One Famous song for each year

1. Famous Song of Year or My
Favorite Song from the 1980-
1989
By David Adaos

2. 1980: “Call Me” by Blondie
This song is about a prostitute. It was written for the film American Gigolo, where it plays in a scene where the lead
character is "working."
This was the most successful of all Blondie singles in their native USA. It was the best-selling single of 1980.This
Song was covered by the heavy metal band In This Moment on their 2008 album, The Dream.
Giorgio Moroder told Billboard magazine that his difficult experience of recording this song with Blondie taught him not to
work with rock bands. "There were always fights," he recalled. "I was supposed to do an album with them after that.
We went to the studio, and the guitarist was fighting with the keyboard player. I called their manager and quit."
Audio Video: “Call Me” by Blondie

3. 1981: Two Songs “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes
Bette Davis was an actress known for playing strong, independent women. Her movies include What Ever Happened To
Baby Jane? and All About Eve. She was famous for her New England accent and her eyes.
After this song became a hit single, Bette Davis wrote letters to Kim Carnes and the songwriters to say she was a fan of
the song and thank them for making her "a part of modern history." One of the reasons the legendary actress loved
the song is that her granddaughter thought her grandmother was "cool" for having a hit song written about her.
The video was directed by Russell Mulcahy, who made many of the early MTV favorites. His videos were very artistic and
filled with unexpected scenes. The costumed crowd smacking the floor and each other in time to the drum machine
was a typical Mulcahy touch. The video was huge on MTV and gave the song a big boost.
Music Video: “Bette Davis Eyes” By Kim Carnes

4. 1982: My Favorite Song “Eye of the Tiger” by
SurvivorAccording to Billboard, this was the #1 song of 1982.
This song has become very popular among people in physical therapy, marathon runners, weightlifters, and just about
anyone facing a challenge.
This song was used in movies, TV Shows, Videogames, and Sitcoms. It’s most famous for being in the film “Rocky” a
boxer who want’s to follows his dream.
This was used in a 2015 commercial for Frosted Flakes cereal, whose mascot is Tony the Tiger.
Music Video: “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor.

5. 1983: “Every Breath You Take” by the Police
This appears on the soundtrack of the 1999 Julia Roberts movie Runaway Bride. It was also used in the movies Risky
Business (1983), Speed 2: Cruise Control (1987), The Replacements (2000), 50 First Dates (2004), Young at Heart
(2007), What Just Happened (2008), and Heartbeats (2010).
This is one of the most misinterpreted songs ever. It is about an obsessive stalker, but it sounds like a love song. Some
people even used it as their wedding song. The Police frontman Sting wrote it after separating from his first wife,
Frances Tomelty.
The middle of the song was finished last. They didn't know what to do with it until Sting sat at a piano and started hitting
the same key over and over. That became the basis for the missing section.
Music Video: “Every Breath You Take” by The Police

6. 1984: “When Doves Cry” by Prince
Prince wrote this song for his movie Purple Rain. In the film, the song plays under a montage after his character loses his
girl (Apollonia) to his rival (Morris - Morris Day of The Time).
Besides writing and composing the track, Prince played all the instruments on the song.
After Prince changed his name to a symbol in 1993, a guitar maker named Ferdinand Pickett claimed that he designed a
guitar based on that symbol, and that Prince stole the idea for his custom guitars. Pickett sued Prince in 1994, and
the case dragged out until 1999, when it was finally dismissed. In the ruling, the judge had a little fun with it, invoking
this song in the opinion: "In a case that has spanned five years, two judges, numerous counsel, and lengthy
discovery proceedings; has spawned multiple motions and published orders; and has at last teetered to the brink of
trial, the parties debate over the use of the Symbol that has come to identify Defendant, the Artist formerly known as
Prince. Indeed, Defendant may as well have had this protracted litigation in mind when he lyrically asked: "Why do
we scream at each other. This is what it sounds like. When doves cry."
Music Video: “When Doves Cry” by Prince

