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"Adam Ant Art," the book would discuss his influences (both musically and visual) and will feature some of Adam's unpublished original artworks, including storyboards for music videos and hand-written lyric sheets.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

This is why I love the '80s...

If this song and video doesn't put a smile on your face, then you're quite possible hopeless. Call your psychiatrist's office and ask them to up the dosage.

Philip Oakey is responsible for this tune -- the theme song to 1984's "Electric Dreams," starring Lenny von Dohlen and the always lovely Virginia Madsen. Oakey, of course, is best known as the front-man and singer for the Human League. In 2004, Oakey and the rest of the League were honored with the "Q Innovation in Sound Award."

Special thanks to uber-fan Bassnote for remembering this gem. I might very well have to put this in the top 10 list of happiest songs of the 80s. What other great 80s songs have we all forgotten about?

Great songs, bad movies

All weekend long I've been singing "Best Man in the World," the Ann Wilson tune that plays during the opening credits of "The Golden Child."

Great song, not-so-great movie. And it got me thinking: How many other great songs were lost in the dog movies of the '80s?

Will we uncover enough for a full-fledged list? We'll see. Here are some to get you started.

MEET ME HALFWAY (Kenny Loggins) in OVER THE TOP: I'm totally back into Loggins these days. I can't explain. And this song -- fantastic. But don't ever ask me to sit through that flick again.

ONE VISION (Queen) in IRON EAGLE: They blew their entire budget on the song, no doubt. Great final line: "Fried chicken!"

NOBODY'S FOOL (Kenny Loggins) in CADDYSHACK 2: Oh, Kenny. I love ya, man. And this song is a top 10 song on my iPod. The movie -- I'd rather stick rabid kittens in my pants than watch it again.

SHAKEDOWN (Bob Seger) in BEVERLY HILLS COP 2: Was there any series of sequels that disappointed more than the BH Cop ones? The original plan, I heard, was to have Axel Foley go to a different city for the sequel. How cool would that have been?

What other songs are we forgetting?

Bret Michaels likes to give hugs

Can you blame the Poison front-man for grabbing a quickie squeeze here? The somewhat reluctant-looking recipient is Jennifer Gulick, my secret weapon at Clearwater's Ruth Eckerd Hall.

It's Jennifer who badgers visiting musicians to do those great Stuck in the 80s interviews you've been hearing for two years now. And whenever possible, she'll find a way to get me backstage so I can meet the artists in person. Needless to say, I owe her big time. (Actually, we could have interviewed Bret Michaels too, but all you fans out there were squawking about too many shows about heavy metal acts, so we passed this time around.)

Michaels was in Tampa Bay earlier this month for a solo show at Ruth Eckerd Hall. "The crowd loved it," Jennifer reports. "They LOVED it. Everyone was on their feet singing."

Michaels gets more fame these days from his campy but addictive "Rock of Love" reality show, where a parade of eligible women -- come on, can't we call them "skanks?" -- throw themselves at poor ole Bret.

Look for a soundtrack from "Rock of Love" to be released soon.

The best '80s band ... from the '90s

What happens when you combine a couple synthesizers, some New Wave melodies and four guys from Frankfurt, Germany?

The best '80s band from the '90s, according the Check Battery Daily -- the now-defunct band that performs the new Stuck in the 80s podcast theme song.

During the band's 10 years of existence, Check Battery Daily cranked out two albums, appeared occasionally on TV, played a slew of gigs and even cracked the charts in Europe for online music.

Not bad for a band named after a U.S. Army jeep.

Christopher dArcy, the band's lyricist, recently took time out to answer the bigger questions.

Why start an 80s band in the 90s?

"Against the mainstream Check Battery Daily had decided that there is still a place for good music besides loud techno music and boring beats."

"Unfortunately the '90s were not the ideal time for an '80s band."

There's got to be a good story about the band's name.

