Popular Songs Of 1986, Vol. 1

Let me take you back in time to 30 years ago. The year was 1986. The music was awesome. Whether it was pop, rock, R&B, or country, there were plenty of good songs to suit all tastes. I can only hope that I have represented this mammoth year in music well with this post and its three follow-ups. If I've missed anything significant, I'm sure you'll tell me about it. But wait till you've seen all 4 installments, just in case your favorite made one of the later editions. Oh, yeah...please...enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Dionne Warwick ft. Elton John, Gladys Knight, & Stevie Wonder  ~  “That’s What Friends Are For”

2)  Mr. Mister  ~  “Broken Wings”

3)  Lionel Richie  ~  “Say You, Say Me”

4)  Survivor  ~  “Burning Heart”

5)  Klymaxx  ~  “I Miss You”

6)  Robert Palmer  ~  “Addicted To Love”

7)  Whitney Houston  ~  “How Will I Know”

8)  The Judds  ~  “Have Mercy”

9)  Patti LaBelle ft. Michael McDonald  ~  “On My Own”

10)  Gloria Loring & Carl Anderson  ~  “Friends & Lovers”

11)  Billy Ocean  ~  “There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)”

12)  Peter Cetera  ~  “The Glory Of Love”

13)  Janet Jackson  ~  “What Have You Done For Me Lately”

14)  Randy Travis  ~  “On The Other Hand”

15)  Berlin  ~  “Take My Breath Away”

16)  Simply Red  ~  “Holding Back The Years”

17)  George Strait  ~  “Nobody In His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her”

18)  Madonna  ~  “Papa Don’t Preach”

19)  Bon Jovi  ~  “You Give Love A Bad Name”

20)  The Human League  ~  “Human”

Popular Songs Of 1996, Vol. 4

Last but not least...the 4th and final installment of Popular Songs of 1996. If it makes you feel any better, there's not as many of them in this post. I had to run out of good ones at some point, right? Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Shania Twain  ~  “(If You’re Not In It For Love) I’m Outta Here!”

2)  Alanis Morissette  ~  “You Learn”

3)  Madonna  ~  “You Must Love Me”

4)  Jewel  ~  “You Were Meant For Me”

5)  Bone Thugs-n-Harmony  ~  "Tha Crossroads"

6)  Faith Hill  ~  “It Matters To Me”

7)  Natalie Merchant  ~  “Wonder”

8)  R.E.M. ft. Patti Smith  ~  “E-Bow The Letter”

9)  Butthole Surfers  ~  “Pepper”

10)  Tonic  ~  “If You Could Only See”

11)  Beck  ~  “Where It’s At”

12)  George Strait  ~  “Blue Clear Sky”

13)  Garbage  ~  “Stupid Girl”

14)  Red Hot Chili Peppers  ~  “Aeroplane”

15)  The Wonders  ~  “That Thing You Do!”

Popular Songs Of 1996, Vol. 3

Even more Popular Songs of 1996. Part 3 of 4. I don't have a problem, you have a problem. Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Oasis  ~  “Don’t Look Back In Anger”

2)  Alanis Morissette  ~  “Head Over Feet”

3)  Goo Goo Dolls  ~  “Name”

4)  Luscious Jackson  ~  “Naked Eye”

5)  Eels  ~  “Novocaine For The Soul”

6)  The Wallflowers  ~  “One Headlight”

7)  Eric Clapton  ~  “Change The World”

8)  Mariah Carey  ~  “Open Arms”

9)  Shania Twain  ~  “No One Needs To Know”

10)  Alice In Chains  ~  “Over Now”

11)  The Cranberries  ~  “Salvation”

12)  Backstreet Boys  ~  “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)”

13)  Soundgarden  ~  “Pretty Noose”

14)  Dave Matthews Band  ~  “So Much To Say”

15)  Mindy McCready  ~  “Ten Thousand Angels”

16)  Primitive Radio Gods  ~  “Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand”

17)  LeAnn Rimes  ~  “One Way Ticket (Because I Can)”

18)  Michael Jackson  ~  “They Don’t Care About Us”

19)  Toni Braxton  ~  “Un-Break My Heart”

20)  The Smashing Pumpkins  ~  “Tonight, Tonight”

21)  Jamiroquai  ~  “Virtual Insanity”

22)  Nirvana  ~  “Drain You”

23)  Sublime  ~  “What I Got”

24)  Martina McBride  ~  “Wild Angels”

25)  Jewel  ~  “Who Will Save Your Soul?”

