80s Top 10 Songs Not on Spotify

[hansenkd]

With the arrival of Def Leppard, that leaves Peter Gabriel as the only major 80s pop artist to still hold out on putting his back catalog on Spotify (and since he has acted like a tremendous douche on the subject, I doubt we'll see him cave anytime soon).  Anyway, I decided to take the occasion to post all 1980s Hot 100 Top 10 songs that remain unavailable on Spotify.  This is for reference and perhaps to put pressure on artists and labels for release.  Because my interest lies in the 1980s decade, the list is restricted to that decade.  An asterisk (*) indicates that the song spent a significant amount of time on Spotify since late 2015 or so, but has been removed for an unexplained reason.  Artist-authorized re-recordings will be noted.  If the only thing available is a dubious re-recording with a suspicious label indication, the song is listed as not available.  The list is sorted by peak position.  I may follow up this list by continuing through the rest of the Top 20 or Top 40.  Anyway, here you go:

#1 songs:
"I Love Rock n' Roll"--Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
"Mickey"--Toni Basil* (again unavailable as of summer 2020.  Basil has put up a rerecording with a slightly different title, which bodes ill for the original coming back again anytime soon).
"Flashdance...What a Feeling"--Irene Cara* (recently sourced from a compilation; the parent album is still unavailable and fakes abound--don't count on its stability)
"Sledgehammer"--Peter Gabriel
"Rock On"--Michael Damian (a very good 2009 rerecording by Damian himself is available)

#2 songs:
"Electric Avenue"--Eddy Grant*
"All I Need"--Jack Wagner
"I Want Your $ex"--George Michael (available, but the charting song is not available in a separate track from its "Part 2" B-side, "Brass in Love")

#3 songs:
All are available, but take Anita Baker's "Giving You the Best That I Got" with a grain of salt.  Most of her hits appear to be available again, but as parts of compilations that may or may not be dubious or authorized by her.  They never play as part of her own albums, and the album art itself does not really show up.  "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" by The S.O.S. Band is sourcing from a compilation (including the compilation album art) with a cut-off fade out as of March 2020.  The parent album has been greyed out with the exception of the hit.

#4 songs:
"For Your Eyes Only"--Sheena Easton

All apparently available

#5 songs:
All apparently available

"Lookin' for Love"--Johnny Lee* (tends to periodically reappear via compliation, then disappear again after a short time--UPDATE March 2020: as of Summer 2019, seems to FINALLY be stable and sourcing from the original album

"Make a Move on Me"--Olivia Newton-John*

"She Blinded Me with Science"--Thomas Dolby*--UPDATE March 2020: now appears to be available and sourcing properly from the original parent album, hopefully stable.

#6 songs:
All apparently available

#7 songs:
"Crimson and Clover"--Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
"Spies Like Us"--Paul McCartney
"Sweet Freedom"--Michael McDonald

#8 songs:
"They Don't Know"--Tracey Ullman
"Breakdance"--Irene Cara*
"Big Time"--Peter Gabriel
"I Remember Holding You"--Boys Club--UPDATE March 2020: the song in its original recording has been made available as a single with a b/w image of the two band members as cover art.  The full album is not available nor is it in the database.  Stability questionable.

#9 songs:
"Don't Shed a Tear"--Paul Carrack* (available again as of March 2020)
"The Doctor"--Doobie Brothers* (has reappeared via compilation, then been removed again.  UPDATE March 2020: now sourcing from the original parent album and available)

Note that "Pac-Man Fever" by Buckner and Garcia has been available in the same version from several different sources, apparently an authorized re-recording.  Recently, a source showed up with an entire B&G album and good album art (unlike the typical "fake compilation" album art that is so ubiquitous on Spotify), but it is still unclear if the recording is the original.  It sounds authentic.

