This 80s TOP 10 Will TRULY MAKE You Wonder...What the HELL Happened to Music? | Professor of Rock

Up next we’re going to count down the top 10 songs of this very same timeframe from the year 1988. We have interviews and stories from the artists… as well as your stories and dedications. And then we’ll recalibrate them based on their all-time performance since then. It’s a great show with so many great songs a couple of artists who reached the coveted BILLION VIEWS CLUB and today’s Top 10 countdown may be the only one in music history to have the worst song of the 80s go up against arguably the best song of the 80s… See if you agree and who wins the battle. Coming up next on Professor of Rock.

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Hey Music Junkies Professor of Rock Always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. If you love classic rock and pop Subscribe below right now to be a part of our community's exclusive stories straight from the artists and watch our exclusive content on Patreon by clicking on the link in the description and check out our cool new merch.

As a child of the 80s, born in the 70s, and growing up in the 80s, I was raised on Casey Kasem’s American Top 40. I listened every week without fail, rooting for my favorite song to hit #1. Today we honor his memory as we count down the top 10 songs of this same time frame from the year 1988 and then we recalibrate them based on how many times they’ve been heard, streamed or watched on YouTube all of these years later to find out what is the real #1 hit!

Well after some tweaking, I’m ready to make this a regular feature, including your stories, your dedications and the actual artists commenting on their own songs, and then after we count them down you can listen to the playlist we’ve linked to below.

So here it is, we go back to this same week September 17th in the year 1988. Coming in at Number 10: there are only a few artists at this point who have had a music video top 1 billion views and two are in this top 10. Some artists that have done it so far are The Police, Wham, Guns N Roses, Michael Jackson, A-ha, and Mr. Rick Astley who is at the 10 slot with It Would Take A Strong Strong man, its peak position… It actually went to #1 on the AC charts and in Canada, from the Stock Aiken Waterman hit machine.. this was the third hit from Rick’s album Whenever You Need Someone after Never Gonna Give You Up and Together Forever both went to #1, this song’s is in the vein those old soul songs like Aint Too Proud to beg.

I give you fair warning… someone will get rickrolled before this is over.. this song has done so-so since its original release with about 7.5 million streams between YouTube and Spotify, far from Rick’s 1 billion views from Never Gonna Give You Up…

at the number 9 spot, we have a song that Def Leppard Lead singer said was a play on words, when somebody chews on your neck, you get a bruise, so in Britain the word for a hickey according to Joe is Love bites. From their mega album hysteria, and their first and only number one hit in the US. Guitarist Phill Collen said that everyone in the band was scared of this song because the vocal parts were so high. WE had a lot of people comment on this, Sean Smith says that the Hysteria tour was the first concert that he and his wife attended, while she was pregnant with their first child, a son who now loves Def Leppard…

viewer Jay a remember that his family had a stereo in their lounge room and they all rocked out to it.

[ProfessorofRock]

Poll: What are your picks for the BEST and WORST song of the 80s?

[guntherultraboltnovacrunch]

I graduated in 84, Blinked and now I'm an old man.

[parks]

We lost our first baby in April of 1988, "Sweet Child of Mine" was what we listened to before and after we lost her. Married still since 1986, that song will bring stillness to our house, and sometimes tears, but always a love so deep it's hard to write this. Thanks for what you do!

[christineml]

Anything looking back at 80s music gets me wicked nostalgic. Great music, fun fashion, a much simpler and innocent time. I miss all of it.

[TheNoodle]

I graduated HS in 1988, and I can confirm that, there will NEVER be a better time in music/movies than the 80'! The year 1984 in music alone! Come on, perfection!
I wish almost everyday that we could all go back to the 80's! GEN X FOREVER! ❤😢

[michaelward]

Damn, I totally miss the 80s! Great movies, great tv shows, awesome music, and no social media!!

[BaddogSports]

Sunmer of 88. Was headed into 8th grade, had my first girlfriend, and was loving the music!
Nostalgia overload!

[Slinger]

Couldn't agree with you more concerning The Great Robert Palmer! Always felt he was so under-appreciated because he just didn't look like a Rockstar, But more like a pretty cool businessman 🤷🏻‍♂️ His two HUGE hits, "Addicted to Love" and "Simply Irresistible" were so great, they'll be playing those songs still a hundred years from now! 💪 Another great episode Professor!

[jonhammer]

70s. 80s. Just a lucky time to be alive and have such music. So many great great songs. Became little pieces of my life and past.

[LaManteca]

I still listen to Casey Kasem. There's just something comforting & nostalgic about his voice. I was 11 in 1988 & I remember we went to the movies to see Roger Rabbit for my lil bro's bday. Money was tight so it was the first time we kids went together. We shared soda & popcorn & it was so exciting! 😄

[RobertL_]

Robert Palmer was such a talented artist. He died way too young.

[duket]

Class of '88 here. What a time to graduate from high school! So much good music, movies, TV shows, and even commercials (where's the beef?? 😂)! I'd go back if there's a way.

[johnreilly]

Rick Astley is now seen as a national treasure now here in the Uk.
He may have been seen as cheesy but boy the guy can sing .
Hes recently completed a sell out Uk arena tour.
A double slot at the Glastonbury festival and has had 3 top ten albums since 2016.
Hes endured, he may not be the critics favourite, but no one cares, people just like him.

[Nicky]

Child of seventies music and in my twenties rocking to eighties music. Love your channel 👍

[FrizleFry]

Appetite for Destruction was the first cassette I ever bought. I went on to buy in multiple times as I often lost it. This channel always reminds me of childhood memories both with the music and with the nostalgia bit you often do at the start of the show. Cheers, buddy! This is my favourite YouTube Channel!!!

[robsteingruber]

The summer of 88, I was going into my Senior year of High School that fall. This whole list takes me back. Hanging out with my friends, the smells, the world as I knew it then. Thanks for the Time Machine escape.

[fjcrod]

That was a great list, professor. Then you got to number one and my mind travelled back to 1988. It's no wonder that song has become a cultural touchstone. To this day, it remains as wondrous and magical as ever. It never fails to transport me back to the first time I heard it. And to think, that for the longest time, the album was a flop. Today, it's absolutely one of the greatest albums and songs of all time.

[karamia]

My son was born in 1986 and my daughter in 1989. They both became black-metal heads in their teenage years and beyond but my daughter loves 80s music … as do I … the music of my 20s. We love synth pop especially Nik Kershaw (who is still releasing fabulous music to this day).

I’m not sure that it’s fitting to your question but one of my favourite 80s music memories is Donald Fagen’s album ‘Nightfly’. What a magnum opus!!! I remember it playing on the car cassette deck as my kids’ dad and I drove along the coast. ‘What a beautiful world it will be … what a glorious time to be free …..’. A magical song for what to me was a magical time.

Love from Australia ❤

I'm blown away by how great music was back in the 80's. As for someone who lived and rocked out during that time, you are still able to surprise me with music trivia that I've forgotten about. Thanks for all you do for music!

[PeopleRdum]

Something about the mid-late 80's was just so great.
Best music from pop, hard rock, glam metal, horror movies still awesome, Halloween was the best time of the year.
Nintendo and MTV after school. What a time to be a kid in the USA!