There might be a hint of bias in the placement of this next song, but this song is one of the greatest ballads of the 1980s.  When we talk about lightning in a bottle, this track is it.  Even the artist couldn’t deliver the song live the same way he did on this track.  That’s how good this song is, and the emotion coming out of it is massive.  It was one of my favorite songs when I grew up and I found it hard-pressed not to place this song higher in this list.  Coming in at #2 is Against …..more →

Boy was 1984 a really tough year to determine the top 20 songs.  There were so many tracks that each deserved a place in this countdown, it was downright insane how many did not make it, and most of them would be in other countdowns for sure.  Here is a list of all possible tracks that could have made it, and boy were there a lot: Animotion – Obsession Billy Idol – Eyes Without a Face Billy Joel – The Longest Time Billy Ocean – Caribbean Queen Bon Jovi – Runaway Bryan Adams – Run to You Bruce Springsteen – Born …..more →

There were quite a few songs that failed to get into the 1994 countdown but I wanted to list them here anyway. 69 Boyz – Tootsie Roll All 4 One – I Swear Bruce Springsteen – Streets of Philadelphia Counting Crows – Round Here Dave Matthews Band – What Would You Say? Des’ree – You Gotta Be Elton John – Circle of Life Enigma – Return to Innocence Green Day – Longview Green Day – Welcome To Paradise Janet Jackson – You Want This Joshua Kadison – Jessie Lisa Loeb – Stay Live – All Over You Live – Selling the Drama Madonna …..more →

Jitterbug…face it, when you hear that word, what’s one of the first things you think of?  If you’re my age or even 20 years younger, it’s this song.  That’s how huge this song was back then and still is today.  Even the Spanish version that came out during the Transylvania movies was huge.  Some would think George Michael’s ultimate ballad should belong in this place, but in the end, after multiple listenings, this track ended up right here, and I would argue with anyone on its place above all the other competition below.  Coming in at #3 for the top …..more →

The third and final entry of the band responsible for Throwing Copper is the band’s biggest hit ever, and rightly so.  It might make the list of the top 10 rock ballads of the 90s.  This was on so many different playlists and the track has maintained resonance and importance in a wide range of avenues, and was also covered a lot due to its simplicity in its chord progression.  We’re getting close to the top and at #3 for the 1994 countdown, it’s Lightning Crashes by Live.

We now approach the only time a “deep-cut” track makes the countdown, and to think of this track as a deep-cut, i.e. a song that was never released as a single, it goes to show how huge of a song this track is, not just for the year but for this band.  Some fans of the group would call it their favorite, and it would probably be the band’s last best-known track for years to come.  Coming in at #4 for the top songs of 1994 is Better Man by Pearl Jam.