#1: "Songs from the Big Chair" by Tears for Fears

#1—My favorite album

Side One: Shout, The Working Hour, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Mothers Talk

Side Two: I Believe, Broken, Head Over Heels, Listen

Released: 1985

Chart Peak: #1 (U.S. Billboard 200)

Popularity: 5x Platinum (U.S.)

Oh, how I agonized over choosing this album over its follow-up, The Seeds of Love (1989). I even contemplated listing them as tied for #1, but we all know you cannot have a tie for #1. I can't even really tell you why I chose 1985 over 1989 except that 1985 was the best year of my adolescence, and the songs on Big Chair were the soundtrack of that summer and the fall semester that followed. 

We drove around all that summer—myself and my two closest friends, Glen and Jeff—and played this cassette until we could almost see through that thin brown tape. The singles are well known: "Shout" (#1), "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (#1), and "Head Over Heels" (#3), but the rest of the album is just as good as those blockbuster singles.

The heart of Tears for Fears is vocalist/guitarist Roland Orzabal, but every heart needs two sides; the other side of the group is bassist Curt Smith. They split after The Seeds of Love, and although Orzabal continued the record under the TFF name, it just wasn't the same without Curt alongside.

The Seeds of Love

If I grade Big Chair out at 100, then The Seeds of Love comes in at 99.5. A great album that could just as easily be #1 on my list, it adds to the group with the powerful voice of Oleta Adams, who is featured on that album's best song, "Woman in Chains."

There is one other thing that makes The Seeds of Love special to me—it's the last album I ever received. It was a gift from college roommate Mark Grossman, and he went to a lot of trouble to find it on vinyl; I still refused to give up my turntable for a CD player. The next year, I had no choice; there were fewer and fewer new recordings issued on vinyl at all, so Seeds is the last album to be placed into my collection.

Oleta Adams

Furthermore, Mark and I were able to see TFF perform live at the Fox Theater in St. Louis in the spring of 1990. Oleta Adams was on tour with them, singing and playing grand piano, and it was indeed a grand show. They played every song from Big Chair and Seeds, as well as the two hits from their original album, "Pale Shelter" and "Mad World."

Just this month, Roland and Curt announced through their Facebook page that they are recording new, original material for a 2014 release. Although it probably won't be on vinyl, it's a sure bet that I will add that work to my collection, and if they tour, there's not much that will keep me away (except time, distance, and money, of course!).

Rather than try to select one song from either album to feature on video, I'm giving you the complete concert video from their Seeds of Love tour, the one I saw, the one with Oleta Adams, the one in which you hear what makes Tears for Fears my favorite band of the 1980s and why Songs from the Big Chair is my favorite album from my vinyl collection.

Tears for Fears "Going to California" Live

#2: "She's So Unusual" by Cyndi Lauper

#2—They say I better stop,
or I'll go blind.

Favorite songs: Money Changes Everything, Girls Just Want To Have Fun, When You Were Mine, Time After Time, She Bop, All Through the Night
Other tracks: Witness, I'll Kiss You, He's So Unusual, Yeah Yeah
Released: 1983
Chart peak: #4 (U.S. Billboard 200)
Popularity: 6 million copies sold in U.S., 22 million sold worldwide

Cyndi Lauper makes me happy. From her first manic appearance on MTV with her breakthrough song and video for "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" to her recent success on Broadway, she has consistently defied expectations for both appearance and artistry, always remaining true to her own quirky, creative vision.

Most guys in the early eighties would have picked Madonna—sexy clothes, alluring makeup, provocative dancer, center of everyone's attention. Not me. I always picked the weird girl in the corner with half of her bright red hair shaved into a checkerboard and the mismatched thrift store outfit. I wasn't kidding when I put an "I Love Cyndi Lauper" bumper sticker on my car in 1984.

You'll notice a deviation from my previous pattern with the song listings. I can't pick just one favorite song off this album, because they're all my favorites. "Girls" and "Time After Time" still get most of the airplay on retro-80s stations, but her riot-grrl howling on the rock anthem "Money Changes Everything" is a great way to start the album.

She nails plaintive heartbreak in the Prince-penned "When You Were Mine," sings like a music box angel on "All Through the Night," then just gets downright freaky in "She Bop," the catchiest pop anthem about (how can I say this politely?) touching yourself in that special place that ever got past MTV and radio censors.

While Madonna has been largely absent from the public eye for several years (and as far as I'm concerned, musically irrelevant since 1998's "Ray of LIght"), Cyndi has continued to expand her reach into new musical areas, culminating this year with a Tony Award win for Best Original Score for the musical Kinky Boots.

My wait for her second album felt as long as my wait for Def Leppard to finally come out with a follow-up to Pyromania (see #3 on the countdown!). Her follow-up, True Colors, is a wonderful work, with hardly a throw-away track to be found. (I highly recommend it—it's a close second in terms of quality.) Her third album, 1989's A Night to Remember is also solid, but nowhere as good as her first two works.

Okay, if you force me to pick one favorite song, it's "All Through the NIght." I just love everything about it, from her soprano voice to the tinkly melody of the keyboards. Sadly for me, she never made a video for that song. She did make three memorable videos for the three other top five singles, and I've included all those videos below. She was the first female singer in rock/pop history to have four top five singles from the same album. "She's So Unusual?" More like "She's So Wonderful."

Girls Just Want To Have Fun

Time After Time

She Bop

#3: "Hysteria" by Def Leppard

#3—Worth the wait.

Favorite song: Hysteria
Notable tracks: Women, Rocket, Animal, Pour Some Sugar On Me, Armageddon It, Gods of War, Don't Shoot Shotgun, Run Riot, Love and Affection
Released: 1987
Chart peak: #1 (U.S. and U.K. charts)
Popularity: 12 million copies sold U.S.; 20 million total worldwide sales

Anyone who knows me at all should have known that Def Leppard's appearance on this countdown was a matter of when and where, not if. My closest friends will also not be a bit surprised to see Hysteria the easy pick over Pyromania, their previous album, although fabulous in its own right, no question. Put simply, Def Leppard is my favorite rock band, and Hysteria is my favorite rock album. Kind of makes you wonder what's in store for the top two, doesn't it?

I became a fan when "Rock of Ages," their first major hit from Pyromania, hit heavy rotation on MTV. I even remember where I was when I first heard that song—visiting friends in Oklahoma City. I bought the album shortly afterward and wore the grooves smooth. I was too young, at least as far as my parents were concerned, to see them in concert when they came to St. Louis—my hometown is 2-1/2 hours to the south, so I had to wait.

And wait we did. First, drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in an automobile accident that almost claimed his life. That was just the first of many successive problems that placed delay after delay in the path of their follow-up. In popular music, waiting even two years to release a follow-up to a hit on the scale Pyromania was could have spelled disaster. We had to wait four years.

It was totally worth the wait. The album spawned seven singles, all but one listed above (I hate "Love Bites" and won't listen to it at all), and cemented the band's success as one of the best bands of the eighties. They kept Allen as their drummer, one arm and all, but lost lead guitarist Steve Clark to alcoholism after their Hysteria tour. His replacement, Vivian Campbell, has been with the rest of the original lineup—singer Joe Elliott, guitarist Phil Collen, bassist Rick Savage, drummer Allen—since 1992.

I've listened to this album more times than I can count. I know every word to every song, and I can play along on my drums to each and every track. I've also seen Def Leppard perform live twice. I saw them on their Adrenalize tour in 1993 in St. Louis with fifth row seats. It was a lot like a religious experience. But it was really nothing compared to the first time I saw them.

The Hysteria tour came through St. Louis in early March 1988. I got tickets as soon as they went on sale—row T on the floor, and high school and college friend Matt Steward also bought in to the show. Concert day rolled in on the same day a major winter storm rolled through central Missouri. By the time we left Columbia that afternoon, about eight inches of snow had covered Interstate 70. Cars were spinning and sliding off the road, but I would not be deterred. We drove about 30 mph until we got ahead of the storm.

The band was just incredible. They played all the hits from Hysteria and Pyromania, as well as a few earlier ones from High and Dry. I think they covered a Led Zeppelin song for their encore. I left the old St. Louis Checkerdome in a state of absolute bliss—until we actually got outside. We couldn't find my car because the entire parking lot was covered in a foot of snow. We finally located my car, dug it out, and began the long trek back to Columbia. We rolled back onto the Mizzou campus about 3:30 a.m. I had an 8:40 a.m. class the next day that I was barely conscious for. I slept in my Hysteria concert shirt and wore it all the next day. It's in a storage box now; the seams are frayed and coming apart.

I love that the band is still together and still making great music—their most recent venue was their Viva Hysteria live show in Las Vegas. I figure it's just a matter of time until they tour again, and the next time they're in St. Louis (or nearby), if time and money align, I'll be there. Here's the video for "Hysteria," the title track for the album and my all-time favorite Def Leppard song. True love never fades or fails.

#4: "Greatest Hits" by Queen

#4—The definition of greatness

Favorite song: Under Pressure (with David Bowie)
All other songs are truly great: Another One Bites the Dust, Bohemian Rhapsody, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Killer Queen, Fat Bottomed Girls, Bicycle Race, We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions, Flash, Somebody to Love, You're My Best Friend, Keep Yourself Alive, Play the Game
Released: 1981
Chart Peak: #1 in the U.K.
Popularity: 25 million copies sold worldwide; it is the biggest selling album of all time in the U.K.

I may have played this album more times than any other in my collection; it certainly sounds like it on the turntable tonight, with all the pops, crackles, and skips. I also had the album on a cassette that was worn out well before 1990. It's still one of the best greatest hits compilations of the modern rock era.

Of course, Freddy Mercury was one of the great voices in rock history, an undeniable talent whose life was cut short by AIDS in the 1980s. The band was four musicians ideally suited to play music together. Brian May remains one of the greatest living guitarists on the planet. My favorite quality of Queen's music is the way their voices harmonize, especially drummer Roger Taylor's soaring tenor; it's a quality Def Leppard sought to emulate, and another reason why I have always loved their music.

I still remember my sophomore year of college when the bowling team from our dorm floor (me, Mark Grossman, the late Jeff Burris, and a fourth who I apologize for not remembering—go Hawes House Raiders!) won the intramural bowling championship. We took the trophy back to our floor and cranked up "We Are The Champions" as loud as my stereo would play it.

I would do the same thing in the aftermath of the St. Louis Rams Superbowl victory in 2000 and the St. Louis Cardinals World Series championships in 2006 and 2011; it's the final victorious touch that accompanies each sports championship I've experienced, either as a participant or a fan.

My favorite song is their collaboration with David Bowie, "Under Pressure." It's a masterpiece of simple understatement that builds gradually to a joyous crescendo, then ends as simply as it began; the song is just a miracle. Even better, they put Vanilla Ice literally out of business after he stole their bass riff—the whole world rejoiced! I'm including the video, especially for any younger readers who may not know this song.

Two live performances stand out most prominently in my memory. I'm going to include the lesser of the two first. This is George Michael singing "Somebody to Love" at the tribute concert the surviving members of Queen performed in memory of Freddy Mercury. As musical tributes go, this is one of the best.

