In my last article, I went back through SiriusXM Classic Rewind’s 40 Cassettes Turning 40 countdown from 1981.
It’s a strong list.
But while I was going through the albums and the songs Classic Rewind played from them, I started wondering about the albums that didn’t make it.
That’s when I went down another rabbit hole.
I started going through the albums released in 1981, looking for ones that fit in with Classic Rewind programming and could have been part of the countdown. Then I started digging deeper, not just looking for huge albums. I looked at classic rock, AOR, hard rock, New Wave, college rock and some of the pop music that crossed over to rock radio.
Before long, I had a list of about 100 albums, not including the 40 that made the countdown.
Obviously, not all 100 albums should or could have been in a Top 40 countdown. Some were much stronger candidates than others. Some had one memorable song. Some were big sellers. Some were albums that didn’t sell particularly well. Others were albums that probably had little chance of ever showing up on Classic Rewind.
But that isn’t the point.
The fact that I could come up with about 100 somewhat legitimate albums that didn’t make the final countdown tells me something else.
1981 was a great year for music.
What Was Actually on the Ballot?
There is another question that makes this a little more complicated.
We know which 40 albums won the vote, but I haven’t been able to find the original 2021 ballot.
That matters.
Classic Rewind doesn’t just ask listeners to name any 15 albums they want. Their polls have presented listeners with a predetermined group of albums and then provided an “Other” option for write-ins.
I suspect a lot of the albums I found weren’t on the original ballot.
If an album wasn’t on the ballot, it would have been pretty difficult for it to collect enough write-in votes to crack the Top 40. So when I call these albums “omissions,” I’m not necessarily saying Classic Rewind listeners rejected them. In some cases, I suspect that listeners never had a chance to vote for them in the first place.
Unfortunately, unless that original ballot turns up, we’ll never know.
What Counts as a Classic Rewind Album?
That created another problem.
How much should I worry about whether Classic Rewind actually plays an artist?
At first, that seemed like an easy way to narrow the list. The station plays plenty of Journey, Foreigner, Van Halen, the Cars and Tom Petty. It doesn’t play much Human League, Split Enz or Squeeze.
But then I remembered something from the 1986 countdown.
Depeche Mode made that list.
Depeche Mode isn’t an artist I would consider part of Classic Rewind’s regular rotation. Yet they made the countdown.
So I decided not to eliminate an album just because the artist doesn’t sound like a typical Classic Rewind artist today.
Narrowing 100 Down
I certainly wasn’t going to write about 100 albums. I’m guessing you didn’t want to read about 100 albums either.
So I started cutting.
And cutting.
And cutting some more.
There were plenty of albums I hated to leave behind, and I could probably make a case for another 20 if I really wanted to. But at some point I had to stop.
Eventually, I got the list down to 20.
These aren’t necessarily the 20 best albums Classic Rewind left out. I’m not trying to redo their countdown or say these albums should replace 20 of the albums that made it.
They’re simply 20 albums from 1981 that caught my attention. Some were huge. Some had songs that were all over rock radio. Some seem like natural Classic Rewind albums. A few probably never had much of a chance of making the countdown.
And at least one is here because it’s my list and I wanted it here.
Here are my 20.
The 20
April Wine, The Nature of the Beast
This album feels like it was made for Classic Rewind. “Just Between You and Me” and “Sign of the Gypsy Queen” both fit comfortably alongside the music they play. I still have my original copy of this on vinyl.
The Go-Go’s, Beauty and the Beat
One of the biggest albums of the early 1980s, with “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “We Got the Beat.” I owned this one on vinyl. I bought it on the advice of my friend Brady. This was the first album by an all-female band that wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to reach #1 on the album charts. Maybe it leans a little more toward New Wave than Classic Rewind, but if Depeche Mode can make one of these countdowns, then so can the Go-Go’s.
The Human League, Dare
The same argument applies here. “Don’t You Want Me” became one of the defining songs of the early 1980s. It may not fit the Classic Rewind format, but it was part of what was happening in music in 1981. My brother had this album on cassette. I’m fairly certain that rock radio played “Don’t You Want Me,” so it was a crossover hit.
Billy Idol, Don’t Stop
Technically, this is an EP, but Classic Rewind included live albums and greatest-hits collections in its countdown, so I’m not going to get too hung up on format. It includes “Dancing with Myself” and Billy Idol’s version of “Mony Mony.”
