When it comes to seeding in the UMT, it all comes directly from the final tallies in the Slicknation year end polls. I wanted to show an example and get some feedback into what I've been researching. The goal is to combine all the elements of record sales, radio airplay, critical acclaim, longevity and respected opinions. I am using 1985 as an example of my work. For this year there are a total of 42 lists and charts used. 28.6% are directly impacted by the US and UK charts, rock, r&b, dance, and other year end charts utilizing radio airplay or record sales. Another 28.6% are year end critics lists, where a single falls on RYM or any all-time song lists like RS 500. The remaining 42.8% falls on year end lists sent to me from respected music fans and other various year end lists off the internet. This is the final tally using a formula I developed, the top songs from 1985 from #438 through #1...

The Stone Roses -- So Young 25
Alabama -- Forty Hour Week (For A Livin') 25.22
The Cure -- Push 27.02
Morris Day -- The Oak Tree 28.54
Love & Rockets -- If There's A Heaven Above 28.65
Tears For Fears -- Listen 29.11
Nitzer Ebb -- Warsaw Ghetto 29.54
Midnight Oil -- Best of Both Worlds 29.88
Rush -- Mystic Rhythms 29.98
Miles Davis -- Time After Time 30
George Thorogood -- Gear Jamming 30.4
Aerosmith -- Shela 30.75
The Cult -- Love 31.88
Corey Hart -- Eurasian Eyes 32.16
Santana -- Say It Again 32.18
Robert Palmer -- Discipline Of Love 32.44
The Cars -- Breakaway 33.83
Stevie Ray Vaughn -- Change It 34.5
Rick James -- Glow 34.68
Foreigner -- Down On Love 35
Thompson Twins -- Revolution 35.16
AC/DC -- Danger 35.17
Triumph -- Just One Night 36.02
UB40 -- Don't Break My Heart 36.13
R.E.M. -- Life and How To Live It 36.83
Randy Travis -- On The Other Hand 37.5
The Commodores -- Animal Instinct 37.72
Double Dee & Steinski -- Lessons 1-3 37.74
Bon Jovi -- Hardest Part is The Night 38.32
Red Hot Chili Peppers -- Catholic School Girls Rule 38.66
Foreigner -- Tooth And Nail 39.03
Black 'n Blue -- Miss Mystery 39.85
Bryan Adams -- Kids Wanna Rock 41.15
Survivor -- First Night 41.99
Tears For Fears -- I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording) 43.33
Einsterzende Neubauten -- Yu-Gung 43.33
The Romantics -- Test Of Time 43.95
The Tubes -- Piece By Piece 43.96
Husker Du -- Celebrated Summer 44.99
Bryan Adams -- Diana 45.48
Madness -- Uncle Sam 45.48
Dexy's Midnight Runners -- This Is What She's Like 46
John Cougar Mellencamp -- Between A Laugh And A Tear 46
Corey Hart -- Everything In My Heart 46.6
Giuffria -- Lonely In Love 47.17
Sting -- The Dream of the Blue Turtles 47.76
Husker Du -- I Apologize 48
R.E.M. -- Feeling Gravity's Pull 48.18
Weird Al Yankovic -- Like A Surgeon 49.27
The Cure -- Sinking 50
Big Country -- Just A Shadow 50.56
Dio -- Rock 'N Roll Children 50.56
Midnight Oil -- Kosciusko 50.56
Tears For Fears -- Pharaohs 51.41
The Smiths -- Barbarism Begins At Home 52.72
Twisted Sister -- Leader Of The Pack 53.65
ZZ Top -- Can't Stop Rockin' 54.18
Sister Sledge -- Frankie 54.99
The Kinks -- Living On A Thin Line 55.23
Cock Robin -- When Your Heart Is Weak 55.56
Eurythmics -- Love You Like A Ball & Chain 56.24
Gino Vanelli -- Black Cars 56.39
Lords of the New Church -- Like A Virgin 56.68
Ratt -- Slip Of The Lip 56.88
