80's ROCK SINGLES PLAYLIST PART 2

Had a rather hard time choosing from a bumper crop of diverse genres that permeated the 80's rock scene. Nonetheless, it was all worth it. Loaded kasi siya. Post-punk, new wave, movie themes, jazz rock, synth-pop, adult contemporary, straight up (and stripped down) rock and everything else in between more than made up for my part 2 blog entry. The Pinoy Rock music scene had a languid run though, save for the punk movement that banged (and barged!) its way into the 80's care of Tommy Tanchangco's Twisted Red Cross. Special mention goes to the Urban Bandits, Betrayed, Wuds and Philippine Violators for being at the forefront of the 80's sudden burst of activities. Dear friends, enjoy this playlist in these unresolved virus-laden times even if some of you might lock horns with my choices. I say touché...

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🌻"Sweet Child o' Mine"/Guns n' Roses (1987). Off Appetite for Destruction LP, and garnering 1B YouTube views, this one features the prototypical Slash riff and is just right for our opening salvo...

🌻"Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)"/Pink Floyd (1980). The video sarcastically condemning regimented schooling created a global uproar. This protest song sparked debates all over, and was even banned in some countries; written by bassist Roger Waters: "We don't need no educashonnn!"; The Wall was officially released in Nov. 1979...

amazon.com

🌻"A Girl in Trouble"/Romeo Void (1984). Formed in San Francisco by saxophonist Benjamin Bossi off their Instincts album featuring vocals by Debora Iyall; a classic case of one-hit wonder group; funked up.

🌻"Steppin' Out"/Joe Jackson (1982). 12M views; JJ plays piano in his hotel room in the vid; "We/So tired of all the darkness in our lives/With no more angry words to say/Can come alive/Get into a car and drive/To the other side"; surreal...

🌻"Mad World"/Tears for Fears (1983). "And I find it kind of funny/I find it kind of sad"; we're now living in a f...ed up world that we mistreated for so long.

en.wikipedia.org

🌻"You're the Best Thing"/The Style Council (1984). Led by Paul Weller -- formerly of punk rock/new wave/mod revival band The Jam; from Café Bleu; one of my esteemed soulful/suave/sophisticated/silky smooth/charming/chillax/relaxed/no frills/poised crooners. Nobody comes close.

🌻"Roam"/The B-52's (1989). Lamierda mode dapat after 'house arrest': "Roam if you want to/Roam around the world" except in Wuhan, of course!

🌻"Brass in Pocket"/The Pretenders (1980).The vid features Chrissie Hynde as a waitress with a big crush on someone who's inconsiderate of her feelings. Wapakels...

en.wikipedia.org

🌻"Jojo"/Boz Scaggs (1980). Featuring Toto members as sidemen; from Middle Man and about pimping: "His baby stays high/Got to keep her sweet/He keeps her just right/Keeps her on the street"; sinkupado.

🌻"I Melt with You"/Modern English (1982). A time-honored new wave hymn care of this group from Sussex, England; "I'll stop the world and melt with you." Rhetorical words to impress the young girls. Boladas-to-the-max!

🌻"The One I Love"/R.E.M. (1987). Sparks (parang lusis) all over the 24M views video; from Document; use this chord pattern Em--D--Em---- for the verses; "A simple prop to occupy my time."

genius.com

🌻"Wasted on the Way"/Crosby, Stills & Nash (1981). Written by Graham Nash off Daylight Again; "I am older now/I have more than what I wanted/But I wish that I had started/Long before I did." Started what?

🌻"Never You Done That"/General Public (1984). Formed by vocalists Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger who passed on at 56; my niece's (her name is Michelle) most-loved 😍 tune.

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🌻"I'll Be Over You"/Toto (1986). Brothers Mike (bass) and Jeff Porcaro (drums) both passed on in their prime; trivia: toto is Spanish slang for vagina; written by Randy Goodrum and Steve Lukather: "As soon as forever is true/I'll be over you." The perfect break-up song. Hugot galore pa more!

🌻"Need You Tonight"/INXS (1987). 21M views; lead singer Michael Hutchence was found dead in 1997 in Sydney, Australia. Cause of death: suicide by hanging; INXS was formed by the Farrish brothers in 1977; danceable groove.

🌻"Everyday I Write the Book"/Elvis Costello & the Attractions (1983). Londoner EC had always been vocal about his reverence for the Beatles, just like countless musicians of our time; post-punk singer/guitarist/songwriter...

