[sanity8me]

so i had this song stuck in my head for about a month now. i was positive it was an 80's song so i decided on searching the net and asking my friends, but the only thing that i knew about the song was that there was a count down "4, 3, 2, 1" ... nobody knew and google was of no help. so finally, the other day, after downloading a bunch of 80's songs I found it. it was called "Major Tom" by Peter Schilling, a sequel to David Bowie's Space Oddity.

it's now definitely one of my favorite songs.

i might be missing a few, but here's a list of what i consider to be some of the greatest 80's songs:

* = personal favorites

A-ha - Take On Me*
Blondie - Call Me
The Cars - Drive*
The Cars - You're All I've Got Tonight*
The Cure - A Forest*
The Cure - Close To Me
The Cure - Just Like Heaven
Cutting Crew - (I Just) Died in Your Arms
David Bowie and Queen - Under Pressure
Fine Young Cannibals - She Drives Me Crazy
Flock of Seaguls - I Ran*
Gary Numan - Cars
George Harrison - I've Got My Mind Set On You
Klaus Nomi - Total Eclipse
Michael Jackson - Beat It
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal*
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al
The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me
Peter Schilling - Major Tom*
Prince - Purple Rain
Prince - When Doves Cry
Queen - Another One Bites The Dust
Romantics - What I Like About You
Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares*
Soft Cell - Tainted Love*
Styx - Mr. Roboto
Talking Heads - Burning Down the House
Talking Heads - Once In a Lifetime
Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Tears For Fears - Shout
Toni Basil - Mickey
U2 - New Year's Day*
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday*
U2 - With Or Without You
U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name
The Vapors - Think I'm Turning Japanese


y'know, playing 80's songs usually cracks people up, but there were definitely some great ones. strange how U2 now doesn't even compare to how they once were. i don't even bother with their new stuff.

what are some of your favorites? let me know if i'm missing any important ones.



edit 1: added songs from The Cure
edit 2: took out songs from wrong year
edit 3: put back Gary Numan's Cars since it was a US hit in 1980

 

[Factor]

New Order - Bizarre Love Trialgle

 

[eyeteeth]

x

 

[sanity8me]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Factor New Order - Bizarre Love Trialgle

i've been meaning to get into New Order because i absolutely love Joy Division. ever hear their instrumental song Elegia? one of my favorite songs i have, but, strangely, the only one by New Order.

Quote:

Originally Posted by eyeteeth Not my friends who grew up in the 80's, as I did. Play 'It's My Life' by Talk Talk and watch then zone out and get right into it.

i never even heard of it, but probably have heard it somewhere. i'll make sure to check it out.

 

[markl]

sanity8me, you have LOTs of songs from the 70s, a couple from the 90s, and even one from the 60's (Space Oddity) on there!

 

[bong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanity8me it was called "Major Tom" by Peter Schilling, a sequel to David Bowie's Space Oddity. i might be missing a few, but here's a list of what i consider to be some of the greatest 80's songs: * = personal favorites David Bowie - Space Oddity* Gary Numan - Cars Gary Numan - Down In the Park* Pulp - Common People

oh... i loved "Major Tom" back in the day... along with "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)" by Icicle Works and "Whole of the Moon" by The Waterboys.

IIRC Bowie's "Space Oddity" was recorded in 1967... pretty far from the 80's.
Gary Numan's "Cars" was from 1979, and was a #1 hit in the UK in that year... it was a year later in 1980 that "Cars" became a US hit.
"Down in the Park" was also from 1979, but was done by Tubeway Army, the band that was lead by Gary Numan before he officially became solo later that year. i'd also recommend "Are 'Friends' Electric?" by Tubeway Army, as it was a huge impact on synth-based music and rushed to #1 in the UK charts. easily put Gary Numan into the limelight.
Pulp's "Common People" was done in 1995... although i can see why it could be mistaken for an 80's song.

i think i'll add my own list later.