Erasure -- Heavenly Action 57.63
Fishbone -- Party At Ground Zero 57.83
Air Supply -- Just As I Am 57.93
Dramarama -- Anything, Anything 57.94
Men At Work -- Everything I Need 58.25
Powerstation -- Communication 59.23
James Taylor -- Everyday 59.33
Huey Lewis & The News -- Trouble In Paradise 59.93
The Firm -- Closer 60
Tom Waits -- Time 60
The Alarm -- Absolute Reality 60.02
Stephen Duffy -- Kiss Me 60.19
The Pogues -- Sally MacLennane 60.24
Sting -- Moon Over Bourbon Street 60.7
Cocteau Twins -- Aikea-Guinea 60.86
Marillion -- Lavender 61.19
R.E.M. -- Wendell Gee 61.63
AC/DC -- Sink the Pink 61.8
Nick Lowe -- I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock 'N Roll) 62.37
The Replacements -- Kiss Me On The Bus 62.86
Gary Numan -- Call Out The Dogs 63.02
Prefab Sprout -- Faron Young 63.89
Thompson Twins -- Don't Mess With Doctor Dream 64
Julian Lennon -- Jesse 67.02
Aerosmith -- Let the Music Do The Talking 67.25
Triumph -- Tears in the Rain 67.34
Schoolly D -- P.S.K. - What Does It Mean? 68.26
The Cure -- Six Different Ways 68.67
The Romantics -- Test Of Time 69.18
Little River Band -- Playing To Win 70.19
Hall & Oates -- Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid 70.87
Dire Straits -- One World 71.11
Cherelle -- Saturday Love 71.5
The Smiths -- Shakespeare's Sister 71.92
George Thorogood -- Willie and the Hand Jive 72.3
Billy Squier -- Eye On You 72.5
The Alarm -- Spirit Of '76 72.59
Paul Young -- Everything Must Change 73.18
Rush -- Manhattan Project 74.07
Hall & Oates -- Possession Obsession 74.17
The Replacements -- Waitress In The Sky 76.05
Robert Plant -- Sixes And Sevens 76.62
Ministry -- All Day 76.93
The Fat Boys -- The Fat Boys Are Back 77.22
Tom Petty -- Make It Better (Forget About Me) 77.35
The Beastie Boys -- Rock Hard 77.53
Supertramp -- Cannonball 77.75
Phil Collins -- Inside Out 77.89
New Edition -- Lost In Love 77.95
Prefab Sprout -- Appetite 78.06
Prince -- America 78.07
Stryper -- Soldiers Under Command 78.75
Phiilip Bailey -- Walking on the Chinese Wall 79.27
Deep Purple -- Nobody's Home 79.3
Fine Young Cannibals -- Blue 79.65
John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band -- C-I-T-Y 80
Depeche Mode -- Flexible 80.28
Felony -- Vigilante 81.19
Dokken -- It's Not Love 82.36
Biily Joel -- The Night Is Still Young 82.83
The Isley Brothers -- Caravan Of Love 83.17
Tina Turner -- Show Some Respect 83.17
Love & Rockets -- Haunted As The Minutes Drag 84
Phil Collins -- I Don't Want To Know 84.03
Eric Clapton -- See What Love Can Do 84.22
The Alan Parsons Project -- Let's Talk About Me 84.48
Dio -- Hungry For Heaven 84.88
Rush -- Territories 86.2
Loverboy -- Dangerous 86.25
Simply Red -- Money's Too Tight To Mention 86.78
Don Henley -- Drivin' With Your Eyes Closed 88.22
The Dukes Of Stratosphere -- The Mole From The Ministry 88.88
Loose Ends -- Hangin' On A String 89.25
Foreigner -- Reaction To Action 89.29
Robert Tepper -- There's No Easy Way Out 90.16
Rick Springfield -- Celebrate Youth 90.17
Corey Hart -- Boy in the Box 90.71
Gary Numan -- Change Your Mind 91.48
David Bowie -- Loving The Alien 92
Depeche Mode -- It's Called A Heart 92.4
The Replacements -- Swingin' Party 92.54
Asia -- Go 94.35
New Order -- Sub-Culture 94.41
Bob Dylan -- Tight Connection To My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love) 94.5
