I don’t think there is a song that better describes the transition between the 70s and 80s better than this one.  It is two separate tunes that mesh into one, and you have this classic.  The synth lead is known by everyone, and the chorus singing the title is just as iconic.  It says a lot about the tunes to come that this song only made it to #17, Funkytown by Lipps Inc.

Sometimes a song goes away for a little while but starts to come back slowly until it floods our consciousness.  That’s the point of this countdown, and this song is a perfect example of it.  REO Speedwagon has been around for a while and has only recently made a comeback on the concert circuit, with this early hit of theirs leading the way.  Coming in at #18 is Keep On Loving You by REO Speedwagon.

Some songs have such a hook that they cross over in all aspects of life.  To be honest, most of the rest of the song doesn’t grab me, but it’s short enough of a track and the chorus/hook is so good it had to make its way to this countdown.  When you quote a line in song at random, 40 years on, it’s a classic, and this classic comes in at #19, 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton.

Kicking off the Top 20 Songs Turning 40 Years Old Countdown is a song I forgot was released during this year, and its theme song is as iconic as the movie and television series it represents.  Glee would not have existed were it not for this movie and tv show, and the title track helped make it that much more memorable.  Coming at #20 is the song Fame from the Fame Movie Soundtrack.