🌻"The Killing Moon"/Echo & the Bunnymen (1984). The balalaika (Russian guitar) intro is amazeballs; off Ocean Rain.

🌻"Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)"/The Icicle Works (1984). English alt rock band; their name was derived from "The Day the Icicle Works Closed" by science fiction author Frederik Pohl; new wave entry.

🌻"So Far Away"/Dire Straits (1985). Written by leader Mark Knopfler off Brothers in Arms; country-flavored; "I'm tired of making out on the telefone"...perfect line for social distancing. Layu-layo muna!

discogs.com

🌻"Here I Go Again"/Whitesnake (1982). Written by David Coverdale (formerly of Deep Purple) and Benny Marsden, this glam rock -- characterized by spandex, long, curly and teased hair, multi-colored outfits, heavy make up, screeching vocals -- ballad brought in big bucks for the group. I say DC copped out bigtime!...

🌻"Avalon"/Bryan Ferry (1982). The vid features a Barbie look-alike model; written by Bryan Ferry: "When the samba takes you/Out of nowhere/And the background's fading/Out of focus"; BF could have branched out as a GQ model or an actor while still hot. Sobrang guwapo, eh.

🌻"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"/U2 (1987). "I have spoke with the tongue of angels/I have held the hand of the devil/It was warm in the night/I was cold as a stone" -- poetic lines from the ever-infallible Bono...

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🌻"I Love Rock 'n' Roll/Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (1981). Another classic case of one-hit wonder group; original songwriter Allan Merrill died on March 2020.

🌻"Don't You Want Me/Human League (1981). Danceable synth-pop off their Dare album; from Sheffield, England.

🌻"Girlfriend in a Coma"/The Smiths (1987). From Strangeways, Here We Come; "There were times when I could have strangled her." Typical Morrissey...

🌻"West End Girls"/Pet Shop Boys (1984). The PSB are Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe; "In a west end town a dead-end world."

🌻"Addicted to Love"/Robert Palmer (1985). Roots rock, blues rock, pub rock; he died at 54 in Paris, France in 2003. Cause of death: heart attack. Really now...

amazon.com

🌻"People Are People"/Depeche Mode (1984). For the uninformed: depeche is pronounced depeshi or dipesh; their name (derived from a French magazine) means "fast fashion" or "fashion dispatch"; Dave Gahan (vocals) and Martin Gore (vocals, guitar) led this synth-heavy/new wave/dance group.

🌻"I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World)"/Donald Fagen (1982). From The Nightfly; "What a beautiful world this will be/What a glorious time to be free"; a must-play album for these crazy times; jazzy.

🌻"One Thing Leads to Another"/The Fixx (1982). Infectious groove...

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🌻"Here Comes the Rain Again/Eurythmics (1983). "I want to dive into your ocean/Is it raining with you?" Double entendré lines, don't you agree? Hmm...

🌻"Hurts So Good"/John Cougar Mellencamp (1982). Heartland music from American Fool; "Sink your teeth right through my bones, baby"...gigil time!

🌻"Back in Black"/AC/DC (1980). The group's name means that a business starts being profitable again. It also means chickboy (or chickgirl): pwede sa chick, pwede sa boy; guitarist Angus Young -- always in shorts and coat and tie -- never ceases to steal the show with his jaw-dropping antics onstage.

🌻"I Want to Know What Love Is"/Foreigner (1984). Transatlantic Brit-American group formed in New York and London led by vocalist Lou Gramm (from U.S.). Best of both worlds.

en.wikipedia.org

🌻"You May Be Right"/Billy Joel (1980). "Remember how I found you there/Alone in your electric chair/I told you dirty jokes until you smiled"; upbeat.

🌻"Square Rooms"/Al Corley (1984). "They don't listen/They don't care/If a man is in despair"; to all the city dormers whose parents are from far-flung provinces, I sympathize with you in these troubled times...

🌻"Love Vigilantes"/New Order (1985). Ian Curtis (vocals) and Bernard Sumner (guitar/keyboards) formed Joy Division -- their first band before NO -- after seeing the Sex Pistols in concert; "I want to see my family/My wife and child waiting for me/I've got to go home/I've been so alone, you see" -- a soldier's plea...

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🌻"Sunglasses at Night"/Corey Hart (1983). From First Offense; Canadian CH could easily pass off as an actor.

