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.