"Check Battery Daily -- we read this on the battery compartment of a U.S. Army jeep and we found this kinda cool. At that time we decided that, if we ever would have our own band, that would be its name. I would assume that was somewhere in the mid '80s and we were just crazy for electronic music."

"Later I bought myself the first set of synthesizers and started composing myself. And much later [the band] started composing sarcastic songs about our friends which we produced as gifts for their birthdays. And then it just happened - many people liked the songs, so we started to become a real '80s band."

How did the music scene of Frankfurt influence your sound?

We are based in the area of Frankfurt -- actually a bit left of Frankfurt, but know one will know that town. Frankfurt itself is still today the center of the German electronic music scene, maybe also due to the fact that still today one of the largest international fairs for musical instruments is conducted there every year.

Any success stories?

"We recorded our first record in 1989 (named "Our First") and to our surprise it was far more successful than we expected, so in 1990 we released our second record ("Our Next"), which also was a great success."

"We continued to play on stage, winning even some contests and we even aired on TV, but we realized that electronic music doesn't work that well on stage if you have four singers and only one
person playing an instrument. So we started to just use our voices on stage and sang a-capella. And this started our second success wave."

"We also continued working on 80's pop, but the '90s were hungry for something new, so we didn't produce another album. Well, we released 'Our Best' in 1995, but that was about it."

How did the band break up?

"By the time we started considering that the time has come again for great synthesizer melodies, Check Battery Daily found a sudden end."

"In 1998 (vocalist) Bernhard Wurm died in a motorcycle accident. And since the band was always four friends making music together, the band died with him. We felt that there is no space for an external replacement."

Which of the popular bands did you listen to?

Our influences are without doubt Depeche Mode, but also a-ha and Alphaville.

And yes, we still love the '80s and its music. Just listen to our "Ode To The Eighties!"

-- For more information Check Battery Daily and to hear their songs online, visit their official website.

Live Chat: 'Here's to successful fertilization'

Are you ready to laugh, cry and swear off the opposite sex? You better be, because our latest podcast is now ready for an unofficial debut.

The subject: the great 1988 John Hughes semi-autobiographical flick "She's Having A Baby."

Click here to download it. It's not on iTunes yet, so you'll have to use the this link.

Among the topics that are discussed:

• Is this John Hughes' best flick of the 80s? Or possibly just his most under-rated one?
• OK, so maybe it's not his best flick. But is this the best soundtrack?
• Which co-star steals all the best lines -- Alec Baldwin, John Ashton, maybe even the great Dennis Dugan as Kevin Bacon's  disgruntled mentor at the ad firm?

As always, I'm here and free to chat as you listen to the show. Gotta love Saturday chats. Hit me with whatever topic you like. Meanwhile, the obligatory list.

TOP 5 MEMORABLE LINES FROM SHE'S HAVING A BABY:

5. "College is like high school with ashtrays."

4. "He's plenty old and people don't mature anymore. They stay jackasses all their lives."

3. "You're quite the barbecue chef, Jake."

2. "How do you feel about alcoholics?" ...  "Um, I like alcoholics?"

1. "You BURNED the dog!"

Here's the new Asia album

Asia's official website has released the album art for the band's upcoming disc -- "Phoenix."

The artwork was designed by Roger Dean, who handled the iconic art for six of the Asia's earlier albums. The album -- the first one by the band's original members since "Alpha" in 1983 -- is set for release on April 11.

Meanwhile, drummer Carl Palmer is recovering after a heart operation performed very recently. A stent was inserted into an artery in his heart to help prevent any narrowing of the vessel.

"I am happy to say the procedure was a complete success and I am already feeling better each day," Palmer said in an announcement on the band's official website. Asia's world tour begins in March.

For those about to record, we salute you

The boys are heading back to work - at last. AC/DC is all set to return to the studio to record their first album since 2000.

Bassist Cliff Williams told StarPulse.com that a new album and world tour are in the works.

"We're going to get together and get in the studio and I fully expect we will (tour)," Williams said.

