And now we're in the 30's section of the countdown. And, to begin at, #39 is....Footloose, by none-other than American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins. Kenny Loggins was born on January 7th, 1948 (62 years old now) in Everett, Washington, USA. He started out as an adult contemporary/soft-rock artist in a duo with Jim Messina, which was masterfully named Loggins and Messina. Once the 80's rolled around, Loggins went solo and began doing tracks for movie soundtracks, which is really where he experienced the bulk of his musical success. These included such 80's classics as Top Gun, Caddyshack, Over the Top, and obviously Footloose. There may be some other artists from the 80's who can claim they produced big hits for that many big 80's movies, but I can't think of any on the spot, so we will just suggest that it is impressive, although there are a few people who read this vlog that will no doubt be unhappy that I included it on the countdown and for you folks I must say that I did knock it down a few notches to #39 with you in mind. But, regardless of what a few people think, most people out there would agree that Footloose was one of the biggest dance-hit singles from the 1980's decade, and there is no doubt that the movie is also one of the most well-known of that decade. As I said just above, and for those of you who are totally clueless about 80's media, Footloose obviously was the star track off of the Footloose movie soundtrack, which came out in January of 1984. Footloose spent 3 weeks at #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and it was one of 3 #1's off of the soundtrack, and the album itself reached #1 on the USA Billboard 200.
Now, for those of you who haven't already heard the disturbing news, a director named Craig Brewer is actually remaking the Footloose movie as I write this, which I think is a bad idea, but when it comes to movies they just want to make money. Not to mention the fact that they have been remaking every 80's movie as of late, which is just one those things that Hollywood does with movies, and it usually butchers the original, although occasionally they can end up better. Just looking at the cast reveals that it probably is not going to be very good, but who knows, I encourage you youngins' to check out the original. , And on to the next....
Its time for #40 of the countdown! And the song is...Rock This Town, by 80's American rockabilly band the Stray Cats. Stray Cats originated out of the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York and were active on the rock-music scene by 1980. They consisted of members Brian Setzer (vocalist and guitarist), Lee Rocker (bass guitar), Slim Jim Phantom (on drums), and Gary Barnacle (on saxophone). They are one of those 80's bands that has had active and inactive periods, with members (such as Brian Setzer) doing work with other bands as well as solo-projects, but Stray Cats have been active as a group as recently as 2009. Stray Cats were a unique band for the time, as there weren't a whole lot of other rockabilly bands that I am aware of from the 80's era that were at all successful or in the mainstream much like the Stray Cats were. Rock this Town would be a major hit coming off of their 1981 release album, self-titled Stray Cats, it was their first studio album. The Stray Cats album was never actually released in the United States however, and hit singles Rock This Town, Stray Cat Strut, and Runaway Boys would later be released onto their Build for Speed album in the USA. The Stray Cats album was released in the UK in 1981 where it was very successful, and Rock This Town peaked at #9 on the UK Singles chart. Once released on their second US album, Rock This Town would also reach #9 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and it was their first of three eventual top 10 US singles. Rock This Town was listed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 most important songs in the history of rock and roll and it appeared in the video game Guitar Hero II. I really like this song, and the Stray Cats as they were one of those 80's bands that really added some variety to the over-all 80's music scene making it one of those great musical decades. And now, on to the 30's portion of the countdown!
Ahoy there 80's fans! I have decided to start adding on mashups to the vlog, mainly to enrich the content. I figure that if there is a mashup out there that involves and 80's song or artist then it deserves mention on this vlog/blog. Whilst we are here to honor the 80's media, we still want to be up to date on things aye! Let the mashups begin!
Bonjour!! Here we are again, and #41 of the countdown is...Never Let Me Down Again, by some true English synth-electronica gods..Depeche Mode. Depeche Mode (meaning 'hurried fashion' or 'fashion dispatch' in French) started out in 1980 in Basildon, Essex, UK, and presently consists of members David Gahan (lead vocals), Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, vocals, and chief songwriter after 1981), and Andrew Fletcher (keyboards). Depeche Mode originally began when Vince Clarke and Andrew Fletcher started a band by the name of No Romance In China, and a few others, then in 1980 the original band members that formed Depeche Mode would end up being Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andrew Fletcher, and Vince Clarke. Vince Clarke left the band in 1981 following the release of their debut Speak & Spell album, and he was replaced by Alan Wilder who stayed with the band up until 1995 when he also left leaving the remaining trio what it is today. Depeche Mode are considered one of the most successful (if not the most) electronic band in music history as they have generated #1 albums in the UK, US, and Europe as well as charting 48 of their tracks on the UK Singles Chart. According to EMI they have sold over 100 million albums and singles worldwide, and apparently Q Magazine named them "the most popular electronic band the world has ever known." Now I originally was going to place their single "Enjoy the Silence" at #41, but then I realized that it was actually released in March of 1990 (recorded in 1989) making it just out of reach of being an 80's release, so maybe when I make a 90's countdown in the future and on a different blog I could include Enjoy the Silence, and just because its not 80's doesn't mean its not a great track!! Now, as for Never Let Me Down Again, it was first released on Depeche Mode's 6th studio album in 1987 titled Music for the Masses. It would peak at #22 in the UK, #2 in West Germany, and become a top 10 hit in various other European countries. Now, when listening to the lyrics one will find that the song is clearly about drug-use and the endless search for that fleeting high, only to be inevitably 'let down again.' Well, there it is peeps, #41, and this countdown seems to be a fluid entity, but as they say.. thems the breaks. Now the video is a live version, because once again youtube doesn't have an embeddable recorded version of the song so this is what we have to put up with.
So I have been on holiday for the last week or so, but I do have #42 of the Countdown here, and the song is That's Good by 80's synth-pop legends Devo. Devo is just one of those iconic 80's bands that really couldn't fit into any other era and rightfully so as they have an almost cultish following. Devo originated out of Akron, Ohio back in 1973 and consists of members Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob Mothersbaugh
Gerald Casale, Bob Casale, and Josh Freese. They were one of those bands that lead the 80's synth-pop-music-video era of MTV into a genre of its own, although I still find it hard to comprehend what has now happened to MTV (or VH1 for that matter), and how it truly does seem to have lost its way, I guess that is what happens when the big boy corporations come in and buy you out, you lose all of your authenticity and uniqueness and become another generic cable tv station....Although I do know that some people probably liked the change, change is a fact of life...Now back to Devo! That's Good appeared on the 1982 release album titled Oh, No! It's Devo. I would like to add that this is my personal Devo favorite of all time, and it makes for a great 80's dance hit that most DJ's don't seem that familiar with, so I hope to change that. Oh, No! It's Devo was their 5th studio release album and contains another of their songs I would highly recommend checking out titled Big Mess. Devo are still best known for their #14 Billboard Chart and music video hit Whip It, and if you don't know that song then I really can't help you, the outfits should be a dead give-away...seriously. One last bit of info on the Oh, No! It's Devo album is that it reached #42 on the US Pop Albums Chart that year. Now, the video below isn't of the highest quality in audio or video, however it comes from a 1982 Devo live performance of this song on Letterman, which is quite entertaining, so enjoy!
Ok, so #43 of our Countdown is....Hypnotize Me by British 80's new-wave group Wang Chung. According to wikipedia the name of the band came from the Chinese word Huang Chung which literally means "yellow bell" in Chinese but the band surmised their translation of it as meaning the sound that a guitar made. In fact it wasn't until 1983 that they changed their name from Huang Chung to Wang Chung because apparently english speaking people kept referring to them as Hung Chung.They originally formed in 1979 and consisted of core members Jack Hues (vocals/guitar) (real name is Jeremy Ryder), and bassist Nick Feldman, and like so many other 80's acts they split up in the 90's only to reconvene in the 00's and are still playing concerts to this day. Wang Chung had their greatest musical successes in the US markets, producing 5 top 40 hits there between the years of 1984-87. Hypnotize Me first appeared on the their 1986 Mosaic album, where it peaked at #36 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and at #13 on the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. I first encountered this track watching the 1987 movie Innerspace as it was on the soundtrack and featured in a dance club scene in the movie itself. Wang Chung were famous mainly for Dance Hall Days and Everybody Have Fun Tonight, but I personally think that Hypnotize Me was their best song, and that there a few others of theirs that were also better than the two most popular ones. Anyways, moving on to #42....
Here is #44! And the song is...Major Tom (Coming Home), by 80's German synth-pop artist Peter Schilling. Peter Schilling was born on January 28, 1956 in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and he began his music career back in the 1970's. His songs were known for featuring sci-fi sorts of themes, such as astronauts, aliens, holocausts, and other dark sorts of post-apocalyptic imagery. Major Tom (Coming Home) is considered to be his one international hit song and was featured on his 1983 album titled Error in the System. According to wikipedia, it was intended as a re-telling of the 1969 David Bowie song Space Oddity. There is a whole heap more of information out there on Schilling, other than he had a few other single releases worth mentioning and checking out including The Different Story (1986) and Terra Titanic (1984). I included this track on the Countdown I spent many a night dancing to it at a local 80's night and the DJ used to always play this song, and obviously the chorus is the sweetest part. It is a bit hard to locate the English version of the song as Itunes and Amazon seem to only carry the German language version, which is annoying, but as they say 'seek and ye shall find.' Enjoy, and we are already on to rest of the countdown!