Finally, there is Queen's triumphant performance at Wembley Stadium at 1985's Live Aid concert. When you consider the lineup at either the U.K. or U.S. venues of this epic concert (click here to see for yourself), the fact that Queen stole the show is simply amazing.

If you don't believe me, here's the quote from concert organizer Bob Geldof: "Queen were absolutely the best band of the day... they just went and smashed one hit after another... it was the perfect stage for Freddie: the whole world." I've included the whole 25-minute Live Aid set just so everyone can see how great Queen was at the height of their career.

An industry poll in 2005 called this the greatest rock performance of all time.

#5: "So" by Peter Gabriel

#5—So?

Best song: In Your Eyes
Notable tracks: Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Don't Give Up, That Voice Again, Big Time
Released: 1986
Chart peak: #2 (U.S. Billboard 200)
Popularity: 5x platinum (U.S.)

Since it has been said a picture is worth 1,000 words, I'm going to let Peter Gabriel's innovative videos make the case for this album.

"Red Rain"
The haunting opening track is often overlooked on this album,
but it's just as strong as the more popular hits.

"Sledgehammer"
One of the most innovative videos in the history of the medium;
I think the MTV Video Music Awards might have been specifically created
just for this video—it won everything it was nominated for.

"Don't Give Up" (with Kate Bush)
Peter knows the truth of this saying: "There are two kinds of people—those who love Kate Bush, and those who are wrong."

"Big Time"
In addition to being one of the best singles from this album, the song also inspired the name of Mizzou's best DJ team in the late eighties and early nineties!
Shout out to Ditto & SuperDave!

"In Your Eyes"
There's a reason Entertainment Weekly voted ..say anything #1 on their list of the best romantic movies of the past 25 years, and this song is one of the biggest reasons for that success. The soundtrack for this movie is a great album on its own—but I only own the cassette!

#6: "1984" by Van Halen

#6—Whaddaya think the teacher's
gonna look like this year?

Favorite Song: Hot for Teacher
Notable tracks: Jump,  Panama, Top Jimmy, Drop Dead Legs, I'll Wait
Released: 1984 (duh!)
Chart peak: #2 (U.S. Billboard 200)
Popularity: 12 million copies sold

There is just so much to like about this album, the last for many years with David Lee Roth as their lead singer, the very last (so far) with their original lineup, and probably their most popular album as well. I didn't follow Van Halen much at all before this album came out, but it really is the pinnacle of this band's success, and as we might expect at this point, their swan song as well.

I chose this over my other two Van Halen albums, 5150 and OU812, both great albums with Sammy Hagar as lead singer, and although I preferred Sammy as the band's lead singer, nothing they did really comes close to the pure rock & roll joy of 1984. That's nothing against Sammy—his was the version I saw live, and it was a terrific show. But this album best captures the essence of what made Van Halen not just popular but really great.

What this album also captures so well is the original lineup before the slow decline that eventually made the band more of a curiosity than a powerhouse (are they still together, in any form?). What I mean by that is that on this album, David Lee Roth's ego is still (somewhat) in check, Alex and Eddie's addictions haven't yet consumed them, and Michael Anthony is still on speaking terms with his bandmates. All that would change, but not until later.

Like so many of my albums on this list, these songs were a constant background soundtrack for life in the early- to mid-eighties. All the singles were in heavy rotation on MTV, and there was hardly a young man with a car that had a tape deck who didn't own the cassette, or in my case, hadn't transferred the album from LP to blank cassette (that's how we rolled, kids!).

This album also marks the era in which Eddie Van Halen took control of the band by building his own recording studio and incorporating the keyboard parts that Roth and previous producer Ted Templeman didn't want to let him record. Eddie was already a guitar god, but he wanted to expand his virtuosity, and 1984 showcases his skill on keys as well as on that classic Stratocaster.

True story: I was late for my sophomore social studies class one day; I walked into the class while our teacher, Mr. Doss, was still taking roll. He said, "Mr. Sanders, you are tardy." My reply: "I don't feel tardy." That's why "Hot for Teacher" is at the top of my list. Well, that and Alex's totally kick-ass drum work. (Okay, I liked the video then for the obvious reasons, too. I was 15—sue me!)

Also, when I'm watching Cardinals baseball and an opponent strikes out,

 I always shout, "Sit down, Waldo!"

#7: "Raised on Radio" by Journey

#7—Nothing performed on "Glee"

Favorite song: Girl Can't Help It
Notable tracks: Positive Touch, Suzanne, Be Good To Yourself, Once You Love Somebody, Raised on Radio, I'll Be Alright Without You
Released: 1986
Chart peak: #4 (U.S. Billboard 200)
Popularity: Double Platinum

(Note: this will be a quickie: It's late on Christmas night, and I've only had about four hours sleep since yesterday—back to more verbosity tomorrow!)

Everyone knows Journey's big hits, like "Don't Stop Believing," "Open Arms," "Faithfully," and many more, but not everyone knows about this album, my favorite Journey LP and #7 in my collection. This album bridges the year between graduating high school and starting college, a time where I felt mostly alone and isolated.

I moved away from my home town four days after graduation, spent the summer in Springfield, Mo., where I didn't know a single person, then started college at Mizzou that fall. So for me, this was one of those albums that just became really personal for me, especially at college, where I listened to it the most.

Critics have downplayed this album as too heavily influenced by Steve Perry, who also produced the album along with Jim Gaines. It also turned out to be the last significant album of new material with Perry as the lead singer of the band.

In addition to "Girl Can't Help It," (not just my favorite song on the album but one of my top 25 favorite singles of all time, this album is also memorable for "I'll Be Alright Without You." I've included the video for a live performance of "Girl Can't Help It."

#8: "Purple Rain" by Prince & The Revolution

#8—Let's Go Crazy!

