What a month of April for Mariah Carey! First, she released her ninth studio album titled E=MC² on April 8th which immediately rose to the top of the charts. Then she had her songs performed on American Idol where she was a mentor and performer on April 15th and 16th. To top it all off, she went and got married to Nick Cannon on April 30th after they eloped to the Bahamas.

Here is a link to some articles regarding Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon's surprising engagement and nuptials.

Many people do not realize the level of success that Carey has reached during her career. She has recorded eighteen #1 singles over the years which is the most for any solo artist of any time. That includes more than Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson or Madonna which is pretty amazing. She currently ranks #16 on the list of best-selling recording artists of all time with almost 62 million albums sold in the U.S. She ranks above superstars including U2, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Prince, Bon Jovi and Celine Dion. She ranks #3 among females only trailing Barbra Streisand and slightly behind Madonna. Here is a link to the current Recording Industry Association of America list.

Carey was impressively included on Time Magazine's "List of 100 Most Influential People" published in May 2008. Here is a link to another article which tells you 20 things you didn't know about Mariah Carey in case you are interested in finding out a little more.

Though her 2001 movie Glitter ended up becoming the punch line to many jokes and she has overcome some personal problems, Mariah Carey has an incredibly remarkable career. I have always been a fan, but most of my favorites are from the earlier part of her career. With that being said, here is OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 MARIAH CAREY SONGS:
Honorable Mention: "All I Want For Christmas Is You" (1994) from Merry Christmas [link to video] - I love Christmas music and her album from '94 is fantastic. I will definitely publish a Top 10 List of holiday music later this year. It is hard to compare a Christmas song to non-seasonal music, so that is why I will just list this one as an honorable mention.

10. "Hero" (1993) from Music Box

9. "I Don't Wanna Cry" (1991) from Mariah Carey

8. "Love Takes Time" (1990) from Mariah Carey

7. "Anytime You Need a Friend" (1993) from Music Box

6. "Without You" (1993) from Music Box

5. "Can't Let Go" (1992) from Emotions [link to video]

4. "Always Be My Baby" (1996) from Daydream [link to video]

3. "Vision of Love" (1990) from Mariah Carey [link to video] - This was her first #1 single from her debut album

2. "I'll Be There (Live)" (1992) from MTV Unplugged [link to video] - This duet with Trey Lorenz was a cover of the Jackson 5 hit

1. "One Sweet Day" (1995) from Daydream [link to video] - This was a duet with the amazing Boyz II Men and remained at #1 for a record 16 straight weeks. It ranked #2 on my Best Duets of All Time List.

There is my list. It includes video links for six of the eleven songs. Of those top 10 songs, seven of them hit #1 on the Billboard Chars (with one peaking at #2, one peaking at #3 and another only reaching #12). Just remember, there were 11 other #1 songs that did not make my list.

That wraps up another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks, as always, for reading. Peace and much love.

Check this out: Would you know which way to go if you saw this road sign ahead?  In case you can't read it, the words between the speed limit and the crazy arrows reads "Good Luck."

Quote of the day: "Greatness consists in trying to be great. There is no other way." -Albert Camus

Download this: "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men - ‘Nuff said

I have recommended to you before the Popdose website especially for those of you who are looking for more obscure pop culture topics and information. Recently, I came across an interesting Top 10 list there which was The Worst #1 Songs of the 80s by Jon Cummings. I have to say it was a fairly strong list. You can click on the link above to read it all yourself, but here is a quick recap of his songs:
10. "Dirty Diana" by Michael Jackson
9. "Ebony and Ivory" by Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder
8. "Stuck With You" by Huey Lewis & the News
7. "The Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston
6. "Kyrie" by Mr. Mister
5. "Hangin' Tough" by New Kids on the Block
4. (tie) "We Built This City" and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship
3. "I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder
2. "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler
1.5 "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys
1. "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John

Now most of you who have read Kickin' it Old School before know that I simply adore the decade of the 80s. I admit that a lot of the music was a little on the cheesy side, but I have come to appreciate and enjoy almost all of it. It is difficult for me to criticize any of the music too harshly. That being said, I will comment on the Popdose list and then give you a list of my own.

I am not going to comment much on the list by Jon Cummings because I do feel it is reasonable in most regards. First, I would not include inspirational songs like "The Greatest Love of All" or "Wind Beneath My Wings" because I would cut them a little slack. Second, if I was going to include a Michael Jackson song, it would have been "Bad" way before "Dirty Diana." I have always been a big fan of Huey Lewis, so even a cheesy song like "Stuck With You" does not bother me in the least. I am not such a fan of the band Mr. Mister, but I don't feel any of their songs deserve to be on this list.

In the intro to his list he also included about 30 songs that he felt deserved mention and just missed making his list. I take a little more issue with several of the songs he lists there, but since he ultimately did not include them I probably do not need to address any of them at this point. On the other hand, several of those songs will show up on the Old School list which I will publish below.

