The Psychedelic Furs are a TERRIFIC band - HIGHLY recommended. Both "Forever Now" and "Mirror Moves" are great albums, and "Mirror Moves" is also outstanding in terms of recording quality.
Songs that (to me) directly fit into the "Cars - Drive" category:
Paul Young - Every Time You Go Away (YouTube)
Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is (YouTube)
'Til Tuesday - Voices Carry (YouTube)
A little different, but sort of close category:
Heart - Alone (YouTube)
Simple Minds - Don't You Forget About Me (YouTube)
Duran Duran - Ordinary World (YouTube)
Duran Duran - Come Undone (YouTube)
Songs that possessed this "sound/feeling" where sang by bands that didn't necessarily "carry" the sound as their "signature" sound. Or was sang by groups that carried the sound, but never produced more than a few (or even a single) songs that blew up --- "1-hit wonders". Often seemed to be offerings by bands as a departure from their normal sound, especially The Cars, Heart, and Foreigner... but it worked when they did it.
Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif You really owe it to yourself to buy the first two albums by The Cars, if you don't have them, The Cars and Candy-O. They are absolutely fantastic, from start to finish.
Another recommend for Candy O; more specifically "It's All I Can Do" (An Orr vehicle) and "Dangerous Type"(more of an Ocasek vehicle). These are both nice lengthy, meandering songs. For something a little more lovey dovey, there's Foreigner's "I Don't Want to Live Without You". Of course, if you want to get off the beaten track, you could try that 80s 'super group' Electronic and "Get the Message". Keep in mind that the truncated video version below of "Get the Message" doesn't do justice to its real length(5.21 on the Electronic s/t).
Great selection folks...I just had a flash back to high school! Now where is my thin tie and pointy shoes!
Just kidding, I was a Zeppelin / Sabbath / Ozzy / AC/DC / U2 / The Who / etc... fan then and never really got into '80s pop, but the videos did remind me of jr high and high school dances!
My wife on the other hand...she can name just about any '80s pop tune in about 5 notes.
Try some OMD, Blancmage, Psychedelic Furs, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Pet Shop Boys.
They're OOP, but pick around eBay for the "Living in Oblivion" discs of alternative 1980s music. They're terrific compilations and I think there are 18 volumes; I own quite a few.
Also run a few searches for KROQ playlists from the 1980s. Each year they compiled the top 106.7 requests (106.7 is KROQ's frequency) and had a big countdown. KROQ was (arguably) the best New Wave station in the 1980s. I was lucky enough to have grown up listening to KROQ. It's not the same these days, but the 1980s KROQ playlists had the best music of the decade. I haven't looked, but you might try pulling the playlists from 91X in San Diego. 91X is a KROQ sister station and also played some incredible New Wave.
Such a shame this music is a bit forgotten today and the 1980s are considered something of a musical wasteland. The alternative/New Wave music from the era is wonderful. It's sort of an electronic version of 1950s music. I hope it makes a comeback.
Agreed! And the thing of it is, in the era we live in, NOTHING is really forgotten. XM/Sirius have all-80's formats, including 80's Pop and "Classic Alternative", which is the New Wave stuff without the pop. One of the HD Radio stations in Chicago (the "HD-2" of 101.1) is all 80's. Great fun to listen to for me, since the 80's were my formative musical years in many ways (I graduated college in 1988). I listened to new-wave/punk in the 80's, not the super-poppy stuff, but even some of that I like.
And then, as MH pointed out, there was 80's Metal, which I also love.
Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Such a shame this music is a bit forgotten today and the 1980s are considered something of a musical wasteland. The alternative/New Wave music from the era is wonderful. It's sort of an electronic version of 1950s music. I hope it makes a comeback.
I don't know where you have been, but there has been a huge synthpop/new wave/post punk revival over the last decade. Here are some good albums:
Editors - The Back Room
La Roux - S/T
Ladytron - Witching Hour
Neon Neon - Stainless Style
The Sounds - Dying to Say This to You
Seriously, someone must not be paying much attention to modern popular music to make a statement like that.
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