Best song: Purple Rain
Notable tracks: Let's Go Crazy, When Doves Cry, I Would Die 4 U, Take Me With U, The Beautiful Ones, Computer Blue, Darling Nikki, Baby I'm A Star (this is the whole album!)
Released: 1984 (when else?)
Chart peak: #1 in U.S. for 24 weeks
Popularity: 20 million copies sold worldwide

I hated Prince—just HATED him. Couldn't stand his music, couldn't stand his stupid Jherri-curl, or his stupid platform boots, or his stupid junior-high mustache. But in 1984, I was chasing this one girl, and she just LOVED Prince, and she told me that I had to watch the movie Purple Rain. I didn't want to watch the movie because I hated Prince, but it also meant two hours sitting on the couch next to the girl I was chasing.

So I watched Purple Rain. And from that moment on, I have LOVED Prince.

I've been taking a lot of my factual information on these albums from their Wikipedia entries, but in this case, I'm going to extensively quote their entry on this album to get a true sense of its ongoing impact:

Purple Rain is regularly ranked among the best albums in music history. Time magazine ranked it the 15th greatest album of all time in 1993, and it placed 18th on VH1's Greatest Rock and Roll Albums of All Time countdown. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it the second-best album of the 1980s and 76th on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Zounds magazine ranked it the 18th greatest album of all time. Finally, in 2007, the editors of Vanity Fair labeled it the best soundtrack of all time and Tempo magazine named it the greatest album of the 1980s. In 2012, Slant Magazine listed the album at #2 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s" behind only Michael Jackson's Thriller. That same year the album was added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States."

And now they can add #8 on the Enter Sandman 2013 countdown. There's not much more I can add to that in terms of praise. Purple Rain is an absolute masterpiece. I have listed every song on the album as a "notable track" in my summary at the top, something that no other album on this list can lay claim to. Every single song is amazing; there's not only no bad songs, there are not average songs, either. Prince has also proved to have staying power over the decades and has continually contributed to the artistry of popular rock music in America.

Years after my conversion to Prince fanhood, I remarked to someone that Prince was the true heir to Jimi Hendrix's rock/blues/funk guitar solo crown. For anyone who doesn't believe that claim holds water, I'm including a video from his performance on stage with Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne (ELO), Steve Winwood, Dany Harrison, et. al. on the occasion of George Harrison's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. These stars are jamming on George's classic "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."  About 2/3 of the way into the video, Prince steps up on lead guitar and just sets the place on fire. It's freaking amazing. But then again, so is Prince.

He's also the last man in America who can unironically wear a pimp hat.

#9: "Heartbeat City" by The Cars

#9—You might think I'm crazy...

Best song: Drive
Notable tracks: Hello Again, Looking for Love, Magic, You Might Think, Heartbeat City
Released: 1984
Chart Peak: #3 (U.S. Billboard 200)
Popularity: 4x Platinum

I've often thought of Heartbeat City as a perfect album. One thing about albums, especially from the '70s and '80s, is that unless it was a greatest hits collection, it was usually about 4 or 5 hit songs with an equal amount of unremarkable filler. (Hence, iTunes and downloaded songs instead of whole albums.) However, I've never considered any of the songs on my choice as The Cars best album to be filler. You can listen straight through both sides and never have to skip a track. Perfect.

Of course, there's perfection, and then there's "Drive," not simply The Cars best song of their entire career, but one of the 10 best singles of the eighties (and probably in at least the top 25 of all time). It's particularly interesting that "Drive" is the rare song where frontman Rik Ocasek is not singing lead; in this case, it's the late bassist Benjamin Orr providing lead vocals. Oh well, at least Ocasek ended up marrying the video's star, '80s supreme supermodel Paulina Porizkova; that may be a better trade than the Louisiana Purchase.

Has anyone else noticed how many of these albums on my list were released in 1984? What a great year for music! This album is probably best known for their other two big hit singles, each with an innovative MTV video driving them, "You Might Think" and "Magic." This album marked the peak of their career, which culminated in an appearance at the Live Aid concert in that same year.

The album was notably produced by Mutt Lange, who was going to have to pass on producing Def Leppard's follow up to their earlier Lange-produced breakthrough smash Pyromania. However, a continuous series of delays for the Leppards dragged on for so long that Lange was able to rejoin the band for Hysteria, which might show up in a few days.

In the meantime, here's the video for "Drive," starring the aforementioned Paulina, doing the mental patient thing, directed by Academy Award winner Timothy Hutton. Enjoy!

#10: "Building The Perfect Beast" by Don Henley

#10—You mean he was in a band?

Favorite song: The Boys of Summer
Notable tracks: All She Wants To Do Is Dance, Not Enough Love In The World, Sunset Grill
Released: 1984
Chart peak: #13 (Billboard U.S. 200)
Popularity: Triple Platinum

I came to know Don Henley in kind of a backwards way. He had a pretty big hit in the early eighties called "Dirty Laundry" that talked about the sensationalist nature of television news; this song got played endlessly on the jukebox at the video arcade where I spent a disproportionate amount of my time. It's still a good song, one that I'll usually turn the volume up when it comes on SiriusXM's 80s channel.

So I knew who Don Henley was as a solo artist when Building The Perfect Beast came out in 1984 and spawned the four top-40 singles listed above. It was only after that that I learned he had previously been the drummer and lead singer for the Eagles. At 16 years old, my attitude about the Eagles was, "Those old dudes from the '70s my dad likes to listen to." They were a country band as far as I was concerned.

I grew up, went to college, and discovered the Eagles were a lot more than I was willing to consider in high school. I was also curious to explore their music because I loved this solo album so much. "The Boys of Summer" was at the top of my list of all-time favorite songs well into the late nineties (since then supplanted by "Just Like Heaven" by The Cure, the best song of all time).