🌻"Boys Don't Cry"/The Cure (1980). "So I try to laugh about it/Cover it all up with lies"; formed in West Sussex by guitarist/singer/songwriter Robert Smith (the only constant group member) in 1978.

🌻"Modern Love"/David Bowie (1983). From Let's Dance album; "There's no sign of life/It's just the power to charm/Still lying in the wind/But I never wave bye-bye"; rest in eternal peace, David. Thanks for the music...

discogs.com

🌻"Open Arms"/Journey (1981). Songwriters: vocalist Steve Perry and keyboardist Jonathan Cain; "Lying (laing) beside you/Here in the dark." Tsalap niyan!

🌻"Summer of 69"/Bryan Adams (1984). "Man we were killin' time/We were young and restless/We needed to unwind"; from Reckless; BA is singer/songwriter/record producer/guitarist/photographer/philanthropist/activist all rolled into one.

🌻"Promises, Promises"/Naked Eyes (1983). "Arm in arm we laughed like kids/At all the silly things we did"; galaw-galaw tayo, baka masobrahan sa lockdown...

🌻"How Soon Is Now"/The Smiths (1984). Used in the TV hit series Charmed (been watching this with my kids) starring Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty and Holly Marie Combs; off Hatful of Hollow from the blokes of Manchester, England; "I am human and I need to be loved/Just like everybody else does."

🌻"Roll With It"/Steve Winwood (1988). Written by famed songwriters E. Holland, L. Dozier, B. Holland, W. Jennings, Steve Winwood -- names I often encounter in JINGLE before; from Virgin Records owned by business mogul Richard Branson who leads roughly 400 different companies around the world. Walang-wala...

smule.com

🌻"Baby Can I Hold You"/Tracy Chapman (1988). From her self-titled Elektra debut that also features "Fast Cars" and "Talking 'Bout a Revolution"; a colored folk rock artist, truly a rare find indeed! Parang Jimi Hendrix lang.

🌻"Amanda"/Boston (1986). Released six years after it was recorded; reached No.1 in Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in Nov. 1986 and written by do-it-all guy Tom Scholz who used a 12-string guitar for this.

🌻"Dance Hall Days/Wang Chung (1983). Nominated for MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist; from Points on the Curve.

🌻"Don't Stop Believin' "/Journey (1981). "Just a small town girl/Livin' in a lonely world/She took the midnight train goin' anywhere"; written by Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry and Neil Schon; faultless arena rock cut.

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🌻"Solitude Standing"/Suzanne Vega (1987). Alt rock; "And she turns to me with her hands extended/Her palm is split with a flower with a flame"; angsty and guitar-driven.

🌻"In Between Days"/The Cure (1985). Writer: Robert Smith; "Yesterday away from you/It froze me down deep inside"; read somewhere that his bouffant 'do is a wig. Malamang! Many other old hand rockers have hair transplants though.

🌻"Englishman in New York"/Sting (1988). 192M YouTube views; from ...Nothing Like the Sun, and featuring Branford Marsalis on soprano sax; the b&w video features world renowned British author Quentin Crisp (the subject of this song) who migrated to NY to escape England's discriminatory treatment of gay men...

🌻"When I See You Smile"/Bad English (1989). By battle-scarred Hollywood songwriter Diane Warren; all-star group: Cain, Schon, Castronovo (all from Journey) with Ricky Phillips (Styx, The Babys) on bass and John Waite on vocals.

🌻"The Flame"/Cheap Trick (1988). Formed in Illinois, U.S. and led by Robin Zander (vocals) and Rick Nielsen (guitar) off Lap of Luxury.

🌻"The Love Parade"/The Dream Academy (1985). 298K views. Payat! YouTube wasn't around then; "Oh, the love parade goes on/Even when you're gone/It'll go on forever."

en.wikipedia.org

🌻Mega-sellers: "Livin' on a Prayer"/Bon Jovi (1986); "Can't Fight This Feeling"/REO Speedwagon (1984); "Another One Bites the Dust"/Queen (1980); "With or Without You"/U2 (1987); "Every Breath You Take"/The Police (1987); "Let's Groove"/Earth, Wind & Fire (1981); "Dancing in the Dark"/Bruce Springsteen (1984); "Inspector Mills"/America (1982); "True" and "Gold"/Spandau Ballet (1983); "Whatever We Imagine" (1981) and "There's No Easy Way"/James Ingram (1983); "Heaven"/Bryan Adams (1984); "Alone"/Heart (1987).

