slop101

I saw these lists in Rollling Stone and it kinda hit me:

Top 10 for May 2008:
1 - Mariah Cary, "Touch My Body"
2 - Leona Lewis, "Bleeding Love"
3 - Madonna, "4 Minutes"
4 - Lil' Wayne, "Lollipop"
5 - Usher, " Love in This Club"
6 - Ray J & Yung Berg, "Sexy Can I"
7 - Jordin Sparks, "No Air"
8 - Chris Brown, "With You"
9 - Sara Bareilles, "Love Song"
10 - Flo Rida, "Low"

Honestly, does anyone think that these songs above will still be played/remembered a year from now, much less 25?

Top 10 for May 1983:
1 - Michael Jackson, "Beat It"
2 - Dexy's Midnight Runners, "Come on Eileen"
3 - Greg Kihn Band, "Jeopardy"
4 - Styx, "Mr. Roboto"
5 - After the Fire, "Der Kommissar"
6 - David Bowie, "Let's Dance"
7 - Michael Jackson, "Billie Jean"
8 - Thomas Dolby, "She Blinded Me With Science"
9 - Met At Work, "Overkill"
10 - Prince, "Little Red Corvette"

To me, the difference is astounding.

While I'm not necessarily a fan of most of these older songs (and though it helps that I'm in the age bracket that remembers them well), these songs still get a lot of play now, and will do so for much longer from now than any of the new songs on the charts today.

Now I'm not saying music sucks now, or anything - actually, overall, I think music now is much better/interesting than it was back then - it's that music on the "charts" seems to be much less memorable now. But mostly, I just thought the incidental juxtaposition of these two lists was interesting.

edstein

I only recognized two names in the 2008 top ten, Madonna and Mariah Cary. I recognized all of the 1983 top ten.

Numanoid

Wow. Every one of those '80s songs, with the exception of Overkill, is a classic. And Overkill still gets airplay today, as well. As for the hits of today...I couldn't hum a single one of them.

Tarantino

I guess we'll see in 25 years.

= J

atlantamoi

Funny, I might actually like that song the best of all the 80's tunes listed.

I'm not sure what to think. Part of me thinks I'm just an old fart liking what I like due in part to my age and the other makes me want to cry at seeing such a nasty Top 10. Whatever the case, I know where to go to find the music I enjoy.

Hiro11

IMO, this has a lot to do with piracy and other online channels not being reflected in the charts. The traditional largest, most profitable segment of music buyers (middle-class high school and college kids) haven't been in a record store in a decade. The charts reflect their absence. Because of this, the charts have become increasingly meaningless over the past few years.

Also, anyone who considers "Der Kommisar" a "classic" needs their head examined...

FantasticVSDoom

Well, I think the reason a lot of those songs are considered classic is because the rise in the popularity of the whole "80's Music" Category. Plus, the whole fascination with one hit wonders.

JANK

The "Der Kommisar" slam was uncalled for - it does have a lot going for it as does "OverKill".
"Mr. Roboto" does nothing for me yet I don't feel a need to slam it or Styx fans.

Overall for me, this top ten is miles above what passes for today's top ten in interest and longevity.

Hollowgen

at least that version. everyone knows that Falco was way better.

Groucho

I don't know. That 1983 list is pretty obscure. I tried to look up the band "Met at Work" and got zero hits.

wishbone

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Ah the '80s, back when music videos were cheesy and fun.

MadonnasManOne

Of the artists on the list of Top 10 singles in 2008, only ONE of them also had hits on the charts 25 years ago. That would be Madonna. That's amazing, to me, that she's still churning out hit singles, and doing so with the majority of her competition being many years her junior!

However, I will say this...nothing, for me, will ever live up to the period of music during the 80's. I turned 5 years old in January of 1980, so, I grew up listening to the music of the 80's. It is my favorite period of music, bar none! So many great artists came out of the 80's, and so many great songs. Even the "one hit wonders" are still classics.

Hiro11

I'd like to take this opportunity to solemnly and sincerely apologize to any and all After the Fire fans I may have insulted with my careless, heartless and frankly atrocious comment.

The Bus

Is that a real list from 1983?

