The Saxxy 80s: 'She Wants To Dance With Me' by Rick Astley (1988)

The Saxxy 80s returns, and this time we have a saxxy 80s classic by English singer/song-writer Rick Astley called She Wants To Dance With Me. Naturally the song has a great little sax-solo towards the end and that's all it really takes to become a candidate-feature for The Saxxy 80s on this blog. Rick Astley was born in Merseyside, UK in 1966 and as of his first retirement from music in 1993 had sold over 40 million records worldwide. Astley re-entered the music business in 2000 and appears nowadays frequently as a BBC-radio DJ/personality. She Wants To Dance With Me was released in 1988 on his Hold Me in Your Arms album and it peaked at #6 on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles chart, while clenching the #1 spot on the Canadian Singles chart.

#10 of DJ Akhu's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown: 'Sex (Im A...)' by Berlin (1982)

Finally we have reached the Top 10 finalists of the Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown so here we go, at #10 we have American new-wave/synth-pop band Berlin and their 1982 hit Sex (Im A...).  Now, because of their name you may have thought that Berlin were a German band, but actually they are Americans from Los Angeles, California who formed back in 1978 and consisted then of members Terri Nunn (vocals), David Diamond (keyboards), Ric Olsen (guitar), Matt Reid (keyboards), John Crawford (bass guitar), and Rod Learned (drums). Sex (I'm A...) was a single release off of the band's 2nd gold-certified studio album Pleasure Victim. The song reached #8 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Songs chart, and #5 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart. This, and the other Berlin song on this countdown are my 2 personal favorite Berlin songs of all time, and the sound of this song somehow perfectly captures that futuristic 80's synth sound. #9 is coming at you next, so be prepared!

Tragic Love In The 80s = 'Never Tear Us Apart' by INXS (1988)

Its Tragic Love In The 80s, so very tragic, like tragic magic returns again, and today presenting Aussie 80s legends INXS and their oh so tragic 1988 love track Never Tear Us Apart. The story of INXS actually was quite tragic for those who remember. INXS were an Australian rock band formed in 1977 by The Farriss Brothers out of Sydney, Australia and consisting of members Michael Hutchence (lead vocals), Garry Gary Beers (bass guitar), Andrew Farriss (guitars and keyboards), Jon Farriss (drums), Tim Farriss (guitar), and Kirk Pengilly (guitar and saxophone). Michael Hutchence was the lead singer and frontman for the band for over 20 years until his untimely death in 1997. Never Tear Us Apart was a single release off of the group's 6th studio album Kick and it would reach #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, #5 on the U.S. Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, #24 on the UK Singles Chart, and #14 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart.

The Beachy 80s: 'Ain't Nobody Ever Loved You' by Narada Michael Walden (1983)

The Beachy 80s returns yet again as Summer inches closer and closer for us up here in the northern hemisphere. Today's Beachy 80s song is Ain't Nobody Ever Loved You by American producer/drummer/singer/songwriter Narada Michael Walden. This song has a Caribbean-sound to it and definitely takes me to those white-sand beaches, of the 80s that is. Walden started out his musical career back in the 1970's and he has had a solo-career, collaborated with many successful artists such as Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, and Aretha Franklin, and he has owned and operated a successful recording studio of his own in California since the 1980's. Ain't Nobody Ever Loved You was released on Walden's Looking At You Looking At Me album in 1983 and can be found there. Now, time to get some sun!

Free music - Ain't Nobody Ever Loved You

Your 80s Hip Hop Lives!: 'Just A Friend' by Biz Markie (1989)

Your 80s Hip Hop Lives! is back with American rapper/comedian/actor/dj Biz Markie and his #9 hit from 1989 Just A Friend. Biz Markie (Marcel Theo Hall) originates out of Baltimore, Maryland and has been active on the rap music scene since 1983. The Biz has been called the Clown Prince of Hip Hop, he's been involved in shows with stars like Chris Rock, Nick Cannon, and he's appeared in movies such as Men in Black II. Just A Friend was released in 1989 on his The Biz Never Sleeps album and it peaked at the #9 position on the US Billboard charts. It is considered a comedic hip-hop song and alternates between rap and singing.
Biz Markie - Just A Friend by rikma

Rockin' In The 80s: 'Bonzo Goes To Bitburg (My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down)' by The Ramones (1985)

Rockin' In The 80s returns with a weekly issue, and this week we have the 1985 Ramones track Bonzo Goes To Bitburg. We all know who the Ramones were right??.. For those who don't remember they were and American punk-rock band from Forest Hills, Queens, New York, which began in 1974 and all members of course took on pseudonyms with the surname ending in 'Ramone' and so I won't go over the band members here. The song Bonzo Goes To Bitburg was a single released in the UK, and it was actually a protest song about a visit by ex-US President Ronald Reagan to a German cemetery where SS combatants were buried. The song became a big hit on college radio and the second release (re-titled as Bonzo Goes to Bitburg (My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down) of it appeared on the groups 9th studio album Animal Boy, which was released in 1986. And so there is another Rockin' In The 80s track, and believe there are countless numbers of them so there will likely be many posts under this title so stay tuned.

