Give us your breakup soundtrack

I can't listen to one of my favorite albums of the 80s -- Invisible Touch by Genesis -- without thinking of a girlfriend back in '87 who captured my heart then ripped so many holes in it that I can now effectively use it to strain freshly cooked pasta.

Why the Genesis association? I saw Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks on the Invisible Touch tour back at Orlando's aging Citrus Bowl in February 1987 with this particular girlfriend. Horrible seats, lousy weather, bad concert. And two weeks later, she was in love with another guy and I'd never be the same again.

To this day, hearing "Throwing It All Away" or "In Too Deep" sends me in a chasm of melancholy and angst.

This week's Stuck in the 80s podcast honors the album "Invisible Touch" -- dubbing it one of the definitive albums of the 80s -- and tries to finally put closure on one of the worst breakups of my life. Click here to listen. Or click here to subscribe to all our shows for free on iTunes.

Listen to the painful recollection of my nightmare breakup and then leave us a comment naming the songs that are associated with your own epic heartbreaks. We'll do a podcast in the future with the best songs and stories from the 80s nation.

Comments

[Bassnote]

With Or Without You by U2. Got dumped in 1988, at a party, on the dance floor, while this song was playing. I could not listen to this song for almost 10 years.

I had no major break-ups in the 80s. Probably because I had no dates until the late 80s! Well, I had one date in 1982, but that was prom and it wasn't emotionally eventful. Super nice guy.

I met my ex husband in the late 80s. Hearing Rush, Molly Hatchet and Pink Floyd gives me nausea and an uncontrollable urge to run away as fast as I can. Hmmmm

[Marissa]

hey! the comment up there was me. dagnabit!

[Brad]

You guys are like brothers to me but there are some doors that should remain shut.

That said, if you put your ear up to it you'd probably hear "I Learnt How To Pray" (Squeeze), "At This Moment" (Billy Vera), and "Under The Milky Way" (The Church).

I know it's from '79 but I'd also grandfather in "Strange Pursuit" by Devo:

[Al]

Steve, you've outdone yourself with this podcast. I've haven't exactly been in that situation, but close enough to it to understand your bitterness.

If I get some extra time soon, I'll email you my break-up story involving U2.....it's from a few years ago, but does involve 80's music!

[Rick]

For me every song in the 80s reminds me of the break up I SHOULD have had! (Marissa, you know what I'm talkin' about.)

Every song is tinged either with angst over said doomed relationship (which finally ended a slow death '93-'94) or with the forbidden feelings I seemed to have sporadically for those women with whom I thought I just might be happy.

So for me, to paraphrase Dickens (wow!), the 80s were the best of times, and the worst of times.

[Marissa]

Yep, yep. I know what you speak of, Rick. It's one of those V-8 moments, but far more damaging; leaving you with emotional scurvy.

[Glenn S.]

Jody Watley -- Looking For A New Love

This one came out at the perfect time for me, just as I was starting to get over being dumped and think about my next move.

[Jeff in Cuba]

Dire Strait's "Communique" album was released in 1979, but featured prominently in a 1983 dump-o-rama. The brush-off went like this: "I like you, Jeff, but my friends found out I'm seeing you, so I just can't anymore." Ouch.

For reasons that have long ago been lost to alcohol, I started listening to "Portobello Belle" over and over again, while gazing at her photo (actually half a photo since I cut out the other guy who was in it with her). All the time we went out we never had a photo taken together (in retrospect that should have told me something).

After a month or two I snapped out of my Knopfler-fueled funk. Oddly enough, having survived a trip to the self-esteem sub-basement, I was much more confident for the remainder of my college career.

[Douglas Arthur]

I won't go into all the ugly details but I had a completely heart-wrenching experience during my Sophomore year in college (Spring of 87). The music was not 80's though. I somehow found myself listening to a lot of Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry. To this day, I can't listen to the first Roxy album without a little bit of a lump in my throat. Stupid thing was it was a girl I wanted to date, but she just wanted to be friends...story of my life. :)

I did use the Talking Heads song "The Overload" from their 1980 album Remain in Light in a movie I made about a break up gone bad, though, and that still works for me.

Duty Now, Steve-o

[Dawn]

"In a Lonely Place" by the Smithereens and "Hello, It's Me" by Todd Rungren. Those were the toughest songs to listen to when I broke up with my high school sweetheart after 5 years together. The songs bring back a lot of memories when I hear them now - we recovered from the hurt and became good friends.

