List-a-Beefy

#28

28. Open Arms – Journey

Stats:

• #2 for 6 Weeks in 1982 (February - April)
• #1 Hits That Prevented it from Reaching #1: Centerfold - The J. Geils Band, I Love Rock 'n Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
• Should it have beaten the #1? Not even for a week.
• #1 Movie in the Country: On Golden Pond, Richard Pryor: Live on the Strip, Porky's
• Top 100 #2 Hits 1955-2001 Rank: Wasn't listed

There is something to be said for the rockin' slow song that you play at the end of a middle high dance.  Open Arms held that title probably until With or Without You five years later.  Overdramatic? Sure.  Sappy? Absolutely!  Convinced of its own passion? 100%.  Indeed, the better song is probably Faithfully that Journey produced in this genre, but it ended up being compared to Open Arms and peaked just outside the top ten because of this song's satying power. Indeed, it is Jounrey's biggest song and probably rightfully so, though I'd rather listen to Separate Ways or Don't Stop Believin' or even Any Way You Want It.

Coming up: #27 - "Maybe next time you'll give your woman a little respect"

4980-4971

And even more ten good/baddies:

4980. Stay the Same - Joey McIntyre

4979. Deep Purple - Donny and Marie Osmond

4978. Wipeout - Fat Boys (with the Beach Boys)

4977. Right Above It - Lil Wayne Featuring Drake

4976. I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing - The Hillside Singers

4975. Solid - Ashford & Simpson

4974. The Tijuana Jail - The Kingston Trio

4973. Morgan - Ivo Robic

4972. Tonight - New Kids on the Block

4971. Do You Wanna Dance? - The Beach Boys

4990-4981

Ten more songs for the sniping

4990. Beautiful Liar - Beyonce & Shakira

4989. I Can't Help It - Andy Gibb and Olivia Newton-John

4988. Anywhere - 112 (Feat. Lil'Z)

4987. Rock and Roll All Nite - Kiss

4986. Hummingbird - Les Paul & Mary Ford

4985. Battle Hymn of the Republic - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

4984. Your Love is Driving Me Crazy - Sammy Hagar

4983. Sleep - Little Willie John

4982. A Fool Never Learns - Andy Williams

4981. Nobody I Know - Peter & Gordon

Year Spotlight: 1988

I know you'll be mad but five big songs from 1988 made the top 100 list (remember the list creators were 11 that year).  30. Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard, 44. Hazy Shade of Winter - Bangles, 49. Hands to Heaven - Breathe, 56. What Have I Done to Deserve This - Pet Shop Boys and 63. Simply Irresistible - Robert Palmer.  Does that leave any?

1. I Get Weak - Belinda Carlisle
2. Endless Summer Nights - Richard Marx
3. Devil Inside - INXS
4. Shattered Dreams - Johnny Hates Jazz
5. Mercedes Boy - Pebbles
6. I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That - Elton John

I like 4, but '88 was well enough represented.  Everybody take a punch.  

#29

29. Wipeout - The Surfaris

Stats:

• #2 for 1 Week in 1963 (August)
• #1 Hits That Prevented it from Reaching #1: Fingertips (Part 2) - Little Stevie Wonder 
• Should it have beaten the #1? Listen very carefully... Fingertips had two other weeks at #1 when this was not at #2.  Those two weeks it should retain, but this song should have beaten it for that one week.  Please do no suggest that I am dissing Stevie Wonder when I say this.
• #1 Movie in the Country: Cleopatra
• Top 100 #2 Hits 1955-2001 Rank: #68

Even if you can argue with the classic opening, which sets the mood better than almost any other instrumental opening in history (save Beethoven's Fifth Symphony). Even if you argue that surf rock was a wasted dead end that even the Beach Boys got out of.  Even if you argue that pre-Beatles records don't belong on any best-of list.  Even if you know that this song returned to the top 20 just a few years after its release and you still slight the song despite its precise guitar and garage-y production aesthetic. I'm sorry, but you cannot argue with the drumming of the Surfaris in Wipeout.  His arms are going to fall off!  Too awesome to overlook.

