Tragic Love In The 80's: 'If I Turn You Away' by Vikki Moss (1985)

This is the first blog entry for yet another 80's series, this one being Tragic Love In The Love in the 80s, because we all learned just how tragic love gets in the 80's.  The first entry under for this series goes to Canadian singer Vikki Moss and her 1985 track If I Turn You Away. Vikki Moss is a Canadian singer who has had a close association with film producer David Foster, and she sang lead vocals for this track which was co-written by David Foster and Richard Marx. This song appears on the film soundtrack for the legendary 80's brat-pack movie St. Elmo's Fire. Good stuff, so stay with us for upcoming tragic 80's love songs.

The Beachy 80s: 'Cruel Summer' by Bananarama (1983)

Welcome to the Beach Hits of the 80s issue, and our first entry goes to British pop-trio Bananarama and their 1983 hit Cruel Summer. Bananarama originated out of London, England, UK and at that time consisted of members Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin. Cruel Summer comes off of their self titled, and second studio album Bananarama which was released in 1983. Now don't ask me exactly why this song is a beach-hit if you expect a good answer...so basically the song always brought to mind images of a beach in the 1980's and its always struck me as being a 'beachy-track.' So there! Stay alert for more 80s beach hits to come!

#16 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown: 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' by Cyndi Lauper (1983)

Welcome back everybody! Here we are again, this time presenting #16 of the countdown! And the song is 80's teen-bubble-gum favorite Girls Just Want To Have Fun, by that very unusual and no doubt one of the most memorable and classic high-octave American pop-stars of the 1980's, miss Cyndi Lauper. Girls Just Want To Have Fun can be found on Lauper's 1983 release and mega-hit album She's So Unusual, and is bar-none her most well-known signature track, and is one of those staple 80's dance-floor songs that gets the ladies dancing. The song would peak at #2 on both the UK Singles Chart and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, while reaching #1on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and Eurochart Hot 100 charts.  Cyndi Lauper was born in 1953 in New York City, and according to wikipedia she was the first female singer to have 4 top 5 singles released off of one album, although I can imagine that Madonna would have shortly become the second female singer to do the same, however I am not completely sure on that fact. Lauper's wikipedia also states that she has released 11 albums and hailed over 40 hit singles and has sold somewhere around 25 million records worldwide. So there is #16, and we get down to the final 15!

Mentionable 80s Mashup of the Week = 'Roll It' by DJ Lobsterdust (2011)

This week's Mentionable 80's mashup goes to DJ Lobsterdust and his recently released mashup Roll It. Roll It was released by DJ Lobsterdust on April 10th, 2011 and it features the 1987 track Push It  by 80's hip-hop/R-and-B group Salt-n-Pepa mashed with 2009 song Heads Will Roll by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. If you like what you hear you can head over to DJ Lobsterdust's website for more music, mashups, and info HERE.

Hot 80's Nights!: 'Hot In The City' by Billy Idol (1982)

Hot 80's Nights! is an 80's compilation I've put together and will be gradually featured on this vlog. It's just one of many 80's music sub-series that will be featured on this vlog so stay tuned to catch other ones too. So to start it all off, the first track naturally goes to British 80's rocker Billy Idol and his steamy Summer-track from 1982, Hot In The City.  Billy Idol (William Michael Albert Broad) originated out of Stanmore, Middlesex, England and has been active in music since 1974. Hot In The City comes off of his July-1982 Billy Idol debut album which reached #13 on the UK Singles Chart and #23 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Summer is coming so stay tuned for more 80s hits!

80s Song Of The Week Part 4 = 'True Blue' by Madonna (1986)

Part 4 of this week's featured 80's songs goes to the Queen Of Pop, Madonna, and her 1986 hit song True Blue. True Blue was the third single released off of the internationally successful 1986 album of the same title. True Blue hit #1 on the UK Singles Chart and #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, while the album itself hit #1 in over 28 countries, and has sold around 24 million copies worldwide. If you want more Madonna information then go check out her Wikipedia page HERE and as for a part 5...maybe, but then there is always next week too although it may be well past time to start some new categories of 80s music features.

80s Song Of The Week Part 3 = 'I'll Be Good' by René and Angela (1985)

Part 3 of this week's 80s tunes goes to American R&B duo René & Angela, and their 1985 hit song I'll Be Good. René and Angela consisted of vocalists/producers René Moore and Angela Winbush, who worked together as a duo between 1979-1986. Both Moore and Winbush went on to pusure solo-careers as songwriters and performers following their split. I'll Be Good appears on their 1985 Street Called Desire album, which was really a breakthrough album for the duo. I'll Be Good peaked at #47 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #4 on the US Hot R&B chart. Hang in there for a part 4..could happen...

