TOP TEN - Let's Compare

Recently DJ Intelligence (that’s a software company, not the collective minds of disc jockeys) released a comprehensive list of  the Top 200 songs for each decade, based on requests that DJs get at their weddings, school dances, holiday parties and other events.
How does this compare to the most successful songs of that time period though?



Let’s take the eighties for example. According to Billboard Magazine* the most popular songs of the decade were:



1. Physical/Olivia Newton John
2. Endless Love/Lionel Richie & Diana Ross
3. Bette Davis Eyes/Kim Carnes
4. Every Breath You Take/The Police
5. Say, Say, Say/Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney
6. Eye of the Tiger/Survivor
7. Flashdance/What A Feeling/Irene Cara
8. Ebony and Ivory/Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder
9. Waiting for a Girl Like You/Foreigner
10. I Love Rock & Roll/Joan Jett & the Blackhearts



Now the survey by DJ Intelligence lists the most requested songs of the eighties as:



1. Don’t Stop Believing/Journey
2. You Shook Me All Night Long/AC-DC
3. Livin’ On a Prayer/ Bon Jovi
4. Billie Jean/ Michael Jackson
5. Love Shack/B-52’s
6. Pour Some Sugar On Me/Def Leppard
7. Thriller/Michael Jackson
8. Celebration/Kool and the Gang
9. Footloose/ Kenny Loggins
10. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun/Cyndi Lauper



Surprising? Not one of the Top Ten Best Selling songs of the eighties made it to the most requested – or maybe most remembered - songs list. That may be explained simply by this: What we like to listen to and what we like to dance to may be two different things, and what makes us dance is what we remember the most. This may be something to keep in mind if you are making a music list for your event.



DJIntelligence was kind enough to send us a pdf of the 200 most requested songs of every decade, starting with the fifties. If any of our clients would like to see this to help plan for your event simply e-mail me and I’ll send you a copy.



Until next time – Mike



*according to Fred Bronson’s Book Billboards Hottest 100 Hits