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Michael Cook
Oct 26, 20232 min read
Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley (1987) 10/23/23
Once Upon a Time, there was a young man who worked for the British music production team of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman....
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Michael Cook
Oct 22, 20231 min read
Keep Ypur hands to Yourself - Georgia Satellites (1987) 10/23/23
One day in 1986, Dan Baird was riding the bus home from his construction job, when he had an idea for a blues song about a girl who...
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Michael Cook
Oct 21, 20231 min read
Mad About You - Belinda Carlisle (1986) 10/22/23
When Belinda Carlisle left The Go-Gos for a solo career in 1986, she didn't leave them very far behind. In fact, Belinda's first single...
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Michael Cook
Oct 20, 20231 min read
A View to a Kill - Duran Duran (1985) 10/21/23
Quick trivia question: What's the only James Bond movie theme to reach #1 on Billboard's Hot 100? Answer: 1985's "A View to a Kill,"...
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Michael Cook
Oct 19, 20232 min read
Stuck On You - Lionel Richie (1984) 10/20/23
In the '80s, Lionel Richie was hot, releasing Great Song after Great Song after Great Song. I'll get around to highlighting them all...
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Michael Cook
Oct 18, 20231 min read
One thing Leads to Another - The Fixx (1983) 10/19/23
In 1982, lyricist/lead singer Cy Curnin of England's The Fixx was fed up with lying politicians, and decided to write about it. One thing...
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Michael Cook
Oct 17, 20231 min read
'65 Love Affair - Paul Davis (1982) 10/18/23
The story behind today's Great Song of 1982 is rather amusing--at least I think so. Singer/Songwriter Paul Davis set out to write a song...
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Michael Cook
Oct 16, 20231 min read
Hey Nineteen - Steely Dan (1981) 10/17/23
Today's Great Song of 1981, "Hey Nineteen" by Steely Dan is exactly what it appears to be: a song by an aging hipster trying to seduce a...
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Michael Cook
Oct 15, 20231 min read
Special Lady - Ray, Goodman & Brown (1980) 10/16/23
In 1970, The Moments scored a "Great Song" with "Love on a Two Way Street, which reached #1 on Billboard's R&B Chart and #3 on the Hot...
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Michael Cook
Oct 14, 20232 min read
Eres Tu - Mocedades (1973) 10/15/23
Perhaps you've heard of the Eurovision Song Contest--the international song competition organized annually by the European...
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Michael Cook
Oct 13, 20232 min read
You Got It - Roy Orbison (1989) 10/14/23
From the late '50s right up until the British invasion of the mid-60s, Roy Orbison was a musical force to be reckoned with. Roy released...
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Michael Cook
Oct 12, 20231 min read
Say You Will - Foreigner (1988) 10/13/23
In late 1987, Foreigner released their "Inside Information" album, and in early 1988, the first single, "Say You Will" became their...
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Michael Cook
Oct 11, 20232 min read
Luka - Suzanne Vega (1987) 10/12/23
TThere's no getting around it. Today's Great Song of 1987 is about child abuse. Not only that, but "Luka" by Suzanne Vega was about a...
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Michael Cook
Oct 10, 20232 min read
Take Me Home Tonight - Eddie Money/Ronnie Spector (1986) 10/11/23
Today's Great Song of 1986 was a double comeback! Here's the story: In the mid-80s, a lack of good material mixed with a serious drug...
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Michael Cook
Oct 9, 20231 min read
In My House - Mary Jane Girls (1985) 10/10/23
Question: In the '80s, what was the quickest way to have a hit record? Answer: Have the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) add it to...
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Michael Cook
Oct 8, 20231 min read
Legs - ZZ Top (1984) 10/9/23
Around 1982 or so, ZZ Top was traveling through Texas during a pouring rain, when they saw a woman on the side of the road getting...
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Michael Cook
Oct 7, 20231 min read
The Safety Dance - Men Without Hats (1983) 10/8/23
Ever wonder what 1983's "Safety Dance" by Canada's Men Without Hats was really about? Well, the backstory was pretty unique, but not what...
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Michael Cook
Oct 7, 20231 min read
Wasted on the Way - CSN (1982) 10/7/23
Crosby, Stills, \Nash and Schmit: It just doesn't have the same ring to it without Young, but that's who sang on today's "Great Song of...
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Michael Cook
Oct 5, 20232 min read
This Little Girl - Gary US Bonds (1981) 10/6/23
In the late '50s, singer Gary Anderson signed a record deal with a small label called LeGrand Records, run by a producer named Frank...
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Michael Cook
Oct 4, 20231 min read
The Rose -0 Bette Midler/Conway Twitty (1980/83) 10/5/23
Singer/Songwriter/Actress Amanda McBroom wrote today's Great Song of 1980: "The Rose," made famous, of course, by Bette Midler in 1979...
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