I don't mean in this day and age what 80s songs you like, as I am sure there are some 80s songs you like now that you didn't know about then.  Instead, flashback and tell me what you listened to during that fantastic decade known as the 1980s! 8)

One of my best memories was a cassette tape my mom had called 'Rock Sizzzlers' from 1984 that was a compilation of popular hits at the time.  I listened to it so much, that it eventually wore out, but have since acquired another copy as well as a vinyl copy ...


http://www.geocities.com/whistlejdog/-rock-sizzzlers-.jpg

  SIDE ONE
♦ Church of the Poison Mind - Culture Club
♦ Change - Tears For Fears
♦ Maniac - Michael Sembello
♦ Lick it Up - Kiss
♦ Far From Over - Frank Stallone
♦ Helpless - Dan Hill
♦ Come Dancing - The Kinks
♦ Come on Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners

  SIDE TWO
♦ Red Red Wine - UB40
♦ I'll Tumble 4 Ya - Culture Club
♦ She Works Hard For the Money - Donna Summer
♦ Making Love Out of Nothing at All - Air Supply
♦ The Look of Love - ABC
♦ Can't Shake Loose - Agnetha Faltskog
♦ I Melt With You - Modern English
♦ I.O.U. - Freeez
♦ Tainted Love - Soft Cell

Madonna and Duran Duran dominated my radio, cassette player, and turntable in the 80's. I listened to so many other artists, like Van Halen, Mr. Mister, Prince, Rick Springfield, Expose, Bon Jovi, Men At Work, Culture Club, the Police, Bryan Adams, Pointer Sisters, etc, etc.......

I was so excited when I got Rick Springfields Working Class Dog for my birthday! 

I also listened to Kids from Fame. I had all the albums plus the 45 with Reach for a Dream which wasn't on the LPs

Off the Wall. I know it was 78 but I listened to it all the time

Janet Jackson's Control


I discovered my father's Carpenter's album in the 80s I guess as a black man from the mean streets of  DC he was ashamed to admit he owned it but I fell in love with it.

I also discovered the Beatles and the Beach Boys in 84. and spent most of my time listening to them

The main two albums from the 80s I listen to are Enya's The Celts and Watermark.

Raffi  because I was a  toddler :D

I don't listen to this stuff anymore:

Thompson Twins: Side Kicks; The Gap; Here's to Future Days
Men Without Hats: Rhythm of Youth; Folk of the '80s, Part III
Howard Jones: Human's Lib; Dream into Action
Human League:* Fascination! EP; Hysteria
Culture Club: Kissing to be Clever; Colour by Numbers; Waking Up with the House on Fire
Wang Chung: Points on the Curve
Pet Shop Boys: Please

I don't listen to this stuff anymore:

Men Without Hats: Rhythm of Youth; Folk of the '80s, Part III


You can dance if you want to
You can leave your friends behind
But if you don't dance then you're no friend of mine....

Not sure about the third line.. I loved Safety Dance!  ;D

One of my best memories was a cassette tape my mom had called 'Rock Sizzzlers' from 1984 that was a compilation of popular hits at the time.  I listened to it so much, that it eventually wore out, but have since acquired another copy as well as a vinyl copy ...


http://www.geocities.com/whistlejdog/-rock-sizzzlers-.jpg

Ah! 80s compilation LPs with a 'fiery' edge, hm?

We had this effort in Britian...

'Hits On Fire' - 20 Scorching Tracks (geddit?)

1
Tom Robinson - War Baby
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams
Heaven 17 - Temptation
Flash & The Pan - Waiting For A Train
Blancmange - Blind Vision
Bucks Fizz - Run For Your Life
Men At Work - Overkill
Altered Images - Bring Me Closer
A Flock Of Seagulls - transfer Affection
Toto - I Won't Hold You Back

2
Booker Newbery III - Love Town
Freeez - IOU
Hot Chocolate - What Kinda Boy You Looking For (Girl)
Mike Oldfield - Moonlight Shadow
Roman Holiday - Don't Try To Stop It
Bananarama - Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)
Imagination - Looking At Midnight
Kissing The Pink - Love Lasts Forever
I-Level - Teacher
Funkmasters - It's Over

This thing is still floating around in the back room somewheres...

And you'll have noticed the amount of tracks that were crammed onto each side! Ronco's 'razor-blade' department were in full swing on this one...'Moonlight Shadow' didn't even last three minutes!  :o

These are some of the first albums/cassettes I had back in the 80's:

Thriller - Michael Jackson
Pyromania - Def Leppard
1984 - Van Halen
Colour By Numbers - Culture Club
Metal Health - Quiet Riot
Big Bam Boom - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Arena - Duran Duran
1999, Purple Rain Motion Picture Soundtrack, Around The World In A Day - Prince (& The Revolution)
Ice Cream Castles - The Time
Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits
Theatre Of Pain, Shout At The Devil - Mötley Crüe
In Romance 1600 - Sheila E.
Number One On The Streets - Various Artists
Street Rap - Various Artists

Around 1986 I taught myself how to beatmix and started making my own mixtapes.