#17 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown: 'The Safety Dance (Extended Version)' by Men Without Hats (1982)

Hello Hello, I am back to the 80s to present you with #17 of the Top 100 Dance Hits Countdown, and it goes to Canadian new-wave group Men Without Hats, and their 1982 top-10 hit song The Safety Dance (Extended Version). I just want to clarify that the original version of this song is also good, but #17 on this countdown goes to the extended club mix version that appears on the USA-release of their 1982 Rhythm of Youth album. I am sure that most of you are familiar with this song, or have at least heard it here and there over the years. Men Without Hats originated from Montreal, Quebec, in Canada in 1977 and consisted of key members Ivan Doroschuk (vocals and keyboards), Jeremie Arrobas (keyboards), Stefan Doroschuk (guitar), Colin Doroschuk, and various other members who made brief stops as band members before moving on in their musical careers and if you want to check that list out you can view it on their Wikipedia page. The music video for this is a classic and has always been a good laugh, be sure to check it out below. As for the rest of the countdown it is on its way and hopefully you won't all know all of the songs already, but who knows, there may be surprises yet to come, til next time 80's fans! The Safety Dance - Extended Club Mix

80s Songs Of The Week Part 2 = 'Smooth Operator' by Sade (1984)

Part 2 of this weeks featured 80's songs goes to British R-and-B band Sade, and their 1984 #1 hit Smooth Operator. Sade started out in 1983 in London, England and consisted of Sade Adu (lead vocals), Stuart Colin Matthewman (guitar, saxophone), Paul Spencer Denman (bass guitar),  and Andrew Hale  (keyboards). Smooth Operator was the 4th single released off of their 1984 debut album titled Diamond Life, it was the group's most successful single internationally, it peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, and hit #5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Also, the band is named after their British-Nigerian lead vocalist Sade Adu.

80s Songs Of The Week Part 1 = 'On Our Own' by Bobby Brown (1989)

Part 1 of this week's featured 80's tunes goes to Bobby Brown and his 1989 #1 hit song On Our Own. For those of you who don't know Bobby Brown is an American R-and-B singer/songwriter/rapper/dancer from Roxbury, Massachusetts, U.S.A. who got his start as a member of the pop group New Edition. On Our Own was a single release, and it was featured on the Ghostbusters II soundtrack in 1989 which rocketed it all the way to the #1 spot on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart, the #2 spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the #4 spot on the UK Singles Chart. Good stuff!! Stay tuned for the next top 100 spot and for more 80s music! 

  Bobby Brown – On Our Own
- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

80's Song of the Week Part 2 = 'All Through The Night' by Cyndi Lauper (1984)

Part 2 of this Week's Featured 80's Songs goes to American singer/songwriter/actress Cyndi Lauper and her 1984 single All Through The Night. All Through The Night actually appeared on her 1984 debut album She's So Unusual, which in the words of Wikipedia 'catapulted her to stardom.' Also according to her Wikipedia page Lauper is 57 years old, putting her 5 years older then Madonna, Michael Jackson (R.I.P.), and Prince all of whom are/were the same age at 52. So, I only got two features songs out this week but a new week is on its way so stay tuned 80's fans!

VH1's 'I Love The 80's' (2002) on Youtube!

For those of you 80's fans who haven't already seen VH1's I Love The 80's (2002), which has been shown on daytime TV almost every week for the past 10 years, its up on youtube I thought to post the first part here, and you can check out the rest on YouTube if you like. Enjoy 80's fans!

80s Songs Of The Week Part 1 = 'The Edge Of Heaven' by Wham! (1986)

Part 1 of This Week's Featured 80's songs goes to that British 80's legendary duo Wham!, and their 1986 song The Edge Of Heaven. Wham! of course consists of duo George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley who started out in a ska group but which eventually transformed into what we all know and love as Wham! in Bushey, England back in 1981. The Edge Of Heaven was released as a single off of their 1986 album titled Music From The Edge Of Heaven which was also their 3rd and final album. The song would clench the #1 chart spot on the UK and Netherlands music charts.

#18 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown: 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' by Tears For Fears (1985)

Now for #18 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown, and it is Everybody Wants To Rule The World, by British synth-pop/new-wave group Tears For Fears. Tears For Fears started out in Bath, UK in 1981 and was formed by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith following the dissolution of their former band called Graduate. Everybody Wants To Rule The World comes off of their 2nd (and most successful) studio album Songs From The Big Chair (released in February of 1985) and would clench #1 on various charts including the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart, the Canadian Singles Chart, and the New Zealand Single Chart, while hitting the #2 spot on the UK Singles Chart, and the Australian Singles Chart. In the USA this was no doubt one of their biggest hits, and most memorable in my mind as well. This song was a last minute add-on to this album before its final production and release, and it was later featured on the soundtracks for many films including Real Genius (1985), Peter's Friends (1992), Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), Click (2006), Watchmen (2009), and Middle Men (film) (2010). This is one of the great 80's songs of all time in my mind, capturing that classic new-wave post-apocalyptic sound and message and it will live on to be played for years to come I am sure.

