Your 80s Halloween Rewind: '(Everyday Is) Halloween' by Ministry (1984)

Welcome to Your 80s Halloween Rewind! Now, I have already posted previously a list of my top 25 recommended 80s halloween songs for your halloween party; but I also wanted to single out some tracks that are new-to-me this year (in that I recently discovered them myself, despite the fact that they have been around for around 30 years or more). That said, we are revisiting a 1984 single by American industrial/metal band Ministry called (Every Day Is) Halloween. Ministry was founded out of Chicago, Illionois USA in 1981 by front-man Al Jourgensen, and was originally a synth-pop band. In the late 1980's the band changed their musical style to industrial-metal and found mainstream success by the mid 1990's. The band also consists of members Mike Scaccia, Tommy Victor, Tony Campos, John Bechdel, and Aaron Rossi. (Every Day Is) Halloween was a single track, released in 1984 and can found on their Twelve Inch Singles (1981-1984) compilation album. So there you have it, I may or may not try to add more as I go, so stay tuned, 'tis the holiday season coming up! 

Hot 80s Nights!: 'Hot Summer Nights' by Miami Sound Machine (1986)

Welcome back to Hot 80s Nights!, now that the hot days and nights of Summer are behind us we forge ahead with Hot Summer Nights by American group Miami Sound Machine. Miami Sound Machine was originally formed in 1975 by keyboardist Emile Estefan Jr. and was known then as Miami Latin Boys. The band was shortly joined by singers Gloria Estefan and her cousin Merci Navarro Murciano and renamed Miami Sound Machine. Hot Summer Nights can be found on the Top Gun Soundtrack as track number 6, which was released in 1986 along with the film. 80s movie soundtracks always seem to contain lots of gems that could use some more airtime. 

Tragic Love In The 80s: 'Drive' by The Cars (1984)

Your Tragic Love In The 80s track for this week goes to none-other than American new-wave band The Cars, and their biggest international hit song Drive. The Cars were an American rock band which formed back in 1976 onto what was called the new-wave music scene. Coming out of Boston, Massachusetts the members were Ric Ocasek (vocals and guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (lead guitar), Greg Hawkes (keyboards and synth) and David Robinson (drums). Drive was a single released in March of 1984 on their Heartbeat City album, where it would become the groups biggest international hit and peak at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #5 on the UK Singles Chart. Well, that's that, so check out the video below and have yourself an awesome week! 

Top 25 80s Halloween Songs for your Party (the 2011 edition): by DJ Purple Sneakers and Friends

Welcome back! Its that time again, to go over 80s Halloween compatible songs, and after last year's I've added a few, check em out (some old and some new):

1.) "Thriller" by Michael Jackson (1983) (note: This one is an 80s Halloween staple)

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 and The Bunnymen (1987)
16.) "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" by The Cramps (1980)
17.) "(Every Day Is) Halloween" by Ministry (1984)
18.) "Cry Wolf" by A-ha (1986)
19.) "Killer Klowns" by The Dickies (1988)
20.) "Obsession" by Clan of Xymox (1989)
21.) "Cry Little Sister" by Gerard McMann (1987)
22.) "The Darkest Side of the Night" by Metropolis (1989)
23.) "Self Control" by Laura Branigan (1984)
24.) "I'm Your Lover" by Joe Yellow (1986)
25.) "Burning In the Third Degree" by Tahnee Caine and the Tryanglz (1984)

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 2011, and perhaps even some future ones too.


***I just want to note here that I will be posting a Top 20 or 25 (or so) 80's Christmas Songs in December again this year, so stay tuned for that as well :-)

The Saxxy 80s: 'Don't Be My Enemy' by Wang Chung (1984)

The Saxxy 80s feature for this week belongs to that British 80's new-wave group Wang Chung, and their saxxy 1984 song Don't Be My Enemy.  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. Don't Be My Enemy is a single off of their Points on the Curve album, which was released in January of 1984, and it peaked at #84 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, #17 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, and #92 on the UK Singles Chart.

