US.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:05:30 GMT 1
50 You Don't Know – Berlin
1986 was the year when I first started buying singles with my own money. This atmospheric followup to 'Take My Breath Away' was one of the first singles I bought. It really is so underrated. Even after the huge success of the Top Gun theme this song bombed in the US and only reached #39 here. I probably play this moire today than 'Take My Breath Away'
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:09:30 GMT 1
49 Panic – The Smiths
The top 50 is really so strong now, we continue with the catchiest and most familiar song with the general public, The Smiths ever realised. 'Hang The DJ' really captured the imagination of many people, personally I thought it was a bit harsh. What we have now makes DJs like Simon Bates or DLT look edgy and pioneers of taste. It reached #11 in the UK.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:12:53 GMT 1
48 Always the Sun – The Stranglers
This was a shock, I never though The Stranglers were ever going to release anything better than average and just for the fans in this time period eg songs like 'Nice In Nice' and 'Big In America'. Then this came, this gorgeous ballad in the same class as tracks like 'Skin Deep' and rivalling 'Golden Brown'. Just a brilliant track, that managed to reach #29 on re-issue in 1991 but still far too low.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:16:52 GMT 1
47 Feel It Again – Honeymoon Suite
Recently featured in my retro chart, this was a band I rediscovered by pure chance. I was listening to an 80s rock playlist on Spotify and then this came on and I was like wow!!! Whitesnake meets Marillion, with his very David Coverdale vocals and the slightly celtic/folky AOR production. It has such a huge chorus. The video really shows its age even though those computer effects were probably close to state of the art at the time. The Canadian band reached #34 in the Us with this.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:20:45 GMT 1
46 I Can't Wait – Nu Shooz
Now some pure pop which I really wanted to enter into Haven Pop Idol but I couldn't find the right round, I am thinking now I maybe could have sneaked it into the soul round. Damn opportunity missed. This was one of the big songs of the Long Hot Summer of 1986 and everywhere we went seemed to be playing this when we were on holiday. It reached #2 in the Uk and #3 in the US.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:23:45 GMT 1
45 And She Was - Talking Heads
One of the the bands of 1986, they have two songs in the top 50. This was the followup single to 'Road To Nowhere' and just about as good. It reached #54 in the US and #17 in the UK.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:27:18 GMT 1
44 World Shut Your Mouth – Julian Cope
Another big comeback act for me in 1986. As you can see from my earlier list I loved the big hits of Teardrop Explodes. This solo single was every bit as good as 'Reward' and 'Treason'. One of the catchiest and best pop rock songs of 1986. It was his biggest solo hit reaching #19 in the UK and even charted in the US at #84.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:30:03 GMT 1
43 Addicted To Love – Robert Palmer
More pop rock, a big big genre in 1986. All you need were great riffs and a catchy chorus and that will be shown in many of the songs in this top 50. Well everyone knows this not much more to say. It was a US number one and got to #5 in the UK.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:32:35 GMT 1
42 All the Things She Said - Simple Minds
Biggest song for me from Simple Minds in 1986, they were just the perfect band with the 'Alive And Kicking' album. Although you can start to see they are starting to believe their own hype a bit too much and the bombast is starting to sneak through in this video. It reached #9 in the UK and #28 in the US.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:36:17 GMT 1
41 How Will I Know – Whitney Houston
I have never been a fan of big soul diva ballads but when Whitney goes pop, I loved her. This is my all time favourite Whitney song, so 80s it hurts but I don't care. Just brings back memories of Casey Kasem and listening to the US chart show. Just brings me back to 1986 more than most songs in the top 50. It was a US number one and reached #5 in the UK. Such a happy video as well
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:40:25 GMT 1
Oh enjoying this too much lets do 5 more
40 Calling All the Heroes – It Bites
I was obsessed with this song at the time probably one of my favourite songs of that awesome Summer. Yes its more pop rock and the hook quota goes into overload with this song. Really how could they ever follow this up, the bar was sadly set way to high. Just a brilliant pop record and yes they never matched the success but at least they managed to become a pretty credible rock band over the years since. It reached #6 in the UK.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:43:06 GMT 1
39 Burning Heart – Survivor
Already mentioned this on retro chart, its Survivor and the song that's not quite 'Eye Of The Tiger' from another Rocky movie. Also as I said I liked Survivor with or without a Rocky movie to promote. It reached #2 in the Us and #5 in the UK.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:45:53 GMT 1
38 System Addict – Five Star
Another song I almost entered into Pop Idol. Five Star were my favourite pop band of 1986 at the time. The girls were gorgeous and the songs were just so catchy. This was their best song up to this point. It reached #3 in the UK.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:49:05 GMT 1
37 Papa Don't Preach – Madonna
More pop and Madonna's 2nd single taken from 'True Blue', she still has one more song to come which is very high on the list. These two years 1985-1986 are for me Madonna's best. this was a number one single all over the world, the US and UK included.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:52:47 GMT 1
36 Wild Wild Life - Talking Heads
I haven't mentioned No Limits for awhile, this track was a No Limits powerplay. This was Talking Heads first single taken from their new album 'True Stories'. The video features many celebrities and pop stars of the time doing their best David Byrne's. It reached #25 in the US and #43 in the UK.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:55:35 GMT 1
35 Sledgehammer – Peter Gabriel
Now probably the most famous video of 1986. Featuring every kind of animation technique in existence, it was never off MTV. It spent 4 weeks at number one in the US and peaked #4 in the UK. 'So' was probably in my top 10 albums of the year.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 10:58:53 GMT 1
34 Pretty in Pink – The Psychedelic Furs
Yes its a re-recording but if you don't feature this song in 1986 then something is wrong. The main song of course from the John Hughes movie 'Pretty In Pink'. This time the song got to #18 in the UK and charted at #41 in the US. Video has to be the official 'Pretty In Pink' promo version.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 14, 2018 11:04:23 GMT 1
We really haven't many underground or indie songs on this list mainly because I didn't really listen to nighttime radio apart from Anne Nightingale. But one song has had to ascent to this list in a prime position.
33 Take the Skinheads Bowling – Camper Van Beethoven
Our student union always used to play this song in the 90s. I had no idea who did it but it kind of became our theme song. I eventually got brave enough to ask the DJ who it was and a couple of years later I was working and Djing in that same club. The club started to clear out old vinyl that wasn't getting played anymore due to the club becoming more commercial, I grabbed 3 records and one was this!! Its now a stable on 6Music where it gets played quite often. It reached #8 in the UK indie chart. The band would go on to form Cracker who would have Uk chart success.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 15, 2018 8:02:16 GMT 1
32 Manic Monday – The Bangles
A very big song on Haven lately. As everyone knows The Bangles first huge hit written by Prince. It was a number two hit in the UK & US and many other countries.
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