Popular Songs Of 1996, Vol. 2

Popular Songs of 1996. Part 2 of 4. Ready...set...enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  The Smashing Pumpkins  ~  “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”

2)  Oasis  ~  “Champagne Supernova”

3)  Céline Dion  ~  “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now”

4)  Natalie Merchant  ~  “Jealousy”

5)  Better Than Ezra  ~  “King Of New Orleans”

6)  The Wallflowers  ~  “6th Avenue Heartache”

7)  Alan Jackson  ~  “Little Bitty”

8)  Mariah Carey  ~  “Always Be My Baby”

9)  Duncan Sheik  ~  “Barely Breathing”

10)  dc Talk  ~  “Between You And Me”

11)  Foo Fighters  ~  “Big Me”

12)  Rage Against The Machine  ~  “Bulls On Parade”

13)  2Pac ft. Dr. Dre  ~  “California Love”

14)  The Cranberries  ~  “When You’re Gone”

15)  Sheryl Crow  ~  “Everyday Is A Winding Road”

16)  Tracy Chapman  ~  “Give Me One Reason”

17)  ’N SYNC  ~  “I Want You Back”

18)  Alanis Morissette  ~  “Ironic”

19)  R. Kelly  ~  “I Believe I Can Fly”

20)  Donna Lewis  ~  “I Love You Always Forever”

21)  Backstreet Boys  ~  “I’ll Never Break Your Heart”

22)  Stone Temple Pilots  ~  “Interstate Love Song”

23)  Madonna  ~  “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”

24)  Goo Goo Dolls  ~  “Naked”

25)  The Tony Rich Project  ~  “Nobody Knows”

Popular Songs Of 1996, Vol. 1

OK, now we're getting into my wheelhouse, the soundtrack of my youth. In particular, the soundtrack of my freshman year of college. So...the sentiment is strong with these songs. Therefore, this will be a four – count them, four – volume post. Carried away much? Yup. But who cares? In the mid-'90s, these songs could not have been avoided, even if you tried (and I didn't, really). So what are we waiting for? Let's go!  ~  JH

1)  Spice Girls  ~  “Wannabe”

2)  The Fugees  ~  “Killing Me Softly”

3)  Los del Rio  ~  “Macarena”

4)  Oasis ~  “Wonderwall”

5)  The Smashing Pumpkins  ~  “1979”

6)  “Weird Al” Yankovic  ~  “Amish Paradise”

7)  Céline Dion  ~  “Because You Loved Me”

8)  Deep Blue Something  ~  “Breakfast At Tiffany’s”

9)  Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men  ~  “One Sweet Day”

10)  Dave Matthews Band  ~  “Crash Into Me”

11)  No Doubt  ~  “Don’t Speak”

12)  311  ~  “Down”

13)  Shania Twain  ~  “You Win My Love”

14)  Dog’s Eye View  ~  “Everything Falls Apart”

15)  Gin Blossoms  ~  “Follow You Down”

16)  OMC  ~  “How Bizarre”

17)  Alice In Chains  ~  “Heaven Beside You”

18)  Melissa Etheridge  ~  “I Want To Come Over”

19)  Sheryl Crow  ~  “If It Makes You Happy”

20)  Brooks & Dunn  ~  “My Maria”

21)  Aaliyah  ~  “If Your Girl Only Knew”

22)  Foo Fighters  ~  “I’ll Stick Around”

23)  Goo Goo Dolls  ~  “Long Way Down”

24)  Björk  ~  “It’s Oh So Quiet”

25)  Alanis Morissette  ~  “Hand In My Pocket”