1982: The 80s really begin

We want to know: What was your favorite song from 1982? There are so many from which to choose:

• You Dropped A Bomb On Me - Gap Band
• Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor
• I Love Rock and Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
• Gloria - Laura Branigan
• Centerfold - J. Geils Band
• Up Where We Belong - Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
• Abracadabra - Steve Miller Band
• Steppin' Out - Joe Jackson
• Don't You Want Me - The Human League
• Tainted Love - Soft Cell
• Genius of Love - Tom Tom Club
• 867-5309 -  Tommy Tutone
• I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow
• Come on Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners
• Pass the Dutchie - Musical Youth
• Mexican Radio, Wall of Voodoo

The list goes on and on. Tell us which song you enjoyed the most and why. Or if you have a great story about a song, call our toll-free number -- 866-371-9605 and tell it to us. We'll use it on next week's show -- our special tribute to the songs of 1982. (We working on getting some special guests lined up to interview for this big show.)

Comments

[Big Daddy]

Not to mention "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel and the Furious 5 and "1999" by Prince.

You guys need to kill your MTV fetish and remember that MTV didn't play ANY Black artists until 1984. Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" was the 1st video perfomance by a Black artist on EmpTyV.

1982 was where the nascent split between hip-hop (Rapper's Delight and its progeny) and electrofunk ( Kraftwerk, etc. becomes Laffy Taffy and the Dust Bros.) began.

[Big Daddy]

You left out "Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force and you left out "Atomic Dog" by George Clinton.
Whereas those other songs mentioned pretty much still suck, these vanguards are still fresh today

[Laurie]

From that list, I'd have to say Come On Eileen. I would also have to include Rio and Hungry Like the Wolf.

I Love Rock and Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

i think that was the best song out of the list

[Lou]

Songs of 1982 - hmmmmm - where to begin?
ABC - THe Look of Love - a recent "Stuck in the 80's" music trivia song;
"Der Kommisar" by After the Fire;
1982 was the year Berlin came out with Please Victim, an album with Metro, Sex (I'm A) and Masquerade;
"I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow is a standard Big 80's song from 1982

One of my favorites - the English Beat, released Special Beat Services - a great album, in 82.

[Shelly]

Here's another good reference site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_in_music

1982 has some classics and really the beginning of my record (yes, I mean vinyl) collection. Here are my favorite singles:
I Love Rock N Roll
Ebony and Ivory
Don't You Want Me
Tainted Love
867-5309/Jenny
Let it Whip
The Other Woman
Heat of the Moment
Gloria
Kids in America

My favorite albums that came out that year:
Lexicon of Love by ABC
Kissing to Be Clever by Culture Club
Rio by Duran Duran
Night and Day by Joe Jackson
Nylon Curtain by Billy Joel
1999 by Prince
(there are others, but I'd better stop there).

[sergio_101]

i think i would pick "breaking us in two" by joe jackson.. just becuase i always thought my life would be tragic when i was young.. glad i was wrong..

[Dennis]

definetely Temptation by New Order (by the way, Tainted Love + Don't You Want Me are both from 1981)

[Steve Spears]

Just FYI -- We're doing our podcast this week on 1982 hits, but we're leaving out bands like Men at Work and J. Geils Band (and others) because we'll be doing future shows on them. We'll be concentrating on the one-hit wonders and other hits from larger bands.

[Greg Williams]

PencilSharp:

"Business as Usual" is what is considered the breakthrough album for Men at Work. "Who Can It Be Now", "Down Under", and "Be Good Johnny" were on that one.

"Cargo" was the followup album with "Overkill", "Dr Hekyll and Mr. Jive", (hate that song), and "It's a Mistake".

The other albums are compilations from the first two.

http://www.google.com/musica?aid=NwPvaH7qe3P&sa=X&oi=music&ct=result

[Kandice]

PencilSharp, speaking of Pass the Dutchie you must go to http://www.usanetwork.com/series/psych/behindthescenes/psychouts/index.html and see the guys of Psych sing this song. Too funny. They also do a hysterical version of Jessie's Girl.

[Carla]

Ok... going from the 80's Exchange list of songs from 1982...

I'd first have to say ANYTHING FROM JOURNEY'S ESCAPE!!! (Sorry, Journey WITH Steve Perry fanatic!) Ok... that being said, here are a few others that top my list!