His other singles from the album were part of my life's soundtrack through high school, especially "All She Wants To Do Is Dance" and "Not Enough Love In The World," both of which are closely attached to specific times, places, and people.

For some reason, none of the videos from this album are available on YouTube, so I'll provide a link to a third-party site where you can watch the original black-and-white mini-movie for "The Boys of Summer," one of the best videos of its day.

Click here to go to the video.

#11: "Signals" by Rush

#11—Be cool or be cast out.

Best song: Subdivisions
Notable tracks: The Analog Kid, Chemistry, Digital Man, New World Man
Released: 1982
Chart Peak: #10 (U.S. Billboard 200)
Popularity: Platinum
Chosen over: Exit Stage Left, Moving Pictures, Permanent Waves, Power Windows

I'm proof that you didn't have to smoke a lot of pot in the eighties to be a fan of Rush, but I'd be lying if I told you that it was anyone other than numerous avowed and dedicated stoners who turned me on to who I think is still Canada's greatest music export. I didn't really "get" a lot of their earlier stuff, but the one thing I noticed is how amazing their drummer was.

Musicians talk often about their influences. My early influences as an aspiring drummer were the drummer for Elton John on his album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (Nigel Olsson—thank you, Wikipedia) and Peter Criss of Kiss. Neither of them is even in the same universe with Rush's Neil Peart. I've listened to a lot of really great drummers in many different bands, and while some of my favorites are familiar names like Alex Van Halen, Stewart Copeland, and Rick Allen, Neil Peart is simply the man sitting alone at the top of Mount Everest. Here's some proof for the skeptical:

Skip ahead to 3:20 to go straight to the solo.

I've been playing drums live for more than 10 years now, and from my first time behind a set to the music I'll be playing tomorrow morning, Peart has been my primary inspiration. I set up my drums and cymbals similar to his own arrangements, and most, if not all, of my own signature rhythms that I use are derived from my dumbed-down attempts to play like the master. 

Signals has been my favorite Rush album since first hearing, and likewise, "Subdivisions" remains my favorite Rush song of all time. I started high school in 1982, the same year the album came out, and so many of the songs on the album talk about feeling isolated and alienated in a world where technological complexity only exacerbates this condition. High school certainly took care of the alienation. The past 30 years of technology makes 2013 look like science fiction in so many ways when compared to 1982.

I don't want to overlook the other members of the band in the depth of my praise for Peart, however. Geddy Lee, one of the most unlikely voices to front a band, somehow manages to sing while playing keyboards and bass at the same time (more or less!), while guitarist Alex Lifeson, who really never gets enough credit for amazing guitar work, rounds out the trio.

Rush was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, a long overdue and well deserved accolade, but they did not need that induction to confirm their greatness; legions of fans, sold-out tours even today, and a body of work that stretches over five decades now had already cemented their rightful place in rock's pantheon of transcendent bands.

I'm posting the same video clip from their 2007 live DVD recorded in Holland that I posted earlier this year when discussing the five bands I've never seen live that I still want to. I have the honor of playing music with an extremely talented young man who is a great drummer in his own right. I'm lucky he's also a great bass player so I still have a place in the band! We've talked often about seeing Rush live together—I hope there's a road trip in our near future.

#12: "Synchronicity" by The Police

#12—Hate Makes Art

Favorite song: Synchronicity II
Notable tracks: Synchronicity I, Walking in Your Footsteps, O My God, Every Breath You Take, King of Pain, Wrapped Around Your Finger
Released: 1983
Chart Peak: #1 (U.S. and U.K.)
Popularity: 8x Platinum in U.S.; Grammy for Best Rock Group Performance
Chosen over: Ghost In The Machine

I hinted strongly when I picked Sting's Dream of the Blue Turtles at #18 that Synchronicity was my favorite Police album, so here it is at #12. This is another one of those albums that just completed dominated at its height—the songs from the album were in heavy rotation daily on MTV and on both rock and pop radio; it even toppled Michael Jackson's Thriller from the top spot on the U.S. albums chart.

It was also, alas, their last studio album. Record producer Hugh Padgham reportedly had to keep Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland in separate rooms during recording "for social reasons." What he meant was that by 1983, they hated each other so much that they couldn't play in the same room together. This does nothing else but prove that great musicians don't have to like each other to make great music.

To be perfectly honest, I was never impressed—and still am not to this very day—with the album's biggest hit and perhaps The Police's best-known song, "Every Breath You Take." Frankly, I've just never been that interested in the song. Many people took it as a love song; Sting continues to insist to this day that it's about a stalker's obsession with a love he cannot possess, which leads inevitably to this little bit of wonderfulness:

See? Stalker.

Another bit of nerdy wonderfulness in regard to this album: I was heavily involved in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign in high school in which the quest was based on the lyrics to the single "King of Pain": There's a little black spot on the sun today (it started with an eclipse); It's the same old thing as yesterday (the event is tied to an event in the past); there's a black hat caught in a high treetop (okay, we're looking for a witch); there's a flag pole rag and the wind won't stop (what does the sigil on the flag represent?).

Okay, so maybe my lack of dates in high school isn't such a mystery after all.

My favorite song on the album, far and away, is "Synchronicity II." I used it as my "let's get amped up" song before a match when I was on the wrestling team. There's still something about that song that just makes me want to...well, what I did in 1983 when the video came on MTV was pounce on my sister and just beat the holy hell out of her. (Not really—we were play-fighting, but she still runs out of the room whenever the song comes on the radio!)

 RUN, JULES!

YouTube doesn't have the original video, so click HERE to watch it!

