Category: Music

That 80s Thing

Music

From Longtime Reader John L. comes this question:

“I remember you saying that you like 80s music.  I’m trying to get my daughter — a Millennial — to give it a try.  What dozen or so songs would you recommend as a primer?”

Difficult choice, but here we go.  Most of the songs are more about the sound than the music, because the 80s was when recording- and instrument technology started to expand (sometimes not for the better, but there you go).  First, two older guys (from the 70s, but who got it):

Phil Collins:  Sussudio

Peter Gabriel:  Sledgehammer

And then the newer generation of musicians who took it from there:

Gary Numan:  Cars (okay, technically, Numan probably started the whole thing off, but whatever)

Tears For Fears:  Everybody Wants To Rule The World

Howard Jones:  Things Can Only Get Better

Joe Jackson:  Stepping Out

Soft Cell:  Tainted Love

Wang Chung:  Dance Hall Days

Simple Minds:  Don’t You Forget About Me

Talking Heads:  Burning Down The House

Eurythmics:  Sweet Dreams (although I actually prefer  Would I Lie To You?)

Pet Shop Boys:  West End Girls

Some notes:

I’ve excluded from the above those musicians who just kept on playing their 70s-style music for the next ten (twenty?) years, e.g. Richie Blackmore, Journey, Huey Lewis, punk bands, and so on.

I’ve also excluded those who just played their own music during the 1980s, which has proven to be pretty much timeless regardless of decade, e.g.  Level 42 and Prince.

If you think I’ve missed any (and I probably have), have at it in Comments.