What? (Soft Cell)
"Tainted Love" B-side gets down on hands and pleeease, baby! knees as Marc Almond relinquishes every last ounce of his self respect.

Love My Way (Psychedelic Furs)
Richard Butler wavers between new-age supportive guy and cro-mag control freak.

Promises, Promises (Naked Eyes)
These guys only did songs about being utterly heartbroken. They were awesome.

Love Is A Battlefield (Pat Benatar)
Pat was studying to be an opera singer when she decided to rock instead. This song appeared recently in 13 Going On 30 (which isn't as stupid as it looks, and enjoyable if you like fluffy rental fare). The video rips off both Mad Max and "Beat It."

Pale Shelter (Tears For Fears)
Fact: TFF used to be in a band with the Naked Eyes guys. TFF's first album leaves the same despondent, bitter taste, and was heavily used in Donnie Darko; you've probably heard the Shetland-wearing acoustic cover of Mad World in heavy rotation on your local office-safe radio station.

Poison Arrow (ABC)
Scary stalker Martin Fry is pissed, probably got what he deserves. If it was written today, the chorus would be, "You fucking bitch/You are, you are."

Come Back And Stay (Paul Young)
Blue-eyed soulster was big in the UK, not so much in the U.S. He specialized in begging harder than Otis Redding, and ran neck-and-neck with Simon LeBon in the competition for my love.

Take the L (The Motels)
Fact: Martha Davis inspired Fatal Attraction. *

Voices Carry ('Til Tuesday)
The Bizarro progenitor to Madonna's "Express Yourself." Dramatically increased public awareness of domestic violence, launched überbabe Aimee Mann's career, and was loudly sung by large-haired drunken sorority girls everywhere.

Tempted (Squeeze)
There really aren't that many of these "I've done you wrong but I don't care" songs, mainly because no one wants to be reminded of their shortcomings and sinful ways. It does, however, work well when your bad-boy tale is disguised as a lilting Sunday-afternoon romp. Currently (and very distubingly) being used in advertisements for both underwear and a variety of junk foods.

Waiting For That Day (George Michael)
A little past the cut-off date but my favorite wallowing song ever. Yes, we were that good. Yes, I know I was wrong and I'm deeply sorry. God, yes, I want you back. But if it's not going to happen...I'm going to sit there with a single manly tear rolling down my cheek, as I reminisces fondly instead of hunting you down.

True (Spandau Ballet)
It was the love-you-forever slowdance, but it's actually about some overwrought 16-year-old cooped up in his room, getting high and jacking off, dying of his perceived loneliness. Surprisingly, it was not written by Morrissey.

* May not be wholly true.