#13: "Hi Infidelity" by REO Speedwagon

#13—Probably still in your
collection, too.

Best song: Keep On Lovin' You
Notable tracks: Don't Let Him Go, In Your Letter, Take It On The Run
Released: 1980
Chart peak: #1 (U.S. Billboard 200—15 weeks!)
Popularity: 10 million copies sold

Lucky number 13 is the biggest album of the early eighties. It's hard to really compare this album to the kind of music that comes out today. Even really popular albums from artists like Beyonce and Taylor Swift don't dominate the charts and the airwaves the way REO Speedwagon did in 1980 and 1981.

I didn't know a single person who didn't own this album. One of its six singles was on the radio somewhere at almost any time of the day or night. And almost all of this was done without the help of MTV, which was still in its infancy and had yet to really drive record sales and play when this album was at its peak. In fact, the video for "Keep On Lovin' You" was first played on the 17th day of MTV's initial broadcasting.

I had the pleasure to see REO perform in Poplar Bluff about ten years ago, and although the band looked older in some places and heavier in others (thank you, middle age biology!), they sounded as good as they did on their classic vinyl.

All the songs are great, especially "Take It On The Run" and "Don't Let Him Go," but everyone knows that the undisputed champion of this record is the classic "Keep On Lovin' You," the band's first #1 single. One of the things I do while writing these blogs is listen to the album, and this song hasn't aged a day in more than 30 years. True greatness never tarnishes or fades.

How much does Kevin Cronin in 1980 look like Andy Samberg in 2013? Freaky!

#14: "Kick" by INXS

#14—One of the best live bands
I ever had the pleasure to see.

Best song: Need You Tonight/Mediate
Notable tracks: New Sensation, Devil Inside, Never Tear Us Apart, Mystify
Released: 1987
Chart peak: #3 (U.S. Billboard 200)
Popularity: 6X Platinum
Chosen over: Listen Like Thieves

I first heard INXS on MTV (where else?) with the title track from their fifth album, Listen Like Thieves. I thought it was okay, but my taste in music in high school really didn't extend much further than pop/rock and hair bands, and INXS was just a little too...alternative for me.

By fall of 1987, I had a full year of college under my belt, as well as more than a year away from the place I grew up (which I heartily recommend for everyone—even if you come back eventually to your home town, get out for a while), my tastes in practically everything were starting to expand, and with the release of Kick, INXS fully stormed both airwaves and MTV with one of the most memorable albums of my collection.

Part of my affinity for this album is due to the fact that I saw INXS live twice on the Kick tour, first in Columbia that fall, then again in St. Louis in the spring. Both shows were simply amazing. If you were never fortunate enough to see lead singer Michael Hutchence perform live, then you missed out on witnessing one of the most energetic and charismatic performers of the eighties.

As a matter of fact, the whole band was a giant burst of energy. Their shows were perpetual motion; you couldn't help but just dance and sing along with them. This was a band that was having an absolute blast performing live, and that energy rubbed off on everybody. I left both shows just buzzing with energy; they were palpably electric. I was so sad to hear many years later of Hutchence's death (in 1997); the band has tried to persevere with different singers, but there's just no way to recapture someone with that much vitality.

The songs are all terrific, each of them mainstays of MTV's heavy rotation as well as both rock and alternative radio stations throughout Missouri. All four singles—"New Sensation," "Never Tear Us Apart," "Devil Inside," and "Need You Tonight"—all made it to the Billboard top ten in the U.S., with "Need You Tonight" hitting #1. It's video—which inclues an homage to Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues"—had audiences buzzing for weeks. Both the beauty and the sadness of music is how it captures a moment that, all too often, cannot be recaptured. I hope that Michael is resting in peace—his life was a bright, bright light.

You're one of my kind...

#15: "Reckless" by Bryan Adams

#15—He looks more like the
Canadian David Spade.

Best song: Heaven
Notable tracks: One Night Love Affair, Run To You, Somebody, Summer of '69, Kids Wanna Rock, It's Only Love
Released: 1984
Chart Peak: #1 (U.S. Billboard 200)
Popularity: 12 million copies sold worldwide

One of my favorite lines from the CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother was when Canadian native Robin Scherbotsky is asked to go to a Bruce Springsteen concert, and she replies, "Bruce Springsteen? Oh my gosh, he's like the American Bryan Adams!" It may be hard to believe almost 30 years later, but in 1984, Bryan Adams WAS as big, if not bigger, than the Boss himself.

Reckless is one of those quintessential eighties albums that when played reveals a consistent soundtrack of irresistible hit songs. Side one opens with "One Night Love Affair," which was featured in the great (but underappreciated) comedy Real Genius. Track three is "Run To You," one of the best songs of his career and the first big hit from the album; it also spawned a great video featuring actress Lysette Anthony, who would appear in several of Adams' videos.

Other great songs include rock anthems "Somebody" and "Kids Wanna Rock," the nostalgia-laden "Summer of '69," and a terrific duet with Tina Turner, "It's Only Love." In fact, all six singles released from the album all made it to at least #15 or higher on the Billboard charts, a distinction shared only by Michael Jackson's Thriller and (who else?) Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA. Alas, neither of those albums are in my top 25, even though they should be—I used to own them, but they have disappeared at some point over the years.

Of course, the truly transcendent song on the album is the love ballad "Heaven," a mainstay of proms, weddings, and class reunion slow dances for time immemorial. What else can be said about such a perfect song? It was playing on the radio for one of my rare successful dates in high school, and my wife and I have danced together to this song many times. Perfection.

Let the slow dancing begin...now!

#16: "Invisible Touch" by Genesis

#16—Phil Collins, not Phil Collen!

