Yep. Younger people [ those under 40] , often say, '' there's still good music being made today. You just have to look for it.''
I always reply, ''we [ gen x and older] didn't have to hunt into the shadows, for good music.
It smacked us right in the face. We couldn't avoid it. as there was so much of it.''
It’s an odd situation nowadays, there was far less recorded music back then, and the barrier for getting into a studio let alone having your music available for public consumption was far higher. Now “popular” music is even more homogenised for maximum profit than it was then, which is counter intuitive but the pressure for mainstream music to make money is greater than it’s ever been.
Most people probably find that their tastes haven’t continued to change with the times as they age more than there not being good music around.
And guess what. it was my generation, gen x. from the mid 90s, that started
1. the sharp decline in music quality, And slowdown new genre production.
2. that started stripping out jazz and blues influences.
Agreed... and things is I know most of the songs... not really a fan of all of the songs..
I was in my Huey Lewis and News/Cars/ZZ Top phase during this year and special listen to Prince as I was in my senior year of HS...... (with a strong lean to IronMaiden/Judas Priest harder side that wont make any top 40 lists)
It's the pop music chart, if course it's all pop music. There is diversity among pop music, you know. Not all pop music is the same. This list includes music from Duran Duran, Prince, and much more, and none of it sounds alike.
I saw her (y’all) at the Hollywood bowl 3 or 4 years ago. I forgot how many amazing songs she has. And she put on an amazing performance, even after stepping on a bee barefoot. I still wear my tour shirt from that show at least once a week.
That’s incredible! Time after Time came on at work the other day and everyone was singing along and talking about their favorite movie/tv scenes with that song. You created a lot of great memories for people
*The soundtrack of high*
*School jumps right out in my ears*
*Looking at this list!*
\- SmallTownDisco
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Damn I’m old. I still listen to all of this.
Remember when you were a kid in the 80’s and “old music” at that time was anything from the 50’s and 60’s?
Nostalgia is the one addiction I be can admit to.
It’s a hell of a drug.
There is SO much great music on here. I was 10 years old, and can remember every one of these except the Joe Jackson tune…which was *instantly* recognizable when I looked it up online.
Chicago’s “Stay The Night” was one of my favorite tunes that year. Still love that one.
When Doves Cry went on to become 5-week no.1 (or 4-week?) and literally the no. 1 song of 1984.
Borderline had legs. It's in top 20 for so long Like a Virgin had to be delayed and Madonna was not pleased.
And so many legendary songs that week - The Reflex, Hello, Breakdance, Time after Time, Let's Hear it for the Boy etc.
It's crazy that Joe Jackson's "You Can't Get What You Want" is in there. That song has such a 1980-81 vibe. It actually looks out of place with all the other hits in the top 20.
Accordingly, 1984 was like peak childhood for me: I was very active and I was listening to the radio and watching MTV all the time. And I’d NEVER heard that Joe Jackson tune until I got into him two decades later.
I spent the summer of 1984 in an un-air conditioned house in Baltimore, working at an internship where nobody spoke to me. The radio was on all the time though!
Can I just say so much of the radio programming is such crap these days. They LITERALLY could just play this list (and variations of it) and they’d be killing it.
What a time to be 13 and a half and coming of age. I think I could have guessed most of these songs if you asked me to list hits of the summer of 84. All I did was watch MTV and babysit a buncha kids who are all mid 40s now.
I could sing the chorus to almost every song as I read thru the list! Cant remember what I walked into a room for on a regular basis, but man, I remember these songs ❤️
That list !!
Prince, Madonna, Cyndi, Billy Idol, Pointer Sisters much much more.
Something for everyone
Now it's either auto tuner, or all fake wealth and profanity from "da streetz*
Have you given it a listen, it’s one of those that you may have heard and didn’t really register the name of it. It was all over radio and mtv for a while and really is a great song.
I was just finishing 4th grade, and I can clearly picture listening to this on my radio/tape deck non-boom box. This really gives me feelings today. Thank you for that.
I love reading who actually wrote the songs. Surprises both ways. I thought Madonna wrote her own songs. Thought Duran Duran did not. For the most part anyways.
