Worst 80s Song

[Shammrog]

I gotta admit, I loved me some Tears for Fears and Shout. Then one guy left, and they became only Fears.....or Tears.

I went with Eye of the Tiger. I think I used to sort of kind of like that song too but I heard it the other day and wow. Cheese. Plus, it was Survivor and they sucked.

-EarlJam, who will now await a post from a former member of Survivor calling me a douchebag.

DOUCHEBAG!

[Lavabe]

Would love to see a Shammrog reference on the Survivor Wiki or uncyclopedia page.

You realize that you now must change your avatar to match the cover of "Eye of the Tiger" record.

Please ... ANY reason to switch from the young Hillary Clinton.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[aimo]

Falco's Puttin' on the Ritz

Falco did Rock Me I'm a Dumbass. Taco did Puttin' on the Ritz.
And I love those songs, as well as One Night in Bangkok.

To me, the best song out of the 80's was Burnin' Down the House by the Talking Heads.

[willywoody]

where's starship's we built this city on rock n roll? or maybe you didn't want a runaway winner?

[Bostondevil]

Also, I agree with colchar - Bostondevil's insane. There was some bad stuff in the '70s, as in any decade, but on balance it's outweighed by a lot of brilliant music that pushed the art forward. The '80s was full of some of the most cynical, overproduced, money-inspired crap ever known to music. Commercial pop radio ruled the world. It was a decade of musical devolution, other than in the emergence of punk.

Why thank you Mal. If you tell me you like Neil Young, I'll return the favor, you have to be bonkers to like that man's singing voice although I'll admit some of his songs are great. Just please never make me listen to him singing them.

Never Mind the Bollocks, Here Come the Sex Pistols- 1977. I think of punk as the '70s saving grace. That and Elvis Costello, My Aim is True -also 1977. But they weren't exactly mainstream and my comments about suckage refer to the mainstream.

colchar listed some bands that were early '70s, not enough to carry you through the decade. As far as the Stones are concerned, in the '70s they recorded Beast of Burden, not the worst song ever but certainly not the Stones at their best.

Let's think about what you were hearing on the radio in the '70s
You Light Up My Life, Jive Talkin', Disco Duck, Love Will Keep Us Together, Silly Love Songs, to name a few.

I'll also admit my view is probably colored by the fact I was in college in the 80s and I think the music from your college years will always sound better. But just in case you still want to think of me as insane, I own the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever but not Frampton Comes Alive.

And as I said in another thread, Safety Dance was stolen from Violet in A Charlie Brown Christmas.

[Jfrosh]

As soon as I saw the title of the thread I thought 99 Luftballons before even seeing the poll, so I have to go with that. But my god so many good (bad) choices.

[Ping Lin]

...man, this thread makes me feel old. I confess a lot of the songs mentioned on both the poll and in the replies are guilty pleasures. Heck, at least all those songs have a discernible melody and chord progression, which is more than can be said for much of what's playing on the radio today. And I claim that a lot of powerful music was being made then (Police, U2, Springsteen) which prevents the decade from being the worst. Still...

As a boy growing up in the 80s, I admit Ashford and Simpson's "Solid As a Rock" still makes my hair curl and thus gets my vote.

But just about any of the mindless teen candy pop sensations at the time (New Kids on the Block, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, Sheila E) -- egad.

[EarlJam]

But just about any of the mindless teen candy pop sensations at the time (New Kids on the Block, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, Sheila E) -- egad.

For the past ten minutes since I read this, I've had "Lost in Your Eyes" playing in my head. Not that I know the lyrics. I don't. I swear. I SWEAR!

But the tune and the chorus. This sucks. Must...get....new tune....in....head.

-EeaarrllJjaamm

[DevilAlumna]

Sure. I'm sure you loved Murray Head's "One Night in Bangkok."

DA: Since you can explain my second tier, please explain the following:
Dexy's Midnight Runners: Come on Eileen? I NEVER figured out DMR's success.
The Mary Jane Girls?
WHAT was Robert Plant doing with the Honeydrippers?
Katrina and the Waves' "Walkin' on Sunshine?" HUH?
Juice Newton?

She's blinding me with science!

ONIB - yes, I really do like that song. I have a version with a great symphonic opening, the whole thing is like 8 min. long. Did you know that Tim Rice wrote the lyrics?

Come on Eileen - best drunken dance song evah. The Scottish college kids go MAD when that comes on in the clubs.

Honeydrippers -- Hey, I like Plant's voice when he's mellow. IIRC, he's got a new album out with Allison Krause -- probably a good combo.

Walking on Sunshine -- 2nd best drunken dance song. How can you *not* like the happy pop of it all? (Plus, a good friend sang the lead for Lady Blue's rendition.)

Juice Newton -- okay, I'll give ya that one.

