« previous next »
Pages: 1 ... 25 26 27 28 29 [30] 31 32 33 34 35 ... 104   Go Down

Author Topic: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day  (Read 308378 times)

0 Members and 8 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline Orbert

  • Recovering Musician
  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 19369
  • Gender: Male
  • In and around the lake
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1015 on: July 27, 2012, 10:20:33 PM »
Eddie is very cool.  I don't think he gets enough credit.  My first exposure to him was U.K., wherein he played keyboards and electric violin, and man, he rips on that violin!  ♫♫  He's also great on keyboards.  For whatever reason, he's not very well known, and hasn't done a whole lot, considering how long he's been around.  But I've always liked whatever he contributes to the bands in which he's played.

And yeah, I was going to mention him in the Yes Discography thread.  He's barely more than a footnote, but as he was an official member of the band, I'll have to work him in somehow.  Probably just say pretty much what I said above about him.
Logged

Offline KevShmev

  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 42059
  • Gender: Male
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1016 on: July 28, 2012, 12:13:06 AM »
Stray Cats - Stray Cat Strut

This was a favorite of mine back in 1982, and while it is not an 80s song I revisit a lot nowadays, I still like it.  It really doesn't have that "80s sound" like so many songs from that era do, but for obvious reasons, it still has a heavy 80s association for me.  In some respects, I think a song like this, one that has a bit of a storytelling dramatic feel, was a building block for me and my later enjoyment of longer songs with stories.
Logged

Offline jingle.boy

  • I'm so ronery; so sad and ronery
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 45076
  • Gender: Male
  • DTF's resident deceased dictator
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1017 on: July 28, 2012, 04:48:14 AM »
Stray Cat Strut ... way too cheesy as I recall.

Owner of A Lonely Heart ... at the time I hadn't yet converted to rock music (I was still only listening to pop radio), so this was my first exposure to Yes.  Liked it long time, and 90215 was my first Yes disc.  While nothing like the prog masterpieces they did in the 70s, it's still a great song/album.
Logged
Quote from: Stadler on January 03, 2024, 10:00:00 AM
That's a word salad - and take it from me, I know word salad
Quote from: hefdaddy42 on November 04, 2021, 06:14:36 AM
I fear for the day when something happens on the right that is SO nuts that even Stadler says "That's crazy".
Quote from: Puppies_On_Acid
Remember the mark of a great vocalist is if TAC hates them with a special passion

Offline King Postwhore

  • Couch Potato
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 59674
  • Gender: Male
  • Take that Beethoven, you deaf bastard!!
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1018 on: July 28, 2012, 06:43:34 AM »
Quote from: KevShmev on July 27, 2012, 12:36:56 PM
Okay then, on to something a little less objectionable...

Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart

The song (and 90125 the album) that pissed off the prog Yes fans everywhere, but this being the first song I ever heard by Yes, I thought it was great, and I still love this song and most of the 90125 album.  And the video for this tune was just dynamite; definitely one of the best of the decade.  Proggers everywhere curse the day Trevor Rabin became a member of Yes, but there is no denying that the guy was a big reason Yes stayed relevant in the 80s, albeit to a very different demographic.

This song and album's sound was way ahead of it's time.  It's pissed me off when MTV edited the original video for this song.
Logged
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down'.” - Bob Newhart
So wait, we're spelling it wrong and king is spelling it right? What is going on here? :lol -- BlobVanDam
"Oh, I am definitely a jackass!" - TAC

Offline Orbert

  • Recovering Musician
  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 19369
  • Gender: Male
  • In and around the lake
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1019 on: July 28, 2012, 08:06:13 AM »
A friend of mine was just telling me that he'd burned a Yes mix disc for his 10-year-old son, who likes "Owner of a Lonely Heart".  I'm just wondering what else he put on that disc.  "Owner" is like a gateway tune for Yes; hopefully it will lead to the stronger stuff.  I could just imagine kids in the 80's liking "Owner" and 90125 and checking out Yes' back catalog at the time.

90125 and Trevor Rabin's band get a lot of shit for being very different from 70's Yes, changing the Yes sound, and all that, but they also have to be thanked for keeping the Yes name alive.  Yes continued to go through more lineup changes than any band I know, and the Tales from Topographic Oceans band even regrouped for a while and put out new music, 20 years later.  That likely wouldn't have happened if not for "Owner of a Lonely Heart".
Logged

Offline Jaq

  • Posts: 4050
  • Gender: Male
  • Favorite song by Europe: Carrie.
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1020 on: July 28, 2012, 09:20:43 AM »
My enduring memory of the Stray Cats was my mom seeing this video and saying "these guys think they're from the 50s?" And I said, I guess so. And then she said "no drummer back then would play standing up like that, they're just making a gimmick out of the 50s."

I don't know if she was right, but that's always stuck with me.  :biggrin:
Logged
The bones of beasts and the bones of kings become dust in the wake of the hymn.
Mighty kingdoms rise, but they all will fall, no more than a breath on the wind.

Offline T-ski

  • Posts: 2933
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1021 on: July 28, 2012, 01:58:14 PM »
Brian Setzer is amazing.  The guy has basically revitalized two music genres over his career.  If you ever get the chance to see him perform, do it. 
Logged
Is all that we see or seem, but a dream within a dream?

Offline DebraKadabra

  • Witch Goddess of Lankershim Boulevard
  • DTF.org Member
  • *
  • Posts: 8470
  • Gender: Female
  • Can I be as my god am?
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1022 on: July 28, 2012, 04:02:23 PM »
Quote from: KevShmev on July 28, 2012, 12:13:06 AM
Stray Cats - Stray Cat Strut

This was a favorite of mine back in 1982, and while it is not an 80s song I revisit a lot nowadays, I still like it.  It really doesn't have that "80s sound" like so many songs from that era do, but for obvious reasons, it still has a heavy 80s association for me.  In some respects, I think a song like this, one that has a bit of a storytelling dramatic feel, was a building block for me and my later enjoyment of longer songs with stories.

Was never too big on Stray Cats - too cheesy for me too.  Brian's solo stuff on the other hand is really good.
Logged

Offline Orbert

  • Recovering Musician
  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 19369
  • Gender: Male
  • In and around the lake
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1023 on: July 28, 2012, 05:06:50 PM »
I'm not getting the folks who say the Stray Cats were cheesy.  As far as I can tell, they captured the style perfectly.  Maybe it sounds cheesy today, but that's what that style of 50's music was like.  Very expressive.
Logged

Offline DebraKadabra

  • Witch Goddess of Lankershim Boulevard
  • DTF.org Member
  • *
  • Posts: 8470
  • Gender: Female
  • Can I be as my god am?
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1024 on: July 28, 2012, 08:15:41 PM »
If I want 50s cheese, I'll listen to some of Frank Zappa's twisted sense of that music. :lol
Logged

Offline KevShmev

  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 42059
  • Gender: Male
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1025 on: July 29, 2012, 04:58:01 PM »
Van Halen - Jump

Call me crazy, but I think this is one of those songs you have to be crazy not to like.  It is just so catchy and fun.  I am sure some hardcore VH fans were annoyed about the song being synth-driven, but so what?  They still got a sweet guitar solo, and the song still sounds very much like Roth-era Van Halen, even with it being synth-driven.  Good video, too.  It's not always easy to make a good video where it is just the band on stage, but the on stage personalities of Van Halen totally made it work. 
Logged

Offline DebraKadabra

  • Witch Goddess of Lankershim Boulevard
  • DTF.org Member
  • *
  • Posts: 8470
  • Gender: Female
  • Can I be as my god am?
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1026 on: July 29, 2012, 05:01:30 PM »
I remember not liking it too much when I first heard it on the radio, but seeing the video made me realize that it's really not a bad song at all.  I liked Hot For Teacher more, but it's already been discussed I believe.
Logged

Offline Jaq

  • Posts: 4050
  • Gender: Male
  • Favorite song by Europe: Carrie.
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1027 on: July 29, 2012, 07:10:20 PM »
Enduring memory of this song: the mixture of delighted shock and utter horror amongst my circle of friends that OMG VAN HALEN USED SYNTHESIZERS. Half the people I knew thought it made for a nice addition to their sound, the other half was horrified by Van Halen going pop. Always thought this was a middling song at best on 1984, which had some good tracks. Hilariously enough, Eddie Van Halen placed insanely high-he might have even WON the category-for this year on Circus' year end readers poll for Best Keyboardist. Of course, not long after that Tommy Lee claimed a runner up position on the same poll as keyboardist for the piano on Home Sweet Home.

