I was listening to Billy Squier this morning and it got me thinking about all the singers and bands from the '80s that I kind of liked at the time, but never really regarded as much more than disposable pop music, and now have come to develop a newfound respect for. I'm not talking about stuff I hated at the time and now think is okay, but rather stuff that I always liked but have come to appreciate more and more as time goes on (like a fine wine maturing with age). Billy Squier is one for me. Another would be Huey Lewis & The News. What are some of yours?
Posted by ISIS (Member # 1780) on :
I saw Huey Lewis in concert last year...they were great-but they were a band that I didn't pay much attention to in to 80's either.
There's a bunch of bands that I really liked, then I saw them in concert and now I love them.
The #1...was The Starship....I always loved their music back to when they did the Jefferson Airplane, but I never realized until I saw them in concert how many songs they really did do, and how different all their songs are.
I never liked Tina Turner in the 80's, but now I like alot of her stuff.
Posted by mamamiasweetpeaches (Member # 1715) on :
I was never hugely into EDDIE MONEY before and then one day I was in my sister's car and she had his Greatest hits CD on and I was like "I like this song...oh, I like this song too. HE sings this? I love this song...." and so I bought the CD and I love it and him.
I only knew two AHA songs but recently I downloaded some of their other stuff and I'm shocked at how good it is. They should have been "bigger" in America , I think.
The only song by KON KAN I knew was I Beg Your Pardon. I downloaded a bunch of their stuff and was surprised a lot of it's good.
This is more of a '70s person but TODD RUNDGREN is someone I find myself really getting into NOW. He's another one where I'd heard his music but never knew HE was the guy singing it. I like his UTOPIA stuff too.
Posted by Riptide (Member # 457) on :
I like Stray Cats a lot more than I used to. At the time, I thought they were Elvis wannabes or something. Now I realise they were trying to stand tall for guitar based rock in the face of all the keyboard based music at the time. They also probably wrote the best sounding 50's-60's music not from that decade.
Posted by xchazx (Member # 7158) on :
i've become i big Tears For Fears fan in the past few years. i never realized how many of their songs i liked.
also another one hit wonder band that should have been bigger than they were was Big Country. they have two great albums, The Crossing and Steeltown that i recommend.
Posted by Sam 'The Made Man' Hain (Member # 3150) on :
The Cult The Cure The Smiths
Posted by journey (Member # 7316) on :
quote:Originally posted by mamamiasweetpeaches: I was never hugely into EDDIE MONEY before and then one day I was in my sister's car and she had his Greatest hits CD on and I was like "I like this song...oh, I like this song too. HE sings this? I love this song...." and so I bought the CD and I love it and him.
I only knew two AHA songs but recently I downloaded some of their other stuff and I'm shocked at how good it is. They should have been "bigger" in America , I think.
Those are both big ones for me too. I never realised how active a-ha has been since the '80s. Their recent stuff is great and I only discovered it by chance. Apparently they're still very big in Europe, especially in their native Scandinavia. Eddie Money seems to be in the same position as Billy Idol and Pat Benatar in that they have grown to be highly respected in recent years. I think people are really looking back and recognizing how great their music really was. You hear all 3 in regular rotation on Classic Rock stations now, for instance. But back in the '80s rock critics were a little too preoccuppied with people like Springsteen and U2 to notice them much, I guess.
Posted by 80'sRocked (Member # 6979) on :
One that comes to mind for me is R.E.M. Back in high school, I always considered it to be Yuppie or Preppy music. Now, I respect and like their music.
Posted by Sam 'The Made Man' Hain (Member # 3150) on :
quote:Originally posted by Sam 'The Made Man' Hain: The Cult The Cure The Smiths
I also want to add The Alarm to my list
Posted by kevdugp73 (Member # 5978) on :
The Cure is a big one for me. I think I was too young to appreciate them in the 80's (born in 73). First took a good listen in University (St.F.X., Nova Scotia)....they are now one of my all time favorite bands...along with U2 and the Indigo Girls.
