Welcome back to this week’s Top-40 Countdown! If you need to catch up, you can check out songs 40-31 and 30-21. Today has a variety of song styles. There are some ballads, freestyle dance, and rock songs. There is also a special dedication today. Some of these songs really take me back to my short time in San Diego. So, let’s Return to the week ending April 29, 1989, and continue the countdown with songs 20-11.
20. “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler
“Wind Beneath My Wings”, from the soundtrack of Beaches, would go on to become a #1 hit, and it won Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards of 1990. There was no avoiding this song. And if you somehow did not catch it by Bette Midler, then you probably heard it by one of the following artists who also covered this song:
Roger Whitaker (the first to release the song commercially), Colleen Hewett, Sheena Easton (I have this song on a Greatest Hits tape by her), Gary Morris, Kerry Ellis, Lee Greenwood, B.J. Thomas, Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers, Patti LaBelle, Captain and Tennille, Joe Longthorne, Eddie & Gerald Levert, John Tesh, Judy Collins, Shirley Bassey, RyanDan, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Sonata Arctica, Chyi Yu, Perry Como, Donald Braswell II, Sergio Franchi, Steven Houghton and Celine Dion. Also, Lou Rawls sang the song at the nationally-televised 50th Presidential Inaugural Gala on January 19, 1985, the day before the second inauguration of Ronald Reagan.
19. “Electric Youth” by Debbie Gibson
When I left for Boot Camp, “Lost In Your Eyes” was the big hit. When I got out, this second single, the title track from Debbie’s sophomore album was climbing the charts.
18. “Rock On” by Michael Damian
Upon my arrival in San Diego, one of the first things I bought was a Walkman. It was the kind that had a radio as well as a cassette player. So, I found the local radio stations, and this song was one that was constantly being played.
Michael Damian starred in the soap opera The Young and the Restless. He didn’t have the great singing career that fellow soap opera/musician Rick Springfield had. But, I liked this song. But, that may be because it brings me back to a time and place of beautiful weather and atmosphere.
17. “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour
This isn’t a bad song. I love the guitar in it. I do remember this one being overplayed though.
16. “Iko Iko” by The Belle Stars
This is a fun song. I don’t go out of my way to listen to it, but I enjoy it when it does come on the radio.
15. “Soldier of Love” by Donny Osmond
Along with Michael Damien’s “Rock On”, this song was in heavy rotation on the radio station I listened to in San Diego. Again, it may be due to the weather, but I really enjoyed this song too. It was a big comeback hit for Donny Osmond.
Special Dedication
Now it is time for a special dedication. I have not received any yet. Don’t forget, you can email them to me at returntothe80s@gmail.com or returntothe80s@yahoo.com.
Long time readers of this blog may remember the 30 Day Music Challenge series that I posted a couple of years ago. Since we have returned to a time when I was in school in San Diego, here is the article I posted about a “song that reminds you of someone“. This song goes out to the douchebag idiot in this story.
My New Purchase
After being in boot camp for around 8-10 weeks, the only music I heard was “Anchors Aweigh” (a million times). So when I got to San Diego, one of the first things I did was buy a Walkman, and some tapes. I even took time to stencil my name on the inside of the Walkman door. As for the cassettes, I bought mostly rock music such as Bon Jovi’s New Jersey, and Van Halen’s OU812. But, I also wanted music that would put me to sleep. I was not a Glenn Medeiros fan by any stretch of imagination. However, I had heard some of his music, and figured that would be perfect. So I bought Glenn Medeiros’ Not Me. And it worked. I would go to bed at night listening to my Walkman, and it would knock me right out.
A Storm is Brewing
The barracks that we slept in was full of bunk beds. I slept on the bottom bunk. One morning, my bunk-mate warned me that a scumbag, that was in our class, almost tried stealing my Walkman while I was sleeping. That pissed me off. So, I was hoping I would catch him trying it.
Thief!
A day or two later, I woke up with my headphones on, but something didn’t feel right. I felt the cord to the headphones and noticed that the Walkman was missing! All that was there was the Glenn Medeiros tape!! That douche stole my Walkman!!! I have no idea how I didn’t feel it being taken away.
Nobody Steals From Me and Gets Away With It!
Now, anybody who knows me would probably best describe my personality as being “reserved”. But, when somebody not only steals from me, but steals something music related, it awakens the beast. And, I also found out that he stole headphones off of another guy that was about 3 times his size. I kept my cool though. I knew exactly who stole it, and he slept on the top bunk a little further away from me.
I saw Douche was sleeping. So I climbed up on the side of the bunk that was next to him, and confirmed that he had my Walkman. So I reached over and grabbed it, and unhooked the headphones. I looked to see what tape he had in it. It was NWA or some other Gangsta Rap type group. I left the tape where the Walkman had been. I couldn’t get the headphones for the other guy though, because Douche was laying on his head on one of the earpieces. However, the Walkman itself was with it’s rightful owner! I was tempted to take the tape too, and leave the Glenn Medeiros one in it’s place. But I didn’t want to be a thief. I just wanted what was rightfully mine.
Would You Believe the Balls on this Guy?
Later on that morning, Douche actually confronted me, and accused me of stealing his Walkman! He even knew the price I paid for it. But, I had my stenciling on the door, and showed him. He said that I probably stenciled after I took it. But, we both knew what really happened. I said, “How do you think I knew where to get it from. Somebody saw you! That’s how!” He saw that the next time he opened his mouth, he was going to get the worst beating of his life, so he backed off. And everybody knew he also stole the big guy’s headphones, so I was also ready to still see some pummeling going on. But, much to my disappointment, big guy was a pansy. He was more of a teddy bear than a grizzly bear, so Douche got away with the headphones.
Gee, I didn’t See That Coming [Sarcasm]
Within the next week, Douche went AWOL. I know. I can’t believe such an upstanding citizen would do something like that, Right?! It turns out, he broke into some lockers, stole money, and got on a plane to New York. Shockingly, Douche came back a couple of weeks later. He was in the barracks, and our commander, who hardly came into the barracks, and found him. And dragged him out for good. I don’t know if he just got kicked out of the Navy with a Dishonorable Discharge, or if he got thrown in the brig/jail.
So, here’s to you Douche! When I hear Glenn Medeiros – and not Gangsta Rap – it reminds me of you!
14. “Sincerely Yours” by Sweet Sensation & Romeo J.D
They may have been Exposé Lite, but I liked Sweet Sensation. This song isn’t bad. But, I much prefer “Hooked On You“.
13. “Thinking of You” by Sa-Fire
Two Puerto Rican freestylers in a row! I love this song. And it was very appropriate for what I was going through at the time, being across the country from all of my friends and family.
12. “Rocket” by Def Leppard
Almost 2 years after the incredible Hysteria album was released, Def Leppard was still releasing singles from that album! That would be unheard of now. This is a great rockin’ song. It is one of my favorites from the album. This would be the last single released from Hysteria. The video is the last from the band with Steve Clark in the lineup.
11. “Room to Move” by Animotion
I had forgotten about this one. I like this song a lot too. I never saw the movie, but apparently this song was featured in My Stepmother Is an Alien.
I hope you enjoyed today’s list of songs. Did you have any favorites today? Either tomorrow or Friday, we will wrap up the countdown with the top 10 songs. I like the top 10 list. There are no songs on it that I’m sick of listening to. This may be 1989, but this is before “Love Shack” and “We Didn’t Start The Fire” was released, so you may rest easy.
Follow @returntothe80s
Return to the 80s 