Top Songs of 1989: #12: "Waiting for a Star to Fall" by Boy Meets Girl

The #12 hit of 1989 was "Waiting for a Star to Fall" by the duo Boy Meets Girl.

I wasn't even sure if I knew this song--I saw the title in print and it didn't ring any bells. But then I looked up the video on youtube and realized I totally knew this song...I somehow thought this song was from a much earlier year. Maybe 1985 or 1986.

Boy Meets Girl consisted of a real-life married couple, Shannon Rubicam and George Merrill. The late 80's/early 90's was the last hey-day for soft-rock. Before Alanis came in and threw everything out of whack!

The song was written for Whitney Houston but she didn't use it....Later the song was "offered to Belinda Carlisle who recorded a demo of it for her Heaven on Earth album. The track remained unreleased, although the demo was later leaked. "

This song has a lot going on in terms of structure. A Verse A / Verse B part / pre-chorus / chorus/ outro....Definitely exciting for me to play a song that has a bit more going on...still no bridge though! (See every other song I have covered so far from 1989...not a bridge among them!).

Top Songs of 1989: #13: "Lost In Your Eyes" by Debbie Gibson

The #13 Billboard hit of 1989 was "Lost in Your Eyes" by teen singer Debbie Gibson.

I just went back and watched this video and had a few thoughts:
1. I'm not sure who came on the national scene first--Kimmy Gibler (the character from the sitcom "Full House") or Debbie Gibson...They totally have the same style! That curly bouncy hair, scrunchie, drop waist velvet dresses. Maybe the same stylist worked on both "Full House" and Debbie Gibson's video.
2. There are some close-ups of Debbie that remind me of close-ups in Britney Spears' video of "Hit Me Baby One More Time". I think they remind me of each other because it this conscious choice (maybe by the record label or the director) to show the world "Here is this innocent teen idol. Here is her face. Don't you want to be her friend? Get used to this face because you will not be able to escape it for the next few years."
3. Debbie Gibson wears this hat in a few scenes in the video that made me laugh. It is entirely improbable that the hat could stay on someone's head without Krazy Glue or some very dedicated PA. It is near the back of her head, right near her nape.

Anyways...enough about the video!
This song was a sweet little power ballad. Some notes about the song:
1. This song modulates three times! Pretty extreme.
2. Again, bridge-less song. Where, oh where did bridges go in the late 80's?
3. Interesting factoid: " Gibson was the youngest artist ever to write, produce, and perform a Billboard Hot 100 # 1 hit single (in the USA) with her song 'Foolish Beat' ." Not bad. I was pretty impressed that she was 16 and producing her own songs!
4. "Lost In Your Eyes" is from Gibson's second album, "Electric Youth". I remember LOVING "Electric Youth". My friend Jenny and I made up dances to it-- I remember thinking: "Maybe I too am an Electric Youth!!" Ha.
5. The music and lyrics are both written by Debbie Gibson...even when I'm not too excited about a song, I do get excited by pop artists that both write and perform their own work. It's not all that common. So, hat's off to you, Debbie!

Top Songs of 1989: #14: "Don't Wanna Lose You Now" by Gloria Estefan

It seems like in the late 80s/early 90s, there were a lot more songs in the charts that were definitely "soft rock". The #14 song falls under that category. Gloria Estefan's "Don't Wanna Lose You Now" is made of butter, cream, and silk ribbons.

Gloria Estefan wrote both the music and lyrics.

Gloria was part of Miami Sound Machine. "Cuts Both Ways" was the first album that is credited to both her and Miami Sound Machine; so many consider it her first solo album.

Not sure what is up with songs without bridges from this era of music ..but this is another example. Just two verses, two choruses, no bridge. I'm a sucker for a good bridge...alas.