OK let's take a break from the 90's and go back to 1980. A fun year for music. You have everything from disco to 70's soft rock to punk to post punk to jazz influences to the future and the past.
Here is my playlist for 1980. One thing I'll say is that 1980 is a tricky year. Some of this music I was into at the time, some of this music I wouldn't get into until years later.
20. Love T.K.O. by Teddy Pendergrass (My wife introduced me to Teddy)
19. Call Me by Blondie
18. Rough Boys by Pete Townshend
17. He's So Shy by Pointer Sisters (I really loved this song back in 1980 and the minute I heard it going back and looking for songs from 1980 it made me happy)
16. You're the Only Woman by Ambrosia
15. Kiss On My List by Daryl Hall & John Oates (Maybe my favorite song back in 1980)
14. Turn Me Loose by Loverboy
13. Happy House by Siouxsie and the Banshees (Didn't discover Siouxsie until 1986 when I went to college)
12. I Will Follow by U2
11. Could You Be Loved by Bob Marley & The Wailers
10. Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division (This is oddly like the most perfect example of post punk pop music ever recorded)
9. Give Me the Night by George Benson (OK watch this video and tell me George Benson is not the definition of cool)
8. Point Blank by Bruce Springsteen (I didn't get into Springsteen until 1984. Point Blank is in my top 10 of Springsteen songs)
7. A Forest by The Cure
6. Hell is for Children by Pat Benatar (I bought this album and the Loverboy album probably around 1981 or 1982. Loved both these albums.)
5. Brass in Pocket by Pretenders (One of my favorite videos of all time)
4. Fame by Irene Cara (Had this 45 back in 1980)
3. Don't Be Late by Saga (Got into Saga in a huge way in 1981. First band I really got into. Wanted to get all their albums, and this song has always been a standout)
2. Babooshka by Kate Bush (It's fun that now my daughter is getting into Kate Bush)
1. Never Wanna Leave You by Pat Benatar (Just a fantastic song)
Even more curious to me than all of the rollerskating in the George Benson video is the date-night, pre-champagne trip to the hot-dog stand. That song and video are both just total happy confections.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like a good thread within which to interject this clip from the 1980 debut episode of 3-2-1 Contact.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter was just dancing to "Call Me" while playing the fantastic Just Dance Wii game.
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat it is to see the "Rough Boys" video again!
ReplyDeleteMy ardor for Hall and Oates has intensified over the decades.
ReplyDeleteIt felt like "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was playing nonstop in every Bowling Green apartment in the late 1980s, except for the occasional breaks to hear R.E.M.'s "Superman."
ReplyDeleteGreat reference to R.E.M.'s "Superman," which is an underrated track.
DeleteFun mix. Thanks for posting this.
ReplyDelete