Fireball's Fantastic 500 (2024 Edition) -- Early 1980s, Part 1

[Pastor Fireball]

It's finally time to start my countdown of 1980s music--the decade that most of you have known for years is my bread and butter. Back in 2018, my Fantastic 500 list featured 173 songs from the 1980s. This year, that number actually went up to 175 songs--and this is even with a number of songs dropping out of my list. So let's begin--as we do at the beginning of every section of my list--with the songs from the first half of the 1980s that didn't quite keep me hanging on.

#85. Romeo's Tune, Steve Forbert (1980)
#84. You Can Do Magic, America (1982)
#81. Look What You've Done to Me, Boz Scaggs (1980)
#78. Nobody Knows Me Like You, Benny Hester (1981)
#77. I Got You, Split Enz (1980)
#76. Eye in the Sky, Alan Parsons Project (1982)
#75. Overkill, Men at Work (1983)
#72. Urgent, Foreigner (1981)
#71. Cool Night, Paul Davis (1981)

Even with these nine songs dropping off and Fleetwood Mac's "Think About Me" being properly classified as a Late 1970s song, I still managed to expand this section of my list from my 2018 list. Once again, my Early 1980s section is the biggest section of my countdown--unsurprising when you remember that I was born in 1980. You will be enjoying a total of 90 songs in this section, though this list will actually start off with some painful memories.

#90. Tired of Toein' the Line, Rocky Burnette (1980) -- #41 in 2018

This song took a big crash since 2018, but it's not Rocky's fault. Recall back to my 2018 post on this song, where I mentioned that my mother watched Rocky perform this song live the night before I was born. What everybody didn't know in 2018 was that I had repressed countless memories of what a horrible human being my mother really is. Some of those traumatic moments re-emerged right here on the WWTBAM Bored over the past five years. Now I can't stomach listening to this song anymore because it reminds me of her... but it's still on my list because it truly is a fantastic song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYZjIZxcB18

And those traumatic memories of my mother also brought down this song:

#89. More Than I Can Say, Leo Sayer (1980) -- #3 in 2018

This drop definitely hurts my soul because it's a Leo Sayer song. But it doesn't hurt as much as my mother hurt me, my wife, and my children.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGKnSdikqjw

But now... on to some happier memories!

#88. Minimum Love, Mac McAnally (1983) -- #83 in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13LG2HEQDFI

#87. What's Forever For, Michael Martin Murphey (1982) -- #69 in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UalVQCCTNPg

#86. Solid, Ashford & Simpson (1984) -- #67 in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io_mnbNuEOo

#85. How 'Bout Us, Champaign (1981) -- NEW!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44rvsvMmEUM

#84. Train in Vain (Stand by Me), the Clash (1980) -- #70 in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYK7bEo1Z4M

#83. Biggest Part of Me, Ambrosia (1980) -- #68 in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOm0Dq_kKNU

#82. When You Close Your Eyes, Night Ranger (1984) -- #51 in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGLeg3y3b1U

#81. Second Chance, Paul Anka (1983) -- #82 in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-4ZD9H4XSc

#80. When All Is Said and Done, ABBA (1982) -- #80 in 2018

It wasn't all said and done for ABBA after all because they released a new album in 2021.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUh4u-lYEhM

#79. Pilot of the Airwaves, Charlie Dore (1980) -- #66 in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCcRPF5bpTg

#78. Wrack My Brain, Ringo Starr (1981) -- NEW!

Yes, Ringo had a solo hit in the 1980s. And this is another one of his fun earworms that shouldn't belong on anybody's list of the 500 best songs of all-time, yet here we are.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHzNfMJ44uA

#77. Sequel, Harry Chapin (1980) -- #73 in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD8sZFe9zxw

#76. Let Me Love You Tonight, Pure Prairie League (1980) -- #44 in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muQqts3-g1w

#75. Almost Paradise, Mike Reno & Ann Wilson (1984) -- #58 in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1PVwArjPcg

#74. Hard to Say I'm Sorry, Chicago (1982) -- #52 in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A0MPWseJIE

#73. All Out of Love, Air Supply (1980) -- #40 in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWdZEumNRmI

#72. Nightbird, Stevie Nicks (1983) -- NEW!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_pWNqrqdHk

#71. The Message, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five (1982) -- #59 in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PobrSpMwKk4

Twenty more songs next week!