The 80s: Early Music

I'm going to give you a lesson on 80s music, but first a squee moment. For reader/fans from north of the border I have some very exciting news. FORGIVE MY FINS is already available for pre-order on Amazon.ca!!! (That also means it has a tentative official release of May 19, 2010.)

Okay, now onto the lesson.

The first pop song I ever heard was "Beat It" by Michael Jackson. I was in first grade and one of my classmates came to school one day signing it. It's a classic and is Billboard's number 5 song from 1983. You can watch the original video on the Michael Jackson YouTube channel (but they won't let me embed).

Next came "Mickey" by Toni Basil. My girlfriends and I used to sing this to the boys we liked during recess. (Yes, I'm talking about you Josh and Barclay!) We even had a little choreographed dance to go with the song. Adorable, no? Here's the video:

I also have a fun memory about "Puttin' on the Ritz" by Taco. (Yes, really, Taco.) There was a street performer painted silver to look like a tin man sculpture, doing the robot to this song. That's what I picture every time I hear this song.

Here is my essential playlist of fun and/or forgotten pop hits of the early 80s:

1. "Beat It" by Michael Jackson
2. "Mickey" by Toni Basil*
3. "Puttin' on the Ritz" by Taco
4. "Call Me" by Blondie*
5. "Lady" by Kenny Rogers
6. "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield
7. "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John
8. "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor
9. "I Love Rock N' Roll" by Joan Jett*
10. "Centerfold" by J. Geils Band
11. "Every Breath You Take" by The Police*
12. "What's Love Got To Do With It" by Tina Turner
13. "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors
14. "We Got the Beat" by The Go-Gos*
15. "Maneater" by Hall & Oates
16. "Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club*
17. "Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners*
18. "All Night Long" by Lionel Ritchie
19. "Let's Hear It for the Boy" by Deniece Williams*
20. "I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder

(* indicates song is still a fave)

Hugs,
TLC