Posted by Riptide (Member # 457) on :
It's funny how our tastes and views about music change over time. In the actual 80's I think I liked a lot less as far as 80's alternative music goes. I liked the Cult, TFF, Depeche Mode and some Pet Shop Boys, the only punk I liked was Sex Pistols. I liked some Cure songs, but I found that whole makeup/androgynous thing with Robert Smith, Adam Ant and Nick Rhodes just too hard to take. Later on when you learned that there was more to David Bowie than let's dance, and that he pioneered the whole glam rock thing you seemed to understand the whole evolution of the music.
Posted by TKO (Member # 1471) on :
I'm with Sam..
The Cult, The Cure, The Smiths, The Alarm... I totally overlooked all those bands in the 80’s, because at that time, I was more into regular pop music. I still feel bad for missing out back then..
Another band I gained the hugest respect for is The Sisters of Mercy. What an awesome band that is!
Posted by ISIS (Member # 1780) on :
That's funny about Eddie Money....the first time I saw him was in the Shakin video (I never had ever connected him to 2 Tickets to Paradise and Baby Hold On to Me- even though I know I had to have heard them-I was too young for those songs to have any meaning to me)...anyway...when I saw Shakin...I thought there was something seriously wrong with him...like he looked to me like he could have been in special education classes ...which I am not saying that to be mean...but I thought what is up with the way he would sing almost out of the side of his mouth...and all the jumping around he did....
It was later on...that I realized how many songs he did from the 80's....and I have a bunch of those 45s in my jukebox....I love Endless Nights, but it's one of those songs that you don't ever heard often.
Posted by Sam 'The Made Man' Hain (Member # 3150) on :
The reason why I totally missed out on The Cure, The Smiths, The Alarm and The Cult back in the 80s is that none of them got hardly any airplay on MTV and there just wasn't any radio stations in Bismarck that catered to that kind of music. Plus this was long before the internet. It wasn't until I started getting VH1 Classic and Music Choice that I finally got to hear these bands in more detail as they are all favourites on both.
Posted by xchazx (Member # 7158) on :
quote:Originally posted by Sam 'The Made Man' Hain: The reason why I totally missed out on The Cure, The Smiths, The Alarm and The Cult back in the 80s is that none of them got hardly any airplay on MTV and there just wasn't any radio stations in Bismarck that catered to that kind of music. Plus this was long before the internet. It wasn't until I started getting VH1 Classic and Music Choice that I finally got to hear these bands in more detail as they are all favourites on both.
you should also check out(if you haven't already) Bauhaus and Joy Division. The Smiths are my all time favorite band. and The Cure, Bauhaus, and Joy Division are my second favorites. The Cult's album Love is an all time classic for me. I had a friend of mine from college who was a huge Alarm fan but i never really got into them except for their popular songs.
Posted by Riptide (Member # 457) on :
Most people know the Divinyls only for their hit I touch myself, but there are other earlier songs I like a lot more like Boys in Town, Sleeping Beaty and Ring me up fr. Sixteen Candles.
Posted by Ronnie (Member # 465) on :
quote:Originally posted by Riptide: Most people know the Divinyls only for their hit I touch myself, but there are other earlier songs I like a lot more like Boys in Town, Sleeping Beaty and Ring me up fr. Sixteen Candles.
rip, i have been listening to the divinyls a lot lately! boys in town is one of my favorites. it also can be heard at the beginning of the movie LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN's opening scene. i also love science fiction and siren.
i was never a big fan of their song i touch myself but can appreciate it as one of their big hits. i have come to find that chrissy amphlett is definitely one of the best rock chicks as a frontwoman in a group. her voice is amazing!
here's a video for the song Boys In Town. i love her school girl style she had in those days. very underrated band and singer.
