Fireball's Fantastic 500 -- Early 1980s, Part VIII

[Pastor Fireball]

Compendium, up to June 30, 2018: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=55782

As promised, I am here extra early to finish out the early 1980s. When I come back from Virginia, we'll begin the back half of the 1980s. Let's go out with a bang!

#10. The One You Love, Glenn Frey (1982)

Glenn's first big solo hit after the Eagles broke up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z-I8OpCnv4

#9. Islands in the Stream, Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers (1983)

Two country music icons singing a love song written and produced by the Bee Gees. How can you lose?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQW7I62TNOw

#8. Through the Years, Kenny Rogers (1981)

Nobody can sing a love song quite like Kenny... which is why you'll get a double shot of him in the Top 10 of the early 1980s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4WvK442P6U

#7. Got a Hold on Me, Christine McVie (1984)

While Fleetwood Mac was on hiatus in the mid-1980s, Christine took the time to record a solo album. Her self-titled debut spawned two Top 40 hits. This song cracked the Top 10, with a little instrumental help from Steve Winwood and ex-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham. Counting group efforts, Christine now has seven songs in my Top 500.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A62Grc3zLmU

And speaking of Steve Winwood...

#6. Valerie, Steve Winwood (1982)
Boney Hall of Fame: #339

A remix of this, the thirteenth song to cross over from T_Bone's list, made the Top 10 in 1987, but I'm sticking with the original version... though there are only minor melodic differences between the two.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbKNICg-REA

#5. I Could Never Miss You (More Than I Do), Lulu (1981)

I'll bet you didn't know that Lulu had a hit in the 1980s. Though this song wasn't as big as "To Sir with Love", Lulu still made the Top 20 and received a Grammy nomination for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsZXWe8rhEc

4. Jump (For My Love), the Pointer Sisters (1984)

Anita, June, and Ruth make it three in the top half of my early 1980s list. Of course, the parenthetical title was necessary because Van Halen already had a big hit called "Jump" around the same time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyTVyCp7xrw

#3. More Than I Can Say, Leo Sayer (1980)

The Crickets first did this song back in 1959 after Buddy Holly's tragic death. Bobby Vee had the first version to make the Hot 100 two years later. But it was our old buddy Leo who made this a classic. This song almost became Leo's third #1 hit in America, but it stalled out at #2 for a total of five weeks in December 1980 and January 1981.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGKnSdikqjw

#2. On the Wings of Love, Jeffrey Osborne (1982)

The former member of L.T.D. broke out on his own in the early 1980s. He charted a bunch of solo hits throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, but this is perhaps his signature song--despite it not being one of his two highest-charting songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUA6SR3rZT8

And now... my all-time favorite song of the early 1980s...

oh, who are we kidding? Forget the drawn-out Deal or No Deal-style false reveal. Everybody here knows what #1 is.

#1. Fame, Irene Cara (1980)

Yes, it's the Oscar-winning title song from the movie that premiered the day after my own premiere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1xO7RwTV4k

That's four chapters down and five chapters to go. The singles from 1985-89 will start around July 14.

[ghostjmf]

OK, you weren't born until 1980 (you reveal here). This explains why your lists have so many songs on them I never heard even though I was older-than-just-born & listening to the radio at the time.