#17 - You Belong To The City

Artist: Glenn Frey

Album: Miami Vice Soundtrack
Video: From YouTube.

"You Belong To The City" is a gritty tale of life on the streets.  Haunted and fatalistic, the title serves as both welcome and warning.  It is Glenn Frey’s greatest solo effort.

This song was written specifically for Miami Vice.  Frey had a history with the television show.  During its first season, an episode called "Smuggler's Blues" was inspired by one of his tunes.  Frey portrayed the character of Jimmy Cole in that episode, the smuggler in question.

Frey was called upon once again to write a song for the premiere episode of the second season, "The Prodigal Son".  The song was featured in this episode, which takes place predominantly in New York City (the city of the song's title).

This was his second song of the year that peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It was a major reason why the Miami Vice Soundtrack spent eleven weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart.  The song is beautifully arranged, with Bill Bergman providing a killer saxophone riff.

The video is an awesome combination of New York City nightlife and scenes from Miami Vice.  Frey’s complicated relationship with an attractive blonde complements the adventures of Crockett and Tubbs.  Many recognizable landmarks are featured, and it is always nice to see a Manhattan skyline that includes the Twin Towers.

#18 - Never

Artist: Heart

Album: Heart
Video: From YouTube.

In 1985, Heart returned to relevancy with a hit-laden album and videos receiving heavy airplay on MTV.  That success was largely due to "Never", a high-energy, high-octane, sexually charged rocker.

This song was also my introduction to Heart, and I remember the excitement I felt upon hearing the opening notes.  "Never" was one of four top ten singles from their self-titled album, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
 
Ann and Nancy Wilson have been recording with Heart for nearly 40 years, and they will be inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame this year.  In 1985 they were entering their prime commercially.  I was struck when I first saw them on MTV because it was unusual to see lady rockers at the time.  These chicks were hard-boiled rock ‘n’ rollers, in contrast to the bubble-gum pop of the Go-Go’s (also great).

Nancy was quite a hottie, looking so sexy in that tight white shirt, and rocking out with her red guitar.   The video is a stage performance with no audience, with lots of smoky effects that serve no purpose.  The band members mostly mug for the camera.  To make up for the lack of a storyline, they also do a lot of kicking, squatting, and jumping around.

I have no idea what this song is about.  The lyrics are actually quite nonsensical.  But Heart sings them with great sincerity and total commitment, and that makes “Never” a winner.

#19 - Don't Come Around Here No More

Artist: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Album: Southern Accents
Video: Brilliant, from YouTube.  Just ignore the ads.

Which video includes Alice in Wonderland tripping on acid while navigating an M.C. Escher designed rabbit hole?  Truly inspired.

It took me several years before I appreciated Tom Petty, and starting with this tune probably didn't help.  Perhaps I would have felt differently had I been weaned on "You Got Lucky" or "Breakdown", but this song was a bit too subtle for my 1985 tastes.  It wasn't until 1989's "Full Moon Fever" that I became a fan of his work.

And in time, I even came to appreciate "Don't Come Around Here No More".  The understated bass line, the distinctive sitar, the exploration of a relationship ending, and of course the enthusiastic oft-repeated "hey"!  It peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100.  I was surprised to learn that with all of Tom Petty’s hits, he has never had even a top 5 hit (he came closest with “Free Fallin’” at #7).

The song was co-written by Petty and Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics (coming up a little later on this countdown).  It was inspired by Stewart's one-night stand with Stevie Nicks.  Apparently the title was her exit line.

The video won the 1985 MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects.  Its many highlights include Stewart playing the sitar while smoking atop a giant mushroom, and Tom Petty holding court as the Mad Hatter.  Perhaps the most memorable scene is the terrified heroine turning into a cake and being eaten by all in attendance.  Totally creeped me out as a kid.  Great stuff.

#20 - The Power Of Love

Artist: Huey Lewis and the News

Album: Back to the Future Soundtrack
Video: From YouTube - extended version not seen on MTV countdown.