quote:Originally posted by Pyromantic: A couple that spring to mind for me
The Cramps: Firstly, I know this band was actually formed in the 70's...But I didn't hear of them until the 80's...so I'd say this counts. When I first saw a video for this band back in the mid 80's, I pretty much immediately dismissed them as just a gimmicky mediocre band that I probably wouldn't pay any attention. And I didn't for the next few years. But as luck would have it, I met a friend who was a huge fan of them. He gave me a cassette of them to listen to..and I had to slap myself for trying to ignore this band..they're freakin' awesome. And I still listen to them alot.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Again, I know Tom Petty is pre-80's. but i'm adding him for the same reason that i mentioned as above. When I first heard Tom Petty's music..I will honestly say I thought it was OK at best. I started listening to him more as the 80's pressed on. And yes, the video for "Don't Come Around Here No More" is a huge reason why I'm a fan of his today. Let's face it, that video is just beyond awesome. And thanks to other great songs and videos that followed...I was able to remain a fan through all these years. And the main reason I'm putting Petty on here is cuz I have gained new respect for him because he continues to put out good records. Out of all his records..i'd have to say that "Wildflowers" is my favorite.
hi pyro, i can relate to your post so much...only difference is, i had those same thoughts of both bands at a later time in my life. i love the cramps. one of my favorite songs of theirs is the garbage man. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=573O2P5W7Hk
as for tom petty, i have never seen them in concert but have heard his shows are awesome. don't come around here no more is definitely a wonderful song and love the video as well. learning to fly is a favorite of mine, on a more personal level. i just added the documentary runnin down a dream to my netflix queue which should ship out tomorrow. can't wait.
Posted by Bamersy (Member # 8808) on :
Another of my infamous ticket stubs: Always liked Eddie-one of the mall stores had a jukebox that had his version of "You Really Got a Hold on Me"-used to play it all the time. Saw him a few years ago at a county fair-he seemed surprised so many people were there
Have always been into John (Cougar) Mellencamp too, "Ain't Even Done With The Night"=love it!
Posted by oneyedwilly (Member # 8730) on :
quote:The Cure is a big one for me. I think I was too young to appreciate them in the 80's (born in 73). First took a good listen in University (St.F.X., Nova Scotia)....they are now one of my all time favorite bands...along with U2 and the Indigo Girls.
i was born in 73 aswell but came into contact with the cure when i was 16 after the release of the single Friday im in love. i saw the video hit and saw this band for the first time who were completely different from anything id ever seen or heard. I purchased the cd wish and then went on to appreciate pretty much all of their stuff. It was really a different genre for me.
i then went on to find u2 and never looked back. just started listening to them again after taking timeout from them.
quote:I liked the Cult, TFF, Depeche Mode and some Pet Shop Boys,
i saw depeche mode recently and they were unbeleivable. Check out shiny toy gun's version of stripped on youtube - its fantastic.
i also saw def leppord and white snake recently and they were also unforgettable and will probably start listening to the hysteria cd again now.
I grew up being forced to listen to sade, billy joel, elton john and neil diamond and the carpenters throughout the 80s so i now have an appreciation for them and went through a phase of listening to those artists.
Posted by Bamersy (Member # 8808) on :
I have always appreciated Neil Diamond too, many people don't realize how many great songs he's responsible for.
Posted by oneyedwilly (Member # 8730) on :
quote:Originally posted by Bamersy: I have always appreciated Neil Diamond too, many people don't realize how many great songs he's responsible for.
really?? I thought my dad was the only one who loved him. He made me watch the jazz singer at aged 10 - rough isnt it?? I actually enjoyed love on the rocks.
Posted by Bamersy (Member # 8808) on :
Originally posted by oneyedwilly: really?? I thought my dad was the only one who loved him. He made me watch the jazz singer at aged 10 - rough isnt it?? I actually enjoyed love on the rocks.
