Don’s Top 10 From November 16, 1982

(#13 last week) Check out Neil's coif in this video! Worst hair of the 80s. LOL. The song is pretty generic early 80s "AC" pop, too. We didn't know it then, but this was Neil's last top 10 hit (his first had come 16 years earlier, "Cherry Cherry")..

(#24 last week) One of my [personal all-time favoriites! There was a time when The Clash were so avant-garde that they seemed unlikely to be top 40 hitmakers. But this danceable rocker could not be denied.

(#8 last week) A very catchy comeback for the duo that used to be a trio. First hit since 1976's "Today's The Day". Written & produced by the multitalented Russ Ballard. Some other hits Ballard wrote: "Liar" (Three Dog Night); "New York Groove" (Ace Frehley); "Winning" (Santana) & "I Know There's Something Going On" (Frida). Ballard ALSO was lead singer of Argent's "Hold Your Head Up".

(#2 last week) This classic ode of heartland rock was actually recorded in Miami. It's still his biggest hit. Mellencamp has said it was a very tough song to record technically.

(#23 last week) A hue 17-notch jump for this insanely catchy pop nugget. Jackson's a gy you woulln't think would be great live, but he really is. I've seen him three times, including the Count Basie in Red Bank.

(#9 last week) 17th week in the local top 25!  Ms. Branigan was a lovely lady who passed on way too young (an aneurysm at age 47). I was lucky enough to meet Laura at a radio station event in the Hyatt Regency Princeton. Happy to say she couldn't have been nicer. Surprising fact: even though this peaked at #2, the song lasted so long on the local chart it is the #1 hit of the 80s, by point total.

(#12 last week) Spent an incredible 10 weeks at #1 on the Billboard R&B chart, the longest run in 20 years. Interesting battle of the songwriting of this steamy makeout jam. "Rolling Stone" Magazine reporter David Ritz, who had gone to Belgium to interview the reclusive Mr. Gaye, alleged in a lawsuit that he had come up with the title "Sexual Healing" in a conversation with Gaye after seeing some weird sexually explicit material in his apartment. The suit wasn't settled until after Marvin's death, with Ritz being give a partial credit.

(#3 last week) Oscar & Grammy-winning smash that was almost cut from "An Officer & A Gentleman" at producer Don's Simpson's demand! Director Taylor Hackford refused. The song was co-written by 60s veterans Jack Nitzsche (a member of The Wrecking Crew) & Buffy Sainte-Marie (folk music legend) .

(#1 last week) The best phrase I've heard described for this smash is "rugged boogie". Surprisingly, while this got to #1 in the U.S., it only peaked at #2 in the band's native Australia, & way down at #45 (!!!) in the U.K.

(#7 last week; 1st week at #1) Is it just me, or does this song sound more than a little like Lionel's previous ballad smashes "Still" & "Endless Love" (&, for that matter the Richie-penned/produced Kenny Rogers hit "Lady")? Whatever, the formula worked, again. The song won a Grammy Award for Richie in the category "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance".