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2024-03-03 13:11
In 1983, the rock star formerly known as Johnny Cougar signaled a change in his songwriting style when he released the first album using his given name, Mellencamp. Wanting to be taken more… Read More
2024-02-17 20:12
“Tenderness” by General Public is indeed a tender song, despite its upbeat tempo, handclaps and singsong melody. It’s naive, an anachronism, really, shoved in the middle of… Read More
2023-11-03 20:58
A story that’s been shared among the media over the last 30 years tells of the last meeting between Paul McCartney and John Lennon. As McCartney was saying goodbye to his songwriting p… Read More
2023-07-09 14:25
Thompson Twins were one of those bands whose name made no sense. None of the members were named Thompson, none were twins, and during their heyday, there were three members (and at one time… Read More
2023-07-09 13:55
Finding the 20 best Styx songs proved to be a little difficult. It’s like eating crab: It’s good and worth it, but it takes a great deal of effort and is time consuming. Going th… Read More
2023-04-12 22:25
Credit: Discogs..com Eddy Grant became an unlikely pop star in 1983. Somewhat of a one-hit wonder, Grant, 35, released his single “Electric Avenue,” a mix of reggae, funk and syn… Read More
2023-03-26 15:30
]In the wake of u2’s 40-song set Songs of Surrender, Bono and the Edge (where are the other two?) have “reimagined” some of their most memorable songs, rearranging them to… Read More
2023-02-19 21:54
Peak position: #2 Singles: “Jump” (No. 1) “I’ll Wait” ( No. 13) “Panama” (No. 13) “Hot for Teacher” (No. 56) When the year 1984 came, th… Read More
2023-02-04 19:36
Tracy Chapman began a folk revival in 1988 with her self-titled album and the smash hit “Fast Car,” which was unlike anything else in the Top 40 at the time. Then disappointment… Read More
2023-01-13 16:27
It’s interesting that so much controversy surrounds Paul Simon’s crowning achievement, Graceland. Simon, a darling of critics during the early 1970s, had hit a rough p… Read More
2022-12-23 19:41
Men at Work, the darlings of 1982, invaded the U.S. from Australia by way of Canada, with their monster-selling album Business As Usual and their No. 1 hits “Who Can It Be Now?&r&helli…Read More
What Happened To Toni Basil?
2022-11-23 17:52
tonibasil.net First things first: Toni Basil’s occupation is not “singer.” Yes, she can sing very well, and yes, she had a No. 1 hit in 1982 with “Mickey.” But… Read More
15 Best Styx Songs
2022-11-13 14:37
Finding the 15 greatest Styx songs proved to be a little difficult. It’s like eating crab: It’s good and worth it, but it takes a great deal of effort and is time consuming. Goin… Read More
What Happened To Haircut One Hundred?
2022-10-22 13:04
Haircut One Hundred was the ultimate preppie band. Formed in London in 1980, they skyrocketed to fame in their native U.K. based partly on their sound — a blend of new wave, lite jazz… Read More
Synchronicity – The Police (1983)
2022-09-17 02:20
Perhaps it takes a bit of adversity to make a masterpiece. The Police, a UK band that arose from the ashes of punk in the late 1970s, had grown more popular with every album, but the tension… Read More
What Happened To The Thompson Twins?
2022-07-14 04:20
The Thompson Twins were one of those bands whose name made no sense. None of the members were named Thompson, none were twins, and during their heyday, there were three members (and at one… Read More
The Solo Beatles: Ringo Starr
2022-03-18 12:29
beatles.com When the Beatles broke up in 1970, one would naturally fear for dearest Ringo Starr. The other three Beatles had established themselves as talented songwriters at the time of the… Read More
The Solo Beatles: George Harrison
2022-03-13 19:45
For a few years, George Harrison was in the zone. He was the utility baseball player who suddenly had a breakout season, marveling in his newfound skills, gaining the admiration of fans worl… Read More
The Solo Beatles: Paul McCartney
2022-03-02 14:06
Source: PaulMccartney.com Perhaps no one in pop music history has been more decorated and recognized than Paul McCartney: Dozens of albums, scores of Top 40 hits, Grammy awards, an Oscar nom… Read More
The Solo Beatles: John Lennon
2022-02-19 22:45
Source: Wikipedia Resolved: That John Winston Ono Lennon, having been blessed with an extraordinary songwriting talent, sharp wit and a creative mind, has been duly canonized in such a way t… Read More
20 Best Duran Duran Songs
2022-02-07 16:46
In their 43 years of existence, Duran Duran has had 30 singles in the U.K. Top 40, including 14 singles in the U.K. Top 10 and 21 in the U.S. Hot 100. And save for a couple of mediocre album… Read More
Are The Beach Boys Overrated?
2022-01-27 22:30
At one time, I didn’t like the Beach Boys. Yep. Hated ’em. Growing up in the 80s, I was witness to only one Top 10 hit by the group, the horrendous “Kokomo” from the… Read More
What Happened To A-ha?
2022-01-18 23:13
Source: Official Charts No other song typified the 1980s more than a-ha’s “Take On Me.” Lightweight, synth-driven, but catchy as hell, it even featured a memorable video th… Read More
Back In Black – AC/DC (1980)
2021-12-19 21:27
In 1979, the Australian hard rock band AC/DC released their sixth studio album, Highway to Hell. It proved to be their breakout album, reaching No. 17 on the U.S. charts. They were on the b… Read More
The Beatles: Get Back (Review)
2021-12-02 02:06
One black mark on the Beatles’ legacy has always been the Let It Be project. Many have called the recording sessions the beginning of the end for the Fab Four, and the release was del… Read More
Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road (Review)
2021-11-25 16:52
Our heroes are getting old. Paul McCartney is 79. Ringo Starr is 81. Bruce Springsteen, The Boss, is 72, and that ever-young Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran is 63. And Brian Wilson, like McCart… Read More
FUTURE PAST – Duran Duran (Album Review)
2021-11-18 17:00
When Duran Duran burst on the American music scene in 1983, leading the second British Invasion, most critics dismissed them as teen-magazine fodder cast in the same mold as the Bay City Ro… Read More
2021-09-29 17:11
For each smash hit, for each classic that becomes a part of music history, there is a song it defeated and left in its wake, sometimes forgotten. But that doesn’t mean that the songs w… Read More
Colour By Numbers – Culture Club (1983)
2021-09-22 21:04
Culture Club was not a one-hit wonder by any means, but they epitomized the 80s’ here today, gone tomorrow mentality when it came to their stars. Coming across the pond in the fall of… Read More
2021-09-12 19:32
discogs.com The other day, “Space Age Love Song” by A Flock of Seagulls came on Spotify. My daughter quickly asked, “Hey, isn’t that the band with the fun hair?&rdquo&hell…Read More
2021-08-29 13:56
For many diehard Genesis fans, “No Reply At All” from the 1980 album Abacab was the beginning of the end of their relationship with the band. For more than a decade, they had bo… Read More
15 Worst U2 Lyrics
2021-08-01 18:41
wikipedia.org U2 has been known for its emotional and sometimes political lyrics. Lead singer Bono has written some thought-provoking lines to songs such as “New Year’s Day,&rd&helli…Read More
2021-07-27 15:04
In their masterful and landmark single “Don’t You Want Me,” the Human League tells the story of a woman leaving her lover while the man begs her to stay. The premise worke… Read More
Is There A Best New Artist Curse?
2021-07-13 13:26
https://news.rice.edu The Best New Artist award at the Grammys is kind of a sham when you think about it. With a few exceptions, the artists who win the award aren’t nominated for any… Read More
What Happened To Thomas Dolby?
2021-07-05 19:03
In 1982, Thomas Dolby had everyone shouting, “Science!” His single “She Blinded Me With Science” went to No. 5 in the U.S. and established the producer and keyboardis… Read More
The Red Locusts (Album Review)
2021-06-30 16:09
I had no idea Rick Springfield was such a Beatles fan. Granted, 1981’s “Jessie’s Girl” is a power-pop classic, but some of his other hits were poor imitations. After… Read More
2021-06-13 16:47
Prince has been a very generous songwriter. Out of the thousands of songs he wrote, He gave away hundreds to artists (mostly his protegé groups such as the Time, the Family, Sheila E… Read More
What Happened To Culture Club?
2021-06-11 18:02
Culture Club in its heyday. Photo credit: Culture Club Instagram page Like them or not, Culture Club were trailblazers during the 1980s, from the gender-bending antics of lead singer Boy Geo… Read More
20 Songs That Missed The Top 10
2021-06-01 16:03
Hitting the Top 10 is a sign of stardom. It shows that all the hard work has paid off, that the buying public has not only accepted you but also considered your song a hit. Your Wikipedia ar… Read More
Endless Arcade, Teenage Fanclub: Review
2021-05-08 20:45
After the Beatles broke up in 1970, the four members spent most of their careers trying to prove that they could make it without the others. And despite some shining moments for each Beatle… Read More
What Happened To Soft Cell?
