For you, Xanadu!

Did your happy hour on Friday go like this video? Mine always does. A bunch of mimes break-dancing, young professionals with cheesy facial hair on roller-skates. Typical end-of-the-workweek for the Stuck in the 80s crowd.

If loving the soundtrack to Xanadu is wrong, I don't wanna be right! In fact, my plan for tonight -- once I escape the mimes on wheels -- is to download the entire soundtrack on iTunes and sit there at my home computer, singing along with Olivia Newton-John. Sorry, we all have our demons.

Is Adam an ant or a bookworm?

Adam Ant is working on a new book about his artistic creations throughout his career. (That's one way to put off a comeback in music.)

Tentatively titled "Adam Ant Art," the book would discuss his influences (both musically and visual) and will feature some of Adam's unpublished original artworks, including storyboards for music videos and hand-written lyric sheets.

Essential Works, Adam's literary agent in London, says the book -- if published -- will only be sold direct to fans online. "We'd hope to have a decision on whether the book goes ahead within the next couple of months," says EW's Michael Gray. Adam previously released an autobiography -- "Stand And Deliver" -- in 2006.

The art book would also feature a CD featuring songs from Adam's September 2007 performance at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London  -- his first live concert in several years.

For more information and pre-ordering information, go to adamantbook.com.

Rick Astley would never ...

This graphic is making the rounds on the Internet lately, proving once and for all that the web was designed for people stuck in the 80s.

Aged cheese - direct from Canada

I guess in Canada, "Honeymoon Suite" is the favorite brand of cheese ... at least during our favorite decade.

This video -- for their hit "New Girl Now" -- is possibly filled with more '80s cliches than anything I've seen before. (Yes, the fake video for "Pop Goes My Heart" from the movie "Music & Lyrics" has been dethroned.) Fantastic song though.

The band was formed in 1982 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and hit pay-dirt in 1984  with their self-titled debut album. Four singles (New Girl Now, Burning In Love, Wave Babies and Stay In the Light) were hits in Canada while "New Girl Now" charted in the United States.

Honeymoon Suite is still alive and kicking -- they've got a nice official website and everything. And they're still playing gigs up north. If this video turned you on to their music, check out their 2006 two-disc set -- "Feel It Again: An Anthology."

Rod Stewart finds a touring buddy

Here's an unlikely pairing: Rod Stewart has announced a summer U.S. and Canada tour -- and he's bringing Bryan Adams along for at least seven of the shows.

Pollstar.com reports that Stewart's 18-date tour will wrap up here in Tampa on Aug. 28 with a gig at the Ford Amphitheatre. (Adams is not listed as a performer at that show - at least not yet.)

Truth be told, I'd much rather spend my hard-earned clams to hear Adams as the headliner. I've heard enough of Stewart to last two lifetimes. And his "Great American Songbook" series of CDs won't find its way into my personal collection anytime soon.

Adams, though, seems content to concentrate his touring efforts in Europe lately. (They just love "Summer of '69" over there, I guess). His road itinerary on his official website is full of stops in place such as Portugal, Germany, Belgium and Austria.

Still, if he joins Stewart for the Tampa gig in August, I may feel moved to catch at least the first half of that night's billing.

[AP, Getty Image photos]

If only 'The Jerk' had been made in the '80s

Sadly, there's no pretty way to package the silver screen portfolio of Bernadette Peters, who turns 60 years old today. She was nearly box office poison in the '80s. The "Steven Seagal" of her era. The female equivalent of Steve Guttenberg. (Wait ... why are all the phonies named Steve? I'm not sure I like this trend.)

Before we unleash today's Top 5 list, let's add this one important concession: On Broadway, where she shows off her singing and dancing, Peters is a goddess. And I'd crawl through broken glass to see her perform in person.

But for those of us who don't live within an hour of Manhattan, we're forced to consider these infamous appearances.

TOP 5 FORGETTABLE '80s MOVIES WITH BERNADETTE PETERS:

5. ANNIE (1982): I know it's considered a classic, but sit through 5 minutes of it and you'll no longer be upset by the phrase "beaten like a red-headed step-child."

