Tragic Love in the 80s: 'Time Starts Now' by Boys Club (1988)

Its time for some more Tragic Love in the 80s, and this time the song is Time Starts Now by Minneapolis, Minnesota based R-and-B duo Boys Club.  Boys Club were the duo of Gene Hunt and Joe Pasquale, who according to Wikipedia were regarded as Minnesota's own version of Wham!. Time Starts Now was single release by the duo, and was released on the movie soundtrack for the 1987 teen Corey's film License to Drive. They had it on Netflix streaming last month, and I got to watch it again for the first time in years, and it was a classic 80s flick for sure, and my second favorite Corey's film of the 80's, behind Lost Boys. This song also just happens to fit into the Saxxy 80s genre as well, so it might reappear some day.  Watch this space for more 80s!

#2 of DJ Akhu's Top 100 80s Dance Hits Countdown!: 'Hungry Like the Wolf' by Duran Duran (1982)

Well, well, at #2 of the Top 100 80s Dance Hits Countdown we have 80s legends Duran Duran (once again), and their massive 1982 hit Hungry Like the Wolf. This song was originally released on the group's second studio album Rio in May of 1982, and it would hit #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100, #5 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as receiving a silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The music video for the song was based on the Raiders of the Lost Ark film and in 1984 it won the first Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video. Many good reasons to check it all out. I find that as I have come to the end of the top 100 countdown it actually becomes less interesting and more predictable, but since I started it I have discovered heaps of great 80s songs I never previously knew about that would make it on now, and probably bump some of the other places, but that is for another year or day. #1 will be presented shortly, and its hardly a surprise so see if you can guess it, most of you will first try I'd imagine :) Always more to come, so stay tuned. 

The Saxxy 80s: 'You're a Friend of Mine' by Clarence Clemons and Jackson Browne (1985)

Welcome back to the Saxxy 80s, and today I have for you the 1985 duet of Clarence Clemons and Jackson Browne with their collaboration You're a Friend of Mine. Clarence Clemons (who just past away in June of 2011) was a well known musician, actor, and saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, and Jackson Browne is a famous American singer/songwriter who has sold over 17 million albums in the USA and been around circa 1966. This duet for You're a Friend of Mine, which I might mention is pretty farkin' amazing, was by written by Narada Michael Walden and Jeffrey Cohen and released by Clemons and Browne in 1985, and it appeared on solo-album Hero that year. Hope you like it, and watch this space for more great 80s posts. 

The Beachy 80s: '(Bop Bop) On the Beach' by The Flirts and Jan and Dean (1984)

Welcome back to The Beachy 80s! Its been a long winter, and the 'beachy' posts have been suffering as well, so its time to break the cold spell and inject some sun...and the song is (Bop Bop) On the Beach, by collaboration of The Flirts and Jan and Dean. Jan and Dean are a popular rock and roll duo from Southern California, and The Flirts are a female trio from New York City, and they came together in 1984 for their contribution to The Karate Kid soundtrack with the song Bop Bop On the Beach. Im going to try and get another post up within the next week as I have been busier lately and getting fewer posts in, but there is always more 80s, so stay tuned. 

The Metal 80s: 'Somebody Save Me' by Cinderella (1987)

I don't know why I haven't already had an 80s metal series, but here it begins, and it starts with American heavy-metal/glam-metal band Cinderella and their 1987 hit Somebody Save Me. Cinderella originated out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, and was founded in 1983 by Tom Keifer (singer-songwriter, keyboardisand bassist Eric Brittingham and also included guitarist Michael Smerick and drummer Tony Destra. The band would produce many multi-platinum albums in the 1980s. Somebody Save Me was the third single off of the band's 1987 triple platinum album Night Songs.  It would peak at #66 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and hit #37 on the Album Rock Chart. And so, there is the first heavy-metal 80s post, stay tuned for more 80s fans.  :-)

Your 80s Hip Hop Rewind: 'Supersonic' by J.J. Fad (1987)

Its been awhile since I posted anything, much less an 80s Hip Hop Rewind song, so today I have the 1988 hit Supersonic, by American hip-hop/rap group J.J. Fad. J.J Fad originated out of Los Angeles, California in 1988, and consisted of members MC J.B. (Juana Burns), Baby-D (Dania Birks), and Sassy C. (Michelle Franklin), who regrouped in 2009 and are active to this day. The name J.J. Fad originally stood for Just, Jammin', Fresh And Def. Supersonic was the first album by the group, released in June of 1987 it would be certified Platinum, and the song itself came to be ranked #76 in VH1's 2009 special "100 Greatest One-Hit wonders of the '80s." Stay tuned for more great 80s!

Hot 80s Nights!: 'Bad Boy' by Den Harrow (1985)

Hot 80s Nights! is back once again, after a bit of a holiday, and tonight I present to you the song Bad Boy, by Italian pop project Den Harrow. Den Harrow is an Italo-disco project out of Nova Milanese , Italy, which was fronted (the songs were actually sung by other various vocalists, including American vocalist Tom Hooker) by fashion model Stefano Zandri, who enjoyed a string of hit singles in the 1980s. Bad Boy was released as a single in 1985, where it would reach #11 in Switzerland, #17 in France, #5 in Italy, and #20 in Germany. Check out the video, pretty cool!

