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July 21, 2006
Mudge's Favorite 134 Songs of the 80s: You Know You Wanted It
So after a few days' delay, between travel issues and power issues (what the hell is it with Mother Nature, anyway? Two tornadoes in a week, both less than five minutes from my home?), I'm returning with a handful more 80s songs for you to have stuck in your head all day. And no matter how much you may claim that you hate the 80s, think my lists are pedantic and wish that I would return to real blogging... come on. Admit it. You know you missed it. You know you wanted it. Confess.
115. I'm That Type Of Guy, LL Cool J One of the few raps from the 80s that I was into (or had even been exposed to). I actually really like LL Cool J, and if "Mama Said Knock You Out" had been released in the 80s and not 1991, it would have been in my top 12, I think. Anyway, when "I'm That Type Of Guy" came out in 1989, I fashioned it to be my own theme song... which of course was ridiculous for more reasons than I can even begin to discuss. But I fancied myself able to charm any girl, boyfriend or not... and lived out that belief; I'll just say that the existence of a boyfriend wouldn't stop me from making a play if I thought the woman was hot. Don't worry, karma certainly paid my ass back in just about another half decade or so. But... this song is a great snake's anthem, and of course any song that can incorporate the Wizard of Oz's flying monkey song into its chorus has to make it into the countdown. Watch the video here.
114. Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime, The Korgis One of the more unlikely chart hits of the decade, this moody, synth-laden, pleading 1980 song has always been a favorite of mine, though I couldn't tell you why. I think it's just because it's a pretty song (yes, I used the word pretty; shut up). Every now and then, a one hit wonder will come along with a song you think is a brilliant first single in an extended string of winning songs... and it turns out that they just caught lightning in a bottle and had a great only hit. The Korgis had a few others in the UK, but this was their only US hit. Listen/watch here.
113. What About Me?, Moving Pictures One of those songs where I can't explain what it's doing on my list. I don't know why I like this song. The video features an ice cream shop in the Outback; I don't think it's the video that did it. And in reality, the lyrics are a bunch of whiny, self-indulgent selfishness. (On the other hand, I guess that would make this song the perfect anthem for the Reagan decade and all of his voters... the 1980s "Poverty Sucks" Reagan yuppies personified whiny self-indulgent selfishness.) Anyway, for whatever unbeknownst reason, this piano-laden piece of melodrama makes my list -- if I am using the criteria "would I stop flipping radio channels if the song came on while I was driving home?," I can't lie... I would, and so here it is at #113.
112. Wouldn't It Be Good?, Nik Kershaw. Somebody, for the love of all that's holy, tell me what this video has to do with the song??? But odd video or not, this was always one of my favorite pieces of new wave pop. The guitar/trumpet dual solo still sounds really cool too. Another of the 80s one hit wonders whose one hit was really good, but who never lived up to their promise. Maybe it was because of this stupid-ass video.
111. Under The Milky Way, The Church You'll notice something as this list continues... if a song had a bagpipe solo, its odds of being on my list increased exponentially. I'm not Scottish; I don't even play one on TV... and yet, I'm all over those bagpipe solos. This is another on the list of inexplicable things about me, along with why I laugh at Adam Sandler and why I'm terrified of bridges. It's also another of the one-hit wonders on my list, with the Church's sole US hit coming in at #111 on my top 134 list. Check the video here.
Comments
Re: Nik Kershaw - See, he's an alien, and his suit...shows alternate realities? Predicts the future? Hell if I know, but I do have it on my favorites on YouTube.
Posted by: Pete at July 23, 2006 10:03 AM
You are obviously not from the UK, Nik Kershaw was and is more than a 1 hit wonder,and is still bringing new releases out.The 'visitor' in the video takes on peoples personalities, and doesn't like them.And therefore decides that the grass really isn't greener over there. It's about wishing you where something or someone your not.You should talk to Frank about it. Nik's new album is titled You've Got To Laugh, and we do 'cause of all the people who miss out on this great artist.
Posted by: Joe at August 11, 2006 06:43 PM
One hit wonder? Oh my god!!
New album last year, new album this year, You really do have to laugh! :-)
Posted by: Chid at August 21, 2006 07:02 PM