7. This song was not based on an actual event in George Michael's high school dating life, but rather he thought the whole
thing up while boarding a bus. It was a fictitious story, but the tune was great and the song was a hit
Michael was just 17 when he wrote this song. He was taking the bus to his job as an usher at a cinema when the
inspiration struck - that's where the reference to "The silver screen" comes from in the first verse. With lines like
"Guilty feet have got no rhythm," the song demonstrated his innate talent for the mature songwriting he
demonstrated as a solo artist.
In the notes for the single, George Michael dedicated this song to his parents, saying it was "five minutes in return for 21
years."
Audio Version: “Careless Whisper” by Wham! Featuring George Michael
1985: “Careless Whisper” by Wham! Featuring
George Michael

8. Famous Song of Year or My
Favorite Song from the 1980-
1989
By David Adaos

9. 1980: “Call Me” by Blondie
This song is about a prostitute. It was written for the film American Gigolo, where it plays in a scene where the lead
character is "working."
This was the most successful of all Blondie singles in their native USA. It was the best-selling single of 1980.This
Song was covered by the heavy metal band In This Moment on their 2008 album, The Dream.
Giorgio Moroder told Billboard magazine that his difficult experience of recording this song with Blondie taught him not to
work with rock bands. "There were always fights," he recalled. "I was supposed to do an album with them after that.
We went to the studio, and the guitarist was fighting with the keyboard player. I called their manager and quit."
Audio Video: “Call Me” by Blondie

10. 1981: Two Songs “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes
Bette Davis was an actress known for playing strong, independent women. Her movies include What Ever Happened To
Baby Jane? and All About Eve. She was famous for her New England accent and her eyes.
After this song became a hit single, Bette Davis wrote letters to Kim Carnes and the songwriters to say she was a fan of
the song and thank them for making her "a part of modern history." One of the reasons the legendary actress loved
the song is that her granddaughter thought her grandmother was "cool" for having a hit song written about her.
The video was directed by Russell Mulcahy, who made many of the early MTV favorites. His videos were very artistic and
filled with unexpected scenes. The costumed crowd smacking the floor and each other in time to the drum machine
was a typical Mulcahy touch. The video was huge on MTV and gave the song a big boost.
Music Video: “Bette Davis Eyes” By Kim Carnes

11. 1982: My Favorite Song “Eye of the Tiger” by
SurvivorAccording to Billboard, this was the #1 song of 1982.
This song has become very popular among people in physical therapy, marathon runners, weightlifters, and just about
anyone facing a challenge.
This song was used in movies, TV Shows, Videogames, and Sitcoms. It’s most famous for being in the film “Rocky” a
boxer who want’s to follows his dream.
This was used in a 2015 commercial for Frosted Flakes cereal, whose mascot is Tony the Tiger.
Music Video: “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor.

12. 1983: “Every Breath You Take” by the Police
This appears on the soundtrack of the 1999 Julia Roberts movie Runaway Bride. It was also used in the movies Risky
Business (1983), Speed 2: Cruise Control (1987), The Replacements (2000), 50 First Dates (2004), Young at Heart
(2007), What Just Happened (2008), and Heartbeats (2010).
This is one of the most misinterpreted songs ever. It is about an obsessive stalker, but it sounds like a love song. Some
people even used it as their wedding song. The Police frontman Sting wrote it after separating from his first wife,
Frances Tomelty.
The middle of the song was finished last. They didn't know what to do with it until Sting sat at a piano and started hitting
the same key over and over. That became the basis for the missing section.
Music Video: “Every Breath You Take” by The Police

13. 1984: “When Doves Cry” by Prince
Prince wrote this song for his movie Purple Rain. In the film, the song plays under a montage after his character loses his
girl (Apollonia) to his rival (Morris - Morris Day of The Time).
Besides writing and composing the track, Prince played all the instruments on the song.
After Prince changed his name to a symbol in 1993, a guitar maker named Ferdinand Pickett claimed that he designed a
guitar based on that symbol, and that Prince stole the idea for his custom guitars. Pickett sued Prince in 1994, and
the case dragged out until 1999, when it was finally dismissed. In the ruling, the judge had a little fun with it, invoking
this song in the opinion: "In a case that has spanned five years, two judges, numerous counsel, and lengthy
discovery proceedings; has spawned multiple motions and published orders; and has at last teetered to the brink of
trial, the parties debate over the use of the Symbol that has come to identify Defendant, the Artist formerly known as
Prince. Indeed, Defendant may as well have had this protracted litigation in mind when he lyrically asked: "Why do
we scream at each other. This is what it sounds like. When doves cry."
Music Video: “When Doves Cry” by Prince

