The Saxxy 80s: 'When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going' by Billy Ocean (1985)

Once again, Mr Billy Ocean has made it on The Saxxy 80s list, this time with his 1985 song When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going. Billy Ocean (Leslie Sebastian Charles) is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winner based out of London, UK. When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going was released in 1985 as the theme song for the motion picture soundtrack of The Jewel of the Nile. The song reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart, and #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. There is a great sax part towards the later half of the song, so check it out and stay tuned for more great 80s music!

DJ Akhu's 80s Synth Gold: 'We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off' by Jermaine Stewart (1986)

Welcome back 80s fanatics! Today I am resurrecting an old thematic post-string called Sneaks' 80s Synth Gold. For the first post I wanted to make a splash, so I have 80s American R' and B' singer Jermaine Stewart and his 1986 hit We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off. Jermaine Stewart (William Jermaine Stewart) was a Chicago-based R' and B' singer/songwriter/dancer who died of AIDS releated liver cancer at the age of 39. We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off was Stewart's biggest hit, and it received attention after it was used on the hit US TV series Miami Vice, and it peaked at #2 on the UK and Canadian charts, and reached #5 on the U.S. chart.  Check it out! 

Rockin' In the 80s: 'Hell Is For Children' by Pat Benatar (1980)

Its time for Rockin' In the 80s once again, and this time I have Pat Benatar, and her 1980 song Hell Is For Children. American singer, and 4 time Grammy winner Pat Benatar (Patricia Mae Andrzejewski) was one of the most-played musicians on early 1980s MTV, she originated out of Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A., and I figured it was about time I post one her songs here on this blog. The song Hell Is For Children was released on her Crimes of Passion album, which was released in 1980, and reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and is to this date still her highest selling album and has gone Platinum 5x over. And so there is the Rockin' 80s hit of the week. 

The Beachy 80s: 'The Tide Is High' by Blondie (1980)

Just when the weather here in North America is getting cold and dark The Beachy 80s returns with some sunny tunes, and this time we have new wave band Blondie's 1980 hit cover song The Tide Is High. Blondie is an American rock band out of New York City, USA who got their start out in 1974 when it was founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The Tide Is High was a cover song/single (of John Holt's original 1967 song) from the group's Autoamerican album, and was originally released in November of 1980. Check it out, its got that beachy ska/reggae style to it, and it might even conjure up some thoughts of sunny days, and if you are in the Southern hemisphere it fits well for this time of year. 

#4 of DJ Akhu's Top 100 80s Dance Hits Countdown!: 'Into the Groove' by Madonna (1985)

We are back, once again, this time with #4 of the Top 100 80s Dance Hits Countdown, by none-other than the Queen of Pop Madonna, and it goes to her 1985 release hit Into the Groove. How could the Queen of Pop not possibly make the top 5, and so here she is at #4. Into the Groove was released as the 4th single off of her Like a Virgin album, and it was featured on the film soundtrack for the movie Desperately Seeking Susan. The song would peak at #1 on over 11 charts around the globe including the UK Singles Chart, the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, the Dutch Top 40 chart, the Spanish Singles Chart, amongst many others. This song always hit me as one of Madonna's top dance hits, and that is why I ranked it so highly on this countdown. Enjoy 80s peeps, we have 3 more songs to reveal and then this countdown is over!

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.