My Top 20 Lists that I compiled as a kid 1973-1990

[Catfish]

May 1986 List
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1. Foreigner (No change)
2. Neil Young (No change)
3. Dire Straits (+2)
4. Bryan Adams (-1)
5. Toto (-1)
6. Styx (+1)
7. Bob Seger (+1)
8. The Cars (-2)
9. Fleetwood Mac (No change)
10. Huey Lewis (No change)
11. Hooters (+1)
12. Survivor (-1)
13. Journey (No change)
14. Jackson Browne (No change)
15. Honeymoon Suite (New)
16. Eagles (-1)
17. Led Zeppelin (No change)
18. ZZ Top (-2)
19. Rush (No change)
20. Police (-2)

Honeymoon Suite- Very similar story as the Hooters. Another Canadian band in the vein of April Wine...... Short term success, with a couple of really good songs, but didn't make a career out of it. If you listened to music in 1986, I'll bet you will probably remember one of these. Here are the good ones...

 

[Catfish]

June 1986 List
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1. Foreigner (No change)
2. Neil Young (No change)
3. Bryan Adams (+1)
4. Dire Straits (-1)
5. Toto (No change)
6. Bob Seger (+1)
7. Styx (-1)
8. Cars (No change)
9. Honeymoon Suite (+6)
10. Fleetwood Mac (-1)
11. Huey Lewis (-1)
12. Journey (+1)
13. Jackson Browne (+1)
14. Hooter (-3)
15. Survivor (-3)
16. Eagles (No change)
17. Rush (+2)
18. Led Zeppelin (-1)
19. ZZ Top (-1)
20. Police (No change)

Sitting in my bed in about 1972, I was listening to Beaker Street on the radio after midnight, and this song came on. In my relatively sheltered existance, I had not realized that some people's mind's were this eerily messed up. The song sure made an impression......

 

[Magic]

@Catfish
Going through your post comments…

Toto. I listened to this band quite a bit in the early 80’s. Never saw them live but I remember listening to “Rosanna” & “Africa” a lot. Very popular back then. I think IV is the only album I own.

Shooting Star. I recognize the name, for some odd reason, but can’t recall anything by them. Even looking up their singles didn’t jog any memories.

Hooters was a band! Definitely one for the lost & forgotten list.

Honeymoon Suite. I do know this band. I have their first 2 albums, S/T & The Big Prize. Very very similar to April Wine or Night Ranger, but never quite had the Oomph that April Wine had.

 

[TACdtf]

Concert: Shooting Star and Heart August 21, 1985- Price on Ticket Stub- $13.50

Shooting Star- I will have to shamefully admit, that I had no idea or recollection of who this was, or what they sounded like. Well after doing a wiki lookup and listening to some of their YT songs...... I still don't. From what I heard and read, they are obviously forgettable, and am surprised Heart's management signed them as an opening act. I got to ask, and answer me honestly..... Do any of your remember this band? This apparently one of their awful, and cheesy ventures into what they are calling music. Can't believe they rated high enough in somebody's book to allow a video to be made..... Here its is.... Don't blame me, I've warned you.

I loved Shooting Star. Being that they were from Missouri, they were a kind of poor man's Kansas, even having a violinist in the band.

Their first three albums are really good, particularly 1981's Hang On For Your Life.

Granted by the time they were opening for Heart in 1985, they had pretty much wimped out.

You guys don't remember these great songs?

 

[Catfish]

July 1986 List
------------------
1. Foreigner (No change)
2. Neil Young (No change)
3. Bryan Adams (No change)
4. Honeymoon Suite (+5)
5. Bob Seger (+1)
6. Toto (-1)
7. Dire Straits (-3)
8. Styx (-1)
9. Cars (-1)
10. Fleetwood Mac (No change)
11. Huey Lewis (No change)
12. Jackson Browne (+1)
13. Journey (-1)
14. Eagles (+2)
15. Rush (+2)
16. Survivor (-1)
17. The Hooters (-3)
18. Led Zeppelin (No change)
19. Police (+1)
20. ZZ Top (-1)

Love this blast from the past. This live version is so much grittier and rougher than the studio one, but is a fine example of virtuosity of one bad ass trio. Walsh's ability to get squeeze Bolero into a rocking tune gets 5 extra bonus points for gumption.

