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From: nccvball
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  • Payola (or for these songs, a lack thereof) was undoubtedly a big factor in chart positions.

  • Actually, 'Let me be' peaked at #43, in Billboard.

  • When I was a DJ at a college (dorm) radio station in 1980, the Cretone's album was on our heavy play list. My favorite song from that album was Cost of Love which Linda Ronstadt recorded and had a minor hit with. I think the version of Money by the Flying Lizards made its way onto several movie soundtracks. Jim Hurt's, I Love Women might have made it in 1976 or 77.

  • I am a big 80's music fan and the reason these songs were not big hits as there just not that good. I did listen to the whole video and i would not want to really hear those songs again. But i will go to my music library and can pull up at least 1000 songs from the 80's i can listen to over and over.

  • there's a very good reason why these songs were'nt bigger hits

  • Wow, you are searching for diamonds in the rough. I do love the Flying Lizards though.

  • these songs are ok but nothing special, theres a reason they werent major hits. Songs that people remember for generations are generally the hit songs, these are not memorable which means no one remembers them.

  • If you want to listen to an early 80's group that were far ahead of their time and should have hit bigger check out the Stabilizers two songs "Tyranny" and "One Simple Thing" they should have hit bigger. much better than what is on here certainly.

  • nccvball

    would you please tell me where I can find Trust Me - Cindy Bullens?

    I cant seem to find online I tried itunes etc you can't seem to buy it anywhere unless you want to buy the original LP which would be useless in my cd/dvd world.

    thanks for posting these clips .

  • @G7E7O7

    You know, that is a good question. I thought it was available on Amazon but it is not there now.

    Cindy has re-released her first album on her website (and CD Baby) but no word on her second album where you would find this song.

    You might be able to contact Cindy, herself, on her website to see if she has plans to re-release her second album.

  • The reason these songs were never a BIG hit was because there were BIGGER songs much better than these could ever be.

  • @Soulpatchltd

    I agree with you to point, but if I played some of the songs that charted higher, you might start to question why one was higher than another.

  • Ali Thompson did have at least one other song that was popular in 1980. Take A Little Rhythm. It got a lot of airplay on soft-rock stations

  • @choosing2lookeast

    Yep, this was a HUGE oversight by me when I was putting these songs together.

  • I recall "Live Every Minute" being used in a spot to promote a news anchor with WSMV CH 4, the NBC station in Nashville, TN. around that time. I always wondered why I never heard it on the radio, pity, it would've been great. Thanks for posting this music. Did you list the music of the band "Missouri" in any of your previous posts? They were a great band that never got the credit they deserved.

  • The Flying Lizards' version of "Money" had people cracking up all over the country. You don't mention where it charted but it did pretty well, at least among the high school & college set.

  • @arkady714

    It did pretty good for an obscure hit, reaching #50 on the US charts. Almost high enough for Casey to count it down on his national radio show.

  • Songs aren't bigger hits than than they were because the general public

    didn't feel they they were worthy enough to purchase their music.

  • I am real glad to see this post, but please correct his name spelling; it is Ali Thomson, not Ali Thompson. So many people get that wrong! Also, it was not his only hit in the States; it was the followup to his #15 hit "Take a Little Rhythm." I think his two albums were great. Also, "Trust Me" was not CIndy Bullens' only hit song. 1979's "Survivor" was a bigger hit, peaking at #56. Great to see Korona, Dann Rogers and other great tunes here!

  • where is "new romance" by spider?

    i like the 1st song, and 2nd song

  • I had completely forgotten that tune by Ali Thompson!! Wow... Another one I like by him is "Take a little rhythm". Good stuff!

  • I am very low-tech and don't use the computer often, but this is one of my favorite subjects... overlooked music and should-have-beens. How do you find all this stuff? Many people seem to know the exact chart number other songs climbed to... where is that information? I am a bit of an amateur (but admittedly lazy) musician, but I still have a good ear, and I'm starving for the songs that I vaguely remember from my youth in the 70's and 80's. Some made it above #40 but still hard to find.

  • @abbeykroeter

    Joel Whitburn, who has been a record collector for over 30 years, has published a long series of books based the Billboard music charts. I've been collecting his books for over 25 years. Add to that numerous visits to yard sales and flea markets, and you have a recipe for obscure music. When I started making these videos a few years ago, none of the songs could be found. Now, almost every song can be found in its entirety on Youtube. Check out my other videos in the same theme.

