What Song Most Encapsulates the 1980s? (1 Viewer)

[LonghornSaint]

I think these are strong contributors - the 80s had so many non-mainstream contributors, so I felt compelled to throw in Madness and Violent Femmes

 

[antipop]

And I didn't intend to restrict people with my criteria, although I can see where that was confusing. Use your own criteria, those factors were just the ones I personally weighted highly.

you are not the boss of me

 

[saintmdterps]

Down to the Waterline, and Romeo and Juliet are better than those songs.....IMO....

And Skateaway

 

[saintmdterps]

Over 5 pages and no G&R?



Welcome to the Jungle always kind of summed up the no-holds-barred approach many of us took to life in the 80’s. Right foot flat on the floor, throttle wide open all the time both figuratively and literally.

 

[Infoman]

 

[saintmdterps]

 

[saintmdterps]

I think these are strong contributors - the 80s had so many non-mainstream contributors, so I felt compelled to throw in Madness and Violent Femmes

To me it was bands like The Damned, Psychedelic Furs, Siouxie and the Banshees, The Violent Femmes, early REM and U2 that changed the landscape of music in the early 80’s.

Each of those bands played the Colony Ballroom or Richie Coliseum at University of Maryland in their formative years. Both venues were dives

 

[Saintman2884]

To me it was bands like The Damned, Psychedelic Furs, Siouxie and the Banshees, The Violent Femmes, early REM and U2 that changed the landscape of music in the early 80’s.

Each of those bands played the Colony Ballroom or Richie Coliseum at University of Maryland in their formative years. Both venues were dives

Early R.E.M? Those were the days back around maybe 1984-86 when Michael Stipe had long hair, their sound was more of a proto-grungy, alternative "folk" weird, backwoods Southern gothic aura, allure to them. And that was also a time when Athens, Ga. was still just a small, Southern college town that hadn't yet exploded in population or notoriety yet. R.E.M. actually opened a few shows for U2 during this time in the U.S. and on some of their European/British tours in the mid-80's. MTV might play or show a R.E.M. video at 2 or 3 o'clock in the mornings back then and they were sort of known about only to certain rock fans.

By the early 80's, the Damned had fallen apart or were in the process of collapsing.

Did you see Black Flag, a local D.C. hardcore punk band or the Misfits back in the day? Before he joined Black Flag, Henry Rollins was a manager at a local D.C. Haagen-Daaz ice cream shop.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Romeo and Juliet are better than those songs.....IMO....

indigo Girls cover of R&J is amazing

 

[Booker]

indigo Girls cover of R&J is amazing

That's one of my wife's all time favorites.

 

[BarBar]

 

[Hoodoo]

Later in the 80's, these were more my style when going to dance clubs.

Long live Razzy's/The Beach Club!!

IS & Rob Base would absolutely rock the 18" subs and tweak the highs back in the day.

 

[Hoodoo]

 

[Cage1]

Over 5 pages and no G&R?

So again, while every opinion is equally valid (even the ones posting songs from the 1970s for some reason) this is another example of one I considered to have transcended "80s" music and just made good rock

 

[tenordas]

I think the OP nails it with "Don't You Forget About Me."

However, I'll throw in two for "honorable mention"



"Don't You Forget About Me" is the quintessential 80s song, but Talking Heads is the quintessential 80s band.



To me, the ultimate 80s music video. "Big Time" is just a wild hodge-podge of claymation and crazy shots, a snapshot of how every director was trying to push experimental limits with videos of rock songs. I like it a little better than "Sledgehammer" because that song is subtle as a train wreck. "Big Time" isn't subtle, either, but it isn't busy trying to see how many innuendos it can fit into any given second. I don't think they spent the outrageous budgets that "Thriller" or "Beat It" did, but they came up with a wilder, more memorable product IMHO.