Wed 15 Nov 2006
Back in the 80s
Posted by Liza under Opinion
Back in the 80s, I spent an awful lot of time and energy Demonstrating How Different I Was.
One of the big ways this showed up was my active denigration of most popular music. This is especially funny in retrospect, since one of the nice things about being an adult is being comfortable with the fact that 90% of the time, music is just background noise to me, and I don’t have very strong feelings about it.
So, back in the 80s, I would sooner have tried to eat glass than go to a Lionel Richie concert, and if someone had suggested it, I would have ruthlessly mocked the idea.
Also? At the time, I probably could have named at most 2 Lionel Richie songs. I did not know that he was a member of The Commodores. I could not have named a Commodores song if my life depended on it, and if pressed, would probably have confused them with The Temptations. Or maybe The Four Tops.
As she has been doing for the entire time we’ve been together, Jill’s love of music, especially 80s music, has broadened my mind and my experience, and also been quite the education.
It turns out that I like a lot of 70s and 80s pop music! Who knew?
Here’s where it gets really funny, not to mention embarrassing. I learned something at the amazing and extremely fun Lionel Richie concert that Jill dragged me to this evening. Brick House is a Commodores song!
Yeah, I figured you knew that already. But me? Not so much. So there you go, it turns out that there’s a Lionel Richie song I love, and probably even loved in the 80s.
Incidently, Jill has also dragged me to see Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, and Prince, speaking of 80s artists I didn’t appreciate at the time.
But now? It’s time to appreciate some sleep.
November 16th, 2006 at 7:28 am
Music! I got my college love of music back because of Rona Elliot, a music reporter who took me with her as a producer for many TODAY SHOW interviews when I worked there. My iPod now holds everything from Great Big Sea to (50%) Bruce Springsteen to REM. A product of the 60s, I was very snooty about 80s music. I’ve heard a lot of it on the radio lately though and I agree with you generally (although NOT about Lionel Richie) that a lot of it is great. The Police, U2, Guns N Roses, The Cars, Foreigner, even WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO. Madonna makes me mad but that has more to do with her sexual posturing and all the little 8s girls having Madonna 5 yr old birthday parties than the music. Thanks for a cool thing to think about… and Happy Turkey Day.
November 16th, 2006 at 10:34 am
lionel richie is awesome! what music did you used to say you liked in the 80s?
there’s a good reason to denigrate most popular music and that is “it sucks.” lionel richie and madonna and prince and cyndi lauper are all great, but those are just some of the few pop artists whose work has stood up over time. their awesomeness doesn’t change the fact that most popular music, both then and now, sucks.
if you look at the top 40 list for 1986, sure there’s lionel richie, madonna, janet jackson, bon jovi, and one of my favorite songs of all time: “kiss” by prince. but the good songs are outnumbered by klymaxx, eddie murphy’s “party all the time,” atlantic starr, billy ocean, glass tiger, belinda carlisle’s “mad about you” (so sad what happened to belinda!), miami sound machine’s “conga,” heart’s “these dreams,” mr. mister, peter cetera, starship, simply red. which all sucked. some of these songs have nostalgic value now, but they definitely suck.
November 16th, 2006 at 10:50 am
In the early 80s, I asserted serious fandom of The Cars and whatever else Laura Fuller liked at the time. Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Ramones, Rick Springfield, I can’t remember any others. I did personally utterly love the song Tainted Love by Soft Cell.
Later in the 80s, I focused my attention on heavy metal, hard rock, and more 60s rock (I don’t know what the genre is called). Led Zepplin, Journey, Yes, The Doors, The Scorpions…. In fact, my first concert was Twisted Sister opening for Iron Maiden. I also saw Rush, Bon Jovi opening for Ratt, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon…I didn’t go see
Inky Fucking MelonheadYngwie Malmsteen but I don’t remember why not. Was it raining? Or was I out of town? (Dave? Do you remember?)November 16th, 2006 at 1:40 pm
rick springfield?! admitting to liking rick springfield is way more embarrassing than admitting to liking lionel richie!
November 19th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
You didn’t appreciate Madonna? I’m afraid we can no longer be friends;-)
We saw Lionel Richie with Tina Turner a few years back — it was awesome!!
November 19th, 2006 at 10:37 pm
LOL, Lesley! I appreciate her NOW, I just didn’t appreciate her in the 80s. Does that mean we can’t be friends in the 80s? I might be able to live with THAT, as long as we can be friends now.