Don’s Top 10 for April 14, 1984

(#10 last week) One of four top 10 singles from their multiplatinum LP "Break Out". It features Ruth Pointer's deep voiced lead vocals. Certainly stood out from their other hits.

(#9 last week) Speaking of distinctive songs, this one really stands out, too. It sounds like nothing else, & that's a good thing! It's worn very well, in my opinion. It was the British duo's 2nd American top 10 hit & 5th in the U.K. The orchestral parts are played by the British Philharmonic Orchestra. The full five minute track was only released to radio originally (the LP version on "Touch" was edited to 4:23 & the single even shorter), with the full version finally coming out on a hits collection in 1991.

(#7 last week) Where does one begin about Mr. Al? He basically created his own genre of music, the musical parody. He's sold more than 12 million albums & recorded over 150 songs since 1976 ("My Bologna", anyone?). On "Eat It", weird Al arguably topped Michael Jackson's use of Eddie Van Halen on "Beat It" by having the legendary Rick Derringer ("Hang On Sloopy") play guitar.

(#6 last week) Rockwell's real name is Kennedy Gordy. Yes, he's the son of Motown's founder Berry Gordy Jr. (one of Berry's 8 children). Rockwell's half-brother is Redfoo (real first name: Stefan), one-half of the currently popular duo LMFAO ("Party Rock Anthem", "Sexy & I Know It"). This could be an answer song to "Every Breath You Take", a hit just months earlier.

(#2 last week) The "B" side of this leftfield hit was the original German version ("99 Luftballoons"), & it got almost as much airplay as the English "A" side. "Nena" was a group named after the nickname of the lead singer, Gabriele "Nena" Kerner.

(#3 last week) By far, the biggest hit of their career. Eddie Van Halen wrote the music two years before David Lee Roth wrote the words. Even before those were written, everyone knew the song would be a smash, just from the groove.

(#12 last week) We forget how hot was Phil Collins was on top 40 radio: between his solo recordings & Genesis, he racked up an astounding 19 straight national top 10 singles between 1983 & 1990! This one came from the now-almost-forgotten movie of the same name that starred Jeff Bridges. Remember when he was a sex symbol? Not Collins, Bridges. :-)

(#1 last week) Surprisingly, this classic did NOT make it to #1 nationally (Van Halen kept it out of the top spot), but it DID make it to the top locally. Ironically, a man wrote it, the late Robert Hazard ("Escalator Of Life").

(#5 last week) Remember when music videos were mini-movies? This one should have provided popcorn. And is it just me, but is the young lady not very convincing in her sightlessness? Flash forward to 2012: On his new album, Lionel revisits "Hello" by duetting on it with Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland.

(#4 last week; 1st week at #1) Watching the scene from the movie of the same name, I have to say: they should have left the handclaps & yelps on the record!