Mentionable 80s Mashups: 'Sweet Sweet Dreams' by DJ Schmolli (2011)

It has been ages since I posted an 80s mashup, although there are plenty of them out there and so I feel I should include some on this 80s site. Today's Mentionable 80s Mashup is Sweet Sweet Dreams by DJ Schmolli, which was just released on the Bootie Top 10 for June 2011. The song involves the 1983 smash hit song Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
by Eurythmics, and it has been mashed with German dance group La Bouche and their 1994 song Sweet Dreams. That particular song title seems to show up in lots of places doesn't it? Well, I will seek out more 80s mashups for future posts so stay tuned for that, and if you want to hear more from this mashup artist than click on the names or titles above.

#11 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown: 'Never Say Never' by Romeo Void (1982)

The Top 100 80s Dance Hits is back, and this time we are looking at #11 which goes to American new-wave/rock-band Romeo Void and their 1982 song Never Say Never. Romeo Void were active as a band from 1979-1985, they were based out of San Francisco California, and they consisted primarily of members Benjamin Bossi (saxophone), Debora Iyall (vocals), Peter Woods (guitar), Frank Zincavage (bass guitar), and a few different drummers which I won't name here. The song Never Say Never was released in 1982 on the band's Benefactor album. It was also featured in a high-school dance scene in the 1984 film Reckless, which starred Aidan Quinn and Daryl Hannah, so be sure to check that out if you like the song. And there is #11, which leads us now to the final 10 of the Top 100...what are we going to do when this is over?? Perhaps I will have to feature more specific countdowns because there are always more 80s songs out there and I am always discovering new ones myself. Stay tuned for the final 10!

The Saxxy 80s: 'Power Play' by Eddie And The Tide (1987)

Those Saxxy 80s are back again and this time its American rock band Eddie And The Tide and their saxxy 1987 track Power Play. Eddie And The Tide were a San-Francisco-based rock band founded by Steve "Eddie" Rice in 1983, produced 5 albums and one EP, and then disbanded in 1993. Steve "Eddie" Rice continued on with a solo-career with an album released as recently as 2009. The very saxxy Power Play was released on the motion picture soundtrack for the 80s cult-classic teen-vampire film The Lost Boys, so you will find it there. Stay tuned, there's always more saxxy 80s songs to listen to.

Hot 80s Nights!: 'In The Night' by Pet Shop Boys (1986)

Hot 80s Nights! returns once again, and this week features a London-based 80's synth-pop duo known as the Pet Shop Boys, and their 1986 song In The Night. Neil Tennant does the main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar and Chris Lowe works the synth keyboards. Pet Shop Boys are one of the best-selling artists out there having sold over 100 million records worldwide, and God knows I bought this album! In The Night was released on Further Listening (side 2) of their 1986 Please album. Pet Shop Boys 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. And yes, this was a repost, but it fits the Hot 80s Nights! category...you stay classy 80s fans.

Tragic Love In the 80s: 'If You Leave' by OMD (1986)

This week's Tragic Love In The 80s track goes to 80's English synth-pop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)
and their 1986 hit If You Leave. OMD 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 US Billboard Hot 100 chart that year, at the same time it would only reach #46 on the UK Singles Chart. Also, for those of you who follow this vlog closely you will notice that this song was featured at #45 on VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown.

The Beachy 80s: 'I Want Candy' by Bow Wow Wow (1982)

This week's The Beachy 80s track goes to the clearly-beach-influenced 1982 Bow Wow Wow hit song I Want Candy. This song (originally written and recorded in the 1960's by US group The Strangeloves) was even filmed on a beach, as a beach scene, and so there it is. Bow Wow Wow were an English 1980s New Wave band created by Malcolm McLaren in order to promote his and business partner Vivienne Westwood's New Romantic fashion lines. The band was made up primarily of members Annabella Lwin, Leigh Gorman, Phil Gough, and Devin Beaman with many other members coming and going and has been on hiatus since 2006. I Want Candy was released in 1982 on Bow Wow Wow's The Last of the Mohicans EP and hit #9 on the UK Singles Chart, but only reached #62 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 despite being considered one of the "enduring new-wave classics," which is also partly due to having lots of airplay on MTV in the 80's as well.

Your 80s Hip Hop Lives!: 'Its Like That' by Run–D.M.C. (1984)

This week's Your 80s Hip Hop Lives track is another repost from before (I figure get through thosebefore I introduce new ones) 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 1984 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. It's Like That comes off of their 1984 self-titled debut  Run-D.M.C. album. 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!