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The Music Of The 80s - Favorites, Classics And Rarities


hitman531ph

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Music of the 80s...

 

The decade started with Depeche Mode, B-52's, Soft Cell and Devo

 

Somewhere in between was Bruce Springsteen, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Tina Turner and Culture Club, Eurythmics

 

It ended with Guns N Roses, Swing Out Sister, Salt N Pepa and Boy Meets Girl

 

Gender benders, bands formed & disbanded and chart-toppers & chart-bombers...

Edited by hitman531ph
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One of the flamboyant gender bender bands that came out of the 80s was Culture Club.

 

Culture Club was comprised of George "Boy George" O'Dowd, Mikey Craig, Jon Moss and Roy Hay

 

This band had 4 albums and a string of hits in its heyday from 1982-86

 

In 1982, after releasing some not-so-successful singles, "Do you Really Want to Hurt Me" became the first top 10 hit for Culture Club from the album "Kissing to be Clever"

 

In 1983, a single called "Time (Clock of the Heart)" became the second top 10 hit that came out of an EP of the same title.

 

In late 1983, Culture Club released an album called "Colour by Numbers" which produced their third top 10 hit "Church of the Poison Mind". By early 1984, the single "Karma Chameleon" zoomed all the way to the top of the charts. This became their first and only #1 hit. The following single "Miss Me Blind" made it to the top 10. The next single "It's a Miracle" went to the top 20. The last single from the same album "Victims" made it again to the top 10 but only in the UK.

 

In late 1984, the band was showing signs of weariness and showed its eccentric side with the album cover and title called "Waking Up With the House on Fire". This album produced a UK top 10 hit called "The War Song". "The War Song", however, managed only a top 20 spot. The second single "Mistake No. 3" made it to the US Top 40 but no higher.

 

By 1985, a song called "Love is Love" made it to the top 10 in Japan, but was a minor hit in US and Europe. The song was featured in the soundtrack of "Electric Dreams".

 

In 1986, the band members were no longer in good terms with one another and just finished off the album and went their separate ways months after the release of the album "From Luxury to Heartache". The album came up with a UK Top 10 (US Top 20) hit "Move Away". A second single called "God Thank You Woman" failed to follow the success of the band's previous hits. This was the time when Boy George appeared in the 80s TV series The A-Team

 

By 1987, Culture Club was gone.

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Edited by hitman531ph
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Who could forget the scam of the decade, perhaps the scam of the 20th Century, at the close of the 80s?

 

The scam that even got the group a Grammy Award which they later had to return...

 

Milli Vanilli

 

Two guys appear on the album, and lip-synching their way in the music videos and concert performances...

 

Girl You Know It's True was their first hit in the latter half of 1989...

Baby, Don't Forget My Number was the follow-up hit...

 

Girl, now you know it's not true and baby, you won't forget the number they did on everybody back then

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Guest airmax

Ang favorite ko dati e ung mga new wave bands tulad ng The Care, Strawberry Switchblade, Pale Fountains, Blue Zoo, Seona Dancing, The Cure, Lotus Eaters. Ok silang lahat kaso nawala ang new wave around 1986 napalitan ng disco music tulad nila Mike Francis, Timex Social Club, Amy Stewart, Club Noveau etc.

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Tom Jones.

 

An artist who made it big in the 60s and 70s, doing covers of other artists hits.

 

He did it again in 1988 with his one and only hit in the 80s "Kiss", a cover of Prince and the Revolutions's 1986 chart-topper

 

His cover was done in collaboration with a group called The Art of Noise. Tom Jones's "Kiss" appeared on a Kim Basinger movie called "My Stepmother is an Alien" which gained Tom Jones a new recognition in the world of music

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Guest airmax

For the Punk Era eto ang mga fave ko: B52's, Devo, Flock of Seagulls, Taco, Men without hats, Men at Work, Modern English, the Go go's, Joe Jackson, Sheena Easton (Telephone), Gary Numan etc.

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THE POLICE

 

This band of three, Andy Summers, Stewart Copeland and Gordon "Sting" Sumner already had some hits in the late 80s. Their album Zenyatta Mondatta was recorded in 1979 but the hits it produced crossed over into 1980.

 

DE DOO DOO DOO DE DA DA DA and DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME were hits and considered as classics today.