Ahoy 80's fans! We are at #45 of the Countdown! And the song is...If You Leave, by 80's English synth-pop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD). Also commonly abbreviated and known as OMD, this group originated out of the Wirral Peninsula in Merseyside, England back in 1978, which presently consists of members Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Malcolm Holmes, and Martin Cooper. McCluskey and Humphreys were the founding members of the band and are considered the 'core members' to this very day. If You Leave was a single recorded specifically for the John Hughes classic 80's film soundtrack to his film Pretty in Pink, and it was used mainly for the final scene of the movie. It would be OMD's biggest hit in the USA, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that year, at the same time it would only reach #46 on the UK Singles Chart. I don't really have a whole heap more of information on OMD, although I do remember that they did some more soundtrack work for some other 80's John Hughes movies including the iconic Weird Science, and I haven't yet quite decided if I will feature more of their hits on this countdown, maybe, but maybe not, we shall see....
At #46 we have....Addicted to Love by English Grammy Award winning singer/song-writer Robert Palmer. Robert Palmer was born on January 19th, 1949 in Batley, Yorkshire, England. Palmer was well-known for his solo-work and music videos (such as for this song) and another for the song titled Simply Irresistable. both of which feature identically dressed models with pale faces, dark eye, makeup and bright red lipstick, which was meant as a sort of tribute to the women in the art of artist Patrick Nagel, who was quite big in the 1980's as well. He was also well-known, at that time, for being the lead singer of 80's super-group Power Station which generated 2 Top 10 US Singles in 1985. Addicted to Love was released in 1986 on Palmer's Riptide album and it peaked at #1 on the "U.S. Billboard Hot 100" chart and on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. According to wikipedia, this song was originally intended to be a duet between Palmer and Chaka Khan, but Chaka Khan's record label wouldn't give her permission to work on Palmer's record label, and thus it became a solo-song, but still good all the same. The images this song brings back is that scene from the classic 1988 movie Cocktail where Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown are blasting this song in the crowded bar whilst flare bar-tending, was totally rad!
#47 of the Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown is....Open Your Heart by none other than the undisputed Queen of Pop,Madonna. Now, this is the second single by Madonna to yet appear on this countdown, and be forewarned, there may be more to come. Madonna was born on August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan, and it was back in 1977 when she moved to the Big Apple to pursue a career in modern dance, which inevitably led her to the music business and the amazingly prolific success she has had there over the past 31 years or so. Some say that since Britney Spears fell off the wagon that Lady Gaga is looking to usurp the throne, which I wouldn't say is impossible, however to even contend Gaga would have to put out a minimum of 5 more top 10 albums, and that is just to come close to matching the Queen of Pop's prowess. Here is a directly quoted paragraph from wikipedia:
"Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the world's top-selling female recording artist of all time by the Guinness World Records. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and the second top-selling female artist in the United States, behind Barbra Streisand, with 64 million certified albums. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Madonna at number two, behind only The Beatles, on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, making her the most successful solo artist in the history of the chart. She was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the same year. Considered to be one of the most influential figures in contemporary music, Madonna is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image, and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry. She is recognized as an inspiration among numerous music artists." (from Madonna's wikipedia page)
Open Your Heart was the 4th single release from her 1986 album release (which was her 3rd studio album) titled True Blue. It was Madonna's 5th #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit! One other interesting fact before we move onwards is that Open Your Heart was originally written as a rock 'n roll song titled Follow Your Heart and the song-writers (Gardner Cole and Peter Rafelson) had intended it for Cyndi Lauper despite the fact that it was never introduced to her in the end. Well, onwards to #46!
Hello again, straight to it, #48 is....Fight For Your Right by American hip-hop group Beastie Boys. It would be surprising if you didn't know who the Beastie Boys are, they have practically become a household name over the years, and have produced prolific and solid repertoire. They came out of Brooklyn, New York in 1979 and comprised of members Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz. You might not know this (I didn't before doing a little research for this) but they started out as a hardcore punk group, and didn't make the full transition to hip-hop until 1984. They are said to be one of the longest living hip-hop acts in the world and continue to enjoy success 20 years onwards. According to wikipedia they have been nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Fight For Your Right was the first single release from their major breakthrough album Licensed to Ill which was released in 1986. It peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was also named as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Well, there is #48, on to 47!