Though the Aussie rockers have re-released and re-mastered some of their classic LPs in recent years, there hasn't been a new studio disc since "Stiff Upper Lip."

Singer and frontman Brian Johnson told Stuck in the 80s last summer than the Young brothers -- Malcolm and Angus -- were working on new material. In the meantime, Johnson and Williams have been performing together and separately to keep in shape.

"I'll get up and sing with a band, maybe do a song. That's nothing compared to belting it out, full-tilt boogie," Johnson said. "With AC/DC, [shows lasted] two hours, 25 minutes and it was a killer because we didn't have drum solos. ... When I look back on it now, how the hell did I do that?"

[Times file photo]

Call Barry ... whenever you wanna grind

He may write the songs that make the whole world sing. But if Barry Manilow records the songs that makes the 80s nation sing, he should be dragged out onto "Electric Avenue," beaten "Time after Time" and then left for dead in the "Love Shack."

Manilow has already recorded best-of albums for hits from the '50s, '60s and '70s. And it seems an '80s collection is up next.

"We're beginning to put a list together of what I would try for the '80s," Manilow recently told the Cox News Service. "When I looked up the No. 1 songs, there were some really melodic songs, like (Wham!'s) 'Careless Whisper' or 'Time After Time' by Cyndi Lauper - that's a beautiful song - and I thought 'I could handle those.' "

Paul Anka recorded an album of '80s pop and rock classics in 2005, including tunes like "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor and "Jump" by Van Halen. Seemingly more tongue-in-cheek, the album surprisingly wasn't slammed by critics. I'm not sure Manilow should get the same courtesy.

FIVE 80s SINGS I'D PICK FOR MANILOW TO RECORD:

5. ROCK ME AMADEUS (Falco): He has the wig already. Just powder it up.

4. OUR LIPS ARE SEALED (The Go-Go's): It's all that botox, Barry!

3. FIGHT THE POWER (Public Enemy): Somewhere, Flavor Flav just screamed out in terror and was suddenly silenced.

2. MR. ROBOTO (Styx): "So if you see me singing strangely, don't be surprised!"

1. DARLING NIKKI (Prince): "Thank you for a funky time, Barry. Call me, whenever you wanna grind."

[AP photo]

'This is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy!'

Many people in Florida say spring officially arrives when the pro baseball teams return for the Grapefruit League. Others figure the state fair or Plant City's infamous Strawberry Festival signals the beginning of the season.

Here at the Stuck in the 80s corporate headquarters, we use a different barometer to determine springtime -- when the poolwater is warm enough for skinny-dipping. And as of 6:13 p.m., Feb. 21, it's spring, baby, it's spring!

No, those weren't the Space Shuttle's sonic booms you heard last night. It was the sound of watery cannon balls echoing throughout northeast St. Petersburg.

Nobody appreciates a quick dip au natural like an '80s fan. Because, with due respect to the 1960s, the '80s are all about this wonderful hobby.

TOP 10 SKINNY-DIPPING SCENES FROM THE 80s:

10. SPLASH (1984): Daryl Hannah is a mermaid. You figure out the rest. "What you looking at? You never seen a guy who slept with a fish before?"

9. THE BLUE LAGOON (1980): Brooke Shield's timeless line: "You're always staring at my buppies!"

8. FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (1982): Phoebe Cates isn't actually in the water, but who's complaining. "Hey, you guys had shirts on when you came in here."

7. SECRET OF MY SUCCESS (1987): Michael J. Fox is seduced by "Aunt Vera" (Margaret Whitton) to the tune of the "Jaws" theme. "What's my mother going to say? I've disgraced my whole family!"

6. COCOON (1985): Steve Guttenberg has a close encounter of the nude kind. "If this is foreplay I'm a dead man!"

5. SUMMER LOVERS (1982): Daryl Hannah (again!), Peter Gallagher and Valerie Quennessen prove three's company after all. "Making love to you is like riding a horse."

4. CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD (1986): William Hurt and Marlee Matlin in the artsiest scene in this list. "Sarah... Sarah! I am falling... into the pool with you!"

3. BLAME IT ON RIO (1984): Michael Caine, you dirty dog. Michelle Johnson was old enough to be ... well, she was old enough. "You only live once, but it does help if you get to be young twice."

2. RECKLESS (1984): Daryl Hannah (hey you!) and Aidan Quinn hold impromptu swim team tryouts -- at midnight. "Forget it! I'm not that drunk... well, not yet!"

1. VACATION (1983): Chevy Chase and Christie Brinkley. No nudity, but great comedy. "It's too bad you're married... I'm in the mood for some fun!"

Honorable mention -- PURPLE RAIN (1984): Apollonia has to purify herself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka. "That ain't Lake Minnetonka."

Who's the ultimate front-man?

They're drawn to the spotlight like a moth to a flame. A simple wink from stage sends shivers through the first 30 rows of fans. And if that one star were to ever leave the band, you can't imagine ever seeing them play live again.

That's what it takes to be a truly phenomenal front-man. And the '80s were full of some truly great ones. Still, if you had to name the ultimate '80s front-man, who would you pick?

List time again. Leave a comment with your favorite front-men. Here's some criteria to agree on. Solo artists like Billy Idol and Rick Springfield are not eligible. By the very nature of them being solo, they already stand out. And despite the term "front-man," your picks can be either male or female. (Or, in the case of Boy George, possibly both.)

Feel free to state your case for your picks. In the meantime, here are some names worthy of the title:

STEVE PERRY (Journey): Sporting those tuxedo tails, he danced around the stage like his pants were on fire. And that voice? One in a million. The band hasn't been the same without him -- so much so that when Journey picked a new lead singer, they chose someone who sounded exactly like Perry.

DAVID LEE ROTH (Van Halen): Nobody should be allowed to sing "Running with the Devil" except Roth. Sure, he got a little too cabaret in the mid-80s, but his return to the band has reinvigorated a classic 80s act.

BONO (U2): A star from the moment he marched out with the white flag at Red Rocks during "Sunday Bloody Sunday."

SIMON LE BON (Duran Duran): Give Simon bonus points for standing out in a band already full of pretty faces.

CHRISSIE HYNDE (The Pretenders): Can you even name another member of the band?

So who else is worthy of the title?

[Times photo: Cherie Diez]

The majestic presence of They Might Be Giants

They Might Be the only "cool" band I still listen to. They Might Be the reason I watch the opening credits to "Malcolm in the Middle." And They Will Be calling me on the phone next week to chat.

They Might Be Giants is coming to Tampa Bay next month, but before they can play their March 11 gig at Jannus Landing, John Flansburgh and John Linnell will have to join me for a special Stuck in the 80s podcast interview.

I'm one of many fans who joined the TMBG kingdom in 1990 with the release of their album "Flood." Only after hearing that disc did I go back and hear the real gems from the '80s. These days, I pre-order every album they record and dutifully take off the day from work -- aka "pull a Ferris" -- when it arrives so that I can sit home and play it a dozen times.

So how will I ever narrow down the 3,000 questions I'd like to ask them? The answer: By asking you to leave comments below with your suggestions for questions. What do you want to know from They Might Be Giants?

In the meantime...

TOP 5 THEY MIGHT BE GIANT SONGS FROM THE 80s:

5. PUT YOUR HAND INSIDE THE PUPPET HEAD: "It's a mighty zombie talking of some love and posterity."

4. PURPLE TOUPEE: "I shouted out, 'Free the Expo '67 'til they stepped on my hair, and they told me I was fat."

3. DON'T LET'S START: "When you are alone you are the cat, you are the phone, you are an animal."

2. SHE'S AN ANGEL: "Somewhere they're meeting on a pinhead, calling you an angel, calling you the nicest things."

1. ANA NG: "We still haven't walked in the glow of each other's majestic presence."

[Official publicity photo]

We still believe in Molly Ringwald

Molly Ringwald this week turns the big "Four-Oh my god the 80s are aging too fast."