 

1981 saw The Police release the album GHOST IN THE MACHINE. It produced lesser known hits INVISIBLE SUN and SPIRITS IN THE MATERIAL WORLD. But GHOST IN THE MACHINE also produced a big hit (which has been remade by several artists) EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC

 

The Police then came up with the monster album SYNCHRONICITY. It produced 3 Top 10 hits and 1 Top 20 hit. The first hit is a hit still recognized and well known today- EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE. It spent 8 weeks at #1. The second hit came up slightly short - KING OF PAIN peaked at #3. WRAPPED AROUND YOUR FINGER peaked at #8. The 4th single SYNCHRONICITY II peaked at #17.

 

MURDER BY NUMBERS appears in a movie of the same title sometime in the late 90s or 2000.

 

THE POLICE were already in-fighting after the release of SYNCHRONICITY. By the time the group was supposed to record their next album, Sting, Copeland and Sumers had a severe quarrel that Sting and Copeland walked out of the recording studio and the band was finished. They were able to record a rehash of their own hit DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME '86 which was included in a compilation album EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE-THE SINGLES

 

By 1985, Sting released his first solo album THE DREAM OF THE BLUE TURTLES which came up with 2 Top 10 hits and 2 Top 40 hits. IF YOU LOVE SOMEBODY, SET THEM FREE, FORTRESS AROUND YOUR HEART, RUSSIANS, LOVE IS THE SEVENTH WAVE

 

In 1987, Sting released another album called NOTHING BUT THE SUN which had 3 hits WE'LL BE TOGETHER and AN ENGLISHMAN IN NEW YORK and FRAGILE

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BOY MEETS GIRL

 

This band had only two hits in the 80s, perhaps even in their career...

 

Their first hit was OH GIRL in 1985 which made it in the Top 40 but never got any higher than #33.

 

Their second hit is what the duo will be remembered for. WAITING FOR A STAR TO FALL went up to the Top 5 in 1989. This was their biggest break and unfortunately no other hits came after that.

 

But they should credit Whitney Houston for the duo's biggest hit. WAITING FOR A STAR TO FALL was originally offered to Whitney Houston to record. Whitney didn't like it, didn't record it and trashed it. The songwriter felt that the song should probably be offered to an artist with lesser fame. Boy Meets Girl accepted the song and recorded it and had their 15 minutes of fame.

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DURAN DURAN started the 80s with minor hits PLANET EARTH, CARELESS MEMORIES and GIRLS ON FILM which appeared in their self titled debut album in 1981. At the time, MTV was starting out and the band released a music video featuring mud-wrestling girls showing their breast on camera. The title of the song on the video is GIRLS ON FILM. Duran Duran found itself in a controversy and had to agree that MTV cut out the portions with breast exposure.

 

The original 5 members were Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Andy Taylor, Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes.

 

In 1982, the band released an album called RIO and produced a minor hit RIO and the band's first Top 5 hit called HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF. In the album was a UK Top 10 hit SAVE A PRAYER.

 

In the latter half of 1983, the band released SEVEN AND THE RAGGED TIGER and churned out three Top 5 hits UNION OF THE SNAKE, NEW MOON ON MONDAY and THE REFLEX (fle-fle-fle-fle-flex!). THE REFLEX was the band's first #1 hit.

 

By mid 1984, Duran Duran released an album called ARENA which featured (poorly recorded) concert performances of their previous hits. A new single (not a live performance) called THE WILD BOYS was included in the album. THE WILD BOYS eventually became Duran Duran's first US #1 hit.

 

By late 1984, John Taylor and Andy Taylor took a break from Duran Duran and joined in a project with (the late) Robert Palmer and Chris Thompson (of Chic). The project was called THE POWER STATION. The quartet produced 2 Top 10 hits SOME LIKE IT HOT and GET IT ON (BANG A GONG) and a Top 40 hit, a remake of HARVEST FOR THE WORLD

 

Simon, Roger and Nick, in the meantime felt abandoned and idle at the time and did their own project called ARCADIA. The title of the album was SO RED THE ROSE. Arcadia had 1 Top 10 hit ELECTION DAY (which was the theme song of the 1986 Philippine snap elections) and 3 Top 40 hits EL DIABLO, GOODBYE IS FOREVER and KEEP ME IN THE DARK. THE FLAME was a minor hit for ARCADIA

 

In 1985, the band got back together again as they were honored and eager to record the theme song for the 1985 James Bond movie A VIEW TO A k*ll. It was also the first time a James Bond theme song went to the #1 spot.

