My 75 Favorite Songs of the 80's - Part 1: 75-61

Foreward.
I had planned on writing a "favorites" list again and decided to start here. I will release this in parts of 15 over time. I apologize in advance if the embedded videos do not play in the article for you, but some of these videos (most of these videos), despite being from almost all legit channels, are blocked from being viewed outside of YouTube because of the site's Draconian policies. If you follow the link in the error message, it should open the video in a new tab for you.

I hope you enjoy...

75- “If You Leave” - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (1986)

Album: Architecture & Mortality & More

Writers: Martin Cooper (OMD and The Listening Pool), Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey

John Hughes was a voice of the 80’s and his movies touched millions.  So, naturally, a song

From the soundtrack of one of his hit movies would become a hit itself.  If You Leave is OMD’s

Most successful single in the US, due largely to its exposure in Hughes’ 1986 classic Pretty In Pink.  

While the whole of the song is filled with tonally-soft vocal melodies, what makes this song stand out is its striking synth riff that is its most recognizable feature.  It adds a bright sound that makes it fit more along with the pop acts of the early 80’s as opposed to the more dramatic, minor key sounds of its time.

74- “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” - Wham! (1984)

Album: Make It Big

Writer: George Michael

    Speaking of ‘bright and cheery’, next up is Wham!’s chart-topping hit Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.  The song makes my list solely because of George Michael’s vocals.  His high notes mixed with the song’s tone lift this one up more than it would have otherwise been as this sort of bubbly, overly-cheerful pop music is usually a turn-off for me.  Still, I can’t help but smile when I hear this song.

73- “Turn It On Again” - Genesis (1980)

Album: Duke

Writers: Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford

Genesis is one of the all-time essential bands.  They are among the most successful rock acts of all time, and were utterly ubiquitous in the 80’s.  As inescapable as they were and still are today, it’s easy to forget that it took former frontman Peter Gabriel’s departure, and drummer Phil Collins’ move to lead singer to really bring this band to the forefront of modern pop/rock, where they rest as one of the most successful acts in the genre’s history.  

Turn it On Again is one of the singles that defined Genesis’ distinct sound.  While they are widely known for songs such as In Too Deep and Invisible Touch, their B-Sides and unreleased tracks really expressed the range of the band’s musical complexity.  It is here that they really show off their upbeat, lyric-heavy style meshed with unconventional rhythm and time signatures.  It’s now a classic icon of their live shows, so much so that it became the official name the band’s reunion tour in 2007.  It’s one of a number of songs of theirs that were never given an official single release, but still carry on their legacy today, another will show up later in this list…

72- “Whip It” - Devo (1980)

Album: Freedom of Choice

Writers: Gerald Casale, Mark Mothersbaugh

In an effort to shake the negative stigma of late-70’s pop and disco, New Wave artists worked hard to distinguish themselves with a fresh style that removed them from the sound that tried to linger in the wake of the 70’s.  New Wave had been growing for a few years leading up to this point, but it was just starting to make waves in the very late 70’s.  During this time, a lot of bands flooded the scene with a very different sound.  Some were successful, many were not, but the novelty of the time drove the genre, which is why so many of the biggest hits were a little… odd.

Whip It featured all of the iconic elements of popular New Wave in its time while maintaining a certain level of integrity, lacking the over-the-top, attention grabbing evident in many of Devo’s contemporaries.  It featured the aggressive synth, the vocals lacking sustained notes, the short-but-sweet composition… All of the characteristics of New Wave at the time, but feels much more mature and mathematical than most of the hits it shared the charts with.

71- “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” - The Smiths (1986)

Album: The Queen Is Dead

Writers: Johnny Marr, Morrissey

As the 80’s came around and mainstream New Wave dominated the scene, indie rock acts were making the rounds in the background.  The Smiths had a few things going for them early on.  They had crossover appeal, they were unique and they had a moody tone that really lifted their music up beyond being typical pop-rock.  This is where the Alternative subgenre comes into play.  

Alternative has a few definitions in industry terms, but what it typically boils down to is a general pool of artists who have some rock, blues and pop influences that aren’t “poppy” enough for the pop mainstream or “rockin’” enough for the rock charts.  This is reserved for your Collective Souls; your Counting Crows; basically, any group that sort of treads the lines of rock with many of songs, or at the very least, their singles.

