Let's compile a list of essential 80's songs for an 80's themed party.  Everyone who posts, please contribute 5-10 songs not previously listed.  These can be any genre, but let's focus on mainstream music.  The good thing about the '10's vs the 80's is that we all have ipods and our playlists can be virtually endless, rather than just a 90 minute mix tape!

Come On, Eileen
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Walk Like An Egyptian
Material Girl
Our Lips Are Sealed
I Got My Mind Set On You
Beat It
Karma Chameleon
Take On Me
99 Red Balloons

Which version of 'Our Lips Are Sealed' ?

I prefer 99 Red Balloons
And I'm really sick of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun & Take On Me
I LOVE Come On Eileen


Our House - Madness.
Warrior - Patti Smythe (or Scandal)
Good Bye to You - "
What I Like About You - Romantics

Smalltown Boy - Bronski Beat
Don't Leave Me this Way - The Communards
Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode
Don't You Forget About Me or Alive and Kicking - Simple Minds
She Sells Sanctuary - the Cult
Blue Monday - New Order
Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go - Soft Cell

Which version of 'Our Lips Are Sealed' ?


The Go Go's, IMO.

The Go Go's, IMO.


Mine too

Oh.

Video killed the radio star
And
I dont like Mondays. (that was 80s right? Or was it late 70s?
No 80 compilation is complte w/o Safety Dance  ;D
Oh and should I stay or should I go. Or rocknthe casbah
Oh and rock this town and stray cat strut and sexy and 17.

Here's a few more

Conga - Gloria Estefan
Situation - the Yaz
I Wanna Be A Cowboy - Boys Don't Cry
A Love Bizarre - Shiela E
Party Train - Gap Band
Heart Of Rock N Roll - Huey Lewis & News

Thanks to those who responded.

Had all 40 people who reviewed this responded, we could have up to 400 songs already!  >:(

Thanks to those who responded.

Had all 40 people who reviewed this responded, we could have up to 400 songs already!  >:(


Well I've read the thread more than once and probably the other people who posted have so it's not 400 different people viewing it

Well I've read the thread more than once and probably the other people who posted have so it's not 400 different people viewing it


Then leave 10 songs each time you read it  >:(

:D

Then leave 10 songs each time you read it  >:(

:D

;D

Which version of 'Our Lips Are Sealed' ?


My preference is also for the Go-Go's version, but Fun Boy Three's cover (in English, or in Urdu) would be great for screwing with people's heads.

(In for a penny, in for a pound.  Gimme a couple more beers and randomize the playlist.)

Fun Boy Three: Our Lips are Sealed (in Urdu, not English!  Everybody knows the English lyrics!)
Laura Branigan: The Name Game (Filler track on 1987's LP, "Touch".  Gloriously atrocious, you must listen to this at least once in your life.  That goes double if you think a lap-dance is better when the stripper is crying.  Somehow Laura managed make this sound good, but you can feel the seething hatred in every line at this abominable waste of her talent.)
Divine: The Name Game (It gets worse.  If you laughed at Laura being forced into singing it for some contractual obligation, you'll regain your carma, for Divine spends a few minutes... well, s/he doesn't merely sing it, s/he dives into an ocean of camp, rolls around in it, and positively revels in it.)
Duran Duran: Ball of Confusion (A 1995 cover of Love And Rockets' 1985 cover of The Temptations' 1970 original.  What, you'd rather I spin their cover of 911 Is A Joke or White Lines?)
Adeva: 1999 (1999's cover of 1999, from a Prince tribute album Party o' the Times)
Devo: (I can't get no) Satisfaction (In 1978, they covered the Rolling Stones' classic, but anybody who remember it as being from 1978 and not the '80s isn't going to mind)
Devo 2.0: Anything done by this 2006 one-hit wonder.  Under the tutelage of Devo 1.0, a bunch of kids covered most of Devo's hits.  Pick anything from the album and spin it.
Sylvester: Livin' For The City (Yes, it's a 1986 cover of Stevie Wonder, by a disco artist.  OK, I'll stop being a horrible person here.)
Pop Will Eat Itself: Love Missile F1-11 (I prefer the original, but hey, it's on 1988's "Now for a Feast", on which PWEI covered Sigue Sigue Sputnik)
Telex: Dance to the Music (1980, electro awesomeness that wouldn't sound out of date in any decade)
Tackhead: Crosstown Traffic (From "En Concert", a live 1988/1990 (can't quite figure out the dates here) cover of Jimi Hendrix's 1968 classic.  Trust me, this wouldn't sound out of place in an 80s party.  The version on 1993's "Power, Inc. Vol. 2" is the canonical version and is close enough.)
Kelly Marie: Born to Be Alive (great 1985 synthpop cover of the disco classic)
Kim Wilde: Kids in America (In 2006, on "Never Say Never", she covered her own song in a way that could have been aired in 1981 - everyone would have wondered how they did it, but it really completed a circle that took 25 years (from the foundation of New Wave to electropop/electroclash) to complete.)
Sarah Vaughan: Fever (Arguably a 2005 cover of Madonna's 1993 cover of Peggy Lee's 1958 original, but there have been 792 covers of the track over the past 50+ years, a bunch of which were in the 80s, so you can take your pick.)
Josie and the Pussycats: Wild One (From the 2001 movie soundtrack, yes, it's a cover of Iggy Pop.)
Josie and the Pussycats: Money (From the 2001 movie soundtrack, yes, they also covered the Beatles-as-covered-by-the-Flying-Lizards)
Judas Priest: Johnny B. Goode (1988 cover, straight off Ram it Down)
Unheilig: This Corrosion (From 2003's "Das Zweite Gebot", awesomely-faithful-gothomatic cover of the classic Sisters of Mercy track)
Sammy Hagar: I Can't Drive 65 (Yep, he parodied himself, under his own name, in 2001, for NASCAR: Full Throttle)
Ministry: What a Wonderful World (Armstrong's original isn't 80s, but the first 3:45 of Ministry's 2008's version on Cover Up is actually a pretty nice way to end a weird mix.  Your choice as to whether to fade out at 3:45 or drag all the wallflowers off the wall for 4 minutes of slamming.)