Readers polls.  :lol
Logged
The bones of beasts and the bones of kings become dust in the wake of the hymn.
Mighty kingdoms rise, but they all will fall, no more than a breath on the wind.

Offline Orbert

  • Recovering Musician
  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 19369
  • Gender: Male
  • In and around the lake
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1028 on: July 29, 2012, 07:30:40 PM »
Eddie Van Halen plays keyboards the same way he plays guitar.  Percussive chord patterns and apreggio stuff.  At first I scoffed at this album, as I'm an old-school Van Halen fan and Eddie obviously isn't a "real" keyboard player.  Then I figured out that he actually plays them pretty well and keys turned out to be a nice addition to the Van Halen sound.  Hey, they changed with the times.  That's what bands do.  I kinda like 1984 as an album, and this song's pretty cool.
Logged

Offline dbrooks22

  • Posts: 541
  • Facilities Manager
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1029 on: July 29, 2012, 07:43:52 PM »
I love synths, and Jump is a great example of the dynamism and breadth they can add to a song.  Loved this track in 1984, and i love it today.  The synths hit you right in the gut in the beginning, and hold onto you for the ride.
Logged

Offline BlobVanDam

  • Future Boy
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 38940
  • Gender: Male
  • Transform and rock out!
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1030 on: July 30, 2012, 12:40:02 AM »
This is one of my favourite songs of all time, and really inspired me for writing music too.
One of the most iconic synth riffs of all time, with a heavy sawtooth sound that completely drives the song and makes it rock, rather than the guitars, and mixed with AVH's big-ass thumping drum sound of 1984.
I've always loved the way the modulation for the guitar solo and back really lifts the song up, and the layered keyboards of the pre-chorus. For a short pop rock song, it really manages to squeeze in a lot to define itself beyond the basics.

The music video is pretty simple, but VH's personalities always came through so strong in their videos to make them classics.
Logged
Quote from: Kotowboy on February 12, 2016, 02:16:07 PM
Only King could mis-spell a LETTER.
Quote from: Mosh on November 12, 2015, 07:50:47 PM
Yep. I think the only party in the MP/DT situation that hasn't moved on is DTF.

Offline lonestar

  • DTF Executive Chef
  • Official DTF Tour Guide
  • ****
  • Posts: 30291
  • Gender: Male
  • Silly Hatted Knife Chucker
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1031 on: July 30, 2012, 01:57:02 AM »
Always enjoyed the song.
Logged

Offline jjrock88

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 14949
  • Gender: Male
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1032 on: July 30, 2012, 08:35:08 AM »
This was the old Winnipeg Jets entrance song! Love it.
Logged

Offline KevShmev

  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 42059
  • Gender: Male
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1033 on: July 30, 2012, 09:54:56 AM »
Stryper - Free

I don't remember this being that big of a hit on the pop charts, but it was huge on MTV.  I remember it being number 1 practically every day for like six weeks on Dial MTV, the show where MTV played the most requested songs of the day.  And yet once it rans its course, it was gone from the network forever, forgotten about and never to be seen again. But it was huge with the MTV crowd for that six week period.  And I liked it.  I was a fan of all five MTV "hits" they had in the later 80s, and while this wasn't my favorite of them, it was definitely the most popular of the three rockers.
Logged

Offline bosk1

  • King of Misdirection
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 12832
  • Bow down to Boskaryus
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1034 on: July 30, 2012, 10:27:51 AM »
I remember Honestly and Calling On You being played constantly, but I don't think I ever saw Free.  But good song. 


Regarding Jump, I didn't really care for it.  It wasn't the fact that it had synths.  And there were parts of the song that I actually thought were quite good.  The whole solo section, and especially the transition from guitar to keyboard solo, is really cool.  The verses are pretty good, too.  But the chorus turned me off from the song.  I didn't hate it, but just didn't care for it.
Logged
"The Supreme Court of the United States has descended from the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Story to the mystical aphorisms of the fortune cookie."

