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Flashback to 1983
Here are the Top 100 songs from the year I graduated high school. Unlike David, who inspired this exercise in nostalgia, I'm not going to comment on all the dreck that was better left forgotten. Instead, here are the only worthwhile tunes on the list.
13. "Come On Eileen," Dexy's Midnight Runners
This one has had a remarkably long shelf life, particularly at wedding receptions. Love that fiddle.
19. "Twilight Zone," Golden Earring
And this one disappeared off the face of the earth. Can't really explain why, but I always liked this song.
26. "Back On The Chain Gang," Pretenders
That fake "hooh! hah!" swinging-an-ax sound was always good for a laugh in Senior Hall.
42. "Stray Cat Strut," Stray Cats
I still find myself crooning "I don't bother chasin' mice a-rou-ound" during private moments.
52. "Rock The Casbah," Clash
The Clash in the Top 100, along with Hall & Oates, Kajagoogoo and Laura Branigan. I'm not sure whether to smile or cry.
53. "Our House," Madness
Ska, or just ska-flavored pop, that was regularly played on AM radio back then. Wow, those were indeed different times.
63. "Come Dancing," Kinks
A wistful ode to a bygone era. I can still picture the video with Ray Davies and his pencil-thin moustache, portraying his sister's date.
(Note: The title to this post is a line from an obscure Pavement song. The first person to leave a comment with the correct answer gets a signed copy of one of my story manuscripts. Signed by me, that is. Not Roth. Not Updike. Not even that other renowned author named P. Anderson.)
September 9, 2005 in Music | Permalink
Comments
Pete, I can't believe you'd laud Golden Earring and not give a little bit of proppage to Prince or Joe Jackson? Little Red Corvette isn't just a top 100 song from 83 (my junior year btw), but of all time.
And say what you will about the "man," but Beat It changed pop music in some ways.
I never would have guessed Branigan had two more top 100 songs besides Gloria, though if I would have known that fact, I certainly would have known they'd all have been in a single year.
I must also admit a soft spot for some of the earlier new wave bands such as Duran Duran and Culture Club.
The lack of Hard Times and It's Like That from Run DMC is also disturbing.
Enjoy,
Posted by: Dan Wickett at Sep 9, 2005 5:07:06 PM
And here I thought you were going to link to *Poul* Anderson.
And I know the answer, but I think I could probably get a signed manuscript of one of your stories pretty easily, so I'll let seomeone else have a try.
Come on people!
Posted by: Julie at Sep 9, 2005 5:35:01 PM
I was never a fan of the Little Purple One, though if I included him on my list it would be for "1999", not "Corvette." And though I like Jackson, both those songs were from his lame "lounge singer no guitars" album. His earlier "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" is one of the all-time greats, and "Look Sharp" was good too.
Hint for Pavement: it originally appeared on a multi-artist benefit album released in 1993.
Posted by: Pete at Sep 10, 2005 7:46:47 AM
Yeah, there weren't too many winners the year I was born (1977) either. But at least there was:
23. Rich Girl, Daryl Hall and John Oates
33. Easy, Commodores
And that's about it. I can't believe I was born the same year "Carry On Wayward Son" came out. I feel...dirty.
Posted by: Michael at Sep 15, 2005 12:22:26 PM
Oh, wait: The year you graduated high school. (I thought you were older than 22.) OK, so that's 1995 for me, which is even worse. Evidently, TLC was HUGE then. I don't really remember. Stupid casual drugs.
Posted by: Michael at Sep 15, 2005 12:25:45 PM
Hmmm...seems like nobody (other than my wife, who's probably just humoring me) is particularly interested in a manuscript autographed by a marginally talented and unpublished author. Okay, one more hint--the album on which the Pavement song originally appeared also included four exceptionally pale white guys covering Marvin Gaye, and a hidden track by Nirvana.
Posted by: Pete at Sep 16, 2005 4:01:13 PM
Southern boys just like you and me... REM
"Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence" off of No Alternative.
I wasn't even the biggest Pavement fan in the world, but I recently dug this comp out of storage to burn a copy for a friend. Good tune. (As is "Glynis" by the Pumpkins and the superior "Verse Chorus Verse"/"Laundry Room" by the inestimable Nirvarna.)
Posted by: Dan at Sep 21, 2005 1:00:04 PM
(My undying respect to whoever can identify the source of my creative mispelling of the name of Cobain's obscure little rock outfit in my previous comment.)
Posted by: Dan at Sep 21, 2005 1:02:47 PM
Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner! Dan, I'll be emailing you shortly to arrange for getting you your "grand" prize. (As for the misspelling, does it have anything to do with the band Varnaline? Otherwise, no idea.)
Posted by: Pete at Sep 21, 2005 4:20:56 PM
As for the misspelling, does it have anything to do with the band Varnaline?
No, nothing even remotely as obscure as that. Perhaps "undying respect" was a bit much, but it's from an episode of Beavis and Butthead, when they watch the video for the Foo Fighters' "I'll Stick Around."
That show's supremely underrated.
Posted by: Dan at Sep 21, 2005 9:14:39 PM
