No. 10: "Fame" - Irene Cara
From Fame, 1980
Although this movie, soundtrack, and song didn't quite as well as Cara's earlier entry, "Fame" is really the better song. While the movie Flashdance was a huge hit, Fame had more modest success.
The song peaked as high as number four on the Billboard charts, and the soundtrack hit as high as number seven. Still, lyrically, "Fame" is easy to sing along with, and who can't relate to the line "I'm gonna live forever" when you look back on your youth? That was everyone's attitude and it's why this song just resonates slightly more than "Flashdance...What a Feeling" did.
Both are good songs, but everyone who remembers both movies will probably gravitate more to this song than the song from Flashdance.
No. 9: "Take My Breath Away" - Berlin
From Top Gun, 1986
The Top Gun soundtrack was incredibly successful, manning the top spot on the Billboard album charts for five non-consecutive weeks. "Take My Breath Away" played a huge part in that success.
The song, by the band Berlin, also hit number one as a single, and while taking home the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Original Song in 1986.
The haunting ballad was the love theme for the movie and anyone who watched the film will remember the strange blue-lit love scene, with this song playing tenderly in the background.
It was by far the biggest hit in Berlin's history, as it was not only their only number one song, but it was their only top 20 hit. They had seven songs in the Hot 100 and only two in the top 50. It was lightning in a bottle for Berlin, as they are very close to a one-hit wonder. "No More Words" was their only other top 30 song.