Van Halen’s 1984 Thirty Years On
If you weren’t fetching chips from the kitchen or taking a bathroom break during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII (the Raiders killed the Redskins that year), you saw the famous Apple commercial that introduced the Macintosh computer. The tagline at the end read, in part, “[y]ou’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ‘1984’.” With respect to the late Steve Jobs, the release of Van Halen’s 1984 was, for me, why the year was not one of...
1983 Is the BEST Year in Music
By Mark Dursin Before 2013 comes to a close, perhaps we all should all pause and try to locate our inner Kajagoogoo. Thirty years ago, in 1983, the One-Hit Wonder Wizards known as Kajagoogoo took their song “Too Shy” all the way to Number 5 on the U.S. Billboard charts. It was a glorious time, 1983—when the charts were jam-packed with amazing acts such as Michael Jackson, The Police, Styx, Journey, Dexys Midnight Runners, and, yes,...
The Best Christmas Song Ever
By Lori Ferraro I love Christmastime. I love buying and giving gifts, I love a big old tree in my living room, I love boozy egg nog. And I love Christmas music. Mostly I love traditional Christmas music or carols sung by the Rat Pack, like Dean Martin singing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” or that “Mistletoe and Holly” one by Frank Sinatra. I tend to shy away from anything new – Celine Dion or some random 90s boy bands singing...
In Concert, In the 80s
By Lori Ferraro When people ask me what the first concert I ever went to was I used to be kind of embarrassed, especially back in the 90s when I was seeing a ton of live music – seeing bands like Dinosaur Jr., Blind Melon and Nirvana – it felt kind of lame to say that my first concert was… CHICAGO. And not 70s “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” Chicago but “You’re the Inspiration” and “Hard Habit to Break” 80s...
Sweatin’ to the Oldies
By Lori Ferraro When you think of pop stars of the 80s I’m sure Madonna immediately pops into your head, right? Followed by Cyndi Lauper, Janet Jackson, Pat Benatar, then maybe down the line you have Sheena Easton when she was hanging out with Prince, then maybe waaay down the line you have, umm, I don’t know, Martika? I’m trying to work out on a more regular basis and lately my Pandora has been stuck on the “80s Dance Parties”...
Like Totally 80s Interviews John Waite
August 14, 2013 We recently had the extreme pleasure of talking with John Waite. After a successful stint in the 70s as front man for The Babys, John had two number one hits in the 80s: Missing You in 1984 and When I See You Smile with Bad English in 1989. We covered topics ranging from the writing of Missing You and his new album, Live: All Access, to his new favorite TV show. John & Nina Blackwood LT80s: Have you had a chance to...
Psychedelic Furs at the Trocadero, Philadelphia
By Chris Cagle June 14, 2013 Singer Richard Butler was the last of the Psychedelic Furs to come on stage at the start of their show, and he appeared with a fey enthusiasm that would last the entire show, as well as with a courtesy bow that seemed copied from some movie version of Shakespeare’s Puck character – impish yet playful. The gesture,repeated multiple times in their concert, seemed a fitting start to a victory lap, of a band...
Top of My Chart – A Tribute to Casey Kasem
As a child of the 80’s I was more than addicted to my fair share of television shows – Dance Party USA, The Greatest American Hero and the ultimate double feature Saturday night which included both The Love Boat/Fantasy Island. They all rocked my big-haired brain. I was very busy losing my mind over music of the decade as well, everything from new wave to rap, pop to buttrock – only one man had a radio show that I was as devoted to as...
Going Down Under in the 80s
To 80s kids, Australia was nothing short of magical. It had exotic animals, beautiful scenery, beaches—and the seasons were, like, reversed. We dreamed of visiting and hanging out with kangaroos, wallabies and koalas. As an added bonus, Australian accents were totally fun to attempt. From literature to movies to fashion, Oz rocked. Here’s an LT80s look back at how our cultural crush on Australia developed during the 80s, from...
7 80s Bands Touring In 2013
February 22, 2013 By Jason Kane Are you feeling nostalgic for the 80s? Perhaps, you are really craving some live action from one of your favorite bands from that era? Well, if you are, then you are in good company. Additionally, over the past few years there have been many reunions and tours consisting of bands from the past twenty and thirty years. In fact, there are a decent number of bands from the 80s that are touring in 2013. Let...
Dude, It’s Cold Outside Winter Weather Songs of the 80s
By Julie Anderson Winter Weather Songs of the 80sJanuary is probably the crummiest month of the year where I live. It might be tied with February, and March is up there as well. It’s chilly, drippy, slushy, and occasionally snowy. Grody. Maybe you live somewhere that is balmy and green right now (if so, I’m totally jealous) but chances are you’re staring down the barrel of a long stretch of wintry weather, with nary a gifting or...
Top 5 Interesting 80s Album Covers
By Jason Kane When a band designs an album cover they can do it two ways: they can either stand together in a cheesy pose looking at the camera, or they can do something more abstract and make the album cover art rather than just a photo of the band. Here’s a look at five bands from the 80s that chose the latter. 1. Iron Maiden – Killers Whether you’re into hardcore rock/metal or not, you’ve got to give it to Iron Maiden for...
Cassette Tapes in the 80s
By Julie Anderson Woo-hoo – cassette tapes have been with us since 1962! Happy fiftieth birthday, cassettes! For those of you who have played music exclusively on shiny silver discs and on MP3 players, cassettes were little plastic boxes filled with musical joy. Cassettes were not new in the eighties, but they became wildly popular for two big reasons. Starting in the early seventies, 3M Corporation started to make cassettes that were...
Interview with Jack Hues of Wang Chung
By Alli Denning December 12, 2012 It was our extreme pleasure to talk with Jack Hues of Wang Chung yesterday, on the day of the release of their new album, Tazer Up. Wang Chung hit the 80s music scene in the mid-80s with Top 40 hits, including ‘Everybody Have Fun Tonight,’ ‘Dance Hall Days,’ and ‘Let’s Go.’ We discuss the new album, what it means to ‘Wang Chung’, shoulder pads, and what accounts for the lasting appeal of 80s music....
Top 12 Breakup Songs of the 80s
By Julie Anderson One of the hard facts of growing up is the inevitability of heartbreak. As teenagers, we fell in love – and OH how hard we fell – but more often than not, we didn’t end up with our beloveds for the long haul. (Which, by and large, is a good thing, right? I mean, have you googled some of your exes?) When the end of a relationship was upon us, we might have felt angry, jubilant, remorseful, vindictive, or totally...
