My Life In Music - from Billboard Charts (Long)

My friend and I were talking about our life in music the other day - we have known each other since 1990, but we work with musical theatre, so we never really discussed the music of our pasts.  I decided that I would make a CD to give her of some of the songs from my formative years, which made me want to look up some of the songs I remember but that I wasn't sure what year they are from.

So here is the partial list (I stopped in 1990).  I started by choosing one or two songs each year that are particularly meaningful or memorable or ones that I loved and played over and over again.  As the years go on, it is harder and harder to choose one song...but you can definitely see trends.  I will finish the 1990-2009 tomorrow.  I have a feeling that my choices will decrease again as the years go on...I mostly listen to Broadway stuff now, so I rarely know anyone who is popular.

Anyway, hope some of these songs spark your memory.

1967: To Sir, With Love – Lulu
1968: Scarborough Fair/Canticle – Simon and Garfunkel
1969: Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town – Kenny Rogers and the First Edition
1970: Something’s Burning – Kenny Rogers and the First Edition
 Fire and Rain – James Taylor
1971: Joy to the World – Three Dog Night
 Take me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
1972: American Pie – Don McLean
 The Lion Sleeps Tonight – Robert John
 A Horse with No Name – America
 Burning Love – Elvis Presley
1973: Bad Bad Leroy Brown – Jim Croce
 The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia – Vicki Lawrence
 Delta Dawn – Helen Reddy
 Rocky Mountain High – John Denver
 Behind Closed Doors – Charlie Rich
 Live and Let Die – Wings
1974: Seasons in the Sun – Terry Jacks
 Sunshine on my Shoulder – John Denver
 Billy Don’t Be a Hero – Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
 The Most Beautiful Girl – Charlie Rich
 Time in a Bottle – Jim Croce
 Annie’s Song – John Denver
1975: My Eyes Adored You – Frankie Valli
 Thank God, I’m a Country Boy – John Denver
 Laughter in the Rain – Neil Sedaka
 Mandy – Barry Manilow
 Wildfire – Michael Murphy
 Listen to What the Man Said – Paul McCartney and Wings
1976: Don’t Go Breaking my Heart – Elton John and Kiki Dee
 December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)- Four Seasons 
 Play the Funky Music – Wild Cherry
 I Write the Songs – Barry Manilow
 I’d Really Love to See You Tonight – England Dan and John Ford Coley
 Convoy – C.W. McCall
 Disco Duck – Rick Dees
1977: Undercover Angel – Alan O’Day
 You Make Me Feel Like Dancing – Leo Sayer
 Blinded by the Light – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
 Hot Line – Sylvers
1978: (Love Is) Thicker than Water – Andy Gibb
 Boogie Oogie Oogie – A Taste of Honey
 Three Times a Lady – Commodores
 You’re the One that I Want – Grease
 Hot Child in the City – Nick Gilder
 Two out of Three Ain’t Bad – Meat Loaf
 Take A Chance on Me – Abba
 Hot Blooded – Foreigner
 Dust in the Wind – Kansas
 Come Sail Away – Styx
 Here You Come Again – Dolly Parton
 Copacabana – Barry Manilow
1979: Le Freak – Chic
 Ring My Bell – Anita Ward
 Sad Eyes – Robert John
 Knock on Wood – Amii Stewart
 Don’t Cry Out Loud – Melissa Manchester
 Just When I Needed You Most – Randy Vanwarmer
 Shake Your Groove Thing – Peaches and Herb
 The Devil Went Down To Georgia – Charlie Daniels Band
 We are Family – Sister Sledge
 Boogie Wonderland – Earth Wind and Fire
 Renegade – Styx
1980: The Rose – Bette Midler
 Escape (The Pina Colada Song) – Rupert Holmes
 Babe – Styx
 With You I’m Born Again – Billy Preston and Syreeta
 Don’t Fall In Love with a Dreamer – Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes
 Fame – Irene Cara
1981: Endless Love – Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
 Lady – Kenny Rogers
 Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield
 Keep On Loving You – REO Speedwagon
 Theme from “Greatest American Hero” – Joey Scarbury
 Morning Train (Nine to Five) – Sheena Easton
 I Love You – Climax Blues Band
 Medley – Stars on 45
 The One that You Love – Air Supply
 Take It On the Run – REO Speedwagon
 Boy from NYC – Manhattan Transfer
 Urgent – Foreigner
 You Make My Dreams – Hall and Oates
 America – Neil Diamond
 Ain’t Even Done with the Night – John Cougar
 While You See A Chance – Steve Windwood
 Same Old Lang Syne – Dan Fogelberg
 What Kind of Fool – Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb
 Whip It – Devo
1982: Jack and Diane – John Cougar
 Hard to Say I’m Sorry – Chicago
 Tainted Love – Soft Cell
 Rosanna – Toto
 Key Largo – Bertie Higgins
 Don’t Talk to Strangers – Rick Springfield
 Always on My Mind – Willie Nelson
 Sweet Dreams – Air Supply
 Who Can it Be Now- Men at Work
 Open Arms – Journey
 Don’t Stop Believing – Journey
 Leader of the Band – Dan Fogelberg
 Leather and Lace – Stevie Nicks and Don Henley
 I’ve Never Been To Me – Charlene
 Heat of the Moment – Asia
 Love in the First Degree – Alabama
 Gloria – Laura Branigan
 I Keep Forgetting – Michael McDonald
 Kids In America – Kim Wilde
 Working for the Weekend – Loverboy