4. PINK CADILLAC (1989): This is one movie even co-star Clint Eastwood would surely disavow. Adding to the aggravation, I can't even say "Pink Cadillac" without singing that hideous Bruce Springsteen song in my head.

3. PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (1981): A period musical -- in the wrong period. At least she got to star with boyfriend Steve Martin.

2. TULIPS (1981): Here are the words every actress dreads hearing: "Meet your co-star, Gabe Kaplan!"

1. HEARTBEEPS (1981): Among the top 10 worst movies of the decade. "It's all right, Rover. These friendly robots are obviously not mischievous trespassers."

Eddie Money goes country

Give me some water! Actually make it something stronger, because this is a shocker: Eddie Money is remaking his hits from the '80s as country tunes for his next album.

The first single from "The Other Side of Money" -- his first album of new material since 1999 -- will be "Give Me Some Water." Country crooner Vince Gill supplies the background vocals for the song, which is set for release this weekend.

Other hits set for remake include "Two Tickets to Paradise" and "Hard Life," according to the Associated Press.

[Publicity photo]

Top metal albums of the '80s

Do you have any idea how hard it is to come up with a list of the Best Metal Albums of the 80s? (Hint: The only correct answer is no.)

The toughest part is deciding if a band is really metal or glam rock or just hard rock. Or spoof rock, like Spinal Tap (which didn't make the list -- but only because their "album" wasn't all heavy metal).

Other bands -- including Van Halen and AC/DC -- didn't make the list because we didn't consider them metal bands. Hard rock, sure. But we were looking very specifically at metal.

Other legitimate metal bands -- Black Sabbath for example -- may not appear or appear very low on the list because their best work came either before or after the 80s.

After much consulting back and forth between submissions here and suggestions on Sean Daly's Pop Life blog, here's my final list. For what it's worth, anything in the top 4 has a legitimate claim to the throne.

TOP 20 METAL ALBUMS OF THE '80s:

20. Stay Hungry -- Twisted Sister (1984): Includes the band's two mainstream hits --  "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" -- and a forgotten but great power ballad "The Price."

19. Love at First Sting -- Scorpions (1984): A triple-platinum effort from the German rockers, featuring  "Rock You Like A Hurricane" and "Still Loving You."

18. Heaven and Hell -- Black Sabbath (1980): No long featuring Ozzy, this was the first album with Ronnie James Dio on vocals. Includes "Neon Knights," "Heaven and Hell" and "Die Young."

17. Skid Row -- Skid Row (1989): Their first album went platinum five times over with hits like "18 and Life" and "I Remember You."

16. Balls to the Wall -- Accept (1983): The German band's only gold album in the U.S. had the hits "Balls to the Wall" and "Head Over Heels."

15. Mechanical Resonance -- Tesla (1986): The band's debut album featured "Little Suzi" and "Gettin' Better."

14. Among The Living -- Anthrax (1987): The band's current shows still are heavy with tunes from their third album, including tunes like the title track, "Caught in a Mosh" and "I Am The Law."

13. Vivid -- Living Colour (1988): Reportedly discovered by Mick Jagger, Living Colour's debut album featured "Cult of Personality" and "Memories Can't Wait."

12. Under Lock and Key -- Dokken (1985): The band's first top 40 album had "In My Dreams," "It's Not Love" and "Til the Living End."

11. Reign in Blood -- Slayer (1986): Welcome to the birth of death metal - for better or worse. Two songs to remember: "Raining Blood" and "Angel of Death."

10. Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? -- Megadeth (1986): Remastered and remixed more than a margarita at Jimmy Buffett's house. The bassline for "Peace Sells" for years was used as the theme music for MTV News.

9. Diary of a Madman -- Ozzy Osbourne (1981): The last album with Randy Rhoads. Features "Over The Mountain" and "Flying High Again."

8. Dr. Feelgood -- Motley Crue (1989): Look what rehab can do for a band! Tons of hits, including "Same Ol' Situation," "Dr. Feelgood" and "Kickstart My Heart."