Here it is, the first of the final 49...and so here at #49 of the Countdown is Always On My Mind by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It all started for Neil Tennant (lead vocals/keyboards/guitar) and Chris Lowe (keyboards) in 1981 in London, England. The Pet Shop Boys are still active to this day and they have sold somewhere around 100 million records worldwide, and are listed as The Most Successful Duo in UK Music History by the Guinness Book of World Records. They are also 3 time BRIT Award winners and 6 time Grammy Nominees, and since 1986 they have produced 42 Top 30 Singles and 22 Top 10 Hits on the UK Singles Chart. Always On My Mind appeared on their 1987 release album titled Introspective which was their 4th studio album. It was their 2nd best selling album and sold around 4.5 million copies globally. Always On My Mind was actually a synth-pop cover version of an American country song originally performed by Brenda Lee. This cover version was performed by the Pet Shop Boys on a Television special commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the death of former King of Pop Elvis Presley. This covered version was so well received that they decided to record it and release it as a single which would end up becoming the UK's #1 Christmas Single that year, beating out Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and topping the charts for 4 weeks. A good song it is, and a good dance song at that, so I am happy to have it set at #49, it gets even better folks, so stay tuned!
Well well well, we are there already, half way folks, half-bloody-way! At #50 of the Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown we have....Your Love by British power-pop-rock band The Outfield. The Outfield originated out of London, England back in 1984, and they currently consist of members Tony Lewis, John Spinks, and Alan Jackman. The Outfield are one of the English rock bands from the 80's that never really gained much acclaim in their home country, but did achieve some moderate success in the US music market. Your Love was released on their first studio album titled Play Deep in 1985, and the song peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #7 on the US Mainstream Rock Chart. In fact, Your Love would later prove to become the band's signature song (or one-hit-wonder), and according to Wikipedia this song been covered or remixed over 1,000 times by other artists over the years. As for their 1985 album Play Deep, it would reach #9 on the US Album Chart that year. Well that is it for trivia, and now we are over the hill, we have finally reached the final 49 songs of the Countdown, or should I add a track "0" or "0.5???"
Oi! We will get back down to the Top 100 Countdown shortly, but first I have had a few people as me about what music they might play at their upcoming Halloween Parties, and I have also been working on a lengthy play-list of mine own which consists of music from many decades and genres (not just 80's). But seeing that this is 'Your 80's Music Authority' I had felt it my duty to enlist a "Top 15 80's Halloween Songs To Play at Your Party" in list format. And so, Without any further ado.....
1.) "Thriller" by Michael Jackson (1983) (note: This one is a must! Its a true 80's Halloween staple-song, and if your Halloween party doesn't play it, then it ain't a Halloween party at all!)
2.) "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell (1984)
3.) "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo (1985)
4.) "Peek-A-Boo" by Siouxsie & the Banshees (1988)
5.) "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr. (1984)
6.) "Dead Souls" by Joy Division (1980)
7.) "Weird Science" by Oingo Boingo (1985)
8.) "Lost in the Shadows" by Lou Gramm (1987)
9.) "Bad Ghostbusters" by Michael Jackson & Ray Parker Jr. (1987) (note: it seems arduous to locate a high quality version of this song?)
10.) "Sweet Dreams (Dance Remix or Original Mix)" by Eurythmics (1983)
11.) "I Got You" by Split Endz (1980)
12.) "Sex Dwarf" by Soft Cell (1981)
13.) "Living on a Video" by Trans X (1981)
14.) "Shout at the Devil" by Motley Crue (1983)
15.) "People are Strange" by Echo & The Bunnymen (1987)
Well that's a start anyways, I could keep going and going but I think I have given you all a good starter-list to warm up your Halloween Parties. Cheers everyone, I Hope this helps ring in All-Hallows Even 2010, and perhaps even some future ones too.
***I just want to note here that I will be posting a Top 20 (or so) 80's Christmas Songs in December, so stay tuned for that as well***
Here's #51 of the Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown, and the song is....Looks That Kill by American hard-rock band legends Mötley Crüe. Mötley Crüe is a well known hard rock band, obviously, they arose out of Los Angeles California back in 1981 and are still actively touring and doing shows to this day (in fact the ticket prices were over AUD$450.00 each at their concert in Sydney a few years back if I remember correctly). The band was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were soon joined by lead guiarist Mick Mars and of course lead singer Vince Neil. To date, Mötley Crüe have sold over 80 million albums worldwide and over 25 million in the USA. These four have also done their best to live up to the "rockstar persona" having histories full of drug-abuse, alcoholism, jail-time, celebrity, image alterations, and celebrity relationship/sex scandals, as well as their fair share of tats. They have definitely lived up to their name over the years. Looks That Kill first appeared on their second studio-album release (back in 1983), and was later released as a single in 1984 where it spent 10 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, peaking at #54. The main guitar riff in this song is considered to be Mick Mars best work, and it has been ranked as #41 on Guitar World's Best Riffs/Solos. Books could be and have been written about this band, but for now we are finished with trivia, so stay tuned find out what #50 will be, and then we can get started on the final 49 80's dance hits, bloody half-way 'innit!