Street Rap - Various Artists






That reminds me I listened to the Rappin' Soundtrack.... with Mario van Peebles as Rappin John Hood.  :-[

http://www.inthe00s.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=28047.0;attach=21589;image

Good track listing on that one, but somehow that LP sleeve is disappointing.  There is no fancy lettering :(

It's a shame how they chop songs to fit more on.  I'd rather have less tracks at full length, then more tracks at 3¼ the length.  Those 'Hits' albums you guys have in the UK seem to be famous for this.  50 songs on 2 CDs .. each song must be only 2 minutes in length? lol

Good track listing on that one, but somehow that LP sleeve is disappointing.  There is no fancy lettering :(

It's a shame how they chop songs to fit more on.  I'd rather have less tracks at full length, then more tracks at 3¼ the length.  Those 'Hits' albums you guys have in the UK seem to be famous for this.  50 songs on 2 CDs .. each song must be only 2 minutes in length? lol


I do believe that this was the very last time Ronco pulled this stunt...they'd already started to issue '2 for 1' compilation LPs with no edits whatsoever before this curio hit the streets...

By the end of that year (1983), the game was up, as the phenomenally-successful 'Now' series commenced, blowing Ronco & K-Tel out of the game with one attempt...

I do believe that this was the very last time Ronco pulled this stunt...they'd already started to issue '2 for 1' compilation LPs with no edits whatsoever before this curio hit the streets...


I got one of those ... K-Tel UK release from 1982 called 'Chart Heat' and on the sleeve it says "Buy this record and get Chart Beat free".  'Course since I bought it at a flea market, I didn't get Chart Beat for free :\'( ;D

I got one of those ... K-Tel UK release from 1982 called 'Chart Heat' and on the sleeve it says "Buy this record and get Chart Beat free".  'Course since I bought it at a flea market, I didn't get Chart Beat for free :\'( ;D


And you won't sleep peacefully 'til you know what was on it!  ;)

A quick rummage in the 'back room' and what do we find?

Chart Beat

1
Hi Fidelity - Kids From Fame
Driving In My Car - Madness
I Second That Emotion - Japan
Summertime - Fun Boy Three
My Girl Lollipop - Bad Manners (another one where the single mix is difficult to come by!)
The Boom Boom Room - Natasha (who we were just discussing! This was her 'other' hit!)
The Clapping Song - Belle Stars
Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White - Modern Romance

2
Don't Go - Yazoo
Love Hangover - Associates
I'm A Wonderful Thing - Kid Creole & The Coconuts
Music And Lights - Imagination
Mr. Blunt - Kissing The Pink
Warchild - Blondie
Arthur Daley - Firm (years before 'Star Trekkin'')
If You Knew Sousa - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (aka 'Hooked On Classics' Part 194... :P)

Chart Beat

1
Hi Fidelity - Kids From Fame
Driving In My Car - Madness
I Second That Emotion - Japan
Summertime - Fun Boy Three
My Girl Lollipop - Bad Manners (another one where the single mix is difficult to come by!)
The Boom Boom Room - Natasha (who we were just discussing! This was her 'other' hit!)
The Clapping Song - Belle Stars
Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White - Modern Romance

2
Don't Go - Yazoo
Love Hangover - Associates
I'm A Wonderful Thing - Kid Creole & The Coconuts
Music And Lights - Imagination
Mr. Blunt - Kissing The Pink
Warchild - Blondie
Arthur Daley - Firm (years before 'Star Trekkin'')
If You Knew Sousa - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (aka 'Hooked On Classics' Part 194... :P)


Now that's a good track listing, though that Kids From Fame song kinda puts a damper on it LOL

Any album with KTP, Imagination or Modern Romance gets a big thumbs up from me O0

Anything I've ever liked, I still do. There's been alot of '80s music I didn't know about until the early-mid '90s, and in some cases even later. However, if we're talking about the actual 1980s, these go pretty far back in my memory (which picks up around age 3 in the middle of '85)...either from hearing them on the radio, in public places or my parents buying/listening to them:

"Every Breath You Take" (and the other Synchronicity singles) - The Police
any Hall and Oates
Can't Slow Down - Lionel Richie (anything else from him too)
"I Wanna Know What Love Is" - Foreigner
"Trouble" - Lindsey Buckingham
Huey Lewis, especially Sports and "The Power of Love"
"1999", "Little Red Corvette" and "Delirious" - Prince
anything Phil Collins/Genesis
Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi
"Waiting For a Star to Fall" - Boy Meets Girl
c. 1984 Madonna, her first 3 albums, actually
"Lawyers in Love" - Jackson Browne
any Cars (especially "Shake It Up", "Drive", "Let's Go" and "You Are the Girl")
Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen
"Don't Dream It's Over" - Crowded House
Thriller - Michael Jackson
any Tom Petty (even if I was scared of the Alice in Wonderland video) ;D
"End of the Innocence", "All She Wants To Do is Dance" and "Boys of Summer" - Don Henley
"King of Wishful Thinking" - Go West
"Rock The Casbah" - The Clash

There was also older stuff which I gravitated to, such as The Beatles, same era Rolling Stones, Motown songs or Peter Paul and Mary...lots of 1964-1972 era music...during the '80s too.

There was a Ktel lp with the Welcome back Kotter theme song and another song called Princess & the Punk. 

I think the other songs on the album were Time in a Bottle & One from Chorus Line-  if not then I had these on some other Ktel album.