Monday, March 9, 2009

100 Best 80's Soft Rock Music Hits & 25 Best Heavy Metal Albums

On the last post I told you about 10 All time Best Guitar Solos
This week I would like to talk about 80's Music Hits.

For most people, the 80's music scene was comprised of big hair and androgyny. In fact, it ushered in a new age of glam rock. Anyone who was anyone, and even those who were not, seemed to embrace the glam metal attitudes of the early 70's glam rock persona's like The New York City Dolls, Iggy Pop and David Bowie. It was cool to look like the opposite sex and not surprising, many social issues from gay rights to feminism seemed to explode into pop culture. But it wasn't just the metal heads that were getting into spandex and accessories, everyone was. The whole music scene exploded with a creativity the likes we'll probably not see for a good long time. Neon-colored socks and scarves, and every color under the rainbow. People had big hair and big attitudes, men wore pink and women wore torn knitted pantyhose ala Madonna. It was the way things were, man, people wore their individuality with pride.

The 1980's music scene is possibly one of the strangest times in the evolution of rock music. These guys did everything, including Piano Accordion , it was insane. Much of the most tame bubblegum music, came from the 80's. On the other hand, the 1980's also saw the rise of some of the hardest rock and metal ever. These guys made Black Sabbath and Zeppelin look like librarians, they were over the top, big time. Names like Slayer, Voivod, Metallica, and even 70's greats like AC/DC and Motorhead and Van Halen were developing into hardrocking godlike icons.

All this was happening about the same time as bands like Wham, Boy George and Culture Club, Air Supply, Hall & Oates, Michael Jackson and other soft rock bands were taking the world by storm. It was as if the the metal bands were becoming more aggressive in order to distance themselves from music that would, even by today's standards seem weak.

Regardless of intent, the music of the 1980's was great because it made no apologies to anyone. You could lay on your bed listening Duran Duran on your Sony Walkman, or pump up the volume on your dad's stereo system, while listening to Anthrax. There was no need to apologize, and I'm sure some of you even moonlighted from mods or preps in the day and headbanging rockers and punks at night, all you needed were a cool leather jacket, boots and a black t-shirt with your favorite metal band on it.

The following is a list of some old faves of the 1980's. I'll divide them into soft rock and hard rock so as not to confuse. I'll also put the Heavy Metal albums instead of singles because as everyone knows, metal was meant to be enjoyed as an album. I'll start with the 100 Best 80's Soft Rock Music and progress to the 25 Best Heavy Metal Albums.

Soft Rock - Bands & Singles

  1. Call Me - Blondie
  2. Fame - Irene Cara
  3. Little Jeannie - Elton John
  4. Do That To Me One More Time - Captain And Tennille
  5. Talking Heads - Burning Down the House
  6. David Bowie - China Girl
  7. Bryan Adams - Straight From the Heart
  8. Naked Eyes - Promises, Promises
  9. David Bowie - Modern Love
  10. Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
  11. Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
  12. The One That You Love - Air Supply
  13. Physical - Olivia Newton-John
  14. 9 To 5 - Dolly Parton
  15. Queen Of Hearts - Juice Newton
  16. Kiss On My List - Daryl Hall & John Oates
  17. Celebration - Kool & The Gang
  18. Rosanna - Toto
  19. Gloria - Laura Branigan
  20. Who Can It Be Now? - Men At Work
  21. Centerfold - The J. Geils Band
  22. Down Under - Men At Work
  23. Africa - Toto
  24. Maniac - Michael Sembello
  25. True - Spandau Ballet
  26. Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler
  27. Do You Really Want To Hurt Me - Culture Club
  28. Owner Of A Lonely Heart - Yes
  29. Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr.
  30. Talking In Your Sleep - The Romantics
  31. Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run) - Billy Ocean
  32. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham!
  33. Let's Hear It For The Boy - Deniece Williams
  34. Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
  35. Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins
  36. What's Love Got To Do With It - Tina Turner
  37. Shout - Tears for Fears
  38. Miami Vice Theme - Jan Hammer
  39. We Built this City - Starship
  40. The Power of - Love Huey Lewis &the News
  41. Can't Fight this Feeling - REO Speedwagon
  42. Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer
  43. Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins
  44. Naked Eyes - Always Something There to Remind Me
  45. Talking Heads - Burning Down the House
  46. David Bowie - China Girl
  47. Bryan Adams - Straight From the Heart
  48. Naked Eyes - Promises, Promises
  49. David Bowie - Modern Love
  50. Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins
  51. What's Love Got To Do With It - Tina Turner
  52. Shout - Tears for Fears
  53. Miami Vice Theme - Jan Hammer
  54. We Built this City - Starship
  55. Duran Duran - Rio
  56. Big Country - In a Big Country
  57. ABC - The Look of Love
  58. Chris DeBurgh - Don't Pay The Ferryman
  59. Elvis Costello - Everyday I Write the Book
  60. Modern English - I Melt With You
  61. Take Me Home Tonight - Eddie Money
  62. Sara - Starship
  63. Venus - Bananarama
  64. Kyrie - Mr. Mister
  65. Miami Vice Theme - Jan Hammer
  66. We Built this City - Starship
  67. The Power of - Love Huey Lewis &the News
  68. Can't Fight this Feeling - REO Speedwagon
  69. Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer
  70. Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins
  71. Walk Like an Egyptian - Bangles
  72. Dexys Midnight Runners - Come on Eileen
  73. Police - Every Breath You Take
  74. David Bowie - Let's Dance
  75. Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson - Say, Say, Say
  76. Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
  77. Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf
  78. Styx - Mr. Roboto
  79. Men Without Hats - Safety Dance
  80. Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing
  81. Fixx - One Thing Leads to Another
  82. After the Fire - Der Kommissar
  83. Pat Benatar - Love is a Battlefield
  84. Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science
  85. Kajagoogoo - Too Shy
  86. Kinks - Come Dancing
  87. Prince - Little Red Corvette
  88. Naked Eyes - Always Something There to Remind Me
  89. Talking Heads - Burning Down the House
  90. David Bowie - China Girl
  91. Bryan Adams - Straight From the Heart
  92. Naked Eyes - Promises, Promises
  93. David Bowie - Modern Love
  94. Duran Duran - Rio
  95. Big Country - In a Big Country
  96. ABC - The Look of Love
  97. Chris DeBurgh - Don't Pay The Ferryman
  98. Elvis Costello - Everyday I Write the Book
  99. Modern English - I Melt With You
  100. Soft Cell - Tainted Love


Hard Rock - Bands & Albums


  1. Love at First Sting - Scorpions
  2. Ace of Spades - Motorhead
  3. Diary of a Madman - Ozzy Osbourne
  4. Venom - Black Metal
  5. Dr. Feelgood - Motley Crue
  6. Skid Row - Skid Row
  7. Balls to the Wall - Accept
  8. Heaven and Hell - Black Sabbath
  9. The Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden
  10. Venom - Black Metal
  11. Dr. Feelgood - Motley Crue
  12. Mechanical Resonance - Tesla
  13. Operation: Mindcrime - Queensryche
  14. Among The Living - Anthrax
  15. Under Lock and Key - Dokken
  16. Balls to the Wall - Accept
  17. Master of Puppets - Metallica
  18. Mechanical Resonance - Tesla
  19. Operation: Mindcrime - Queensryche
  20. Among The Living - Anthrax
  21. Under Lock and Key - Dokken
  22. Reign in Blood - Slayer
  23. Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? - Megadeth
  24. Krokus - Headhunter
  25. Voivod - Nothingface
There you have it, a breakdown of the hard and soft rock/metal/whatever of the 1980's. It's all part of a cycle of things, I think. Soft and hard rock will always exist as long as people live on this planet, and no other time has shown us this than the 1980's.

2 comments:

  1. You have about a dozen repeats on your soft rock list including some three times.

    ReplyDelete
  2. howdy Anon, well, my eyes ain't waht they used to be, so I'm not surprised I've duplicated or triplicated some... well that said, you get the basic gist of where I'm going with the list.

    ReplyDelete