Billboard Top Hits: 1980 (CD - 1980)

When Rhino's Billboard Top Hits series hit the 1980s, the collection began to lose a little steam. From 1980 through 1985, the discs are representative of the pop mainstream, although there were the usual major artists missing. Still, the discs contained plenty of one-hit wonders and classic singles like "Bette Davis Eyes," "Jessie's Girl," "Down Under," "Maneater," and "Centerfold," with the highest concentration of good singles on the 1983 volume. As the series approached the end of the decade, the problem of licensing reared its ugly head; not only were major artists like Madonna, Prince, Phil Collins, and Guns N' Roses unavailable, but smaller artists like Rick Astley, Roxette, Poison, and Michael Damian also don't appear. Although there are a couple of enjoyable period pieces, like Donny Osmond's "Soldier of Love," the bulk of the tracks can't cover the absence of "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," and "The Look." Perhaps these should have waited a couple of years. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine minimize