I doubt she's spending her 40th the same way I spent mine back in July: Gambling away all the mortgage money at the craps table at the Bellagio. But she can blow on my dice anytime.

Rather than drone on and on about her importance to the very fiber of my existence, let me allow Molly the opportunity to teach us her sagely wisdom.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW IN LIFE, YOU CAN LEARN FROM MOLLY RINGWALD:

• "Us loners got to stick together." (Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone)
• "I loathe the bus. There has to be a more dignified mode of transportation." (Sixteen Candles)
• "When you don't have anything, you don't have anything to lose. Right?" (Sixteen Candles)
• "Academic clubs aren't the same as other kinds of clubs." (Breakfast Club)
• "If somebody doesn't believe in me, I can't believe in them." (Pretty in Pink)
• "When you're pregnant, sometimes you get hemorrhoids, okay?" (For Keeps)
• "You don't want me, I'm used, I'm worn out, I'm bad goods, you can't trust me." (Fresh Horses)

Nice shirt, dude: Best and worst concert tees

Growing up as a young teen in the early 80s, I was totally addicted to buying and wearing concert jerseys. I wore them to school, to the rollerskating rink, to the mall -- I still remember getting weird looks from the tourists at Disney World when I wore the AC/DC shirt showing Angus Young's guitar exploding through his stomach to the theme park.

In most cases I hadn't even attended the concert, but that was of little concern. Stores at the mall sold the knock-off shirts for half the price. However, last night I was able to right a historic wrong and buy an authentic Van Halen shirt of my very own when the band played here in Tampa.

Trouble is, with the significance of the event clouding my judgment, I bought the sorriest shirt they had. Take a look at the photo of it. It looks like a shirt from Olivia Newton-John's "Xanadu" tour! Yes, those are twinkling stars surrounding a glowing Earth. With an orange and purple logo! And, more embarrassing, it's the shirt from last year's leg of the tour; the tour dates on the back don't even list Tampa! (Don't ask how much I paid.)

Still, I can't complain (too much). After all, over the years, I've purchased much worse shirts (the creepy one of a sweaty Hall & Oates staring at each other on their H2O tour comes to mind.) But in the glow of last night's show, I choose to emphasize the positive today.

TOP 3 MUST-OWN CONCERT T-SHIRTS:

3. ROLLING STONES: The classic lips and tongue version, which the band was smart enough to use tour after tour after tour. Almost good enough to make me forget "The Harlem Shuffle."

2. REO SPEEDWAGON: The classic winged logo t-shirt from the Hi-Infidelity tour in jersey form. Simple, elegant, one for the ages.

1. JOURNEY: Preferably the one from the Escape tour. I still own a replica of the shirt I bought at the Oct. 22, 1981 show at the Lakeland Civic Center.

TOP 3 SHIRTS I WISH I HADN'T BOUGHT:

3. STYX: The infamous Mr. Roboto tour, featuring the creepy robot face on the front of the shirt. A friend's prom date threw up on it during the after-party and I could never bring myself to wear it again without smelling the faint odor of french fries and mustard.

2. FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD: The shirt, featuring illustrations of nearly naked band members, almost got me beat up at the mall by members of my high school football team. (Save your energy, guys, you went 1-9 that season.)

1. PAUL McCARTNEY: I bought it from an unauthorized street vendor and put it on before going into the show at Tampa Stadium. When it rained two songs into Sir Paul's set, the shirt literally melted off my body, leaving me shirtless for the remainder of the show. Live and let die? You bet if I ever get my hands on that vendor again.

Van Halen: The folks are overjoyed

Where has Van Halen been all my adult life? Growing up in Florida, I don't remember the original lineup coming through Tampa Bay in the early 80s. They've always been on my "must-see" list -- but obviously the boys are playing hard-to-get.

So like the other 16,000-plus fanatics at the St. Pete Times Forum last night, it was time to finally put an end to a long drought. Read Times pop music critic Sean Daly's full review here.

Here's what I took away from the experience.

THE THREADS: Eddie Van Halen started the show shirtless ... launching an abbreviated guitar solo before the band joined him with "You Really Got Me." David Lee Roth alternated between ringleader jackets, and Wolfgang Van Halen chose to layer himself grunge-style. Drummer Alex might have been wearing a dress for all I could tell.

THE TUNES: The band followed the same set list that we published yesterday -- the same lineup for the whole tour. Whatever works, guys.

THE SMELLS: First whiff of that familiar "concert smoke" ... 8:33 p.m. -- two verses into VH's opening song. This was a crowd that clearly wasn't adhering to the Florida Indoor Clean Air Act -- or any other similar statute.

HERE'S JUNIOR'S GRADE: Wolfie can play bass on this level - no question about it. The stage presence will come with time. It's almost like he's "That Fan" -- the one who suddenly finds himself invited on stage. You want to cheer for him. And why not? (Weird thing -- if you stare at him long enough and squint your eyes, you can see Valerie Bertinelli.)

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: "Unchained" seemed a little sloppy. It didn't have that gut-wrenching grinding guitar opening. And Dave fell behind a couple times. "Hot for the Teacher" seemed a little rushed and loose. It's just not the same without the sexy video.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: "Everybody Wants Some" re-energized the band at the set's halfway mark. And "I'll Wait" -- a tune that never really that stood out for me before -- took on an anthem-like quality. I half-expected Bono to walk out, waving a white flag.

A DRUM SOLO ... REALLY?: Does any band born after 1979 still do a drum show during a concert? Still, it gave Dave time to find a new jacket ... and to rub some Ben-Gay on those achy groin muscles.

GETTING PHYSICAL: There probably aren't two better-sculpted 50-something rockers than Diamond Dave and Eddie VH. They look as good today as I looked ... well forget that. I'd sell what's left of my liver to get the phone number of their personal trainer.

ON THE OTHER HAND: Alex bears a striking resemblance these days to Bill Murray in "Kingpin." I kept expecting him to spring to his feet and hold up a crystal bowling ball with a rose inside.

MOMENTUM KILLER: An hour and 40 minutes into the show, Dave suddenly picks up an acoustic guitar, strums lightly and proceeds to tell the longest, rambling story in the history of modern rock and roll. Presumably, the other three band members needed a nap. Eventually, it evolved into "Ice Cream Man" -- so everyone was forgiven.

ONE LAST SONG: I never thought of "Jump" as a good song to end a show with. I'm so wrong. It remains an enduring symbol of the 80s, a tune that wraps up everything into one tight, unforgettable memory. You want to high-five strangers, dump what's left of your beer on your head, fall to your knees and then run out and buy three more concert shirts. How many songs have that kind of power?

FINAL GRADE: Let's face it. If you were here Monday night, it's because you love Van Halen and didn't want to miss out on what could be a one-time-only reunion. They could have come out wearing diapers, playing plastic flutes and we'd have gone bonkers anyhow. It was exactly the concert we all willed it to be.

[AP file photo]

Countdown to Van Halen

The nearly original lineup of Van Halen hits Tampa tonight for a show at the St. Pete Times Forum. According to Stuck in the 80s co-host Sean Daly, the show should be sold out by the time Diamond Dave and the boys hit the stage.

I'll be there, singing along with all the old-school tunes. After all, the band is only playing hits from 1978 through 1985. Does it get any better than that? Here's the expected set list:

• You Really Got Me
• I'm the One
• Runnin' With the Devil
• Romeo Delight
• Somebody Get Me A Doctor
• Beautiful Girls
• Dance the Night Away
• Atomic Punk
• Everybody Wants Some
• So This Is Love?
• Mean Street
• (Oh) Pretty Woman
• Alex Van Halen drum solo
• Unchained
• I'll Wait
• And the Cradle Will Rock
• Hot for Teacher
• Little Dreamer
• Little Guitars
• Jamie's Cryin'
• Ice Cream Man
• Panama
• Eddie Van Halen guitar solo medley
• Ain't Talkin''Bout Love
• Encores: 1984 (intro) and Jump

[AP photo]

How well do you know Oscar?