#10 songs:
"Hold on to My Love"--Jimmy Ruffin (it looks like all the available versions of this are re-recordings, even though they are not all indicated as such and they sound very good)

"Nothin' At All"--Heart* (1985 album removed as of 8/20/20--the other three Top 10 singles are playing from other sources).
"Baby Love"--Regina* (was available, but removed again as of March 2020)
"Where Are You Now"--Jimmy Harnen and Synch
"Cry"--Waterfront--UPDATE March 2020: available and sourcing from the original album

So...all things considered, that's a pretty short list.  Good job, Spotify!  Hopefully someone looks at this to know where work is needed.  All top 10 songs should be available.  In fairness, the entire "What a Feelin'" album from Irene Cara was recently removed without explanation.  Would be nice if someone from Spotify could find out why or work on it.  Gabriel...sigh.  Who knows if he will cave?  Nobody thought Prince's heirs, Seger or Def Leppard would [UPDATE: It happened!].  Some of the albums that have long been unavailable with no explanation, such as Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n Roll," deserve some effort [UPDATE: Finally, Joan Jett's catalog is fully available!].  And so do the really obscure tracks like Boys Club "I Remember Holding You" (half of that act was a member of the Jets, so the song, as a Top 10 hit, should have been included on one of those Jets compilations).  Jack Wagner's "All I Need" is the highest charting song of the decade to not be available in any digital format, including download.  Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue" is also unavailable for download at iTunes or Amazon, but it was there at one point and then removed.

Pay attention to this list, Spotify, and get the job done!  The labels and artists (where applicable) need to be "persuaded."

As I said, I may follow up with Top 20 and Top 40 songs.

[hansenkd]

It appears that, coinciding exactly with the launch of the Stones tour after his heart surgery, Mick Jagger's solo albums are now available again.  In this post, that affects entries at #12, #38, and #39.  Who knows why they went absent so long in the first place.

[RamsDude]

Mickey (English version) appears to be finally be available on The Very Best of Toni Basil. The Spanish version on that compilation has been the only one available.

Also during the April 'purge' Steve Winwood's Valerie (1987), which peaked at #9 was purged. Interestingly, the "Remix Version" file was replaced with the 1982 version (#70 peak). It takes 1 second to notice the difference. 

[hansenkd]

We'll see how long "Mickey" lasts. Hopefully not another "Lookin' for
Love" situation. And yes, the "Valerie" sourced from the Chronicles
anthology is playing the original now, even though it is still labeled as
the remix. Argh.

Couple of surprises on more obscure things.  "Love You Like I Never Loved Before" by John O'Banion (#24 1981) is now available with its parent album.  And Del Shannon's cover of "Sea of Love" (#33 1981) is playable from a compilation, but the album Drop Down and Get Me still has it greyed out.

I would like some information about what was behind the April purge, especially the ONJ songs.  Spotify won't tell us (and the rock stars only ever parrot the "contact the label" form text), does anybody know what the instigation was?

[RamsDude]

Olivia Newton-John 1975-1985 Solo albums back in full Saturday morning.  

So 2 of her 4 1980s Top 40 singles restored:

Make A Move on Me #5

Soul Kiss #20

Bonus: Landslide #52 also is back

[hansenkd]

Still missing "Tied Up" and "Livin' in Desperate Times."  Hopefully soon.  One of her biggest non-80s hits, "I Honestly Love You," also remains unavailable. 

[RamsDude]

ONJ's catalog is tragic - In additon to IHLY (#1), Let Me Be There (#6) and If You Love Me, Let Me Know (#5). Not to mention that the track listing on the Have You Never Been Mellow album is still wrong after being reinstated ("And in the Morning" and her cover of "The Air That I Breathe" have been swapped). The latter is on several compilations and pulls the previous song both Spotify and for purchase iTunes, GooglePlay.  How does this stuff happen?

Too bad we don't have a "70s Top Songs Not on Spotify' thread! I'm sure it has just as many gaps as the 80s. 

[RamsDude]

Thomas Dolby catalog appears to be back. "She Blinded Me with Science" and "Hyperactive" in my "Removed" playlist are White again. 

[hansenkd]

"She Blinded Me with Science" is sourcing weirdly from a compilation.
Might be unstable, like "Lookin' for Love."

[cs812]

all these songs are available except i  believe 2/3. try typing them in including the artists me as many results are available and you may have to narrow it down.

[Struggles13]

Stevie Nicks just released a three disc set that included John Stewart’s
“Gold” (she sung backup) but that song isn’t on Spotify. What a shame.

It’s odd since they play that song all the time at Home Depot. It’s
expensive to even buy it on cd.