He does have that mom and dad vibe-but he wrote "I'm A Believer", "Red Red Wine" and "Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon" from Pulp Fiction. Plus I like the fun songs like "Forever in Blue Jeans" Posted by Bamersy (Member # 8808) on :
Isis mentioned Tina Turner-my Dad was a big fan of hers; "River Deep Mountain High" is epic. I like her earlier stuff more than the songs she did in the 80's. Even today she's still got it!
Posted by oneyedwilly (Member # 8730) on :
quote:He does have that mom and dad vibe-but he wrote "I'm A Believer", "Red Red Wine" and "Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon" from Pulp Fiction. Plus I like the fun songs like "Forever in Blue Jeans
haha - mum and dad vibe - never thought of putting it like that. im a beleiver is a great song and i never thought about the song from pulp fiction as im still yet to see that movie you know.
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
quote:I have always appreciated Neil Diamond too, many people don't realize how many great songs he's responsible for.
"Love on the rocks... ain't no big surprizzzzzze... just pour me a drink and I'll tell you some lizzzzzzze"
Got's to love some Neil Diamond!
I believe it was illegal not to buy his stuff in Australia in the early 70's.
Top two 80's songs about fictional characters:
# 1 - T'Pau - 'China in Your Hand' # 2 - Neil Diamond - 'Heartlight'
Posted by mamamiasweetpeaches (Member # 1715) on :
Ih i love NEIL DiAMOND. My husband loves hive even more than I do. e all went to see him in concert a few years back.
Posted by oneyedwilly (Member # 8730) on :
quote:# 1 - T'Pau - 'China in Your Hand'
love this song - dont ask why.
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Sparks The Replacements Aztec Camera The Mighty Lemon Drops UB40
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
quote:love this song - dont ask why.
Why?
Kidding. I love it too.
Posted by oneyedwilly (Member # 8730) on :
i never heard this until about a year ago on an 80s song channel on sky and just thought it typified those 'im so in love with you' type songs. I also got a look at 'power of love' ballad by jennifer rush - that video clip is hilarious when the man gets hit by a car in slow motion.
and the saxaphone solo in china in your hand is so trade mark of the 80s
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
One of the biggest hits of '87 in the UK. It's about Frankenstein.
Posted by amaranth (Member # 8882) on :
I love billy idol i went to see him a few years ago when he came to Glasgow he was still as good as he was in the 80s.
Posted by TKO (Member # 1471) on :
I love Billy Idol too, always have. And after I watched his VH1 Storytellers Special, I even gained more sympathy for the man. He's really funny too.
Still hoping for a chance to see him live.
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Billy Idol tunes were used in some awesome flicks throughout the 80's. But for me .. his cameo in "The Wedding Singer" just solidified his legendary status ..
Here's the tunes and movies I remember:
"Rebel Yell" - The Legend of Billie Jean, The Wraith, & 16 Candles
"Do Not Stand In the Shadows" - The Wild Life
"Catch My Fall" - Some Kind of Wonderful
and my fav Idol tune:
"Dancin' With Myself" - Can't Buy Me Love
I'm sure there were probably more, but those were some excellent movies to give Idol tunes exposure and great memories!
Posted by Bamersy (Member # 8808) on :
First saw Billy Idol when he performed "Hot in the City" on a show called Laugh Trax in 1982. Went out and bought the 45 soon after
OMG van halen jump on radio that takes me back!!!!!!
Posted by Ronnie (Member # 465) on :
geez people haha everyone here has always hated built this city, it's a strange song, but not completely horrible, IMO. another one i cannot stand is dance hall days by wang chung (i believe it's wang chung?) puke!
and i also do not like final countdown. silly song!
Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
Europe rules! I have all their albums. Such a classy act and still alive and kickin´.
Starship is another great band. My bother just bought the Love Among the Cannibals (1989) cd. Some great songs in that one and the production is HUGE!
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can't wait.
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