Offline Jaq

  • Posts: 4050
  • Gender: Male
  • Favorite song by Europe: Carrie.
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1035 on: July 30, 2012, 10:36:24 AM »
I owned Soldiers Under Command and To Hell With The Devil, which shows how much I liked Stryper, but I have zero memory of Free at all.  :lol
Logged
The bones of beasts and the bones of kings become dust in the wake of the hymn.
Mighty kingdoms rise, but they all will fall, no more than a breath on the wind.

Offline DebraKadabra

  • Witch Goddess of Lankershim Boulevard
  • DTF.org Member
  • *
  • Posts: 8470
  • Gender: Female
  • Can I be as my god am?
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1036 on: July 30, 2012, 11:39:13 AM »
I was never a fan of Stryper, so...
Logged

Offline jingle.boy

  • I'm so ronery; so sad and ronery
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 45076
  • Gender: Male
  • DTF's resident deceased dictator
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1037 on: July 30, 2012, 12:01:39 PM »
Quote from: DebraKadabra on July 30, 2012, 11:39:13 AM
I was never a fan of Stryper, so...

Me either.

Jump is/was definitely iconic.  Not the best song from 1984, but definitely the most iconic.  And, the end of the DLR era.
Logged
Quote from: Stadler on January 03, 2024, 10:00:00 AM
That's a word salad - and take it from me, I know word salad
Quote from: hefdaddy42 on November 04, 2021, 06:14:36 AM
I fear for the day when something happens on the right that is SO nuts that even Stadler says "That's crazy".
Quote from: Puppies_On_Acid
Remember the mark of a great vocalist is if TAC hates them with a special passion

Offline ZirconBlue

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 2581
  • Gender: Male
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1038 on: July 30, 2012, 12:42:34 PM »
Quote from: KevShmev on July 29, 2012, 04:58:01 PM
Van Halen - Jump

Call me crazy, but I think this is one of those songs you have to be crazy not to like.  It is just so catchy and fun.  I am sure some hardcore VH fans were annoyed about the song being synth-driven, but so what?  They still got a sweet guitar solo, and the song still sounds very much like Roth-era Van Halen, even with it being synth-driven.  Good video, too.  It's not always easy to make a good video where it is just the band on stage, but the on stage personalities of Van Halen totally made it work.


The first album I ever bought for myself was 1984, on cassette, pretty much based on just hearing jump on the radio (AM radio!).


As for the video, it always bugged me that they show EVH playing the guitar during the parts where the keyboards had the dominant part of the music.
Logged

Offline jjrock88

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 14949
  • Gender: Male
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1039 on: July 30, 2012, 01:04:29 PM »
One of Strypers better songs
Logged

Offline KevShmev

  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 42059
  • Gender: Male
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1040 on: July 30, 2012, 11:18:39 PM »
General Public - Tenderness

I read recently that this song was supposedly the most played of the 80s, but that can't be right.  I don't remember it being that played or popular.  Aside from the video, where the two guys in the band are bouncy as hell the whole thing :lol, my biggest memory of this song is it being played near the end of Weird Science.  Hehe. :D
Logged

Offline KevShmev

  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 42059
  • Gender: Male
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1041 on: July 31, 2012, 12:27:11 PM »
Alrightythen. :lol

Billy Idol - Dancing with Myself

I loved this song and video a lot back in 1982, and I had no idea until literally decades later what the song was about. :lol  But it was a good rocking song with a nice driving beat and enough catchiness to be liked by a 9-year old such as myself. :biggrin:
Logged

Offline Jaq

  • Posts: 4050
  • Gender: Male
  • Favorite song by Europe: Carrie.
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1042 on: July 31, 2012, 12:33:32 PM »
Quote from: KevShmev on July 30, 2012, 11:18:39 PM
General Public - Tenderness

I read recently that this song was supposedly the most played of the 80s, but that can't be right.  I don't remember it being that played or popular.  Aside from the video, where the two guys in the band are bouncy as hell the whole thing :lol, my biggest memory of this song is it being played near the end of Weird Science.  Hehe. :D

Judging by the response in this thread, apparently it wasn't that played or popular  :lol

My memory of Dancing With Yourself: my mom asking me and my sister "Is this song about what I think it's about?" and neither of us being able to properly answer.
Logged
The bones of beasts and the bones of kings become dust in the wake of the hymn.
Mighty kingdoms rise, but they all will fall, no more than a breath on the wind.

