After compiling the original list of over 200 awesome tracks over the Christmas holidays, the whittling process began. Following descents into neverending YouTube rabbit holes and gleaning over paper hard-copies, I unearthed several forgotten gems that barged their way onto the countdown, usurping a few classics. A reminder of my selection criteria: song had to be a single and or have a video. No deep album tracks.
Although the order of the rest of the countdown is still changing, the next 80 songs are now entrenched. This brief interlude in the countdown is a good time to reveal these tunes since there is a noticeable gap in affection for the next batch of tunes to come.
Note that any of these 20 tunes could have easily replaced the first 20 songs already revealed in slots 80 to 100.
The "bubbling under 100" are revealed below and ordered by year of release:
Whip It – Devo (1980)
Nerdy new wave tomfoolery
Ride Like The Wind – Christopher Cross (1980)
Epic classic from one of first albums I ever owned
Eye In the Sky – Alan Parsons Project (1982)
70s sound brings back childhood nostalgia
A classic and one of the last to be cut.
Subdivisions – Rush (1982)
Brooding synths accompany lyrics of soulless suburbs
A cold war classic, simple yet catchy chorus
Jeopardy - Greg Kiln Band (1983)
Infectious bass line
Rip-roaring and brash
Big chorus hints at a new wave vibe
Sweeping synths and a message of living in the moment
Melancholic synths and haunting vocals
Soulful jazz-pop, but as a geographer I always winced at the "Coast to coast, LA to Chicago" lyric...
Shimmering and cerebral
Shameless glam excess and supernovas and an ace bass line
I think everyone loved this one
Punk group nails new wave
Timeless Latin and pop fusion
Fave song from the Tango In the Night album with vocals by Christine, Lindsay and Stevie; "Everywhere" a close second...
Monkey - George Michael (1988)
Intense and funky groove
First solo effort with Marr-esque jangle guitar still better than most of The Smiths catalogue
