My Life Of Music Obsession: 1987

....1987, The year I discovered Guns N' Roses. I had never heard anything as tough and sleazy as GNR. I was instantly hooked. 

This is also the year I had discovered Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, White Lion, Europe, and more Def Leppard. 

I had hoped to include the original studio versions of the Def Leppard songs on the companion playlist but unfortunately they have been in a longstanding battle with Universal Music Group over the rights of their catalog being released digitally. I feel both old fans and new fans alike suffer from this as the only way to hear these versions now is by obtaining a physical copy or illegally downloading. I think they are one of the greatest Rock N' Roll bands of all time, and I had to present either live versions or newly recorded versions of the songs. 

Check Out The Companion Playlist: Spotify, YouTube, iTunes.

...on to the playlist:

1. White Lion - Don't Give Up. - I don't know how to describe White Lion's sound other than calling it "Power Pop On Steroids." I don't know if they could be thrown in the hair metal category because they didn't sound like any of their peers. They had a great sense of melody and were amazing songwriters. 

2. White Lion - Wait.

3. White Lion - Tell Me. - Did you know that White Lion Bassist James Lomenzo, played in Megadeth? Thrash Metal is definitely a far cry from what White Lion were doing,

4. White Lion - When The Children Cry. - This song is a great example of the amazing songwriters these guys are. It's way more than just a "Power Ballad."

5. Whitesnake - Still Of The Night.

6. Whitesnake - Here I Go Again. - This is one of those iconic songs that will always be associated with the 1980's.

7. Whitesnake - Children Of The Night. - This song is very reminiscent of both Deep Purple and Rainbow. The former of which, Whitesnake Vocalist David Coverdale was once a part of. This song sounds like it could have belonged on Dio's 1983 album "Holy Diver."

8. Whitesnake - Is This Love?

9. Dokken - Dream Warriors. - This was recorded as the theme song for "A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors." I loved Freddy Kruger at age 7 and this is an incredibly cool song recorded for an extremely cool horror movie that killed it at the box office. This song helped get Freddy Kruger to host an evening on MTV and I loved MTV. I didn't discover the rest of Dokken's music until my late teens. They got lumped into the hair metal category because of their looks, but they were much more than that. Unfortunately discord amongst guitarist George Lynch and singer Don Dokken really affected these guys in having a career in music beyond the 80's. I think they could have survived Grunge and been Iconic had there not been so much infighting amongst the band. I've seen Dokken live twice. One of these occasions they played "Dream Warriors" and it was one of the happiest moments of my life.

10. Guns N' Roses - Welcome To The Jungle. - I wasn't completely sold when "Sweet Child O' Mine" was all over MTV in early 87, but once I heard this song I had my parents immediately rush me to a store called "Ames" in Waynesburg, Pa to buy this cassette. Everything changed when I heard "Appetite for Destruction." I had never heard anything Dirty, Sleazy and as Tough as these guys until I discovered The Ramones of course.

11. Guns N' Roses - It's So Easy. - This past July I got to attend my first Guns N' Roses concert. I've seen hundreds of bands live, and they were the best. They took the stage by playing this song.

12. Guns N' Roses - Nightrain.

13. Guns N' Roses - Out Ta Get Me.

14. Guns N' Roses - Mr. Brownstone.

15. Guns N' Roses - Paradise City.

16. Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine. - I didn't initially like this song, but it's become one of my all time favorites and it's so Iconic.

17. Guns N' Roses - Think About You.

18. Guns N' Roses - You're Crazy. 

19. Guns N' Roses - Rocket Queen.

20. Europe - The Final Countdown. - The Legacy of this song speaks for itself. I don't know one person who doesn't know this song. These guys are still extremely popular in Germany, Spain, South America, The United Kingdom, and Scandinavia. I think these guys are the inventors of what's become known in other parts of the world as "Power Metal."  I wish America would catch on to "Power Metal."

21. Europe - Rock The Night. - They do have other songs beside "The Final Countdown" and they are really good.

22. Europe - Carrie.

23. Bon Jovi - Let It Rock.

24. Bon Jovi - You Give Love A Bad Name.

25. Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer. - I can relate to this song 100%. This came out during a time when the lower middle class were really struggling to survive. I watched a bunch of out of work Steel Workers and Coal Miners struggle to get by and the families were truly "Living on a Prayer."

26. Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead Or Alive. - This Song Rocks. Period.

27. Bon Jovi - Never Say Goodbye.

28. Bon Jovi - Wild In The Streets.. - I still love this song. It reminds me so much of Bruce Springsteen's style of writing which I love. It's kind of cool that Jon Bon Jovi was influenced by it too.

29.  Def Leppard -   Pour Some Sugar On . - I didn't know anyone my age in 1987 that didn't have a Walkman and Def Leppard's "Hysteria" album. This song made that happen.