🌻"Cum on Feel the Noize"/Quiet Riot (1983). Founded by guitarist Randy Rhoades; "So you think my singing's out of time/It makes me money." You can also criticize the way I look, but hey...I earn big bucks more than you. I also get all the pretty girls...

en.wikipedia.org

🌻"These Dreams"/Heart (1986). "Is it cloak and dagger/Could it be spring or fall/I walk without a cut/Through a stained glass wall." The first line means espionage, mystery or secrecy; led by sisters Ann (singer) and Nancy Wilson (guitar).

🌻"Rebel Yell"/Billy Idol (1983). "In the midnight hour/She cried more, more, more." Nabitin?

🌻"Shattered Dreams"/Johnny Hates Jazz (1988). "You said you'd die for me"; led by songwriter/keyboardist/vocalist Clark Datchler; the b&w video has 8.1M views.

en.wikipedia.org

🌻"Whip It"/Devo (1980). "Crack that whip/Give the past the slip/Step on a crack/Break your momma's back"; from Freedom of Choice; devo is slang for devastated.

🌻"We Got the Beat"/The Go-Go's (1981). This group has produced Belinda Carlisle and Jane Wiedlin who both had illustrious (sakto lang) solo careers in the 80's.

🌻"Owner of a Lonely Heart"/Yes (1983). Vet Brit prog/art rock progenitors since 1968; brilliant!

🌻"Back in the High Life Again"/Steve Winwood (1986). "It used to seem to me/That my life ran on too fast"; the mandolin adds a different dimension to the song.

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🌻"Money Changes Everything"/Cyndi Lauper (1983). Written by Thomas Gray from her She's So Unusual debut album; they say it is the root of all evil. I say amen to that!

🌻"The More You Live, the More You Love"/A Flock of Seagulls (1984). The video's seaside setting with matching flying seagulls is absolutely flawless; off The Story of a Young Heart.

🌻"Synchronicity II"/The Police (1983). The Mad Max-inspired video features wind blown papers; The Police played their final gig for Amnesty International in 1986. Sting then went solo after that...although his first output The Dream of the Blue Turtles was released in 1985.

🌻"Just Can't Get Enough"/Depeche Mode (1981). "It's getting hotter/It's a burning love/And I just can't seem to get enough of"; computerized dance music.

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🌻"Always Something There to Remind Me"/Naked Eyes (1983). Written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach and originally recorded by various female acts in the 60's; off Burning Bridges.

🌻"Der Komissar"/After the Fire (1982). Originally done by Austrian Falco; disco-inflected.

🌻Best of 80's movie themes: "Footloose"/Kenny Loggins (1984) starring Kevin Bacon; "Fame"/Irene Cara (1980) who also stars in the movie; "La Bamba"/Ritchie Valens (1987) starring Fil-Am Lou Diamond Phillips; "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"/Christopher Cross (1981) starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli in Arthur; "Flashdance...What a Feeling"/Irene Cara and "Maniac"/Michael Sembello (1983) starring Jennifer Beals; "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"/Phil Collins (1984) starring Rachel Ward and Jeff Bridges; "Sweet Freedom"/Michael McDonald (1986) used in Running Scared starring Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines; "Pretty in Pink"/The Psychedelic Furs (1986) starring Molly Ringwald; "It Might Be You"/Stephen Bishop (1982) from Tootsie starring Dustin Hoffman.

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🌻"Sunday Morning"/The Bolshoi (1986). A subtle jab at Catholicism: "Oh, how we'd kneel down/Oh, we were so quiet/Never any light there/I don't care/It's not right there"; I'm keeping my mouth shut...

🌻" Freeze Frame"/J. Geils Band (1981). From Massachusetts and formed by guitarist John "J." Geils; fronted by enigmatic performer Peter Wolf who married and divorced actress Faye Dunaway in the 70's. Rockers attract drop-dead gorgeous models, too...

en.wikipedia.org

🌻"Taken In"/Mike & the Mechanics (1985). Led by former Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford; written by Mike Rutherford and Christopher Neil; a personal fave I never get tired listening to.

🌻"Missing You"/John Waite (1984). Reached No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100; he is from Lancaster, UK; 22M views; JW is a deadringer for Redford White (RIP). Don't you think so?

🌻"Beds Are Burning"/Midnight Oil (1987). Off Diesel and Dust; "How do we sleep while our beds are burning?" asks this Aussie band.