Mentionable 80s Mashups = 'Girls On Film Freak Out' by DJ Magnet (2009)

This week's Mentionable 80s Mashup goes to DJ Magnet and his mashup titled Girls On Film Freak Out. This mashup features the 1981 Duran Duran hit song Girls On Film, and it is mashed-up with 1978 song Le Freak by disco group Chic. Quite a brilliant mashup in my opinion and both songs are great on their own too! This mashup was charted on the Bootie Mashups Top 10 of 2009 and is well known. For more info and works by DJ Magnet you can head to his website HERE.

80s Songs Of The Week Part 3 = 'I Still Believe' by Tim Cappello (1987)

Part 3 of This Week's featured 80s Songs goes to American Saxophonist/Singer Tim Cappello and his 1987 cover of the song I Still Believe. Now any of you who have seen the 80s teen vampire-horror-film/cult-classic The Lost Boys will likely be familiar with the oiled up muscle-man/saxophonist/80s-icon playing a brief, but memorable 80s set on the California coast (clearly Santa Cruz) for a bunch of 80s teenagers hanging out around beach bonfires. Now if that scene doesn't capture some 80s sentiment I don't know what does. Timmy Cappello originates out of Westchester County in New York, and he plays various instruments including tenor saxophone, keyboards, harmonica, guitar, and various percussion, and he is also well known for playing saxophone in Tina Turner's 80's-era band, and had easily identifiable saxophone-solos in her soundtrack songs for the 80's film  Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, so be sure to check those songs out if you are looking for some brilliant sax solos. I Still Believe was a cover that Tim did of the song originally written by band The Call, and Tim's version can be found on The Lost Boys Soundtrack. And so there is part 3, and already another week is here, and with more 80s songs to come! Thanks for stopping By 80's Fans!

80s Songs of The Week Part 2 = 'Lessons In Love' by Level 42 (1987)

Part 2 of This Week's Featured 80s Songs goes to British pop-rock-new-wave band Level 42, and their 1987 single Lessons In Love. Level 42 originates out of the the Isle Of Wight, UK and started out with members Mark King (bass guitar and percussion), Phil Gould (drums), Boon Gould (guitar and saxophone), and Mike Lindup (keyboards and percussion). According to their wikipedia page, the band took their name after King, Gould, and their producer of the time Andy Sojka had been reading the Douglas Adams' sci-fi novel called The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in which the number 42 is found to be the answer to all questions in the universe. Lessons In Love was released on the band's 1987 album titled Running In The Family, and it reached #12 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and #3 on the UK Singles chart, and #1 in Germany, Denmark, and Switzerland.
Level 42 - Lessons In Love by jpdc11

#19 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown: 'P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)' by Michael Jackson (1982)

Welcome back 80s fans! We are down to the final 19 of the Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown... and #19 is the 1982 song P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing), by The former King of Pop Michael Jackson. That officially makes it the 3rd Michael Jackson song to appear in the Top 100 countdown and to give you some hints it won't be the last..it is just an inevitability that Jackson songs will end up in any 80's countdown as he produced such a prolific portfolio of great 80's pop-music, and he was the King of Pop for a good reason after all. P.Y.T. came off of the also legendary 1982 Thriller album, which I am sure I've stated in past posts is the the best-selling album of all time, with sales estimated to be somewhere around 65 and 110 million copies globally, and it also remains the best-selling album in the United States. Thus, most of you are no doubt familiar with this song, and when it comes to the rest of the Top 100 Countdown the songs that remain are probably ones most of you will already know which makes the final 20 actually less exciting to post :-( P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) was the 6th single release from the album which peaked at #10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and at #11 on the UK Singles Chart. Also, according to the wikipedia page, Janet and La Toya Jackson provided backing vocals in this song. So there is #19, and I suppose I should speed this process up a bit and publish them quicker but it all depends on when I get down to it, so stay with me, we will get through them all.

80s Song of the Week Part 1 = 'Nite And Day' by Al B. Sure! (1988)

Part 1 of this week's 80s songs goes to Al B. Sure! and his 1988 R-and-B hit Nite And Day.  Al B. Sure! (Albert Jason Brown III) is is an American singer/songwriter/producer from Boston Massachusetts who started out his music career back in 1987 and is still active to this day. Nite And Day was a 1988 single release off of his In Effect Mode album which clenched the #1 spot on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, and #7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart that year. Stay tuned for part 2 and of course the next song of the Top 100 Countdown...

Mentionable 80s Mashup of the Week = 'Illiterate City' by Divide and Kreate (2007)

This weeks Mentionable 80s Mashup goes to Illiterate City, by mashup artist Divide and Kreate. The 80s song is the 1988 Gun's and Roses hit Paradise City, and it has been mashed together with The Jackson Five and their 1970 hit ABC. This mashup also appeared on The Best of Bootie 2007 album.

80s Song of the Week Part 3 = 'Rhythm Of The Night' by DeBarge (1985)

Part 3 of this Week's featured 80s songs goes to Rhythm Of The Night by American RandB/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. Rhythm Of The Night comes off of the 4th studio album by Debarge of the same title, which was released in 1985. This song reached #1 on the RandB chart and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.