MTV in the 80s Song of the Day

[Orbert]

I just checked it out on YouTube.  Not a bad little tune, I guess.  Basically A Flock of Seagulls without any words (surprise!).  At least it ends, in a FoS way, but that's still better than a lame fadeout, especially considering how repetitive the tune itself is.

I'm thinking that if that's the best instrumental of the year, then that must've been a pretty weak year.  But The Grammys are always subject to whatever gets nominated, and that depends on what people have even heard, and what's cool at the time.

[masterthes]

Here were the other nominees

Dixie Dregs - "Industry Standard"
Maynard Ferguson - "Don't Stop"
King Crimson - "Requiem
Van Morrison - "Scandinavia"

[Orbert]

Dregs are cool, but "Industry Standard" isn't one of my faves from them.
Maynard's also pretty cool, but all his tunes sound the same.  Big Band blasting, then Maynard takes a solo somewhere between the stratosphere and what only dogs and cats can hear.
"Requiem" is one of my less favorite King Crimson instrumentals, but I guess it's cool to see them in the list.
I didn't know Van Morrison did instrumentals, since he's primarily a vocalist.

Given all this, I guess I'm not surprised that A Flock of Seagulls actually won.  The Grammys are all a popularity contest anyway, and they were hot.

[masterthes]

Wrap your head around this, speaking about it being a popularity contest. The Police won this category the previous year. Guess what was one of the songs they beat?

















YYZ 

[Orbert]

They won for "Behind My Camel" didn't they?  I think I remember hearing that.  I love "YYZ", but you have to admit, the vast majority of normal people are going to prefer something a bit less unconventional.

[masterthes]

Pink Floyd isn't exactly conventional and yet they won in 94

[Orbert]

True.  But again, it depends on who the competition was.  Also, compare "Marooned" to "YYZ".  Even if it was just those two choices, you know "YYZ" would go down.  "Popularity contest" is not necessarily derogatory.  It just means what's most popular among the general population, and there can be an upside to be hugely popular.

[KevShmev]

Rush even getting a grammy nomination is like winning, really.

Howard Jones - No One Is to Blame

Huge hit, and while it sounds very much mid 80s, it was never a song I liked a lot.  I don't dislike it, and it sounds enjoyable enough when I hear it, but this was never a song I just had or wanted to hear.

[masterthes]

A very so-so song. I do have it on my iPod, but very rarely listen to it

[Cool Chris]

I really liked Howard Jones songs back then. Not enough to buy anything of his, but enough to turn him up when he came on the radio.

Haven't heard anything of his in ages. Going to assume it hasn't aged well to my ears.

[Orbert]

I really liked Howard Jones songs back then. Not enough to buy anything of his, but enough to turn him up when he came on the radio.

Yeah, that's about where I am with him.  "Things Can Only Get Better" was the biggie, but he had a few others.  Good enough to crank up when they come on.

My Calculus professor was Dr. Howard Jones, and of course we called him Dr. Jones.  My wife (then girlfriend) knew him as well.  To this day, whenever we hear a Howard Jones song on the radio, we say "It's Dr. Howard Jones!"  Silly inside joke.

[Jaq]

This is the one Phil Collins played drums on, isn't it? I remember a MTV concert with Howard Jones where he turned this sound into a solo piano piece that was practically a comedy number, with lots of adlibs and asides. And I never was sure why, but I loved it. "Oh, you only came here to see that one single? Take THIS." 

Mind you it probably didn't help in the long run...

[DebraKadabra]

Howard Jones - No One Is to Blame

Eh... okay every once in a while I guess, but nothing I actively seek out to listen to.

[KevShmev]

Hall & Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)

Good song, but it still surprises me that this was so popular.  It not only went to number 1, but when VH1 did a top 100 songs of the 80s list a few years ago, it was number 6.  I mean, it was a good song, but that good?  I think the majority of their 80s hits were better, but that's just me.  Also, I didn't realize it back then, but it is now so obvious to me that the bass line is the same one as in Billie Jean (Michael Jackson admitted to "borrowing" it). 

