For some reason, 80s songs are still in high demand today, perhaps as much as they were during their heyday. There are few people who can live without a regular dose of music from this musical era.
Perhaps, in the morning, you want someone to wake you up before you go-go, so that you can dance like a maniac to the classic Wham song. Perhaps you still that iconic T-shirt with the words “Choose Life” on it in your wardrobe. Who can ever forget that song, let alone, the iconic video that represents all those crazy yet happy times in the 80s?
If you?re a girl, then all you pretty much wanted to do in the 80s was to have fun. All girls just wanna have fun, right? Cyndi Lauper was able to capitalize on the success of that song to have a successful career and became an 80s icon in the process. There?s no doubt that the girls can have a lot of fun when the DJ puts this song on in the nightclub.
On the other hand, the guys in the nightclub must be careful of those maneaters that lurk around. Yes, there are maneaters everywhere and Hall and Oates were right to sing about it in this classic 80s song. The fact that the song made it to number 1 in numerous countries justified their decision. There couldn’t be a more appropriate song to play at a club!
There are few who would disagree that life today is busier than in the 80s. We need a holiday more than ever before. Madonna made us crave one in the 80s and the song still does the same thing today, albeit to a greater extent. It wouldn’t be a surprise to find people preferring a holiday back to the 80s rather than to another place on Earth.
Real music legends are few and far between these days but 80s songs certainly showcased a lot of these. By simply telling us repeatedly that Billie Jean was not his lover, he cemented his spot as musical legend in the 80s. Michael Jackson eventually convinced us of that through a singing voice and dancing ability that so far remains unmatched. It’s a pity that he has now left us.
The best thing about 80s songs is that we have a medium through which we can feel the vibes, happiness and passion of such a much loved and missed musical era.
Some people think that the most memorable 80s songs are the ones that were commercially successful. This is not necessarily the case as impact is not exclusively measured by chart performance but also by other factors.
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by The Eurythmics
Who can possibly forget the music video of this great song? Annie Lennox dressed in androgynous fashion with red hair and wearing a man?s suit. The video’s exposure during the rise of MTV sealed the status of the Eurythmics as cultural icons. That?s without mentioning how good the song is.
Karma Chameleon by Culture Club
Another 80s Song, another incredibly memorable music video. Set in 1870 in Mississippi, people are dressed in fancy costumes as they have a joyous time. The main singer, Boy George is the most elaborately dressed and seals his place as an icon of the 80s. This was the only number 1 song Culture Club ever had in the United States but, by boy George, it was really good.
Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
Need I say anything about this song? Or the video? What needs to be said has probably been said a million times, but it?s worth mentioning it again. Most people agree that this song singlehandedly made RnB mainstream as well as putting Michael Jackson up there with the likes of Elvis and The Beatles. The music video is not too bad either.
Wake Me Up When You Go-Go by Wham!
How ridiculous is this song? The video just emphasises how ridiculous this songs is, in particular the lyrics. But hey, if 80s Songs were ridiculous, it usually meant that they were great and memorable. If we ever need to be reminded to ?Choose Life? then taking a look at this video is more than enough.
Faith by George Michael
If George Michael?s musical talent wasn?t clear enough in his Wham days, then this song confirmed it. His first single as a solo artist was a worldwide smash hit that was very simple lyrically and musically but very effective. The music video is also one of the most memorable from the 80s.
I only chose 5 songs to be included in this list. Nevertheless, there are countless other songs from the 80s that could have potentially made the list, but missed out in the end. If you’re crazy about 80s songs like me, you should probably create your own list if you haven’t done so already.
Love 80s music? Visit www.thegreat80s.com Video Description A collection of video snipits of singers and bands from the 80s that only had one major hit in the United States (they might have been more popular in Europe, Australia, etc..)
Whether we’re young or old, we all seem to simply love 80s Songs. When the speakers start to belt out some songs from the 80s at the party, everyone seems to go crazy and gets in the right mood for dancing. It’s true that the 80s were a crazy period for music and which can still be felt in the music by those who weren’t old enough to experience it. But why are we all in love with the 80s music?