Bryan Ferry -- Don't Stop The Dance 94.68
Gary Moore & Phil Lynott -- Out in the Fields 94.69
Art Of Noise -- Moments In Love 94.72
Wayne Smith -- Under Me Sleng Teng 95.74
The Fall -- Cruiser's Creek 96.17
Chaka Khan -- This Is My Night 97.67
Elton John -- Wrap Her Up 97.75
Dokken -- Just Got Lucky 98.2
Erasure -- Who Needs Love Like That 98.41
U2 -- A Sort Of Homecoming 99.85
Shriekback -- Nemesis 100.11
Elvis Costello -- Green Shirt 100.13
Graham Parker -- Wake Up (Next To You) 100.72
Kurtis Blow -- If I Ruled The World 101.2
Lone Justice -- Ways to be Wicked 101.27
Dire Straits -- The Man's Too Strong 101.67
Divinyls -- Pleasure And Pain 101.77
Kenny Loggins -- Vox Humana 102.28
Eric Clapton -- She's Waiting 102.59
Klymaxx -- Meeting in the Ladies Room 103.44
Sade -- Hang on to Your Love 103.46
The Cure -- A Night Like This 103.67
Stevie Ray Vaughn -- Look At Little Sister 103.68
The Replacements -- Here Comes A Regular 103.69
Adam Ant -- Viva La Rock 104.37
Bon Jovi -- Silent Night 105.68
The Cars -- Why Can't I Have You 106.5
Greg Kihn -- Lucky 106.59
Freddie Jackson -- Rock Me Tonight (For Old Time's Sake) 112.4
Prince -- Around The World In A Day 112.67
Madness -- Yesterday's Men 114
Julian Lennon -- Say You're Wrong 114.35
Jennifer Rush -- The Power of Love 115.09
Tina Turner -- One of the Living 115.86
Billy Ocean -- Mystery Lady 115.99
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions -- Perfect Skin 116.08
Don Henley -- Not Enough Love In The World 119.1
Killing Joke -- Love Like Blood 121.88
Dead or Alive -- Lover Come Back To Me 123.15
Ready For The World -- Digital Display 124.05
Huey Lewis & The News -- Back In Time 124.3
ABC -- Vanity Kills 124.89
Rick Springfield -- State of the Heart 125.88
Dire Straits -- Brothers In Arms 126.12
Pat Benetar -- Ooh Ohh Song 126.62
The Smiths -- The Headmaster Ritual 126.83
Joe Walsh -- The Confessor 127.58
The Honeydrippers -- Rockin' At Midnight 127.67
Freddie Jackson -- He'll Never Love You (Like I Do) 128.93
OMD -- Secret 129.86
Sting -- Love Is The Seventh Wave 130.24
The Motels -- Shame 130.48
Diana Ross -- Chain Reaction 132
Jackson Browne & Clarence Clemons -- You're A Friend Of Mine 133.91
Billy Bragg -- Between The Wars 133.99
Bobby Womack -- I Wish She Didn't Trust Me So Much 135.5
Bruce Springsteen -- Trapped 136.83
The Smiths -- That Joke Ain't Funny Anymore 137.14
Cheap Trick -- Tonight It's You 137.33
REO Speedwagon -- One Lonely Night 138.67
Cyndi Lauper -- The Goonies 'R' Good Enough 139.69
Night Ranger -- Four in The Morning 140.14
Chicago -- Along Comes A Woman 141.21
Oingo Boingo -- Weird Science 141.33
Dead Or Alive -- My Heart Goes Bang 142.49
Luther Vandross -- Til My Baby Comes Home 142.97
Propaganda -- Duel 143
Tom Petty -- Rebels 143.1
Godley & Creme -- Cry 143.21
Madonna -- Gambler 144.4
The Pogues -- Dirty Old Town 150.34
Wang Chung -- To Live And Die In L.A. 151.04
The Cure -- The Blood 151.28
Kurtis Blow -- Basketball 153.27
Leonard Cohen -- Hallelujah 153.49
Prince -- Paisley Park 154.58
New Edition -- Count Me Out 155.28
Doug E. Fresh -- La-Di-Da-Di 156.57
Pat Benetar -- Sex As A Weapon 156.85
The Beastie Boys -- She's On It 157.13
The Firm -- Satisfaction Guaranteed 157.56
The Clash -- This Is England 157.87
