Gen X 80s Top 20 Countdown: Heatwaves, Hooks & Summer Soundtracks – July 12, 1986

The summer of ’86 burned bright, with movie themes taking over the airwaves, rock riffs sharing space with sleek synths, and ballads carrying all the weight of teenage heartbreak. It was a season of cassette singles in the glove box, MTV on every screen, and songs that seemed to soundtrack every move we made.

This week’s countdown rewinds to the middle of July, when the radio stitched together our daily lives; poolside afternoons, late-night drives, and everything in between. Press play and let the heat of 1986 wash back over you.

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Episode cover based on The Fabulous Thunderbirds’ Tuff Enuff

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Intro music by Roman Orekhov from Pixabay