GREAT 80′S POP HITS, VOL 1
Happy Friday! This week pretty much flew by, partly aided by the fact that we are FINALLY getting nice weather. For instance, it was 75 yesterday, and I had a chance to actually go outside in a tee shirt, do some work in my garden, and actually break a sweat. Felt nice, and put me in a great mood. So, what better to go along with a great mood than some great 80’s pop music? It’s been awhile since I touched on pop songs that were more main stream, and honestly, it’s about time I got back to it. I mean, can anyone tell me that this isn’t some of the most fun music out there?
It also makes me feel great to listen to this stuff for the simple fact that it does take me back to a time before I really was forced to grow up and be a responsible person. No mortgage, no career pressure, no kids, no car payment. It was a time of vinyl records, staying up way too late, drinking underage, swimming at the quarry in the summer. If it wasn’t for the fact I actually had to go to high school (something I avoided at all costs), it would have been heaven. My daily routine used to be getting up about noon, going to the basketball courts and playing well into the night, and then my buddy and I would pay some older dude to go buy us some beer. We would then sit and drink and listen to records. Only not my records usually, because as I’ve said, my friends thought I had weird taste in music.
So, for the next few days, I’m going to do posts on some really great 80’s pop. It’s been nice putting the lists together. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.
For the video, I choose to start this off with a classic from Talk Talk, It’s My Life. This is the original version…the cuts from the nature documentary’s with shots of Mark Hollis standing in the London Zoo, with the little squiggly lines across his mouth. It’s a crime that this great song was butchered by Gwen Steffani…it certainly deserves better. I heard an interview by Black Francis from the Pixies stating that this video was the inspiration for the video they did for Here Comes Your Man. Like yesterdays protest video from The Replacements, this also was a protest against lip syncing in videos. Brilliant! Enjoy
Download iPod Video:Talk Talk – It’s My Life
- A Flock Of Seagulls – Wishing I Had a Photograph of You
- A HA – Stay On These Roads
- ABC – When Smokey Sings
- Adam Ant – Stand and Deliver
- Alarm – 68 Guns
- Alphaville – Big In Japan
- Bananarama – Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)
- Barbarella – We Cheer You Up
- Bow Wow Wow – Do You Wanna Hold Me
- Thompson Twins – In The Name of Love
- Tom Jones & Art of Noise – Kiss
- Tom Tom Club – Wordy Rappinghood
- Vain – Beat The Bullet
- X – Wild Thing
- Yazz – Don’t Go
April 18th, 2008 at 6:26 am
Great list! Of course, you’re in *my* world, now.
I agree with the comment about Gwen What’s-her-name butchering “It’s My Life.” I nearly crashed the first time I heard it on my car radio. I very rarely like cover tunes and that’s a prime example of why.
I bought the “Talk Talk” vinyl LP when it first came out – it holds some warm memories for me, too. To this day, all of their music holds up timelessly, synths and all. “The Colour of Spring” is an excellent collection of songs, as well.
TGIF, indeed.
MissParker0106’s last blog post..80’s Music Rules ~ Ultra-Rare C86 Indie-tape (1986) and C81 Indie-tape (1981 – by request)
April 18th, 2008 at 7:59 am
@MissParker0106:
For the most part, I agree with you about covers. There are a few, though, that I really do enjoy listening to. A couple that come to mind immediately are Frente!’s cover of Bizarre Love Triangle, The Lemonheads Mrs. Robinson (love that cover!), and of course the greatest cover of all time, Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah.
Placebo, a band I thoroughly love, put out a bonus CD of covers, and there were some great ones on that…Where Is My Mind, Running Up That Hill, and 20th Century Boy among them.
April 18th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
I really like Metallica’s version of Whiskey in the Jar. A lot of covers do suck, though.
I didn’t realize Wordy Rappinghood was an 80s song, I thought that was Chicks On Speed.
April 19th, 2008 at 3:10 am
@Tim:
I’ve never heard the Chick on Speed version, so I looked it up on All Music Guide. The Tom Tom Club did it in 1981, so it’s definitely an 80’s tunes. I know that much because I remember it from high school. According to AMG, Chicks on Speed cover of it was 2003, and actually has Tina Weymouth from the Tom Tom Club (and Talking Heads) singing on it. I’m going to go have a listen to it now that you’ve brought it to my attention.