Favorite Song: Land of Confusion
Notable Tracks: Invisible Touch; Tonight, Tonight, Tonight; In Too Deep; Throwing It All Away; The Brazilian
Release Date: 1986
Chart Peak: #3 (U.S. Billboard 200)
Popularity: 15 million copies worldwide

Most young people today probably only know Phil Collins as "that guy who sang that song in Tarzan" (the Disney version), or maybe by his countless treacly, adult-contemporary songs on lite-FM radio stations and countless Muzak feeds. What many people may not realize is that in the late '70s and early '80s, Phil Collins was the lead singer of a really terrific rock band—Genesis—not to mention a really kick-ass drummer, as well.

I guess because I'm a drummer myself, I've got a soft spot for drummers who are also their band's lead singers—there haven't been many, and speaking as a drummer who has actually sang lead on a couple of songs in a live performance, it's not easy. Invisible Touch is the only Genesis album I own, but it's good enough to land at #16.

Consider just how good this album really is: there are only eight tracks on the entire album, and five of them were released as singles, with all five of them charting in the top five in the U.S., the title track eventually reaching #1, the only #1 single of their career. It's also hard to remember how good it was when it was released because so much of this music became almost ubiquitous, appearing in everything from TV and movie soundtracks to beer commercials.

What's really great about this album, though, is the song "Land of Confusion." These three mild-mannered, unassuming British guys made a scathing indictment of conservative politics both in their native U.K. as well as here in the U.S. at a time when the popular support for Britain's Margaret Thatcher and our own Ronald Reagan had only begun to wane.

The song is a fiery protest against the militaristic jingoism of conservative politics on both sides of the Atlantic that was made even more biting by the video, which features the British puppeteers "Spitting Image." Knowing what we know now about the eighties and the lies told and money spent in the twilight of the Cold War, the song seems especially prescient.

This video is really creepy—don't say you weren't warned!

#17: "Three Lock Box" by Sammy Hagar

#17—Suckers walk, money talks...

Favorite Song: Your Love is Driving Me Crazy
Notable Tracks: Three Lock Box, Remote Love, Remember the Heroes, I Don't Need Love
Released: 1982
Chosen over: Rematch, Standing Hampton, Sammy Hagar (self-titled)

This was a really difficult selection for me just because there are great songs on the other three albums I own, notably: "I've Done Everything For You" on Rematch (written by Sammy but made famous by Rick Springfield); "Give to Live" and "Eagles Fly" on his self-titled album; and "I'll Fall in Love Again," "There's Only One Way to Rock," and "Heavy Metal" on Standing Hampton (which came in a close, close second in my selection process).

When it's that close, it's really all about which album is the first to get pulled out and laid upon the turntable, and when it comes to Sammy, it's always been Three Lock Box first and foremost for me. The thing I've always loved about Sammy is his complete lack of pretention. He plays guitar and sings and drinks and has a freaking great time doing it.

I thought Sammy was a perfect choice to replace David Lee Roth as the lead singer for Van Halen for that very reason; Diamond Dave's picture is in the dictionary next to the word "pretentious." When Sammy joined the band, they became one of the most fun bands to listen to and to see live. I finally got to see "Van Hagar" in the early nineties at Mizzou, and it's still one of the best shows I've every seen. It's a shame that personalities almost always eventually clash, and bands end. If there's any consistent message to be found in popular music, that lesson is one the most persistent.

Three Lock Box is the kind of album that you can play almost anywhere—in the car, at a party, on a date, hanging out with your buds on the weekend. All the songs are straightforward and uncomplicated, but never simplistic or insulting. I picked as my favorite "Your Love is Driving Me Crazy," the only hit single from the album, peaking at #13 on the Billboard charts, but in reality, the entirety of side one of the album is really my favorite. It's just a perfect blend of songs, and like so many others already visited on this countdown, it all sounds just as good on my stereo tonight as it did in my teenage bedroom in the early eighties.

#18: "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" by Sting

#18—Jazzy!

Best song: Fortress Around Your Heart
Notable Tracks: If You Love Somebody Set Them Free, Love is the Seventh Wave, Russians, We Work the Black Seam, Moon Over Bourbon Street
Released: 1985
Chart Peak: #2 (Billboard 200 U.S.)
Popularity: Triple Platinum

God, how I hated every song on this album the first time I heard it, especially the first single released, "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free." Sting had just reached the pinnacle of his popularity as the frontman of The Police, a British ska-punk band that had, with a lot of help from MTV (are you sensing a trend here?), reached superstar status with their biggest selling album, Synchronicity.

I loved Synchronicity and had probably listened to it hundreds of times before I was shocked by the news that The Police were breaking up. As it turns out, they pretty much all hated each other by the time they finally called it quits (this is merely hearsay; they did reunite for one more tour in 2007 and seemed to get along fine), and they all went their separate ways.

What I expected from Sting was more of what had made The Police one of the biggest bands in the world. What we all got was a lot of jazz—experimental, weird sounding crap. So why is this #18 in my countdown? Because once I got over the shock of Sting not being The Police, I listened to what he had created, and I realized that it was positively a work of genius.

I've never really been a fan of jazz music; I've always felt kind of guilty about that, like I should have a greater affinity for jazz because of its musical complexity, but in reality, I've always felt like Jimmy Rabbitte in the great movie The Commitments: "Jazz is musical wanking." In spite of that, Sting's compositions grew on me, as did the artistry of the musicians he assembled to work with him, most notably saxophonist Brandford Marsalis, drummer Omar Hakim, and keyboardist Kenny Kirkland.

Then, at the end of the album, the last track of side two (remember flipping that album over?), is one of my favorite songs of all time. If for nothing else, this song would have made the album worth the having.

