Warning: The following may be disturbing to sensitive readers.
So I’m in the car with my friend - he’s about to turn 21 - and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” comes on the radio, and of course I start singing (well, ‘singing’ may be a rather generous description) along. My friend didn’t, though, which was odd to me. He told me that he didn’t know the song. That’s right. He didn’t know “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” - and even more shocking, he didn’t really know who REM is. I was truly flabbergasted - that’s a bit of collective culture that I pretty much take as a given. Turns out he doesn’t know much about popular music in general, having spent more time listening to jazz and classical.
So, being the good friend I am I feel an intense need to remedy this ignorance of 80’s music, and what better place to look for assistance than the Dope?
So, I want to make him a mixtape (ok, burn a CD) of (to steal *the Onion’*s word) “essential” 80’s music. I would appreciate a…well, a pragmatic list: I’m serious about actually making a mixtape, so I’d prefer songs that I could actually find, but at the same time I don’t want a list of cheesy #1 hits.
A few “anthemic” suggestions along the lines of “End of the World”:
“Add It Up,” Violent Femmes
“Kids in America,” Kim Wilde
“Never Say Never,” Romeo Void
“I Know What Boys Like,” the Waitresses
“Once in a Lifetime,” Talking Heads (Stop Making Sense version)
“Still in Hollywood,” Concrete Blonde
“Senses Working Overtime,” XTC
Cheesy #1’s aside I would suggest the following artist’s along with my humble reasons. I have tried to touch on all genres so as to try to provide a true retrospective of the decade and some obviously were very popular and others have existed in obscurity but left their places. You should be able to fit one song from each on a CD.
[ul]
[li]Clash - took punk where the Sex Pistols only hinted [/li][li]U2 - politics, nationalism and, BTW, some good music[/li][li]Elvis Costello - defined New Wave (and subsequently helped redefine pop and rock)[/li][li]Prince - redefined soul and funk and helped pave the way for rap[/li][li]Talking Heads - whom REM wishes they could have been[/li][li]Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - the original grrl group[/li][li]Bruce Springsteen - the rocker becomes introspective & personal in the 80’s[/li][li]Police - they helped bring lesser genres to the forefront[/li][li]Rosanne Cash - distaff C&W trailblazer[/li][li]Steve Earle - an Americana trailblazer & not a bad rocker[/li][li]Los Lobos - Hispanic rock from the “Band from East L.A.”[/li][li]Lyle Lovett - if for no other reason than taking the swagger out of Texas[/li][li]Kate & Anna McGarrigle - a softer side to the folk genre[/li][li]Mekons - if there is any other group that has bridged so many genres and still keep fighting back[/li][li]Randy Newman - a true genious over several decades[/li][li]Richard Thompson (and Linda) - his instrumental skills are legendary, he learned his performing licks with Fairport Convention, he can write songs and did I mention he can play[/li][li]Townes Van Zandt - great songs, legendary life(style) and has been an icon to the whole Austin movement [/li][li]And last of all - Olivia doing “Ring of Fire” [/li][/ul]
Others, such as Van Morrison, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell, might have been added but I don’t think the 80’s were their decade.
The Replacements, Depeche Mode, the Cure, the Smiths (“How Soon Is Now?” is a great one), Psychedelic Furs, Joy Division, Orchestral Maneuovres in the Dark, Echo and the Bunnymen, are some of the bands/songs that come to mind.
Now that I think of it, the entire soundtrack of Donnie Darko was pretty fuckin’-A 80s music.
Have fun! I feel inspired to do my own 80s mixtape now (but, unlike you, for no reason)!
For me, pop music reached its peak in the 80s. None of the stuff below is particularly obscure or “scary” for someone who’s perhaps not into wailing, rapping, and edgy lyrics:
“Careless Whispers” by George Michael
“Purple Rain” by Prince
“Karma Chameleon” by Boy George
“Genius in Love” by the Tom Tom Club
“Reflex” by Duran Duran
“Hold Me Now” by the Thompson Twins
“Africa” by Toto
“Rocket” by Herbie Hancock (who’s really a jazz musician, so your friend may know of him)
“True Colors” by Cinder Lauper
“Hands to Heaven” by Breathe
“Piano in the Dark” by Brenda Russell
“Tide and Time” by Basha
“Smalltown Boy” Bronski Beat
“What Have I Done to Deserve This” by Pet Shop Boys
Many excellent suggestions so far. I might add Phil Collins, and suggest that you start with the samples on this compilation, and explore other songs/albums by the artists on this compilation that you like.
This list probably won’t do you any good whatsoever, since our ideas of what’s “essential” probably won’t mesh, but these are some specific songs that come to mind when I think of the music I listened to and played for other people in the 1980s. I know I’m going to miss some very important ones.