Young Turks - Rod Stewart
Think I'm In Love - Eddie Money
Empty Garden - Elton John
Crimson & Clover - Joan Jett
I Keep Forgetting - Michael Mcdonald
Don't You Want Me - Human League
Leather & Lace - Stevie Nicks/Don Henley
Tainted Love - Softcell
Don't Talk to Strangers - Rick Springfield

Think I'll quit here because I could go on and on... I promise! I can't get enough of the 80's :)

[Allen Campbell]

We are forgeting some great songs here. How about...
Rush-Subdivisions
Asia-Heat of the Moment
Iron Maiden-Run to the Hills
Billy Squier-Everybody Wants You

just to name a few.

[The Sarcasticynic]

What? No:

Back on the chain gang - Pretenders
Bad to the bone - George Thorogood
Bang the drum all day - Todd Rundgren
Dirty laundry - Don Henley
Ebony and ivory - Paul McCartney
Hurts so good - John Mellencamp
Jack and diane - John Mellencamp
Mickey - Toni Basil
Rock this town - Stray Cats
Shadows of the night - Pat Benatar
Shock the monkey - Peter Gabriel
Some guys have all the luck - Robert Palmer
The Other woman - Ray Parker Jr
Valley girl - Frank & Moon Zappa

[PencilSharp]

Oy. These questions always drive me up the wall, because I can never remember when exactly a song came out. (Thanks for the reference to 80sxchange, Greg...)

Now, then:

By far, the entire "Cargo" album from Men at Work should be considered. Love those guys, hated their follow-up album. sigh.

I would also push for "Pac-Man Fever" by Buckner and Garcia. I am shamed to admit that I actually bought their album (I was 11 at the time), but really, that song sums up SO much of 1982 in one neat little package.

Let me also note "Leather and Lace" by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley, just for being one of the best ballads in a crowded field; and "One Hundred Ways" by Quincy Jones and James Ingram. So I'm a softie. Sue me (and join the club ;)

Lastly, The Beloved Wife demands inclusion of "Pass the Dutchie" by Musical Youth. She spent the better part of a week trying to remember the title a few years ago so that I could hunt it down for her, and she didn't know that anyone else even remembered it, thus she's still thrilled on the rare occasions she hears it anywhere but on MP3.

~pS!~

Oh, and wasn't Stevie Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen" kinda perverse, or is it just me (being perverse, that is)?

[Kandice]

My first thought was Rick Springfield's Don't Talk to Strangers from his Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet album (one of the best album covers ever!) but on second thought I would have to got with I Get Excited instead. It has so much engery especially live. I now need to slap the Live & Kickin' DVD in and go back in time.

[Bassnote]

Shock the Monkey - Peter Gabriel
Follow You, Follow Me (Live) - Genesis
Rock The Casbah - The Clash
Do You Believe In Love - Huey Lewis & The News
Shake It Up - The Cars

I was a big Gabriel/Genesis fan in the early 80's. My first concert was in August of 1982. It was, of course, Genesis at Poplar Creek music theatre. I was hooked on going to concerts after that one. The following year I saw Gabriel for the first time at the same venue.

[Richard Phelps]

Hi Guys..

Here's my (short) list:

• A Flock of Seagulls - I Ran
• Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way
• Simple Minds - Promised You A Miracle
• Duran Duran - Rio
• Christopher Cross - Arthurs Theme
• Icehouse - Great Southern Land

Keep 'em coming - sounding great!!

Richard
Auckland, NZ

[DC]

1982 was the year I got my first Sony Walkman and the first two cassettes I had were Hall and Oates "Private Eyes" and Men at Work's "Business As Usual".

"Fast Times" had come out at the end of the summer and I couldn't get enough of that soundtrack. I would sit agog with my headphones on as the stereo pan went back and forth on "moving in stereo".

[Greg Williams]

During 1982, the only songs I really wanted to hear was "Eye of the Tiger" and Men at Work's "Who Can It Be Now".

I outgrew "Tiger", but still love to hear Men At Work.

These days I still stop the knob turning when "I Ran" by Flock of Seagulls.

It's difficult, but I'll go with "Eye of the Tiger" since that was the song I really was hooked on.

Speaking of "hooked on", "Hooked on Classics" came out that year as well.

A good reference site: http://80sxchange.com/80s_charts/1982.htm