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🌻"Wishful Thinking"/China Crisis (1983). Led by Gary Daly and Eddie Lundon; "And if I wish to comfort the fall/It's just wishful thinking"; China has not only created a worldwide crisis...they even disrupted everyone's lives...

🌻"Never Surrender"/Corey Hart (1985). CH faded into oblivion after having three certified hits to his name...

🌻"I Love You"/Climax Blues Band (1980). Classic rock love song by this Brit band
from Flying the Flag; "Thanks again for being my friend/And straightening out my life."

genius.com

🌻"Down Under"/Men at Work (1981). From Business as Usual; led by Colin Hay (singer/guitar).

🌻"When Smokey Sings"/ABC (1987). "When Smokey sings, I hear violins"; off Alphabet City; paying homage to legendary Motown act Smokey Robinson.

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🌻"Big in Japan"/Alphaville (1984). German synth-pop group; "Neon on my naked skin, passing silhouettes/Of strange illuminated mannequins."

🌻"Sowing the Seeds of Love"/Tears for Fears (1989). This Beatlesque cut was written by Ian Stanley and Roland Orzabal and has 77M views; "Politician granny with your high ideals/Have you no idea how the majority feels/So without love and a promised land/We're fools to the rules of the government plan/Kick out the style, bring back the jam, yeah, yeah."

🌻"German Girl"/The Lotus Eaters (1984). From No Sense of Sin; "German girl, through you I have learnt/German girl, through you I want to go."

🌻"A Little Respect"/Erasure (1984). Extensively promoted by the Universal Motion Dancers in the 80's on national television.

🌻"You Can't Get What You Want"/Joe Jackson (1984). JJ is also proficient in sax playing; from Body and Soul.

en.wikipedia.org

🌻"I Keep Forgettin' "/Michael McDonald (1982). Jazzy and upbeat; arguably the best male vocalist of our time.

🌻"Old and Wise"/Alan Parsons Project (1982). Haunting (and lilting) ballad written by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson and sang by Zombie Colin Blunstone (unlisted); "As far as my eyes can see/There are shadows approaching me."

🌻"It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"/Billy Joel (1980). From Glass Houses; edgy songwriting from the New Yorker.

🌻"Hey Nineteen"/Steely Dan (1980). From Gaucho; "The Cuervo gold/The fine Colombian/Make tonight a wonderful thing"; eargasmic; great tequila promo...

amazon.com

🌻"They Dance Alone"/Sting (1987). Protest song from ...Nothing Like the Sun; the metaphor refers to mourning women who dance the Cueca -- Chile's national dance -- alone with photos of their disappeared loved ones (desaparecidos) in their hands. Tsk tsk...

🌻"Once Upon a Long Ago"/Paul McCartney (1987). The b&w MTV and colored animation were intermittently mixed together; discovered this gem of a song rather late; "Picking up scales and broken chords"; ballad from the master songweaver.

🌻"The Love Shack"/The B-52's (1989). The group's name is slang for exaggerated "bouffant" hairdos.

een.wikipediaa.org

🌻"Overjoyed"/Stevie Wonder (1985). Jazzy; just one of those unfading SW hits...walang pagkalaos.

🌻"Never Die Young"/James Taylor (1988). "Snychronized with the rising moon/Even with the evening star"; another late song discovery of mine...

🌻"Somebody"/Bryan Adams (1984). Written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance; the staccato guitar riff is funk rock at its finest...

🌻"Cities in Dust"/Siouxsie and the Banshees (1985). Irish legend says that a banshee is a female spirit whose wailing warns of an impending death in the house.

🌻"Mad World"/Tears for Fears (1983). From The Hurting and written by Roland Orzabal; "All around me are familiar faces/Worn out places, worn out faces."

🌻"Something About You"/Level 42 (1985). Jazz funk, sophisti-pop from World Machine; led by Mark King (vocals/bass); 5M views.

hollywoodreporter.com

🌻"Ebony and Ivory"/Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder (1982). Universal in its appeal; two geniuses of our time collaborate: "We all know that people are the same wherever you go."

amazon.com

🌻"Agila (Haring Ibon)"/Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad (1981). In times of uncertainty, we dream: "Nais kong lumipad tulad ng agila/At lumutang-lutang sa hangin"; from Panganay ng Umaga; perfect for concluding this playlist...