14. This song was not based on an actual event in George Michael's high school dating life, but rather he thought the whole
thing up while boarding a bus. It was a fictitious story, but the tune was great and the song was a hit
Michael was just 17 when he wrote this song. He was taking the bus to his job as an usher at a cinema when the
inspiration struck - that's where the reference to "The silver screen" comes from in the first verse. With lines like
"Guilty feet have got no rhythm," the song demonstrated his innate talent for the mature songwriting he
demonstrated as a solo artist.
In the notes for the single, George Michael dedicated this song to his parents, saying it was "five minutes in return for 21
years."
Audio Version: “Careless Whisper” by Wham! Featuring George Michael
1985: “Careless Whisper” by Wham! Featuring
George Michael

15. 1986: “That’s What Friends Are For” by Dionne
WarwickThe Dionne & Friends version won Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by A Duo Or Group With Vocal and
Song Of The Year. Surprisingly, the Performance award was Elton John's first Grammy - somehow none of his
previous material was deemed worthy.
The four vocalists on this song each recorded their parts separately. Bayer Sager, who produced the song with
Bacharach, said that putting it together was like doing a jigsaw puzzle. The singers did all come together for the
music video. "It was a very emotional evening in which a lot of tears were shed," Bayer Sager said.
Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager wrote this for the 1982 movie Night Shift, where it was recorded by Rod
Stewart and played over the closing credits. This version was not released as a single, but the songwriters thought
it had lots of commercial potential and had Dionne & Friends record it in 1985. The song hit the top spot on January
18, 1986 and stayed there for four weeks
Music Video: “That’s What Friends Are For” by Dionne Warwick

16. 1987: “Walk Like an Egyptian” by the Bangles
All members except drummer Debbi Peterson sang a verse. Peterson was originally supposed to sing the whole thing,
but producer David Kahne had each member audition the lyrics to determine who would sing what verse.
This was the biggest hit for the Bangles, but they considered it one of their least favorite songs, as their rock pedigree
was compromised by a goofy song they had nothing to do with composing.
The difficult recording process caused a lot of tension within the band. These tensions would eventually break them up.
Music Video: “Walk Like an Egyptian” by the Bangles

17. 1988: “Faith” by George Michael
Michael explained why he chose this song as the title track, saying: "It represents the way I feel at the moment. It's kind of
another word for my hope and optimism. You know, faith to me is just really such a strong word and the more I got
into the idea of the song being the single, the more I liked the idea of using it as the title track."
This was one of the first digital recordings, which allowed Michael to put the song together piece by piece. His vocal was
done line-by-line, and sometimes word-by-word, as he would write lyrics at the microphone and record them on the
spot. It was a very tedious process, with Michael scrutinizing every syllable, but the end result was a very polished
track with the emotional feel he was looking for.
This song plays a key role in the ABC TV series Eli Stone. In the first episode, Eli hears this song in his head and has
visions of George Michael. This leads to a major lifestyle change, and focus on faith, as Eli begins using his job as a
lawyer to do the right thing.
Music Video: “Faith” by George Michael

18. 1989: “Look Away” by Chicago
Warren says the song was inspired by a friend who worked in her building. This woman had divorced her husband, but
they agreed to still be friends. It was clear that the guy was hoping to get back together, and he was devastated
when he found out she was going to marry someone else.
This was the third and final #1 US hit for Chicago. Most of the band's output features their horn section in uptempo
rockers, but their chart-toppers were all heartbreak ballads: "Look Away," "If You Leave Me Now" and "Hard to Say
I'm Sorry."
Champlin and new singer/bassist Jason Scheff were called on to handle more vocals, which diversified their sound.
Champlin doesn't have the range of Cetera, but he did just fine on this song, ringing out the emotion as he
unconvincingly tells the girl at the end of the song, "I'm really happy for you..."
Audio Video: “Look Away” by Chicago