Post by Mr. Atari on Jul 24, 2010 2:24:24 GMT -5
So I've compiled my top 100 songs of the '80s. It was a labor of love.
I think I'll post them here, because I can't imagine anyone will care enough to merit a thread on the music board.
A little "behind the scenes" detail:
*I started by listing every '80s song from my iPod (about 550)
*I added the songs from the Billboard Top 100 of each year from 1980-1989.
*I checked similar lists online (VH1, Rolling Stone, various blogs).
*I took out songs I didn't like.
*I took out any that were more a product of a different subgenre than "'80s music". (Admittedly, this was very subjective, but I couldn't just list my favorite underground punk songs or Iron Maiden cuts and pass them off as '80s songs. Even if it came from the '80s, it seemed divergent from the intent of the list.)
After all of the above, I was left with 421 songs.
So I made the following general guidelines to pare it down further:
1) My most nostalgic time with '80s music was from 1983-1987. So, unless it was an obvious inclusion, I removed songs from outside that era.
2) If an artist had bigger hits in a different decade, they were less likely to be considered. I like "Just Like Starting Over" as much as the next guy, but does anyone really think of John Lennon when they think of '80s music?
3) Only one song per artist. On the one hand, this doesn't seem right. I mean, if Huey Lewis wrote 7 songs better than any Ray Parker Jr. wrote (and he did), shouldn't Huey make the list 7 times? On the other hand, I could lump together all the good songs by an artist, but only take up one space on the list. (NOTE: I broke this rule once because an artist has two songs that each belong in the top 10.)
Some that didn't make the cut?
One Night in Bangkok- Murray Head
Loved it as a 10 year old. Doesn't hold up very well.
Whip It- Devo
A worthy song from a great band, but a bit outside of the timeframe and a bit too much of a novelty.
Mexican Radio- Wall of Voodoo
Speaking of novelties...almost made it solely based on the lyric: "I wish I was in Tijuana eating barbecued iguana."
Money for Nothing- Dire Straits
Fun song, great guitar. But as a singer, Mark Knopfler is a great guitarist.
Centerfold- J. Geils Band
Love me some J. Geils Band. Actually, I don't know why this didn't make the list. Great song. Should be in the top 50, even. Oh well.
On the Dark Side- John Cafferty
Great piano riff. But he always sounded to me like he was trying too hard to be Bruce Springsteen.
With One Look- Rupert Hine
One of my favorite songs of all time. But it's just too obscure. If you've heard it at all (and you probably haven't), it's the closing credits music for "Better Off Dead".
Voices Carry- 'Til Tuesday
I remember it fondly, I enjoy it today. But there just wasn't room.
And many others.
Sit tight. The countdown will begin shortly.
I think I'll post them here, because I can't imagine anyone will care enough to merit a thread on the music board.
A little "behind the scenes" detail:
*I started by listing every '80s song from my iPod (about 550)
*I added the songs from the Billboard Top 100 of each year from 1980-1989.
*I checked similar lists online (VH1, Rolling Stone, various blogs).
*I took out songs I didn't like.
*I took out any that were more a product of a different subgenre than "'80s music". (Admittedly, this was very subjective, but I couldn't just list my favorite underground punk songs or Iron Maiden cuts and pass them off as '80s songs. Even if it came from the '80s, it seemed divergent from the intent of the list.)
After all of the above, I was left with 421 songs.
So I made the following general guidelines to pare it down further:
1) My most nostalgic time with '80s music was from 1983-1987. So, unless it was an obvious inclusion, I removed songs from outside that era.
2) If an artist had bigger hits in a different decade, they were less likely to be considered. I like "Just Like Starting Over" as much as the next guy, but does anyone really think of John Lennon when they think of '80s music?
3) Only one song per artist. On the one hand, this doesn't seem right. I mean, if Huey Lewis wrote 7 songs better than any Ray Parker Jr. wrote (and he did), shouldn't Huey make the list 7 times? On the other hand, I could lump together all the good songs by an artist, but only take up one space on the list. (NOTE: I broke this rule once because an artist has two songs that each belong in the top 10.)
Some that didn't make the cut?
One Night in Bangkok- Murray Head
Loved it as a 10 year old. Doesn't hold up very well.
Whip It- Devo
A worthy song from a great band, but a bit outside of the timeframe and a bit too much of a novelty.
Mexican Radio- Wall of Voodoo
Speaking of novelties...almost made it solely based on the lyric: "I wish I was in Tijuana eating barbecued iguana."
Money for Nothing- Dire Straits
Fun song, great guitar. But as a singer, Mark Knopfler is a great guitarist.
Centerfold- J. Geils Band
Love me some J. Geils Band. Actually, I don't know why this didn't make the list. Great song. Should be in the top 50, even. Oh well.
On the Dark Side- John Cafferty
Great piano riff. But he always sounded to me like he was trying too hard to be Bruce Springsteen.
With One Look- Rupert Hine
One of my favorite songs of all time. But it's just too obscure. If you've heard it at all (and you probably haven't), it's the closing credits music for "Better Off Dead".
Voices Carry- 'Til Tuesday
I remember it fondly, I enjoy it today. But there just wasn't room.
And many others.
Sit tight. The countdown will begin shortly.