#54 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown: "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" by John Parr (1985)

And #54 of the Countdown is....St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) by English musician John Parr. John Parr is from Worksop, Nottinghamshire in jolly old England, and he is to this day best known for this hit song which was a #1 single in the USA in 1985. Parr entered the music world at the early age of 12 when he was a part of a band with fellow classmates called The Silence. He later worked with acts such as the singer Meat Loaf and the rock band Toto. Following a tour with a band called The Business producer David Foster asked Parr to record a song for the soundtrack of Joel Schumacher's 1985 Brat-Pack film St. Elmo's Fire. He wrote the song with Foster as a tribute to Canadian wheelchair athlete and activist Rick Hansen, which is partly why the song is so powerful in its lyrics and effects. Rick Hansen, at the time was well known for his lectures to raise awareness about spinal cord injuries, which was dubbed the Man in Motion Tour. On September 7th, 1985 the song hit #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #6 in the UK that same year. This song would also receive a Grammy Nomination and various cross-references in popular media in later years. Well, that's #54, what oh what could 53 be?? You'll have to tune again in a few days time to find out, so don't hold your breath, stay in motion!