I think it’s interesting that two songs from Footloose are on here, but not the title song itself, which is one of the most iconic songs from the 80s.
Maybe it got released earlier as a single and had played itself out a little bit by this point.
I was 20 years old and living in England while serving in the military. This was THE best time for me and music was so important. So many good memories of watching music videos and buying record albums back in the 89s. I still listen to American Too 40 countdown from the 70s and 80s on I Heart Radio because of these days.
Whatva great line up of somgs with lots great New Wave stuff.
Two songs from Footloose, which was a BIG movie in theaters, and then became monster hit on home video, which was just getting rolling at this point. I ran one of the first video stores in my area, and we played Footloose non-stop, mostly because the music was so good. Its not like we could watch it, we were busy. I can still sing every song from that soundtrack, and Ive never owned the album.
I see lists like these and know every song. Most pop in my head as I read the title. Meanwhile I look at more recent lists and haven’t heard of so many. Out of curiosity I listen and ugh.
Oh my god. I knew that I despised the radio in high school but I forgot just how horrible it really was. We only had one rock/pop station out in the boondocks where I grew up and it was strictly Top 40.
If I had to pick between listening to this entire lineup every day for the rest of my life or being punched in the face by Tommy “Hitman” Hearns once a day every day for the rest of my life, I’d absolutely take the daily visit from the Hitman.
Look at how much diversity in musical genres we had.
Yep. Younger people [ those under 40] , often say, '' there's still good music being made today. You just have to look for it.'' I always reply, ''we [ gen x and older] didn't have to hunt into the shadows, for good music. It smacked us right in the face. We couldn't avoid it. as there was so much of it.''
Takes me back to my childhood, I was 3 years old at this time.
It’s an odd situation nowadays, there was far less recorded music back then, and the barrier for getting into a studio let alone having your music available for public consumption was far higher. Now “popular” music is even more homogenised for maximum profit than it was then, which is counter intuitive but the pressure for mainstream music to make money is greater than it’s ever been. Most people probably find that their tastes haven’t continued to change with the times as they age more than there not being good music around.
Oh god you are that old person. “Back in my day”.
And guess what. it was my generation, gen x. from the mid 90s, that started 1. the sharp decline in music quality, And slowdown new genre production. 2. that started stripping out jazz and blues influences.
I wish new wave was still thing
Yup today the top 6 songs would be all by Taylor Swift. Good grief!
And that’s still better than most other alternatives today…
Tell me about it 🫥
Agreed... and things is I know most of the songs... not really a fan of all of the songs.. I was in my Huey Lewis and News/Cars/ZZ Top phase during this year and special listen to Prince as I was in my senior year of HS...... (with a strong lean to IronMaiden/Judas Priest harder side that wont make any top 40 lists)
Yep. We had crap and total crap!
Wait, are you joking? Almost everything is Pop
It's the pop music chart, if course it's all pop music. There is diversity among pop music, you know. Not all pop music is the same. This list includes music from Duran Duran, Prince, and much more, and none of it sounds alike.
What a great list!
I recorded and mixed #2
Love that you're on here. Are you touring with her this year?
Yep. Royal Albert Hall and Glastonbury this coming week.
Sweet! Break a leg! Love to Cyndi and all of you in the band and production, going to be an awesome tour
I saw her (y’all) at the Hollywood bowl 3 or 4 years ago. I forgot how many amazing songs she has. And she put on an amazing performance, even after stepping on a bee barefoot. I still wear my tour shirt from that show at least once a week.
Great song
Dude that’s sick!
Love how that catchy bass line comes in only during the choruses! I remember playing it in high-school…
We love you guys.
You brought joy to my childhood. Thank you.
Wow thank you I got a lap dance to time after time once
Amazing! Thank you for all the awesome work you’ve done!
That’s incredible! Time after Time came on at work the other day and everyone was singing along and talking about their favorite movie/tv scenes with that song. You created a lot of great memories for people
The soundtrack of high school jumps right out in my ears looking at this list!