 

[Catfish]

August 1986 List
-----------------------
1. Foreigner (No change)
2. Bryan Adams (+1)
3. Neil Young (-1)
4. Honeymoon Suite (No change)
5. Toto (+1)
6. Bob Seger (-1)
7. Dire Straits (No change)
8. Fleetwood Mac (+2)
9. Cars (No change)
10. Styx (-2)
11. Eagles (+3)
12. Jackson Browne (No change)
13. Huey Lewis (-2)
14. Journey (-1)
15. Rush (No change)
16. Suvivior (No change)
17. Led Zeppelin (+1)
18. Police (+1)
19. Hooters (-2)
20. ZZ Top (No change)

Still have some Cheap Trick Stickers Rick Neilson threw in the crowd at the concert I attended. I bet he threw 5000, cause my stack was about 20. All the stickum has dry rotted off, but the music lives on.

 

[TACdtf]

Why not post some '86 footage of Cheap Trick? It would make it more relevant to your list, no?

 

[Catfish]

September 1986 List
--------------------------
1. Foreigner- (No change)
2. Neil Young (+1)
3. Bryan Adams (-1)
4. Honeymoon Suite (No change)
5. Toto (No change)
6. Bob Seger (No change)
7. Styx (+3)
8. Cars (+1)
9. Fleetwood Mac (-1)
10. Dire Straits (-3)
11. Huey Lewis (+2)
12. Eagles (-1)
13. INXS (New)
14. Journey (No change)
15. Jackson Browne (-3)
16. Rush (-1)
17. Police (+1)
18. Led Zeppelin (-1)
19. Hooters (No change)
20. Pat Benetar (New)

INXS- My favorite Australian group not fronted by the Young Brothers. INXS were kind of a latter new wave , ska-ish, funky kind of band that really had some good song writing. MTV really helped them take off, and they had great success , with 7 platinum albums. Not really in the true vein of straight up rock and roll, but one of those guilty pleasures.

A little personal back story.... The Watering Hole I frequented that I was able to see both the Ramones and Romantics for had in their Coming Attractions board.... Coming Soon.... INXS. I thought it would be awesome again to see a 3rd quality band at at the bar. In fact, I bugged the shit out of the Bar Keep, on just when the band was coming. Sadly, I think it came down to scheduling conflicts, so it never happened.

As I said this is a band that probably would have even hit higher success, if their lead singer hadn't died. At the time, it was ruled a suicide, but I think everyone realizes that it was maybe one of the first famous deaths from erotic-auto asphyxiation. Terrible tragedy, and subsequent work just wasn't the same. Before then? Some great tunes.....
Here is a sample of some you might remember.....

 

[Catfish]

October 1986 List
---------------------------
1. Foreigner (No change)
2. Neil Young (No change)
3. Bryan Adams (No change)
4. Toto (+1)
5. Honeymoon Suite (-1)
6. Styx (+1)
7. Bob Seger (-1)
8. Boston (New)
9. Cars (-1)
10. Huey Lewis (+1)
11. Eagles (+1)
12. INXS (+1)
13. Fleetwood Mac (-4)
14. Dire Straits (-4)
15. Journey (-1)
16. Jackson Browne (-1)
17. Pat Benetar (+3)
18. Rush (-2)
19. Led Zeppelin (-1)
20 Police (-3)

Boston comes roaring back in October 1986, based on the strength of 3rd Stage which was a breath of fresh air after Boston's disasterous Don't Look Back. Don't Look Back may be the one most drastic drop in quality after a great debut in Rock history. Of course, the band stated that it was a middle finger to the record company.... But Mr. Scholz, there were many of us who thought that bird was aimed at us too. It was awful, and totally un-inspired. And my opinion of Boston in the late '70's and early 80's reflected that.

This much was much improved, but still not near as great as the debut. Also, if I do have one other gripe, they overdid the love song sappy shit. Boston... this is not a band chicks really dig... stick with the script. IMO..3 best cuts from the LP...

 

[TACdtf]

I wasn't old enough to see Boston in the 70's, but I did see them on the Third Stage tour. I saw the last of the NINE shows they played at the Worcester Centrum. They played the Third Stage album in its entirety. It was never a fave for me, as I was more into metal and hard rock, but it's a decent album for sure.