Welcome back once again, here we are at #52, lets have a moment of silence...ok and the song is....Weird Science by American new-wave band Oingo Boingo. Oingo Boingo formed orignally back in 1972 (under the title The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo) and were located in Los Angeles, California, and they were active as a band up until 1995. Weird Science appeared as track 9 on their fourth studio release album (released in August of 1985), and it also was featured as the theme song to infamous John Hughes 80's teen-comedy and all-time 80's classic film of the same name. It was also became the theme-song for the mid-1990's Weird Sciencetelevision series. I must add that Weird Science is one of my favorite movies of all time and it is definitely on my top 5 80's movies of all time, but that will be a topic for a later post, and mark my words but I figure its only a short matter of time before they try to remake this 80's classic too, I just hope they don't butcher it too bad...
Well now, its been a bit too long this time hasn't it? I have been away at weddings and DJ gigs and what not, but I am back here today to present #53 of the countdown! And the song is....The KKK Took My Baby Away by the legendary American punk-rock band The Ramones. The Ramones are one of those staple punk-bands of all time, and they will always be out there in the spot light, at least they will be if I have anything to say about it. The Ramones originated in Forest Hills, in the burrow of Queens, New York, and they were active as a band from 1974-1996. They had a major influence on punk rock music in the USA and in the UK. All of the band members adopted the surname of Ramone, despite the fact that not of them were actually related. According to wikipedia The Ramones toured almost non-stop for more than 22 years and that they performed at 2,263 concerts during that time, and in 1996 they disbanded following one final show at the 1996 Lollapalooza. By 2004, the 3 lead members of the band had all died, inlcuding lead singer Joey Ramone, guitarist Johnny Ramone, and bassist Dee Dee Ramone. In 2002 The Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The KKK Took My Baby Away appeared on their 6th studio release album which was titled Pleasant Dreams and was released in July of 1981 and it was written by Joey Ramone. Well there it is in all its glory, now what could #52 be?? I reckon I should do that one sooner innit?
And #54 of the Countdown is....St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) by English musician John Parr. John Parr is from Worksop, Nottinghamshire in jolly old England, and he is to this day best known for this hit song which was a #1 single in the USA in 1985. Parr entered the music world at the early age of 12 when he was a part of a band with fellow classmates called The Silence. He later worked with acts such as the singer Meat Loaf and the rock band Toto. Following a tour with a band called The Business producer David Foster asked Parr to record a song for the soundtrack of Joel Schumacher's 1985 Brat-Pack film St. Elmo's Fire. He wrote the song with Foster as a tribute to Canadian wheelchair athlete and activist Rick Hansen, which is partly why the song is so powerful in its lyrics and effects. Rick Hansen, at the time was well known for his lectures to raise awareness about spinal cord injuries, which was dubbed the Man in Motion Tour. On September 7th, 1985 the song hit #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #6 in the UK that same year. This song would also receive a Grammy Nomination and various cross-references in popular media in later years. Well, that's #54, what oh what could 53 be?? You'll have to tune again in a few days time to find out, so don't hold your breath, stay in motion!
Welcome back to the Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown! Today is Friday, September 17th, 2010 and we are at #55, and the song is....The Reflex, by the all-to-famous, (and not to mention my favourite band of all time) English synth-pop-rock band Duran Duran. The Reflex appeared on their Novemeber of 1983 release album Seven and the Ragged Tiger, it was their 3rd full length release studio album. A direct quote from wikipedia states the following:
"Simon Le Bon said the album "is an adventure story about a little commando team. 'The Seven' is for us - the five band members and the two managers - and 'the Ragged Tiger' is success. Seven people running after success. It's ambition. That's what it's about."
The Reflex was later released as a remixed single in April of 1984, and it would become Duran Duran's most successful single, which I find surprising as they had so many other songs I would have guessed to have been bigger hits. In fact, it would prove to be their last UK #1 hit, and it was their first single to peak at #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. All of that said, this has been the second Duran Duran song to appear on this countdown and be forewarned, there will be more to come....Don't miss them live if you get the chance to see them whilst on tour, if and when they do next.
Here we are already at #56 of VJ Samosonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hit Countdown! And the song is....Dancing in the Sheets (Extended 12" Mix), by American soul-pop-disco group Shalamar. Shalamar formed back in 1975 and were active as a group up until 1991. This dance hit first appeared on the scene in November of 1984 on their Heartbreak album, and it also appeared on the 80's hit movie soundtrack for Footloose (1984), which incidentally hit the screens in 1984. In fact, their is a long dance scene involving the local teeny-boppers, dancing and getting loose to this tune at their local diner/arcade/hang-out, so go rent the movie if you don't remember or know what I am talking about, it is a truly classic scene. Another interesting fact about the Footloose (1984) soundtrack is that it from April 21st-June 30th, 1984, it was was ranked at Number One on the Billboard 200 Pop Album chart, while the song Dancing in the Sheets would peak at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100. Shalamar consisted of Howard Hewett, Jeffrey Daniel, and Carolyn Griffey primarily, but over the years it included other members such as the Grammy Award winning guitarist/singer Micki Free. Shalamar began originally as a disco-driven group created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey, but they developed into an influential dance and fashion-setting trio. Well there you have it, #56 in all its glory, now make sure you go out and watch Footloose sometime soon, as I hear they are remaking a new version of the movie which is going to feature country music??? Sounds lame to me, sometimes they should just leave old creations be in their original form, and create something brand new, but alas they are remaking all of my old 80's favorites left and right. I suppose that means one is finally over the hill when Hollywood has remade a newer version of all the childhood movies, shows, and cartoons??
Aloha all! We are back and now presenting #57 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits, and #57 is.....Summer of '69, by Canadian singer/songwriter Bryan Adams. Bryan Adams was born on November 5th, 1959 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and has become the bestselling Canadian male recording artist of all time! Over the years he has won 15 Grammy Awards, 18 Juno Awards, as well as MTV Awards, ASCAP Awards, and American Music Awards. I would also mention that his music done for films have been nominated for Golden Globes and Academy Awards as well. Quite the talent, and I would guess that most Americans don't realize that he is actually a Canadian, in fact I have discovered that many actors, musicians, bands, and performers that people think are home-grown Americans are often from Canada, Britain, or Australia, which is quite interesting and not to mention a tangent, so allow me to digress. In April 2006 Adams was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and in 2008 he was ranked #38 on the list of All-Time Top Artists by the Billboard Hot 100 50th Anniversary Charts. He is no doubt a big player in the music biz, and he got his start there in 1977. Adams has sold somewhere around the vicinity of 100 million records worldwide. Summer of '69 came off of his 4th studio album titled Reckless, which was released in June 1985. According to wikipedia, the reference to '69 in the song is actually a sexual reference as opposed to the common perception that he is singing about 1969, which actually surprises me a little bit, as I was one of those people up til now that thought he was referring to the year. Later on down the same wikipedia page it states that Adams revealed in an interview with In the Studio that the song indeed is a reference to the year 1969 and the cultural revolutions and social movements that were taking place at that time, so pick your own interpretation or even both. Upon its release in 1985, Summer of '69 peaked at #5 on the US Billboard Top 100 chart, and it remains an 80's staple for pub cover-bands the world round. So, there is #57, and off we go to discover #56 and onwards....
I've been gone a few days, but I am now back, and I am carrying with me the secret envelope that contains #58 of the countdown....and the song is....It's Like That, by the infamous 80's American hip-hop group Run D.M.C.. Run D.M.C. came out of Hollis in the Queens borough of New York City. Run D.M.C. formed back in 1981, and consisted of members Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizel. It's Like That appeared initially as a single on cassette release in 1983 which was accompanied by another track titled Sucker M.C.'s. Run D.M.C. is considered by many to be one of the most influential hip-hop groups in music history, and along with other acts of the time (such as LL Cool J) they were pioneers of the new school of hip hop. According to wikipedia, they were the first group in the hip-hop genre to achieve a Grammy Award and a Gold Album, and Rolling Stone Magazine named them #48 on their list of Greatest Musical Artists of All Time. Finally, in 2004 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, (despite the fact that they were a hip-hop group) and they were only the second hip-hop group in history to have achieved this. There are heaps more trivia items about Run D.M.C. on their wikipedia page, so I suggest you look there for more info on the group. Also, there has been a very popular and well done remix version of It's Like That by Jason Nevins (released in 1997) which I also highly recommend checking out. However, the original is a classic so what I would truly recommend is getting a hold of both versions, and thats the way it is!
