Putting the M back in MTV

If, like me, you came of age (whatever that means--in my case, it means college years and early adulthood) in the early-to-mid '80s, then you remember when the M in MTV stood for "Music." Well, fear not, "me decade" compadres. MTV has recently revamped its website, and now you can view pretty much every video it has ever aired. So check it out....and, as Styx said in its 1979 song "Never Say Never" (Cornerstone): "Don't look now, here come the '80s...."

Top 50 of the '80s--1-5

Here they are--the songs absolutely nobody has been waiting for--my top 5 songs of the 1980s:

1. "St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)"—John Parr (St. Elmo’s Fire Soundtrack)
2. "Rock and Roll Girls"—John Fogerty (Centerfield)
3. "Let My Love Open the Door"—Pete Townshend (Empty Glass)
4. "Do You Believe in Love"—Huey Lewis & The News (Picture This)
5. "This Beat Goes On/Switchin’ to Glide"—The Kings (The Kings Are Here)

Top 50 of the '80s--6-10

Finally hitting the homestretch...here are, according to me, the second Top 5 of the 1980s:

6. "The Ties That Bind"—Bruce Springsteen (The River)
7. "Lonely Nights"—Bryan Adams (You Want It, You Got It)
8. "Small Town"—John Mellencamp (Scarecrow)
9. "867-5309 (Jenny)"—Tommy Tutone (Tommy Tutone 2)
10. "Talking in Your Sleep"—The Romantics (In Heat)

Top 50 of the '80s--11-20

11. "I've Got a Rock ‘n’ Roll Heart"—Eric Clapton (Money & Cigarettes)
12. "Just Between You and Me"—April Wine (The Nature of the Beast)
13. "Watching the Wheels"—John Lennon (Double Fantasy)
14. "Your Wildest Dreams"—The Moody Blues (The Other Side of Life)
15. "Sausalito Summernight"—Diesel (Watts in a Tank)
16. "Jeopardy"—Greg Kihn (Kihnspiracy)
17. "Goodbye to You"—Scandal (EP)
18. "Take My Breath Away"—Berlin (Top Gun Soundtrack)
19. "How Does It Feel to Be Back"—Hall & Oates (Voices)
20. "One Night Love Affair"—Bryan Adams (Reckless)

Top 50 of the '80s--21-30

21. "Need Your Loving Tonight"—Queen (The Game)
22. "Tired of Toein’ the Line"—Rocky Burnette (The Son of Rock and Roll)
23. "Turn and Walk Away"—The Babys (On the Edge)
24. "Fantasy"—Aldo Nova (Aldo Nova)
25. "While You See a Chance"—Steve Winwood (Arc of a Diver)
26. "Heat of the Moment"—Asia (Asia)
27. "You Shook Me All Night Long"—AC/DC (Back in Black)
28. "Burnin’ for You"—Blue Oyster Cult (Fire of Unknown Origin)
29. "Edge of a Broken Heart"—Vixen (Vixen)
30. "No One Like You"—Scorpions (Blackout)

Top 50 of the '80s--31-35

31. "Little Red Corvette"—Prince (1999)
32. "Nicole"—Point Blank (American Exce$$)
33. "You Better You Bet"—The Who (Face Dances)
34. "The Kid Is Hot Tonite"—Loverboy (Loverboy)
35. "American Storm"—Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (Like a Rock)

Top 50 of the '80s--36-40

36. "Magic"—The Cars (Heartbeat City)
37. "Back on the Chain Gang"—Pretenders (Learning to Crawl)
38. "Some Like It Hot"—Power Station (The Power Station)
39. "I Got You"—Split Enz (True Colours)
40. "Head Over Heels"—The Go-Go's (Talk Show)

Top 50 of the '80s--41 to 45

As promised--or threatened--here is the next installment:

41. "Hearts on Fire"—Randy Meisner (One More Song)
42. "I Missed Again"—Phil Collins (Face Value)
43. "Teacher Teacher"—Rockpile (Seconds of Pleasure)
44. "Wasted on the Way"—Crosby, Stills & Nash (Daylight Again)
45. "Always Something There to Remind Me"—Naked Eyes (Naked Eyes)

TBC.....

Top 50 of the '80s--46-50

Recently some college friends of mine and I swapped a series of e-mails listing our Top 50 songs of the 1980s (the era in which we were in college). I thought I would post my list--in increments--as the mood strikes me.

50. "Emotional Rescue"--The Rolling Stones (Emotional Rescue)
49. "Hold On"--Santana (Shango)
48. "I Love a Rainy Night"--Eddie Rabbitt (Horizon)
47. "Misunderstanding"--Genesis (Duke)
46. "Givin' It Up for Your Love"--Delbert McClinton (The Jealous Kind)

More to come.