The "Back To The Future" anthem, this is a totally awesome song from a totally awesome movie.  "The Power Of Love" is a joyous ode to exactly that, delivering memories of Marty McFly and Emmett "Doc" Brown traveling through time with the assistance of one flux capacitor.

This uplifting, feel good anthem reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.  A timeless classic, it was nominated for Academy Award and was robbed by this song.

Huey Lewis & The News was a fixture near the top of the pop charts in the mid-80's.  1983's "Sports" produced four top ten singles.  Not to be outdone, 1986's "Fore!" featured five top ten singles, one more than the album's title predicted.  You might say that 1985's "The Power Of Love" was the pastrami of this rock 'n' roll hit sandwich.

I find it impossible to hear the song without also thinking of "Back To The Future".  It conveys the spirit of passion and hopefulness embodied by Marty McFly's exciting journey through the fabric of time.  It is also the third highest ranked song on this countdown from a movie soundtrack (as you will see, the films for the two top ranked songs are also classics).

Sadly, the video does not feature any clips from BTTF.  The scene is Uncle Charlie's, the Marin County club where Huey Lewis & The News got their start.  Christopher Lloyd appears in character, attending the band's performance as the DeLorean time machine is taken for a joyride.  Michael J. Fox is conspicuous by his absence, making me wonder if a studio contract prevented his appearance in the video.

#21 - Small Town

Artist: John Cougar Mellencamp

Album: Scarecrow
Video: From YouTube, with ads.

We go from the glitz and glamour of California to the heart of Middle America.  Quite a contrast in tone and mood compared to the last video, possibly unparalleled elsewhere in this countdown.  I challenge you, the reader, to find a starker contrast between two consecutive videos!

In 1985, we were still getting used to the “Mellencamp” portion of Johnny Cougar.  With several top ten singles and a #1 album under his belt, the man had enough juice to demand that his real name be used.  By the 1990s, the Cougar was gone forever.

“Small Town” was not one of my favorites.  The simple, folksy message was lost on this San Fernando Valley boy.  But it was very popular nationwide, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  And I grew to appreciate the song in time, but let’s be honest, it doesn’t measure up to “Jack and Diane” or even “Pink Houses”.

The “Scarecrow” album was one of Mellencamp’s most successful, spawning five top 30 hits.  Its release coincided with the first Farm Aid, an annual benefit concert he created with Willie Nelson and Neil Young.

The video has the feel of a home movie, peppered with pictures from what appears to be Mellencamp’s personal scrapbook.  Set in Seymour, Indiana (just an hour outside Bloomington!), it is a tour of all the different facets of small town life.  Kids playing baseball, people involved with their different activities, and I swear I even caught a glimpse of Bobby Knight.

#22 - California Girls

Artist: David Lee Roth

Album: Crazy From The Heat
Video: From YouTube.

Conceived by Brian Wilson while tripping on acid in the ‘60s, “California Girls” is one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most memorable songs.  An easy breezy, happy-go-lucky summer surfing tune, it was joyously covered by David Lee Roth in 1985.

In fact, this was Diamond Dave’s first ever solo effort.  The “Crazy From The Heat” EP was released before his acrimonious breakup with Van Halen had taken place.  The Roth cover version reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, duplicating the Beach Boys chart position achieved 20 years prior.

The song is an appreciation, nay, a celebration, of beautiful girls all over the world.  Furthermore, it expresses the wonderful wish that all of these luscious, voluptuous, and positively sexy ladies were all together in California.  If only a genie had granted that noble wish, then all these girls might be with us in the golden state today.

The video is one of the most enjoyable of 1985 for two reasons.  First, there is the concept: David Lee Roth as tour guide, shepherding a bizarre collection of freaks into the desert.  The opening and closing parodies “The Twilight Zone”, beginning with the classic “submitted for your approval” line and ending with an allusion to the fate of the peculiar travel party.

And secondly, there are the girls themselves.  An impressive collection of bikini-clad lovelies are featured, all the different types of girls referenced in the song.  The classic scene features Dave dancing down a boardwalk bordered by bikini-clad girls in mannequin poses.  Dave frolics in jubilation throughout, reveling in the sunshine and the feminine energy.