Overall, the 80s were a strange yet diverse period of music. While the technical innovations of the 60s or 70s were not present (at least on a large scale), the music was nevertheless very enjoyable and as many have said, very crazy. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine (who didn’t really like 80s music), said to me that the 80s was a period where music tried to be modern and contemporary but wasn’t really able to shake off its origins in the 1960s and 1970s. But then again, what is modern and contemporary? It changes as time goes by.
Let’s have a brief look at some of the movements that were present in 80s Songs. The first one was New Wave music, which began in the late 70s and became the most popular genre in the early 80s. Groups such as Wham!, Eurythmics, Madness and Culture Club became worldwide superstars. Who can forget songs such as “Wake Me Before You Go-Go”, “Karma Chameleon” and “Sweet Dreams.” They are still being played at clubs around the world.
We cannot forget the emergence of RnB in the 80s with the incredible dominance of one singer: Michael Jackson. He singlehandedly made RnB mainstream, firstly through his Thriller album and then the Bad album. By the end of the decade, hip hop bands such as Salt N Pepa were appearing, which would become bigger in the 90s.
Finally, we cannot forget the emergence of Whitney Houston and the newfound popularity of slow love ballads which were lacking in the early 1980s. This would be consolidated in the 90s through artists such as Mariah Carey but it essentially all began in the 80s.
In conclusion, 80s Songs continue to resonate throughout the world as a prime example of crazy times and great party music.
While idiot box and motion pictures have only latterly been open with the convert of gender personae and versatile grammatical gender takes. But astonishingly, Music has been more numerous raw to these supplies. In fact, the Music diligence has been a locale for a number of introductions regarding this domain. Note, for illustration, the popularity of glam rock during the 70s, or how the vocals during this time has been more some open to a number of sexual publishes. Because of this, a number of vocals have lyric poems that address these sexual and sexuality outcomes.
A previous good example of this is Beyonce’s ‘If I Were A Boy.” Here, Beyonce sings what she would do if she was a boy. “If I were a boy / I think I could understand / How it feels to love a girl / I swear I’d be a better man,” the lyrics go. Other vocals have lyrics that are more than direct and tackle more than serious and mature publishes. Still, the idea of the lyrics of the vocals is the same—it wouldn’t hurt to be more umpteen open regarding these outcomes. Although they may be against your personal beliefs, it wouldn’t hurt to at least listen to the lyrics of these songs.
A song with lyrics similar to Beyonce’s is Bonnie Tyler’s “If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man).” This 80s song has lyrics that mirror the same sentiments of “If I Were A Boy.” Here, the lyrics say it would be lighter to picture what it feels to be a huntsman rather of quarry (pertaining to the sensed personae of a man and a adult female in dating and human relationships. The words also suggest that this lack of seeing turns a wall that applies back their love. “If you were a woman and I was a man / Would it be so hard to see / That a heart’s a heart and we do what we can,” the words claim.
Blur’s “Girls & Boys” also receipts the jumbling of sexual purposes and sexual recording labels. The Songs and lyrics of this vocal go: “Girls who are boys / Who like boys to be girls / Who do boys like they’re girls / Who do girls like they’re boys /Always should be someone you really love.” Still, the lyric poems of this vocal can answer also a satire on the party scene of London. Apparently, bands and artists from Europe are to a greater extent blue when it gets along to their song lyrics since a numeral of bands and artists from Europe tackle such sensitive topics, as well other topics considered as taboo in some countries. For example, The Kinks, a band during the 1960s, freed a vocal named “Lola.” As the lyrics would give away, the song is about the kinship of a man and transgendered. Scorn the medium topic of the song, “Lola” is perhaps one of the grossest hits of The Kinks, making it one of their more some average shout-out acts during their concerts. Goes to show a band can rock out while serving up out stimulating lyric poems.
Even if everything here is complete bunk, we can’t keep our eyes off of the veritable train wreck that our favorite celebrities treat us to on a daily basis. So, we scoured the rumor mills and gossip columns to bring to you the latest in who is doing what, who is doing who, who is going to jail and everything in between. So sit back, grab your box of bon bons and enjoy the latest from the music celebrity rumor mills.
