1981 was a hell of a year for this pop duo, as singles from two different highly successful albums (Voices and Private Eyes) spent significant time near the top of the charts. It's difficult, in fact, to suss out the best Hall & Oates song from even this year much less their entire career, but for my money "Kiss On My List" is a sterling selection. One of the duo's best distillations of its many influences, this tune sparkles and succeeds wildly with a clever and unique lyrical conceit.
2. Rick Springfield - "Jessie's Girl"
Simply one of the best pop songs of all time, Rick Springfield's most well-known tune really stands the test of time and repeated airplays. Armed with a killer guitar riff that is actually quite nifty and dripping with the real but fickle emotions of envy, lust and passion, this song is a tour de force that alone proves Springfield's value as a songwriter. It is also equally effective as both a rock and pop song (pay attention to the guitar), which is a rare feat indeed.
3. REO Speedwagon - "Keep On Loving You"
One of the first '70s classic rock bands to cash in on the new decade's emerging taste for power ballads, REO Speedwagon (and particularly lead singer and songwriter Kevin Cronin) displayed in this tune a tremendous savvy for crafting a memorable and accessible melody. Beyond that, the song stands as a realization of a band's potential that had formerly labored within the shadows of arena rock success. REO's hit album Hi Infidelity became a huge smash this year, helped by similar pop gems.
4. Santana - "Winning"
This entry from Carlos Santana's storied career is undoubtedly the great guitarist's namesake band's strongest and most memorable pop song, but it also functions as a fantastic showcase for some of the decade's best, most blistering guitar leads. The tune itself is a rousing crowd-pleaser that has since found a place in sporting event montages, but structurally and musically it is as sound as can be. Great keyboards at the beginning give it its '80s feel, but the song has much more within.
5. Journey - "Don't Stop Believin'"
Journey's breakthrough album Escape yielded several big hits in 1981, but this combination power ballad/rocker/contemplative examination of lost souls clinging to hope simply has it all. Boasting one of Steve Perry's best, most world-weary lyrics not having to do directly with a relationship, the song features several sublime components, including a great, foundational guitar and bass riff, an unforgettable sing-along chorus, and the introduction of a new phrase in "streetlight people."
6. The Go-Go's - "Our Lips Are Sealed"
Very few bands that started out in the punk scene could ever say they had the ability to craft pop music anywhere near as good as this. In fact, most pop artists have never been able to reach this level, either, and that's really saying something. The song's brilliant groove and inescapable melody should have announced with authority from the start that this all-female band was unique in the annals of rock music, but unfortunately, only lately have the Go-Go's begun to receive proper respect.
7. Squeeze - "Tempted"
While this song is far from the quintessential offering from this great British band, it is undoubtedly a near-perfect pop confection that excels in several compelling ways. Although I've always loved Paul Carrack, the fact that he sings lead on this tune is a bit unfortunate, only because that means the low-voiced, somewhat novelty-sounding Chris Difford sings as much lead as the incomparable Glenn Tilbrook. The song's organ and piano lines buoy the song through its loping progression from chorus to verse to bridge.
8. The Tubes - "Talk To Ya Later"
In a decade full of happy marriages between guitar and keyboards, this underrated classic takes that combination to the promised land. Although most people won't remember it as well as "She's a Beauty", this song crystallized positive '80s rock impulses far more skillfully. Just give a listen to the keyboard break in the middle, the great vocal harmonies during the pre-chorus, or the wonderfully snotty delivery from singer Fee Waybill. As they say in professional wrestling, this song is the total package.
9. Climax Blues Band - "I Love You"
Despite or perhaps because it is such a complete exercise in simplicity, this song strikes a memorable chord as a document of the '80s. Coming from a veteran band that had previously operated as a blues and R&B outfit, this tune definitely feels like a bit of an aberration. But that doesn't make it any less enjoyable, as somewhow the simple lyrical tale of a wayward man set straight by the love of a woman works beautifully. Even the criminally simple guitar solo manages to be effective.
10. Eddie Rabbitt - "I Love A Rainy Night"
In this song that managed the highly impressive feat of hitting No. 1 on the pop, country and adult contemporary charts, Rabbitt proved that his talents were not restricted by being labeled as a country artist. This tune was justifiably everywhere in 1981, and it still works today as a basic rock song that succeeds because it so completely embraces more traditional rock and roll influences that always combined country, R&B and rock styles anyway.
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