[hansenkd]

The John Stewart album Bombs Away Dream Babies, which includes "Gold" and "Lost Her in the Sun," was released by RSO, a defunct label with a lot of orphan titles (Scotti Bros. is similar).  Somebody will have to pick it up, which I can't believe nobody has.

[Jameshagan75]

Paranoimia is available now. I am making a playlist of all the 80's songs that hit the Hot 100 as well as bubbling under ones from the 80's. Been going through my chart books and any I can't find, I make a playlist on my YouTube Channel. To me it's very hard to try and double check playlists because of how Spotify puts any song starting with "The" like "The One That You Love" under T and not O. Or If you have solo artists like Elton John or Rod Stewart, they are under E and R instead of J and S. Yes, I could change it to custom but that would be too much work and this playlist I have has already over 3,700 songs!

[hansenkd]

I finally got around to updating this, and also started a new thread that goes into more detail on Nos. 1-20.

Some changes at #21-40, which I don't mention (yet) in the new thread.  "Serious" by Donna Allen removed at #21.  "Not Just Another Girl" by Ivan Neville now available at #26.  "I'm Happy That Love Has Found You" by Jimmy Hall now available at #27.  "Kiss and Tell" by Bryan Ferry removed at #31.  "Paranoimia" by Art of Noise featuring Max Headroom again removed at #34.  "Sugar Free" by Wa Wa Nee now available at #35.  "The Salt in My Tears" by Martin Briley now available at #36.  "I Want You, I Need You" by Chris Christian now available at #37. 

VERY troubling that those two lower-charting ONJ songs are still unavailable.  I mention this in the new thread, but the removal of Regina's #10 "Baby Love" with its parent album after its exciting appearance is disappointing and discouraging.  Regina Richards herself is quite active on social media--hopefully this is rectified soon.  Just in the last couple of days the parent album of the #3 "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" was greyed out and the hit itself is sourcing from a compilation with the fade-out cut off.  Ugh.  #3 was a "stable" area for so long before that.  The original album source played the song great, with the fade-out intact.

[hansenkd]

...and "Paranoimia" just became available again, along with an entire compilation album called The Best of The Art of Noise.  I won't do a strikethrough until I'm more convinced of its stability.

[hansenkd]

"Pop Goes the World" by Men Without Hats (#20) is now suddenly and inexplicably unavailable.  Update to list will follow.

[Jameshagan75]

Pop Goes The World is back along with the parent album. Also Halleuliah Man by Love & Money tho it peaked outside the 40.

[Jameshagan75]

Sun City by United Artists Against Apartheid, License To Chill by Billy Ocean, What About Me? by Moving Pictures, Serious by Donna Allen and That’s Love by Jim Capaldi are on Spotify now! Mickey by Toni Basil ,and her other two songs, Shoppin’ From A to Z and Over My Head, are gone again. 

[Jameshagan75]

Hope this helps everyone!

[RamsDude]

Heart - "Nothin' At All" (#10) has been removed. Neither the album version ("Heart") nor the single remix ("Greatest Hits 85-95") are available. While the latter is available, the other 4 singles from "Heart" have been sourced from other places as "Heart" has been removed.

[hansenkd]

Finally got around to updating the lists, removing some strike-throughs, adding back some others, etc.  I hope it's up to date now.

I don't see evidence that "Serious" by Donna Allen is back.  The extended mix is there from a weird source, but not the single.  "That's Love" by Jim Capaldi also sourcing strangely, not from the more reliable "Dear Mr. Fantasy" compilation.

Regarding the Heart album, which is a big-time removal akin to the still-not-dealt-with What a Feelin' album from Irene Cara: I filled out the contact form on the official Heart website, and got an auto-response that someone will get back with me.  Hopefully we will get some sort of answer there.  I also did a Hail Mary visitor post on their official Facebook page, but that's unlikely to be looked at.  We'll see.

Please let me know if I missed any updates on the main lists.

Regarding "Mickey," Basil has apparently posted a new re-record with a slightly different title as of this year.  That bodes VERY ill for a return of the original recording.  Something is up with the rights to that song.  Regarding "Electric Avenue," it would be nice to know who it is that REALLY, REALLY doesn't want that song to be available.