Affair of the Heart by Rick Springfield was released October 10, 1983, with Like Father, Like Son as the B side. It was the lead single from the album Living in Oz.
The song peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, the fourth of Springfield’s five Top 10 hits. In 1984, it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.
Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes was released on October 8, 1983, with Our Song as the B side. It was the first single from the band’s eleventh studio album 90125.
The song was the band’s first and only single to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It reached No. 28 on the UK Singles Chart.
Workin’ hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin’ anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey was released on October 6, 1981, with Natural Thing as the B side. It was a single from the band’s seventh studio album Escape.
The song reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over a million copies in vinyl. It has re-entered the charts in recent years, notable in 2007 after its use in the last scene of the series finale of The Sopranos. In 2009, it reached No. 6 in the United Kingdom, after failing to break the Top 40 there on its original release. Continue reading
And found myself alone, alone
Alone above a raging sea
That stole the only girl I loved
And drowned her deep inside of me
Just Like Heaven by The Cure was released on October 5, 1987, as the third single from the album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. The songs Breathe and Snow in Summer were used as B sides for the 7″ singles.
Before Cure frontman Robert Smith had completed the lyrics, an instrumental version of the song was used as the theme for the French television show Les Enfants du Rock. Continue reading
Reaching out for something to hold
Looking for a love where the climate is cold
Manic moves and drowsy dreams
Or living in the middle between the two extremes
Out of Touch by Hall & Oates was released on October 4, 1984, with Cold, Dark and Yesterday as the B side. It was the lead single from their album Big Bam Boom.
Out of Touch, Hall & Oates’ last Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, topped the chart for two weeks. It was the duo’s fourteenth consecutive top 40 hit since 1980. Continue reading
You never ever worry and you never shed a tear
You’re saying that my love ain’t real
Just look at my face, these tears ain’t drying
Say Say Say by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson was released on October 3, 1983, with Ode to a Koala Bear as the B side. It was a single from McCartney’s album Pipes of Peace.
The song became Jackson’s seventh Top 10 hit inside a year. It was a No. 1 hit in the United States, Canada, Norway, Sweden, and several other countries. It reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom. Continue reading
You know I’m a dreamer
But my heart’s of gold
I had to run away high
So I wouldn’t come home low
Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue was released September 30, 1985, with Red Hot as the B side. It was a single from the band’s third studio album Theatre of Pain.
The song reached No. 89 on the Billboard Hot 100. Upon it’s re-release in 1991 for the Decade of Decadence 81-91 compilation album, it reached No. 37. Continue reading
I’ve heard all the lines
I’ve cried oh so many times
Those tear drops they won’t fall again
I’m so excited ’cause you’re my best friend
True Blue by Madonna was released on September 29, 1986, with Ain’t No Big Deal as the B side. The song, about Madonna’s then-husband Sean Penn, was the third single from her third studio album of the same name.
The song reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was a No. 1 hit in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada. Continue reading
Welcome to the jungle
We’ve got fun and games
We got everything you want
Honey, we know the names
Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N’ Roses was released in the United Kingdom on September 28, 1987, with Whole Lotta Rosie (Live) as the B side. It was a single from the band’s debut album Appetite for Destruction. It was later released in the United States on October 24, 1988, with Mr. Brownstone as the B side.
The song reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 24 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2009, VH1 named it the greatest hard rock song of all time. Continue reading
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel was released on September 27, 1989, with House of Blue Light as the B side. A single from the album Storm Front, it includes references to more than 100 headline events from 1949, the year of Joel’s birth, to 1989 when the song was recorded.
The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. It was a No. 2 hit in Canada and Australia. Continue reading
Eighties Grooves 