7. Powerslave -- Iron Maiden (1984): So epic that the band is currently touring again with the original Egyptian stage and set list from their '84 tour.

6. Operation: Mindcrime -- Queensryche (1988): Ah, remember "concept albums?" Metal artists love them. "Eyes of a Stranger" would be the biggest single from the disc.

5. Ace of Spades -- Motorhead (1980): Like thrash metal? Chances are you own this album then (and have the lyrics to the title song tattooed across your skull).

4. Master of Puppets -- Metallica (1986): Pretty much a unanimous selection on anyone's list of top 100 albums of all time. Performed in its entirety on the band's 2006 tour.

3. British Steel -- Judas Priest (1980): Two songs everyone should know by heart reside here -- "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight."

2. Appetite for Destruction -- Guns N' Roses (1987): More than 25-million copies sold worldwide and four hit singles. The best-selling debut album of the '80s.

1. The Number of the Beast -- Iron Maiden (1982): This album gets the nod over "Appetite for Destruction" mainly because it influenced scores of heavy metal bands that followed Iron Maiden, including Axl and the boys. "Run to the Hills" and "The Number of the Beast" stand out on an album that's been praised not only for its lyrics but also for its guitar work. A complete masterpiece.

So there it is. Let the arrows fly.

Balki in the soaps? Don't be ridi-coo-lus

Look who's back on TV. Bronson Pinchot is joining the cast of "The Young and the Restless," playing the part of a publicist named Patrick.

Pinchot, whose offbeat characters ruled the '80s, has been enjoying a resurrection in his acting career, thanks to his appearance on VH1's "Surreal Life." He'll join the soap opera from March 14 through 26, according to the Daytime Dial blog.

But is Pinchot's turn as "Balki" in TV's "Perfect Strangers" really the opus of his acting career? Not hardly.

TOP FIVE ROLES FOR BRONSON PINCHOT:

5. THE FLAMINGO KID (Alfred): Bronson always works great as a sidekick. Throw in Matt Dillon and you have what might be one of the most underrated (or just forgotten ) movies of the early 80s.

4. SECOND SIGHT (Billy): Not a great movie. But John Larroquette shines as a private detective who uses Bronson's psychic abilities to solve crimes.

3. PERFECT STRANGERS (Balki): The TV show, which ran for eight seasons, had a rapid following around the world, where it was rebroadcast (often with Balki taking on a different name.) Popular lore has it that comic legend Lucille Ball considered it one of her favorite shows.

2. RISKY BUSINESS (Barry): He overshadows Tom Cruise in many scenes and gets all the good lines. Plus, he invents the Memo Minder!

1. BEVERLY HILLS COP (Serge): Single-handedly popularized espresso ... "with a little lemon twist. You should try it, it's good!"

[Perfect Strangers promotional photo]

"You BURNED the dog!"

Our Stuck in the 80s tribute to "She's Having a Baby" is now officially online. Click here to download it. Or click here to get all our shows for free via iTunes.

The highlight of this week's show: Our first-ever conversation with co-host Sean Daly's "forever fiancee," who weighs in on Sean's delivery room behavior and his repugnant pregnant sex fetish. (It's possible I just made up that second part.)

Some trivia we didn't fit into the show:

• Clerks director Kevin Smith cites this flick as his favorite John Hughes movie. (Listen to the podcast to hear which J.H. pic we think deserves that honor.)
• Film critic Roger Ebert, who usually gives John Hughes good reviews, panned this effort, laying the blame primarily on the fantasy sequences: "These bizarre touches are sometimes amusing ... but why are they in this story?"
• The late Paul Gleason ("Breakfast Club") has an uncredited appearance in the film as one of the advertising executives who hire Kevin Bacon. Why he's uncredited is unclear.
• The two funniest celebrity baby-name suggesters during the movie's closing credits: Dan Aykroyd and John Candy, who starred together in Hughes' next picture -- "The Great Outdoors."

Pop quiz: Which John Hughes movies from the '80s have we yet to do a podcast on? No cheating by looking at the list on this page or on itunes.