30. Def Leppard - Rock Of Ages. - My Uncle Dennis and My Grandparents in California, had sent me Def Leppard's "Historia" video compilation for Christmas in 1987. This lead me to discover their older music.

31. Def Leppard - Women - This song sounds like it could have been written by Pink Floyd. It's great. I love the line "Skin on skin. Let the love begin" before the incredible guitar solo by the late great Steve Clark.

32. Def Leppard - Rocket.

33. Def Leppard - Animal.

34. Def Leppard - Love Bites.

35. Def Leppard - Armageddon It. - "Are you getting it? Yes Armageddon it." I'm not entirely sure this song is about Armageddon, but it sure is catchy as intellectually devoid as it may be.

36. Def Leppard - Stagefright. - "I said welcome to my show." I've heard a lot of people say they don't understand why Def Leppard turned their back on Metal and went for a more pop sound. I think they benefited from changing direction, and they didn't get the respect they deserved when they were a metal band. I've seen video's from the early 1980's when they were a metal band and several British teenagers throwing everything they could get their hands on at the band during their live performances.

37. Def Leppard - Let It Go.

38. Def Leppard - High N' Dry (Saturday Night). - "I've got my whiskey. I've got my wine. I got my woman, and this time the lights are going out." This song definitely reminds me of many years of my life.

39. Def Leppard - Foolin'.

40. Def Leppard - Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop).

41. Def Leppard - Too Late For Love.

42.  Motley Crue - Wild Side. - Tommy Lee's drum playing is off the hook on this song.

43. Motley Crue - Girls, Girls, Girls. - The sound of the motorcycle revving at the intro is so cool. At age 7 all I needed were Girls, Girls, Girls or at least my pre-pubescent self thought so thanks to this song,

44. Def Leppard - Me And My Wine.

45. Def Leppard - Hysteria.

46. Def Leppard - Bringing On The Heartbreak.

Coming soon...My Life Of Music Obsession: 1988.

You can read my other blog entries by clicking here.

My Life Of Music Obsession: Christmas Songs.

I hoped to have this blog post completed and posted by saturday, but I ended up feeling extremely exhausted and not the best in the world so it's here today for your reading pleasure.

I've really enjoyed writing these blogs and jogging my memory.

For this entry I've hand picked my favorite Christmas songs, and hope that they are some of your favorites too.

You can listen to the songs on this list by clicking here.

...on to the playlist:

1. Brenda Lee - Rocking Around The Christmas Tree.

2. Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run. - I love Chuck Berry. Even though this is a holiday song I think it's an essential song of his. In a future blog I'll do an essential Chuck Berry playlist.

3. CeeLo Green - Mary, Did You Know? - I have been listening to CeeLo for over 23 years. I think he has one of the best voices in music. To me it's sad that it took the rest of the world almost 20 years to catch on. The first time I heard him sing on an Outkast song and heard the first Goodie Mob record I knew he would have great success.

4. Aaron Neville - Silent Night.

5. Jingle Cats - Silent Night. - While this might annoy some people I think these auto tuned and edited cat meow's taking the form of Silent Night is very cute.

6. Dropkick Murphys - The Season's Upon Us. - I think this is one of the best more recent Christmas songs. It's a very realistic view of a family holiday and the dysfunction that sometimes goes along with our relatives. I love the line that comes after all the tales of family dysfunction "The table's set. We raise a toast to The Father, Son, and The Holy Ghost." It's amazing that the dinner table on a holiday brings a family together and helps us put aside our differences. 

7. Elmo and Patsy - Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer. - I love novelty songs and this is one of the best. 

8. Bad Religion - O Come, O Come Emmanuel. - It wouldn't be a Christmas Playlist for me without a little Punk Rock. I think the punk treatment works really well for this song.

9. Frank Sinatra - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. - I didn't come to appreciate Sinatra until my late 20's. I guess better late than never.

10. Pearl Jam - Wishlist. - I wonder if this is little Eddie Vedder's list to Santa?

11. Pentatonix - O Come, All Ye Faithful.

12. Bing Crosby and David Bowie - Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy. - I love the two part harmonies between this unlikely pairing. 

13. Dean Martin - Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.

14. The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick.

15. Jose Feliciano - Feliz Navidad.

16. Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock.

17. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Cannon. - Did you know that the founding members of this group played in a heavy metal band call "Savatage"? I think TSO is great.

18. Bing Crosby - White Christmas. - In my opinion, this is the definitive version of this song.

19. Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas.

20. Connie Francis - Winter Wonderland.

21. Bing Crosby and Carol Richards - Silver Bells.

22. Smokey Robinson and The Miracles - I'll be home for Christmas.

23. Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters - Twelve Days Of Christmas.

24. Teresa Brewer - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.

25. Barry Gordon - Nuttin' For Christmas - This song is so cute. I sing it to my cat every year at Christmas. It's so fitting.

