This week on Gen X 80s Top 20 Countdown, we’re rewinding to September 19, 1981, a chart full of big emotions, slick production, and the transitional sound of a decade stretching its legs. Diana Ross and Lionel Richie rule the top with a duet that still echoes through time, while Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty bring rock chemistry to a slow burn. Juice Newton, Foreigner, and Journey add heartbreak and horsepower, while the Stones swagger back in like they never left. From Bond themes to beach medleys, new wave breakup anthems to soft rock confessionals, this countdown is a mixtape made for late-night drives and wistful stares out school bus windows.
It’s heartfelt, high-energy, and unmistakably 1981. Press play and let the saxophones do the talking.
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