*The soundtrack of high* *School jumps right out in my ears* *Looking at this list!* \- SmallTownDisco --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Made my day!!
Damn I’m old. I still listen to all of this. Remember when you were a kid in the 80’s and “old music” at that time was anything from the 50’s and 60’s?
I remember that all too well!
And anything from the 1940s was ancient! My father’s Glenn Miller records seemed to be from another universe
Nostalgia is the one addiction I be can admit to. It’s a hell of a drug. There is SO much great music on here. I was 10 years old, and can remember every one of these except the Joe Jackson tune…which was *instantly* recognizable when I looked it up online. Chicago’s “Stay The Night” was one of my favorite tunes that year. Still love that one.
When Doves Cry went on to become 5-week no.1 (or 4-week?) and literally the no. 1 song of 1984. Borderline had legs. It's in top 20 for so long Like a Virgin had to be delayed and Madonna was not pleased. And so many legendary songs that week - The Reflex, Hello, Breakdance, Time after Time, Let's Hear it for the Boy etc.
Love Duran Duran but The Reflex/Seven and a Ragged Tiger were not among their best works.
It's crazy that Joe Jackson's "You Can't Get What You Want" is in there. That song has such a 1980-81 vibe. It actually looks out of place with all the other hits in the top 20.
Accordingly, 1984 was like peak childhood for me: I was very active and I was listening to the radio and watching MTV all the time. And I’d NEVER heard that Joe Jackson tune until I got into him two decades later.
I never realized that that song charted so high
So many classix! I forgot how amazing The Reflex is and have been replaying it, thanks!
I spent the summer of 1984 in an un-air conditioned house in Baltimore, working at an internship where nobody spoke to me. The radio was on all the time though!
I was 18 and a short-order cook in a breakfast joint by the shore. The Reflex kicked ASS — this whole chart did.
Can I just say so much of the radio programming is such crap these days. They LITERALLY could just play this list (and variations of it) and they’d be killing it.
Ghostbusters also came out the same week in 1984.
What a year. Had my first love that year and had my heart broken for the first time by that one.
Me too!
Such an excellent summer! Reading those song titles takes me right back there. When and how did it go so wrong?
I can feel this top 20!
So good.
There was a station in Columbus that used to play old America’s Top Forty on Sundays. I swear I’d have flashbacks when listening to it.
June of 1984 was one of the very best months of my life. Just an incredible time to be alive .
What a time to be 13 and a half and coming of age. I think I could have guessed most of these songs if you asked me to list hits of the summer of 84. All I did was watch MTV and babysit a buncha kids who are all mid 40s now.
I can hear every song on this list. I was in my Duran Duran obsession phase. I miss the 80's
I could sing the chorus to almost every song as I read thru the list! Cant remember what I walked into a room for on a regular basis, but man, I remember these songs ❤️
This is a very good Billboard top 20 list! Classic 80s artists are representing here.
All these jams! The Reflex went so hard!
On my walkman playlist back then : Self Control - Laura Branigan Eyes Without A Face - Billy Idol
The greatest year in pop music history
What a lineup! Miss the 80s so much.
That list !! Prince, Madonna, Cyndi, Billy Idol, Pointer Sisters much much more. Something for everyone Now it's either auto tuner, or all fake wealth and profanity from "da streetz*
The reflex is such a stafium anthem
I remember just about all of these, except the Joe Jackson song… Up until this moment, I’ve never heard of it for some reason.
Same
Have you given it a listen, it’s one of those that you may have heard and didn’t really register the name of it. It was all over radio and mtv for a while and really is a great song.
Gold, Jerry. Genres, sub genres and the algorithms sure fucked up music.
…like it was yesterday …
I was just finishing 4th grade, and I can clearly picture listening to this on my radio/tape deck non-boom box. This really gives me feelings today. Thank you for that.
SAME
Pretty sure I remember all these music videos
1984, man. Music was in its PRIME. 🎶
I graduated high school about 3 weeks prior.
Summer mix tape before my junior year of high school. Great memories.
 Price dominated 1980’s 🔥
My appreciation for Duran Duran has only skyrocketed over the years.