26. Run D.M.C. - Christmas In Hollis.

27. Whitney Houston - Do You Hear What I Hear?

28. Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).

29. The Jackson 5 - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. - This song works so well with the Motown treatment.

30. Glee Cast - God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman. - I'm not a Gleek. I'm not even sure I've watched a full episode, but I feel this is the definitive version of this song. It's great. I'm sure I'll get around to watching Glee one of these days. As much as I love music, I'm truly surprised that I haven't yet.

31. Snoop Dogg and Anna Kendrick - Winter Wonderland/ Here Comes Santa Claus. This is another unusual pairing. I think it's strange that Snoop is singing vs. rapping on most of the song. Even more strange is that he has a really good voice.

32. Vampire Weekend - Holiday. - I love this NYC band. Ezra Koenig has this classic voice that's very reminiscent of a lot of old Jazz Singers. 

33. Perry Como - (There's No Place Like Home) For The Holidays.

34. Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas?

35. Alvin And The Chipmunks - The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late). - I don't think anyone can write an essential Christmas Song list without including this song no matter how headache inducing it can be sometimes.

36. Spike Jones and His City Slickers - All I Want For Christmas. - Who doesn't want two front teeth for Christmas? This another great novelty song that I just love dearly.

37. Gayla Peevy - I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas.

38. John Williams - Carol Of The Bells.

39. Mel Torme - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

40. Gene Autry - Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.

41. Michael Buble - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas. - I remember working in radio and getting an advanced promo copy of Buble's first album. I remember thinking, this kid has a great voice but he's never going anywhere with that name. I was dead wrong. He's great.

42. John Denver and The Muppets - Deck The Halls. - I love anything Jim Henson, and John Denver is one of my favorites.

43. AC/DC - Mistress For Christmas. - My favorite band had to be on this list.

Coming soon... My Life Of Music Obsession: 1987.

My other blog posts can be read here.

My Life Of Music Obsession: 1986

...1986, the year I found AC/DC, and Metallica. The former became my favorite band of all time but not until later in life when I delved deep into their entire discography and discovered I like more songs by them than any other artist I've ever listened to. I will post an essential AC/DC playlist in a future blog so people can hear for themselves how diverse their music is since they've been accused of writing songs that sound the same from one to the next, but I digress.

At age 6 my taste in music started leaning more towards rock. Readers will see that the progression of me listening to less pop and more rock started in 1986.


This is also the year I discovered Hip Hop. I wasn't fully sold on it until the early 90's, but Beastie Boys and Run DMC definitely served as a great introduction to me and broadened my musical horizons.

Check Out The Companion Playlist: Spotify, YouTube,  iTunes.

...on to the playlist:

1. Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al. - I remember the video on MTV featuring Chevy Chase. This song sounded totally different from anything else out there at the time. It's definitely inspired by African Rhythms, and it has some of the best bass playing ever. It still sounds great to this day. I wonder if Paul played any influence in the sound of Vampire Weekend? The first time I heard the latter I instantly thought of this song.



2. AC/DC - Who Made Who? - This is the first song I heard by AC/DC. It had a very cool music video, and was written for Stephen King's movie directorial debut "Maximum Overdrive." The movie flopped and it was the last time the author would try his hand at directing a movie. The soundtrack has been very successful and still sells copies to this day. The soundtrack is composed of 3 new songs by AC/DC, and 6 of their older songs. I bought the soundtrack with my first holy communion money.

3. AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long. - This song definitely is one greatest rock n' roll songs of all time. Almost every wedding I've ever been to had this song included as part of the DJ selection. It amazes me that people of all ages seem to really enjoy it and have a good time when it's played.

4. AC/DC - Ride On. - You could hear so much pain and sadness in the voice of the late great Bon Scott when he would sing blues numbers like this. I can definitely hear how he was influenced by Elvis Presley on this song. This is my favorite AC/DC song.

5. AC/DC - Hells Bells. - This song initially scared me the first time I heard it with lines like "Satan's coming for you." It's become a staple on PA's at professional sporting events.

6. AC/DC - Shake Your Foundations. - I had the opportunity to see AC/DC live this past September in Philadelphia. They are definitely the loudest band I've ever seen, and it was just at a bad time in my life. 

I'm not going to go into any detail aside from saying that I just experienced the death of a loved one, and I had a strange gut feeling that something was off kilter in my relationship with my girlfriend at the time. I didn't enjoy myself at the concert with all of that weighing on me, plus the crowd at the concert didn't come to rock out. Everyone around us was sitting down, and not up experiencing a rock concert like it should be experienced. My girlfriend at the time actually told me that me trying to egg on everyone around us to stand up and enjoy the concert was "Not Cool." I was down in the dumps and wanted everyone around me to have a good time because I needed a good time under the circumstances. 

