This is a personal, nostalgic look back at three rock songs from 1986 that the writer still enjoys, drawn from albums by John Cougar Mellencamp, Heart and Starship. Each entry highlights the song's origins, songwriters and a touch of trivia, offering a light retrospective on a strong year for classic rock rather than hard news.

– "R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A." (John Cougar Mellencamp, from *Scarecrow*) — written solely by Mellencamp as a tribute to 1960s radio and rock and roll
– "These Dreams" (Heart, from their self-titled eighth album) — written by Bernie Taupin and Martin Page, originally offered to Stevie Nicks before going to Heart, with Nancy Wilson (rather than usual lead Ann Wilson) on vocals
– "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" (Starship, from *No Protection*) — written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond, and the band's third and final US number one single