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]

I just checked on Amazon and iTunes and all of the singles from the 1985 Heart album are only available via the Greatest Hits compilation and can only be purchased "Album Only."  My guess is that Heart is being prepped for a 35th anniversary special edition or something like that.  I've seen this happen before, where albums become unavailable before a new release.  But it is incredibly annoying that there is that interim period while they are unavailable.  Why on earth does that have to happen?

[hansenkd]

Not an update, but I just felt the urge to come on here and rant about one of my usual complaints.  So take a look at this album:

https://open.spotify.com/album/5DVH1qjObdYe44De16jjmA?si=kYs5FtmiSrO04QqAblUwRA

Note that this album consists entirely of covers, specifically covers of old "standards."  The album had exactly one Top 40 hit.  Can you guess where I'm going with this?  Of course you can.  As you can plainly see, there is but one unplayable, greyed out song on this album.  And as you can certainly surmise, it is the one Top 40 hit.  Because of course it is.  I have railed against this time and time again, but I find this a particularly egregious example.  This practice is DISGUSTING and UNCONSCIONABLE from labels.  And I can't believe that Spotify tolerates it (come on, Rock Stars, PLEASE don't use that comment as a prompt for the moronic "form response"...please, I beg you).  Spotify should enact a policy against this.  If you want to make an album available, you have to make the hit single available, or Spotify is not interested in the album at all.  That's it.  That might end this unethical practice.  I'm sure that somebody under Mr. Ek's tutelage is constantly working on problems like this, but for some reason, labels keep getting away with this cr*p.  Whatever the reason, it isn't a good enough one.  This song is pretty old, so whoever originally had the rights is probably dead.  And I can't see how one "standard" is different from the others on the album other than the fact that it was a hit single, and I imagine the label is using this to entice people to go to iTunes or Amazon and make an "album only" purchase just to get that one song.  Whatever the case, it is utterly horrible, and Spotify should assert itself on this.

[hansenkd]

It appears that Kim Carnes's Mistaken Identity album has been removed.  Both of its Top 40 hits (including the nine week #1 megahit) still play with stupid album art.  Logic would say that a 40th anniversary edition might be coming, but then again, the expected 35th anniversary edition of the Heart self titled album never showed up.  Three of its Top 10 singles play with stupid album art, the 4th is still unplayable.

[hansenkd]

The four Top 10 singles from the 1985 Heart self-titled album are now all playable (including "Nothin' at All") and sourcing from the Greatest Hits compilation instead of displaying stupid album art.  This is an improvement.  The album itself remains unavailable, and all the tracks except for the five singles (including the non-Top 40 "If Looks Could Kill") are unplayable.

[Jameshagan75]

Make A Move On Me by ONJ is now gone from Spotify!

Sweet Freedom by Michael McDonald is on Spotify but in an extended version. 
Others that are new:
Sayin’ Sorry Don’t Make It Right-Denise Lopez

I Don’t Mind At All-Bourgeois Tagg

Obscene Phone Caller-Rockwell (Huge Surprise!)

The Glamorous Life-Sheila E. (Single Version)

My 1980’s Playlist 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/59S1oY3XitTWz18qNdm8rr?si=ZvVmeEsaTk--vLAt5oVt3g&dl_branch=1

[Jameshagan75]

Updating everyone on new and songs making a return on Spotify:

Olivia Newton-John-“Make A Move On Me”and “Tied Up” (Returns!)
“Livin In Desperate Times”,  is on here as well! Both from the 40th Anniversary release of  “Physical”.

Returning:

Times Social Club-“Rumours”

Kim Carnes-“Mistaken Identity” 

Jermaine Stewart-Say It Again (return?)

[hansenkd]

Some removals lately, including dubious and not so dubious releases.  Steel Breeze 1982 album with its two Top 40 hits (#16 "You Don't Want Me Anymore" and #30 "Dreamin' Is Easy") is gone.  John Parr debut album with its #23 single "Naughty Naughty" is gone.  Meet Danny Wilson with the #23 "Mary's Prayer" is gone.  Tané Cain 1982 album with its #37 single "Holdin' On" is gone.  All of the Motels 1980s albums have been removed.  All the Top 40 singles except for "Shame" are playable from compilations with ugly album art.  I would say I'm optimistic about the Motels and possibly Danny Wilson showing up again.  Much less so about the others.  Steel Breeze and Tané Cain were both dubious "Renaissance Records" releases, and it looks like RCA or somebody has taken them down.  There might be some others I have missed.  I don't have the energy to regularly update the lists anymore.  Of course, both of the CSN Top 40 singles from Daylight Again are gone because of Crosby's "principled stand" to screw his fans and cost the people to whom he sold his catalog a fair amount of money.  Those will probably never return because of Crosby's attitude, and Stills and Nash are both with him.  Irving Azoff should have told him to pound sand, and Daniel Ek should care about the music fans who helped build Spotify instead of Joe Rogan, but we deal.

