Only Time Will Tell If They Stand the Test of Time: 1982's Top 10

Sometime during the past year I heard folk-pop songstress Jonatha Brooke on a radio show, espousing an interesting philosophy regarding the selection of cover tunes. As she prepared to perform her stunning version of the Alan Parsons Project's "Eye in the Sky", she said she was only interested in performing songs that reveal themselves during the cover process to be so much more than what they originally seemed.

What a fascinating idea to apply to the process of making an annual ten-best list as well. Which songs continue to stand up, especially when separated from layers of production or a narrow and specific style? Which ones have the power to surprise with just how memorable they really are? Drop me a line and let me know how I did in trying to unearth the cream of the crop of pop songs in 1982.