[Orbert]

This was part of the 80's drum machine, automated, formulaic Hall & Oates that I found so annoying because of what it was... yet so catchy and fun despite what it was.  I secretly hated myself for enjoying their music.

[DebraKadabra]

Ehhhhhh... no.

[King Postwhore]

Ehhhhhh... no can do.

FTFY.

[DebraKadabra]

 

[KevShmev]

Asia -  Don't Cry

One of the few post-debut album songs by them I like, I remember liking the song a lot back then, but I don't remember the video much.  It gets played quite a bit on Totally 80s nowadays, but I never seem to remember it.  I sure remember the song, though; I still dig it.

[T-ski]

Hall & Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Hall & Oates + 80's = Awesome.  This song is great.

Asia -  Don't Cry

One of the few post-debut album songs by them I like, I remember liking the song a lot back then, but I don't remember the video much.  It gets played quite a bit on Totally 80s nowadays, but I never seem to remember it.  I sure remember the song, though; I still dig it.

I came across this video a couple of months ago and had zero recognition of it.  Love the song.

[bosk1]

A Flock of Seagulls - Space Age Love Song

I Ran is the song I think of when this band is mentioned, but I forget that they had two other pretty popular hits, this being one of them. 

Hall & Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)

I can't think of a single song I have ever heard from them that I didn't like, this song included.  (can't remember whether I've mentioned it or not, but Rock & Soul pt. I was the second album I ever purchased, right behind Queen - The Game)  I don't specifically remember the video, but I know I saw it a bunch. 

[wolfking]

Yeah, Hall and Oates never really released a bad song, everything from them is gold.  Wasn't a big Asia fan though.

[Jaq]

While I didn't mind Asia's Alpha, I will say that the criticisms directed at the first album-too pop oriented, too commercial-are perfectly legitimate ones to make at Alpha. While I like some of it-The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is only behind Without You on my Asia list, and is the most underrated power ballad of the 80s-Don't Cry's just a pale shadow of the hits from the debut.

[King Postwhore]

While I didn't mind Asia's Alpha, I will say that the criticisms directed at the first album-too pop oriented, too commercial-are perfectly legitimate ones to make at Alpha. While I like some of it-The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is only behind Without You on my Asia list, and is the most underrated power ballad of the 80s-Don't Cry's just a pale shadow of the hits from the debut.

Jaq, well said.

I do remember asking my paerents if I could stay up on a school nigth to see the world premier video od "Don't Cry".  It was on at 11 pm.  WFT MTV?!

[KevShmev]

Devo - Whip It

This was another one of those videos that was played non-stop in the very early MTV days, but while I get a kick out of the video, the song never did anything for me. 

[Cool Chris]

Terrible, terrible song.

[bosk1]

Terrible, terrible song.

Yes.  And I love it anyway.

[masterthes]

Eh, not a fan

[wolfking]

Yeah, it's bad, but I like it. 

[Jaq]

Whip It was another video I actually saw first on HBO's Video Jukebox, which is kind of funny given that it's a fairly, for the time, off color song and video. I guess that HBO went through the same process of "hey, is it a music video? PLAY IT!" MTV did.  But without having to resort to playing metal bands.

[DebraKadabra]

Asia -  Don't Cry

Didn't remember this one until I brought up the YT video for it.  I remember not really liking this one as much as I did the debut album.

Devo - Whip It

Who CARES if it's bad?  It's fricking DEVO.

[KevShmev]

The Honeydrippers - Sea of Love

Full disclosure: this was long before I had even heard of Led Zeppelin or knew of the original Sea of Love, so I did enjoy this song to some extent, although I did wonder why the guy who did cool songs like Big Log was now in some band called The Honeydrippers.   Now, I guess it is a pretty good cover, even if it now sounds hokey as hell.  I reckon it would have at the time if I had had a clue.  But I was 12, so screw it.

[bosk1]

For the most part, I just hate everything Robert Plant has ever done.

[KevShmev]

For the most part, I just hate everything Robert Plant has ever done.

 

I...have...no...words.

[King Postwhore]

I love Plant's solo work except for this.  I saw the Shaken' 'n' Stirred tour and it was great expect when he did the Honeydrippers.  Not that it's a bad song but, I just couldn't get into it.