8 of the 80s: 4/18/13 (1983)...

Hey gang, it's time to roll back out another 80s flashback, and this time I've rolled back to 1983, the year of the first flight of the space shuttle Challenger. And all eight of these songs frustratingly peaked right under the big chart.

George Clinton - "Atomic Dog"
from the album Computer Games (1982)
Billboard peak: #101
Songwriters: George Clinton, Gary Shider, David Spradley

This chart-topping R&B hit straddled the divide between modern soul and the growing rap/hiphop scene, with a party you can't deny. Why must I chase the cat?

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Bananarama - "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"
from the album Deep Sea Skiving (1983)
Billboard peak: #101
Songwriters: Gary DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer, Paul Leka

The fun girls remake a 60s classic and take their top-10 British hit just under the charts before they hit big in the States with another remake ("Venus")...

Yarborough & Peoples - "Heartbeats"
from the album Heartbeats (1983)
Billboard peak: #101
Songwriters: Lonnie Simmons

The return of the couple this year gave them a top-10 R&B hit that frustratingly lingered right below the pop chart for five weeks at #101....

U2 - "Two Hearts Beat As One"
from the album War (1983)
Billboard peak: #101
Songwriters: Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen

Adam Clayton dominated this track as his bass was on fire on this epic love track from their breakthrough album.

Grandmaster & Melle Mel - "White Lines (Don't Do It)"
from the album Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five (1984)
Billboard peak: #101
Songwriters: Melvin Glover, Sylvia Robinson

"Flash" really wasn't on the record, but rather a full-fledged drug addict when this was released with Melle Mel (Melvin Glover) and label head Sylvia Robinson handling the production.

Carpenters - "Make Believe It's Your First Time"
from the album Voice Of The Heart (1983)
Billboard peak: #101
Songwriters: Bob Morrison, Johnny Wilson

Released after Karen's death in 1983, this song, which was a minor hit for Bobby Vinton in the 70s, was their last appearance in the top-10 on the adult-contemporary chart.

Dionne Warwick - "All The Love In The World"
from the album Heartbreaker (1982)
Billboard peak: #101
Songwriters: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb

Another charmer from Dionne's underrated Bee Gee produced album.

The Isley Brothers - "Between The Sheets"
from the album Between The Sheets (1983)
Billboard peak: #101
Songwriters: Ernie, Marvin, O'Kelly, Ronald, and Rudolph Isley, Chris Jasper

This smooth bedroom anthem was a huge R&B hit, but never crossed over to pop radio until a certain Biggie Smalls used it for his "Big Poppa" single.