Top Fives Pt 1
Being a huge fan of High Fidelity (book and movie) I never wanted to blog about my top five anything, for fear of looking like a copycat. But damnit, I've always done top fives. We all have. Plus the movie is like 10 years old so without further whining I present:
Pete's top five most "ultimate 80's" songs. These songs more than any others define the decade for me.
5. Pretenders - Don't Get Me Wrong. It's in all the 80s nostalgia movies for a reason. A simple, memorable beat, great vocal performance by Chrissie Hynde. It's very pop for the Pretenders, but their most listenable song by far.
4. Madonna - Material Girl. The song pretty much is the 80s. The dorky, robotic male chanting at the end (Li-ving in a ma-ter-i-al world ...). Love it. The breathy boytoy Madonna's chirps and squeals. Love it. The way she sings it, "Matehrial Gehl." Frickin love it!
3. The Cars - Drive. I love upbeat quirky Cars songs. I love Rick Ocasek Cars songs. This is neither. But Benjamin Orr delivers simple vocals on a ballad track that's like 90% synthesizer and it still rules. It kicks ass even today. Michael Bay would agree. So would Bumblebee.
2. Ah-Ha - Take on me. The song, the video, the one hit wonder status. It smacks of 80s the whole way through. Try to make an 80s compilation without it. It's the only song I know to make people play air keyboard. Also, if you don't yet know it's "I'll be gone ... in a day or twooooooooooo."
1. Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World. At once upbeat and relaxed, optomistic but still a little haunting, the song is complex, easy to sing along to and features the greatest guitar solo at the end - and you barely even notice it's there.
That's my list. Agree? Disagree? Got one of your own? Please share.
Honorable mention: Don't stop believin, Wake me up before you go-go, Pour some sugar on me, Beat it, Modern love
Being a huge fan of High Fidelity (book and movie) I never wanted to blog about my top five anything, for fear of looking like a copycat. But damnit, I've always done top fives. We all have. Plus the movie is like 10 years old so without further whining I present:
Pete's top five most "ultimate 80's" songs. These songs more than any others define the decade for me.
5. Pretenders - Don't Get Me Wrong. It's in all the 80s nostalgia movies for a reason. A simple, memorable beat, great vocal performance by Chrissie Hynde. It's very pop for the Pretenders, but their most listenable song by far.
4. Madonna - Material Girl. The song pretty much is the 80s. The dorky, robotic male chanting at the end (Li-ving in a ma-ter-i-al world ...). Love it. The breathy boytoy Madonna's chirps and squeals. Love it. The way she sings it, "Matehrial Gehl." Frickin love it!
3. The Cars - Drive. I love upbeat quirky Cars songs. I love Rick Ocasek Cars songs. This is neither. But Benjamin Orr delivers simple vocals on a ballad track that's like 90% synthesizer and it still rules. It kicks ass even today. Michael Bay would agree. So would Bumblebee.
2. Ah-Ha - Take on me. The song, the video, the one hit wonder status. It smacks of 80s the whole way through. Try to make an 80s compilation without it. It's the only song I know to make people play air keyboard. Also, if you don't yet know it's "I'll be gone ... in a day or twooooooooooo."
1. Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World. At once upbeat and relaxed, optomistic but still a little haunting, the song is complex, easy to sing along to and features the greatest guitar solo at the end - and you barely even notice it's there.
That's my list. Agree? Disagree? Got one of your own? Please share.
Honorable mention: Don't stop believin, Wake me up before you go-go, Pour some sugar on me, Beat it, Modern love
1 comment:
I'm not sure one can do a Top 5 of the '80s and NOT include a Prince song, but, BUT, this is fucking solid. Fact.
Duke Wilbury. Out.
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