The Saxxy 80s: 'When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going' by Billy Ocean (1985)

Once again, Mr Billy Ocean has made it on The Saxxy 80s list, this time with his 1985 song When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going. Billy Ocean (Leslie Sebastian Charles) is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winner based out of London, UK. When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going was released in 1985 as the theme song for the motion picture soundtrack of The Jewel of the Nile. The song reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart, and #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. There is a great sax part towards the later half of the song, so check it out and stay tuned for more great 80s music!

DJ Akhu's 80s Synth Gold: 'We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off' by Jermaine Stewart (1986)

Welcome back 80s fanatics! Today I am resurrecting an old thematic post-string called Sneaks' 80s Synth Gold. For the first post I wanted to make a splash, so I have 80s American R' and B' singer Jermaine Stewart and his 1986 hit We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off. Jermaine Stewart (William Jermaine Stewart) was a Chicago-based R' and B' singer/songwriter/dancer who died of AIDS releated liver cancer at the age of 39. We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off was Stewart's biggest hit, and it received attention after it was used on the hit US TV series Miami Vice, and it peaked at #2 on the UK and Canadian charts, and reached #5 on the U.S. chart.  Check it out! 

Rockin' In the 80s: 'Hell Is For Children' by Pat Benatar (1980)

Its time for Rockin' In the 80s once again, and this time I have Pat Benatar, and her 1980 song Hell Is For Children. American singer, and 4 time Grammy winner Pat Benatar (Patricia Mae Andrzejewski) was one of the most-played musicians on early 1980s MTV, she originated out of Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A., and I figured it was about time I post one her songs here on this blog. The song Hell Is For Children was released on her Crimes of Passion album, which was released in 1980, and reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and is to this date still her highest selling album and has gone Platinum 5x over. And so there is the Rockin' 80s hit of the week. 

The Beachy 80s: 'The Tide Is High' by Blondie (1980)

Just when the weather here in North America is getting cold and dark The Beachy 80s returns with some sunny tunes, and this time we have new wave band Blondie's 1980 hit cover song The Tide Is High. Blondie is an American rock band out of New York City, USA who got their start out in 1974 when it was founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The Tide Is High was a cover song/single (of John Holt's original 1967 song) from the group's Autoamerican album, and was originally released in November of 1980. Check it out, its got that beachy ska/reggae style to it, and it might even conjure up some thoughts of sunny days, and if you are in the Southern hemisphere it fits well for this time of year. 

#4 of DJ Akhu's Top 100 80s Dance Hits Countdown!: 'Into the Groove' by Madonna (1985)

We are back, once again, this time with #4 of the Top 100 80s Dance Hits Countdown, by none-other than the Queen of Pop Madonna, and it goes to her 1985 release hit Into the Groove. How could the Queen of Pop not possibly make the top 5, and so here she is at #4. Into the Groove was released as the 4th single off of her Like a Virgin album, and it was featured on the film soundtrack for the movie Desperately Seeking Susan. The song would peak at #1 on over 11 charts around the globe including the UK Singles Chart, the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, the Dutch Top 40 chart, the Spanish Singles Chart, amongst many others. This song always hit me as one of Madonna's top dance hits, and that is why I ranked it so highly on this countdown. Enjoy 80s peeps, we have 3 more songs to reveal and then this countdown is over!