2021-05-06 19:43
Remember Soft Cell? No? If you don’t recall the duo, then you must remember their 1981 cover of Gloria Jones’ 1964 single “Tainted Love.” The synth- and percussion-l… Read More
2021-05-06 19:43
Remember Soft Cell? No? If you don’t recall the duo, then you must remember their 1981 cover of Gloria Jones’ 1964 single “Tainted Love.” The synth- and percussion-l… Read More
Chapter 3, The Legal Matters
2021-05-04 19:48
In 2014, an indie pop “supergroup” called The Legal Matters debuted with their first eponymous LP. The group, composed of Keith Klingensmith (Hippodrome, the Phenomenal Cats), An… Read More
2021-04-19 10:04
On page 3 of the Jan. 5, 1976 edition of the Los Angeles Times, a small, six-paragraph story told the world of the death of Mal Evans. The only reason the story was on page 3 was the manner… Read More
Life On Planet Eartsnop – Myracle Brah
2021-03-22 00:11
Andy Bopp is a songwriting machine. Like his contemporary, Robert Pollard of Guided by Voices, he has churned out album after album over the past — 22, according to his website. These… Read More
Jumping The Musical Shark: Stevie Wonder
2021-03-14 23:40
Stevie Wonder is an icon. Period. A child prodigy, he was one of the most successful artists of the 1970s, blending funk, rock and pop into his own genre of music driven by his synthesizer a… Read More
Whatever Happened To ABBA?
2021-03-06 16:00
ABBASite.com With the exception of maybe the Bee Gees, no group personified the 1970s as ABBA did. With their sequined jumpsuits, angelic lead singers and unforgettable melodies that stayed… Read More
What Happened To ABBA?
2021-03-06 16:00
ABBASite.com With the exception of maybe the Bee Gees, no group personified the 1970s as ABBA did. With their sequined jumpsuits, angelic lead singers and unforgettable melodies that stayed… Read More
The 40 Best Beatles Songs
2021-02-04 11:49
thebeatles.com Often I get asked what my favorite Beatles song is. And I usually fire off seven or eight songs. It’s just impossible to do; aside from a few stinkers, the entire Beatle… Read More
2021-01-16 17:56
For decades, men have been able to do pretty much anything in rock music, from Bob Dylan’s less-than-stellar voice and looks to John Lennon’s use of the f word in “Working… Read More
Godmuffin – Mike Viola
2021-01-08 18:59
Mike Viola’s discography is starting to get substantial. He’s released about two dozen LPs and EPs both as a solo artist and as part of the Snap! and the Candy Butchers. But the… Read More
Whatever Happened To Bananarama?
2021-01-02 18:02
Photography by Ashworth – 1984 (bananarama.co.uk) Perhaps no other band personifies 80s culture and style than Bananarama, whose New Wave tendencies were not only inherent in their mus… Read More
2020-12-22 13:11
Dave Caruso knows music. He’s released four albums of melodic pop music, teaches songwriting, and has a podcast on songwriting in which he’s interviewed such noted musicians as M… Read More
McCartney III – Paul McCartney
2020-12-19 21:15
When the Beatles were on the verge of breaking up, Paul McCartney retreated to his home in Scotland, where he became mired in depression, wondering what he was going to do next. Staying on t… Read More
Dare! – The Human League
2020-12-08 13:17
In 1981, the Human League defined a generation of music with Dare!, a record so tied to new wave that you can’t really talk about the genre without bringing up them and their breakthro… Read More
Goodbye My Love – Frankie Siragusa
2020-12-03 13:24
Get this: The Beatles hit Billboard‘s Hot 100 71 times as a group, had 34 Top 10 hits and 20 No. 1 hits. That’s an amazing output for a band that lasted only eight years —… Read More
What’s The Best R.E.M. Album?
2020-11-28 14:38
Finding the best R.E.M. album is easy at first because you can quickly separate the wheat from the chaff. There are very few meh R.E.M. albums. They’re either phenomenal or terrible. B… Read More
Whatever Happened To Debbie Gibson?
2020-11-22 15:17
Wikipedia Debbie Gibson was the Taylor Swift of the 1980s. A young, talented and pretty singer who wrote some of her own songs, the 17-year-old burst onto the scene in 1987 with the album Ou… Read More
Achtung Baby: A Second Listen
2020-11-09 12:48
When I first heard U2’s “The Fly” from their album Achtung Baby, I was ready to embrace this new sound that was rumored to be coming from the band. “The Fly” se… Read More
Made In Piteå – David Myhr
2020-10-27 12:02
In this new era of COVID isolation, going to concerts has been one of those luxuries that we have taken for granted, aside from a few dumbasses like Smash Mouth that still try to perform. Sw… Read More
What’s Wrong With Liking Duran Duran?
