It has become commonplace for people of my generation to celebrate the 80s as the last great decade for music, and in conversation for the greatest musical decade, period. I tend to lean that way myself.
It makes sense that the music that scored your coming of age will hold a special place in your heart. I’m sure every generation feels that way about its formative decade.
But take a look at the Hot 100 top five the week of May 25, 1985, and tell me the 80s shouldn’t be in the conversation.
Throwing back to the week of May 24, 1975, we find Earth, Wind & Fire atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Shining Star,’ the band’s only chart-topping hit. I posted that song during my Decades look at the albums of 1975.
At #2 that week was ‘Before the Next Teardrop Falls’ by Freddy Fender, an American Tejano singer. Fender started his career in 1960 but was sidelined when a marijuana possession charge landed him in jail for three years. My lord!
The Beatles topped the Billboard Hot 100 the week of May 18, 1965, with ‘Ticket to Ride,’ their eighth #1 on the chart and second of 1965.
In second that week was Herman’s Hermits’ ‘Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter,’ featured a couple of weeks ago when it was at #1. How many acts saw themselves kicked out, or kept out, of the top spot by The Beatles?
Throwing back to the week of May 17, 1955, we find a couple of repeats atop the Billboard chart in Perez Pablo’s ‘Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White‘ and Georgia Gibbs’ ‘Dance With Me Henry (Wallflower).’
In the #3 spot that week was Les Baxter’s version of ‘Unchained Melody,’ a short instrumental take with choral accompaniment. This is one of three versions of the song that bounced around the top ten in 1955 — the other two were by Al Hibbler and Roy Hamilton.
The top four of the Hot 100 was pretty locked in the week of May 11, 1985. I’ve featured all four already: Madonna’s ‘Crazy For You,’ ‘We Are the World,’ Simple Minds’ ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me),’ and DeBarge’s ‘Rhythm of the Night.’
That brings us to #5, where the unlikely New Wave/hip-hop hit ‘One Night in Bangkok’ sat, on its way to peaking at #3. This was a single from the concept album Chess, released by Broadway songwriter Tim Rice and ABBA members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. The album was later turned into a hit musical in both England and the United States.
Meet Me In Montauk 