DAILY DIRT: The Big ’80s were just that, when it came to these songs

Daily Dirt for Monday, Feb. 3, 2025

I think when you wade through the ensuing songs, plus others that might pop up in your mind, you’ll agree the ’80s were one fabulous decade when it came to tunes … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,192 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Welcome to the Big ’80s, baybee! Or should we say, Welcome BACK!

We’re honoring that quality decade of pop music — some might even say the final quality decade of pop music — by picking our three favorite songs from each year and then ranking those years on the strength of those three songs.

Let’s get started:

• 1. 1987: “Alone” by Heart, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston and “Hungry Eyes” by Eric Carmen. (I really needed a top six for this year to include “La Bamba” by Los Lobos, “Livin’ On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi and “Shake You Down” by Gregory Abbott.)
• 2. 1989: “Angel Eyes” by the Jeff Healey Band, “Listen To Your Heart” by Roxette and “She Drives Me Crazy” by Fine Young Cannibals. (You might remember “Angel Eyes” from the Patrick Swayze movie “Roadhouse”.)
• 3. 1988:  “So Emotional” by Whitney Houston, “Hungry Eyes” by Eric Carmen and “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car” by Billy Ocean. (“Hungry Eyes” was part of the iconic “Dirty Dancing” soundtrack.)
• 4. 1985: “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and the News, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham and “Take On Me” by a-ha. (The latter two songs provided two of the most memorable videos from the 1980s.)
• 5.1982: “Always On My Mind” by Willie Nelson, “Key Largo” by Bertie Higgins and “I Love Rock and Roll” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. (Probably the most eclectic set of songs presented today.)
• 6. 1981: “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes, “The Tide Is High” by Blondie and “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar. (Have you ever wondered by Kim Carnes and Rod Stewart never did a duet together?)
• 7. 1983: “Every Breath You Take” by Police, “Come On Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners and “I’ve Got A Rock ‘n’ Roll Heart” by Eric Clapton. (My favorite Clapton song ever.)
• 8. 1984: “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” by Tina Turner, “Some Guys Have All The Luck,” by Rod Stewart and “Karma Chameleon,” by Culture Club. (The perfect trio? How about Tina Turner, Kim Carnes and Rod the Mod?)
• 9. 1986: “Manic Monday” by the Bangles, “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin and “These Dreams” by Heart. (Nice to see Heart crack the top 10 a second time.)
• 10. 1980: “Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me Girl” by the Spinners, “Cupid/O’ve Loved You For A Long Time” by the Spinners  and “Call Me” by Blondie. (By far, the weakest year of the decade, despite a double dose of the Spinners.)

How about the following for the ultimate 1980s top 10?

• 1. “Alone,” by Heart
• 2. “Bette Davis Eyes,” by Kim Carnes
• 3. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” by Whitney Houston
• 4. “So Emotional,” by Whitney Houston
• 5. “Hungry Eyes,” by Eric Carmen
• 6. “The Power of Love,” by Huey Lewis and the News
• 7. “You Were Always On My Mind,” by Willie Nelson
• 8. “The Tide Is High,” by Blondie
• 9. “Angel Eyes,” by Jeff Healey Band
• 10. “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car,” by Billy Ocean

2. Did you know (Part 266)

• That HOSPITAL stands for Home Of Sick People Including Treatment and Labor.
• That the average male (living alone, presumably) changes his sheets an average of four times a year.
• That when you clap you are high-fiving yourself for something that someone else did.
• That only 2 percent of the world has green eyes.
• That it would take roughly 12 million mosquitoes simultaneously sucking on a human body to drain all of that person’s blood.

3. Some medal-worthy major food headlines to start off your week:

Gold medal: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Kisses from Hershey’s are arriving in stores as you read this.

Silver Medal: Pringle’s newest offerings are Loaded Potato Skins and 7-Layer Dip, with Beer Can Chicken due in the spring.

Bronze medal: Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle-flavored Cheetos are now available.

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Did you ever consider there’s a “d” in the word fridge but no “d” in refrigerator?

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Changing sheets with each season seems to make sense.