Busta Rhymes, are you getting a fair shot? TMZ.com reports that he was stopped by police and admitted to having a shot of Hennessy before hopping behind the wheel of his Denali. The arrest report that TMZ obtained stated that Rhymes failed the sobriety test, but only blew a 0.067 later at the police station, which is below the legal limit of 0.08. He was reportedly charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle while impaired.
Even though Paris Hilton really isn’t much of a music celebrity, she made the celebrity gossip hit list by getting sentenced to 45 days in jail for driving with a suspended license. She had the nerve to show up to court 20 minutes late powdering her nose. The judge put the clueless blonde in her place by sending her to the clinker.
Here’s some stuff from the world according to PerezHilton.com.
Pete Wentz reportedly left a little gift for Marilyn Manson at the rehearsal space that they share – a vial of his blood. What the?
It seems that American Idol sweetheart, Kelly Clarkson is slipping in the ranks. Her comeback isn’t going so great while fellow Idol veteran, Carrie Underwood in consistently outperforming Kelly on internet download charts.
A lot of hoo ha for a lip synched performance. Britney Spears (a.k.a. the rehab boomerang queen) recently “performed” at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney, Anaheim. And we use the word “perform” loosely. The sign outside said: NO cell phones, NO cameras, NO video. Hmmm, didn’t say anywhere on there “NO LIVE SINGING!”
OK, am I like the only one who says ENOUGH ABOUT BRITNEY?!!! She just isn’t that interesting.
The longest retirement in music history. Barbara Streisand, in perpetual “retire” mode, will be touring in Europe. And then that’s the very last one – again!
More American Idol dish. Jessica Sierra who was a former AI top ten finalist, apparently hit a guy with a glass, had cocaine on her person and, now this is interesting, is being charged with “the introduction of contraband into a detention facility.” Good grief! We don’t want to go there!
Looks like Courtney Love is planning on selling her late husband’s things. What better way to memorialize her hubby? She plans to pair up with Christie’s auction to put Kurt Cobain’s stuff up for sale. She plans to “make a lot of money and give a bunch of it to charity.” Uh, OK.
Ah, Boy George, did you really want to hurt him? Rumor has it that Boy George hired an escort, grabbed the poor guy and chained him to a wall. He handcuffed the poor little escort guy to the bed and produced a box of BDSM whips and sex toys, telling the terrified escort guy, “Now you’ll get what you deserve.” Nobody died, escort guy got away and Boy George was charged with assault and false imprisonment. The ’80s were a tough time.
PopDirt.com is dishing it big time! It seems that Paula Abdul doesn’t do so well when you put her on national TV without a script. Seems she gave a bizarre performance on QVC where she was promoting her jewelry line. Strange, strange girl, cute as a bug, though, and always seems so sweet on Idol – is that scripted??? Not her first bizarre public unscripted appearance, though.
Send that girl to driver’s ed! TMZ is reporting that they have recently acquired a lawsuit that was filed by the husband of the woman who was killed in a car accident that involved former pop princess Brandy. This is her second lawsuit on that accident. The suit claims that Brandy was traveling too fast for conditions, driving recklessly and carelessly and following too closely. The suit is for an “undisclosed amount,” but the woman’s parents are suing Brandy for $50 million. If this is any indication of what the husband is seeking, that girl needs to hire a chauffeur or stay off of the road.
Well, this is definitely a “hmmmm” moment and conjures up some interesting (if not disturbing) mental pictures. PerezHilton.com has some juicy info. It seems that passionate sister kissing James Haven, brother to multiple foreign kids adopting, blood vial wearing Angelina Jolie, is seeing Rebecca St. James. Now, if you are not moving in “those” circles you may not realize that St. James is a Christian pop singer. You also may not realize that she is a huge advocate for saving yourself until marriage and abstinence. Well, well, what is ol’ Jimmy thinking about that? Maybe Angie will adopt her and then it will be OK.
