I was very amused listening to The Ticket today. The Hardliners were talking about number one songs from the day they were born, through their 21st birthdays. Of course I had to come home and check out my own list.
| 1970 | My Sweet Lord/ | George Harrison |
| 1971 | Brand New Key | Melanie |
| 1972 | Me and Mrs. Jones | Billy Paul |
| 1973 | Time in a Bottle | Jim Croce |
| 1974 | Angie Baby | Helen Reddy |
| 1975 | Let’s Do It Again | The Staple Singers |
| 1976 | Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright) | Rod Stewart |
| 1977 | How Deep Is Your Love | The Bee Gees |
| 1978 | Le Freak | Chic |
| 1979 | Escape (The Piña Colada Song) | Rupert Holmes |
| 1980 | (Just Like) Starting Over | John Lennon |
| 1981 | Physical | Olivia Newton-John |
| 1982 | Maneater | Daryl Hall & John Oates |
| 1983 | Say, Say, Say | Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson |
| 1984 | Like a Virgin | Madonna |
| 1985 | Say You, Say Me | Lionel Richie |
| 1986 | Walk Like an Egyptian | The Bangles |
| 1987 | Faith | George Michael |
| 1988 | Every Rose Has Its Thorn | Poison |
| 1989 | Another Day in Paradise | Phil Collins |
| 1990 | Because I Love You (The Postman Song) | Stevie B |
| 1991 | Black or White |
Michael Jackson |
I have a deep, abiding, shameful love of most of these songs. Ask my girlfriends about Time in a Bottle. They’ll tell you. So will every request-taking band I’ve ever encountered. I have yet to have a band take my request. Time in a Bottle is live band kryptonite. As is Girl From Ipanema, my other perennial favorite.
There is no way to hear Meee-eee-eee and Missus, Missus Jo-ow-wones without singing along to that thing they have going one, and do not even get me started on the Bee Gees, Chic, or 70s era Rod Stewart because I can’t talk about them without singing entire discographies.
Physical? Best workout video ever! Maneater? Heck yeah! She only comes out at night. Say, Say, Say? How can you resist watching Michael Jackson lull Macca into a false sense of security just before fleecing him of the Beatles catalog? Don’t play games with my affection, indeed. Like a Virgin? I can still remember the first time I heard that song. It was Jennifer Wiggs, singing it in PE class, and another girl telling her with adoring bemusement, “Sweetie, you ARE a virgin!” We were in 7th Grade. My understanding of how virginity was lost was still a little fuzzy, but after watching the video, I was pretty sure it had something to do with neon bracelets, Venice, and bustiers.
Say You, Say Me…oh my word. How many times did I go see White Nights just to watch Mikhail Baryshnikov do standing splits up against a wall? It was an awakening of sorts, but mainly to my sudden interest in the Soviet Union and the Russian language. Say it together, naturally.
I still cannot resist the opening licks of Faith, and Poison will always be my favorite hair band. Phil Collins should be illegal, though.
’74, ’79, ’86, and ’89’s songs are all flushable. The others I either can’t recall, or don’t mind.
It’s not a great list. But I have Time in a Bottle and Le Freak. I have Le Freak. It’s an awesome list. Who am I trying to kid?
The Outside Lane 
It is an awesome list. Love them all.
I like my sweet lord…
Time in a bottle
and every rose has its thorns