#76. "Dreamworld" - Midnight Oil (1988)

I typically enjoy a long sweeping opening but in this case it makes sense to hit us straight over the head with a powerful intro. 

The no-nonsense pro-environment rocker "Dreamworld" gets right to the point: the development of theme parks, hotels and condos along the coast will ultimately result in its destruction. 

Australia's Midnight Oil set the bar for political bands: lead singer and wild dancer Peter Garrett doubled down and ran for office in his homeland after years of making albums and public protests.   

"Beds Are Burning" is a pretty good tune, too: 

#77. "Left of Center" - Suzanne Vega (1986)

"Left of Center" by Suzanne Vega is the second of three from the iconic Pretty in Pink film to appear on my chart. 

There is a lot to like here: the glimmering guitars, poignant piano and melodic hooks complement the silky, almost folky vocals of the always classy Suzanne Vega. 

The lyrics are memorable, articulating the perspective of an 'outsider' on the periphery of popularity. It's a perfect track aimed at the 80s high school and university demographic.

Fave lyrics: And if you want me/You can find me/Left of center/Wondering about you

The tune has aged well too, and I find I still play it regularly. 

The only regret from our 2012 London trip: not going to see Suzanne Vega play at The Barbican Theatre. Blame it on fatigue from going all out during the days and from already taking in a George Michael show earlier in the week. Maybe next time.

In spite of a slew of solid singles from 1987's Solitude Standing including the title track, "Luka" and "Tom's Diner", "Left of Center" may very well be her finest work. 

Fun fact: Joe Jackson plays the piano on the track, best known for his 1982 single "Steppin' Out".

#78. "Bring on the Dancing Horses" - Echo & The Bunnymen (1985)

The soaring intro on "Bring on the Dancing Horses" is an easy sell. Ian McCulloch's smooth vocals seal the deal. 

This is one of those songs where I prefer the verses to the chorus; the bass just so effortlessly glides along. It shimmers.

Often compared to U2, Echo and the Bunnymen didn't sell nearly as many albums to match their critical acclaim. Influenced by Bowie and Iggy Pop, Echo & the Bunnymen were still a popular UK post-punk band that didn't quite reach the same level of popularity of groups like Depeche Mode and The Cure.

Before "Bring on the Dancing Horses" appeared on the Pretty in Pink soundtrack (1 of 3 on this countdown), Echo & co. had success with "The Killing Moon" in '84 and later in '87 with a cover of the Doors' "People Are Strange" on The Lost Boys soundtrack. 

My second fave Echo tune is a toss up between the rocker "Lips Like Sugar" and "Bedbugs & Ballyhoo". Since I still can't decide, here are both of them:

#79. "Johnny Come Home" - Fine Young Cannibals (1986)

Members from Birmingham UK's The Beat dissolved and formed two new groups: The Fine Young Cannibals and General Public.

Before the Fine Young Cannibals ruled the charts in 1988 with “She Drives Me Crazy” and “Good Thing” they kicked off their career with a catchy groove showing off their ska roots called "Johnny Come Home". 

A breath of fresh air, this infectious tune with boss vocals, great arrangements and cool horns sounded like nothing else at the time. 

The single only reached #16 on the Canadian charts which is sheer lunacy. I'm pleased to report I fixed the error as it climbed to #3 on my own chart from May 1986 (see photo below from binder salvaged from parent's attic). 

But the question still remains: why did Johnny leave home?

In 1984, General Public churned out the infinitely catchy "Tenderness" on radio and video channels, later featured on the soundtrack of the nerd Weird Science film.

Bonus 20: the songs that just missed

Full disclosure: Picking 100 favourite songs from the 80s is not an easy task! 

After compiling the original list of over 200 awesome tracks over the Christmas holidays, the whittling process began. Following descents into neverending YouTube rabbit holes and gleaning over paper hard-copies, I unearthed several forgotten gems that barged their way onto the countdown, usurping a few classics. A reminder of my selection criteria: song had to be a single and or have a video. No deep album tracks. 

Although the order of the rest of the countdown is still changing, the next 80 songs are now entrenched. This brief interlude in the countdown is a good time to reveal these tunes since there is a noticeable gap in affection for the next batch of tunes to come.

Note that any of these 20 tunes could have easily replaced the first 20 songs already revealed in slots 80 to 100. 

The "bubbling under 100" are revealed below and ordered by year of release:

Whip It – Devo (1980)
Nerdy new wave tomfoolery

Ride Like The Wind – Christopher Cross (1980)
Epic classic from one of first albums I ever owned

Eye In the Sky – Alan Parsons Project (1982)
70s sound brings back childhood nostalgia

I Ran – A Flock Of Seagulls (1982)
A classic and one of the last to be cut.

Subdivisions – Rush (1982)
Brooding synths accompany lyrics of soulless suburbs

It’s A Mistake – Men At Work (1983)
A cold war classic, simple yet catchy chorus

Jeopardy - Greg Kiln Band (1983)
Infectious bass line

Modern Love – David Bowie (1983)

Rip-roaring and brash 

Photograph – Def Leppard (1983)
Big chorus hints at a new wave vibe 

Forever Young – Alphaville (1984)

Sweeping synths and a message of living in the moment

Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat (1984)

Melancholic synths and haunting vocals

Smooth Operator - Sade (1984)

Soulful jazz-pop, but as a geographer I always winced at the "Coast to coast, LA to Chicago" lyric...

The Ghost In You - Psychedelic Furs (1984)
Shimmering and cerebral

Welcome To The Pleasure Dome – Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1984)

Shameless glam excess and supernovas and an ace bass line

Summer of ‘69 – Bryan Adams (1985)
I think everyone loved this one

Cities in Dust – Siouxsie and the Banshees (1986)
Punk group nails new wave 

La Isla Bonita - Madonna (1987)

Timeless Latin and pop fusion

Little Lies – Fleetwood Mac (1987)
Fave song from the Tango In the Night album with vocals by Christine, Lindsay and Stevie; "Everywhere" a close second...

Monkey - George Michael (1988)
Intense and funky groove

Suedehead - Morrissey (1988)
First solo effort with Marr-esque jangle guitar still better than most of The Smiths catalogue