8 of the 80s: 9/11/14 (1985)

It's #throwback Thursday time, and this week I've got eight more nuggets from the 80s. This time out I'm back to 1985, the year a French and American team locate the submerged wreckage of the Titanic.

Rick James - "Can't Stop"
from the album Glow (1985)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #50
Songwriter: Rick James

This one started sooooo eighties-like, almost like a new-wave cheerleading song, but hey, Rick James at this point was way over his head on drugs. This still made the top-10 on the R&B and dance charts..

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9.9 - "All Of Me For All Of You"
from the album 9.9 (1985)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #51
Songwriters: Richard "Dimples" Fields, Josh Sklair, Belinda Wilson

An awesome forgotten wonder from the Boston-based female vocal group. This deserved better, it was the jam on my radio back in the day.

Nolan Thomas - "Yo Little Brother"
from the album Yo Little Brother (1985)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #57
Songwriters: Ann Godwin, Curtis Josephs

Years before Martha Wash's C&C Music Factory snafu, this freestyle classic came out, though Thomas didn't sing lead, he was the "face" of the record (that would be Elan Lanier)...

Jesse Johnson - "Be Your Man"
from the album Jesse Johnson's Revue (1985)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #61
Songwriter: Jesse Johnson

After playing guitar in the Time, Jesse struck out on his own with this jam from an album that made the top-40 biggest sellers of the year.

Jennifer Holiday - "Hard Times For Lovers"
from the album Say You Love Me (1985)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #69
Songwriters: Lotti Golden, Richard Scher

A smooth midtempo charmer from the singer's second solo album was her first to hit the dance chart. She would go on to top that list three times.

Kurtis Blow - "Basketball"
from the album Ego Trip (1984)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #71
Songwriters: Curtis Badeau, James Bralower, Gerard Charles, Hugh Clarke, Robert Ford, Brian George, Lucien George, Paul George, James Moore, Kurt Walker, William Waning

One of the first rap to pop crossovers, this ode to the sport was a nice respite of all the seriousness in rap's early days.

UTFO - "Roxanne Roxanne"
from the album UTFO (1985)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #77
Songwriters: Curtis Badeau, Jeff Campbell, Gerard Charles, Hugh Clarke, Shaun Fequiere, Brian George, Lucien George, Paul George, Fred Reeves

The rap track that created its own franchise, with dozens of answer records by them, Roxanne Shante', "The Real Roxanne", and others.

Whodini - "Friends"
from the album Escape (1985)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #87
Songwriters: Jalil Hutchins, Larry Smith

Escape was the first rap album I ever owned (on vinyl, natch), as I was transfixed by "Freaks Come Out At Night" and this pre-date questionnaire.

Atlantic Starr - "Freak-A-Ristic"
from the album As The Band Turns (1985)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #90
Songwriter: David Lewis

Ah, the days when the worst a woman would be called (or best, depending on your point of view) was a "freak".