1983: Beat it – Michael Jackson
 Total Eclipse of the Heart – Bonnie Tyler
 Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)- Eurythmics
 Do You Really Want to Hurt Me – Culture Club
 Hungry Like the Wolf – Duran Duran
 Africa – Toto
 Little Red Corvette – Prince
 Mr. Robato – Styx
 Time (clock of the Heart) – Culture Club
 Mickey – Toni Basil
 You Can’t Hurry Love – Phil Collins
 Separate Ways – Journey
 We’ve Got Tonight – Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton
 Always Something There to Remind Me – Naked Eyes
 Goody Two Shoes – Adam Ant
 Affair of the Heart – Rick Springfield
 Faithfully – Journey
 True – Spandau Ballet

1984: When Doves Cry – Prince
 Hello – Lionel Richie
 Karma Chameleon – Culture Club
 Girls Just Want To Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
 Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper
 The Reflex – Duran Duran
 Let’s Go Crazy – Prince
 The Glamorous Life – Sheila E.
 Borderline – Madonna
 Sunglasses at Night – Corey Heart
Here Comes the Rain Again – Eurythmics
 Love is a Battlefield – Pat Benetar
 Love Somebody – Rick Springfield
 Church of the Poison Mind = Culture Club
 The Longest Time – Billy Joel

1985: Careless Whisper – Wham
 Like A Virgin – Madonna
 Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go – Wham
 I Want to Know what Love is – Foreigner
 Everybody Wants to Rule the World – Tears for Fears
 Take On Me – A-ha
 We are the World – USA for Africa
 Shout – Tears for Fears
 Everything she Wants – Wham
 All I Need – Jack Wagner
 Missing You – Diana Ross
 Material Girl- Madonna
 Would I Lie to You – Eurythmics
 Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
 Dress You Up – Madonna

1986: Broken Wings – Mr. Mister
 Greatest Love of All – Whitney Houston
 Friends and Lovers – Carl Anderson and Gloria Loring
 True Colors – Cyndi Lauper
 What Have You Done for me Lately? – Janet Jackson
 I Didn’t Mean to Turn You on – Robert Palmer
 What You Need – INXS
 All Cried Out – Lisa Lisa with Cult Jam and Full Force
 Life In a Northern Town – Dream Academy
 

1987: I Wanna Dance with Somebody – Whitney Houston
 The Way it is – Bruce Hornsby and the Range
 Looking for a New Love – Jody Watley
 I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2
 Heart and Soul – T’pau
 Control – Janet Jackson
 Breakout – Swing Out Sister

1988: Faith – George Michael
 Need You tonight – INXS
 Never Gonna Give You Up – Rick Astley
 So Emotional – Whitney Houston
 Hands to Heaven – Breathe
 One More Try – George Michael
 Anything for You – Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine
 Wild, Wild West – Escape Club
 I’ll Always Love You – Taylor Dayne
 Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson
 Father Figure – George Michael
 Hazy Shade of Winter – Bangles
 Monkey – George Michael
 Tell It To My Heart – Taylor Dayne
 1-2-3 – Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine
 Fast Car – Tracy Chapman

1989: Straight Up – Paula Abdul
 Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler
 If You Don’t Know Me By Now – Simply Red
 Like A Prayer – Madonna
 Toy Soldier – Martika
 The Living Years –Mike and the Mechanics
 Wild Thing – Tone Loc
 If I Could Turn Back Time – Cher
 So Alive – Love and Rockets
 Soldier of Love – Donny Osmond
 Cherish – Madonna
 Heaven Help Me – Deon Estus
 The End of Innocence – Don Henley
1990: Hold On, Wilson Phillips
 Vogue, Madonna
 Release Me, Wilson Phillips
 All Around The World, Lisa Stansfield
 We Didn't Start The Fire, Billy Joel
 Rhythm Nation, Janet Jackson
 Praying For Time, George Michael
 Black Cat, Janet Jackson