Now, we want to leave you with this warm, fuzzy mother and son moment.
TMZ says that Rush & Malloy says that Usher is preparing to fire his own mother, the woman who GAVE HIM LIFE, raised him and has been his manager from the very start. They reportedly do not get along, but it is said that Usher’s stylist and (surprise) fiance, Tameka Foster is egging it on. Usher’s rep is denying the rumor, but let’s face it, this seems like it happens more than we’d care to admit.
There is an endless stream of gossip flowing out of the lives of everyone, it’s just that the famous peeople’s are the best!
Ras Nas aka Nasibu Mwanukuzi, a musician and poet from Tanzania, is one of the artists at this year’s Oslo World Music Festival. The Festival, one of the biggest in Scandinavia in World Music genre, takes place in Oslo, Norway from 30th October – 04th November.
This year’s Oslo World Music Festival theme is “Strong Women Voices” and female artists from different corners of the world are well represented. The Spanish flamenco artist Estrella Morente opens the festival
Among other artists are Cesaria Evora, Seun Kuti & the Fela Egypt 80, Rachid Taha and the fast rising South African jazz singer, Simphiwe Dana. “It feels good to be part of Oslo World Music Festival this year”, says Ras Nas, whose real name is Nasibu Mwanukuzi. Ras Nas will also be releasing his long awaited follow up CD “Dar-Es-Salaam”. The CD contains nine tracks with a mix of reggae, afro and dub poetry.
Other African artists that have taken part earlier include Salif Keita, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Oumou Sangare, the late Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diobate.
Ras Nas with an eight piece band plays at Belleville in Oslo, Saturday 03rd November.
Have you ever heard a great song which stuck in your head for several days because the rhythm was so unique? If you are a music lover like most people this has certainly happened to you. Some songs are very easy to understand since the singers pretty much spell things out for you, however this doesn’t happen in R&B, Pop and Rap genres which are quite popular.
Classic and ballad fans are usually the ones which benefit the most from the music style, songs are slow and the singers have sweet voices which are very understandable, a clear example would be the song “Close to you” by the Carpenters; this song was featured in an Asian movie which is very similar to Charlie’s Angels, the way the song was used to blend perfectly with the action scene made this song very popular among those who love the Asian movies genre, regardless of how old the song actually is. Soon after this song’s remake there were thousands looking for this song in iTunes, Rhapsody, etc.
Moving on from the ballad genre we have more “up-tempo” songs which fall in the soft rock music genre, these are usually easy to understand since most of these songs were recorded back in the 80’s. A sample song from this genre would be “The Power of Love” by Celine Dion, this song’s lyrics have been in demand ever since this song was remade and reached top popularity ranks in many countries.
Then we have the Pop/Hip-Hop/R &B genre where lyrics start to get a bit more shady in terms of vocalization, since the rhythm is a lot faster than the two genres described some words tend to be omitted in order to fit the song. This is one of the music genres which makes people hum and repeat the words they actually understood; a good sample would be “Umbrella” by Rihanna. Lovers of this genre are actually funny because they would sing the songs they like without knowing the lyrics so in the case of Umbrella they’d repeat “umbrella, eh -eh-eh, ella, ella…”
The Pop genre extends through many countries and when it comes to J-pop (japanese pop) the lyrics are certainly needed to understand what the singer is trying to say, sometimes these songs are interpreted in English and Japanese which makes things even harder for people who want to sing along. An great example of this genre is “Beautiful World” by Utada Hikaru, this song mixes both languages quite beautifully. Yet a few more examples are: Koko ni Iru yo feat. Aoyama Thelma by SoulJa and I So Wanted by Rei Fu.
If you like Dance hall, Reggae and Rap then you will definitively need to read the lyrics to even begin to understand what is being said by the singers, a good example is “Get Busy” by Sean Paul; if you have heard this song then you know just how difficult it is to understand what the singer is saying.
When looking for online lyrics, make sure to find sites which actually incorporate the videos of popular songs next to the lyrics, this will help you understand the song without having to go back and forth between your music player and the lyrics.