2020-10-19 13:47
Duran Duran rom their 1983 eponymous album cover In 2012, The Guardian music journalist Paul Morley expressed his hatred for Duran Duran, claiming that he had always despised the five-man ba… Read More
Happy 80th Birthday, John Lennon
2020-10-09 14:06
An old John from the movie Yesterday (2019, Universal Pictures) Today, John Lennon would have been 80 years old. That means it’s been almost 40 years since he was gunned down outs… Read More
Riding Around With Robby
2020-09-30 12:43
Robby & I in our famous JC Penney pose. I first met Robby Richardson at a planetarium show the summer before seventh grade. I thought we’d hit it off — we were both intereste… Read More
2020-09-23 14:43
Twelve years ago, I tried an experiment in which I listened to Joy Division for two weeks to try to find out why they were so revered. Although I grew an appreciation for their place in musi… Read More
2020-09-10 16:32
In the late 1970s, Blondie was the “it” band. They could do no wrong, releasing seven Top 40 hits and four No. 1 singles in the span of two short years. Their hits ranged from po… Read More
Best Soundtracks Of The 80s
2020-09-07 13:04
The 80s saw a boom in soundtrack sales, which started with Flashdance. But you’ll have to go back a little further to find the first true soundtrack that defined a movie. That would be… Read More
2020-09-01 15:38
VH1’s “Behind The Music” was a wonderful show which told all the never-heard=before gossip about musical acts. The plot was pretty much the same for every show: Band starts… Read More
The Best Michael Jackson Album
2020-08-26 14:27
What’s the best Michael Jackson album? Isn’t that kind of obvious? It’s Thriller, right? The answer may not be as clear, for Jackson had a few good albums — and many… Read More
‘Tracy Chapman,’ Tracy Chapman
2020-08-23 13:59
The Reagan/Thatcher era of the 1980s drew its share of detractors in the music world — artists fed up with trickle-down economics and the heating up of the Cold War. Artists from Bruce… Read More
Whatever Happened To Tiffany?
2020-08-19 14:07
Fifteen-year-old Tiffany worked her way to stardom in 1987 by singing covers of bubblegum 60s covers at shopping malls, rocketed to fame with a No. 1 single, and fell to earth almost as quic… Read More
Full Moon Fever – Tom Petty
2020-08-06 12:27
Tom Petty was an American icon before he released his monster-selling Full Moon Fever in 1989. He had laid down the roots (no pun intended) of Americana and given good ol’ rock &lsquo&helli…Read More
Flaming Pie, Paul McCartney
2020-08-02 13:01
During the 1980s and early 1990s, Paul McCartney was lost in mediocrity. Commercial and critical failures occurred with almost every release, from the limp Pipes of Peace to the uninspired O… Read More
What’s The Best Beatles Album?
2020-07-26 16:15
What’s the best Beatles album? That’s like picking your favorite child. There are too many to name, and to choose one would be tantamount to treason. The Beatles have four &mdash&hell…Read More
Emitt Rhodes, 1950-2020
2020-07-20 15:57
He had the voice of an angel. His songs were sublime and so natural that they brought memories to fans who had just witnessed the splintering of their favorite group. He went missing from t… Read More
The Perfect Summer Playlist
2020-07-15 11:56
Every year I’ve publicized my Autumn playlist, which gets me through the crisp but gloomy months of the season, a season in which the days grow shorter and the nights grow colder. But… Read More
2020-07-12 12:51
Making Movies is Dire Straits’ third album and features one of the most boring LP covers of the decade (see right). For the group, the third time seemed to be a charm. Their first albu… Read More
Superior – Tim Christensen
2020-07-08 13:40
“Superior” by Tim Christensen is close to perfect. Released back in 2008 from the album of the same name, every few years the song rears its head and enters my life, worming its… Read More
10 Songs About America
2020-07-04 22:57
The United States of America has always been fodder for musicians – whether it’s singing the praises of the country (“God Bless the U.S.A.”) or questioning its treatm… Read More
Whatever Happened To Rick Astley?
2020-07-02 17:35
Perhaps no singer has dominated pop culture in such a unique way as Rick Astley. He burst on the scene in 1987 with his love-it-or-hate-it dance single “Never Gonna Give You Up,”… Read More
Whatever Happened To Corey Hart?
2020-06-08 15:10
coreyhart.com In 1984, all Americans wanted to know was why Corey Hart wore his sunglasses at night (The best excuse, according to the lyrics, is to “keep track of the visions” i… Read More

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