Back to the 80's once again, and I have been sprucing up my 80's music collection (especially the dance hits lately) and always finding new (to me) great 80's dance music. Looking to do some 80's DJ work here soon, but that put aside we are at #59 of the countdown, and the song is....Who's Johnny, by American R&B/pop music falsetto singer El Debarge. Now if this song doesn't have that classic 80's synth-pop sound then I don't know what does. Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge came out of Grand Rapids, Michigan and was the lead singer and focal point of the family group called Debarge throughout the early to mid 1980's. El Debarge is best known for Who's Johnny which appeared as track #1 on his self-titled album which was released in 1986 and would eventually reach Gold status. The record was released under Gordy Records, which was a sub-label of Motown Records, which also carried 80's African American artists Michael Jackson and Rockwell. Who's Johnny also appeared as a single on the classic 80's robot movie Short Circuit soundtrack, which was quite fitting seeing that the robot's name in the film was Johhny-5. The song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the Hot R&B Singles chart that same year. The song brings back memories of being a kid and watching Short Circuit, who I reckon was way cooler than that new Wall-E character/film and clear Johnny-5 rip-off they came up with (although it was pretty good too).
Welcome back once again and here we are at #60! The countdown has been slow, but there is a method to the madness, so keep checking back for updates, we will be done with the Top 100 at some point, and then I will begin to create some other more focused 80's posts, but for #60 the song is....And We Danced, by American rock band The Hooters. The Hooters come out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they formed back in 1980, and consist of members Eric Bazilian (1980-1995, 2001-present), Rob Hyman (1980-1995, 2001-present), David Uosikkinen (1980-1995, 2001-present) John Lilley (1983-1995, 2001-present), Fran Smith Jr. (1987-1995, 2001-present), and they have a few past members not mentioned here. According to wikipedia the band took its name from a nickname for a German keyboard made by the Hohner brand. This song came off of their 1985 Columbia Records release album titled Nervous Night, which would later achieve platinum status around the world selling around 2 million copies and contained 3 Billboard Top 40 hits (including this song naturally). Like so many other 80's era bands, they broke up the band at some point in the 1990's and then reunited at some point in the 2000's, which seems to be a very common occurence, maybe they start to run out of money, or they miss being on stage in front of crowds, or the 80's fashion and music revival that sort of happened in the 2000's sparks it but The Hooters are certainly not alone in this phenomenon. Well, that's it for the 60's of the top 100, but now we are entering the 50's, so as always, stay tuned my 80's fans!
Back to the 80's Countdown, and at #61 is.....Come Go With Me, by American pop band/vocal group Exposé. Exposé formed originally in 1984, coming out of Miami, Florida and members were Sandra Casañas (1984-1986), Alejandra Lorenzo (1984-1986), Laurie Miller (1984-1986), who were later replaced by 3 new and current vocalists Ann Curless, Jeanette Jurado, and Gioia Bruno. Their debut album, titled 'Exposure' had 4 top 10 hits on the 'Billboard Hot 100' and in fact they were the first group to achieve this with a debut album. An interesting tidbit from wikipedia states that the original 3 singers of Exposé were replaced just before the recording of groups big album 'Exposure,' as the record company felt that the original 3 vocalists lacked "star potential," despite the fact that the original 3 had produced their single Point of No Return, which was later recorded with the new vocalists and re-released in 1987 to reach #5 on the 'Billboard Hot 100.' Come Go with Me, which is #61 on this countdown, was led by vocalist Jeanette Jurado, and was the first official song by the group to reach the 'Billboard Hot 100 chart,' and it also peaked at #5, and the 12" single release also reached #2 on the 'Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales' chart. It appeared on that same album, which was released in February of 1987. Well, nuff said, on to the next....
We are back again, to the 80's of course, and #62 of the countdown is none other than the stellar 80's pop-hit Wake Me Up Before You Go Go by English new-wave-pop duo Wham!Wham! was originally formed in 1981 by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, and according to wikipedia there was a conflict of band-names in the beginning, and so they were originally known as Wham! UK, but was later just changed back to Wham! as they were madly more successful than the other band of the same name in the USA. Wham! sold over 25 million certified albums worldwide between the years of 1982-1986, and the duo split and went their separate ways in 1986 as well (at which time George Michael began his solo career). Wikipedia states that George Michael was the composer, singer, producer, and occasional instrumentalist of the duo, whilst Ridgeley was more the businessman. An interesting wikipedia direct quote about the duo is as follows:
"Still teenagers, they promoted themselves as hedonistic youngsters, proud to live a carefree life without work or commitment. This was reflected in their earliest singles which, part-parody, part-social comment, briefly earned Wham! a reputation as a dance protest group."
Wake Me Up Before You Go Go was appeared as the first track off of their October 1984 release album titled Make It Big which would become their first #1 UK Chart hit. Once again, according to their wikipedia page, the song was inspired by a note written by Andrew Ridgeley to his parents that read Wake Me Up Before You Go but with the word "up" accidentally written twice, so Ridgeley then wrote "go" twice, one of those divine accidents that leads to the creation of an all time classic 80's pop-song. This song was obviously quite well known, and very fitting for it's very title as being "definitively 80's" and it regained popularity amongst a much younger generation (many who seem to have the false idea that the song was new in 2001) with its appearance in the 2001 Ben Stiller comedy film Zoolander. On to the next!
