The Greatest Songs Of The Eighties

Performer: Barry Manilow
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE EIGHTIES follows logically behind Barry Manilow's three previous albums exploring the 1950s, '60s and '70s. As one might expect from Manilow's own work, his favorite songs of the 1980s tend towards adult contemporary ballads such as Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," Journey's "Open Arms," and Chicago's "Hard To Say I'm Sorry," but there are some more unexpected choices as well. A duet with Reba McEntire on Barry Gibb's 1983 hit for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, "Islands in the Stream," is a lighthearted start to the album, and a tongue-in-cheek cover of Rick Astley's 1987 hit "Never Gonna Give You Up" suggests that Manilow is familiar with the circa-2008 internet meme of "Rickrolling," or tricking online friends into watching the video of what had been a nearly-forgotten pop hit.

To many the very embodiment of the soft rock and middle-of-the-road genres, Barry Manilow became an international superstar in the 1970s with a string of hits combining heart-on-sleeve sentiment and finely crafted songs with slick, highly orchestrated production. His ultra-showbiz image (which was likely influenced by his early days as musical director for Bette Midler), appealed to an extremely wide audience. Although Manilow has long been regarded as the antithesis of hip, there is no denying his considerable talent, and his fans are among the most loyal (some might say fanatical) in pop music.

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