This was a tough one! My favorite band changes daily. I almost went with Journey, but I believe that I already have a couple of songs by them on here, and there will be more.
So, today, Queen is my favorite band. Each member is a musical genius. Freddie Mercury has the best rock voice of all time. Brian May is an outstanding and unique guitarist. Roger Taylor is a great drummer and has a really good voice himself. And John Deacon has perhaps two of the most recognizable bass riffs in rock music – “Another One Bites the Dust” and “Under Pressure”
Here is one of my favorite songs by Queen, and perhaps one of their must underrated:
Tender love is blind it requires a dedication
All this love we feel needs no conversation
We ride it together, uh huh
Makin’ love with each other, uh huh
Islands in the stream that is what we are
No one __ _______ ___ ___ __ __ _____
Here is yesterday’s…
I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
An’ I could tell it wouldn’t be long Till he was with me, yeah me And I could tell it wouldn’t be long Till he was with me, yeah me, singin’
An’ I could tell it wouldn’t be long
Till he was with me, yeah me
And I could tell it wouldn’t be long
Till he was with me, yeah me, singin’
_ ____ ____ _ ____
Here is yesterday’s…
Radio Ga Ga by Queen
So don’t become some background noise A backdrop for the girls and boys Who just don’t know or just don’t care And just complain when you’re not there You had your time, you had the power You’ve yet to have your finest hour (Radio)
He is an old article that many of you may have missed. It was first published on Junuary 10, 2011.
On the Stuck in the ’80s Facebook page, they have a poll for your favorite and least favorite songs of 1980. And I believe that they are going to have a podcast on it. So this article is going to be republished.
Emotional Rescue – The Rolling Stones
The Rose – Bette Midler
Lady – Kenny Rogers
I Can’t Tell You Why – Eagles
Another Brick In The Wall (part II) – Pink Floyd
More Than I Can Say – Leo Sayer
Coming Up – Paul McCartney
Sexy Eyes – Doctor Hook
Longer – Dan Fogelberg
These are songs that were hits in the year 1980 – not necessarily the year they were released:
5. I Can’t Tell You Why – Eagles
This song became a Top 10 hit in April of 1980, and went on to #8. I love the Eagles’ old, country-sounding stuff, as well as “Life in the Fast Lane” and “Heartache Tonight”. But “I Can’t Tell You Why” is a big snoozer for me.
4. Emotional Rescue – Rolling Stones
This song reached all the way up to #3 in the U.S. in 1980. This is a transitional era for the Stones. “Emotional Rescue” is kind of a disco version of the Rolling Stones. It also doesn’t help that 3/4 of the way through the song Mick Jagger starts talking. For the most part, I hate talking in songs. This was a long way from “Paint It Black” and “Gimme Shelter”. But “Start Me Up” and “Undercover of the Night” was yet to come to redeem the Stones.
3. More Than I Can Say – Leo Sayer
This song somehow was #2 for 5 weeks in 1980. This was a remake that was originally recorded by Bobby Vee in 1961. I don’t know why
“More Than I Can Say” needed to be remade. I kind of like the original better. Leo Sayer had better songs with “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” and “When I Need You”.
2. Do That To Me One More time – Captain & Tenille
This song was a #1 hit in 1980. BORING!!!!! “Love Will Keep Us Together” was a better song. And I have to give the Captain props for being the keyboard player in the Beach Boys in the early ’70s. Whenever I hear “Do That To Me One More Time“, I need to turn it off and ask them not to put me through that song one more time.
1. Please Don’t Go – KC & the Sunshine Band
This song also reached to #1 in 1980. Another boring song! Casey Kasem must have had a bad year that year. Is it a coincidence that after “Please Don’t Go” hit #1 that the band broke up?
Now here is a list of some of my favorite hits from 1980:
5. Another One Bites the Dust – Queen
This song reached #1 of Billboard’s Hot 100, and reached #2 on the R&B charts. “Another One Bites the Dust” has one of the greatest bass riffs of all time, along with another hit by Queen – “Under Pressure”. If anybody watched professional wrestling in the early to mid ’80s, they may also remember this being the “Junkyard Dog’s theme song when he came into the ring. This is one of the more frequently played Queen songs, but I don’t get sick of it.
4. Whip It – Devo
This song reached up to #14 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. “Whip It” arguably made New Wave mainstream. You also can’t help but picture the band with those crazy cone hats from the video when you hear the song.
2. Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol’ Boys) – Waylon Jennings
This song reached up to #21 on Billboards Hot 100 chart, and was #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart. The late great Waylon recorded this song for the Dukes of Hazzard and was also the narrator on the show. This song is one of the most memorable songs in television history.
1. (Just Like) Starting Over – John Lennon
This song reached #1 on Billboard’s charts 2 weeks after John Lennon was murdered. This was the first song released from John Lennon’s final original album Double Fantasy. “(Just Like) Starting Over” stayed at #1 for 5 weeks. This song has kind of a fun oldies feel to it, yet it is totally John Lennon. Lennon had many great solo hits after the Beatles, and this one does him justice.
What are your thoughts? Do you have any favorite songs from 1980? Any songs that want you to drive an icepick into your ears?
Dad broke down and finally shaved those sideburns off
By the ’80s, sideburns went the way of disco, bell-bottoms and leisure suits.
But, the moustache remained intact through at least the early to mid ’80s. John Oates pulled it off, along with Burt Reynolds, Freddie Mercury, and the king of the moustache – Tom Selleck.
But then, tragically, the side burns came back with a vengeance in the ’90s with the arrival of Luke Perry and Jason Priestly in Beverly Hills 90210.
I don’t know what to think about this. Queen is one of my all time favorite bands, and Freddie Mercury is my favorite singer. Now Borat is going to be playing him in a movie.
Here is the article from the Associated Press:
LONDON – “Borat” star Sacha Baron Cohen has been signed up to star in a movie about flamboyant rock star Freddie Mercury, producers said Friday.
Peter Morgan, who wrote “The Queen,” is working on a screenplay about the frontman of the band Queen, who died of AIDS-related causes in 1991.
The as-yet-untitled film will climax with Queen’s barnstorming appearance at the 1985 Live Aid concert in London.
The announcement was made by GK Films, which is producing with Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Productions and Queen Films.
Production is due to begin next year, and a director has yet to be chosen.
Founded in 1971 by Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor, Queen scored hits with songs including “We Are the Champions,” “We Will Rock You” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
May told the BBC that the band supports the project, and May and Taylor will oversee the music for the film. There was no word on whether Baron Cohen will try to imitate Mercury’s grandiose singing style, but the comedian has appeared in several musicals, including Tim Burton’s film version of “Sweeney Todd.”
He said the choice of Baron Cohen, creator of wannabe rapper Ali G, Kazakh journalist Borat and Austrian fashionista Bruno, “will probably be a shock to a lot of people, but he’s been talking with us for a long time.”
“He’s been in on this project since we started talking about it seriously with Peter Morgan a couple of years ago.” May said.
Baron Cohen’s latest film is Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo Cabret.”
The one saving grace is that Brian May and Roger Taylor approve, and they will be overseeing the music.
Return to the 80s 