Offline bosk1

  • King of Misdirection
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 12832
  • Bow down to Boskaryus
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1043 on: July 31, 2012, 01:20:29 PM »
???  It's not about dancing?  :|  Oh...   :eek  Oh, my...
Logged
"The Supreme Court of the United States has descended from the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Story to the mystical aphorisms of the fortune cookie."

Offline DebraKadabra

  • Witch Goddess of Lankershim Boulevard
  • DTF.org Member
  • *
  • Posts: 8470
  • Gender: Female
  • Can I be as my god am?
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1044 on: July 31, 2012, 01:25:37 PM »
Quote from: KevShmev on July 31, 2012, 12:27:11 PM
Alrightythen. :lol

Billy Idol - Dancing with Myself

I loved this song and video a lot back in 1982, and I had no idea until literally decades later what the song was about. :lol  But it was a good rocking song with a nice driving beat and enough catchiness to be liked by a 9-year old such as myself. :biggrin:

That's equivalent to the meaning behind Turning Japanese. :lol

Anyhoo, decent song.  Never really saw the video much though.
Logged

Offline Cool Chris

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 13677
  • Gender: Male
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1045 on: July 31, 2012, 02:22:53 PM »
Well that one song truly struck out. Neither than band name or song name sounded familiar.

When I used to go to a club here that played 80s music 'Dancing with Myself' was always one of my favorites. Great energy and beat. Always got the crowd going.
Logged
"Nostalgia is just the ability to forget the things that sucked" - Nelson DeMille, 'Up Country'

Offline KevShmev

  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 42059
  • Gender: Male
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1046 on: August 01, 2012, 03:51:47 PM »
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Don't Come Around Here No More

This song wasn't really on my radar when it first came out, and I didn't really remember seeing the video that much, but years later, when I got into him a little bit after borrowing his greatest hits from a friend, this song was an immediate favorite.  In retrospect, the video was pretty neat!  I have never been more than a moderate Petty fan at best, but this is one of a handful of songs of his I would call great.
Logged

Offline Cool Chris

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 13677
  • Gender: Male
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1047 on: August 01, 2012, 03:56:03 PM »
Great video, always would catch it when it was on. Not sure if I ever heard the song outside the context of the video, as I was never much of a Petty fan.
Logged
"Nostalgia is just the ability to forget the things that sucked" - Nelson DeMille, 'Up Country'

Offline dbrooks22

  • Posts: 541
  • Facilities Manager
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1048 on: August 01, 2012, 04:04:25 PM »
This video was all over MTV when i was a pre-teen.  It was kind of spooky to me.
Logged

Offline dbrooks22

  • Posts: 541
  • Facilities Manager
Re: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day
« Reply #1049 on: August 01, 2012, 04:09:14 PM »
Quote from: Jaq on July 31, 2012, 12:33:32 PM
Quote from: KevShmev on July 30, 2012, 11:18:39 PM
General Public - Tenderness

I read recently that this song was supposedly the most played of the 80s, but that can't be right.  I don't remember it being that played or popular.  Aside from the video, where the two guys in the band are bouncy as hell the whole thing :lol, my biggest memory of this song is it being played near the end of Weird Science.  Hehe. :D

Judging by the response in this thread, apparently it wasn't that played or popular  :lol

My memory of Dancing With Yourself: my mom asking me and my sister "Is this song about what I think it's about?" and neither of us being able to properly answer.


Yeah, i remember when i realized that almost every song with "Dance" or "Dancing" was basically an innuendo.

A few:

I Want to Dance with Somebody (Whitney)
Safety Dance (Men Without Hats)
Let's Dance (Bowie)
Dance the Night Away (VH)
Logged
Pages: 1 ... 25 26 27 28 29 [30] 31 32 33 34 35 ... 104   Go Up
« previous next »