80’s
Submitted my top ten 80s songs to this site – of course, those are just my top ten for today, tomorrow they’d be totally different.
But, just in case they don’t like my style, I’ll post them here too.
In no particular order, by the way.
*)Lou Grahm, Midnight Blue.
‘I used to follow, yeah, that’s true – but my following days are over, now I just gotta follow through’. Words to live by.
*)Midnight Oil, Beds are burning.
‘The Time Has Come, To say Fair’s Fair, To Pay The Rent, To Pay Our share – the time has come, a fact’s a fact, it belongs to them, let’s give it back’. Is your car burning oil? Do you know how we get enough to run your gas-guzzling SUV? Do you know how many innocent people have already died, and how many are going to? Are you okay with this?
*)Mr. Mister, Kyria Elason.
I don’t beleive in christianity, and not always in god. But I beleive in the sentament in this song. Kyria Elason means, by the way, ‘God be with me’. It’s nice when a song can speak of spiritual matters in a way that aren’t offensive to those of us who don’t think there was a point to Christ’s death.
*)Phil Collins, Hero.
While not technically the 80s – I think this was released in 1990 – this captures the spirit of the 80s quite well. Phil is the quinessentual 80s rocker – look at all Genesis did in the 80s – and the message here is clear, easy to understand, and heartbreakingly familiar.
‘The Villin goes to Jail, while the hero goes free – I wish it were that simple for me’.
*)Richard Marx, Right Here Waiting.
The perfect love song for a long distance relationship. For me the 80s were all about the [then budding] internet, and the inevitable long distance friendships and romances that resulted from it.
*)Simple Minds, Don’t You Forget About Me.
Truly, I love most of Simple Minds’s work. They’re brilliant musicians. But this song defined it.. often, during the 80s, I would stay in my room for hours, dancing to as many watts as I could get my hands on. This song defined those moments. And, of course, the breakfast club.. a movie that should be required viewing for high school students.
*)U2, Street With No Name.
The first song I ever heard a mp3 of. And still one of my favorites. I’ve seen U2 in concert three times, and I’d go back in a heartbeat. If you’ve ever heard the song, I don’t have to explain, because you probebly feel it too.
*)USA For Africa, We Are The World.
Okay, you all hated it. I know. It’s not the song itself – which doesn’t sound that great and is utter shlock – it’s the concept it represents. Of course, 30 years later, USA for africa is withholding AIDS drugs in order to make maximum profit while millions die. Yah, great.
*)Warrent, Heaven.
I think all of us secretly wish our significant others thought of us as this person thinks of his. I think this song is beautiful.
*)Jefferson Starship, We Built This City On Rock and Roll.
Music is too important to leave to the professionals! Pick up a guitar, hit some keys, join in! Music transcends culture, gender, gender identity, and to a certain extent even humanity. However good, or bad, you are, there are other people to jam with who have the same skill level you do, as well as ones you could learn from and ones you could help teach! My hope is that someday the human race will truly be able to say, ‘We built this planet on rock and roll!’ – and creative efforts of all types.
Anyway, as I said, that’s just my comments for today. Tomorrow they might be very different. Time for sleep now, after I finish listening to the Forrest Gump Suite. [Writing about 80s music forced me to delve deep into my mpeg collection.. but I’ve been in a 80s mood of late anyway.]
I feel terrible, not mentioning any of the five million other bands that made the 80s great. But that’s okay, I’m sure if I continue this journal for any length of time, I’ll slowly type out my opinions on such things.