Strange and random but true: I woke up at 5 this morning and uttered this question:

"Is 'Go West' by the Pet Shop Boys a cover of the Village Peoples' tune?"

"Yes. Yes, it is," was the response. And that is no help at all in getting that tune out of my head, where it's been swimming for the last 48 hours. But it does prompt the follow-up query:

What were the best cover songs done by '80s artists?

Yes, list time again, mateys. Here are the first five that pop into my mind.

BORN TO RUN (Frankie Goes To Hollywood): I know people in the frozen Northeast will disagree, but I prefer this version to Springsteen's original. (Listen)

SATISFACTION (Devo): Another really hard-to-erase earworm. So don't click on the video link unless you can handle hearing it over and over again. (And no, not superior to the Rolling Stones - just different.)

BALL OF CONFUSION (Love and Rockets): Originally by The Temptations. (Video)

CAN'T GET USED TO LOSING YOU (The Beat): Andy Williams never imagined his classic redone with a ska beat. (Live performance)

GET IT ON (Power Station): Truth be told, I like neither the Power Station version nor the T-Rex classic. But it's an impossible cover song to forget. (Video)

Start naming all the biggies, and we'll get them in list form eventually.