THE #1 SONG 30 YEARS AGO TODAY WAS....

....Careless Whisper by Wham! ft. George Michael. This song, as evidenced by the "featuring George Michael" added to Wham! showed that, although relatively new to American audiences, the band was not long for this world. Included on Wham's second album, Make It Big, Careless Whisper is technically George's first solo single, though it was written by Michael and band mate Andrew Ridgeley. It's complicated, y'all. Don't ask. ANYHOO....the song was a huge success, hitting #1 in both the US and the UK and about twenty-something other countries, going on to sell six million copies worldwide. The song spent three weeks and #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and wound up the #1 song of 1985 at year's end. Work, girl! The video is typical 80s fodder with a feather-haired George Michael distraught over the end of an affair...with a woman. It WAS the 80s, after all. The song has been covered by everyone and their vagina since and is easily one of the biggest songs of the 80s. Wham!, of course, broke up and George Michael went on to a massive solo career and some carless whispers of his own in a lot of bathrooms in L.A. So take a listen to the #1 song from this day 30 years ago, Careless Whisper by Wham!

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FLASHBACK: MY MUSIC IN 1985 - DECEMBER 8th

Sorry for the delayed posting this week. I had a crazy weekend. SO this week in 1985 I was listening to lots of new music. Billy Ocean was a thing, Stevie Nicks was a goddess (as always) and Sheila E. was still hogging up all the space on my countdown. Heart was slowing slipping down the list, inch by inch, but in good news Eddie Murphy's Party All the Time fell from #8 to #SEEYA!! Oh, joy. I guess I did like that song at some point though. My 1985 self should be ashamed. Anyway, if you click on the links below you can watch videos, and some of them are surprises. The #1 song AGAIN this week is Sister Fate, so I uploaded a very awkward Japanese television performance and interview that Sheila E. did in 1985. It's kind of everything. Check it out, bitches! Later.
30. When The Going Gets Tough - Billy Ocean
29. Everybody Dance - Tamara and the Scene
28. Talk to Me - Stevie Nicks
27. Digital Display - Ready for the World
26. Everything Must Change - Paul Young
25. Everything In My Heart - Corey Hart
24. Tears Are Falling - KISS
23. How Will I Know - Whitney Houston
22. It's Only Love - Bryan Adams and Tina Turner
21. Love Is the Seventh Wave - Sting
20. Wrap Her Up - Elton John
19. That's What Friends Are For - Dionne and Friends
18. Sidewalk Talk - Jellybean
17. Holly Rock - Sheila E.
16. Conga - Miami Sound Machine
15. Small Town - John Cougar Mellencamp
14. Do It For Love - Sheena Easton
13. I'm You Man - Wham!
12. Alive and Kicking - Simple Minds
11. Perfect Way - Scritti Politti
10. Emergency - Kool & The Gang
09. Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves - Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin
08. Walk of Life - Dire Straits
07. Election Day - Arcadia
06. America - Prince & The Revolution
05. Never - Heart
04. Love Bizarre - Sheila E. and Prince
03. Sleeping Bag - ZZ Top
02. Say You Say Me - Lionel Richie
01. Sister Fate - Sheila E.

FLASHBACK: MY MUSIC 1985 - DECEMBER 1st

Lots of new stuff popped into my countdown this week in 1985. Whitney Houston's third single, and arguably her best ever, How Will I Know peeks around the corner at #30 and then some strictly 80s fellas jump in front of her. MEN!! Am I right, ladies? Ready for the World had their follow up Digital Display and Corey Hart and Paul Young have some lesser known songs debut as well. Dire Straits somehow were on my chart in the top 10. Go figure. BUT the newest thing is a new #1 song by someone who has three hits on the chart this week. I still love that woman too. Most of the countdown just shuffled around this week, but one song....WOW, did it fall. Separate Lives by Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin was sitting pretty at #2 last week and this week it is GONE! I guess I separated those lives pretty quickly, bitch! See what I did there? Okay, so just click on some links and enjoy some 80s realness. Until next week, whatever.

