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4 Top 10 Hits From 1985 You Don’t Hear Much These Days
American Songwriter has revisited four songs that reached the US Top 10 in 1985 but have largely faded from radio play since. The piece argues that even significant chart success doesn't guarantee lasting airplay, especially when a track lacks sustained promotion or is overshadowed by an artist's other, more iconic work from the same era.
The list includes Stevie Wonder's "Go Home" (No. 10), a horn-driven track from his comeback album In Square Circle; ZZ Top's "Sleeping Bag" (No. 8) from Afterburner, which trails behind the band's more famous Eliminator-era hits; Bruce Springsteen's "I'm Goin' Down" (No. 9), the sixth single from Born in the U.S.A.; and Night Ranger's "Sentimental Street" (No. 8), which has been overshadowed by the band's earlier power ballad "Sister Christian".
In short
- Four 1985 Top 10 hits rarely get airplay today
- Featured artists: Stevie Wonder, ZZ Top, Springsteen, Night Ranger
- Songs often overshadowed by artists' bigger contemporaneous hits
Explained simply
1985 was a landmark year for pop music, but some of the year's biggest chart hits have virtually disappeared from modern radio playlists. Even songs that reached the Top 10 at the time can fade into obscurity once the initial commercial moment passes, particularly if they lack continued promotional support or become overshadowed by other work from the same artist.
Several songs from that year exemplify this pattern. The four tracks in question include major entries from Stevie Wonder, ZZ Top, Bruce Springsteen, and Night Ranger, each of which reached the Top 10 but has since largely vanished from radio rotation despite its initial chart success.
The phenomenon reflects a broader reality of the music industry: commercial success at the time doesn't guarantee lasting visibility on the airwaves. Radio stations tend to favour an artist's most recognisable or iconic tracks, meaning less-promoted singles can be relegated to obscurity even when they once achieved significant chart positions.