8 of the 80s: 11/17/13...

Hey gang, it's time now for another trip to the 80s, and this week I've got eight more nuggets from 1982, the year of the Falklands War between Britain and Argentina.

The J. Geils Band - "Centerfold"
from the album Freeze-Frame (1981)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1

The Boston-area bar-band heroes got their biggest hit by the lowest common denominator, with the story of a guy coming across his crush in a skin-mag. Fun fact, singer Peter Wolf dated actress Angel Tompkins, who did appear in Playboy.

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Juice Newton - "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)"
from the album Juice (1981)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #7

Juice's most precious hit was written by old band member Otha Young, who also penned the Carpenters' "Sweet Sweet Smile".

Barbara Streisand - "Comin' In And Out Of Your Life"
from the album Memories (1981)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #11

One of the new tracks on Babs' compilation from 1981, the song was her last solo pop smash, just missing the pop top-10 in the US, while the album was the biggest selling disc in the UK.

Bob & Doug McKenzie with Geddy Lee - "Take Off"
from the album Great White North (1982)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #16

It's scary to think that Rush's singer Geddy Lee's biggest hit in the US was this novelty record by Canadian comedians Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas as Molson-drinking Bob & Doug McKenzie. They even had a top-10 album. Beauty, eh?

Skyy - "Call Me"
from the album Skyy Line (1981)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #26

Lord, I love this song, but dayum this girl's a skank, honing up on her friend's boyfriend right after they broke up. Cold!

Sneaker - "More Than Just The Two Of Us"
from the album Sneaker (1981)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #34

This soft-rock nugget was produced by Steely Dan/Doobie Brothers bassist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, who now consults for the government on missile defense.

Genesis - "Man On The Corner"
from the album Abacab (1982)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #40

 Phil Collins visited the issue of homelessness a few times in his solo work, and it was all preceded by this somber choice of a pop single for his band.

Michael McDonald - "I Gotta Try"
from the album If That's What It Takes (1982)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #44

It's fitting my favorite MM solo single is his most "Doobiest", but it's a crime it peaked below the top-40 with a month at #44. Grrr...

That's a wrap for this flashback to the 80s...I'll be back tomorrow with another Song of the Day, Candletime, and my Top-100 tunes for the week... thanks for stopping by and have a great night!