Jesus & Mary Chain -- You Trip Me Up 159
Honeymoon Suite -- Bad Attitude 159.4
New Order -- Love Vigilantes 161.3
Kiss -- Tears Are Falling 161.36
Kate Bush -- Cloudbursting 161.84
Paul McCartney -- Spies Like Us 161.87
R.E.M. -- Can't Get There From Here 162.35
Scritti Politti -- The Word Girl 164.18
Bryan Adams & Tina Turner -- It's Only Love 166.92
The Smiths -- Well I Wonder 168.76
Patti LaBelle -- New Attitude 169.27
The Outfield -- Say It Isn't So 169.59
Frankie Goes To Hollywood -- Welcome to the Pleasuredome 169.94
The Cult -- Revolution 172.18
King -- Love And Pride 172.35
John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band -- Tough All Over 175.67
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds -- Tupelo 176.75
The Style Council -- Walls Came Tumbling Down 178.81
Bruce Springsteen -- I'm Goin' Down 180.61
Glenn Frey -- Smugglers Blues 184.3
George Thorogood -- I Drink Alone 184.31
Thompson Twins -- King For A Day 184.57
The Bangles -- Going Down To Liverpool 187.27
Night Ranger -- Goodbye 190.17
DeBarge -- Who's Holding Donna Now 191.13
Eric Clapton -- Forever Man 192.7
Powerstation -- Get It On (Bang A Gong) 195.42
Eurythmics & Aretha Franklin -- Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves 195.63
Jeff Beck & Rod Stewart -- People Get Ready 195.71
Sonic Youth -- Death Valley '69 197.21
Bryan Adams -- One Night Love Affair 198.67
The Pogues -- A Pair of Brown Eyes 198.86
Billy Joel -- Keeping The Faith 199.35
Survivor -- High On You 199.62
John Fogerty -- Rock 'N Roll Girls 202.24
Gloria Estefen -- Conga 205.92
Bon Jovi -- Only Lonely 207.21
The Replacements -- Left of the Dial 208.57
Big Audio Dynamie -- The Bottom Line 211.1
Love & Rockets -- Ball Of Confusion 212.25
Y&T -- Summertime Girls 214.92
The Alarm -- Strength 215.08
Bryan Ferry -- Slave To Love 215.99
The Hooters -- All You Zombies 217.41
Don Henley -- Sunset Grill 219.64
Queen -- One Vision 221.73
David Bowie -- This Is Not America 224.06
Scritti Politti -- Perfect Way 224.16
The Pointer Sisters -- Dare Me 225
The Ramones -- Bonzo Goes To Bitburg 225.01
Stevie Wonder -- Go Home 226.05
Pete Townshend -- Face To Face 227.66
Bon Jovi -- In And Out Of Love 228.22
Tom Waits -- Downtown Train 229.66
Kool & The Gang -- Emergency 231.42
Dire Straits -- So Far Away 232.23
Loverboy -- Lovin' Every Minute Of It 232.45
Pat Benetar -- Invincible 233.08
Freddie Jackson -- You Are My Lady 237.86
DeBarge -- Rhythm of the Night 242.46
Phil Collins -- Don't Lose My Number 242.53
Talking Heads -- Stay Up Late 244.52
Foreigner -- That Was Yesterday 247.64
OMD -- So In Love 255.16
Howard Jones -- Life In One Day 257.6
Journey -- Only The Young 257.92
Depeche Mode -- Somebody 262.42
Rush -- The Big Money 265.97
Aretha Franklin -- Who's Zooming Who 267.05
Elton John -- Nikita 267.63
Survivor -- The Search Is Over 273.96
Stevie Nicks -- Talk To Me 274.35
Siouxsie & The Banshees -- Cities In Dust 278.93
Sting -- Russians 283.25
Grace Jones -- Slave to the Rhythm 286.38
U2 -- Bad 289.63
Ratt -- You're In Love 289.96
The Cult -- Rain 292.27
Robert Plant -- Little By Little 295.15
The Firm -- Radioactive 295.16
Eddie Murphy -- Party All The Time 296.4
ZZ Top -- Sleeping Bag 296.58
UTFO -- Roxanne, Roxanne 296.8
Phil Collins -- Take Me Home 297.43