“Night of the Swallow” - Kate Bush
“San Jacinto” - Peter Gabriel
“Map of the World Pt. 2” - Jane Siberry
“Oh the Drears” - Happy Rhodes
“Very Very Hungry” - Brian Eno & David Bryne
“Anew Day” - Mary Margaret O’Hara
“Innocence” - Kirsty MacColl
“Pologna E Todora” - Les Mystere des voix Bulgares
“Cities In Dust” - Siouxsie & the Banshees
“Surreal” - The Innocence Mission
“Rhythm” - Anna Domino
“Frying Pan” - Victoria Williams
“Intermission (The Gods Are Bored)” - Anne Pigalle
“I’m In A Different World” - Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin
“Frontier” - Dead Can Dance
“Ivo” - Cocteau Twins
“Capio” - Bel Canto
“Inky Bloaters” - Danielle Dax
“Smack Jack” - Nina Hagen
“Garoux des Larmes” - Throwing Muses
“Ever So Lonely” - Monsoon w/ Sheila Chandra
“Vetettem Violat” - Marta Sebestyen and Muzikas
“Musique Mecanique” - Carla Bley
“Mysteries of Love” - Julee Cruise
“25/With Louise” - Area
“God Is A Bullet” - Concrete Blonde
“Prayer For You” - Texas
“Summer of War” - Penelope Houston
“Planet” - Sugarcubes
“White Trash Wife” - Exene Cervenka
“Tickled Whale” - Caterwaul
“Atlas Marker” - Rickie Lee Jones
“Breathe” - Maria McKee
“Sad” - Adult Net
“Double-Barrel Prayer” - Diamanda Galas
“Mein!” - Santra
“It’s Alright” - Mary Kelley
“Acid, Bitter and Sad” - This Mortal Coil
“Neend Koyi” - Najma
“Roses From The Wrong Man” - Christine Lavin
“Dream Now” - All About Eve
“Nadka” - Test Department
“A Summer Long Since Passed” - Virginia Astley
“Scorpio Rising” - 10,000 Maniacs
“Jungle Birth” - Wendy MaHarry
“Touch” - Sarah McLachlan
“Rivers” - Dark Arts
“Lady In Green” - Mary Coughlin
“Misguided Angel” - Cowboy Junkies
“Big Fat Cat” - Rainbirds
“Ambiguity Song” - Camper Van Beethoven
“Self” - Shelleyan Orphan
“Falling From Grace” - Marianne Faithful
“May This Be Your Last Sorrow” - Banderas
“One Of Our Girls (Has Gone Missing)” - A.C.Marias
“Late” - Blue Angel
“Scissors” - Barbara Manning
“You’re History” - Shakespeare’s Sister
“Shame On You” - Darling Buds
“Wintery Day” - Ruby Blue
“What Do I Do?” - Sam Phillips
“Cursing a Muse (Invocation)” - Grace Darling
“Must Be Luff” - Michelle Shocked
“Love Song” - Ofra Haza
“Wolela” - Aster Aweke
“Perfume From Spain” - Dr. Calculus
“Beneath The Waves” - Heidi Berry
“Tune Into My Wave” - kd lang
“Troy” - Sinead O’Connor
“O Je Suis Seul” - West India Company
“Bad Day” - Carmel
“Chinatown” - Judie Tzuke
“Here’s Where The Story Ends” - The Sundays
“Suburban Hum” - Jennifer Fergusson
“Glad I’m Not A Kennedy” - Shona Laing
“Fancy” - Hugo Largo
“Calling You” - Jevetta Steele
“Arena” - Colorbox
“City of Strange Delight” - The Shakers
“Urgent” - Hetch Hetchy
“Wickerman’s Dog” - Tiny Lights
“I’m A Man You Don’t Meet Every Day” - The Pogues
“Fire Island” - Hex
“Think About Your Troubles” - Mathilde Santing
“Air for Sharon” - Anna Palm
“moonflower” - blackgirls -
“This Land Is My Land” - Brenda Kahn
“Conversation” - Sonya Hunter
“Simply Tony / Dig My Own Grave” - Lisa Germano
“Julia Rain” - Crash Vegas
“Seinn Oi” - Mouth Music
“Heaven on Earth” - Laurie Freelove
I could go on, I have a million of 'em. I’d imagine that no one’s ever heard of several of the artists, let alone heard the songs, but I couldn’t imagine living my life not knowing about them. Strange thing is, none of this stuff is way out of the mainstream, except for maybe Diamanda Galas, who’s on another planet (I mean that in the nicest possible way). Cheers to anyone who’s heard of the majority of them.
[li]Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - the original grrl group[/li][/QUOTE]
[Hijack] Only one grrl in that group, namely, Joan J. You must be thinking of the Runaways. [/Hijack]
