Sometimes a song is played so much over so many years that it has a huge grasp on pop culture.  I don’t think there has been a year since its release that this song hasn’t been played at a sports arena in this country.  Despite the controversy surrounding the female vocalist’s credits, this song was everywhere in 1990 and it’s actually a fun tune to listen to.  Coming in at #9 is Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) by C&C Music Factory.

As we enter the Top 10 of the best songs turning 30 years old, we hit the second song from Ms Jackson.  Arguably the answer to her brother’s song Dirty Diana, this tune is a rocking song with a great guitar riff and awesome vocals.  It’s my wife’s favorite song on Rhythm Nation and this song has still aged well.  At #10 is Black Cat by Janet Jackson.

At #11 in the countdown of the Top 20 songs turning 30 years old, we reach our first hip-hop tune, but not the last.  While their sophomore release Do Me was an honorable mention and a song I sang as a kid, this tune was the more powerful of the two.  In addition, that drum intro was used everywhere for a long time, and the song has great hooks throughout.  This is Poison by Bel Biv Devoe.

This song was hard to place with the previous 5 songs in this countdown, but after listening to it again, this song struck a stronger emotional chord with me than the others.  Phil’s other tune was higher at one point, but then I heard this tune again and I could not deny how good it was, especially the production with the choir and Eric Clapton’s great slowhand lead guitar.  Coming in at #12 is Phil Collins’ second tune of the Top 30 year old songs countdown, I Wish It Would Rain Down.

This was a song that would have been high on my wife’s countdown, but it only reach this spot because of the other songs that pushed it down.  So this was Jon Bon Jovi’s attempt to write something better or just as good as Wanted Dead or Alive for the movie Young Guns 2, and it proved to be a big hit and showed that he could do just as well solo as with his group.  This really good song comes in at #13, Blaze of Glory by Jon Bon Jovi.

The End of the Innocence sparked four hits for Don Henley.  This one was his second best, behind the title track which hit #2 in 1989’s countdown.  It’s hard to listen to this song and not feel the least bit emotional.  That’s the true genius of Henley, who is able to master great, straight-forward lyrics with equally heart-tugging melodies.  Coming in at #14 is The Heart of the Matter by Don Henley.