[Jameshagan75]

“Waiting For A Friend”, “Without Your Love” and “Free Me” by Roger Daltrey return! Please check out my playlist that contains all the songs that charted in the 1980’s that Spotify has. It will include songs that were re-released as a longer, shorter or remixed version. There are 12 songs that recharted with the same version but only on here once. 
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/59S1oY3XitTWz18qNdm8rr?si=5etZrQ1tRDeCYtwFnv8rgQ

[Jameshagan75]

Also “Just Because” by Anita Baker, has been removed. I want to know if anyone is interested in me listing the Hot 100 songs not on Spotify. However, the number of songs tend to change but lately it’s been more songs disappearing. 

[hansenkd]

"Sacred Emotion" by Donny Osmond has been gone for a while.

[Jameshagan75]

I count about 32 give or take a few. Maybe it was less cause I don’t think the number of songs not on Spotify ever dropped below 300. 

[Yoshi961]

Updates (for the top 40)

Recent removals:

"Wake Up Little Susie" - Simon & Garfunkel (#27)

"That's Love" - Jim Capaldi (#28)
"Turn Up the Radio" - Autograph (#29)

"You Saved My Soul" - Burton Cummings (#37)

Recent additions:

"Breakdance" (#8), "Why Me?" (#13) and "The Dream" (#37) - Irene Cara - (All from the "What a Feelin'" album)

"Spies Like Us" - Paul McCartney (#7)

"Baby Love" - Regina (#10)
"It's Now or Never" - John Schneider (#14)
"Me Myself and I" - De La Soul (#34)

"Invisible Hands" - Kim Carnes (#40)

Also, "Wasted On the Way" (#9) and "Southern Cross" (#18) by Crosby, Stills & Nash were re-added.

Additional note: "Dirty Laundry" by Don Henley was briefly removed in October of last year after Henley's "I Can't Stand Still" album was removed. The #3 hit and the album (including 2 other Hot 100 songs "Johnny Can't Read" and the self-titled track) were re-added a few weeks later.

[hansenkd]

Regina has said that the add of "Baby Love" and the Curiosity album are illegitimate and not to stream them.

[Yoshi961]

Recent removals:

"Are We Ourselves" (#15), "Secret Separation" (#19) and "The Sign of Fire" (#32) - The Fixx

"I Can Take Care of Myself" - Billy Vera and the Beaters (#39)

Recent additions:

"Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" - The Korgis (#18) - (Original 1980 version re-added)

"Turn Up the Radio" - Autograph (#29) - (Re-added)

"Motortown" - The Kane Gang (#36)

[ThomWim]

If you're wondering why some 80's songs got removed from Spotify in the USA, American copyright law allows artists to reclaim their rights after 35 years.

[Yoshi961]

Recent removals:

"Baby Love" - Regina (#10)

"Don't Close Your Eyes" - KIX (#11)

"Soul Kiss" - Olivia Newton-John (#20)

"Two Hearts" - Stephanie Mills and Teddy Pendergrass (#40)

Recent additions:

"Steal the Night" (#25) and "Just Can't Win 'em All" (#38) - Stevie Woods

"Shame" - The Motels (#21) (Re-added)

"That's Love" - Jim Capaldi (#28) - (Re-added)

"Secret Separation" - The Fixx (#19) (The other 2 songs mentioned in my previous comment remain unavailable)

[hansenkd]

It looks like "Soul Kiss" and "Don't Close Your Eyes" are probably those annoying "pre-reissue" deletions. Regina said the upload of the Curiosity album was illegitimate, and they finally removed it. She is actively trying to get a legitimate release done.

I don't know what the heck is up with The Fixx. Their new album is available, so it isn't some sort of streaming aversion.

[Jameshagan75]

Yeah. You probably remember “Show Some Respect” Tina Turner was gone for a week. As for ONJ (wth?) and Kix with their **bleep** re-recorded version on there. I mentioned in an earlier post about my playlist with all the Hot 100 songs that charted in the 1980’s. I went by Joel Whitburn’s rules. Anything released in 1979 and peaked in 1980 qualify but not ones that are from 1989 that peaked in 1990. Any songs that disappear on that playlist, goes to a private folder and makes it easier for me to see recent additions. 

[hansenkd]

The 30th anniversary remix version of "Don't Close My Eyes" on the 2018 Fuse 30 Reblown release of the Blow My Fuse album has appeared. That will work, certainly better than the awful re-record.

[ThomWim]

Don't Close Your Eyes?