Coming up: #28 - "We sailed on together; we drifted apart"

#30

30. Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard

Stats:

• #2 for 1 Week in 1988 (July)
• #1 Hits That Prevented it from Reaching #1: Hold On to the Nights - Richard Marx
• Should it have beaten the #1? Was there some sort of American brain injury this week? 
• #1 Movie in the Country: Coming to America
• Top 100 #2 Hits 1955-2001 Rank: #36

Def Leppard, like most of their hair metal ilk, were not really known for subtlety.  Pour Some Sugar on Me then is probably the most audacious song in comparing sweetness to sex.  This is normally just the realm of the sophomoric and certainly this song lives there.  But it dwells both so completely and in such a rocking way, that it works to the song's credit.  Yeah, it really is just teenage boys snickering at sexual antics more but it is instantly recognizable as such.  It serves then as an anthem for the both the low brow who agree with it and the high brow who can see the self-parody and just dance anyway.  It's the Beavis and Butt-head of rock songs.

Coming up: #29 - "Hee-hee-hee" 

#31

31. Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis

Stats:

• #2 for 1 Weeks in 1958 (January)
• #1 Hits That Prevented it from Reaching #1: At the Hop - Danny & the Juniors
• Should it have beaten the #1? Pick 'em.
• #1 Movie in the Country: Sayonara
• Top 100 #2 Hits 1955-2001 Rank: #54

I feel like trying to describe the rock and rollness of Jerry Lee Lewis is like trying to describe the color red.  Instead, I'll focus on why such an important and iconic song maybe doesn't do so well on our listing.  Lewis' stuff is all about the sharp edges of early rock (Little Richard is probably his closest analogue). Consequently, he makes up for lack of songwriting chops with raw energy, which makes for fun and powerful music.  But it also makes for lazy rhymes, overly repeated verse chorus structure and limited impact on subsequent listenings.  I think that this and the #3 Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On should always be included on their lists; they're too important to skip.  But I just wish there was little more there. But, goodness gracious, what a great song.

Coming up: #30 - "Demolition woman, can I be your man?"

#32

32. Proud Mary - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Stats:

• #2 for 3 Weeks in 1969 (March)
• #1 Hits That Prevented it from Reaching #1: Everyday People - Sly & The Family Stone, Dizzy - Tommy Roe
• Should it have beaten the #1? We'll leave this CCR alone.
• #1 Movie in the Country: The Graduate
• Top 100 #2 Hits 1955-2001 Rank: #14

Another song that it is hard to imagine life before.  This could as easily be a Stephen Foster song as John Fogerty.  The classic feel is aided by the vocals which ooze both regionality as well as torment with a side of restlessness. Competent guitar picking makes CCR the logical heir to the Lovin' Spoonful's brand of California rock by way of the "South". And the images of riverboats and pumpin' 'tane remind of an even early time than '69.  Listening to this, I bet you're gonna find some people who live.

Coming up: #31 - "You came along and you moved me honey"

5000 - 4991

Here are the bottom ten on of the top 5000 songs 1955-2011.  Remember these are sorted by relative popularity and not quality:

5000. I Found Someone - Cher

4999. Never My Love - Blue Swede

4998. A Sign of the Times - Petula Clark

4997. A Hazy Shade of Winter - Simon & Garfunkel

4996. According to You - Orianthi

4995. How Am I Supposed to Live Without You - Laura Branigan

4994. I'm Goin' Down - Bruce Springsteen

4993. Playground - Another Bad Creation

4992. Die Another Day - Madonna

4991. Star Dust - Billy Ward & His Dominoes

Which of these is worth saving? Which should never grace Youtube again? 

Year Spotlight: 1976

1976 also saw just one song hit the top 100: 34. The Rubberband Man - The Spinners.  Subtracting that from the total list reveals:

1. Love to Love You Baby - Donna Summer
2. All By Myself - Eric Carmen
3. Dream Weaver - Gary Wright
4. Right Back Where We Started From - Maxine Nightingale
5. Get Up and Boogie (That's Right) - Silver Convention
6. Love is Alive - Gary Wright
7. You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine - Lou Rawls
8. I'd Really Love to See You Tonight - England Dan & John Ford Coley
9. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot

If I feel bad about any of these, it is #9.  The Carmen is overwrought.  The Wrights merit little note (and Dream Weaver is mostly creepy).  Rawls was better with his top 10 missing 60s stuff. I know that the Summer would've been fashionable today, but it is still a hook looking for a song.  I'm sure I've made somebody out there hot.  What say you?