  • Was this version of "Who Were You Thinking Of"  recorded before The Sir Douglas Quintet recorded it?

  • @whitesoxgeorge

    Hmmm, good question. This version of the song credits authorship to country music legend Jim Glaser, his companion Cathie Pelletier (now a famous author), and someone named Paul Gauvin. Doug Sahm's version has similar lyrics (the gender appears to change) and appears to have a 1983 date. I have not seen a Sir Douglas or Texas Tornado album to see who is credited with this song. I have to think this was the original version.

  • I'm sorry to say it, but I don't think these songs are very good. They are a bit boring, and generic.

  • there is a reason why these songs didn`t become successful.

  • Nice! How about "Right Between The Eyes" from Wax ( #43 in 1986) or Olivia Newton-John's "The Rumor" (#62 in 1988)?

  • @PSS1014

    Thanks. Check out my video for 1986.

  • @PSS1014 the only song was really good was money flying lizards ... underground begining of 79

  • No love for Touch's "Don't You Know What Love Is" I see, sadly. Just missed the Top 40 and is a great song that should've been huge before the sound became huge thanks to Journey, Asia, etc. in the next couple of years following.

  • i remember 1980.i was 9 but i remember it.great music

  • Money by the Flying Lizards was a big hit in the UK in 1979

  • @ifyouwantblood100 i remember that one hear in the U.S. also

  • I'm glad these weren't hits. It was hard enough sifting through shit for gold in the 80's as it was.

  • Ah the year i was born thanks

  • Let's not forget "It's A Night For Beautiful Girls" by The Fools, and perhaps the most self-explanatory song of 1980, "Who Shot J.R?"

  • @TammiWayKewl

    I agree with you on The Fools. Originally, I decided against it but it is rather catchy. I might include it in a future video.

  • thanks for sharing all these! especially '86 and "Don Quixote" ... i was a dj for most of our dances in high school, and that one got everyone in stitches

  • Thanks for this! I'm interested in songs that didn't make it into the top 40 because I remember songs I liked that disappeared too fast!

  • @Lisarata

    Thanks. 1980 was still a time when a song could be a regional hit and still make it on the national charts (no matter how short the ride) .

  • All horrible songs!

  • @queueupladeez Very true

  • George Burns is very crooner-like style (Sinatra comes to mind)

  • @pianoman74

    George Burns was still riding the wave of his new found fame from the "Oh, God" movie. That song was from a TV special he hosted.

  • Theyre all shite - you must be American?

  • "i wish i was 18 again" by George Burns made me LOL!!!!!

  • i love these compilations you've done! lots of work has gone into this, obviously....and some of these I remember and some I don't...lol

  • That song "I love Women" sounds like it is from that time period. It almost reminds me of Native New Yorker by Odyssey.

  • i was 21 yrs old , living outside of d.c. at the time , i don't even remember any of these at that time ......thank God , I'm in agreement with timothy81

  • I have a single by Ali Thompson called "Take a Little Rhythm". Came out in the same year and received some airplay. Good song. Reminded me of McCartney for some reason.

    Hehe... yep. Definitely remember The Flying Lizards' version of "Money"... was so... um new wave back then.

  • @macprohawaii I remember Take a Little Rhythm. Take a little of that sweet, sweet music.

  • i always liked Ali Thompson, and the song "looks like love again" sounds like alot of the other soft rock of the day. I am always amazed at how radically pop music changed between 80 and 81. Of course MTV was responsible for most of that change, but still, quite a difference.

  • Usually i just sit back and listen and dont comment too much, but i just had to say well done and thank you for posting all these great and not so great songs lol

  • there are many great songs in your list , and you did a great thing.

    Other things that i like from that year

    Deliverance - Leaving L.a.

    Ray Kennedy - Just For The Monent

    La Flavour - Only The Lonely

    Turley Richards - You Might Needs Somebody

    Jags - Back Of My Hand

    Climax Blues Band - Gotta Have More Love

    Yipes!! - Darling

    Maybe for your next video ?

  • @rubos1381 Jags is 1979 - big hit in the States (Cashbox chart) and the UK.

