Friday, August 24, 2012

Eight Songs of the Eighties


Hey,
So, I like I promised, here are eight of my favorite 1980's music videos. It's hard to limit it to just eight, but I figured "eight" as in "eighties." It's kind of creative if you don't think about it.
Without further ado....

8. Maneater by Hall & Oates- I love Hall and Oates and am eternally jealous that my mom got to see them in concert. Lucky. J Hall and Oates are an essential eighties band. They have a smooth, layered sound, familiar saxophone line, synthesizers, and no editing, save for a cute echoing effect that many bands used. Great song.

7. Tainted Love by Soft Cell- And the award for weirdest music video goes to Soft Cell. I swear, the music video makes little to no sense, but it’s still a great song. If my future relationships ever fail, I’m just going to say we broke up because of tainted love. No one my age will get it, but I’ll feel cool for 15 seconds. Anyways, the song is a cover of Gloria Jonses’ song and I think this a definite case of “the cover is better than the original” that we love to pin on songs. J This song deserves it. Those synthesizers really made this song special. Add in the cover of “Where Did Our Love Go” at the end, and you’ve got a perfect example of the eighties.

6. One Thing Leads to Another by The Fixx- I put this song on one of my favorite music video lists before, but I figured the actual song deserved a few seconds of recognition. The lyrics are simple but at least I think they have a point; I’m not completely sure. J I love the effects, the backing vocals, strong guitar lines, and the infectious melody. Such great songwriting.

5. Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles- I realize that everybody who has any knowledge of the eighties will say “Everybody knows that song. It was the first song on VH1. Gah, Bella, choose something interesting.” Oh, hush. This song is legendary. It’s one of the best one hit wonders to come out the eighties, probably because of the originality, unforgettable intro, and a distinctive sound. When this comes on, most people—I’m excluding stupid people—know what song it is.

4. Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood- A wild card, yes, yes, yes…I know. This song is just so eighties I feel I would be minimizing its importance if I chose not to include it. Between the envelope-pushing music video, sexual lyrics, and dance-pop elements, this song was a big milestone of the eighties. It’s not necessarily the best song and the lyrics are mediocre, but it’s very memorable. J  

3. Shattered Dreams by Johnny Hates Jazz- Oh, my goodness. I remember the first time I heard this song. I had that chorus stuck in my head all weekend. This song is a perfect example of how to create a good song. All the parts beautifully merge together, creating one of my favorite, and often overlooked, singles of the 1980’s.

2. View To a Kill by Duran Duran- yes, this is the song from the James Bond movie. J Any band that uses a 60-piece orchestra automatically gets my respect. The lyrics seem silly unless one remembers that the song is supposed to be the theme for the James Bond movie of the same name. I love the horns and how the lead singer’s voice just soars over all the creative instrumentation. Can I say that this may be the best James Bond theme yet? No? Oh, well. I will anyways. J

1. That’s All by genesis- Phil Collins…enough said. But I’ll say more anyways. I love that electric piano at the beginning, that organ solo in the middle, the way the drumming intensifies, and distorted guitar near the end. Beautiful.

I hope you enjoyed my top 8 songs of the eighties, though I realize I could have included 20 other tracks on there, but it’s a nice start. Who knows? I might add to it later.

Until next week.

Bella

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