Jay "The Birdman" Stumpff - My Story

We had large tape recorders that were so big and heavy we could not carry them. That’s the way it was and we LIKED IT! When the batteries went dead the song slooooowwwwed waaaaaay dooooown until we could no longer hear a recognizable sound. We didn’t know any better. We all now have bad backs from carrying around these large tape players and we can’t hear very well. We were a bunch of stooped over hard hearing people running around listening to slow versions of fast song without ear buds carrying 50 pound tape players hoping we didn’t accidentally hit record and lose the free music we downloaded from the static ridden radio and we LIKED IT!

I listen to a talk show weekday mornings. The host is Glenn Beck. He went through the week’s top 10 songs on Monday. It is was the best of Glenn Beck so I don’t know what week it was but I think it is about 2 months old. I have heard 3 and of those 3 I like 2 of them and I knew the artist for 1 of those 3. The music today is mind-numbing dribble with bad lyrics. The songs are eye opening. The “artist” in the top ten featured 50 Cent with 4 songs in the top 10. He is the first person to have 4 songs in the top 10 since the Beatles. The correct way to say 50 Cent is not Fifty Cent it is Fiddy Cent. By the way, I am VERY unhip!

The last time I listened to pop (popular) music was 1988. Backtracks USA had the top 40 songs of the 80’s which was voted on by who knows but it was not a knowledgeable 80’s music fan. Even though I LOVE the Outfield’s song “Your Love”, it is not the #1 song of the 80’s. This leads me to today’s question. What are the top 15 songs of the 80’s?

Here is the deal. Time-Life has asked you to compile 15 definitive songs of the 80’s. Think about it before you laminate your list because this is THE list. What are the top/BEST 15 songs of the 1980’s? Click the comments line to leave your list. I will put my list together and laminate it for discussion.

~Bird~

I am working on my list! I am doing better than I thought, I have cut it down from 200 to 25! 10 more to cut! :-)

Posted by: RaNee at June 7, 2005 07:12 PM

You are doing better than me...course I was only about 6 0r 7 yrs. old when I love Rock-n-Roll came out. In 1989 I was only 14. It may take me awhile to get mine done. I like so many songs!

Posted by: Dianne at June 24, 2005 02:22 PM

So, where is your list? Are you still working on yours?

Posted by: Dianne at June 24, 2005 02:23 PM

Problem with fiddy cent being compared to the Beatles is... Hip Hop is the only thing the radio plays so of course there's 4 of his songs in the Top 10... don't get me started about them dropping VH1 MegaHits off my digital cable.

Posted by: Jeaux at July 11, 2005 11:08 AM

Who is Fiddy cent? We have dishnetwork and it's great! They have VH1classic where there is nothing but classic music videos. I love it!

Posted by: dianne at July 18, 2005 11:32 PM

So weird that you posted this, Bird! Some friends and I just got done doing this exact same thing, only we went Edgewall style and did top 20, with rankings, then came up with our final list that we will use to fill 2 CDs as our compilation.

Here is my top 20 list:
Just Another Day - Oingo Boingo
Back In Black - AC/DC
Distant Early Warning - Rush
Why Can't I Be You - The Cure
Yoda - Weird Al Yankovich
No One Like You - Scorpions
How Soon Is Now - The Smiths
Everything Counts - Depeche Mode
In My Room Yaz
Burning Down The House - Talking Heads
Our House - Madness
Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order
Changes - Yes
Turn It on Again - Genesis
Panama - Van Halen
Wet Dream - Kip Addata
Bad - U2
Rock of Ages - Def Leppard
Too Much Time On My Hands - Styx
Tainted Love - Soft Cell

...and here's the top 20 list overall from our entire group:

Our House - Madness
Come on Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners
One Night in Bangkok - Murray Head
When Doves Cry - Prince
Add It Up - Violent Femmes
With or Without You - U2
Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
How Soon is Now - The Smiths
Rio - Duran Duran
Rock Lobster - B-52s
Black Coffee in Bed - Squeeze
Crimson & Clover - Joan Jet and the Blackhearts
Rock the Kasbah - The Clash
Welcome to the Jungle - Guns n Roses
You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
Leave It - Yes
She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby
Shout at the Devil - Motley Crue
Jump - Van Halen
Shout - Tears For Fears

Gotta love those 80s!
-Myles-

Posted by: Myles Becker at July 28, 2005 05:41 PM

Cool! I need to come up with mine:)

Posted by: Dianne at November 20, 2005 09:26 PM

Alot of these songs I don't know.

I need to finish my list:)

Posted by: Dianne at November 21, 2005 04:53 PM