The 80s countdown: A lesson in history, geometry, and gravity

Hello! Welcome to the first 80s countdown top 5 recap. Every week SiriusXM’s 80s on 8 channel broadcasts a countdown from the “decade of excess” hosted by the original MTV VJs. (Remember music videos?)

The 80s countdown is based on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart for a given week somewhere between 1980 and 1989. Every week, it’s a different year and I will be providing fun feedback about the song and trivia tidbits about songs on the countdown. We’re calling it Nick’s Mix as a nod to the mixtapes we all made back in the day.

First of all, let me introduce myself. I am Nick Masterjohn, and I live in Minnesota. When I was a teenager, I loved All My Children. I found a soap website that Dan J Kroll created and then eventually followed him on Twitter. Now that Dan has started building a community here on his new web site, I thought I could contribute something about one of my biggest passions: music.

Without further ado, let’s kick off December 6, 1986, when The Golden Child and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home were popular at the box office. Here are the top 5 songs from that week!

Number Five: Strike a pose on a Cadillac

“Walk Like an Egyptian” by the Bangles. This was a huge hit for them by reaching #1 and staying for 4 weeks in December and January (1987). Did you know that since the Billboard calculates the 100 biggest songs from December 1 through November 30, “Walk Like an Egyptian” was the biggest song of 1987? It really seems weird to me. I think there are better songs during that timeframe, but it was #1 for 4 weeks which was the longest. It was also based on airplay.

I love the long, I think it’s fun and has a nice vibe. This song probably did not age well as we I can’t see the masses approving of a song that could be seen as mocking the way the Egyptians walk.

Number Four: A song with Range

“The Way It Is” by Bruce Hornsby and the Range. This song went to #1 and was a huge hit. This song was described by Hornsby; Verse 1 is about the divide between the rich and the poor. Verse two is about social issues from the voice of someone who supports racial Segregation. The final verse recounts the passage of the Economic Opportunity Act in 1964 “to give those who ain’t got a little more” the song says. Also, about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a victory in the movement against job discrimination.

Wow, this song is so deep but as a 17-year-old kid, I loved to sing the song and enjoyed the beat — I was not really paying attention to the lyrics. I do like Bruce’s music. He didn’t have a ton of hits, but the music is still good none the less.

Here is a video for my favorite from him: “Mandolin Rain.”

Number Three: It’s not about geometry

“Hip to Be Square” by Huey Lewis and the News. This song peaked at #3. Besides “Jacob’s Ladder”, this is my favorite song from this band. It’s fun, hip and downright sweet to sing to. Crank up the volume on this one! Huey Lewis says this is about the Phenomenon of people from the 60’s who cut their hair, worked out and kept Bohemian tastes. He read the book Bobos in Paradise and got the idea to write the song. They also claim it’s a statement about themselves. Please look this up and add to your musical library. You will not be disappointed.

Number Two: Slippery when wet

“You Give Love a Bad Name” by the one and only and my favorite band Bon Jovi. This song also hit #1 and was the first one by the band. This is from the #1 album of 1987 Slippery When Wet. This song is about a woman with a jilted lover. My favorites are Def Leppard and Bon Jovi. I liked hairbands, I guess! I love this song, but his big anthem is “Living on a Prayer”, which also hit #1.

… and the number one song this week in 1986

AND NOW #1 Hints: He was a solo singer who broke away from his band from the windy city. She was a huge star in the Christian music world. He hit #1 with a song from the Karate Kid II movie and she hit #1 with “Baby, Baby” in the 90’s: YES! Peter Cetera and Amy Grant with “The Next Time I Fall.”

I love Peter’s voice and this song. Not many of us knew who Amy Grant was back then, but we certainly would as the next decade started. Amy she was honored at the Kennedy Center honors in 2022. You can watch the ceremony on YouTube.

Peter had several solo hits to go along with this duet. Of course, his best-known solo song is probably “Glory of Love” from the aforementioned Karate Kid film. He also tallied a handful of chart toppers as the lead vocalist for Chicago.

Until the next record spins

Thank you for reading my first article and hope you found it fun to read. I’ll be rocking in and out with more columns. It won’t be all 80s countdowns. When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees are announced, I will write about that.

In the meantime, let me know what you think of this and ideas for a topic! And if you are on Twitter/X, be sure to join our live tweets every Friday night at 9pm Eastern/6pm Pacific using the hashtag #80sCountdown to be part of the fun!

Nick