The Beachy 80s: 'Vacation' by The Go-Go's (1982)

The Beachy 80s returns with The Go-Go's and their hit 1982 single Vacation. The Go-Go's started out on the music scene back in 1978 in Los Angeles, California and they are hailed as the first all-female rock band who played all of their own instruments, wrote all of their own songs, and topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. When they made it big in the early 1980's the band consisted of members Belinda Carlisle (vocals), Jane Wiedlin (guitar, vocals), Kathy Valentine (bass), and Elissa Bello (drums). Their debut album titled Beauty and the Beat (released in July of 1981) peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart and it is considered by many to be one of the true cornerstone new wave albums that paved the way for the genre at that time. That very same album would reach double platinum status, making it one of the most successful debut albums of all time. Vacation was the first single off of their second studio album, which hit #8 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, and was certified gold; the song itself peaked at #8 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. For more of that information go to the Wikipedia page HERE. Keep on 80s fans, keep on :-)

#5 of DJ Akhu's Top 100 80s Dance Hits Countdown!: 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division (1980)

We have reached the final 5 of the Top 100 80s Dance Hits Countdown. Now as a DJ, I am always coming across new great 80s music that is highly dance-able. I can honestly say that this countdown would probably change if I were to do it again today, with all of the new-to-me/forgotten 80s songs I have come across in the last year and a half (mush thanks to my DJ friends at Turntable.fm). That said, lets get to #5, which goes to English post-punk/rock band Joy Division, and their 1980  legendary hit song Love Will Tear Us Apart. Joy Division formed in 1976 out of  Salford, Lancashire, UK and consisted of members Ian Curtis (vocals/guitar), Bernard Sumner(guitar and keys), Peter Hook (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Stephen Morris (drums/percussion), and they were active until 1980 when lead singer Ian Curtis committed suicide. The band is known for their contributions to the early post-punk rock movement and many movies have been made about them including 24 Hour Party People (2002) and Control (2007). Love Will Tear Us Apart (one of their most well-known hits) was originally released on 7-inch vinyl in April of 1980 (one month before Curtis' death), and can now be found on the band's compilation album Substance. The song reached #1 in New Zealand, and #13 in the UK. Following the death of Ian Curtis the band renamed the band New Order, who released their first song under that name in 1983 and who are still active on the music scene to this day. 

Your 80s Hip Hop Rewind: 'Buffalo Stance' by Neneh Cherry (1988)

Your 80s Hip Hop Rewind is back with Swedish rapper Neneh Cherry, and her 1988 hit single Buffalo Stance. Neneh Cherry is a singer/songwriter/rapper/DJ/broadcaster from Stockholm, Sweden and who has been active in music circa 1987. She is known for successfully mixing elements of different musical genres together to produce hit songs, such as the one featured today. Buffalo Stance was a single release off of Cherry's 1988 album Raw Like Sushi, it was produced by produced by Tim Simenon and Mark Saunders, and the song peaked at #3 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles charts, and #1 on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. So, there is another great 80s hip hop track to feast your ears upon, now stay tuned, Halloween is coming up so soon already, what are you doing for your 80s-Halloween party??

Rockin' in the 80s: 'In the Dark' by Billy Squier (1981)

Rockin' in the 80s returns with Billy Squier, and his 1981 hit song In the Dark. Billy Squier (born William Haislip "Billy" Squier) is an American rock musician from Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA who has been active in the rock music scene circa 1968. In the Dark was an arena-rock hit by Squier, and was released on his July-1981 release album Don't Say No. In the Dark was the second single released from that album (following The Stroke) where it reached #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #7 on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Good stuff, stay tuned for more Rockin' 80s hits to come in future posts, next in line we have Your 80s Hip Hop Trax. 

Hot 80s Nights: "A Night To Remember' by Shalamar (1982)

The Hot 80s Nights! keep on comin', and this night features the 1982 song A Night To Remember, by American funk/disco group Shalamar. Shalamar was originally a Los Angeles-based disco-group created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey in 1975, and who later became a successful dance-trio formed by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius. The trio consisted of members Howard Hewett, Jody Watley, and Jeffrey Daniel. A Night To Remember is a single from the group's 1982 release album titled Friends, which peaked at #44 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and #8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart that year. So there is another 80s-disco hit that fits the Hot 80s Nights! series quite well, stay tuned for more and more and more 80s fans, there's always more great 80s music to be discovered after all. 