On that note, I will give you my list of the Worst #1 Songs of the 80s. Remember, this list can only include songs that hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for at least one week between 1980 and 1989. ALL songs will include links to the video if you want to be reminded of these unfortunate hits. I will keep the comments to a minimum because most of these songs speak volumes on their own. Here is OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 WORST #1 SONGS OF THE 80s (+ Bonus 20):
30. "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles - #1 for 4 weeks (12/20/86-1/16/87) [link to video]

29. "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" by Cutting Crew - #1 for 2 weeks (5/2-5/15/87) [link to video]

28. "La Bamba" by Los Lobos - #1 for 3 weeks (8/29-9/17/87) - cover of Ritchie Valens 1958 hit included on the La Bamba soundtrack [link to video]

27. "Bad" by Michael Jackson - #1 for 2 weeks (10/24-11/6/87) [link to video] - If you watch the "Bad" video closely you will notice Wesley Snipes starring as the leader of the rival gang and you can also click on this link to see my Wesley Snipes Top 10 Movies list.

26. "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley - #1 for 2 weeks (3/12-3/25/88) [link to video]

25. "Mony Mony" by Billy Idol - #1 for 1 week (11/21-11/27/87) [link to video]

24. "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton - #1 for 2 weeks (10/29-11/11/83) [link to video]

23. "Got My Mind Set On You" by George Harrison - #1 for 1 week (1/16-1/22/88) [link to video]

22. "Ebony and Ivory" by Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder - #1 for 7 weeks (5/15-7/2/82) - Not as bad as some people say because it does have a positive message from two amazing artists, but not good enough to even make my Top Duets of the 80s list [link to video]

21. "Batdance" by Prince - #1 for 1 week (8/5-8/11/89) - From the soundtrack to Batman [link to video]

20. "Do That to Me One More Time" by Captain & Tennille - #1 for 1 week (2/16-2/22/80) [link to video]

19. "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr. - #1 for 3 weeks (8/11-8/31/84) - Parker was sued for copyright infringement by Huey Lewis because the guitar riff in this song was too similar to "I Want a New Drug" and they settled out of court [link to video]

18. "Mickey" by Toni Basil - #1 for 1 week (12/11-12/17/82) [link to video]

17. "Love Bites" by Def Leppard - #1 for 1 week (10/8-10/14/88) [link to video]

16. "Baby I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley" by Will to Power - #1 for 1 week (12/3-12/9/88) - Covers of two very popular songs that they combined in a medley though the combination does not make a lot of sense [link to video]

15. "We Built This City" by Starship - #1 for 2 weeks (11/16-11/29/85) [link to video]

14. "Foolish Beat" by Debbie Gibson - #1 for 1 week (6/25-7/1/88) [link to video]

13. "Venus" by Bananarama - #1 for 1 week (9/6-9/12/86) [link to video]

12. "Seasons Change" by Exposé - #1 for 1 week (2/20-2/26/88) [link to video]

11. "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany - #1 for 2 weeks (11/7-11/20/87) - This is a cover of the 1967 hit by Tommy James & the Shondells [link to video]

10. "Morning Train (Nine to Five)" by Sheena Easton - #1 for 2 weeks (5/2-5/15/81) [link to video]

9. "I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder - #1 for 3 weeks (10/13-11/2/84) - Wonder is one of my favorite artists of all time, but this catchy song is not one of his finer moments [link to video]

8. "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin - #1 for 2 weeks (9/24-10/7/88) [link to video]

7. "The Flame" by Cheap Trick - #1 for 2 weeks (7/9-7/22/88) [link to video]

6. "Hangin' Tough" by New Kids on the Block - #1 for 1 week (9/9-9/15/89) [link to video]

5. "Toy Soldiers" by Martika - #1 for 2 weeks (7/22-8/4/89) [link to video]

4. "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys - #1 for 1 week (11/5-11/11/88) - Featured in the film Cocktail [link to video]

3. "Good Thing" by Fine Young Cannibals - #1 for 1 week (7/8-7/14/89) - I could not stand this song or their other hit "She Drives Me Crazy" [link to video]

2. "Wild, Wild West" by The Escape Club - #1 for 1 week (11/12-11/18/88) [link to video]

1. "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John - #1 for 10 weeks (11/21/81-1/29/82) - No disputing this one, but can you believe it remained at the top of the chart for 2 ½ months? If you like this song, you probably believe it is really about working out and exercising. [link to video]

There is my list. I hope you enjoyed all of the links to the videos. As I said earlier, I love most all 80s music and even the songs on this list have some redeeming qualities. Still, I was inspired by the Popdose article to give you my point of view on the subject. Let me know what you think.

That will wrap up this issue of Kickin' it. Thanks for reading and please come back often. Click on the Archive buttons in the upper left hand column to be sure you have not missed any past issues of Kickin' it Old School. If you are looking for more 80s content or more Top 10 lists you can click on these links as well. Peace and much love.

Check this out: I have never done this here before, but a good friend of mine's wife has started a non-profit organization called "United Ovarian Cancer Support" in the effort to help promote awareness and fund research for a cure to this terrible disease. Please visit the website at www.unitedovariancancersuppor t.org and among other things you will find a special item for sale as a fund raiser. It is a cookbook which is a collection of recipes from Ovarian Cancer survivors from all over the world including all 50 United States. It seems like something pretty cool and would make a nice Mother's Day gift or treat for yourself. All proceeds from the cookbook go directly to eradicating Ovarian Cancer. The cookbook costs just $15.00 plus shipping & handling, so please go to the website and consider supporting this worthwhile organization.