Ratt -- Lay It Down 302.38
Bruce Springsteen -- My Hometown 303.31
Til Tuesday -- Voices Carry 304.82
The Replacements -- Bastards Of Young 305.68
Baltimora -- Tarzan Boy 308
Prince -- Take Me With You 309.52
The Waterboys -- The Whole Of The Moon 310.76
Whitney Houston -- You Give Good Love 312.37
Cameo -- Single Life 313.52
U2 -- The Unforgettable Fire 316.62
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam -- I Wonder If I Take You Home 320.31
ABC -- Be Near Me 320.6
Mary Jane Girls -- In My House 321.43
Dokken -- Alone Again 327.1
INXS -- This Time 328.61
Artists United Against Apartheid -- Sun City 329.15
UB40 -- I Got You Babe 329.66
The Smiths -- The Boy With A Thorn In His Side 329.67
Echo & The Bunnymen -- Bring on the Dancing Horses 329.69
Corey Hart -- Never Surrender 329.81
Mick Jagger -- Just Another Night 335.25
Wham! -- I'm Your Man 339.93
Shiela E. -- A Love Bizarre 340.32
Depeche Mode -- Shake The Disease 344.62
Sly Fox -- Let's Go All The Way 344.91
Bryan Adams -- Somebody 345.86
Starship -- Sara 348.45
Billy Joel -- You're Only Human (Second Wind) 349.98
Dream Academy -- Life In A Northen Town 351.8
Night Ranger -- Sentimental Street 352.37
John Fogerty -- Centerfield 353.79
Eurythmics -- There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) 354.05
Billy Ocean -- Suddenly 357.56
Jan Hammer -- Miami Vice Theme 358.49
Don Henley -- All She Wants To Do Is Dance 358.93
Mike + The Mechanics -- Silent Running 363.88
The Hooters -- Day By Day 363.99
Atlantic Starr -- Secret Lovers 375.37
Prince -- Pop Life 376.99
Heart -- What About Love 377
Glenn Frey -- You Belong to the City 384.41
Talking Heads -- And She Was 386.56
David Lee Roth -- California Girls 389.39
Animotion -- Obsession 389.58
Motley Crue -- Smokin' In The Boys Room 391.42
Arcadia -- Election Day 396.38
Marillion -- Kayleigh 396.74
John Cougar Mellencamp -- Lonely 'Ol Night 403.76
David Lee Roth -- Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody 404.83
The Cars -- Tonight She Comes 406.82
Madonna -- Angel 410.31
Husker Du -- Makes No Sense At All 413.52
Howard Jones -- Things Can Only Get Better 413.83
Run DMC -- King Of Rock 414.37
Motley Crue -- Home Sweet Home 416.38
R.E.M. -- Driver 8 419.44
Heart -- Never 426.43
Paul Hardcastle -- 19 427.95
Talking Heads -- Road To Nowhere 428.98
Madonna -- Dress You Up 432.8
Powerstation -- Some Like It Hot 434.91
Phil Collins -- Separate Lives 436.6
Bruce Springsteen -- I'm On Fire 445.24
Doug E. Fresh -- The Show 445.38
Level 42 -- Something About You 450.95
Harold Faltermeyer -- Axel F 452.79
David Bowie & Mick Jagger -- Dancing in the Street 457.73
Lionel Richie -- Say You, Say Me 463.77
Sting -- Fortress Around Your Heart 466.97
Ready For The World -- Oh Shiela! 474.73
Survivor -- Burning Heart 474.76
The Hooters -- And We Danced 475.53
Mr. Mister -- Kyrie 482.42
Bryan Adams -- Heaven 485.52
A-Ha -- The Sun Always Shines On TV 486.71
Phil Collins -- Sussudio 487.35
New Order -- The Perfect Kiss 491.72
Fine Young Cannibals -- Johnny Came Home 495.34
Billy Ocean -- When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going 497.7
Tom Petty -- Don't Come Around Here No More 505.08
Tina Turner -- We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) 513.53
James Brown -- Living In America 514.62