The Smiths have this unique ability to draw you into the mind of songwriter and frontman Morrissey.  The deeply personal, tonally-odd lyrics of many of their better songs were a real contrast to the upbeat, saccharin, hot-pink pop of the period.  There Is A Light That Never Goes Out is told from a perspective of a person who feels isolated alone at home.  Implications are that other people there cause this feeling, but he feels freer with the one he’s with.  This feeling is so strong he would be satisfied with dying that night with the driver rather than staying at home.  It’s a powerful statement, and one that has turned this into one of the most beloved songs of its time.  

That said, it did not chart in the US.  It failed the test of NA popularity against other acts of the time, as the tastes in the UK rock scene clashed heavily from what was consumed Stateside.  Over the years, as more and more popular artists cited The Smiths as a strong influence, they garnered more attention and are now rightfully recognized as the titans of creativity they are so well known to be in their home country.

70- “I Ran” - A Flock of Seagulls (1982)

Album: A Flock of Seagulls

Writers: A Flock of Seagulls

Going from underground rock acts to the massive mainstream, we have “I Ran”, a song that hovered just inside the Billboard Hot 100’s Top Ten spot in 1982.  After its run on the charts as a hit MTV tune, it become a contender for one of the most definitive songs of the decade, and for good reason.

Comparing A Flock of Seagulls’ biggest North American hit to other songs of its day, it seems to fit right in.  It had the upbeat pace, the synth, the simple lyrics, the immediate-recognizable intro… all of it.  It was just the right single to land this act in the annals of pop history, and remains their biggest hit.  Aside from the success of the song, A Flock of Seagulls also exemplified the look of the 80’s.  Foregoing the pretty boy look of the 70’s, they become known for their outlandish hairstyles.  This was also increased as MTV made the look of the artist more accessible in the 80’s to anyone with cable.  

Their style of sound were mimicked for the better part of the decade after this hit landed them into stardom, but they would begin to peter out in the U.S. as music tastes began to evolve but continued with a string of successful hits throughout the 80’s internationally.  The band dissolved after the falling out of brothers and founding members Mike and Ali Score.

69- “Hold Me Now” - Thompson Twins (1984)

Writers: Tom Bailey (Thompson Twins), Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway

Album: Into the Gap

I find it hard to define specifically WHY I like Hold Me Now.  It’s repetitive, the chorus is slow, it’s way too long for what it is, yet for some reason the mix of melody and the interesting percussion make this one stand out.  It is Thompson Twins’ biggest-selling single and rests as one of the most well-known 80’s hits.

I don’t really know what more to say about this one.  It’s certainly a simple song that’s easy to sing along with.  This is a good thing for a pop song, which is designed to get stuck in your head and to be memorable.  No one pop song is ever released with the intention of becoming a timeless classic.  It just sort of happens.  Hence, that indefinable quality.  

68- “All I Need Is A Miracle” - Mike + The Mechanics (1985)

Writers: Mike Rutherford, Christopher Neil

Album: Mike + the Mechanics

In the 80’s, Genesis was unstoppable.  They would continue a string of hits through the years, but as the band grew in success, other acts were operating on the side.  This includes solo and collaborative performances from frontman Phil Collins, and guitarist Mike Rutherford starting his own band, Mike + the Mechanics.  

In the US, the band is mostly known for the single All I Need Is a Miracle, an upbeat and memorable pop tune.  It has a fair share of schmaltz slathered on top, but that does not detract from the fact that this is a legitimately-enjoyable tune.  It is certainly the sort of single that could only have become popular in the mid-80’s, but it still manages to capture elements of a greater sound that would become big in its time.

67- “Big Time” - Peter Gabriel (1986)

Album: So

Writers: Peter Gabriel

As Peter Gabriel’s 2nd hit single after his split from Genesis, Big Time helped to introduce his larger-than-life sound after his previous hit Sledgehammer.  It was a common theme of the 80’s to talk about rising up to success and making it “big”.  This was due to the mostly-up economy and the general attitude of flash and decadence of the period.  The song is one of the best of its kind, with a catchy, singable pop chorus and an awesome animated music video in the tradition of Sledgehammer.  

