My top 10 for the 1980’s
Inspired by Triple J’s recent initiative to choose the Hottest 100 for the 2010’s I have decided to try to climb back into the dark recesses of my memory and come up with my top ten songs from the previous decades. My appreciation for music started in the second half of the 1980’s and then went into overdrive in the 1990’s. Anyway, here is what I’ve come up with from the 1980’s …
I really didn’t start to get into my own music until later in the 1980’s once I hit my teen years. My strongest early influence music wise was my sister, as such Howard Jones makes my top ten for this decade as he was one of her favourites and I had listened to him often. Mum and dad didn’t have a lot of music, I do remember they had some Neil Diamond LPs but the songs from them that I really remember include Dads trucking music with the likes of Convoy by CW McCall (but it was released in 1975) and his surfer music such as Bomboora by the Atlantics (released in 1963).
By the end of the 1980’s my love for hip hop had started and I also found much of my music taste aligned with my politics. I also remember getting into break dancing (pretty badly but I thought I was cool) and loving the movies ‘Breakdance’ and ‘Beat Street’. Mum and dad did try to encourage me to learn the piano but I was more interested in chasing a football around. I kind of regret not learning the piano as well as I could have but it is what it is. I’m really proud of mum though who has recently taken up playing the piano again.
I have tried to choose songs that were released in the 1980’s that actually influenced me during that time. There are plenty of songs and albums I have since purchased and/or listened to but I didn’t get onto them until after the 1980’s so they haven’t been included. This would include the likes of Peter Tosh, Metallica, Rollins Band/Henry Rollins, Nick Cave, Janes Addiction, Billy Bragg and Violent Femmes to name a few.
- Public Enemy – Fight The Power, from the soundtrack for the movie, ‘Do The Right Thing’ and the album ‘Fear of a Black Planet’ (1989)
Possibly my all-time favourite PE song. PE have been one of my favourite ever bands ever since I was a teenager and have been a big influence on me and my politics. This song just made the cut for the 1980’s being released in 1989 with a version also appearing on their album, ‘Fear of a Black Planet’ released in 1990.
My music collection of PE releases includes; 10 CD’s, 3 LP’s, 3 DVD’s, 2 videos and 2 cassettes (some releases I have on several formats).
I saw PE do an in-store appearance at HMV in the city of Sydney. This was really cool to be close up to my idols and later I purchased the PE video, ‘Fight the Power’ Live. It included a pan across of the crowd on that day and if it only panned a couple more metres to the left I would have been in the video, spewing.
2. Public Enemy – Bring the Noise, from the album ‘It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back’ (1988)
The album, ‘It Takes a Nation to Hold us Back’ was the first PE cassette I bought, years later I bought a CD version. The first ever CD I ever bought was PE’s album, ‘Apocalypse 91 … The Enemy Strikes Black’ in 1991.
‘It Takes a Nation to Hold us Back’ is still one of my favourite PE albums and it contains many bangers that I could have selected but I have chosen ‘Bring the Noise’ as my favourite track from the album. PE later collaborated with Anthrax and did a new version of the song which is contained on the ‘Apocalyse 91’ album.
I decided to pick two PE songs as they were so influential on me at that time. If you ever saw me out and about at that time, chances are I was sporting a PE t-shirt, this was when my fashion for band t-shirts started in earnest and this hasn’t stopped and probably won’t until I am no longer breathing.
3. Midnight Oil – US Forces, from the album ‘10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1’ (1982)
The first album I ever heard by Midnight Oil was ‘Diesel and Dust’ which my brother had back in 1987. I had heard them before but my appreciation for them really started with listening to Diesel and Dust.
However, I have chosen ‘US Forces’ as my favourite Oils song from the 80’s, I remember hearing it on the radio and it really resonated with me at the time. I have purchased their entire catalogue of albums over the years.
4. NWA – Express Yourself, from the album ‘Straight Outta Compton’ (1988)
Whilst Public Enemy were and still are my favourite US hip hop band, I also started to listen to the likes of NWA, Ice T, Run DMC and LL Cool J at the later end of the 1980’s.
‘Straight Outta Compton’ is a sensational album and my favourite track from it is ‘Express Yourself’.
5. Pseudo Echo – Funky Town, from the album ‘Love an Adventure’ (1985)
I still have the ‘Love an Adventure’ LP which included ‘Funky Town’. This was one of the first ever LPs I owned.
6. Paul Hardcastle – 19, from the album ‘Paul Hardcastle’ (1985)
I remember watching the music video for this song and being hooked straight away. I had already heard ‘I was only 19’ by Redgum but this song had a similar message but with a hip hop beat.
7. Howard Jones – Like to Get to Know You Well, from the ’12” Album’ (1984)
Howard Jones was one of my sisters favourite artists, and still is, and her influence on me meant I also enjoyed his music. ‘Like to get to know you well’ was probably my favourite of his songs.
8. Redgum – I Was Only 19 or ‘A walk in the light green’, from the album ‘Caught in the Act’ (1983)
I remember when I first heard this song it made a strong impression on me and still does to this day. While I didn’t have the album, ‘Caught in the Act’ in the 1980’s I have since purchased it and have a much broader appreciation for Redgum’s music now, but back in the day, ‘I was only 19’ was the only track of theirs I knew.
I was stoked when my favourite ever band, The Herd covered this song, here is a link to their version of the song.
9. Madness – House Of Fun, from the album ‘ Complete Madness’ (1982)
I first saw Madness perform this song on the ‘Young Ones’, one of my favourite shows back in the 1980’s. I love Madness and this is my favourite song of theirs.
10. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Message, from the album ‘The Message’ (1982)
One of my sister’s boyfriends back in the 1980’s, brought around this LP and it was the first time I had ever heard hip hop. I was hooked and this song was the first exposure I had for this genre of music which has been a huge influence on me ever since.
- Public Enemy – Fight The Power, from the soundtrack for the movie, ‘Do The Right Thing’ and the album ‘Fear of a Black Planet’ (1989)
- Public Enemy – Bring the Noise, from the album ‘It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back’ (1988)
- Midnight Oil – US Forces, from the album ‘10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1’ (1982)
- NWA – Express Yourself, from the album ‘Straight Outta Compton’ (1988)
- Pseudo Echo – Funky Town, from the album ‘Love an Adventure’ (1985)
- Paul Hardcastle – 19, from the album ‘Paul Hardcastle’ (1985)
- Howard Jones – Like to Get to Know You Well, from the ’12” Album’ (1984)
- Redgum – I Was Only 19 or ‘A walk in the light green’, from the album ‘Caught in the Act’ (1983)
- Madness – House Of Fun, from the album ‘ Complete Madness’ (1982)
- Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Message, from the album ‘The Message’ (1982)