When it comes to the 80s, everyone here is a pro. But how well do you know movie history beyond our favorite decade?

I've created a 15-question, interactive Oscar Quiz for everyone to take. Basically, you'll hear a short sound clip and have to pick the movie.

Click here to take the quiz. Drop a comment afterward and let me know how you did. (I'm guessing that if I hadn't written it, I'd get about 12 or 13 questions correct.)

Here are your favorite movie nerds

It wouldn't have been the 80s without this word: nerd. It's as much a part of the decade as Vans, sushi, Duran Duran and Aqua-Net.

Last month, Stuck in the 80s asked our readers to name their favorite movie nerds of the 80s. And with true nerd-like passion, you came through with a ton of forgotten names. Click here to read all the suggestions.

Our only guidelines: These actors must have done their nerdy work in the 80s. And we weighed the nerd work against their non-nerd work. So without further delay.

TOP 20 MOVIE NERDS OF THE 80s:

20. ILAN MITCHELL-SMITH: Shortest nerd career in history. After playing "Wyatt Donnelly" in "Weird Science, Mitchell-Smith is now a professor of English at Angelo State University.

19. TIMOTHY BUSFIELD: Yes, that's Busfield as "Arnold Poindexter" in "Revenge of the Nerds." Bonus points for being whiney yuppie in "thirtysomething."

18. SARAH JESSICA PARKER: "Rusty" in "Footloose" got her nerd start on TV's Square Pegs.

17. CRISPIN GLOVER: Hello? Hello? "George McFly" in "Back to the Future."

16. PATRICK DEMPSEY: Long before he was "McMuffin" or whatever the hell women call him now, he was "Ronald Miller" in "Can't Buy Me Love."

15. GABE JARRET: Don't even tell me he was acting when he played "Mitch" in "Real Genius." 

14. JOHN CUSACK: "Bryce" in "Sixteen Candles" but also nerd-like roles in "Better Off Dead," "Hot Pursuit" and "One Crazy Summer."

13. JOAN CUSACK: Her character in "Sixteen Candles" is known simply as "Geek Girl #1."

12. MARTIN SHORT: If there was a nerdy amigo among the "Three Amigos," it was Short, who also geeked out for "Inner Space."

11. JOHN CRYER: Debate all you want if Duckie was a nerd in "Pretty in Pink." But then consider "Morgan Stewart's Coming Home" and "Hiding Out."

10. ANDREW McCARTHY: He's a "sensitive turd" in "Class." And he's stuck wearing a wig in the final, re-shot scene of "Pretty in Pink." And don't get me started again about "Mannequin."

9. BRIAN BACKER: "Rat" in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." (Loved the Popeye t-shirt.)

8. HAROLD RAMIS: Big-time geek roles in "Ghostbusters," "Stripes," "Baby Boom" and "Stealing Home."

7. COREY HAIM: Everybody in "Lucas" deserves an honorable mention on this list.

6. GEDDE WATANABE: Long Duk Dong. Need I say more? OK, "Volunteers" and "Gung Ho."

5. ROBERT CARRADINE: Possibly one of the single-greatest nerd performances of all time as "Louis Skolnick" in "Revenge of the Nerds." But also his only nerd role. And it's watered down by his tough-guy turn in "Big Red One."

4. ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL: Farmer Ted still ends up with the hot girl in "Sixteen Candles" and "Weird Science." But in "The Breakfast Club," he's the only one who doesn't hook up (and gets stuck writing the paper.)

3. PEE WEE HERMAN: He turned nerd-dom into a franchise.

2. RICK MORANIS: Three nearly impossible-to-equal nerd movies: "Ghostbusters," "Little Shop of Horrors" and "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids." Only his role in "Streets of Fire" keeps him out of the No. 1 spot.