The song’s host album “So” is one of my favorite albums of the decade, and in terms of style, it’s also one of the most diverse.  I can promise you will see more from this album on the list in the future as it truly is one of the 80’s great music masterpieces.  If you have not heard it, I suggest giving it a full listen.

66- “Land of Confusion” - Genesis (1986)

Album: “Invisible Touch”

Writers: Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, Phil Collins

Invisible Touch is an amazing album and Land of Confusion is one of its best singles.  The hard-hitting sound makes it stand out from the album.  The composition definitely has a lot of power to it, and the intensity of Collins’ vocals only helps to accentuate the tone of the lyrics.  This “The World Is Just So Messed Up” theme that so many hit songs of the era shared adds to the emotional tone of the song, and in an era saturated by bad “Save the World” songs, this one is a breath of fresh air.

Aside from the sheer quality of the song, the music video has stuck with people over the years.  The puppeteering is definitely creepy and bizarre.  The imagery is both funny and dark and it contrasts strangely with the tone of the song, but I think that works in its favor.  It gives it staying power.  

65- “Drive” - The Cars (1984)

Album: Heartbeat City

Writer: Ric Ocasek

The Cars are largely known for their driving, upbeat pop rock tunes, but Drive is actually their biggest overall hit.  As part of the excellent album Heartbeat City, it serves as a moody, melancholy break from an otherwise energetic tracklist.  The song is incredibly simple, smooth and it doesn’t build to much intensity, but the warmth of the lyrics are its strength.

Common opinion states the song is about a man who is speaking to a friend (likely a female) who is struggling or suffering from something in their life, and how he is reaching out to let him help.  It’s a plea for change and intervention.  Sung by bassist Ben Orr, the song has a much more serious tone than The Cars’ other singles of the 80’s.

64- “Burning Down the House” - Talking Heads (1983)

Album: Speaking In Tongues

Writers: David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth

One of my favorite artists of all time are Talking Heads.  They have such a great, unique sound and what I like most is how they are willing to experiment and try different musical ideas and styles.  Burning Down the House is the brainchild of drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth, who were “jamming” after a Parliament-Funkadelic concert.  David Byrne then wrote the lyrics by spouting out random lines then picking the ones that “worked together”.

Of all of Talking Heads’ singles, Burning Down The House remains their most successful, peaking just inside the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 back in 1983.  It is easily among their most accessible songs.  There’s nothing too eclectic that would drive away more casual listeners, and the funk-inspired groove made it a popular dance tune.  It also performed well on the rock charts, granting Talking Heads even more underground credibility, which cemented the early 1980’s as the height of the band’s storied career.

63- “About A Girl” - Nirvana (1989)

Album: Bleach

Writer: Kurt Cobain

That’s right!  A Nirvana song on my 80’s music list!  I went there!  About A Girl is an odd little Beatles-inspired tune from the iconic band’s 1989 debut album “Bleach”.  The song was reportedly written by Cobain about his then-girlfriend.  It was a reflection of their complicated relationship.  Cobain kept the inspiration for About A Girl a secret that would not come to light until after his death.

About A Girl is a very simple song, using a verse-chorus structure that is very common in the grunge scene, with bands often simplifying their music; a staple of grunge’s rival genre: punk.  If you listen to most rock of the late-80’s, then listen to About A Girl, it is easy to see why Nirvana had so much promise in terms of guiding rock music into a new era.

62- “Don’t You Want Me” - The Human League (1981)

Album: Dare
Writers: Jo Callis, Philip Oakey, Philip Adrian Wright

Through the history of popular music, there are many examples of hit songs hated by their artists.  Don’t You Want Me is the most successful single from synth-pop act The Human League, who had three previously-popular singles leading up to this point.  The story of Don’t You Want Me involved frontman Philip Oakey and producer Martin Rushent butting heads over the song, which Oakey despised.  He felt it was too poppy and too far-removed from their known sound at the time, demanding it be relegated to a B-side and shoved at the end of the album.  Little did he know then that not only would it be successful, but it would become one of the biggest pop songs of the decade.