 

Duran Duran joined in Bob Geldof's LIVE AID and Simon Le Bon was kinda out-of-sync and out-of-tune when they performed A VIEW TO A k*ll

 

By late 1985, the band took a break to sort out things. Andy Taylor recorded and released an album in 1986 which had one Top 20 hit TAKE IT EASY

 

John Talylor did the same thing and had 1 Top 20 hit I DO WHAT I DO (JUST TO HAVE YOU)

 

By 1986, Duran Duran assembled again without Roger Taylor who quit the band and without Andy Taylor who felt he could go solo (he never made another chart hit again). The band released NOTORIOUS and the title track went to the Top 5 that year and the follow up single SKIN TRADE didn't quite reach the Top 10 but was a hit nevertheless

 

1988 saw the release of Duran Duran's album BIG THING which produced a very different sounding Duran Duran. Brit glam rock flavored with a little Americal soul minus the sleazy stretching vocals. The album came up with a hit I DON'T WANT YOUR LOVE that went to #1

 

Duran Duran came up with 2 more albums in the 90s

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Edited by hitman531ph
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Australia had their own brand of music that rocked the 80s

 

MEN AT WORK came up with two albums BUSINESS AS USUAL (1982) and CARGO (1983). The first album chalked up two #1 hits WHO CAN IT BE NOW and DOWN UNDER. The second album was of lesser success and came up with two Top 20 hits IT'S A MISTAKE and OVERKILL

 

LITTLE RIVER BAND already had hits like Reminiscing and Cool Change in the late 70s and had one Top 5 hit in 1982 called THE OTHER GUY

 

THE HOOTERS was a one-hit wonder Aussie band that appeared in LIVE AID and performed their one and only Top 10 hit AND WE DANCED. The band was said to be a promising new band at the time but they failed to make good their promise.

 

CROWDED HOUSE was also a successful Aussie band although they came up short after their first, self-titled debut. Their first album produced 2 Top 10 hits DON'T DREAM IT'S OVER and SOMETHING SO STRONG in 1986.

 

Perhaps the most successful Australian act, INXS came up with a string of albums and chart successes. Their first album in 1980 SHABOOH SHOOBAH produced their first Top 40 hit ONE DAY. In 1983, the INXS album THE SWING produced 1 Top 40 hit ORIGINAL SIN and a cult classic I SEND A MESSAGE. In 1985, INXS released LISTEN LIKE THIEVES. The single LISTEN LIKE THIEVES missed the Top 40 but the following hit WHAT YOU NEED skyrocketed the band to international stardom as it went to the Top 10. The 3rd hit KISS THE DIRT made it to the Top 20. In 1986, INXS released KICK and produced two consecutive #1 hits NEED YOU TONIGHT and DEVIL INSIDE. The third single from KICK was NEW SENSATION went to the Top 5 and NEVER TEAR US APART made it to the Top 40. In 1988, INXS released an album called X, commemorative of their 10th year as a band. X came up with a Top 10 hit called SUICIDE BLONDE. The lead singer Michael Hutchence died of an apparent drug-induced suicide a few years later in the mid-90s

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Depeche Mode was originally made up of Vince Clarke, Andrew Fletcher, Martin Gore and Dave Gahan. They initally played at small clubs and gained a following. They recorded a song called PHOTOGRAPHIC in 1980 and went on to complete and release SPEAK AND SPELL in 1981. The singles, NEW LIFE, PUPPETS (DREAMING OF ME) and WHAT'S YOUR NAME made little impact in the UK charts. But the release of JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH changed all that and eventually landed the band on the UK Top 10. Depeche Mode defined synth-pop or melodies that were obviously artificially produced via synthesizer but were catchy tunes anyway.

 

In 1982, the eccentric Vince Clarke suddenly left the band leaving Gore, Gahan and Fletcher all by themselves to come up with a new album A BROKEN FRAME. The album was a mild success with hits SEE YOU, THE MEANING OF LOVE and PHOTOGRAPH OF YOU. The sound and style replicated the previous album SPEAK AND SPELL.