This is the first rock concert I ever went to where the crowd actually sat down, weren't on their feet singing along and cheering on the band. I'm hoping for an AC/DC do-over sometime, but I'll make sure it's in Cleveland or Pittsburgh and not at an indoor venue because they are too loud to play indoors. My ears were ringing for two days after the show. 

The fun I had with my friends after the concert and making them "Nick-a-ritas" at the hotel was the only highlight of that trip for me.

7. AC/DC - For Those About To Rock (We Salute You). - "Pick up your balls, and load up your cannons for the 21 gun salute. For those about to rock, Fire! We salute you." This song is so cool and so awesome.


8. Bruce Hornsby and The Range - Every Little Kiss. - This song is still widely played on Oldie stations.


9. Bruce Hornsby and The Range - The Way It Is. - This song is about standing up for yourself and not believing people when they tell you "That's just the way it is."

10. Metallica - Welcome Home (Sanitarium). - First song I heard by this band. I think this is really when they started to become better songwriters and have better song structure. They had already accrued a large cult following, but this is the album where they went from an indie record label to a major record label and started to sell a lot of records. This is quite the accomplishment for a band that most people only heard about through word of mouth, because the radio stations were afraid to play them at the time, and they didn't have a video on MTV. Metallica didn't even get a video on MTV until the next album, and they weren't played on the radio until the album after that. I heard this song when a cousin played me their "Master Of Puppets" album.

11. Metallica - Master Of Puppets. - This is the heaviest, fastest, and most ferocious song I heard at the time and I loved every second of it.

12. Alice Cooper - Teenage Frankenstein. - When I was six years old, I was in love with horror movies and I remember seeing this video on MTV with it's really cool horror backdrop. I remember begging my parents to get me his "Constrictor" album, but they wouldn't because this was at the height of the satanic panic, and  Alice was accused of being a devil worshipper by some conservative groups because of an incident with a chicken that happened at one of his concerts in the 1970's.

13. Alice Cooper - He's Back (The Man Behind The Mask). - Alice recorded this for the movie "Friday The 13th part VI: Jason Lives." There's a really cool video that goes along with this song.

14. Ratt - Dance. - I remember lip syncing to this song at a grade school talent show. I'm pretty sure there is a video of that on a VHS tape somewhere. I hope it never surfaces.

15. Ratt - Body Talk. - This song was recorded for the movie "The Golden Child." This song is so heavy and criminally underrated. The first three Ratt albums are actually really heavy. I think they are often overlooked as a metal band because they were part of the whole "Hair Metal" scene.

16. Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone. - Recorded for the movie "Top Gun." This song is so awesome.

17. Berlin - Take My Breath Away.

18. Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love.

19. Billy Ocean - When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going.

20. Janet Jackson - Control. - This is another one of those albums I bought with my first holy communion money.

21.Janet Jackson - Nasty.

22. Janet Jackson - What Have You Done For Me Lately?

23. Janet Jackson - When I Think Of You.

24. Glass Tiger - Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone).

25. Madonna - Live To Tell. - This is my favorite Madonna song. It's so haunting and I think it showcases her amazing voice.

26.Madonna - Papa Don't Preach.

27. Madonna - La Isla Bonita.

28. Lionel Richie - Dancing On The Ceiling.

29. The Jets - Crush On You. - I still love this song. It's so catchy.

30. The Bangles - Manic Monday. - This is such an iconic song. I still hear people say on Monday's, "It's just another manic Monday." It started with this song 30 years ago.

31. The Bangles - Walk Like An Egyptian. - Everybody was walking like an Egyptian in 1986 thanks to this song and music video.

32. INXS - What You Need.

33. Eddie Money - Take Me Home Tonight.

34. Mike and The Mechanics - All I Need Is A Miracle.

35. Run DMC featuring Aerosmith - Walk This Way. - This is the first Hip Hop song I discovered. I loved that it rocked too. I didn't really hear the rest of Run DMC's music until my late teens. I guess it was better late than never.

36. Force M.D.'s - Tender Love. - Easily one of the best slow jams ever.

37. Van Halen - Why Can't This Be Love.

38. Van Halen - Dreams. - This song always brings a tear of joy to my eyes. It's so inspirational.

39.  Van Halen - Best Of Both Worlds.

40. David Lee Roth - Yankee Rose. - This song is so cool with Billy Sheehan's pumping bass line and Steve Vai's guitar talking to Dave. This song builds up nicely and never lets up in excitement. Dave put together a heck of a great Solo band. I got this album for Christmas in 1986 and I still enjoy listening to it today.

41. David Lee Roth - Goin' Crazy. - If there's one song that defined David Lee Roth, it's this one. This song and the video are so Flamboyant. At one point in the video David Lee Roth is galloping around like a horse with a horses tail coming out of the back of his pants. The Lyrics, "I'm going coconuts but at least I'm going my way" sum up his character perfectly.