[Tom]

"Cuts Both Ways" "Words Get in the Way" by Gloria Estefan, "Still" -The Commodores, "Crazy"-Icehouse are just a few of the tracks to my breakup soundtrack from the 80's. A period filled with angst and confusion as well as thinking I had found "The One". Oh well, live and learn eh?

[Bassnote]

"Time For Letting Go" by Jude Cole, is a song I associate with a tough break-up I had in 1991. We had been dating for a year. In retrospect, breaking up with her was one of the best things I ever did.

[Pat]

I grew up in NJ,.. Wow,.. 80's Breakup songs,.. That's a great bunch of fun memories,.. the biggest one for me was "Missing You" by John Waite. then there's the entire movie "pretty in pink" Good times!!

[Stymie]

When my fiance dumped me in 1989, there were four songs I played over and over again to help me cope:

* "It Ain't Enough" by Corey Hart
* "Emotions in Motion" by Ric Ocasek
* "Pictures of You" by The Cure
* "All I Want is You" by U2

I'm still here -- and happily married to the Miss Right I met 10 years later -- so those four songs served their purpose.

[Christopher Ave]

Oh man! "Everybody needs some time away, I heard her say, from each ooooooootherrrrrrrrr...." Yup. Freshman year of college. My high school girlfriend comes up to visit... and dumps me! We heard that song like five times that night, I swear.

[Spears]

Oh god, Chris Ave wins the prize so far for having the most agonizing song-breakup association.

Of course, when I think of that song, I think of the end of the movie "Summer Lovers" with Daryl Hannah and I have a totally different reaction.

But still, that'll be a tough song to get out of my head as the night drags on.

[Marissa]

OK everybody. Look at yourself in the mirror and state the following: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and doggone it, people like me!"

[Russ]

Walking on a Wire by Lowen and Navarro, yes it was released in '90 but played in '89. Queen Bee from Grand Funk would be #2. Not exactly break up but an explanation for a bad relationship! :)

[Bassnote]

Marissa, you always manage to cack me up.

[Jayson Barclay]

80's breakup songs? Don't you mean 80's songs you heard while you were being dumped? If I was breaking up with a girl I didn't care what was on the radio. When girls were dumping me (and boy a lot of them did) I obsessed over every sad song on the radio. Personal favorites which caused me to dwell on an empty and wasted life include Crazy by Icehouse, and of course "Against all Odds" by Phil Collins. Oh I almost forgot, the song "See You" by Depeche Mode also makes me want to park my car on the central span of the Skyway if you know what I mean.

[Marissa]

Bassnote! I curtsy with honor. I'm so happy to know I'm not just humoring myself.

[Ian from Down Under]

Always Something There To Remind Me - Naked Eyes. Because no matter how deep into the foggy depression I fell, there was always something. And since I was going through my German phase thanks to Nena, her singing Jetzt Bist Du Weg (Now you have left) always had me tearing up - Steve Spears style. Shattered Dreams - Johnny Hates Jazz hit the spot as well as Blue Day by Mi-sex.

[Brad]

How could I have forgotten "Alone Again Or" by The Damned?

Geez I'm getting a stomachache just thinking about it. Thanks for bringing me down guys!

[Clyde]

Although I was born in 1979, I was child of the 80's...and I feel that no other era was so black and white. In that decade, it was either an upbeat tune like "Girls Just Want to have Fun" or a my personal I-just-want-to-die favorite "See You" by Depeche Mode.

I cannot listen to that song without the images of that girl who told me she wanted to get to know me better...if only she didn't have a boyfriend. Agh!!

[Marissa]

Wow! I was a freshman in high school in 1979 ::sigh::

[Eric in Madison]

My first crush, 8th grade, LoriKay. She broke it off and I was heartbroken. I turned to my favorite band, Journey, for some guidance.

The next day I asked LoriKay if someone had already replaced me. I had a note in each hand, one for each response. Had she said no, she would have gotten this note:

"If he ever hurts you,
True love won't desert you
You'll know I still love you
Though we touched and went our separate ways."

But she said yes, so she got the note that said:
"One day love will find you
Break those chains that bind you
One night will remind you
How we touched and went our separate ways."

[Eric in Madison]

Oops, reverse those two. And no, she never came back. I think I heard she was pregnant by junior year.