Tag Archives: 80s

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Song of the Day #407: ‘Every Breath You Take’ – The Police

police20 Best Songs of the 80’s – #1

This is an odd pick because it breaks the pattern I’ve set up through the other 19 songs. While The Police were very much an early-80’s band, Sting went on to have a celebrated solo career, making him one of the only artists on the list who had more success outside the 80’s than in them.

So an argument could be made that this isn’t really an ’80’s song’ so much as a Sting song (the same argument I’ve used in excluding artists such as Michael Jackson, R.E.M. and U2 from the lineup).

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Song of the Day #406: ‘Don’t Stop Believin” – Journey

journey-escape20 Best Songs of the 80s – #2

You didn’t think I’d make it through this whole list without a Journey song, did you?

This spot could have been filled with any number of songs by Steve Perry and the boys — ‘Who’s Crying Now,’ ‘Stone in Love,’ ‘Open Arms,’ ‘Separate Ways,’ ‘Send Her My Love,’ just pick one. I’m going with ‘Don’t Stop Believin” because it’s the iconic Journey song, and also because its brand of muscular rock optimism really encapsulates the music of the 80s.

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Song of the Day #405: ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ – Duran Duran

duranduran20 Best Songs of the 80s – #3

Duran Duran is one of the most successful and best-loved bands on this list, and one of the artists I wish I’d been more into at the time. I find myself really enjoying their songs now when I happen upon them and I wonder how it is they slipped past my radar back in the early to mid-80s. I suppose I can blame that on my sister, Amy, through whom I was exposed to most music back then (funny how it works the other way now).

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Song of the Day #400: ‘Centerfold’ – J. Geils Band

centerfold20 Best Songs of the 80s – #6

I’ve always lumped ‘Abracadabra’ and ‘Centerfold’ together in my mind because this is another 45 I owned around the same time. Also, the band names were similar… Steve Miller Band, J. Geils Band. I had no idea of the context or history behind each of those releases, and to be honest, I continued to have no idea about those things until now.

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Song of the Day #399: ‘Abracadabra’ – The Steve Miller Band

stevemiller20 Best Songs of the 80s – #7

Today’s SOTD is different from just about all the rest in that the band performing it was not enjoying success for the first time but capping off a career that had already reached impressive heights. The Steve Miller Band went on to record many more albums, but ‘Abracadabra’ was their last single to chart. Prior to this 1982 release, however, the band had quite a few hits, including ‘The Joker,’ ‘Rock’n Me’ and ‘Fly Like an Eagle.’

But I didn’t know any of that in 1982. I lumped The Steve Miller Band in with all the other one-hit wonders that put music out around that time. Or at least that’s how I remember it… I don’t know if my 10-year-old mind really thought in terms of one-hit wonders.

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