 

[eyeteeth]

x

 

[Masonjar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanity8me i've been meaning to get into New Order because i absolutely love Joy Division. ever hear their instrumental song Elegia? one of my favorite songs i have, but, strangely, the only one by New Order. i never even heard of it, but probably have heard it somewhere. i'll make sure to check it out.

get NO's MOVEMENT, POWER CORRUPTION & LIES and SUBSTANCE.

After that, if you're still curious, check out some more stuff. These 3 have the most "Joy Division-ish" material.

-jar

 

[sanity8me]

thanks for letting me know. edited out the wrong year ones. pulp common people 1995? wow.

 

[markl]

Get rid of Blondie, and some of those Cars songs, too. (70s)

 

[sanity8me]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markl Get rid of Blondie, and some of those Cars songs, too. (70s)

errrr... i have no idea why i put some of these in my 80's folder on my player. still can't get over the fact that Pulp's Common People is 1995. also funny how i always thought Bowie's Space Oddity to be like THE greatest 80's song...

as for these: Blondie - Call Me (1980) but if you guys think i should get rid of it i'll do so no biggie, The Cars - Drive (1984), The Cars - Just What I Needed (1978) you were right, and The Cars - You're All I've Got Tonight .. can't find the date.. leave it or get rid of it??

 

[bong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Masonjar get NO's MOVEMENT, POWER CORRUPTION & LIES and SUBSTANCE. After that, if you're still curious, check out some more stuff. These 3 have the most "Joy Division-ish" material. -jar

ahh yeah.. i wholeheartedly agree with those recommendations. if you can find it, i also recommend the brilliant 1981-1982 EP which contains the original 12" version of "Temptation," which is eons better than Substance's 1987 re-recorded version. also contains the brilliant "Everything's Gone Green" single (my personal fave NO song), the awesome "Procession" single, and the gloomy b-side "Mesh" which isn't available anywhere else on CD. the "Mesh" on Substance CD2 is actually "Cries and Whispers."

Movement is a brilliant bridge-gap between the melancholy Joy Division and the more synth-based, accessible New Order. Movement has some of the most haunting, danceable songs with brilliant synth and guitar work.

 

[bong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanity8me thanks for letting me know. edited out the wrong year ones. pulp common people 1995? wow.

yup, 1995!

yeah... i can still remember when it was released. it was HUGE when it first came out. the song won over the crowd in 1995's Glastonbury Festival, became an instant anthem, and was a left-field hit which totally sidetracked the Blur vs. Oasis fiasco. Pulp became (unwillingly) associated with the Brit-pop crowd because of that song.

but yeah... Pulp does have lots of 80's element in their music, which makes them sound modern and retro at the same time.

 

[viator122]

Corey Hart - Sunglasses At Night

 

[bong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanity8me errrr... i have no idea why i put some of these in my 80's folder on my player. still can't get over the fact that Pulp's Common People is 1995. also funny how i always thought Bowie's Space Oddity to be like THE greatest 80's song... as for these: Blondie - Call Me (1980) but if you guys think i should get rid of it i'll do so no biggie, The Cars - Drive (1984), The Cars - Just What I Needed (1978) you were right, and The Cars - You're All I've Got Tonight .. can't find the date.. leave it or get rid of it??

heh... proves "Space Oddity" was so ahead of its time.

the odd studio trickery and sound phasing wouldn't sound out of place in the 80's, although to me the song sounds really dated, even the first time i heard it.

Blondie's "Call Me" should definitely stay. huge 80's hit associated with the American Gigolo movie. people like to associate "Heart of Glass" with the 80's but that was from 1978. my fave 80's Blondie hit was "Rapture," which shot up to #1 on the US Billboard charts. i love the Debbie Harry rap.

another interesting tidbit is that "Drive" is The Cars' biggest hit, and Ric Ocasek doesn't even sing lead vocals on it!

EDIT: i think Gary Numan's "Cars" should stay though... as it bacame a hit in 1980 in the US. that's the saving grace for the song through endless 80's compilations.