42. Poison - #1 Bad Boy. - Hailing from the first Poison album "Look What The Cat Dragged In." This is the only song I heard off of this album until the early 1990's, and it wasn't even a hit. I just remember somebody handing me their Walkman and telling me to "listen to this." I liked it. 

If there's one band who summed up what "hair metal" is all about it's definitely Poison. While other "hair metal" bands have tried to run away from that label, Poison has embraced it and never once apologized for it. That's what I admire about this band. They've never tried to be anything they weren't. What you see is what you get, and that's a heck of a party and a heck of a good time. I've seen this band live more than any other band. They work the crowd and nobody leaves without having fun.

43. Beastie Boys - Fight For Your Right. - The Guitar Riff is one of the coolest ever written.

44. Beastie Boys - The New Style.

45. Beastie Boys - Rhymin And Stealin'.

46. Beastie Boys - Posse In Effect.

47. Beastie Boys - Slow Ride.

48. Beastie Boys - No Sleep Till Brooklyn. - Very cool song. Did you know that Kerry King of the band Slayer plays the guitar on this song?

49. Beastie Boys - Paul Revere.

50. Beastie Boys - Hold It Now, Hit It.

51. Beastie Boys - Brass Monkey.

52. Beastie Boys - Slow And Low.

53. Beastie Boys - Time To Get Ill.

54. Ozzy Osbourne - Shot In The Dark. - First song I heard by Ozzy. It's such a catchy song. This was another artist my parents wouldn't let me own an album by because he bit the head off of a bat, and was accused of being a Satanist. It wasn't until the 90's that I got to own some Ozzy albums. I think this was the first Ozzy song to be played on top 40 radio stations.

55. Tesla - EZ Come EZ Go. - I remember an uncle of mine came to visit from California and by this point in time I liked anything Hard Rock. For some reason we went into a record store and he suggested I check out Tesla. Their album "Mechanical Resonance." Is one of the hardest rocking albums I've ever heard.

56. Tesla - Getting Better.

57. Tesla - Modern Day Cowboy.

58. Tesla - Little Suzi.

59. Cinderella - Night Songs. - The album cover showed dudes dressed up in Glam, but the music was total opposite of their image. This Philadelphia based band, was discovered by Jon Bon Jovi. I think they're one of the greatest hard rock bands of all time. If their name had been different and they didn't do the whole glam thing I think they could have become iconic and still talked about today.  Tom Keifer is one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

60. Cinderella - Nobody's Fool. - I remember going into a store in Waynesburg, Pa called "Big Wheel" and buying this cassette tape.

61. Cinderella - Shake Me.

62. Cinderella - Somebody Save Me.

63. Huey Lewis And The News - Hip To Be Square.

Coming Soon... My Life Of Music Obsession: Christmas Songs.

If you would like to read my other entries you can do so by clicking here.













































































44. Beastie Boys - Fight For Your Right. - I heard the cool guitar riff and I was hooked. Little did I know that Beastie Boys were a Hip Hop group. My Parents got me their album "Licensed To Ill." Every song on the album is great.



































Check out my other blog posts by clicking Here.

My Life Of Music Obsession: 1985

...1985 is definitely a year that I'm very fond of. In my opinion it was the best year in the 1980's for music, but I will allow you, the reader to make that judgment for yourself.


It's no secret that all I wanted to watch at age 5 was MTV. I spent hours before Kindergarten and hours after school glued to the TV indulging myself in music videos.




This is the year I discovered my favorite song of all time.




This is the year I entered Kindergarten, started socializing with other kids my age, got to trade cassette tapes and discover other music.

Check out the companion playlist: Spotify, YouTube, iTunes.



...On to the playlist:



1. The Cars - Tonight She Comes. - This is a song The Cars recorded for a greatest hits album which led me to discover a lot of their earlier work. I've always liked their synth and guitar driven rock sound. They are as responsible for creating that New Wave/Post Punk sound as Joy Division or anyone else.



2.Motley Crue - Smokin' In The Boys Room. - This served as my first introduction to the Motley Crue when I saw this video on MTV. The Video features veteran horror actor Michael Berryman playing the role of the high school principal. "Everybody knows that smoking ain't allowed in school."


3. Motley Crue - Home Sweet Home. - This is the first ever power ballad. After Motley Cure hit it big with this song the record labels pushed all the hair metal bands to include a power ballad on their albums, follow the formula of making the first single a rocker, and the second single a power ballad. It's a formula that worked until the early 90's. More on that when I get to 1991.


4. Dire Straits - Money For Nothing. - "I want my MTV." This song launched Dire Straits into super stardom with it's cool animation in the music video and catchy chorus. Mark Knopfler is a guitar God. Did you know that Sting is a guest vocalist on this song and sings the famous "I want my MTV" line?


5. Dire Straits - Walk Of Life. - This song has a very cool synth sound to it and a cool chugging guitar riff that sounds like a banjo.


6. Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World. - Everything changed when I heard Tears for Fears for the first time. The album that this song came from, "Songs from the big chair" is easily one of my favorite albums of all time.


7. Tears For Fears - Shout. - When I was 5 years of age I thought the words to the chorus were "beans, all the beans I can do without" instead of the actual "these are the things I can do without."


8. Tears For Fears - Head Over Heals. - This is my favorite song of all time. It's so haunting and I've never heard anything that sounds this amazing. After listening to this song several times over the past 30 years I've never grown tired of it. "Funny how time flies..."


9. Twisted Sister - Leader Of The Pack. - My First Exposure to Twisted Sister came about when a friend from my kindergarten class came over to my house and brought this album along with their album "Stay Hungry." I became an SMF for life after that.


10. Twisted Sister - We're  Not Gonna Take It. - This song is so iconic. So many politicians have used this as their running song.

11. Twisted Sister - Burn In Hell.

12. Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry.

13. Twisted Sister - I Wanna Rock.

14. Survivor - Burning Heart. - This song came from a great soundtrack and great movie known as "Rocky IV."


15. Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger. - This song was originally recorded for the "Rocky III" soundtrack, and re-recorded for the "Rocky IV" soundtrack. The latter version is much better.


16. James Brown - Living In America. - Great tune from The Godfather Of Soul.


17. Robert Tepper - No Easy Way Out. - This is another great song from the "Rocky IV" soundtrack. It still holds up well today and still sounds great.

18. John Cafferty - Hearts On Fire.

19. Madonna - Material Girl. - Madonna's second album "Like a Virgin" launched her into icon status. I've always liked Madonna and I'm not afraid to tell anyone that. She had so many great tunes. This song fits so well with "The Decade Of Greed."

20. Madonna - Like A Virgin.

21. Madonna - Dress You Up.


22. Madonna - Crazy For You. - One of the greatest love songs ever written. Every time I fall in love this song is always the first one that pops into my head. If that doesn't speak to how iconic Madonna is, I don't know what does.


23. Starship - We Built This City. - This always gets ranked among the worst songs of all time and I've never understood why. I still love it. The harmonies are great, and the production is on point. I got this album for Christmas in 1985 and I wore down the cassette tape from playing this song so much.


24. Starship - Sara.

25. a-Ha - Take On Me. - The animation in this music video is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I don't feel this song holds up well in today's court but nevertheless it's a song that people associate with the 1980's when they think of the music from the decade. a-Ha is still very big in Europe. It's a shame they only had one hit in the United States.


26. Reo Speedwagon - Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore.

27. Cyndi Lauper - The Goonies 'R' Good Enough. - Great theme song for a great movie and a great music video to go along with it that featured wrestling greats like Andre The Giant.

28. Huey Lewis And The News - The Power Of Love. - From the incredible movie "Back To The Future." Did you know that Huey Lewis has a Cameo in the movie? "I'm afraid you're just too darn loud."

29. Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me). - "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Eww whew Eww! Whoa!" This song was written for a movie about spending a Saturday in detention. This song is as iconic as "The Breakfast Club" itself.

30. U.S.A. For Africa - We Are The World. - This song gathered a lot of the big names in music for one song in hopes of solving world hunger. This song has a very positive message that change in the world starts from within us, and that we must love and take care of each other.

31. Glenn Frey - The Heat Is On.

32. Harold Faltermeyer - Axel F. - The first purely instrumental song I loved. I can't listen to this song without thinking of Eddie Murphy's "Beverly Hills Cop" character, Axel Foley stuffing bananas up the tailpipes of cars. This is one of those songs that will always be associated with the 1980's.


33. Katrina and The Waves - Walking On Sunshine. - I love this song as cheesy as it may be. It's a happy song and always puts me in a fantastic mood. Happy songs are amazing.

34. Thompson Twins - Lay Your Hands On Me.

35. Heart - What About Love? - The Wilson Sisters had great success in the 1980's, and they rocked just as hard as they did in the 70's.


36. Heart - Never.

37. Heart - These Dreams.

38. David Lee Roth - California Girls. - This is when David Lee Roth left Van Halen and went solo. This cover of the Beach Boys classic is very good. He recorded a few songs and released them in advance of his 1986 album "Eat Em' and Smile."

39. David Lee Roth - Just A Gigolo/ I Ain't Got Nobody.

40. Phil Collins - Sussudio. - I still don't know what this song is about, but it sure is catchy.

41. Phil Collins - One More Night.

42. Phil Collins - Don't Lose My Number.

43. Phil Collins - Take Me Home. - The rhythm section in this song is fantastic. Phil Collins is a phenomenal drummer.

44. Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love For You.

45. Whitney Houston - How Will I Know? - I remember breaking my arm which meant more time at home watching MTV. At this point I saw the video for this song. Whitney Houston was my first ever celebrity crush. As a gift for doing so well through the broken arm ordeal, a family member bought me her first album.

46. Whitney Houston - Greatest Love Of All.

47. Dionne Warwick And Friends - That's What Friends Are For. - "In good times and bad times. I'll be on your side forever more." The lyrics describe how I feel about every single one of my friends. Even after a falling out, or period of not talking my loyalty never fades towards friends, family, ex-girlfriends, ect. I wish there were more people like me in the world. I'm the friend everybody is very lucky to have. I remember our kindergarten class had to sing this at our graduation.

48. John Mellencamp - Small Town.

49. John Mellencamp - R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A. ( A Salute To 60's Rock).

50. Chicago - You're The Inspiration.

51. Mr. Mister - Broken Wings. - The message in this song is great. We all have things in life that break us down, and we need to mend our broken wings and learn to fly again.

52. Mr. Mister - Kyrie. - This song has some religious connotations. Lord have mercy, Christ Have Mercy down the road that I must travel.

53. Mr. Mister - Is It Love? - Every time I hear this I imagine a bunch of teenagers in the 1980's entering a high school dance with this song blaring from the DJ.

54. Billy Idol - White Wedding. - Billy Idol took punk rock to the next level by throwing some synthesizers in. MTV launched him into super stardom.

55. Billy Idol - Rebel Yell. - I still love this song to this day. The intro is very cool and the song never lets up in excitement.

56. ZZ Top - Sleeping Bag. - The MTV generation loved ZZ Top with their sleazy imagery. They incorporated a more pop sound on this album while still maintaining that blues rock swagger. Everyone I knew had their "Afterburner" album.  The video featured "A Nightmare On Elm Street" and "Just The Ten Of Us" star, Heather Langenkamp. I had watched the former earlier in the year and fell in love with that movie. I like my horror films.

57. ZZ Top - Rough Boy.

58. ZZ Top - Can't Stop Rockin'.

59. ZZ Top - Just Got Paid. - Along with getting me the "Afterburner" album my parents also got me "The Very Best Of ZZ Top." I discovered their 70's work which I like a lot better than anything else in their career.

60. ZZ Top - La Grange.

61. ZZ Top - Waitin' For The Bus.

62. ZZ Top - Jesus Just Left Chicago.

63. ZZ Top - Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers.

64. ZZ Top - Tush.

65. Don Henley - The Boys Of Summer.

66. Sammy Hagar - I Can't Drive 55. - Probably "The Red Rocker's" most iconic song. After 1985 he went on to be David Lee Roth's replacement in Van Halen.

67. The Cars - Just What I Needed.

68. Peter Cetera - The Glory Of Love.

69. Limahl - The Never Ending Story Theme. - Never Ending Story is the very first movie I viewed in a movie theater. This song definitely holds some memories for me. I don't think it's a good song, but it definitely helps me remember that time in my life.

Coming Soon: My Life Of Music Obsession: 1986

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My Life Of Music Obsession: 1984

At age 4 the music I listened to was an extension of what I had discovered at age 3. This playlist isn't quite as big as the 1983 playlist but there are some great tunes to be heard here. 

Check out the companion playlist: Spotify, YouTube, iTunes



On to the playlist:


1. Blue Oyster Cult - Burnin' For You - This song was released in 1981. I discovered the video on MTV in 1984. It was my first exposure to the NYC based band. I didn't fully discover the rest of their music until 1996, but this song was a great catalyst to making me check out their other stuff 12 years later.

2. Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls.

3. Nena - 99 Luftballons - I never quite understood why the German version of this song was always much bigger than the English version, but it's great.

4. Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It.

5. Kenny Loggins - Footloose - Kenny Loggins seemed to be the go to guy to record theme songs for movies in the early 1980's. I remember the first time a relative played me the Footloose soundtrack. I was in love. I didn't see the actual movie until later in life.

6.Deniece Williams - Let's Hear It For The Boy.

7. Mike Reno and Ann Wilson - Almost Paradise.

8. Van Halen - Jump.

9. Van Halen - Panama.

10. The Pointer Sisters - I'm So Excited.

11. The Pointer Sisters - Jump (For My Love).

12. Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters - I didn't actually see Ghostbusters until 2 years after it was released but I did get the soundtrack for my 4th Birthday. This song is so catchy. I think this is the first song to sample another musicians work. Listen to "I Want A New Drug" by Huey Lewis and the News and then listen to this. Tell me what you think.

13. Bruce Springsteen - Glory Days - This is where my love of The Boss's work had started. This is a great song about reminiscing about the past. Something I'm doing right now with this blog.

14. Bruce Springsteen - Born In The U.S.A.

15. Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark - I can't listen to this song anymore without laughing hysterically after watching Adam Sandler's SNL impression of Springsteen.