And Thomas Dolby -- that was one trippy video. Back when MTV played videos.

[greybeard]

For the past ten minutes since I read this, I've had "Lost in Your Eyes" playing in my head. Not that I know the lyrics. I don't. I swear. I SWEAR!

But the tune and the chorus. This sucks. Must...get....new tune....in....head.

-EeaarrllJjaamm

Or a new head, whichever comes first, eh? "what have they done to my brain, Ma, what have they done to my brain . . . ." Was that from the 80's? It should have been; then I'd know a few words from one freakin song from that entire decade.

Don't get old, my droogy, droogs, don't ever get old!

[Mal]

Alright, game on, Bostondevil! I didn't seriously mean you're crazy, of course, just tweaking. I'm not a huge fan of Neil Young's voice, or Dylan's post-early years voice, but I've grown used to them.

I think of punk as being born in the late '70s and emerging into the mainstream a bit in the '80s. Whatever - they can both have it, but if you're giving it to the '70s, I think that only helps my argument.

I don't disagree with your named songs from the '70s. However, I think the '80s had both (a) a higher sheer volume of awful songs and albums foisted on the public (we could go back and forth all day submitting lists, but I have a gut feeling you'd run out first), and (b) a lower volume of "great" music. You mention disco, but that was a fad of a couple years. The entire decade of the '80s seemed to be dominated by corporate driven one hit wonders. Witness Eddie Murphy and Patrick Swayze being in the charts. Witness Ray Parker, Jr.

The '70s, despite the disco craze, started with Zeppelin III and Zoso, Exile on Main Street and Sticky Fingers, Let It Be, After The Gold Rush, Moondance and Who's Next, proceeded through Dark Side of The Moon, What's Going On, Blood on The Tracks, Houses of The Holy, Paul Simon, Songs in The Key of Life and Pink Moon, and eventually ended with The Clash, Rumours, My Aim Is True and Fear of Music. All albums that have succeeded both commercially and critically, and are still staples today.

The albums of the '80s that have stood the test of time, by contrast, seem pretty few and far between: Synchronicity, Graceland, Murmur, The Queen Is Dead, Joshua Tree, Purple Rain, Thriller, Appetite for Destruction. I'm sure I'm missing some, but to my mind there was a dearth of great bands or artists producing their best work in the '80s.

[JasonEvans]

I actually like all those songs. What can I say? I was 13 in 1983.

I vote for Mr. Roboto.

I second that!!!

Personally, I like several of these songs especially including Tainted Love.

[JasonEvans]

Falco did Rock Me I'm a Dumbass. Taco did Puttin' on the Ritz.
And I love those songs, as well as One Night in Bangkok.

Wait, Falco and Taco are not the same person. No waaaay!!

which is which?

-Jason

[greybeard]

Hey, I actually know a couple. My fav, "Totem," Gabrial Roth and the Mirrors; no words, they are completely unnecessary.

[camion]

The one that makes me switch stations the fastest is:

Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up

[colchar]

I'm shocked no one has yet mentioned what's been justifiably named Worst. Song. Evah. by numerous publications: "We Built This City."

Personally I've spent a lot of time in therapy attempting to block out all memories of that song.

[colchar]

At the risk of the being the odd guy out here, although TUSK was absolutely abominable, FWM's 2 albums in the mid-70's ruled. You had to be there. Right up there with The Eagles, Steve Miller Band, Bread, LZ, PF... FWM was the "anti-disco" and most everyone loved them. At. The. Time. 30 years later, that may be another story altogether. But like I said, you had to be there. They were hot, hot, hot. Never heard nary a negative word about them until that awful Tusk came out, around 1980. Couldn't believe that piece of trash they did. What a backslide.

I love Fleetwood Mac. Always have. Always will.

I do agree that Tusk sucked though.

[colchar]

The next tier includes:
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Bette Davis Eyes

I swear I was listening to both of those as I started this thread.

Raspberry Beret (the single WORST Prince song)
Rock me Amadeus
Falco's Puttin' on the Ritz
ANYTHING by Michael Bolton
Der Komissar
One Night in Bangkok

Yes, those did make me hurl.

[colchar]

I'll cede one point: the Eddie Murphy "Buckwheat" version of Bette Davis Eyes is classic SNL.

I've never seen that. My life will not be complete until I do.

WHAT was Robert Plant doing with the Honeydrippers?

I thought they were a good vehicle for getting Plant back out there after the break-up of Zeppelin. While Sea of Love sucked I still think Rockin' at Midnight was a great track for Plant's style of singing.

[colchar]

where's starship's we built this city on rock n roll? or maybe you didn't want a runaway winner?

See my other post regarding that song. I've been in therapy trying to block that from my memory. And I pray to the Gods of Rock every single day that nobody ever covers that song.