’80s Become the New Oldies
Time sure does fly by fast. While I am more than aware that we are in the early stages of the 21st century, it was recently pointed out to me that music from the 1980s now fall into the oldies genre. Oldies!? How could the music from my youth possibly receive the same label as songs produced during the swing era, the British invasion, and the short-lived debacle known as disco? Upon further retrospection, I realize that anytime I hear a new wave classic or a hair-band ditty I get a sense of nostalgia, which is a tell-tale sign that a song is an oldie (but goodie).
Much of the music from the Reagan era has been dismissed as trite fluff, but I have a hard time subscribing to this notion. Sure, the substance and integrity of the songs pale in comparison to the brilliant storytelling presented by some of today’s singer/songwriters, but back then it was all about fun, and Read the rest of this entry »
Top 80s Songs: Artists Who Never Let Us Down – Part 1
I remember a day when everybody hated 80s music (I think it was a day in 1993 after that ridiculous first Bush album came out). Now it’s become a beloved genre all its own. Not so kitsch as disco, and not as beloved as full-on classic rock, 80′s music can be a lot of things to a lot of people. If you were a ‘metal-head’, then Def Leppard and Van Halen might still be gods to you. If you were a fashionista then perhaps Madonna or Cyndi Lauper were your material girls who just wanna have fun. If you were misunderstood in high-school, then maybe it was Simple Minds or Bauhaus who wrote your top 80s songs.
It was a great time to be alive, and while there were a ton of one-hit wonders, there are a smaller circle of artists who never let us down. Creating classic after classic, these acts not only dominated radio and walk-mans, but are probably on tour today. The only difference is, instead of seeing 90 minutes of yawn-inducing filler and one encore hit where you all have to stand up and sing ‘relax…don’t do it!’, you get a solid two hours of hits! Read the rest of this entry »
The Most Memorable 80s Songs
Contrary to popular belief, the most memorable 80s Songs are not necessarily the ones that were the most successful commercially. They are the ones which had the biggest impact during the decade. The increased use of music videos and the rise of MTV greatly contributed to making songs very memorable.
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by The Eurythmics
Who can possibly forget the music video of this great song? Annie Lennox dressed in androgynous fashion with red hair and wearing a man’s suit. Released in the early years of MTV, the Eurythmics immediately became cultural icons. That’s without mentioning how good the song is. Read the rest of this entry »