16. Ratt - Round and Round - This song has an amazing pop sensibility with tough guy attitude. I remember the Video on MTV which featured Milton Berle in it. It's very funny. Van Halen, Quiet Riot, and Ratt set the wheels in motion for a lot of starving bands in Los Angeles's Sunset Strip to find fame in the 1980's by wearing spandex, make-up, and playing heavy metal with pop hooks.

17. Lionel Richie - All Night Long (All Night).

18. "Weird Al" Yankovic - Eat It - This was my first exposure to "Weird Al" and his fun musical parodies or what famous radio DJ, Dr. Demento coined as "Novelty Songs." I've always loved Weird Al's sense of humor. This parody of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" is a fine example of that humor.

Coming Soon...My Life Of Music Obsession: 1985.


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My Life Of Music Obsession: 1983.

Disclaimer: This blog post is not about what was popular in 1983. Some of my readers may note that some of these songs were released prior to 1983, but this blog is not about that. This blog is about what I was listening to in 1983.

Some of you may note that there is a lot of stuff missing from this list, perhaps essential songs. Keep in mind that I was only three years old and my exposure to music was limited to what was played on WVAQ FM, MTV, and stuff family members introduced me to. Future blogs about later years will include music from previous years that I didn’t discover until later in life. 

Age three is when my love of music started. The first song I remember hearing is “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel. After hearing that song I was hooked on music. I would have my parents buy me cassette tapes after I heard something that caught my attention.

Check out the companion playlist: Spotify, YouTube, iTunes.

On to the list of songs:

1. Culture Club - I'll Tumble 4 Ya. – I didn’t quite know anything about Boy George yet, but I remember seeing the video on MTV and instantly enjoying this song. It sounds kind of silly and cheesy by today’s standards but back then it was a fun song and appealed to my three year old mind.

2. Hall and Oates - Private Eyes.

3. Def Leppard – Photograph. – Def Leppard prior to 1983 were a true heavy metal band, but I didn’t get exposed to their much earlier stuff until 1987. With their 1983 album “Pyromania” they started to drop the metal sound and go for a more mainstream power pop sound. This song which is an ode to Marilyn Monroe has a very catchy chorus.

4. Dexys Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen.

5. Eddy Grant – Electric Avenue.

6. Journey - Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) – I loved rock music at age three. Anything that had cool electric guitar in it that I heard, I instantly loved. This is one of those songs

7. Journey – Don’t Stop Believing. – Some might argue that this is the most iconic rock song ever written. I tend to agree with that.

8. Journey – Anyway You Want It.

9. Laura Branigan – Gloria.

10.Men At Work – Down Under.

11. Michael Jackson – Beat It.

12. Michael Jackson – Thriller. – To me this remains the greatest music video of all time. It was really cool.

13. Michael Jackson – Billie Jean.

14. Michael Sembello – Maniac.

15. Phil Collins - You Can't Hurry Love.

16. Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight.

17. Prince - Little Red Corvette.

18. Prince – 1999.

19. Stray Cats – Rock This Town.

20. Taco - Puttin' on the Ritz – I thought this song was about Ritz Crackers when I was three.

21. The Clash - Rock the Casbah.

22. The Police - Every Breath You Take.

23. The Police – Roxanne.

24. Toni Basil – Mickey.

25. Christopher Cross – Ride Like the wind.

26. Christopher Cross – Sailing.

27. Reo Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You.

28. J. Geils Band – Centerfold.

29. John Cougar – Jack and Diane – Written and performed by the artist who would change his name to John Cougar Mellancamp, and then eventually just John Mellancamp. This is the first song I remember singing along to in my Mother’s car.

30. Tommy Tutone – 867-5309 (Jenny).

31. The Cars – Shake it up.

32. The Police – Every Little thing she does is magic.

33. Loverboy – Working for the weekend.

34. Kim Wilde – Kids in America.

35. Billy Joel – Uptown Girl. – This is the song that started my utter and complete love for music. My mom had bought the 45. We put it on the turntable, and from that moment on my life had changed. At least from a three year old perspective.

36. Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want To Have Fun. – Cyndi Lauper’s “She’s So Unusual” album is the first cassette tape I remember my parents buying for me. Cyndi is great and I feel she’s criminally underrated. She’s one of the best singers of all time.

37. Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time.

38. Quiet Riot – Metal Health (Bang Your Head). – This was my first exposure to heavy metal and I was hooked. I had literally wore down the cassette tape from playing it so much , and bought this album at least 5 times between 1983 and 1990.  

39. Quiet Riot – Cum On Feel The Noize.

40. Quiet Riot – Slick Black Cadillac – I finally got around to seeing Quiet Riot live in 2001, before Kevin Dubrow’s death from a Cocaine Overdose. They started the show off with this song. One of the best live acts ever.

Coming soon...My Life Of Music Obsession: 1984.

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