Year Released: 1984 Notable Songs: “Hard Times”, “Rock Box”, Sucker M.C.’s”, “It’s Like That” Album MVP: “It’s Like That” Why I Loved It: I feel like Run DMC is perhaps rap music’s biggest crowning achievement of all-time. From their start with this debut studio album lasting until this very day they’re still unmistakably an influence for rap artists everywhere, … Read More
Year Released: 1981 Notable Songs: “Who Can It Be Now”, “Down Under”, “Be Good Johnny”, “Underground” Album MVP: “Who Can It Be Now” Why I Loved It: If this was literally just a two track album I’d still be raving about it. That’s how much I enjoyed “Who Can it Be Now” and “Down Under” … Read More
Year Released: 1982 Notable Songs: “Truly”, “You Are”, “My Love” Album MVP: “Truly” Why I Loved It: There’s a lot I loved about Lionel Richie in the 80’s and perhaps my favorite was his very conscious decision to focus exclusively on tender ballads and shimmery mid-tempo pop. Of course, ballads became a staple of Richie’s … Read More
Year Released: 1987 Notable Songs: “Rebel Without a Pause”, “Bring The Noise”, “Don’t Believe The Hype”, “Night of the Living Baseheads”, “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos” Album MVP: “Black Steel in the Hour of Choas” Why I Loved It: If Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back isn’t … Read More
Year Released: 1981 Notable Songs: “Urgent”, “Waiting For a Girl Like You”, “Juke Box Hero”, “Break It Up”, “Luanne” Album MVP: “Waiting For a Girl Like You” Why I Loved It: To use a wrestling term – REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Styx, and Kansas were locked in fatal four-way to decide the early-to-mid 80’s commercial rock … Read More
Year Released: 1987 Notable Songs: “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life”, “Hungry Eyes”, “She’s Like The Wind”, “Yes” Album MVP: “She’s Like The Wind” Why I Loved It: Is there a song ever made more closely associated with a movie than “I’ve Had The Time Of My Life” — a tune linked with Dirty … Read More
Year Released: 1984 Notable Songs: “Cool It Now”, “Mr. Telephone Man”, “Lost In Love”, “My Secret (Didja Gitit Yet)” Album MVP: “Cool It Now” Why I Loved It: I sort of hate myself for not having this higher — I freegin loved this album. It was well represented on my Favorite 100 Songs of the … Read More
Year Released: 1984 Notable Songs: “I Can’t Hold Back”, “I’m High On You”, “The Search is Over” Album MVP: “The Search is Over” Why I Loved It: This marked the first Survivor album without lead singer David Bickler, their original vocalist who made Eye of the Tiger one of the 80’s biggest hits. Vital Signs … Read More
Year Released: 1983 Notable Songs: “Legs”, “Sharp Dressed Man”, “Gimme All Your Lovin”, “Got Me Under Pressure”, “TV Dinners” Album MVP: “Gimme All Your Lovin” Why I Loved It: The peculiar combination of southern bluesy rock combined with prototypical 80s synthesized pop was fascinating to me, something I’m not sure as a 12-year old I … Read More
Year Released: 1982 Notable Songs: “1999”, “Little Red Corvette”, “Delirious”, “D.M.S.R.”, “Automatic”, “Let’s Pretend We’re Married” Album MVP: “1999” Why I Loved It: He had been making good music for a while before this, but to be honest I’d never heard or Prince before this album dropped in late 1982. 1999 put Prince dead smack … Read More
