And now for "Obsession" by Animotion. Like many 80s songs, this one was adopted into the soundtrack of the Grand Theft Auto franchise. In this case, "Obsession" appears on "Wave 103" in GTA Vice City. Great song to zoom around Vice City in my Infernus.

https://tinyurl.com/y568eaxa

I cannot do 80s videos without putting in some Weird Al Yankovic. I know he's nuts, but he's brilliant. In one of his most famous parodies in his early years, he takes down Madonna's famous "Like a Virgin" with his own "Like a Surgeon". His back arches and dance moves are just fantastic.

https://tinyurl.com/vefqy3s

I now return to Eurythmics, this time for their most famous song, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)":

https://tinyurl.com/syb6224

Now, it's awfully hard to categorize this next one, other than it's 80s and it's great. Beyond that, maybe a rap musical number? I don't know. Here's Murray Head in "One Night in Bangkok."

https://tinyurl.com/tvcjawh

Let's try something a little different from Madonna this time. Probably not among her most famous songs, but I still like "La Isla Bonita":

https://tinyurl.com/votnryf

And now for Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me". This one always used to get a lot of play in October in the run-up to Halloween. Wonder why? And yes, that is, in fact, the one and only King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, singing *backup vocals* in this song:

https://tinyurl.com/sg29pmg

I think I'll go back for another Blondie song, this time 1980's "Call Me":

https://tinyurl.com/s48w2cx

Don't forget this one.

"Atomic"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_WLw_0DFQQ


This song just screams "The 80s" to me. Plus, it's really good.

Yes. "Atomic" is a great song. It is also on the GTA Vice City playlist for "Wave 103", so I definitely remember cruising to it in my Infernus as Tommy Vercetti back in my GTA days.

Never played GTA or any console video game that's newer than Final Fantasy VII on the original Playstation.

But I know those GTA games have some great soundtracks.

For the Pretenders, I like the guitar work in this one.

"Middle of the Road" - Live at Austin City Limits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVry7uMud1o

The Steve Miller Band is mostly noted for a number of classic 70s songs. But then there is "Abracadabra", which is just about as 80s as it comes. I think it is the best song the Steve Miller Band ever made in its extremely long history, but I'm biased, of course. And the video is psychedelic:

https://tinyurl.com/wljqajn

And then there are some who would say that it's their worst song.

"Wild Mountain Honey" is probably my favorite Steve Miller Band song. The intro has a special guitar effect that I love. I won't link to it because it's from the 70s, but it's worth a listen.

Also that video is psychedelic only in the mildest sense of the word.

Did you ever listen to anything in the 80s that wasn't part of some top 40 list?

Don't know if you realize that Ric Ocasek doesn't sing on "Drive". The song was written by Ric but sung by bassist Benjamin Orr. It's a great song though, not just great for the 80s but for any era.

I hope you don't think that I'm trying to give you a hard time. It's easy to take things the wrong way.

Is this song 80s enough for you?

"Making Plans for Nigel" - XTC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfsYSPCNWCw

"We're just making plans for Nigel. We only want what's best for him."

Yeah, right.


Right up there with Squeeze and maybe Depeche Mode for pure 80s-ness in my book.

Sorry to hog your Music Corner so much.

...and now back to you.

Couple of points to the previous notes: most of my exposure, as I had mentioned previously, was by watching videos on MTV. To the extent the MTV playlist of that era reflected Top 40 (which it certainly did to a high degree), I plead guilty. I've never been to a live concert in my life and don't particularly like videos of live concerts. The videos are a big part of what attracted me to the music. Obviously, the effects are quite dated by today's standards, but, for example, the effects in the "Abracadabra" video were innovative in 1982. While Ric Ocasek does not do the vocals in "Drive", the fact that he was the front man for the Cars, wrote the song, and prominently appears in the video (and recently died) prompted my memorialization.

Video killed the radio star was not just the first video played on MTV. The video age is a sea change in music. My selections will always focus on the videos. Honestly, who played bass, guitar, keyboard, or drums for which band doesn't particularly interest me. I am intentionally excluding numerous songs from Michael Jackson's famous "Thriller" album which I really like from being added to this thread (by me, anyway - others could add them if they wanted) simply because MJ didn't make videos for them. Too bad.

There are probably a few songs with videos from the 80s that I liked that didn't make the Top 40 lists. Maybe I might surprise you on that some day. But I'll admit I've never really been an "alternative rock" fan. The names I know were mostly big names.

Can I ask why you've never been to a concert?

Believe me....there were music videos that existed before MTV. Good ones too. I grew up watching MTV also. But it's funny how two people watching the same channel can have vastly different experiences.

I had a small TV in my room that had early HBO and MTV. Also have fond memories of watching Tom Baker's Doctor Who and Benny Hill on PBS when I was little.



I can't believe that you've never been to a concert. Not even a band at the State Fair or a small nightclub?

See, I played drums in band from 6th grade all the way through High School graduation. So music is a passion of mine. Just like science is yours.

(It's one of mine too, but don't tell anyone.)

A lot of reasons, actually. I'm extremely introverted, hate crowds, have always been somewhat of a workaholic (and I'm *not* a retiree, even now), and have never had any interest in "partying" (no alcohol, tobacco, or drug use, nor do I particularly enjoy being around people who do - typically only happens when I go to casinos). My entertainment consists primarily of using my mind. My background, if anyone considers it relevant, is that I am a son of a very serious mechanical engineer who also served as a deacon in the Southern Baptist Church in rural East Texas. By my father's standards, I was almost a playboy.

Oh, I intended also to comment on "Making Plans For Nigel". This was not a song I knew about back in the 80s, although I do think it is catchy. I *did* know about it prior to today, though. A piece of that song appeared in the "Black Mirror" interactive episode "Bandersnatch", which came out on Netflix last year and which I commented on in my Science Fiction Interpretation blog. Given the lyrics, I think it was well-suited to being included in the 80s-themed "Bandersnatch", where the central character becomes convinced that others are making his decisions for him. The song is played as the main character is being driven (against his wishes) to the psychiatrist's office by his father.

Come on! You don't have to be a retiree to go to a concert. But I understand being an introvert though. For the most part, I'm the same way. More so now than I used to be.

You can use your mind very well without any kind of mind altering substances. I'm the only child of a very serious Vietnam Navy vet who came back here and re-enlisted in the Air Force. You can use your imagination with that one. That might be why I joined the Army at 17 years old.

Ha!


Glad you enjoyed "Making Plans For Nigel", I heard it the other day and it was stuck in my head.

Here's what I was listening to in the 80s. But I'm an oddball.


"Blister in the Sun" - The Violent Femmes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YdQBkxf4kU

Okay, two more killer 80s tunes and then I'll leave you alone....for a while.


First up is Tubeway Army featuring Gary Numan of "Cars" fame.

"Are Friends Electric?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF4Z6smOrZw

And finally one of my favorite 80s bands, the B-52s with "Planet Claire".

"Planet Claire"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOjAzI5zALo



She came from Planet Claire
I knew she came from there
She drove a Plymouth Satellite
A-faster than the speed of light

Planet Claire has pink air
All the trees are red
No one ever dies there
No one has a head

I may head off in the Gary Numan and B-52s directions someday, but for now, I'm going back for more Fleetwood Mac. Here's "Little Lies":

https://tinyurl.com/r2mm2kn