8 of the 80s: 7/31/14 (1981)

We move a decade ahead in this week's throwback Thursday to 1981, the year of the Wonderland murders of a cocaine gang involving the biggest name in porn, John Holmes...

Styx - "The Best Of Times"
from the album Paradise Theater (1981)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #3
Songwriter: Dennis DeYoung

The song that closed the first side of the arena-rock band's classic album was a crescendo of sound not far from the bombast of Broadway.

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REO Speedwagon - "Take It On The Run"
from the album Hi Infidelity (1980)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5
Songwriter: Gary Richrath

The second single for the midwestern rockers to make the top-ten, and also one of the first videos shown on MTV's inaugural day.

ELO - "Hold On Tight"
from the album Time (1981)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: 10
Songwriter: Jeff Lynne

The British orchestral-rock outfit set the high bar for outlandish videos with this bank-breaker...

The Moody Blues - "The Voice"
from the album Long Distance Voyager (1981)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #15
Songwriter: Justin Hayward

The former psychedelic-prog-rock band continued their evolution to 80's space-pop hitmakers with this dreamy song.

Steve Miller Band - "Heart Like A Wheel"
from the album Circle Of Love (1981)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #24
Songwriter: Steve Miller

The retro-sounding track from the virtuoso rock guitarist's eleventh album didn't go down as well as his more mainstream fare, but he rebounding the next year with the #1 "Abracadabra"..

Journey - "The Party's Over (Hopelessly In Love)"
from the album Captured (1981)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #34
Songwriter: Steve Perry

The sole studio recording on the arena-rock giants' first live album became one of their finest moments on the radio.

Don Felder - "Heavy Metal (Takin' A Ride)"
from the album Heavy Metal (Original Soundtrack) (1981)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #43
Songwriter: Don Felder

The former Eagles' guitarist provided the theme to this cult classic animated sci-fi adult movie....

Greg Lake - "Let Me Love You Once"
from the album Greg Lake (1981)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #48
Songwriters: Steve Dorff, Molly-Ann Leiken

The veteran of progressive rock titans King Crimson and Emerson, Lake, & Palmer strikes out on his own with this easy-going midtempo ballad...