Category: 1980s

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1989

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date August 23, 2019

Every Friday I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 10, 15, 20, or 30 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 4TH Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday August 27TH 1989:

“Hangin’ Tough” – New Kids On The Block
“Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind)” – New Kids On The Block
“I Like It” – Dino
“Batdance” – Prince
“So Alive” – Love And Rockets

This is the 30TH anniversary of a concert that I attended at the now defunct (1976-2002) Sunrise Musical Theatre (now a megachurch). It was the occasion of Y-100’s “Sweet 16” birthday celebration. Y-100 – the heritage Top 40 radio station here in South Florida – was celebrating their 16TH birthday. (They are still in the Top 40 business – after 46 continuous years !)

On the docket on that day – Sunday August 27TH 1989 – were (in this order) – Bandera, K.C. And The Sunshine Band, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Damian, and Buster Poindexter. According to my well-preserved notes from that concert K.C. And The Sunshine Band was my favorite act of the show. I rated them as “totally awesome man”. Cyndi Lauper was my 2ND favorite act of the show. I rated her as “pretty cool dude”. Obviously I talked like a 22-year-old dude back then – because that’s what I was. The show started at 2:15 PM, and it continued for 8 hours until 10:15 PM. I think all of the Y-100 deejays of the time were at the show – Bobby Mitchell & “Footy”, Al Chio, Doug Dunbar (now a news anchor on CBS-11 in Dallas Texas), Kid Kurry, and JJ Walker (now on SiriusXM’s ’70s On 7).

What a great show. It’s hard to believe that it was 30 years ago. My next concert is this upcoming week – in Fort Lauderdale. I’ll tell you all about it when I go RETRO next Friday.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with two more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 1989

1980s Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1989

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date July 26, 2019

Every Friday night I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 10, 15, 20, or 30 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 4TH Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday July 30TH 1989:

“Express Yourself” – Madonna
“Good Thing” – Fine Young Cannibals
“More Than You Know” – Martika
“Everlasting Love” – Howard Jones
“Dressed For Success” – Roxette

61, 58, 50, 64, 61, and 60. Those are the current (or soon-to-be) ages for Madonna, Roland Gift (lead singer of Fine Young Cannibals), Martika, Howard Jones, and Marie & Per (Roxette) respectively. Oh yeah, and I’m 52. This is my generation right here. #AgingRespectively

What about Martika at 50 ? She was one of the original kids during the first three seasons of “Kids Incorporated” from 1984 to 1986. A couple of years after she left the show she burst onto the American pop music scene while she was still a teenager (at 19) with her debut smash “More Than You Know”. She followed it up with her biggest smash of them all – “Toy Soldiers”. She also scored big with her version of the classic “I Feel The Earth Move”, and “Love … Thy Will Be Done”.

Here’s the hit that was # 3 exactly 30 years ago this weekend. It got me dancing as a 22-year-old. I remember not hearing it enough on my local Top 40 radio station at the time, so I bought it on “cassingle” (cassette single) at the record store, and I played it until I wore it out. I still like this song today. It’s aged gracefully.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday morning and Monday night with two more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 1989, Martika

1980s Career Food Health History Life Military Travel

Chanute AFB Illinois

I’m coming up on the 34TH Anniversary of my graduation from USAF BMT. That stands for United States Air Force Basic Military Training. I was stationed at Lackland AFB in San Antonio Texas from June 13TH 1985 (early in the morning – like right after Midnight) to July 29TH 1985 (at dawn). It was the roughest and toughest 46 days / 6½ weeks of my life at that point. (I had just turned 18.)

On July 29TH 1985 (a Monday) I boarded a plane (with others) from San Antonio Texas to Champaign County Illinois. I got food poisoning on the plane. That was when full hot meals were still served on airplanes. After landing we were transported from the airport to Chanute Air Force Base (near Rantoul Illinois). Everyone else was taken to their respective squadrons for in-processing. I was taken to the Base Hospital where I spent a couple of days and nights recuperating.

On the 3RD day I rose again – out of my hospital bed fully recovered, and I was released to my squadron. I moved-in to my dormitory room – my home for the next 3 months. School started soon for me. I would soon learn how to be an Aircraft Maintenance Systems Analyst (think “Statistician”). I was in a class of 4.

Today – 34 years later – I am an Analyst / Statistician, and I work for the United States Air Force.

1980s Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1989

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date June 28, 2019

It’s the 4TH Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday July 02ND 1989:

“Baby Don’t Forget My Number” – Milli Vanilli
“Good Thing” – Fine Young Cannibals
“My Brave Face” – Paul McCartney
“The Look” – Roxette
“Satisfied” – Richard Marx

Yesterday on my “Weekend Kickoff Mini-Thoughts” I revealed that exactly 33 years ago (today) in London England at Wembley Stadium this young and energetic 19-year-old teenybopper attended the first concert of my life – the final Wham! show. I was singing and dancing and sweating during that 8-hour extravaganza.

It was the first of over 100 concerts I’ve attended and enjoyed. (I can’t remember ever attending a concert that I did not enjoy.)

Well exactly 30 years ago this weekend on Friday June 30TH 1989 this young and energetic 22-year-old tweenybopper was at the old Miami Arena (not there anymore) for the “Club MTV On Tour” concert featuring The Information Society, Lisa Lisa And Cult Jam, Milli Vanilli (performing their # 1 smash at the time – as well as a few others), Tone Loc, Was (Not Was), and hosted by “Downtown” Julie Brown and the Club MTV Dancers.

According to my handwritten notes from the day it was a rainy and mild night in Miami. We arrived at 6:15 PM, and we left at 12 Midnight. The arena was about 55 to 60% full. (I can’t remember who “we” are. Who did I go with to this concert ?)

I did watch “Club MTV” occasionally in the afternoon after work. It was essentially a modern and hipper version of “American Bandstand” or “Solid Gold”. I danced along in my military dormitory room. (No video exists of this action.)

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday afternoon and Monday night with two more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 1989