Daryl Hall & John Oates - The Very Best Of (2001)

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)