  • money by flying lizards? isnt that like one of the most famous of the 80s?

  • @Marty01Mcfly - not really - it's from the 70s.

  • Good one mate, FLYING LIZARDS.....released AUG 79 charted for 10 weeks....errr, 1980......no wonder it not a hit then..in 1980.....schoolboy basics......

  • Dan Williams and Michael Stewart of nashville wrote "I love women"

  • @TheIbedwill

    Thanks for the info. I was not able to find much during my research about the song other than Jim's passing. 

  • man, I'm usually an upbeat, positive guy... but I don't really like any of these songs! sorry!

  • @timothy81

    No problem. I admit, these videos will not be for all tastes. Thanks for checking it out.

  • @nccvball

    must have been in a 'mood' lol.... you seem like such a decent guy, i think i'll subscribe to your site and check out other mixes... I'll probably like them more anyhow.... musically, the 80's were NOT my favorite decade anyhow!

  • Who did a song called "Baby I" ?

  • @PupuTheClown

    I think maybe you search the song : Baby I Want You from the band Funky Communication Committee that was a hit in 1979 and stay #47 in the hot 100

  • ok MONEY was the only one I recognised.  Im moving to 81 now!

  • You are SO right, my friend! These great songs should have been bigger hits. Apart from 'Money' none of them even charted in Britain. This was an era of proper music when acts actually composed, played and sang their own stuff and even those who didn't compose could at least sing and/or play. Not the case these days sadly.

  • The lead singer of Breathless, Jonah Koslen, previously sang with another Cleveland group, the Michael Stanley Band. Their song, "Strike Up the Band" is a classic.

  • damn....george burns. i never knew. what about the flying lizards,weve heard that one people.

  • Love the concept Dude (or Dudette, as the case may be). Unfortunately, pop music in the '80s became way too bland and "middle of the road"; lots of crap like "Morning Train" and the theme from "Arthur" (or anything else by Christopher Cross, for that matter). Still, your lists are a welcome change from what is usually on YouTube and we await more from you.

  • Your series is incredible! Great work, and these songs deserve at least a re-listen. Like 'em or not.

  • this is why they never became hits they suck sorry to say

  • The "Money" version bt The Flying Lizards appeared in the soundtrack of Empire Records

  • I may not have liked these songs but it didn't make me enjoy it any less. I love the idea behind the series. I will surely watch all the rest now. Subscribed! Got Money on 45 (ps). Don't know if they deserved a better fate on the radio though. A random search of who Korona was..and I found you! Kewl!

  • All of your postings are extremely interesting and enjoyable. I remember a few of the songs. I'm going to hunt down some of the others because they need to be on my iPod. Thanks for your efforts!

  • I'm always looking for "lost hits"! thanks NC!

  • George Burns was obnoxious as an old man -- did the old timer schtick for over a decade before he finally croaked, really, really got tired of it

  • Yes, this is a very good choice of the Amarican music of 80s. On the other hand (no offence), the American artists in 80s (unlike in 60s) were the 2nd league of popular music, their music had no influece to the so known sound of 80s which was invented and created by British bands. The American music really had a minor role in the music of that decade.

  • Great video.. awesome facts and good idea.. Can't wait to watch more :-)

  • I bet you're from Ohio nccvball...

  • The Rings had a song called "let me go" reach #75 off their self titled album. Their were better songs on the debut album though. "Third Generation" and "Opposites Attract" for a couple. That album is one of my favorites to this day, although it only really sold well in the Boston area.

  • Hey where's Chuck Francour "Under the Boulevard Lights"? That was a single from 1980.

    George Burns "If I Was 18 Again"? Really!!

  • Ali Thompson DID have a hit in 1980, the Top 20 "Take A Little Rhythym."

  • This Ali Thompson song rivals the best of Supertramp? Is this guy on drugs?

    The song - Looks Like Love sounds like it could have been a top 40 hit. Other than that, the rest of this compliation sucks... Including that version of Money - that got too much air play in the day - it always sounded like a bunch of patients from an insane asylum broke into the kitchen and started playing kitchen utensils. Listen to it loud, you will go crazy too.

  • Can't believe you didn't like the Breathless song. That one was the one that kicked the most ass imo.

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  • Mark Avsec played in Donny Iris' band in the early 80's

  • i thought the "ting tings sang "money"! damn! i heard this on my fav radio show on sat. nite! and i swore it was ting tings who sang this....wow.....

  • george burns - yes for novelty value only

    money by the flaming lizards is a classic and gets more airplay than the beatles version.

    jim hurt - generic, lame and *yawn* sorry i nodded off there. the rest are shite.

  • Flaming Lizards version of "Money" was really dumb & annoying imo. Now that 1 is shite!!!! I hated it then & still hate it now. It sucks a mighty wind compared to the Beatles version (which is classic) & even the original by Barret Strong. Aside from Breathless rocker "Takin It Back" I was hoping for better (real) songs that should've been hits.

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  • Jonah Koslen was the lead singer on Breathless. He was in The Michael Stanley Band. He was lead singer on many of their better songs!

  • I like some of these songs " I Love Women " nice, appreciate your work. I deal in lost oldies too. Check my channel out .Keep up the great work

  • YEAH, the first song DOES sound like a "Supertramp" song, as far as the OTHER songs go, I've NEVE heard of them @ ALL

  • the first song was a good hit

  • A pleasant enough collection, all fairly bland though and no hooks. Except the Money song which has a hook and not much else :-)

  • @FairladyS130

    BTW, Money by The Flying Lizards is currently being used in Taco Bell's national TV commercials for Summer 2011.

  • Ali Thompson's only U.S. hit was Take A Little Rythym. it peaked at 15 on the billboard charts in the summer of 1980

  • I remember the George Burns song. The Dann Rogers song reminds me of England Dan and John Ford Coley. I know it's someone else though. I'd like to hear Gino Vanelli sing "Mirage."

  • Except for 'The Flying Lizards' tune, these songs are really terrible. I can see why Deborah Evans left a musical career to become a psychotherapist..God help her patients..,lol..,

  • I am a huge fan of hidden obscure music that people have forgoten - but these songs just simply suck. Sorry

  • Thank you and Dr. Demento...!!

  • sorry, but these songs sound like they MAY have been more popular in the 70's!

  • very cool!

  • Other than the Flying Lizzards it is fairly bleak listening in a cod-Eagles way. I take it that these are non hits from the USA. That does explain a lot. Where are the Jam? Kate Bush? ...2 countries seperated by 1 language

  • Right well add Dead Kennedys' "Holiday In Cambodia" to that list - best song of that year in my opinion

  • Thanks for posting these rarities! I love the forgotten music of past decades. Soo much of this music is truly good. I like finding lost tracks that I can learn and play in my band..always surprises an audience!

  • You're wrong. Those songs suck.

  • yea these songs do kind of suck

  • Yeah, when listened to in 2009 with no reference. Try listening to a bunch of other '80 hits and then listen again...

  • Mirage is one of the best of the under rated hits of all time. I'm looking for a song from late 1980, it was played on the old WTFM 103.5 in New York City when that station was a "mellow rock" station. The song goes like "We are the only ones, We are the lonely ones"...and something about God's Green Earth.....the singer was a male with a deep vocal voice. No other station in town played it, I don't have it on tape and haven't heard it since the Fall of 1980.

  • WHAT a find! Great memories :-)

  • Ali Thompson's biggest hit "Take a Little Rhythm" reached #15 on the charts in 1980.

  • "Live every minute" is also a great song, no matter of its place on the charts.

  • @DrApocalypse

    You are correct. Somehow, in my research, I completely missed his biggest hit.

  • Great videos! How did you get a hold of these tunes?

  • Massive record collection. I spent way too much on music during my youth.

  • Thanks heaps.

    Have you done this treatment for other years?

    By the way, "Money" by The Flying Lizards, has always been one of my favourites.

    It's not relegated on any front to me.

    Anyway,

    Thankyou.

  • I heard Korona's song as well, but never knew either the song title or the band/artist (I learned it right now). It was heavily played in some radio stations in Lima, Peru in 1980. I'm still looking for some other hard to find songs from the eighties. Thx!

  • Live every minute - Sounds like Roger Hidgson from Supertramp. What's up with that?

  • Holy smokes, I was just about to write that same thing myself! Talk about sounding like Supertramp, even the subtle dynamics. Wow.

  • Don't forget Take a Little Rythm... another cool song from Ali Thompson!

  • Roger Hidgson is his brother.

