A FEW SONGS ABOUT RAIN ON A RAINY DAY

It's raining and 54 degrees in NYC today so I thought I'd serve up some wet weather realness and give you my favorite songs about rain! That way I won't miss the warm Spring weather we've been having and go on a murderous rampage around town. Yay!! Here are some wet ones from Eurythmics (Here Comes the Rain Again, #4 1984), New Edition (Can You Stand The Rain, #44 1988), Billy Myers (Kiss the Rain, #15 1997), Belinda Carlisle (Summer Rain, #30 1990) and Phil Collins (I Wish It Would Rain Down, #3 1990). And yes, I am purposefully leaving out Rain by Madonna because it's been on my blog a bajiliondy times.

FLASHBACK: MY MUSIC IN 1985 - JANUARY 27TH

This week sees some significant movement by a few songs on the chart and some notable debuts. Prince & The Revolution bookend the chart with two of my fave songs they have ever done that contain the letter "U". Duran Duran has one song on the way out and another classic song debuting. Band Aid and Chicago take some pretty big plummets while Foreigner starts off high in the top 30.  Will Stevie Wonder or New Edition make it into the top 10 finally this week? I mean, it's only been three weeks into the year, so maybe I shouldn't be so dramatic yet. Oh well. Take a gander at who was rockin' the charts this week in my world of 1985. A couple of the video links, by the way, may NOT be the original video but a live clip from that time. Check it.

30. Take Me With U - Prince & The Revolution (with Apollonia)
29. I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore - REO Speedwagon
28. Wild Boys - Duran Duran
27. Cool It Now - New Edition
26. Save a Prayer - Duran Duran
25. Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
24. Private Dancer - Tina Turner
23. California Girls - David Lee Roth
22. Misled - Kool & The Gang
21. Mr. Telephone Man - New Edition
20. The Heat is On - Glenn Frey
19. Operator - Midnight Starr
18. Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid
17. You're the Inspiration - Chicago
16. Solid - Ashford & Simpson
15. Call To The Heart - Giuffria
14. Foolish Heart - Steve Perry
13. Mistake #3 - Culture Club
12. Method of Modern Love - Hall & Oates
11. Love Light In Flight - Stevie Wonder
10. Jamie - Ray Parker, Jr.
09. Jungle Love - The Time
08. Neutron Dance - The Pointer Sisters
07. Money Changes Everything - Cyndi Lauper
06. Boys of Summer - Don Henley
05. I Want To Know What Love Is - Foreigner
04. Like a Virgin - Madonna 
03. Loverboy - Billy Ocean
02. Careless Whisper - Wham!
01. I Would Die 4 U - Prince & The Revolution

FLASHBACK SPECIAL: MY MUSIC IN 1985

I recently stumbled upon something of a personal treasure while visiting my mother back home. (Yes, I'm aware that sentence was very formal, but I'm in the middle of a Downton Abbey marathon.) When I was a boy I used to keep my own personal list of my favorite top 30 songs every single week. I had a lot of time on my hands and I LOVED pop music then as much as I do now. I thought for the next few months I would share with you the musings of a young gay boy from Texas in 1985. Madonna was just starting, Duran Duran was starting to cool. Two Jacksons that were neither Michael nor Janet were on the charts!! Cyndi Lauper and Bruce Springsteen were the most tubular things around and George Michael was straight. Well.... Some of the songs will bring back memories and some I barely remember, but here we go. My top 30 songs for January 6, 1985, which, like January 6, 2013, was a Sunday. Take THAT coincidence!! We start with our #1 song in its 7th week at the top. Go.... OH! I won't put in a link to all videos, just some rare ones to please myself and hopefully you. Feel free to comment on memories you have. I'd love to know if you remember these gems too. AND yes, that's what I looked like in 1985. AWKWARD!

30. Operator - Midnight Star 
29. Tender Years - John Cafferty 
28. Call of the Heart - Giuffria 
27. Misled - Kool & The Gang 
26. Solid - Ashford and Simpson
25. Mr. Telephone Man - New Edition 
24. Foolish Heart - Steve Perry 
23. Bruce - Rick Springfield 
22. Method of Modern Love - Hall & Oates 
21. Cool It Now - New Edition 
20. Mistake #3 - Culture Club 
19. Jungle Love - The Time 
18. Love Light In Flight - Stevie Wonder 
17. Neutron Dance - The Pointer Sisters 
16. Wild Boys - Duran Duran 
15. Centipede - Rebbie Jackson 
14. Belle of St. Mark - Sheila E. 
13. Jamie - Ray Parker, Jr. 
12. Easy Lover - Phil Collins & Philip Bailey
11. Money Changes Everything - Cyndi Lauper 
10. Careless Whisper - Wham! 
09. Boys of Summer - Don Henley 
08. Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid 
07. Loverboy - Billy Ocean 
06. Do What You Do - Jermaine Jackson 
05. Run To You - Bryan Adams 
04. Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen 
03. You're the Inspiration - Chicago 
02. I Would Die 4 U - Prince & the Revolution 
01. Like a Virgin - Madonna (7th week at #1)