KDHX 88.1 FM
- Little Hotel Room-Ray Charles & Merle Haggard (A strong choice in memory of two artists with distinguished careers. Charles and Haggard's vocals make you feel the protagonist's loneliness.)
- White Line Fever-The Flying Burrito Brothers (Good lyrics about feeling weary as one grows older.)
- I Should Have Known-Brianna Thomas featuring Wycliffe Gordon (Assured vocals from Thomas with strong piano accompaniment from Allyn Johnson.)
- Paraphrase-Billy Taylor (A pleasant piano melody with a bounce.)
- Ribbon In The Sky-Stevie Wonder (One of Wonder's best '80s tracks; it's one of his smoothest ballads.)
- Shake Your Body Down To The Ground-The Jacksons (Many listeners would cite a "Thriller" track or solo hit as being Michael Jackson's catchiest groove. I'd argue that "Shake...," from the "Destiny" album, should be more of a contender. Not just any rhythm can sustain itself for eight minutes on an album without wearing out its welcome.)
- Something About You-Level 42 (As strong of a hit as this was, it's puzzling that such tuneful, radio-ready songs as "Children Say," "Play Me," "Romance," and "Billy's Gone" didn't hit similar heights on the American charts.)
- I Can't Wait-Nu Shooz (Valerie Day's vocals and the track's unusual backing instrumentation hold up 30 years later. When this was a hit in 1986, I wouldn't have guessed that a St. Louis radio station would have it in its rotation in 2016. 106-5 The Arch does, however, and it's a worthy inclusion from a two-hit wonder.)