Phil Collins -- One More Night 514.92
Kool & The Gang -- Cherish 517.18
Dire Straits -- Walk Of Life 524.23
The Commodores -- Night Shift 537.25
Stevie Wonder -- Part Time Lover 539.62
Jesus & Mary Chain -- Never Understand 542.36
The Cure -- Close To Me 544.25
Eurythmics -- Would I Lie Yo You 547.58
Paul Young -- Everytime You Go Away 551.8
John Parr -- St. Elmo's Fire 552.07
Mr. Mister -- Broken Wings 554.64
REO Speedwagon -- Can't Fight This Feeling 563.58
Sting -- If You Love Somebody Set Them Free 586.21
Katrina & The Waves -- Walking On Sunshine 586.88
Sade -- The Sweetest Taboo 589.58
Aretha Franklin -- Freeway Of Love 591.5
Dionne Warwick -- That's What Friends Are For 593.51
Tears For Fears -- Head Over Heels 608.3
Whitney Houston -- How Will I Know 641.94
Starship -- We Built This City 645.04
Whitney Houston -- Saving All My Love For You 650.2
Bruce Springsteen -- Glory Days 655.67
Jesus & Mary Chain -- Just Like Honey 656.37
The Cult -- She Sells Sanctuary 695.01
John Cougar Mellencamp -- Small Town 696.93
Huey Lewis & The News -- The Power Of Love 709.27
Madonna -- Crazy For You 773.66
Simple Minds -- Alive And Kicking 774.59
Bryan Adams -- Summer Of '69 783.28
Madonna -- Material Girl 851.71
The Cure -- In Between Days 932.15
The Smiths -- How Soon Is Now? 1010.19
Kate Bush -- Running Up That Hill 1119.17
Prince -- Raspberry Beret 1119.67
Duran Duran -- A View To A Kill 1137.2
USA For Africa -- We Are The World 1155.71
Madonna -- Into The Groove 1239.45
Pet Shop Boys -- West End Girls 1291.59
Tears For Fears -- Everybody Wants To Rule The World 1308.11
A-Ha -- Take On Me 1319.61
Dire Straits -- Money For Nothing 1425.9
Simple Minds -- Don't You (Forget About Me) 1493.19

Frankly, I'm impressed. How far back (in years) do these lists go? Are they available to the public (ie- on the web somewhere) or do you have loads of private spreadsheets containing the data?

This particular list certainly took me back. Good stuff!

I am attempting to start up a website/internet radio station that revolves around this research. Need to find a silent business partner to put up the money to get things started. I was sharing 1985 to show how the UMT came about. The lists run from 1955 through 2009 and if someday I can get slicknation.com up and running, I'll publish them all...

How do you handle the years? A couple of the highest ranked songs were already released in 1984 ("Take on Me", "How Soon Is Now?", "Material Girl", "Summer of '69"). Do they appear on the 1984 list as well or did you assign them to the 1985 list, because they appeared on a large number of reference lists referring to 1985?

Wow, awesome list! Definitely takes me back!

"The Sun Always Shines on TV" - I always thought that song was underrated...glad to see you have it highly ranked!

Also surprised to see "Into the Groove" beat out all the other Madonna songs from that year...really amazing that it beat out Material Girl.

just out of curiosity, what is the song with the most amount of "points" of all time?

Wow, you must have been quite busy doing this...
Mind you, did you do the same for albums or is it only songs? Plus, can you tell me which "dance" and "hip hop" lists you used as a reference? Actually, I'm compiling pretty much the same kind of lists for both genres!