Rock Evolution – The History of Rock & Roll - 1986 - (page 212)

"Wanted Dead or Alive" was my fifth pick that was just edged out. A superb song, great intro, vocal and a Sambora classic solo.
I had the cassette of the album when I first buggered off to work in France. That song played as I sat at the back of the ferry, watching England disappear, slowly. Played the rest of the album to death but that song always remains a favourite.
 
"Wanted Dead or Alive" was my fifth pick that was just edged out. A superb song, great intro, vocal and a Sambora classic solo.
“Livin’ on a Prayer” was on my short list but my last pick turned up on the soundtrack to the latest episode of Landman and I took it as a sign.

Slippery is a great album; I tend to associate it with 1987 as I do the Beastie Boys.
 
@Black&White&BlueMoon Town you forgot to put Big Time on the playlist!
My apologies, it was not intentional, no matter what prior comments I had on this album. ;-)

I was adding songs fast and furious back then and must have just missed the final step. It is corrected now and Everything in Its Right Place.
 
Notes on the 1986 playlist

I haven't done a proper round-up of one of these playlists for a while now because the playlists were so long I just never got the listen to them in full. Anyway, these last two weeks, I managed a complete listen. What a great year in music - some I was familiar with from 1986, others I have heard since.

The Big Winner

Even though two of my favourites songs are on this playlist, I'm looking elsewhere for the big winner.

In the year that Mike Peters died, I have to go for "Spirit of '76" by The Alarm. An epic song of with Springsteen-esque qualities and a great narrative. The music is great but Mike Peters' passionate vocals really sells this song as very special.

Those "favourites" that it beat?

"Wanted Dead or Alive" - Bon Jovi
- That mysterious start, those acoustc strings building into a fabulous piece with a great Ritchie Sambora guitar solo. And when it comes out of the chorus into "I walk these streets ...", WOW! The hairs on the back of my arms stand up every time. Their best song.

"Don't Dream It's Over" - Crowded House. This is how you write a pop song. One of my all-time favourites.

It was good to heard those Genesis songs from Invisible Touch. I've not heard them for such a long time. Ditto Eric Clapton's "It's In The Way That You Use It". I had both of those albums.

Two very good songs from the Album Review Club - "Smoking Gun" by Robert Cray and "Bigmouth Strikes Again" by The Smiths

And plenty of great songs that it was good to hear again, including:-

"Blood & Roses" - The Smithereens - A great song that I only heard this summer for the first time.
"Guitar Town" - Steve Earle
"Fight For Your Right" - The Beastie Boys
"World Shut Your Mouth" - Julian Cope
"The Boy In The Bubble" - Paul Simon
"Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely" - Husker Du
"Word Up" - Cameo
 

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