The song tells the story of a relationship as told from both the point-of-view of the male and the female.  The dynamic of the song is enhanced by this dual perspective and the two vocal styles work well together.  I think, even over this interesting songwriting idea being done well here, this is just a catchy, accessible song.  It’s stuck with me for years as a song that is distinctly 80’s, while also sounding a little ahead of its time for 1981.

61- “Love Bites” - Def Leppard (1988)

Album: Hysteria

Writers: Joe Elliott, Phil Collen, Steve Clark, Rick Savage, Robert John Lange

Def Leppard, one of the definitive rock acts of the 80’s, had only one number one single in the Billboard Hot 100.  That single was Love Bites.  “Hysteria” was a different direction from Def Leppard’s Pyromania, which had a harder edge to it.  Instead of grit, Def Leppard added emotional depth with their song writing and while they still have some of that desireable rock styling in the album (audible in tracks like Woman and Don’t Shoot Shotgun), “Hysteria” certainly feels like the band’s “grown up” album.

Love Bites definitely sounds like it comes from the perspective of a person who struggles with holding things together with his lover.  He feels the drive to maintain a physical relationship with a woman who is obviously cheating, but struggles with his own desire.  It’s a common trope in this sort of “cheating girl” ballads.  The song’s slower tempo allows it to build to a massive, harmonious chorus, with the background vocals picking up the intensity.  I feel Love Bites shows off the band’s vocal talents more than just about any of their other tracks.

My 20 Favorite Movies for Halloween

20 - The Sixth Sense -
M. Night Shyamalan’s third film is easily his magnum opus, a film so simple yet so powerful that it has regularly been held up among the greatest films of all time.  Everyone tried to argue that they figured the ending out, and they all were liars.  I had a few guesses but the surprise ending here was so out of nowhere that the hints to the ending made throughout the film did not even seem like hints until the end.  The film also launched the short but lucrative A-list run for its star Haley Joel Osmont, who remained consistently good though many of his later vehicles sort of felt weak as a whole.  

19 - Seven
This is the film that really got me into the modern thriller.  I never cared for horror movies or thrillers when I was younger, I was more of an action and comedy person, but Seven taught me that the horror film can be a cerebral good time and helped me to break down the wall of pretension that I had put up for myself.  I still love Seven to this day, as I do pretty much all of David Fincher’s films.  This is one of the strongest crime thrillers of all time and I feel it is at least almost as good as Vertigo and the Third Man based on the mystery and inventiveness of the story.  The ending is a real kicker too, it feels like it all built to this one big climax.  I also like how the entire film is dark and grungy until the end where the field is bright and open.  It is a nice little piece of symbolism, as though we’re forced to see the world through John Doe’s eyes.

18 - Misery
This is one freaking disturbing movie.  To me, Misery, like Seven, is much scarier than A Nightmare on Elm street because it seems real, like it can happen.  I still love Nightmare more, just because it is such a great story told in such a clever way, but Misery just hits me in an interesting way.  It’s almost hard to explain.  However, when Annie breaks Paul’s ankles with that hammer, you know he’s trapped.  You feel his pain.  It is so chill-inducing and so perfectly done that it feels too real at times.  

17 - Zombieland
This is a fun movie that uses gore well, but is more of a comedy than a horror film.  Zombieland is a great pick for people trying to get into zombie flicks because, while it is not the best, it is one of the most accessible.  The gore effects here are superb and the performances by all involved are damn good.  If you want a little laugh to go with your gore, this is a great choice.

16 - The Silence of the Lambs
This Oscar-winning thriller gave us one of the greatest movie villains of all time, Hannibal Lecter.  The character is not the principal villain of the story, that would be the killer Buffalo Bill, but he is so terrifying, so evil and so intelligent that he just instills you with a unique style of fear.  His creepy persona is just so perfectly performed by Anthony Hopkins that it stays with you long after the movie is over.  Heightening this fear is Jodie Foster’s character Clarice Starling, whose own terror is visible and only amplifies the effect of Hopkins’ performance.

15 - Rosemary’s Baby
Roman Polanski’s thriller about a woman who is pregnant with the spawn of Satan is probably one of the most captivating horror classics of all time.  The film is filled with these birth pains (so-to-speak) that just build and relax, coming closer and closer until the very end. The climax is one of the creepiest scenes ever put to film in my opinion.  With all of the tennants standing around a room at the end of which is a carriage holding a terrifyingly-deformed baby.  This movie is one hell of a creep fest from start to finish.