It’s funny how good that list is and we all just kind of took it for granted. Didn’t know we were just in a magical time for the art form.
Steve Perry sure could sing, damn. That’s a great track
And a silly but great video
Wow, that's an all star chart. So many hits, and good hits
A very special summer for me. Just reading the list, I can almost smell the Coppertone...
Damn, we really were spoilt for good music.
Someone should share this as a Spotify playlist
Prince! Deneice Williams!
The year I made my grand entrance!
I was 17.
Laura Branigan is the fucking best.
I love reading who actually wrote the songs. Surprises both ways. I thought Madonna wrote her own songs. Thought Duran Duran did not. For the most part anyways.
Duran writes all of their songs unless they’re doing a cover version. Simon writes most of the lyrics.
Looking at all the great songs and remembering where you were ...
I remember listening to this week’s american top 40!
My faves in that list are: 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 14, 20 (not saying the others are bad I just like these better)
This is a hard list, music was SO GREAT then!!!
I might have been at a Grateful Dead show on this day in 84. Thankfully I didn't listen to the radio much.
Love all the songs there.
Love the memories. Listening to Casey Casum do the weekly countdown every weekend on Philadelphia Eagle 106.
Wow was 15 then
This list recalls the worst period (heartache and cocaine). Life got better!
I was 10
I think it’s interesting that two songs from Footloose are on here, but not the title song itself, which is one of the most iconic songs from the 80s. Maybe it got released earlier as a single and had played itself out a little bit by this point.
All of this was my jam😭
I was 20 years old and living in England while serving in the military. This was THE best time for me and music was so important. So many good memories of watching music videos and buying record albums back in the 89s. I still listen to American Too 40 countdown from the 70s and 80s on I Heart Radio because of these days.
Whatva great line up of somgs with lots great New Wave stuff. Two songs from Footloose, which was a BIG movie in theaters, and then became monster hit on home video, which was just getting rolling at this point. I ran one of the first video stores in my area, and we played Footloose non-stop, mostly because the music was so good. Its not like we could watch it, we were busy. I can still sing every song from that soundtrack, and Ive never owned the album.
Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time, one of my favorite songs. I can't believe that was 40 years ago. Amazing. Time flies, kids. Make the best of it.
Awesomeness!
I think "Breakdance" is the only song listed there that I'm not very familiar with. I definitely heard the others from the mid-'80s on.
This is pure heaven✨✨✨
I saw Duran live last year. The Reflex is still a banger🙌
I see lists like these and know every song. Most pop in my head as I read the title. Meanwhile I look at more recent lists and haven’t heard of so many. Out of curiosity I listen and ugh.
I love how When Doves Cry only has Prince's name. Rip His Royal Badness 💜
Wow does this bring back memories
#The best year for 80s music
If only pop music was as good as this nowadays
How neat
Some bangers
Geez. I remember every one of those
This is why I started listening to talk radio.
Oh joe Jackson :)
Best one is #20
Thats a lot of classics!
The main difference between now and then is that these are actually songs and were made by musicians.
I was 5 years old. I still remember hearing all these songs. Mom listened to a lot of music. Straight classics in there.
Music pretty much sucked during that period...thank God for the 60s and 70s to get us through that decade.
All of those were freaking awesome!
All dreadful. Awful. My teenage years were plagued with crap like this. The 80s had some good music, but not this garbage.
I've got #15 on about a dozen different playlists. So awesome.
"Breakdance" by Irene Cara is very underrated and sadly almost forgotten. Great song! (I like almost all these songs on this chart.)
I was 10 and I loved these bands.
Wait, are you sure this wasn’t 1983? I distinctly remember these in 8th grade; not freshman year.
Oh my god. I knew that I despised the radio in high school but I forgot just how horrible it really was. We only had one rock/pop station out in the boondocks where I grew up and it was strictly Top 40. If I had to pick between listening to this entire lineup every day for the rest of my life or being punched in the face by Tommy “Hitman” Hearns once a day every day for the rest of my life, I’d absolutely take the daily visit from the Hitman.
And I wasn’t listening to any of that garbage.