Cars

Priority's Chart Toppers series is an excellent budget-line collection, offering a strong selection of 15 original hits, grouped by a specific theme and decade, on each disc. Chart Toppers: Rock Hits of the 80s combines new wave, ska revival, album rock, power pop, prog rock, and pop/rock hits -- an eclectic bunch, to say the least, but the variety helps capture the feeling of the decade. A few of the songs haven't dated well, but for the most part the selection of songs is terrific, albeit a little predictable. Among the highlights on the disc are Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," Tears for Fears' "Sowing the Seeds of Love," the Fixx's "Saved by Zero," Madness' "Our House," Wang Chung's "Dance Hall Days," Stray Cats' "Rock This Town," Eddie Money's "Take Me Home Tonight," the Hooters' "And We Danced," Gary Numan's "Cars," Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over," Hall & Oates' "Out of Touch," Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl," and Styx's "Mr. Roboto." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine