Music of the 80’s

A friend once asked me, “What is my favorite 80’s music?”  That’s not an easy question to answer.  I can’t think of one song that represents an entire decade of music.  Instead, the music was integrated into the experiences that occurred in the 80’s.

There are many examples, and in the next few months or so, I’ll try to recall some of my memories of the 80’s as they relate to music that I heard.

Hall and Oates: “I Can’t Go For That” (1981)

This song reminded me of winter days in Toronto when we would drive, in my uncle’s station wagon, for miles and miles to Richmond Hill to buy some computer hardware & software.  The radio station put this song under heavy rotation.

The Police: Every Little She Does Is Magic (1981)

My sisters and uncle had these get togethers with their friends at the house.  They would play The Police album “Ghost in the Machine” a lot.  This song particularly stuck in my mind because of the catchy beat… and the word “magic”.

Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams (1983)

With the popularity of MTV starting in 1981, my cousin, who was fashionably cool, would watch the show a lot.  Since there were only a handful of music videos back then, they played the same videos over and over again.  One of the most unique (both in sound and sight) was this Eurythmics video. Seriously, do women actually have short orange hair??

Michael Jackson: Billie Jean (1983)

One of MTV’s favorite is Michael Jackson.  Billie Jean just had one of those very catch beat and melody.  For the longest time, I couldn’t understand what he was saying, “Billie Jean not my low-fa.  She’s just a girl, said that I’m not the one. The chair’s not my son.”  Memorable song, none the less.

Tags: 80s, music