BDB

I would guess so..

the 1983 #1s


1983
December 18, 1982 - January 14, 1983:
Maneater - Hall & Oates
January 15 - February 11:
Down Under - Men at Work
February 12 - February 18:
Africa - Toto
February 19 - March 4:
Baby, Come To Me - Patti Austin featuring James Ingram
March 5 - April 22:
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
April 23 - April 29:
Come On Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners
April 30 - May 20:
Beat It - Michael Jackson
May 21 - May 27:
Let's Dance - David Bowie
May 28 - July 8:
Flashdance... What A Feeling - Irene Cara
July 9 - September 2:
Every Breath You Take - The Police
September 3 - September 9:
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Eurythmics
September 10 - September 23:
Maniac - Michael Sembello
September 24 - September 30:
Tell Her About It - Billy Joel
October 1 - October 28:
Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler
October 29 - November 11:
Islands In the Stream - Kenny Rogers with Dolly Parton
November 12 - December 9:
All Night Long (All Night) - Lionel Richie
December 10, 1983 - January 20, 1984:
Say Say Say - Paul McCartney featuring Michael Jackson

FantasticVSDoom

Awww Islands in the Stream... Now we are talking a classic!!!!

wishbone

You are forgiven!

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Falco - Der Kommissar

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After The Fire - Der Kommissar

Jacoby Ellsbury

Thriller sold 100 million albums, compare any week to that week and it will lose.

Rockmjd23

Biggest difference I see is the change from pop/rock to hip hop/r&b.

fumanstan

While I don't really like anything on the current list, I don't like anything other the MJ on the 83 list.

slop101

My point wasn't about "like" or personal preferences, it was about staying power and what sort of life (if any) these songs will have years from now.

Rogue588

I can admit a strong bias towards the older stuff, but I agree with slop101. These "contemporary" songs are a flash in the pan. Hell, even that Madonna song won't last as long as her older stuff.

At least until he lost his head...

The Bus

Here are the Top 40 for the year of 1981:

1. Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
2. Endless Love - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
3. Lady - Kenny Rogers
4. (Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon
5. Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
6. Celebration - Kool & The Gang
7. Kiss On My List - Daryl Hall & John Oates
8. I Love A Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt
9. 9 To 5 - Dolly Parton
10. Keep On Loving You - REO Speedwagon
11. Theme From "Greatest American Hero" - Joey Scarbury
12. Morning Train (Nine To Five) - Sheena Easton
13. Being With You - Smokey Robinson
14. Queen Of Hearts - Juice Newton
15. Rapture - Blondie
16. A Woman Needs Love - Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio
17. The Tide Is High - Blondie
18. Just The Two Of Us - Grover Washington Jr.
19. Slow Hand - Pointer Sisters
20. I Love You - Climax Blues Band
21. Woman - John Lennon
22. Sukiyaki - A Taste Of Honey
23. The Winner Takes It All - Abba
24. Medley - Stars On 45
25. Angel Of The Morning - Juice Newton
26. Love On The Rocks - Neil Diamond
27. Every Woman In The World - Air Supply
28. The One That You Love - Air Supply
29. Guilty - Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb
30. The Best Of Times - Styx
31. Elvira - Oak Ridge Boys
32. Take It On The Run - REO Speedwagon
33. No Gettin' Over Me - Ronnie Milsap
34. Living Inside Myself - Gino Vannelli
35. Woman In Love - Barbra Streisand
36. Boy From New York City - Manhattan Transfer
37. Urgent - Foreigner
38. Passion - Rod Stewart
39. Lady (You Bring Me Up) - Commodores
40. Crying - Don Mclean

There's at most, like five great songs. I would say even less. If this was all the music I could ever listen to, I'd probably not listen to music.

Charts are mostly full of shitty music. Every once in a while, there's exceptions.

Alan Smithee

Who the hell even decides on "chart rankings" for songs? I thought before sales of 45s had something to do with it, but those are long gone now. There was a lot more variety in the charts before, but lately it's been mostly rap and stuff that passes for R&B.

Though I've always hated "Top 40" format radio because they only played songs released as singles, ignoring all the other songs on the albums, they played a lot more different musical styles back then compared to now. You could hear stuff bordering on hard rock, country or soul on the same station within an hour for example.

Rogue588

One look at the "chart" above your post proves that..