Tragic Love In The 80s: 'Blame It On The Rain' by Milli Vanilli (1989)

Tragic Love In The 80s returns, and this time we've got German pop-dance duo Milli Vanilli for you, and their 1989 hit Blame It On The Rain. Milli Vanilli was a pop-dance group formed by Frank Farian in Germany in 1988, which was fronted by Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. Blame it on the Rain was released as a single on the group's debut album titled Girl You Know It's True, which was released July 13th, 1989. This group is famous of course for winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist on Feb. 21, 1990, and then having it revoked when it was revealed that the actual vocals on their records were done by Charles Shaw, John Davis, Brad Howell, and twin sisters Jodie and Linda Rocco. It was a musical controversy that is still discussed to this day, as the Morvan and Pilatus suffered considerable losses in their careers and reputations as legitimate artists, and on April 2, 1998 (one day before the start of new promotional tour by the duo), Pilatus was found dead of a suspected alcohol and prescription drug overdose in a Frankfurt hotel room. So it is a sad story, and many people felt betrayed by them, but I personally don't care. The music industry doesn't allow those great artists who don't also have what is considered to be a "marketable look" as worthwhile ventures, so this is the kind of thing that results fromt that. I still dig the music and applaud the original artists as it still rocks my socks off to this day, besides, don't most of today's big vocalists pre-record and digitally enhance their actual voices for albums and live performances anways??

The Saxxy 80s: 'One Of The Living' by Tina Turner (1985)

Welcome back to The Saxxy 80s. Today's feature goes to Tina Turner and her 1985 hit song One Of The Living. Now the sax-portion of the song is a great sax-solo towards the end of the song, so if you are wondering where the sax comes in be patient, its loaded at the end. Tina Turner (Anna Mae Bullock) is an American singer and actress who has been active for over 50 years now and won various awards throughout her career. Interestingly (I didn't know this before this brief post) she has been dubbed by many as the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll. One Of The Living was recorded in 1985 for the soundtrack to the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. It was one of two songs recorded for that movie, in which Tina Turner also starred as one of the central characters. So again, check out that sax solo at the end of the song, its done by allstar saxophonist Tim Cappello (same buff sax player from The Lost Boys). 

The Beachy 80s: 'La Isla Bonita' by Madonna (1986)

Welcome back to The Beachy 80s! Now we are already in mid-September, and the beachy days of summer are fading fast, but that doesn't mean we can't go to our own inner-tropical paradise, or beachy 80s scene. That said, I am proud to present the 1986 beachy-classic Madonna song, La Isla Bonita. The dreamy Mediterranean-laced La Isla Bonita was originally released as a single off of Madonna's True Blue album in February of 1986 and it would attain #1 on the UK Singles Chart, and #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was a worldwide hit for Madonna, and it alos reached the #1 position in many European countries. And so there is a good song to keep handy in those cold winter months when you wish you were on a Spanish holiday in Mallorca or Ibiza. 

#6 of DJ Akhu's Top 100 80s Dance Hits Countdown!: 'Bizarre Love Triangle' by New Order (1986)

Ahoy there 80s Fans! Welcome back once again to the Top 100 80's Dance Hits Coundtown! Today I am here to present #6 of the countdown, and the song is...Bizarre Love Triangle, by British new-wave/post-punk/electronic 80s legends New Order. New Order was no doubt one of the most influential musical groups of the 1980s, and they were formed in 1980 in Salford and Macclesfield,England, United Kingdom by former Joy Division band members Bernard Sumner (vocals, guitars, synthesisers), Peter Hook (bass guitar and synths), and Stephen Morris (drums, electronic drums, synths), with the addition of keyboard player keyboard player Gillian Gilbert. New Order are by far one of my top 5 favorite bands of the 80s, and thus they have made it into the top 6! Bizarre Love Triangle was originally released in 1986 on the groups Brotherhood album and it peaked at #1 on the UK Indie Singles chart, #56 on the UK Singles Chart, and #98 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (upon re-release in 1995). In 2004 Bizarre Love Triangle was ranked #201 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. And so there is #6 for you all! Can you tell I am happy for that one :) Keep your eyes on this space, because the top 5 are coming right you soon!

Your 80s Hip Hop Trax: 'It Takes Two' by DJ EZ Rock and Rob Base (1988)

Your 80s Hip-Hop Trax is back, and this week we are featuring the epic 1988 hit hip-hop classic It Takes Two, by DJ EZ Rock and Rob Base. DJ E-Z Rock (Rodney "Skip" Bryce) and Rob Base (Robert Ginyard) are a hip-hop duo from Harlem, New York who formed back in 1985 and were best known for the multi-platinum single It Takes Two. The song It Takes Two was a single hit off of the duo's debut platinum-certified album of the same title, It Takes Two. The slowly climbed the Billboard Top 40 chart  to eventually peak at #36, and it hit #3 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Previously, I hadn't even realized this was an 80s song as I would have guessed and early 90s sound, but it was indeed 1988. So there it is, and if you want to see what's next you will have to stay tuned, and we are getting close to finishing off the Top 100 80s Dance Countdown as well!