When I was working on the 1970's playlists I found that the transition from the 60's into the 70's was a bit slow. If you look at the 1971 mix for instance there are a lot of influences you can feel there from the 60's. 1981 to me feels completely different. Of course there are a few holdovers in this list, but all in all it feels like something brand new and that's kind of what was happening with music in 1981.
20. Working for the Weekend by Loverboy
I had this album and it was a good album. I can listen to it today and I feel like it has held up OK.
19. Private Eyes by Daryl Hall & John Oates
I loved this song in 1981.
18. Who's Crying Now by Journey
I had this album as well, loved this song back in 1981. I don't listen to Journey these days, but it was fun hearing this song again.
17. Tom Sawyer by Rush
I was never a big Rush fan, but had a lot of friends who were and this is a great song.
16. Tempted by Squeeze
This song always makes me think of being in college and thinking I'm cooler than I ever was.
15. Pretty in Pink by The Psychedelic Furs
I was a big Psychedelic Furs fan and this was their best song.
14. Yours Truly, 2095 by ELO
Probably would have been my album of the year back in 1981.
13. My Kinda Lover by Billy Squier
Oh wait this would have been my album of the year back in 1981!
12. Harden My Heart by Quarterflash
Listening this song that I had almost completely forgotten about, I was reminded of just how much I liked it.
11. Her Town Too by James Taylor
My favorite James Taylor song.
10. Same Old Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg
I'm not sure why but I absolutely love this song and always have.
9. Our Lips Are Sealed by The Go-Go's
Love this video and love this song.
8. Waiting on a Friend by The Rolling Stones
This may be my favorite Stones song.
7. Spellbound by Siouxsie and the Banshees
OK now we are getting into the Siouxsie sound that I really love.
6. Kids In America by Kim Wilde
Had this 45. This was one of my daughter's favorites when she was 7 or 8.
5. Trouble by Lindsey Buckingham
Had this 45 and still have it. Never got tired of this song.
4. Burnin' For You by Blue Oyster Cult
Great song and even better video.
3. In the Dark by Billy Squier
This was such a good album. A shame that MTV destroyed his career.
2. On the Loose by Saga
Oh wait this had to be my album of the year!!
1. 867-5309 by Tommy Tutone
This is such a great song. If someone flew here from outer space and said what is this rock and roll you speak of, I think this song could be a great representative of the art form.
I love almost all of these songs.
ReplyDeleteFor one spring 1982 afternoon somewhere in far western McCracken County, I was legitimately the lead singer of an actual four-piece rock band (though the bass player failed to show for the one rehearsal I attended). The one song we practiced was "My Kinda Lover," and I couldn't believe how bad I sounded and how good the drummer and lead guitarist were. But they encouraged me to just keep singing, and I did--all the way to the end--and I'm still proud of myself for seeing it through. Then we went out and rode three-wheelers in dry creek beds. The whole episode was strange.
But my parents had only one vehicle, which they used for work, and it was a pretty good trip out to this guy's house. And I really wasn't any good at all, anyway, so that was the end of my career as the lead singer in a rock band. But the band, Teeze, did keep going and played at the end-of-eighth-grade Heath Middle School talent show. They performed Greg Kihn's "The Breakup Song" as an instrumental (their lead singer bailed), and the whole gym went nuts. So they played it again, and we all went nuts again. I was very happy for all three of them, though, of course, I also had a tinge of "what-could-have-been?" regret.
The drummer remains a working musician. We're Facebook friends, and I saw this weekend that he recently got to meet the members of Kansas. He had a music store in Paducah for several years. One time not long after we moved back to Kentucky, I stopped in with my daughter. I hadn't seen him since maybe a year or two after high school. He looked pretty much exactly the same to me as he had in 1987 or 1988, but he didn't recognize me at all--until I approached him at the counter and asked, "Weren't you the drummer for the band Teeze?"
Me, too, on "Waiting on a Friend."
ReplyDeleteHearing "On the Loose" on your Walkman had to be my favorite experience of music up to that point in my life.
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