30 Jul
Dan the List Guy: Bands That Saved the 80s
The List Guy is Dan Reed, Music Director for WXPN. Three times a week, Dan gives his spin on Top 10 musical moments in pop culture.
My personal opinion, but the 80s sucked overall for rock & roll. I’m saying this, and I spent my late teens and 20s in the 80s, so don’t go saying I was too old to understand it. I mean, Men Without Hats? Phil Collins? Wham? I guess I can’t dis all the new wave stuff, just about 90% of it. That being said, here’s a dozen artists who made it tolerable (in no particular order):
1. The Replacements
2. Husker Du
3. Sonic Youth
4. Public Image Limited
5. Prince
6. The Smiths
7. The Beastie Boys
8. Public Enemy
9. X
10. The Jesus & Mary Chain
11. Bad Brains
12. NWA
…So, DR, what did YOU listen to Fri. night while SRD was spinning his tunes
??
I supplement your list with these embarasment of riches…
R.E.M.
July 30th, 2007 at 8:08 amU2
Pretenders
Police
Los Lobos
Smithereens
Dwight Yoakam
XTC
Crowded House
Midnight Oil
LL Cool J
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Minnesota was the hub of great rock ‘n’ roll bands in the 1980s. Don’t sell out everybody else just yet, though. Athens, GA was hot — REM and B-52s. I’m sure others could come up with other music centers fairly easily. (And don’t discount Great Britain’s numerous contributions.)
I’d add Elvis Costello and many others from the post-punk movement to the unfulfilling list(s).
In fact, the 80s stuff isn’t as bad as everyone keeps saying it is. Yes, the constantly re-played pop radio hits were/are annoying, but musicians were creating some beautiful things in the 1980s. The 70s created prog rock and disco…are they just as viable today than, say, 80s creation hip-hop? Just don’t sell out the decade because of 99 Luftballoons.
July 30th, 2007 at 10:45 amWell, sorry Obi but I have to agree with Dan. I’m a huge fan of music but the 80’s left me floundering. Sure, there was some good music that came out of the 80’s. Yeah, I’ll admit I like some stuff by Prince, the Beasties and,one that wasn’t mentioned, INXS, but for the most part the feeling I got was, too pop; no substance.
July 30th, 2007 at 12:13 pmAs far as I’m concerned bands like Los Lobos, Stevie Ray, may have had their start in the 80’s, but are clearly influenced by blues based rock. You could say the same, to some extent, about U2, the Pretenders and the Police as well. And as far as Midnight Oil goes, their exactly what I’m talking about; Awlful!
Dire Straits may have actually released their first record at the end of the 70s but I always considered them an 80s band. They are another one who attempted to save the 80s.
July 30th, 2007 at 9:00 pmGordo, you can’t write off U2 by alluding to them being little more than a basic post-blues outfit. We’re talking about one of the great all-time bands — in the same rare air as the Beatles, Stones, Springsteen, Dylan, Marley, etc. AND THEY WERE AN ’80s BAND!
Much of ’80s pop was God-awful. But the alt and underground scenes produced some of rock history’s finest artists. Listening to college radio in the ’80s was awesome — like you were in on some brilliant little secret. Good times.
-G
July 31st, 2007 at 9:58 amGuys - there’s always great rock and roll to be found… sometimes you may have to dig a little bit. Any decade that includes landmark records by those mentioned above plus Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Jason & The Scorchers, Beat Farmers, The Blasters, John Hiatt, The Gear Daddies, Peter Case, Chris Whitley, Squeeze, Richard & Linda Thompson, Bruce Springsteen, dB’s, Dream Syndicate, Gang of Four, English Beat, Rank and File, Mission of Burma, The Cure, Talking Heads, Joe “King” Carrasco, Joe Ely, Joan Jett, Aztec Camera, Violent Femmes, Meat Puppets, Del Lords, Del Fuegos, Dumptruck, Tom Waits, Run DMC, The Minutemen, The Mekons, The Pogues, Billy Bragg, Bodeans, Smithereens, Crowded House, Camper van Beethoven, Sonic Youth, Living Colour, De La Soul, Lone Justice can’t be all bad.
You guys just should have got out more.
July 31st, 2007 at 6:06 pmOk… Greg, I didn’t “write off” U2 and their place in rock history. I just said, “to some extent” they drew on elements of the blues. I don’t think they would even been insulted by that. I actually expected some guff about the Police on that statement. If Bono’s out there reading this crap, please write in and tell us how disapointing it was to have to perform “When Love Comes to Town” with B.B. King.
August 1st, 2007 at 3:49 pmOh, and by the way, as far as all of these lists go, if that’s the best of it, well…… you know the rest. With the exception of a hand full of artists and bands, again, some of which I don’t even consider 80’s “style” musicians, or 80’s musicians at all (Springsteen? for one), to me it’s a bunch of unlistenable music. My point, again, talking about the “style” of music that came out of the 80’s, for me it stunk! To say it had no feeling would be kind. It had the feeling of being in the back seat of a car on a long ride about to become sick. You couldn’t wait for it to be over!
August 1st, 2007 at 4:44 pmGuns & Roses
August 1st, 2007 at 7:53 pmMetallica
Zamfir, Boxcar Willie
August 4th, 2007 at 9:46 amRun-DMC
August 16th, 2007 at 6:33 pmTHe Cure
THe Hooters