 

In 1983, the band signed up Alan Wilder and the group released CONSTRUCTION TIME AGAIN and produced the classic EVERYTHING COUNTS and TWO MINUTE WARNING. This album profoundly differed in style and sound from the first two albums. This had a more serious feel to it, although it was still synthesizer-based. Not included in the album was a moderate chart hit GET THE BALANCE RIGHT in early 1984.

 

In 1984, SOME GREAT REWARD was released that produced the hits MASTER AND SERVANT, SOMEBODY, SOMETHING TO DO, BLASPHEMOUS RUMOURS and the hit PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE which made it to the Top 20 in the US in 1985, gaining the band international recognition. The sound and style from CONSTRUCTION TIME AGAIN is still obvious in SOME GREAT REWARD but became deeper and fuller, though still quite synthesizer-based. But the sound effects coming from synthesizers were a marvel at the time.

 

In 1985, the band released THE SINGLES 81 -> 85. The album contained the UK #1 hit SHAKE THE DISEASE and a lesser successful IT'S CALLED A HEART.

 

In 1986, BLACK CELEBRATION was released and met with a lesser degree of success. FLY ON THE WINDSCREEN and the title track made little impact. A QUESTION OF TIME brought Depeche Mode back to the US Top 40 and the UK Top 10. A QUESTION OF LUST met moderate success.

 

For the seventh straight year, Depeche Mode released MUSIC FOR THE MASSES in 1987, which produced the dance floor hit STRANGELOVE and two US Top 40 hits NEVER LET ME DOWN AGAIN and BEHIND THE WHEEL. Depeche Mode made a remake of an old Rolling Stones hit ROUTE 66 and combined it with BEHIND THE WHEEL on the 12" single.

 

In 1988, Depeche Mode took a much-needed break from recording. So what did they do? They toured the US.

 

By 1989, Depeche Mode released the double LP/CD called 101. 101 featured live recordings of their tour in the USA.

 

By 1990 Depeche Mode had transformed its style and sound anew with the release of VIOLATOR

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JOURNEY

 

This band had several band member changes in the course of the band's existence. But the band was most successful with its core Steve Perry, Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain.

 

Journey had been around since the late 70s and scored a big hit with their third album ESCAPE in 1981 with the oft-heard OPEN ARMS which also appeared in the movie The Last American Virgin.

 

In 1983, Journey continued their success with the release of FRONTIERS which produced 2 Top 10 hits FAITHFULLY and a rocking SEPARATE WAYS (WORLDS APART) and a Top 20 hit SEND HER MY LOVE

 

By 1984, Steve Perry took a break from Journey and came up with his own solo album STREET TALK which produced a Top 10 hit OH SHERRIE and 2 Top 20 hits SHE'S MINE and the oh-so-familiar FOOLISH HEART

 

1985 saw the band record and release ONLY THE YOUNG incorporated into a movie soundtrack of Vision Quest (along with Madonna's Crazy For You). The track made it to the Top 10.

 

1986 saw the release Journey's final album RAISED ON RADIO. It had deviated somewhat from its previous style and sound but was equally successful with their previous albums. 2 Top 10 hits came out of the album BE GOOD TO YOURSELF and SUZANNE. Another Top 20 hit I'LL BE ALRIGHT WITHOUT YOU capped the band's chart successes as the core of Perry, Schon and Cain finally fully disintegrated in 1988.

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SPANDAU BALLET was a band comprised of Tony Hadley (vocals), Gary Kemp (lead guitar), Martin Kemp (bass), Steve Norman (sax and keyboards) and John Keeble (drums).

 

The British band had some minor UK hits with their first two albums JOURNEYS TO GLORY (1981) and DIAMOND (1982). The group was known for the UK hits TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT and CHANT #1 (which featured a rapping Gary Kemp)

 

The group was still meandering in cult status by the time TRUE was released. The first two releases of the album didn't help much. COMMUNICATION was a chart hit in the UK and LIFELINE entered the US Hot 100 but landed nowhere near the US Top 40. It was only upon the release of TRUE that blasted Spandau Ballet into international fame. TRUE was a UK #1 hit and a US #4 hit. The song had been sampled by R&B artists PM Dawn (Set Adrift on Memory Bliss 1993) and by Nelly (N Dey Say 2004).

