Now comes the part where a song appears in my countdown that if my wife was making her own countdown she would not touch it with a 10 foot pole. Still, while I like the song and it’s not my absolute favorite, no one can deny how much this one tune changed the face of rock in ways other songs since then haven’t been able to. Rockin at #6 is Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana.
This is the second tune in this countdown with a personal connection to me. As a child, I loved the movie Arthur and Dudley Moore’s iconic laugh, but it was also the theme song that I loved. I learned how to play the song in my early playing years, and years later I still love the song. Coming in #6 is Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) by Christopher Cross.
Some songs hold a firm place in 1980s culture, and this one of them. You hear it, and you know the time period instantly. Years later, it can still be heard at weddings, clubs, parties, and it remains this guy’s biggest hit to date. Our #7 song is Jessie’s Girl by Rick Springfield.
In the late 80s and early 90s, Tom Petty could really do no wrong as a songwriter, and this song adds further evidence to that statement. It’s one of my favorite songs from him, and as his 2006 live concert shows, it is still a massive singalong for his fans everywhere. Soaring into #7 is Learning to Fly by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.
Our next entry into the countdown is claimed by the King of Pop. The lead single off of his Dangerous album, this tune included an extended video that showcased state-of-the-art visual effects that at the time stunned viewers. Yet despite the video’s notoriety, the song remains a staple of his body of work. The #8 song of 1991 is Black or White by Michael Jackson.
As with prior countdowns, I emphasize that these are MY picks, and while some hold a higher place in others’ lists, some tunes have a personal connection that overrides others. This is the first of 2 such songs. I’m not ashamed to say that I marked out when Jeff Carlisi did the solo of this song during the Yacht Rock Revival a few years back. It is one of my all time favorite rock songs, coming in at #8 – Hold On Loosely by 38 Special.