And there's 20.  Out of that, you should be able to find at least 10 covers and an hour or so of music that will both confuse and amuse your audience, while somehow fitting together in some sort of mix.

I'm not sure whether to be regretful or grateful that it's not gonna be on my podcast or show.  Use these playlist suggestions at your own risk!

I only recognized about three songs from you list Foo  :-\\

Judas Priest: Johnny B. Goode (1988 cover, straight off Ram it Down)


I prefer Marty McFly's cover of Johnny B. Goode.

I only recognized about three songs from you list Foo  :-\\


Be thankful :)

Tonight I was just aiming for tracks that were faithful enough to the originals that you could get away with playing them at an 80s-themed party (or which were produced from 1980-1990, however ahead/behind of the times they sounded). 

I'll poke around.  I think I can come up with covers of at least half the stuff on Billzy's list.  But I'll need to be sober to pull it off :)

  1. Don't Stop Believin'
  2. Trouble
  3. Shake It Up
  4. Calling All Girls
  5. Radio Free Europe
  6. Cover Me
  7. Object of My Desire
  8. Sleeping Bag
  9. Iko Iko

  The least mainstream, Radio Free Europe, is a little out of place on this list, but I likes it... 8)

  beaucoup Karma to Foo for even hearing of Judas Priest's excellent cover of Johnny B. Goode..! 

The Vapors - Turning Japanese
Icicle Works - Whisper to a scream
Simply Red - Money's too tight to mention
Duran Duran - A View to a Kill
Tears for Fears - Change
Naked Eyes - Promises, Promises
Powerstation - Some like it hot
Robert Palmer - I didn't mean to turn you on
Lisa Lisa & The Cult Jam - I Wonder If I Take You Home
Peter Gabriel-Shock the Monkey
Lindsey Buckingham - Go Insane
Eddie Money - Shakin'

Last week's show mixed by Midas

There's 44 tracks there mostly 80s so there you go!  Party on!  O0

Footloose-Kenny Loggins
Holding Out For a Hero-Bonnie Tyler
Electric Avenue-Eddy Grant
I'm So Excited-The Pointer Sisters
Jump (For My Love)-The Pointer Sisters
Simply Irresistible-Robert Palmer
Running With The Night-Lionel Richie
Like A Prayer-Madonna
Straight Up-Paula Abdul
Opposites Attract-Paula Abdul


And NO 80's mix would be complete without:

Old Time Rock-n-Roll-Bob Seger. 


I'm sure I will think of more. 


Cat

Last week's show mixed by Midas

There's 44 tracks there mostly 80s so there you go!  Party on!  O0


Wow very nice Midas.  :)

Thanks to those who provided lists!

To those who didn't...  :P

1) Back in Time-Huey Lewis and the News
2) Hungry like the Wolf-Duran Duran
3) Rebel Yell-Billy Idol
4) Caribbean Queen-Billy Ocean
5) La Isla Bonita-Madonna
6) Don't You Want Me Baby-Human League
7) Money for Nothing-Dire Straits
8) Panama-Van Halen
9) Thriller-Michael Jackson
10) Maneater-Hall and Oates

cBecause the 80s were so eclectic and in those days, you could go to a party and find all types of music at any given time.  Here's a mix guaranteed to cater to a broad audience  8)

Hello Again - The Cars
Need You Tonight - INXS
Love Is Like A Rock - Donnie Iris
Two Hearts Beat As One - U2
You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi
Come Back And Stay - Paul Young
I Wanna Be Your Lover - Prince
Live It Up - Mental As Anything
Hot For Teacher - Van Halen
The Reflex - Duran Duran
Rock The Casbah - The Clash
Something About You - Level 42
Lucky Star - Madonna
Your Love - The Outfield
Tenderness - General Public
Round And Round - Ratt
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
Once In A Lifetime - Talking Heads
Dancing In The Sheets - Shalamar
Undercover Of The Night - Rolling Stones
The Kid Is Hot Tonite - Loverboy
Peace Love & Understanding - Elvis Costello
Wanna Be Starting Something - Michael Jackson
Cherry Pie - Warrant
Ain't Even Done With The Night - John Cougar
Freak-a-Zoid - Midnight Star
Antmusic - Adam & The Ants
Rock Of Ages - Def Leppard
What I Like About You - The Romantics
Goodbye - Night Ranger

Working For the Weekend-Loverboy.


Cat

Obligatory obscure 80s cover of an 80s track, better post it before I forget it:

Eurythmics - Fame (as in David Bowie, but Eurythmics covered it in 1983.)

Maxwell's CD-R '80s Mix 2.1

Laurie Anderson: Walk the Dog (O Superman 12"/Warner Bros./1981)
Click Click: Rotor Babe (Wet Skin and Curious Eye/Play It Again Sam/1987)
Julian Cope: Charlotte Anne (My Nation Underground/Island/1988)
The Cult: She Sells Sanctuary (12" version/Beggars Banquet/1985)
Tim Curry: Working On My Tan (Simplicity/A&M/1981)
Duran Duran: Tiger Tiger (Seven and the Ragged Tiger/Capitol/1983)
The Earons: Land of Hunger (Land of Hunger 12"/Island/1984)
The Fine Young Cannibals: Johnny Come Home (FYC/I.R.S./1985)
Bushido: Question of Time* (For Your Ears Only compilation/Third Mind/1987)
Badland: 'Till the Stars Fall** (ibid.)
Freur***: Doot Doot (Doot Doot 12"/Epic/1983)
Fun Boy Three: Farmyard Connection (Waiting/Chrysalis/1983)
The Glove****: Like An Animal (Blue Sunshine/Polydor/1982)
Peter Godwin: Torch Songs for the Heroine + Emotional Disguise [vocal & instrumental) (Images of Heaven 12"/Polydor/1982)

* Not a Depche Mode cover, not the German rapper, not a samurai.  Who "Bushido" is in this case escapes me now!
** Chamber pop by Steven Abbott from U.K. Decay
*** Early project by Rick Smith and Karly Hyde of Underworld
**** Short-lived band featuring Robert Smith (The Cure) and Steve Severin (Siouxsie and the Banshees), vocals on song: Jeannette Landray

Damn! YOu know your music.

Damn! YOu know your music.


That's what we're here for.  

Here's a setlist for the yuppie/preppie that lurks within your soul.  You know you've got one, so put on one of those dorky alligator shirts and crank up the capitali$mix...

Peter Gabriel, Big Time ("Hi there!" is a good way to open any mix.  From 1986's "So")
Taco, Puttin' on the Ritz (1983)
Timbuk3, Future's So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades) (1986, shout out to the guys in Japan cleaning up the mess.  Five million yen a year'll buy a lotta beer!)
Belle Stars: World Domination (The girls behind the perennial '80s dance version of Iko Iko did a song about taking over the world, yuppie-style)
Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Success ("Dress for Excess", 1989)

Time for a segue:

Option #1: For a more disco-friendly audience, a doubleshot from 1980:
  HOT R.S. (Aka H.O.T.R.S., House of the Rising Sun), Money (this kicks the ass of the Flying Lizards version you thought I was gonna use)
  HOT R.S. With Plenty of Money and You (their Money cover mixes continuously into a cover of a Harry Warren 1937s show tune, even more surreal.)

Option #2: For a more rock-friendly audience, give 'em
  The Eagles: Life in the Fast Lane (1974? This got airplay into the 80s.  As they said in 1994, "Get over it".)
  AC/DC: It's a Long Way to the Top (From 1976's High Voltage, but AC/DC sounds the same no matter what decade it is, and the lyrics and bagpipes lead nicely into the Adam Ant track.)

Our detour over, we return to the playlist:

Adam Ant, Room at the Top ("Manners and Physique" is from 1990, but it's pure 80s cheez.  Any doubt, watch the video.  That hair is pure 80s.)
Pat Benatar: Sometimes The Good Guys Finish First (1987, "Secret of My Success" soundtrack)
Big Pig: Breakaway (1988, "Bonk")

Around this point, you can choose to end on a down note:

OMD, Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way) (Anyone who remembers that this is from 1991's "Sugar Tax" will forgive you, and noobdy else will notice because it's indistinguishable from their 1984-1986 work)
Berlin, Masquerade (underrated track off 1982's "Pleasure Victim", and an opportunity to mention that lead singer Terri Nunn is still performing next month in SoCal)
The Police, Synchronicity II (1983, "Synchronicity".  Spoiler: If Great Cthulhu rises from the depths, at least you don't have to deal with traffic tomorrow!)

Or you can finish on an up note by filling the floor with:

Depeche Mode, Just Can't Get Enough (because by this time, everyone should get the joke)
Pet Shop Boys, Opportunities (pick your favorite remix, there are dozens.)
PWEI, Hit The High-Tech Groove (ca. 1987/1988, shamelessly sampling the chorus from Mel & Kim's 1986 Respectable)
Todd Rundgren, Bang the Drum All Day (1982, "The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect", and after all, isn't that what money's for?)