These are the 1985 #1 Top Rock Tracks. What am I talking about? Earlier this year, I bought the book Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks. It is “compiled from Billboard’s alternative Rock and Mainstream Rock charts.” The mainstream rock chart was first published in 1981.
Further, “there’s a weekly Top 60 airplay chart compiled from rock radio as indicated by the Nation’s leading album-oriented and top track stations. What is a track? Billboard’s Mike Harrison said, “Quite simply, a track is any individual song played on the raw merits of its popularity, regardless of its mechanical configuration, meaning, regardless of whether it is a 45 RPM single, LP cut, or whatever.”
Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground) – Mike + The Mechanics, five weeks at #1, #6 pop. It also appeared on the soundtrack of the film On Dangerous Ground. The track features former Ace and Squeeze singer Paul Carrack on lead vocals.
Lonely Ol’ Night – John Cougar Mellencamp, five weeks at #1, #6 pop
The Old Man Down The Road – John Fogerty, three weeks at #1, #10 pop
Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds, three weeks at #1, #1 pop
Trapped – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, three weeks at #1. #2 for four weeks pop. This was on the We Are the World album by USA for Africa.
If You Love Somebody Set Them Free – Sting, three weeks at #1, #3 for two weeks pop. Linguistically ahead of the curve.
Money For Nothing – Dire Straits, three weeks at #1, #1 for three weeks pop
You Belong To The City – Glenn Frey, three weeks at #1, #2 for two weeks, from the Miami Vice soundtrack.
Tonight She Comes – The Cars, three weeks at #1, #7 pop, from the Cars’ Greatest Hits.
Also
Somebody – Bryan Adams, two weeks at #1, #11 pop
Just Another Night – Mick Jagger, two weeks at #1, #12 pop
All She Wants To Do Is Dance – Don Henley, two weeks at #1, #9 pop
Forever Man – Eric Clapton, two weeks at #1, #26 pop
Little By Little – Robert Plant – two weeks at #1, #36 pop
Tough All Over – John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band – two weeks at #1, #22 pop
The Power Of Love – Huey Lewis and The News, two weeks at #1, #1 for two weeks pop
Fortress Around Your Heart – Sting, two weeks at #1, #8 pop
Sleeping Bag – ZZ Top, two weeks at #1, #8 pop
Talk To Me – Stevie Nicks, two weeks at #1, #4 pop
The rest for a single week at #1
I Want To Know What Love Is – Foreigner, #1 for two weeks pop
Radioactive – The Firm, #28 pop. The Firm was a British rock supergroup formed in 1984, featuring singer Paul Rodgers (Free and Bad Company), guitarist Jimmy Page (The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin), drummer Chris Slade (Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Uriah Heep, and later AC/DC), and bass player Tony Franklin.
We Built This City – Starship, #1 for two weeks pop