30. How Will I Know - Whitney Houston
29. Digital Display - Ready for the World
28. Everything Must Change - Paul Young
27. Everything In My Heart - Corey Hart
26. Tears are Falling - KISS
25. That's What Friends Are For - Dionne and Friends
24. Wrap Her Up - Elton John
23. It's Only Love - Bryan Adams and Tina Turner
22. Love Is the Seventh Wave - Sting
21. Sidewalk Talk - Jellybean
20. Conga - Miami Sound Machine
19. I'm Your Man - Wham!
18. Holly Rock - Sheila E.
17. Small Town - John Cougar Mellencamp
16. Do It For Love - Sheena Easton
15. Alive and Kicking - Simple Minds
14. Perfect Way - Scritti Politti
13. Lover Come Back To Me - Dead or Alive
12. Emergency - Kool & The Gang
11. Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves - Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin
10. Walk of Life - Dire Straits
09. America - Prince & The Revolution
08. Party All the Time - Eddie Murphy
07. Election Day - Arcadia
06. Love Bizarre - Sheila E. and Prince
05. Sleeping Bag - ZZ Top
04. Say You Say Me - Lionel Richie
03. Oak Tree - Morris Day
02. Never - Heart
01. Sister Fate - Sheila E.

FLASHBACK: MY MUSIC IN 1985: NOVEMBER 10th

IT'S A TIE!!! What? How does that even work? Ha. Well, my 1985 self apparently could not make a decision on the #1 song for this week, girl. It was just too hard. I had pants to pinch-roll and hair to tease. Anyhoo, this week sees a lot of new songs jumping onto the top 30 in my world, including the delicious Sting and the amazy Simple Minds. Sheila E. has, with the inclusion of Holly Rock, three songs in the top 30. Tina Turner joins Bryan Adams for a classic 80s duet and Wham! is back with a song that made me tingle where my bathing suit covered. Check out the link for Whitney Houston's Saving All My Love For You. It's her performance from the 1986 Grammy Awards which won her an Emmy. See what she did there? Anyway, if you remember 1985 then you'll remember how excited I must have been to have all this music. So click some links and enjoy your Sunday morning. It's totally radical!!

30. It's Only Love - Bryan Adams and Tina Turner
29. Holly Rock - Sheila E.
28. Love is the Seventh Wave - Sting
27. I'm Your Man - Wham!
26. Do It For Love - Sheena Easton
25. Object of My Desire - Starpoint
24. I Miss You - Klymaxx
23. Alive and Kicking - Simple Minds
22. Screams of Passion - The Family
21. Emergency - Kool & The Gang
20. Perfect Way - Scritti Politti
19. Lover Come Back to Me - Dead or Alive
18. Election Day - Arcadia
17. Party All The Time - Eddie Murphy
16. Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves - Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin
15. Saving All My Love For You - Whitney Houston
14. Sleeping Bag - ZZ Top
13. America - Prince & The Revolution
12. A Love Bizarre - Sheila E. with Prince
11. Who's Zoomin' Who - Aretha Franklin
10. Soul Kiss - Olivia Newton John
09. One of the Living - Tina Turner
08. Oak Tree - Morris Day
07. Broken Wings - Mr. Mister
06. Be Near Me - ABC
05. Sister Fate - Sheila E.
04. Separate Lives - Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin
03. Miami Vice Theme - Jan Hammer
01(B) Never - Heart
01(A) Lay Your Hands On Me - Thompson Twins

FLASHBACK: MY MUSIC IN 1985: FEBRUARY 3RD

Oh, 1985. You were so good to me. I remember your winter Sundays, alone in my room dancing to the radio and wishing I was a grown up gay in NYC. Now look at me! I'm here, I'm queer, get used to it, whores!!! But, I jump forward. In 1985 my biggest escape was Duran Duran, Madonna and new guy Billy Ocean who was going to be a star FOREVER! It's called optimism, I once heard. On february 3, 1985 the music was as hot as the temperatures in Texas were... well.... probably not that cold. Billy Joel had a new song on my chart and Band Aid was making it's last appearance ever. Who knew what the future held? Not this little guy, that's for sure. All I could do was hunker down, dance and pray for Madonna. So here was the result of my prayers on February 3, 1985. Click those links for some more recent performances of these songs by their singers and relive your glory.

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

NEW GEORGE MICHAEL: WHITE LIGHT

Relased 30 years after his first UK chart entry with Wham!, George Michael has released an inspired dance track, White Light. Though he doesn't mention names, the song seems to be inspired by how George has dealt with and come back from his drug and alcohol abuse in the light of the death of Whitney Houston. That's my interpretation anyway. The song repeats "I'm alive" and boy, are we fans glad he is. George sounds great (of course) and the song is pretty stellar. Nicely done. Listen to White Light for yourself below and read along to the lyrics.