4 Top 10 Hits From 1985 You Don’t Hear Much These Days

We tend to think of the Top 10 as rarefied air in the pop music world. But even a hit of that magnitude can fade from the public consciousness very quickly. That’s especially the case if there’s not a lot of continued radio support for the song.

These four songs all managed to hit the Top 10 in 1985. But we feel like we don’t hear them all that often these days.

“Go Home” by Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder mostly stayed on the sidelines in the early 80s, at least when you compare that stretch to how prolific he was in the 70s. When he released the album In Square Circle in 1985, it was essentially his first studio album in five years. (A soundtrack for the film The Woman In Red, which featured Wonder’s 1984 No. 1 hit “I Just Called To Say I Love You”, helped fill the gap.) The first single from In Square Circle, “Part-Time Lover”, shot to No. 1, proving that he was missed. “Go Home”, a funky, horn-drenched number about a guy trying to shoo away a would-be girlfriend, managed a No. 10 spot as a follow-up. But it feels like it’s somewhat forgotten these days.

“Sleeping Bag” by ZZ Top

ZZ Top found a groove in the 80s by combining some of their Texas boogie with synths and mechanical beats. On paper, it didn’t seem like it had a chance of working. But the band elevated to some of their dizziest heights in the decade with songs (and videos) like “Legs”. After the major success of Eliminator in 1983, Afterburner followed it up in 1985 and utilized much the same style. But there was a bit of diminishing returns when it came to the singles that were released. At least “Sleeping Bag”, with a menacing groove and some lusty lyrics, moved the needle, landing at No. 8. That said, it doesn’t receive nearly as much airplay as the songs with the famous video clips from Eliminator.

“I’m Goin’ Down” by Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The U.S.A. album had legs for miles. Single after single that arrived at radio from the LP soared to the heights, although none of them made it all the way to No. 1. And by the time the album made it around to “I’m Goin’ Down”, the sixth single, it was getting a little silly. In his heart of hearts, Springsteen probably never envisioned this song as anything other than a whimsical change of pace. Even the repetitive chorus refrain seemed like a joke. But nothing could stop The Boss at that point in time. Like every other single from the album, it hit the Top 10 (No. 9 to be precise). But these days it takes a back seat to even Born In The U.S.A. album tracks like “No Surrender” and “Bobby Jean”.

“Sentimental Street” by Night Ranger

Sometimes, a song suffers in posterity if it follows something similar that made a massive impact. And, let’s face it, “Sister Christian”, released by Night Ranger as a single in 1984, did just that. If you were going to pick out a prototype for the power ballads that dominated the airwaves via glam metal bands in the second half of the decade, you’d have to put “Sister Christian” right at the top of the heap. “Sentimental Street”, written by guitarist Jack Blades, scratched much the same itch upon its release in 1985. It even made it to No. 8 on the pop charts. But 80s radio programmers looking for that niche are more likely to go with “Sister Christian” these days, leaving the latter song out in the cold.

(Photo by Lester Cohen / Getty Images)

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