It’s December 12, 1986, and we’re turning the synths up, the collars high, and the volume way past ten. This week on Gen X 80s Top 20 Countdown UK, Europe crashes in at number one with “The Final Countdown,” but they’re not alone, Erasure, Bon Jovi, Swing Out Sister, and even a reissued Jackie Wilson hit are climbing the charts and blasting from every Walkman in town.

We’ve got all the usual goodies: 2 trivia breaks (including one about banana-scented fashion?!), a wildly nostalgic midpoint story, and the kind of track intros that’ll make you feel like you’re flipping through Smash Hits with a can of Tab in hand. And hey, our Bonus Vault drop this week is Episode 2 of the Top 100 Rock Tracks Turning 40, so don’t miss that either.

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This week on the Gen X 80s Top 20 Countdown, we rewind to December 13, 1986, a week where funk met fire and pop went deep. Bruce Hornsby delivered truth with a piano, Wang Chung told us all to have fun, and Janet Jackson claimed her place in the spotlight with pure, undeniable control.

From synth to soul, slow burns to stadium shouts, this countdown has it all.

And don’t miss this week’s Bonus Vault drop: Episode 2 of the Top 100 Rock Tracks Turning 40 is out now!

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Intro music by Roman Orekhov from Pixabay

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We’re back inside the vault with Part 2 of the Top 100 Rock Songs Turning 40—a celebration of the grit, soul, and thunder that made 1985 unforgettable.

This countdown moves deeper into the heart of the rock ‘n’ roll storm. These tracks are louder, tougher, and more dialed-in. If you’re looking for the moment when the countdown really starts to heat up—this is it.

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