Jefferson Starship, Modern Times
“Find Your Way Back” alone makes this one feel like an obvious Classic Rewind candidate. Jefferson Starship fits the format, the album fits the era and the song still sounds like Classic Rewind to me. To a lesser extent, “Stranger” and “Save Your Love” also deserve consideration. They both charted on the Album Rock chart. If you’ve read some of my other articles, then you know how I feel about Grace Slick. However, “Find Your Way Back” is a great tune that would fit in nicely with this countdown.
Greg Kihn Band, RocKihnRoll
“The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em)” is another one that makes me wonder how the album missed. Classic Rewind still plays the song, which makes its absence even more interesting.
“Harden My Heart” was everywhere. The album went platinum, and the song reached No. 1 on Billboard’s rock chart. “Find Another Fool” peaked at No. 12. If I were looking for albums that surprised me by not making the countdown, this would be near the top.
Shooting Star, Hang On for Your Life
Maybe this is my Kansas City bias showing, but Shooting Star should have been big. The songs are there and if you give them a listen, you may remember hearing some of their songs. I’ve seen them a few times in concert over the years, and they put on a hell of a show. I still have my copy of Hang On for Your Life.
Split Enz, Waiata
I first saw Split Enz on American Bandstand, where they played “One Step Ahead.” “One Step Ahead” and “History Never Repeats” push this one toward the New Wave side of the list. The latter was on the rock chart for nine weeks. Again, it probably isn’t what most people picture when they think of Classic Rewind, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t an important part of 1981.
Squeeze, East Side Story
Any album with “Tempted” deserves a look. Squeeze is another band that fits better on the college rock and New Wave side of my musical tastes than on Classic Rewind, but East Side Story was too good to ignore. And “Tempted” peaked at No. 8 on the rock chart.
Rick Springfield, Working Class Dog
“Jessie’s Girl.”
Do I really need to say much more?
It was one of the biggest songs of the era, and the album also gave us “I’ve Done Everything for You.” This may lean toward pop rock, but it seems strange to talk about the albums of 1981 without talking about Working Class Dog. My sister was a big fan of both his music and soap opera career.
Rod Stewart, Tonight I’m Yours
“Young Turks” is enough to get this album into the discussion for me. Rod Stewart certainly isn’t out of place on classic rock radio, either, although his music was leaning more toward pop at this point in his career. I preferred the older albums, but Tonight I’m Yours certainly belongs in a discussion of 1981.
Tommy Tutone, Tommy Tutone 2
All right, admit it. You tried to call Jenny, too. The album came out in 1981 even though “867-5309/Jenny” really took off in 1982. But that’s not the point. Besides, it didn’t make the list in 1982 either.
The Tubes, The Completion Backward Principle
“Talk to Ya Later” is one of those songs that should be and probably already is on Classic Rewind. The album also included “Don’t Want to Wait Anymore.” They were a funky band and they really took off with “She’s a Beauty” in 1983.
Various Artists, Heavy Metal
This may be my favorite oddball omission.
Look at some of the artists on the soundtrack: Sammy Hagar, Don Felder, Cheap Trick, Blue Öyster Cult, Stevie Nicks, Journey, Black Sabbath and Devo.
That almost sounds like someone programming a few hours of Classic Rewind.
Electric Light Orchestra, Time
My dad was a big ELO fan and owned all of their albums from the ‘70s. By this point, my interest in them had waned, but Time did have “Hold On Tight.” It was No. 10 on the Hot 100 in 1981. ELO is definitely in the Classic Rewind universe.
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Private Eyes
This was one of the most commercially successful albums on the omitted albums list. Two No. 1 singles, “Private Eyes” and “I Can’t Go for That,” plus “Did It in a Minute.” The only question is whether Hall & Oates are a little too pop for Classic Rewind, but considering some of the countdown’s choices, it is definitely in contention. I have to admit that “Private Eyes” remains a guilty pleasure for me.
Donnie Iris & the Cruisers, King Cool
I remember the first time I heard “Love Is Like a Rock”; it was at my buddy Brady’s house and it became a staple on my favorite radio station. “Love Is Like a Rock” is exactly the kind of early-’80s AOR track that belongs in this discussion.
Little River Band, Time Exposure
George Martin produced the album, so that piqued my interest. “The Night Owls,” “Take It Easy on Me” and “Man on Your Mind” are all compatible with the softer side of Classic Rewind.
Red Rider, As Far as Siam
This is on my list because of “Lunatic Fringe.” I suspect some didn’t discover this song until it appeared on the Vision Quest soundtrack in 1985 (BTW, that is a great soundtrack). My favorite radio station played it back in 81 and it has stuck with me. It is almost impossible for me to look at Classic Rewind’s format and not see that song fitting.
From 40 at 40 to 45 at 45
After going through all of this, I thought about making my own version of the countdown. I could take a few albums out and replace them with some of my favorites that didn’t make it.
But the more I thought about it, the less I liked that idea.
This was Classic Rewind’s countdown. These are the 40 albums their listeners picked, and I’m going to leave them alone.
Besides, five years have passed. These albums aren’t turning 40 anymore.
They’re turning 45.
So instead of taking anything away, I’m adding five more.
I’m calling it 45 at 45.
I started with the 20 albums above and somehow had to pick just five. I’m not saying these five are better than everything else I left behind. They’re simply the five albums I would add to Classic Rewind’s original countdown today.
So Classic Rewind gets the first 40.
I get the last five.
My Five Additions
41. Various Artists, Heavy Metal
My song: “Heavy Metal (Takin’ a Ride)”
I saw this movie all three nights it was at our small-town movie theater and I probably watched it on HBO multiple times. I even got the poster from the theater (I wish I still had it). I bought the soundtrack on cassette (I think I still have it) and later on CD.
Sammy Hagar’s “Heavy Metal” is also on Standing Hampton, but that’s a different version. Journey’s “Open Arms” is also on Escape, and Blue Öyster Cult’s “Veteran of the Psychic Wars” is on Fire of Unknown Origin. All are albums already on the countdown.
But the soundtrack also includes Don Felder’s “Heavy Metal (Takin’ a Ride)” and one of my favorites, Cheap Trick’s “Reach Out.” If live albums and greatest-hits albums were eligible for the countdown, I don’t see any reason a soundtrack couldn’t have been.
42. Shooting Star, Hang On for Your Life
My song: “Hang On for Your Life”
Shooting Star never became as big nationally as some of the other bands on this list, but “Hang On for Your Life” is a great example of the AOR music that was all over rock radio at the time. The title track, “Hollywood,” “Breakout” and “Flesh and Blood” all belong in the conversation. I never wavered on my pick here; it was always going to be “Hang On for Your Life.”
They’re a great band that never got their due (maybe there’s a future story here). In a previous article, I talked about record shopping with my buddy Brady. This is one of those albums that I bought on one of those trips.
43. Quarterflash, Quarterflash
My song: “Harden My Heart”
I’ll be honest, I didn’t own this album. I do have their greatest hits on CD. I couldn’t leave this one off. “Find Another Fool” could have easily been my pick, but I went with the classic “Harden My Heart.”
44. April Wine, The Nature of the Beast
My song: “Sign of the Gypsy Queen”
I waffled back and forth between “Just Between You and Me” and “Sign of the Gypsy Queen.” The fact that “Sign” is a cover weighed heavily on me, but ultimately, I picked the rocker because April Wine made it their own. Another great band that didn’t get their due.
45. Greg Kihn Band, RocKihnRoll
My song: “The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em)”
This is Greg Kihn at his best. “The Breakup Song” is one of those songs that immediately takes me back to the early ’80s. I’m fairly certain Brady introduced me to this one, too. There’s something about that guitar riff and the chorus that makes it impossible not to sing along. Greg Kihn would have an even bigger hit a couple of years later with “Jeopardy,” but for me, “The Breakup Song” is the one that belongs on Classic Rewind.
And I Still Left a Lot Behind
Even after getting down to these five, I could make arguments for plenty of others.
That may be the biggest thing I learned from doing this.
Classic Rewind’s original Top 40 included Escape, 4, Moving Pictures, Shake It Up, For Those About to Rock We Salute You, Tattoo You, Paradise Theatre, Abacab, Ghost in the Machine, Bella Donna and a lot of other albums that have become part of the soundtrack of that era.
And yet I found another 100 albums worth at least considering.
Most of them were probably never on the ballot. Some never had a realistic chance of making the Top 40. Some I’m sure Classic Rewind listeners would have voted down immediately because they didn’t fit.
That’s okay.
The exercise wasn’t really about proving Classic Rewind got its countdown wrong.
It was about realizing just how much music was competing for those 40 spots.
Classic Rewind gave me the first 40. I added five more.
Forty-five years later, 1981 looks pretty darn good.
My 45 Albums at 45 Playlist
If you want to hear how I would have programmed the countdown, here’s my 45 Albums at 45 playlist, featuring my song selections from the original 40 albums and the five I added.
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