Sampling the 80s
Why Current Artists Can’t Resist Picking from the 80s Buffet As if you need more evidence that 1980s music is the greatest, consider this: even now, almost a quarter-century after the decade folded, artists are still ripping off– oops! I mean, “sampling”– 80s hooks for their own songs. For example, just the other day, I was thrilled to hear on the radio Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner”...
The 5 Best Make-Out Songs of the ‘80s
The 1980s gave us so much great music—totally awesome music for partying, doing aerobics, slow dancing, cruising on Friday nights, and above all, making out! Who else remembers kissing in the backseat of the car or on the couch with one eye open, making sure Mom or Dad didn’t peek out the living room window or come down the stairs? Anyone? Depending on what area of the country you grew up in, making out might also have been called...
Every Day They Read the Books: Allusive Artists of the 80s
As a high school English teacher, I love me some allusions, those literary “shout-outs” to other texts. And as a 1980s devotee, I really appreciate 80s artists that use allusions, since it gives me an excuse to play classic tunes in class and unleash my obsession on a new, unsuspecting generation. With the new school year underway, I thought I would present my list of ten allusive 80s artists, whose works include significant...
When Don Met Bruce 25 Years Ago: “The End of the Innocence”
By Mark Dursin “Words and music.” Those three words (accompanied by a “fingers crossed” hand gesture) was Eddie Wilson’s mantra in the 1983 film Eddie and the Cruisers. For Eddie, those three words summed up the magic that happens when just the right lyric matches up with just the right melody. In the film, shy lyricist — and future English teacher — Frank “Wordman” Ridgeway (Tom Berenger) provides the poetry, which Eddie...
Best 80s Summer of Music – Results Are In
By Mark Dursin The results are in! Like Totally 80s wanted to know: “Of the ten summers of the 1980s, which one spawned the best music?” So, last week, we provided sample songs from the different summers and then asked you, the fine folks sitting at home, to vote on which summer you considered the best, music-wise. And here’s what you had to say . . . 3rd Best Summer (with 15% of the vote): 1984 2nd Best Summer (with...
