No doubt, this 1984 countdown was the hardest countdown I’ve ever done and it showed.  The amount of songs that could have made it were massive, and some would say their absence from this list was criminal.  However, when I asked others what their top 5 songs would be, most not only had this song in their list, but some had it at #1.  And it’s hard to not understand why.  The fact that this artist willfully ditched a long-standing instrument of pop and rock music from the track simply because he wanted to and could, and it never stopped …..more →

It proved to be a tough situation to figure out which track would nab the top spot as the best song released 30 years ago.  In the end I had to go with chart listing, radio play, mainstream crossing, and continued usage years later.  This song overwhelmingly checked off all those marks and when I heard it for this list, I knew it had a real good chance at getting the top spot.  It’s balance of country and grunge is still masterful and the tune has not lost any luster all these years.  So…the #1 song released in 1994 is…Interstate …..more →

I will admit – back in the day, if you had told me that this group would in 10 years time compose one of the biggest rock concept albums that would become a Broadway smash, I would have said you’re crazy.  Speaking of crazy, if you wanted to look back at which song would set the tone for this aforementioned smash, I would say it’s this one.  It remains one of the band’s biggest songs and has been covered in various instances – pretty impressive for a tune considered new punk.  And it almost nabbed the top spot.  Instead, it’s …..more →

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 →