#80s

80s Song of the Day: Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution

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I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend
Baby I could never steal you from another
It´s such a shame our friendship had to end

purple-rain

Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution was released on September 26, 1984, with God as the B side. It was the third single from the soundtrack album for the movie of the same name.

The song was recorded during a benefit concert for the Minnesota Dance Theatre at the First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis on August 3, 1983. The performance was guitarist Wendy Melvoin’s live debut with The Revolution, at the age of 19. Continue reading →

80s Song of the Day: 1999 by Prince

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I was dreamin’ when I wrote this
So sue me if I go to fast
But life is just a party
And parties weren’t meant to last

1999

1999 by Prince was released on September 24, 1982, with How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore? as the B side. It was a single from the album of the same name.

The song originally peaked at No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1983, it was re-released following the success of Little Red Corvette and reached No. 12 on the Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, the song reached No. 25 in 1983, and No. 2 in 1985 after its re-release there. Continue reading →

80s Song of the Day: Need You Tonight by INXS

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Your moves are so raw
I’ve got to let you know
I’ve got to let you know
You’re one of my kind

need-you-tonight

Need You Tonight by INXS was released on September 23, 1987, with I’m Coming (Home) as the B side. It was the first worldwide release from the album Kick.

The song was the band’s only No. 1 hit in the United States. In the United Kingdom, it only reached No. 58 on the UK Singles Chart when it was originally released; after it was re-released there in November 1988, it went all the way to No. 2. Continue reading →

80s Song of the Day: Don’t Stand So Close to Me by The Police

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Her friends are so jealous
You know how bad girls get
Sometimes it’s not so easy
To be the teacher’s pet

dont-stand

Don’t Stand So Close to Me by The Police was released in the United Kingdom on September 19, 1980, with Friends as the B side. The song, about an affair between a teacher and a student, was the lead single from the band’s third album Zenyatta Mondatta.

In the United Kingdom, the song reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart and was the biggest selling single of 1980. In the United States, it reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Continue reading →

80s Song of the Day: Heaven Is a Place on Earth by Belinda Carlisle

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When you walk into the room
You pull me close and we start to move
And we’re spinning with the stars above
And you lift me up in a wave of love

heaven

Heaven Is a Place on Earth by Belinda Carlisle was released on September 18, 1987, with We Can Change as the B side. It was the lead single from Carlisle’s second studio album Heaven on Earth.

The song reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. It was also a No. 1 hit in several other countries. Continue reading →

80s Song of the Day: When I See You Smile by Bad English

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Sometimes I want to give up
Want to give in
I want to quit the fight
And then I see you baby
And everything’s alright

bad-english-when-i-see-you-smile

When I See You Smile by rock super-group Bad English was released on September 16, 1989, with Rockin’ Horse as the B side. It was the second single from the band’s self-titled debut album.

Formed in 1987, Bad English included Journey members Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain, former Babys bandmates John Waite and Ricky Phillips, and drummer Dean Castronova. When I See You Smile was their first and only No. 1 hit in the United States, where it spent two weeks at the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached No. 1 on the Canada Top Singles chart. Continue reading →

80s Song of the Day: Smooth Operator by Sade

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Coast to coast, LA to Chicago, western male
Across the north and south, to Key Largo, love for sale

smooth-operator

Smooth Operator by Sade was released in the United Kingdom on September 15, 1984, with Spirit as the B side. It was the fourth and final single from the band’s debut album Diamond Life.

Smooth Operator reached No. 19 on the UK Singles Chart. After its release the following year in the United States, it became Sade’s first Top 10 hit in the U.S., peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Continue reading →

80s Song of the Day: Learning to Fly by Pink Floyd

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Can’t keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I

learning-45

Learning to Fly by Pink Floyd was released on September 14, 1987, with Terminal Frost as the B side. It was the first single from A Momentary Lapse of Reason, the band’s thirteenth studio album and its first following the departure of Roger Waters.

The song was primarily written by David Gilmour, who assumed leadership of Pink Floyd following Waters’ departure. Learning to Fly reached No. 70 on the Billboard Hot 100. It spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. Continue reading →

80s Song of the Day: Centerfold by The J. Geils Band

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Years go by I’m lookin’ through a girly magazine
And there’s my homeroom angel on the pages inbetween

centerfold-2

Centerfold by The J. Geils Band was released on September 13, 1981, with Rage in the Cage as the B side. It was the first single released from the album Freeze Frame.

The song spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart, the first and only major hit for the band in the United Kingdom. Continue reading →