The Billboard 1985 Top 100 #1s is largely familiar to me. Oh, check out Arthur’s take on the songs of that year.
Say You, Say Me—Lionel Richie (Motown), #1 for four weeks, gold record. The song was featured in the 1985 film White Nights, directed by Taylor Hackford and starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines, which I saw at the time. Incidentally, that was the year Mikhail Gorbachev became the Soviet leader.
We Are The World – USA for Africa (Columbia), #1 for four weeks, quadruple platinum record. Written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson, and famously produced by Quincy Jones. I think I watched the video so often that I could tell you who soloed when. I know how Dan Aykroyd, the first guy alphabetically on the session, got there. But I never bought the single; I bought the ALBUM.
Careless Whisper – Wham! featuring George Michael (Columbia), #1 for three weeks, platinum record
Can’t Fight This Feeling – REO Speedwagon (Epic),#1 for three weeks, gold record
Money For Nothing – Dire Straits (Warner), #1 for three weeks
Shout – Tears For Fears (Mercury), #1 for three weeks, gold record
Two weeks at the top
Broken Wings – Mr. Mister (RCA)
I Want To Know What Love Is – Foreigner (Atlantic), gold record. Okay, I own it on an album: I LOVE this song. It’s a sappy video, but the choir is great.
The Power Of Love – Huey Lewis and the News (Chrysalis), gold record. Obviously, per the video, from the movie Back To The Future, which I saw at the time.
Everybody Wants To Rule The World – Tears for Fears (Mercury). I love the beat, which is described as a shuffle; it has a strolling element. And it’s an antiwar song.
We Built This City – Starship (Grunt), gold record. When John Hebert, Tom Skulan, and I wrote a parody comic book called Sold Out, it referenced this song with the lyrics, “We bilked this city on black and whites.” It is a well-hated song, and I’m not a fan.
St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion) – John Parr (Atlantic). I’ve never seen that movie.
Everything She Wants – Wham! (Columbia), gold record
Heaven – Bryan Adams (A&M)
A View To A Kill – Duran Duran (Capitol). I’ve never seen this James Bond film.
One More Night – Phil Collins (Atlantic), gold record
The rest are one week at #1
Separate Lives – Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin (Atlantic). Also from the movie White Nights.
Crazy For You – Madonna (Geffen), gold record. It’s on the soundtrack for a movie called Vision Quest, which I’m not familiar with.
Every Time You Go Away – Paul Young (Columbia), gold record. My favorite song on the list, better than the Hall and Oates original
Don’t You Forget About Me – Simple Minds (A&M). This is on the soundtrack to The Breakfast Club, a film I’ve never seen.
Part Time Lover – Stevie Wonder (Tamla)
Take On Me – a-ha (Warner)
Saving All My Love – Whitney Houston (Arista), gold record. From her debut album.
Miami Vice theme – Jon Hammer (MCA), instrumental. A great theme for a TV show I watched for a couple of seasons.
Sussudio -Phil Collins (Atlantic), gold record. Meh.
Oh Sheila – Ready For The World (MCA). I don’t remember this song!
Wow, what a great bunch of songs! I probably love them all. Even “We Built This City”.
WHITE NIGHTS was a really good movie, as I recall. I haven’t seen it since it came out…but those two songs from it are terrific. I’m honestly surprised neither song is heard much these days; “Say You Say Me” is especially good.
I do not recommend ST. ELMO’S FIRE (the movie; the song is actually terrific). Unless you want to be reminded just how godawful the 80s were. Put it this way: for an ensemble movie, I guarantee every character in it voted for Reagan.