This first-rate greatest hits CD is a compilation of tunes that pretty much soundtracked my school days from grade school into college, particularly my high school years, 1980-84. I don't know if it's just because I'm in a good mood this morning, but I'm prepared to include this CD in a top ten list of greatest hits compilations (maybe top 5 if they had licensed She's Gone).
In my high school, no matter class, gender, ethnicity, or cultural background, it seemed to me that every student loved Hall & Oates tunes (even contrarians like myself!). And some songs from that time, like I Can't Go For That and One On One, sound as good today as they did when they were released.
Bonus points for chronological sequencing.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #34
Tracks: I'm tempted to skip Adult Education and Family Man because I never cared much for those two, but I'm lapping up the other tunes even though most of them are still standards on oldies/classic/greatest hits stations.
| Song | Album | Year | Hot 100 |
| Sara Smile | Daryl Hall & John Oates | 1976 | 4 |
| Rich Girl | Bigger Than Both Of Us | 1977 | 1 |
| It's a Laugh (single version) | Along The Red Ledge | 1978 | 20 |
| Wait For Me | X-Static | 1979 | 18 |
| You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling | Voices | 1980 | 12 |
| Kiss On My List | Voices | 1981 | 1 |
| You Make My Dreams | Voices | 1981 | 5 |
| Private Eyes | Private Eyes | 1981 | 1 |
| I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) | Private Eyes | 1981 | 1 |
| Did It In A Minute | Private Eyes | 1982 | 9 |
| Maneater | H2O | 1982 | 1 |
| One On One | H2O | 1983 | 7 |
| Family Man | H2O | 1983 | 6 |
| Say It Isn't So | Rock 'n Soul, Part 1 | 1983 | 2 |
| Adult Education (Promotional 12") | Rock 'n Soul, Part 1 | 1984 | 8 |
| Out of Touch (single version) | Big Bam Boom | 1984 | 1 |
| Method of Modern Love | Big Bam Boom | 1985 | 5 |
| Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid | Big Bam Boom | 1985 | 18 |
That's 18 singles with an average chart peak of somewhere between 6 and 7. Remarkable.
Top 40 omissions from the album's 1976-85 scope: She's Gone (#7, 1976), Do What You Want Be What You Are (#39, 1976), Back Together Again (#28, 1977), How Does It Feel To Be Back (#30, 1980), Your Imagination (#33, 1982), Possession Obsession (#30, 1985), The Way You Do The Things You Do/My Girl (#20, 1985).
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Many, but today I'm thinking of how much fun it was to sing Rich Girl in grade school because it had the B word in it. We were such incorrigible rebels in Mrs. French's 5th grade classroom (in our minds, at least). That's me below in a cropped version of our 5th grade class photo, 1977. Don't trust that kid, I'm warning you.
Previously revisited for the blog:
Original Album Classics (2013)
Big Bam Boom (1984)
Voices (1980)
Sara Smile is my favorite song of theirs. I still have lots of CDs, but I pretty much can find whatever I'm in the mood for on YouTube. Ambitious project you have going on here! You've inspired me to post a song or two on my own blog :)
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