Your 80s Christmas Music Playlist 2012

Ho Ho Ho 80's fans! I have been saying since Halloween that I was going to also make an 80's Christmas-songs list for your various Christmas parties/DJ sets. I know its a little late this year, but better late than never right? This list (like the Halloween list) is really just the starter for the dough so to speak, so add many more of your own, but keep these in mind too! So, without further ado, here is my top 30, 80's Christmas Songs playlist (in no particular order):

1.) Last Christmas by Wham! (1984)
2.) Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You by Billy Squier (my personal favorite) (1981)
3.) Christmas in Hollis by Run DMC (1987) 
4.) Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight) by The Ramones (1989)
5.) Jingle Bell Rock by Daryl Hall and John Oates (1983)
6.) Christmas Time by Bryan Adams (1985) 
7.) Mistress for Christmas by ACDC (1989)
8.) I Wish Every Day Could Be Like Christmas by Bon Jovi (1987)
9.) Thank God It's Christmas by Queen (1984)
10.) Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses (1981)
11.) Christmas Vacation by Mavis Staples (1989) (from the National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Soundtrack)
12.) Another Rock n' Roll Christmas by Gary Glitter (1984)
13.) Fairytale of New York by The Pogues (1987)
14.) Merry Christmas Baby by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (1987)
15.) Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by U2 (1987) 
16.) Run Rudolph Run by Bryan Adams (1987)
17.) Another Lonely Christmas by Prince and the Revolution (1984)
18.) 2000 Miles by the Pretenders (1987)
19.) Last Night I Saw Santa Claus by New Kids on the Block (1989) 
20.) Santa Baby by Madonna (1987)
21.) Winter Wonderland by The Eurythmics (1987)
22.) Rock and Roll Christmas by George Thorogood and The Destroyers (1981)
23.) Do They Know Its Christmas by Band Aid (1984)
24.) Do You Hear What I Hear? by Whitney Houston (1987)
25.) Santa Claus Is Coming to Town by The Pointer Sisters (1987)
26.) She Won't Be Home by Erasure (1989)
27.) Give Love On Christmas Day by New Edition (1985)
28.) Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town by Bruce Springsteen (1981)
29.) I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by John Mellencamp (1987)30.) 2000 Miles by the Pretenders (1983)
 




-Well that about wraps up YourTop 25 80's Christmas Hits! 

Happy Holidays Everybody!!

 

 

Your 80s Christmas Rewind: 'Christmas Wrapping' by The Waitresses (1981)

Its time for some 80s Christmas classics! Your 80s Christmas Rewind has chosen a song to feature here, and it goes to American new-wave band The Waitresses and their 1981 Christmas hit Christmas Wrapping. The Waitresses were a band from Akron, Ohio, and it was led by Chris Butler (guitars and songwriting) and vocalist Patty Donahue. Christmas Wrapping was released in 1981 originally on a Christmas compilation album A Christmas Record from ZE Records. It was also released in 1982 on their  1982 EP I Could Rule the World if I Could only Get the Parts, and is also found various other Christmas compilation albums including the popular Now That's What I Call Christmas!: The Signature Collection. Now, I am looking at putting another 80s Christmas playlist together, just haven't got around to it yet, so look up last years list on this blog if you are desperate for one right away. Happy Holidays everyone!

Tragic Love in the 80s: 'Live to Tell' by Madonna (1986)

Its another Tragic Love In The 80s song, and today we present to you Madonna's 1986 love ballad Live to Tell. Live to Tell was originally written by American musician Patrick Leonard for the soundtrack of a movie called Fire with Fire, but it was picked up by Madonna who performed her version for her husband at the time, actor Sean Penn, and his film At Close Range. Live to Tell was released on Madonna's True Blue album in 1986, and also appeared as a remix on her 1990 compliation album The Immaculate Collection, only to then be re-released on her 1995 ballads album Something to Remember, and then again on her 3rd compilation album third Celebration in 2009. So, you can find it in a few different places, and if you like it, you should be sure to check out both versions of the song. Til the next tragic love song, I bid you ado. 

#3 of DJ Akhu's Top 100 80s Dance Hits Countdown!: 'Dancing With Myself' by Billy Idol (1981)

Welcome back to the Top 100 80s Dance Hits Countdown, and we are getting down to it folks, at #3 I have for you the 1981 hit Dancing With Myself by Brit post-punk rocker and legend Billy Idol. Idol's real name is William Michael Albert Broad, and he was born on November 30th, 1955 in Stanmore, Middlesex, England, which makes the Brit rocker 54 this year! Idol bounced around a bit in his earlier years, and in fact was first a member of the punk-rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees in 1976, but before they were actually calledSiouxsie and the Banshees. In 1977 he moved on to join Chelsea, and then with bandmate Tony James he quit and co-founded the band Generation X, at which point he switched from guitar to lead vocals. In 1981 Idol moved to New York and started up his successful solo career. Dancing With Myself was originally a song by his band Generation X, but was re-mixed and re-released by Billy Idol as a solo-artist in 1981 on his Don't Stop album where it would reach #2 on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. And so there is #3 and I only have 2 more to go, can you guess what they are??? Or perhaps even which bands/artists they might be? Watch this space to find out for yourself. 

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.