This is the start of a thing; my intent is to do at least the first 5-6 years of the ‘80s. My lists will be almost all singles, and I’m being a stickler for release dates. To wit, “Rock With You” peaked in ’80 but was released in ’79, so it’s out, but “Off the Wall” was released as a single in ’80, so it’s in.
For me to include album tracks they have to be real, important-to-me standouts; there are only 6 in this list, and two of those are still “quiet storm” radio perennials (the Maze and Stevie Wonder entries). The others are Steely Dan’s “Glamour Profession” (the best song about selling drugs, ever), the title track from Willie & Ray’s vocal tour de force San Antonio Rose (which I prefer to all of its singles), George Benson’s stunning “Star of a Story (X)” (which I learned from WTLC Indianapolis’s “Jazz at :45” in the mid-to-late ’80s, bless ’em) and the Jean-Luc Ponty track, honest-to-goodness jazz fusion from a violin player.
Some of these I loved at the time and have endured; others I’ve only learned recently (I’d never heard “Skateaway” until my husband introduced me to it earlier this year). I love all of ’em now, from Chic’s new wave funk to the Cure’s nascent goth to Chuck Mangione’s proto-smooth jazz. Dolly Parton gets two entries because “Starting Over Again” is one of Donna Summer’s best co-writes ever (with her husband), George Benson because Quincy Jones produced the best album of his career, the Jacksons on the back of the best album of their career, and Steely Dan because they’re Steely Dan (and, actually, Gaucho is their finest album, too).
Ambrosia – You’re the Only Woman
Aretha Franklin – What A Fool Believes
Barbra Streisand (duet with Barry Gibb) – Guilty
Benny Mardones – Into the Night
Brothers Johnson – Stomp!
Bruce Springsteen – Hungry Heart
Chaka Khan – Clouds
Change – The Glow of Love
Chic – Rebels Are We
Chuck Mangione – Give It All You Got
The Cure – A Forest
Dan Fogelberg – Heart Hotels
Diana Ross – I’m Coming Out
Dire Straits – Skateaway
Dolly Parton – 9 to 5
Dolly Parton – Starting Over Again
Donna Summer – On the Radio
Doobie Brothers – Real Love
Dottie West – A Lesson In Leaving
Dynasty – Adventures in the Land of Music
The Gap Band – Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)
George Benson – Give Me the Night
George Benson – Star of a Story (X)
George Jones – He Stopped Loving Her Today
The Isley Brothers – Don’t Say Goodnight (It’s Time For Love) (Parts 1 & 2)
The Jacksons – Lovely One
The Jacksons – Heartbreak Hotel
Jean-Luc Ponty – Shape Up Your Mind
Jermaine Jackson – Let’s Get Serious
John Anderson – She Just Started Liking Cheatin’ Songs
Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
Kim Carnes – More Love
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly – Joy & Pain
Michael Jackson – Off the Wall
Olivia Newton-John – Magic
Peter Brown – Can’t Be Love – Do It To Me Anyway
The Police – Don’t Stand So Close To Me
Queen – Another One Bites the Dust
Robbie Dupree – Hot Rod Hearts
Rod Stewart – Passion
Rolling Stones – She’s So Cold
Roxy Music – Same Old Scene
Shalamar – This Is for the Lover in You
Stacy Lattisaw – Let Me Be Your Angel
Steely Dan – Glamour Profession
Steely Dan – Hey Nineteen
Stevie Wonder – All I Do
Teddy Pendergrass – Love T.K.O.
Tom Browne – Funkin’ for Jamaica (N.Y.)
Willie Nelson & Ray Price – San Antonio Rose
Oh Manchester, So Much To Answer For 