Takin' a trip in the ol' Time Machine back to Wednesday, May 10, 1989. Here's the local top 10 singles: 

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  • 10

    "Funky Cold Medina" by Tone Loc

    (#5 last week) The followup to "Wild Thing", this very similar jam made Loc a famous two-hit wonder. There was no real cocktail with that name BEFORE this hit big, but several were concocted afterwards, to capitalize. The main riff, of course, is from "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner.

  • 9

    "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles

    (#3 last week) My personal favorite 80s group with their second & final #1 single. The song was inspired by several actual "eternal flames", including one at Elvis's gravesite, Graceland.

  • 8

    "Iko Iko" by The Belle Stars

    (#10 last week) Remake of a 1965 hit by the Dixie Cups, this was released & charted (barely) in 1983, before being rereleased as a "secret weapon" record in 1989. There was quite a long court battle over who wrote this originally. It was apparently James "Sugar Boy" Crawford, in 1953. It's been recorded by dozens of artists over the years.

  • 7

    "Real Love" by Jody Watley

    (#9 last week) This video was nominated for seven MTV VMAs. Watley got her break by being a regular dancer on “Soul Train” starting at age 14! Don Cornelius selected Jody for the goup he formed, Shalamar. They had a bunch of hits in the early & mid 80s “(1980's The Second Time Around” was the biggest). Watley went solo & won the Grammy for Best New Artist in '87.

  • 6

    "Electric Youth" by Debbie Gibson

    (#8 last week) Second single & title track from Gibson's second album. Debbie wrote the song as a statement about how young people of that era were seen and how their ideas were often ignored. As a teenager herself, she was a firm believer that the beliefs and ideas held by young people were just as important as those held by adults and the song reminded people of this. It also reminded them that the current youth would become the next generation of adults. And now you know.....

  • 5

    "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals

    (#4 last week) Biggest hit from the band who named themselves after a 1960 Natalie Wood movie, "All The Fine Young Cannibals" (they've never seen it, to this day). Lead singer Roland Gift first tried singing this in his normal voice, but it just didn't sound right. He then tried doing it in falsetto & it clicked.

  • 4

    "Patience" by Guns N' Roses

    (#7 last week) People think of GNR as an album band, but they ripped off a streak of six straight top 10 singles, of which this was the fourth. Reminds me a bit of the Stones doing “Lady Jane”.

  • 3

    "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler

    (#11 last week) This song, co-written by Larry Henley of the 60s pop band The Newbeats ("Bread & Butter"), was recorded by many arts in the seven years between 1982 & 1989. Roger Whittaker was first to release it commercially, & Lou Rawls was first to chart with it. But it took Midler's bombastic version from her movie "Beaches" to make it a standard. It even topped a poll for "most-played song at British funerals". :-)

  • 2

    "Like A Prayer" by Madonna

    (#2 last week)  The first single from Madonna's fourth album. A great song, & the most controversial video of 1989. Boycotts were started, & it cost Madonna her Pepsi endorsement (not that she needed the money).

  • 1

    "I'll Be There For You" by Bon Jovi

    (#1 last week; 3rd week at #1) Third single from the album “New Jersey”. it was their 4th & final #1 single. To my ears, it has a bit of the Beatles “Don't Let Me Down” sound. Certainly one of their signature songs.

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