#19: "True Blue" by Madonna

#19—Loved the short blonde hair!

Best song: Open Your Heart
Notable tracks: Papa Don't Preach, Live to Tell, True Blue, La Isla Bonita
Released: 1986
Chart Peak: #1 in 25 countries including U.S.
Popularity: 25 million copies sold
Chosen over: Like A Prayer

She was all dance-pop and eighties fashion on her self-titled debut album, pseudo-innocent sex bomb on "Like A Virgin," which made her an international superstar, and controversial lightning rod on her fourth album "Like A Prayer." In the middle of all of this was her third album, "True Blue," Madonna's most accomplished work both in terms of song quality as well as the quality of her singing.

Madonna has always been as much, if not more, about image and marketing as she has about musical talent. But more on any other album, she casts away image to be "truly" herself. There's hardly any image to be found on this album other than just herself. Her hair was cut radically short and bleached white, almost like she was cutting ties with the sexy girl in the the lacy wedding dress crooning "Like a Virgin." Here, she's opening herself up in a way never seen underneath all the calculating layers of lace and jelly bracelets.

"True Blue" is also her best album in terms of the overall quality of her songs. All five singles released (all listed above) reached Billboard's top five, with "Papa," "Open" and "Live to Tell" all reaching #1. She made this album at the height of her marriage to actor Sean Penn, and it may well be that being happy in love is reflected in the songs—most of them are so happy and optimistic that they're simply irresistible. The title track makes her sound literally like a love-struck teenage girl.

In contrast to the sexual and religious provocateur who would emerge from the rubble of her failed marriage to Penn (not to mention the weird British android she became in the late nineties), "True Blue" captures Madonna in a time where happiness as well as innocence both seemed possible. Recent celebrity gossip has speculated that Madonna and Penn have been spending time together again. Maybe it's never too late to be optimistic about love.

I had a hard time choosing my favorite song; it could have been any of them I listed, but I think "Open Your Heart" is probably the best in terms of all-around quality. I also think it's curious and interesting, especially in terms of the sexual boundaries she would push a few years later, that this video was considered particularly controversial. Like we've already seen on this countdown, what was considered racy in the eighties would hardly raise an eyebrow today. Well, I guess Madonna does have to take the blame for Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.

What Happened to the Boy From the Video? Click to find out...

#20: "Greatest Hits" by Barry Manilow

#20—That's right!!!

Best song: Weekend in New England
Notable tracks: All of them
Released: 1978
Popularity: Triple Platinum

Oh Mandy, well you came, and you gave without taking, but I sent you away, oh Mandy. I'm ready to take a chance again, ready to put my love on the line with you. Been living with nothing to show for it; you get what you get when you go for it. Looks like we made it—left each other on the way to another love. But it's daybreak—if you wanna believe, it can be daybreak, ain't no time to grieve.

I can't smile without you. I can't laugh, I can't sing, I'm finding it hard to do anything. You see, I feel sad when you're sad; I feel glad when you're glad—if you only knew what I'm going through...Even now, when I have come so far, I wonder where you are, I wonder why it's still so hard without you. I've looked high, low, everywhere I possibly can, but there's no tryin' to get the feeling again. It seemed to disappear as fast as it came.

Come, come, come into my arms. Let me know the wonder of all of you...could this be the magic at last? You're my song! Music too magic to end, I'll play you over and over again. We'll just go on burning bright somewhere in the night. When will our eyes meet? When can I touch you? When will this strong yearning end? And when can I hold you again?

This one's for you, wherever you are, to say that nothing's been the same since we've been apart. This one's for all the love we once knew; like everything else I have, this one's for you. At the Copa, Copacabana, the hottest spot north of Havana, at the Copa, Copacabana, music and passion were always the fashion at the Copa...they fell in love.

I write the songs that make the whole world sing.
I write the songs of love and special things.
I write the songs that make the young girls cry.
I am music, and I write the songs.

You already know that you were singing along, right?

#21: "4" by Foreigner

#21—13th birthday gift

Best song: Waiting For a Girl Like You
Notable tracks: Urgent, Juke Box Hero, Break It Up
Released: 1981
Chart Peak: #1

Foreigner is one of those eighties bands that you hardly think of until you hear them on the radio, then you remember just how really good they were. The real genius behind the band was British guitarist Mick Jones, with American vocalist Lou Gramm fronting the band as lead singer. Their most successful album is today's #21 favorite from my LP collection.

I was turned on to Foreigner at first by the success of their first single from the album, "Urgent," which features on of the most memorable saxophone solos of the era. If memory serves me correct, I think this album was a birthday present from childhood friend Chuck Mickey. (Thanks, Chuck—I still have it!)

Of course, the real treasure on this album is the single "Waiting For a Girl Like You," which I would easily count as one of the top singles of the 1980s. It would almost certainly be in my own top 25 best singles, and I would rank it just a notch below the band's later #1 hit in 1984 (and far and away their best song) "I Wanna Know What Love Is," a tremendous song, an absolute, undisputed classic, but unfortunately not on this album.

Some interesting liner note information from this album: main synthesizers in the studio were played by "Tom Dolby," who would go on to one-hit wonder immortality with "She Blinded Me With Science." The album itself was co-produced by Mick Jones at Mutt Lange, who before he was famous as the ex-Mr. Shania Twain was the producer of Def Leppard's biggest albums of the eighties. Something tells me Def Leppard is yet to come on this little countdown...

Meanwhile, enjoy the best song from "4":

(sorry, just the song—no video available)

Hey, it's almost Christmas—the season for giving—so here's the video for "I Wanna Know What Love Is." I know it's not on this album, but it's too good of both a song and a video to pass up. You're welcome!