  • You have got to be joking????

  • Wrong!!! Doug Thomson from Supertramp is Ali's brother. He played bass on most if not all of their albums.

  • Some of these songs will really grow on u after hearing them a few times. Moon Martins "No Chance" is really a great song,should have made the Top 10.

  • wow who came up with this list? and do you still wear slacks?

  • George Burns should have won an oscar I think with I wish I was eighteen again..... I agree with you on a lot of the songs.....should have been bigger

  • The Spanish station Telefutura just aired "18 Again". It ended not 15 minutes before I discovered this video clip series and ran across "I Wish I Was 18 Again". If I'd found it two hours earlier, I'd have left the TV on to see if they included the song on the soundtrack.

  • That's like 60ies and 70ies, nothing to do with the freaky funky punk nylon new romantic waved 80ies...

  • The Flying Lizards- the ONLY decent song on this video.

  • I agree.

    No wonder the rest weren't hits!!!

  • Did pop radio suck this badly back then? Wow.

  • this has got to be some of the worst music i've ever heard, haha.

  • This is all left over 70's

  • prety cool for george burns

  • Horrible.. songs..sorry

  • No problem. These songs will not be for all tastes.

  • Comment removed

  • err there's a reason they weren't bigger just listen It's self explanatory!t

  • Sadly, the only song that should have been a bigger hit WAS a bigger hit in '79. Flying Lizards actually did pretty well with "Money"... and only "Money", and should be categorized as a 70's one-hit-wonder.

  • ali thompson, I must find more

  • 1. track :

    Its a supertramp wannabe,,,,

    Nothing special

  • Ali Thompson first hit was "Take Little rithym" 1980 same album. I am sure he hit the top 20

  • I remember Cindy from the Grease soundtrack.

  • no they were big hits.....in lifts

  • i aint heard 1 good song in that lot !! yuk yuk

  • Flying Lizards' Money is actually from '79.

  • Yes, I agree 1979. And darn it all, it's the only one I'd ever heard before.

  • Love the songs and your concept. Keep them coming. One of my favorite "lost" songs from 1980 was Peter Brown's Stargazer, which was played often enough down in Atlanta WQXI to catch my attention.

  • Thank you. I will need to track down Stargazer. I like Peter Brown but I do not believe I have heard that one.

  • Hey Mrs Peel!

  • Everybody's Mad at Katherine !

  • You gotta love the Cretones.

  • She don't care.

  • Hey! I remember the Dan Rogers track from back in early 1980-late 1979!!! Been looking for that tune since-would love to have the whole song posted sometime!!??

  • well done! it's great to hear the production values from that era, with different songs. ten points.

  • I know 'Who were you thinkin' of' from the texas Tornadoes - great song.

  • Good to see Eric there.

  • I can hear where Ali Thompson listened to "Dreamer" quite a few times when he made this song...

    Lotta Cleveland - were you in the area? I was in the southern part of the state at a tiny station with a long playlist. Fave song from era not a hit was Skate Date by McGuinn,Hillman and Clarke. And had to listen to WLS at night to hear Stay in Time - we didn't have it. Also New Romance by Spider I haven't found this one yet. Excellent work!

  • The number of Cleveland groups is purely coincidence. It seems that Mark Avsec and Eric Carmen had a lot of influence in Ohio around this time.

  • glad to see you give a shoutout to cindy bullens. i've been a fan since "desire wire" in 1979 (though the lp got lost since then). she's released 3 fantastic albums since the death of her youngest daughter to cancer. i'd recommend "somewhere between heaven and earth" to anyone who's recently lost a loved one.

    cindy is currently touring with deborah holland (of "animal logic" fame) and wendy waldman (who made your 1978 collection) as "the refugees". they've also released an album together.

  • Thanks for all the feedback. The Refugees were around me twice this summer but I did not have a chance to see them. I hope to catch them if they go on tour again.

  • This was really good! I only recognized the Flying Lizards cover. I liked the George Burns tune. Kudos!

  • Thank you. I will be posting more of these compilations as time allows.

  • Love that 18 Again.They made a movie with Charlie Schlatter in 1988.Fun Movie.These are great.

  • like ur idea of this... cool song's i've never heard...one tweak on ur info..Korona's "Let me Be" made #43 on April 26 charting week....