14 - Ringu
The Japanese original Ringu towers above the over-produced mess that was the American remake in just about every way.  It is scarier, it is smarter, it is better-acted and better-directed.  Ringu is moody, the special effects are great and the story is a lot better than it really has to be for this type of movie.  Good on you Japan for teaching us how to make a good horror movie, yet will still manage to screw it up here in the U.S. almost ever time.

13 - 28 Days Later
From one end of the world to another, we go from Japan to the UK for 28 Days Later, one of the best “zombie” movies pretty much ever made.  28 Days later is a stunning thriller from Danny Boyle, the Oscar-winning director of Slumdog Millionaire.  The story follows a man named Jim, played by the very-adept Cillian Murphy, who wakes up after a coma to find his home city completely abandoned. That is, until he falls under attack by hordes of “zombies” piled on top of eachother in a church.  But these aren’t the lumbering, slow “zombies” we’re used to.  No!  This things are sprinters and they are ready to eat your face!   In 28 Days later, mankind becomes infected with what is known as the Rage Virus, which throws its victims into a state of uncontrollable violence.  Along the way our hero meets up with a group of survivors fighting a resistance against the lost souls.  This is a really good one people.

12 - Wait Until Dark
Wait Until Dark is one of those movies that requires you to really put yourself in the character’s shoes.  A group of thugs, led by a terrifying Alan Arkin, follow a missing stash of drugs to the apartment of an innocent blind woman named Susy, played by the almost-always unmatched Audrey Hepburn.  There are scenes where she is moving about her house, completely unaware of her silent intruders, but as the movie continues, and she realizes she is not alone and the terror in her performance is unforgettable.  

11 - Shaun of the Dead -
This is the ultimate zombie/comedy.  I love this movie because it follows the zombie tropes that work, casts aside many that don’t, and features characters we can see ourselves hanging out with.  I also like how it implements some real human situations, like when Shaun’s mother is bitten.  It feels like Edgar Wright wanted to really tell a story with a humorous angle, rather than going for a straight spoof.  This, to me, makes for better comedy.  

10 - Army of Darkness
Army of Darkness is great fun.  One of my favorite films of the 90’s, Army of Darkness concludes the Evil Dead trilogy with Ash transported back to medieval times to unwittingly get dragged into a prophecy and a fight against an evil army of the damned.  This movie is a blast, mixing gore, slick practical effects and some very well-done slapstick to make for one hell of a good time.  I also adore the stop motion animation used for many of the scenes because this movie was released on the cusp of the rise of CGI, just before that crappy medium came in and made just about every movie ugly.  Yeah!  I said it!

09 - Night of the Living Dead -
The zombie classic that started it all, George A. Romero’s independently-filmed horror masterpiece is one of the most influential films ever made.  It sparked the indie-horror movement and it gave life to the zombie genre.  It is still, to this day, the standard by which all zombie films are judged and it remains one of the all-time greats.  It also stands out for its use of a black protagonist, something that was quite rare at the time.  

08 - An American Werewolf in London
Between this and The Howling (released a few months before) it can be difficult for some to really settle on which film from 1981 gave new life to the werewolf movie, but for me, with all of The Howling’s credibility, I just cannot bring myself to enjoy it as much as John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London.  The movie is funny, the effects by Star Wars legend Rick Baker are some of the best I have ever seen in a werewolf flick, the story is much more relatable, and the lead just comes off as more sympathetic.  Also, there is that completely epic transformation scene.  Yeah.. You know the one I’m talking about!  They tried to make it “awesome” in 1997 with An American Werewolf in Paris but they laced it with crappy CGI and just made the whole thing look dumb.