 

Following the rousing smash hit TRUE came GOLD. It was a UK Top 3 hit and a US Top 40 hit. By this time, Spandau Ballet was known to be a glamorous, neat and well-dressed band.

 

In 1984, PARADE was released and ONLY WHEN YOU LEAVE went to the UK Top 5 but managed to peak at #29 in the US charts. Somehow, the US audience were not as keen on the band than the Brits. However, ROUND AND ROUND managed to peak at #16 at the US charts while making the UK Top 10 again. HIGHLY STRUNG and I'LL FLY FOR YOU again made it to the UK charts but not in the US Top 40.

 

By late 1985, THROUGH THE BARRICADES was released with the first single RAW that bombed. The second single was the title track which made the UK Top 10 but had little impact in the US Hot 100.

 

By 1988, Spandau Ballet released its last album HEART LIKE A SKY and didn't replicate its past successes in the US and UK. Their last single BE FREE WITH YOUR LOVE managed to land in the UK Top 20 and it proved to be the band's finale.

 

Tony Hadley attempted to start a solo career but didn't succeed. It seems that he was lost without Spandau Ballet backing him up.

 

Brothers Gary and Martin Kemp dabbled in acting when they appeared as the violent gangsters The Krays in the late 80s. Gary Kemp also appears in the 1992 Whitney Houston-Kevin Costner movie The Bodyguard

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Edited by hitman531ph
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Some of the best soundtracks of the 80s were Footloose, Top Gun, Dirty Dancing, Staying Alive and Pretty in Pink

 

Footloose came up with:

 

Footloose - Kenny Loggins (first and only #1 hit)

Let's Hear It for the Boy - Deniece Williams (#1 hit)

Dancing in the Sheets - Shalamar

Holding Out for a Hero - Bonnie Tyler

Heaven Help the Man (I'm Free) - Kenny Loggins

Almost Paradise (Love Theme from Footloose) - Mike Reno and Nancy Wilson (Top 10 hit)

 

Top Gun came up with

 

Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins (#2 hit)

Playing With the Boys - Kenny Loggins

Top Gun Anthem - Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens

Take My Breath Away - Berlin (#1 hit)

 

Dirty Dancing came up with

 

Time of My Life - Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes (#1 hit)

She's Like the Wind - Patrick Swayze

 

Staying Alive

 

The Woman in You - Bee Gees

Someone Belonging to Someone - Bee Gees

Never Gonna Give You Up - Cynthia Rhodes and Frank Stallone

Far From Over - Frank Stallone

Finding Out the Hard Way - Cynthia Rhodes

 

Pretty in Pink came up with

 

If You Leave - OMD

Shell Shock - New Order

Left of Center - Suzanne Vega with Joe Jackson

Bring on the Dancing Horses - Echo & the Bunnymen

Pretty in Pink - The Psychedelic Furs

Edited by hitman531ph
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Marvin Gaye already had a string of hits in the 60s and early 70s. He was out the charts for some time already until in 1983 when his song SEXUAL HEALING went peaked at #3 of the US charts.

 

Marvin Gaye badly needed a hit and got his hit. Unfortunately, because Marvin and his father did not have good relations, his father eventually shot his own son to death months after his 1983 hit.

 

R&B and Soul lost a great artist

 

Diana Ross released a tribute song in 1985 called MISSING YOU. The Commodores (minus Lionel Richie) included Marvin Gaye in their tribute of soul legends who have passed on in their 1985 hit NIGHTSHIFT

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THE ROLLING STONES

 

One of the longest running acts that came all the way from the 60s.

 

They left the 80s with 4 hits. Undercover of the Night (1983) which drew controversy as the music video was deemed by moralists as violent. Waiting on a Friend (1983) was less successful but was a hit nevertheless.

 

Mick Jagger then went solo for a while. He worked with other artists including the Live Aid hit Dancing in the Streets with David Bowie (1985) and also with The Jacksons where Jagger was feature in a song State of Shock (1984). In 1984, Jagger released a solo album which produced a hit called Just Another Night. A second single was only a minor hit called Lucky in Love.

 

By 1986, The Rolling Stones got back together with a hit called Harlem Shuffle and in 1989 they had another hit called A Rock and a Hard Place

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