Quote of the day: "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." -Franklin D. Roosevelt

Download this: Since I obviously cannot recommend any of the above songs, here is my recommendation for this issue... "Seen It All Before" by Amos Lee

I felt it was about that time to give you an 80s topic again. One of my most popular articles is my Top Duets of All Time, so I thought I would focus this down to my favorite decade. I will publish my list of my favorite duets just from 1980-1989.

As with my last Duets list, I need to first specify a couple qualifiers. First, I will only consider songs where the singers are not already a member of the same group, so songs by groups like Simon & Garfunkel or Hall & Oates would not count towards my list. Second, I will only consider songs where the collaboration is between two vocalists and not only a musician, so songs featuring Carlos Santana or Jim Brickman would not count towards my list. Some of the songs on this list are admittedly a little cheesy, but like much of the 80s, in some cases that is what makes them special.

You will find links to videos for many of the songs in case you are not familiar with it or just want to take a trip down memory lane. Here is OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 DUETS OF THE 80s (+ Bonus 20):
Honorable Mention: My List of Top TV Theme Songs is another popular list and there are two 80s sitcoms which had duets as the theme song. "Without Us" is the theme song from Family Ties and performed by Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams. [link to video] Also, "As Long As We Got Each Other" is the theme song from Growing Pains and performed by B.J. Thomas & Jennifer Warnes. [link to video] I felt both of these duets at least deserved honorable mention.
30. "Walk This Way" by Run DMC & Aerosmith [link to video]

29. "Yah Mo Be There" by James Ingram & Michael McDonald

28. "State of Shock" by Michael Jackson (Jacksons) & Mick Jagger

27. "Baby Come To Me" by James Ingram & Patti Austin

26. "The Girl is Mine" by Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney

25. "We've Got Tonight" by Sheena Easton & Kenny Rogers - cover of a Bob Seger song

24. "You're a Friend of Mine" by Jackson Browne & Clarence Clemons

23. "Friends and Lovers" by Carl Anderson & Gloria Loring [link to video]

22. "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty

21. "Baby Grand" by Billy Joel & Ray Charles [link to video]

20. "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes - from the movie Dirty Dancing [link to video]

19. "On My Own" by Patti Labelle & Michael McDonald [link to video]

18. "Separate Lives" by Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin - from the movie White Nights [link to video]

17. "Don't Fall In Love With a Dreamer" by Kenny Rogers & Kim Carnes [link to video]

16. "Up Where We Belong" by Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes - from the movie An Officer and A Gentleman

15. "Close My Eyes Forever" by Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne [link to video]

14. "Somewhere Out There" by James Ingram & Linda Rondstadt - from the animated movie An American Tail [link to video]

13. "After All" by Peter Cetera & Cher - from the movie Chances Are

12. "Easy Lover" by Phil Collins & Philip Bailey (from Earth, Wind & Fire) [link to video]

11. "Almost Paradise" by Ann Wilson (from Heart) & Mike Reno (from Loverboy) - from the movie Footloose [link to video]

10. "Endless Love" by Lionel Richie & Diana Ross - from the movie Endless Love [link to video]

9. "Say Say Say" by Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson [link to video]

8. "U Got the Look" by Sheena Easton & Prince [link to video]

7. "You and I" by Eddie Rabbit & Crystal Gayle

6. "Don't Give Up" by Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush [link to video]

5. "Leather and Lace" by Stevie Nicks & Don Henley

4. "What Have I Done To Deserve This" by The Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield [link to video]

3. "The Next Time I Fall" by Peter Cetera & Amy Grant [link to video]

2. "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" by George Michael & Aretha Franklin [link to video]

1. "Under Pressure" by Queen & David Bowie [link to traditional video] + [link to edited live concert video]

There is my list. I hope you enjoyed it and the links to some of the videos. It is interesting to notice that several artists appear multiple times on this list. There are three artists that each appear 3 times on the list and those include: James Ingram, Michael Jackson and Jennifer Warnes. I feel Ingram is a very underrated R&B/Soul artist and his voice is amazing.  It is also interesting that 7 of the songs on the list come from movie soundtracks. Here is a link to My Top 50 Songs from 80s Movies list for other great songs from 80s soundtracks.

That will do it for another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks so much for reading. If you are looking for more 80s related articles, please click on this link. If you want to find more Old School Top 10 Lists, please click on this link. Peace and much love.

Check this out: So many videos out there can be very amusing. I have always found the Caddyshack gopher to crack me up, but here is a link to a very serious gopher who will give you a very dramatic look.  You will want to watch it several times.

Quote of the day: "Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life" -Berthold Auerbach

Download this: I have recommended some of the songs on the above list before, but here are a couple more recommendations that I have not yet listed here... "Under Pressure" by Queen & David Bowie, "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer" by Kenny Rogers & Kim Carnes and "What Have I Done To Deserve This" by The Pet Shop Boys