1. CURTIS ARMSTRONG: "Booger" in "Revenge of the Nerds" was even better teamed with John Cusack in "Better Off Dead." And don't forget his turn as "Miles" in "Risky Business."

Armstrong has nearly a unanimous choice for this "honor." One reader said: "The last I saw him, he played a DJ on 'That '70s Show' who played Dungeons and Dragons ... I guess old stereotypes die hard!"

Which nerds did we forget?

In the 80s, the Oscars went to ...

Hey gang -- The latest episode of the Stuck in the 80s podcast is officially online. Click here to listen. Or click here to download all our shows for free via iTunes.

This week's topic: The Oscars in the 80s. And what more appropriate time to cover this topic -- this year marks the 80th edition of the Academy Awards.

This week's guest co-host is Steve Persall, the Times film critic and smarter than Sean Daly and I put together. (Click here to read his "Reeling in the Years" blog).

We'll go over the winners for Best Picture for each year of the 80s -- and honor the flicks we think were unfairly passed over.

TOP 5 MOST UNDER-RATED OSCAR WINNERS OF THE 80s:

5. THE LAST EMPEROR (1987): I'll watch any movie with Peter O'Toole -- even if he's just the gaffer. Also holds the distinction of being the first big film shot in the Forbidden City in Communist China.

4. PLATOON (1986): Second to "Wall Street" as Oliver Stone's best movie, maybe? Anybody? I skipped a fraternity party to see this movie. Talk about a depressing evening.

3. GANDHI (1982): Horrifically long, but for those of us with no lives, that's not a problem. Ben Kingsley deserves 10 Oscars for his transformation of Gandhi throughout his life.

2. AMADEUS (1983): F. Murray Abraham wins an Oscar, though Tom Hulce and Jeffrey Jones had their best career roles as well.

1. CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981): Epic performances by Ben Cross, Ian Holm and Ian Charleson as British Olympians at the 1924 Summer Games in Paris. Ignore the dated, electronica theme song and just enjoy a great -- and true -- story of heroism and determination.

I painted it in the heat of the moment

Once upon a time, this was my secret shame: I painted a big Asia mural on the wall outside my college dorm room in 1985. (Hume Hall at the University of Florida, in case anyone really wants details.)

The mural remained there for about 10 years, until the entire building was torn down. (For the record, I also painted stars in neon paint on the dorm room ceiling, so when you turned on a black light -- which was required equipment for every college kid back then -- and killed the lights, you'd see a virtual galaxy above you. (High-brow entertainment, especially if you added a Pink Floyd album and other enhancers to the equation.)

For years, I'd return to campus in the fall for football games and visit the dorm to see the painting. Sometimes I'd knock on my old room door and ask if they see anything at night when then turn off the lights. "You're the 'star' guy, aren't you?" they'd exclaim. "Did you do this freakin' Asia painting, too?" I always flat-out denied it.

UF has since rebuilt Hume Hall. And don't think I'm not tempted to return there late one night, paintbrush in hand. Pride in the 80s -- it's a horribly addictive vice.

Top 5 Van Halen videos

The nearly original lineup of Van Halen hits Tampa's St. Pete Times Forum on Monday, Feb. 18. Have your tickets already? (It's not sold out, strangely enough.)

If you're still sitting on the fence about whether to catch them live, maybe you need a little refresher course in the power of Diamond Dave and the VH boys.

Van Halen isn't a threat to win a video pioneer award during the annual MTV awards, but they had some memorable feats.

TOP 5 VIDEOS FROM VAN HALEN:

5. JUMP: Love the leopard-print jacket, Eddie. Between that and your beloved keyboard, you look like a lounge act. I'm just bitter because this video inspired me to take keyboard lessons (back then, we called them "organ lessons.") Too bad I only learned to play the theme to "Oklahoma!" (Watch it)

4. RUNNING