07 - The Shining
Prepare to hate me film snobs, but this is the only Stanley Kubrick movie I like.  Yep, it’s true.  I am so sorry.  He just does not appeal to my tastes.  That said, this amazingly creepy and well-made chiller about a caretaker and his family trapped in a haunted hotel alone during a winter storm remains one of my favorite films of all time.  As the father falls deeper and deeper into madness we are forced to wonder if he is possessed by the spirit of a man who slayed his family years earlier, or if he was already predisposed to violence induced by alcohol.  Is he evil, or stir crazy?  The haunting moments in the film are dreamlike and terrifying as we are never really sure what is real as we near the end of the movie.  The strangeness that abounds in the Overlook Hotel stays with you thanks to the great use of atmosphere and a legendary performance by the great Jack Nicholson.

06 - Audition -
This story of a lonely man who holds a fake audition for a new better half that becomes enamoured with the WRONG woman is so freaking disturbing that I’ve only seen it once, more than a decade ago, and it stuck with me and impacted me as though I’ve seen it a hundred times.  I love the look of this film.  It’s so sterile, so fluorescent, until we begin spending time with Asami, whose apartment is warm and welcoming.  It is a masterful use of visual symbolism by the epically-talented Takashi Miike.  What has made Audition an enduring and notable thriller through the years is the notorious torture scene.  The last few minutes of the film is focused on this beautiful girls complete phsyical undoing of our protagonist.  It is terrifying, graphic and disturbing as hell.  This movie is not for everybody, but if you can stomache it, it is one of the best of the best.

05 - Evil Dead 2
Sam Raimi’s crowning achievement is this creepy, claustrophobic sequel to/reimagining of the first film, where everybody really just goes all out with the craziness.  Lots of blood, lots of memorable moments and some great humor.  Bruce Campbell is as badass as ever and every little setpiece flows together seamlessly.  For what essentially ammounts to a bunch of action and scare scenes strewn together, Evil Dead 2 is pretty freaking awesome and one of the best horror films of all time.  

04 - A Nightmare on Elm Street
I love the original Nightmare, and they can tack on all the CGI they want with the remake, but it is not going to make a better movie.  The original remains the best by far, with Robert Englund’s famous Freddy and some stunningly-good special effects.  The atmosphere is slick and the story works. Nightmare is a great film that gave us one of the most legendary screen characters of all time.

03 - Halloween
Let us go from a movie that shoots gallons of blood out of a bed, to a movie that has almost no blood to speak of.  Halloween is the chilling thriller about an escaped mental patient named Michael Meyers on the loose, who terrorizes a young babysitter named Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis).  A doctor, knowing what the killer Meyers is capable of, works with the police to stop him before his body count rises.  John Carpenter gave us a horror classic with this movie.  A film that would spark the “slasher” genre and would bring horror to the forefront as a legitimately and almost-universally-recognized artform.

02 - Jaws
Considered by some to be the greatest thriller ever made, Steven Spielberg's Jaws is a classic.  The theme of man versus nature is universal and easy to understand.  We know that beasts can kill us, and we know that we are not at the top of the food chain.  Jaws follows the sheriff of a small New England town named Brody, who is faced with the threat of a killer shark lurking in the water.  The town council refuses to close the beach due to the impending travel season and the result is the death of a small child.  This prompts Brody to summon the help of a shark expert named Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and a fisherman named Quint (played by film veteran Robert Shaw in the twilight of his career) to find and kill the deadly crature once and for all.  Jaws is a classic.  It is one of the most beloved films of all time and ranks as one of the best monster movies ever made.

 

01 - Psycho
Now for my favorite.  Alfred Hitchcock is a legend and Psycho is one of my favorite films of his, and certainly my favorite of his that could qualify for this list.  Psycho is a film about a woman who escapes with a large amount of money in tow and hides out in the secluded Bates motel.  It is there where she meets the mild-mannered Norman Bates, a man who claims to live there with his mother, but after the young woman is murdered, her sister, on her trail arrives and begins to unravel the madness of the mind of Norman Bates.  Anthony Perkins’ performance as Bates here is astonishingly good.  He is creepy and twisted in a way that no other character before him has ever been.  The film shocked audiences and for years was called the scariest movie ever made, and it would hold that title until the release of Dario Argento’s Suspiria in the late 70’s.

So that is my list.  It’s not exactly conventional, I know, but I go for entertainment over just about anything else, and these movies entertained the hell out of me.  I still watch most of them every  year around Halloween.  What are your favorite films for Halloween?  Feel free to share them in the comments below.