1985

The Top 150 Hits of… 1985

The Unusual Case of "We Are the World"

An interesting thing about the way the Hot 100 was tabulated before 1992: If a radio station told you which was their #1 song, or a record store told you which was their #1 seller, you would know what song was out in front of all the others that week... What you wouldn’t know is how far out in front. To partially compensate, I give a few bonus points for multiple weeks at #1. In this case, I don’t think it’s enough.

"We Are the World" by USA for Africa was an event record. All of the biggest American music stars of the period [[Really, all of them. Well, except for Prince and Chicago, both of whom contributed songs to the USA for Africa album. Side note: While being my all-time favorite artist, Prince is also the source of my 2 biggest musical disappointments. One was his collaboration with Madonna on her Like a Prayer album. Bad. The other was his turning down the offer to sing on We Are the World. You know the last chorus over which James Ingram sings lead? In the initial plan, that was meant to have been Prince and Michael Jackson singing back and forth the way Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen do earlier in the song. Wouldn’t that have been amazing? Darn you, Prince.]] trading lines on one song to benefit African famine relief. It peaked at #1 for four weeks, then fell down and off the chart fairly quickly. Going strictly by its point total, it would place at #19 on my list for ’85 and was #20 on Billboard’s.

Thing is, during the four weeks it spent at #1, it must have been waaaaaaaaaay ahead of everyone else. The single sold 4 million copies, 2-3 times what any other song sold that year. 4 million may have, in fact, been a record at the time. If Billboard had had available then the kind of data they have now, it’s possible that "We Are the World" would have been the #1 song of 1985. That being the case, I couldn’t leave it at 19. In order for it to be #1, it would need an additional 45 points. I gave it half that, which puts it at #6, right in the middle of the 10 point split between "Crazy for You" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World". That feels right to me. Comments from other chart enthusiasts?

By the way, if my point scale put as much emphasis on the number of weeks on the chart as Billboard’s did, two songs that would definitely have made the list are "I Wonder If I Take You Home" by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam and "Tenderness" by General Public, #s 151 and 153 by my scale.

1. Like a Virgin – Madonna 287.5
2. Careless Whisper – Wham! 286.5
3. Out of Touch – Daryl Hall & John Oates 282.5
4. I Want to Know What Love Is – Foreigner 275
5. Crazy for You – Madonna 271
6. We Are the World – USA for Africa 243 + 22.5 265.5
7. Everybody Want to Rule the World – Tears for Fears 261
8. Money for Nothing – Dire Straits 260
9. Everytime You Go Away – Paul Young 257.5
10. We Built This City – Starship 257.5
11. Easy Lover – Philip Bailey with Phil Collins 255.5
12. Take On Me – a-ha 255
13. Can’t Fight This Feeling – REO Speedwagon 253
14. Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds 250.5
15. Cherish – Kool and the Gang 249
16. The Power of Love – Huey Lewis and the News 248.5
17. Part-Time Lover – Stevie Wonder 245.5
18. The Wild Boys – Duran Duran 243.5
19. St. Elmo’s Fire – John Parr 242
20. The Heat Is On – Glenn Frey 240.5
21. Shout – Tears for Fears 239.5
22. Saving All My Love for You – Whitney Houston 235.5
23. Heaven – Bryan Adams 232
24. Miami Vice Theme – Jan Hammer 232
25. Sea of Love – The Honeydrippers 232
26. Everything She Wants – Wham! 229.5
27. Cool It Now – New Edition 227.5
28. You Belong to the City – Glenn Frey 227.5
29. A View to a Kill – Duran Duran 223.5
30. Rhythm of the Night – DeBarge 223
31. Loverboy – Billy Ocean 222.5
32. One More Night – Phil Collins 222.5
33. You’re the Inspiration – Chicago 221
34. Oh Sheila – Ready for the World 220.5
35. Never – Heart 219.5
36. Sussudio – Phil Collins 219.5
37. Raspberry Beret – Prince and the Revolution 216.5
38. Neutron Dance – The Pointer Sisters 215
39. Lovergirl – Teena Marie 214.5
40. If You Love Somebody Set Them Free – Sting 213
41. All I Need – Jack Wagner 212.5
42. Never Surrender – Corey Hart 212.5
43. We Belong – Pat Benatar 211.5
44. Freeway of Love – Aretha Franklin 211.5
45. You Give Good Love – Whitney Houston 211
46. Nightshift – The Commodores 210
47. One Night in Bangkok – Murray Head 206
48. We Don’t Need Another Hero – Tina Turner 205
49. Material Girl – Madonna 205
50. Things Can Only Get Better – Howard Jones 204
51. The Search Is Over – Survivor 203
52. Head Over Heels – Tears for Fears 200.5
53. Suddenly – Billy Ocean 198.5
54. Obsession – Animotion 198
55. Axel F – Harold Faltermeyer192
56. Don’t Lose My Number – Phil Collins 191
57. The Boys of Summer – Don Henley 190.5
58. Smooth Operator – Sade 188.5
59. Glory Days – Bruce Springsteen 186.5
60. Run to You – Bryan Adams 185.5
61. No More Lonely Nights – Paul McCartney 185.5
62. In My House – Mary Jane Girls 179.5
63. Lay Your Hands on Me – Thompson Twins 178.5
64. Freedom – Wham! 175.5
65. Some Like It Hot – Power Station 175
66. Lonely Old Night – John (Cougar) Mellencamp 175
67. Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adams 174
68. Too Late for Goodbyes – Julian Lennon 171.5
69. Who’s Zoomin’ Who – Aretha Franklin 171
70. California Girls – David Lee Roth 171
71. Missing You – Diana Ross 169.5
72. Would I Lie to You? – Eurythmics 169.5
73. Voices Carry – ‘Til Tuesday 169
74. Angel – Madonna 167.5
75. I’m on Fire – Bruce Springsteen 166.5
76. Method of Modern Love – Daryl Hall & John Oates 165.5
77. Be Near Me – ABC 163.5
78. Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves 163.5
79. Valotte – Julian Lennon 159
80. Who’s Holding Donna Now – DeBarge 158.5
81. Misled – Kool and the Gang 157
82. Fortress Around Your Heart – Sting 155.5
83. Private Dancer – Tina Turner 152.5
84. Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen 151
85. Dress You Up – Madonna 150.5
86. All She Wants to Do Is Dance – Don Henley 148.5
87. What About Love – Heart 146.5
88. Fresh – Kool and the Gang 146.5
89. Sentimental Street – Night Ranger 145.5
90. Solid – Ashford and Simpson 144.5
91. Lovin’ Every Minute of It – Loverboy 144.5
92. Do What You Do – Jermaine Jackson 142.5
93. Sugar Walls – Sheena Easton 140
94. You Are My Lady – Freddie Jackson 138
95. Invincible – Pat Benatar 137.5
96. Dare Me – The Pointer Sisters 136
97. Pop Life – Prince and the Revolution 135
98. High on You – Survivor 134.5
99. Get It On (Bang a Gong) – Power Station 134
100. You’re Only Human (Second Wind) – Billy Joel 133
101. I Would Die 4 U – Prince and the Revolution 128.5
102. Dancing in the Street – David Bowie and Mick Jagger 128.5
103. Smuggler’s Blues – Glenn Frey 128.5
104. The Old Man Down the Road – John Fogerty 127
105. Jungle Love – The Time 125
106. Somebody – Bryan Adams 123.5
107. Love Theme from “St. Elmo’s Fire” – David Foster 122
108. Only the Young – Journey 121.5
109. Relax – Frankie Goes to Hollywood 121
110. People Are People – Depeche Mode 120.5
111. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) – Dead or Alive 117.5
112. Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody – David Lee Roth 115
113. Foolish Heart – Steve Perry 114.5
114. Jamie – Ray Parker Jr. 113.5
115. Just Another Night – Mick Jagger 112.5
116. I’m Goin’ Down – Bruce Springsteen 111.5
117. The Goonies ‘R Good Enough – Cyndi Lauper 111.5
118. New Attitude – Patti Labelle 110
119. And We Danced – The Hooters 107.5
120. Don’t Come Around Here No More – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers 107
121. One Night Love Affair – Bryan Adams 106.5
122. Along Comes a Woman – Chicago 106.5
123. That Was Yesterday – Foreigner 106
124. Cry – Godley and Creme 106
125. Mr. Telephone Man – New Edition 105.5
126. Call to the Heart – Giuffria 105.5
127. I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down – Paul Young 102
128. Keeping the Faith – Billy Joel 100.5
129. Never Ending Story – Limahl 99.5
130. Hello Again – The Cars 99
131. Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake) – Freddie Jackson 98
132. Love Light in Flight – Stevie Wonder 97.5
133. Understanding – Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band 96.5
134. Smokin’ in the Boys Room – Motley Crue 96.5
135. One of the Living – Tina Turner 96
136. Operator – Midnight Star 95.5
137. Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes) – Kim Carnes 95.5
138. One Lonely Night – REO Speedwagon 94.5
139. Just As I Am – Air Supply 93.5
140. 19 – Paul Hardcastle 93
141. Centipede – Rebbie Jackson 92.5
142. Tough All Over – John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band 91.5
143. Naughty Naughty – John Parr 91.5
144. Life in One Day – Howard Jones 89.5
145. Save a Prayer – Duran Duran 88.5
146. Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves – Eurythmics with Aretha Franklin 86
147. C-I-T-Y – John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band 85
148. Mystery Lady – Billy Ocean 84.5
149. Sunset Grill – Don Henley 83.5
150. Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid – Daryl Hall & John Oates 82.5

For comparison, here’s Billboard’s official year-end chart for 1985.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_1985