Tag Archives: Decades

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Song of the Day #2,970: ‘Brass in Pocket’ – The Pretenders

the_pretendersI’ve never paid much attention to The Pretenders, in part because my wife has a visceral dislike of lead singer Chrissie Hynde (to clarify, it’s Hynde’s voice she dislikes, not the woman herself). I’m not sure why that matters all that much, because my wife dislikes many of the musical acts I enjoy, but it’s one reason I’ve neglected to explore the band’s music.

Another reason is my own dislike for the song ‘I’ll Stand by You,’ one of those syrupy power ballads either speaks to you on a deep emotional level or makes you want to wretch.

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Song of the Day #2,969: ‘Back in Black’ – AC/DC

ac-dc_back_in_blackFrequent commenter Dana suggested last week that looking at commercial hits rather than critically acclaimed albums might produce more palatable results. Several of the albums I’ve featured so far have been best sellers as well as critics darlings, but none to the degree of today’s selection.

AC/DC’s Back in Black is considered one of the best rock albums of all time, and has sold more copies worldwide than anything but Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Embarrassingly, I don’t own it.

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Song of the Day #2,968: ‘Private Idaho’ – The B-52’s

b52s_wild_planetAh, a nice refreshing respite from the abrasive punk rock of last week! My next 1980 album is the sophomore effort by New Wave band The B-52’s.

Wild Planet and the band’s self-titled debut (released a year earlier) are considered The B-52’s best work, at least until 1989’s comeback album Cosmic Thing, which featured the hits ‘Roam’ and ‘Love Shack.’ The first two records established their flamboyant, retro style and put Athens, Georgia, on the musical map a few years before R.E.M.’s first record.

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Song of the Day #2,965: ‘Sex and Dying in High Society’ – X

x_los_angelesMy week of 1980 albums by groups I’ve never heard turned out to be a theme week on punk rock. Fortunately, the last band featured seems to be the best of the bunch, though that isn’t saying much.

X is a Los Angeles punk band that formed in the late 70s and released their debut album, fittingly titled Los Angeles, in 1980. They recorded regularly throughout the 80s before splitting late in the decade. They reunited a couple of times after that, releasing one more studio album in 1993.

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Song of the Day #2,964: ‘Let’s Lynch the Landlord’ – Dead Kennedys

dead_kennedys_fresh_fruitContinuing my tour of critically-acclaimed albums of 1980, I arrive at yet another punk rock band, though this one hails from America. Dead Kennedys released four full-length albums between 1980 and 1986 before disbanding. They reformed in 2001 minus lead singer Jello Biafra, but only to tour.

Biafra has repeatedly accused his bandmates of selling out, for everything from releasing a greatest hits album to licensing their music to a Levis commercial and a Robert Rodriguez movie.

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