We are not worthy, we are not worthy...all hail the late-great King of Pop once again, I told you he would be making a few appearances on this countdown, naturally, and so #63 is.....Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough by the undisputed King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. I definitely would have mentioned this before, but I must continue with the discussion on what is to be done about this empty throne??? Who will be the next?? Madonna is no doubt still the reigning Queen of Pop, although I know that Lady Gaga fancies herself to be next to succeed that throne, yet, she will have to produce a minimum of 4 or 5 more top 20 full studio length albums before she can even be considered I would say. Both MJ and Madonna were so insanely prolific that it will be hard for anyone to fill their royal shoes. I suppose that sports are like that too, the new masters just keep raising the bar higher and higher, but someone will come along eventually, no doubt about that. Back to the song, it comes off of MJ's 1982 release album Thriller. Now, many of you may already know that Thriller still remains the best-selling album worldwide of all time, having sold around 110 million copies worldwide. In the United States Thriller is tied at #1 best-selling album of all time with The Eagles: Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)," but that is merely just in the USA, and as I said worldwide (which really is what matters most) Thriller is still #1 bar-none. Stay tuned for more...
And #64 is....Chains of Love, by English synth-pop duo Erasure. Erasure consists of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and vocalist Andy Bell, and formed originally back in 1985. Vince Clarke was one of the founding members of another well-known synth-band from the 80's by the name of Depeche Mode, and he was the writer of their first three singles, including their breakthrough top ten hit Just Can't Get Enough. Clarke left Depeche Mode in 1981 and started up with another successful group called Yazoo (aka Yaz in the USA), after two hit albums with Yazoo Clarke produced a top four hit in the UK called Never Never. He then went on to form Erasure with Andy Bell, which went on to produce 34 Top 40 Hits in the UK between the years of 1985-2007, and they have sold somewhere around 25 million albums in that time. Clarke and Bell have been labeled as "the definitive synthpop superstars," according to their wikipedia page. Chains of Love was the 4th track on their May 1988 release album The Innocents. Chains of Love was Erasure's 6th consecutive Top 20 Hit on the UK Singles Chart, and it became their first mainstream breakthrough on the USA Billboard Hot 100 Charts at #12, and to this day remains their highest charting pop hit in the United States. Check out their wikipedia page for more info, and break those chains!
Now presenting to you, #65 of the Top 100 80's Dance Hits is....Planet of Women, by none other than American blues-rock band ZZ Top. ZZ Top consists of members Comprising of Billy Gibbons (vocals and guitar), Dusty Hill ( bass guitar, back up vocals, and keyboards), and Frank Beard (drums). ZZ Top originally formed in Houston, Texas back in 1969, and they were ranked #44 by VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. They certainly have had a few hit songs over the years, and are well known for their long elvin-looking beards and dark sunglasses. The band has been together for 41 years, but the 4th band-member Lawrence Payton, past-away back in 1997, however the remaining trio is still together. One interesting fact direct to you from wikipedia:
"In 1984, the Gillette Company reportedly offered Gibbons and Hill $1 million each to shave their beards for a television commercial. They allegedly declined, saying "We're too ugly without 'em."
Planet of Women is one of my favorite ZZ Top songs of all time, and comes off of their 9th studio album titled Afterburner, released back in 1985. It is one of those songs that should have been on the Top Gun soundtrack, or for some reason really reminds me of some other songs off that soundtrack and thus would have been fitting. There may or may not be more Top songs on the countdown, stay tuned to find out...
Its that time again, this time its #66, and the song is...Sex Dwarf by British synth-pop duo Soft Cell. Soft Cell consisted of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball and was originally from Leeds, England. Sex Dwarf came off of their 1981 release album titled Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret which also contained their major 80's hit song which they are best known and renowned for, (and definitely is one of those songs that gets stuck in one's head way too easily) Tainted Love. This was also Soft Cell's first album. The duo became quite big right during the ecstasy club-scene of the early 80's in New York, and this song had a controversial S&M video which was banned in the UK for explicit content at the time. The duo was known for having drug abuse issues and like so many other successful 80's groups were constantly using drugs (according to wikipedia). In the UK Soft Cell achieved Ten Top 40 Hits, and 4 Top 20 albums between 1981-1984. They initially split in 1984, but then reformed in the early 2000's and made a new album in 2002. The song is a bit racy, but if you can handle it, it has a great dance beat and definitely hits an 80's mark that not many others do.
