"... Someone still loves you"

It was one of the most sublime moments in '80s music: A sold-out Wembley Stadium falling in love again with Queen during the band's 1985 Live Aid Performance. The highlight of their short set -- "Radio Ga-Ga" -- the one time all afternoon when everything came together, if only for four minutes.

Whenever possible, I recommend starting your workday by playing the song. Nothing bad can happen when you start the day with an upbeat Queen song. (Better than picking "Who Wants to Live Forever" or "I Want To Break Free.")

But is "Radio Ga-Ga" just a happy phenomenon, or was it one of the truly great "anthems" of the '80s? I'm thinking of making our Sunday night chats on the blog a regular event -- what does everyone think? Maybe 8 or 9 p.m.? We'd have a topic to get us started -- I was thinking "name your favorite anthems" might be a good start. You know my feeling already ...

"You had your time, you had the power. You've yet to have your finest hour."

Comments

[Complaint Department Manager]

Freddie Mercury...probably the greatest vocalist ever.

[Marissa]

This is a grand idea. I think it's a given with me.

The anthem depends on the need. While managing an optical lab in GA, I would turn "Walking on Sunshine" up loudly and dance around when the techs were feeling humdrum. I dared them not to get happy (or kill me for being too happy).

As for the rest, I'll 'save it for later'.

[Marissa]

And CDM, I couldn't agree with you more. Legendary. Never to be duplicated.

[Spears]

After the Freddie Mercury tribute concert following his death, I thought George Michaels could step up and replace the legend. I still have the recordings of all the songs George did with Queen. "Somebody to Love" was magical.

Alas, I do give Queen credit for trying to continue on. They're very upfront about saying, hey, we're a different band now. And it's probably what Freddie would have wanted.

[Marissa]

Gee, now I know what my rainy day off will consist of: watching youtube vids of Queen, Freddie and George.

I did that the last time this blog got on a Freddie tangent. The wave of emotions that came over me as a result were not what I had bargained for. What's really awesome is that my 13 year old is a Queen fan.

[Matt]

Whenever I want to rock out with Queen, I find the "Flash Gordon" soundtrack. Unbelievable stuff, and goes without saying, one of my Pantheon 80's movies.

FLASH! AH-AHHHH!
Savior of the universe!

[Spears]

"He'll save every one of us!"

[chad]

like a lot of people, i got into queen during the game era. i kinda fell out of favor after that. but waynes world got me back in. im not a huge fan, i have their two gh cds. freddie was one of the best frontman there ever was. i never seen them live, but really wished i did. im up for the sunday nite thingee.

[jane]

Matt! Flash Gordon reference! One of my total guilty pleasures -- and great to dramatically lip synch into one's hairbrush. At least from what I remember.

Diggin' the idea of a weekly chat. Nice transition from the weekend into the week.

[Spears]

Gotta love Timothy Dalton in Flash Gordon. I really want to get him on the podcast. His two Bond movies were in the 80s (and I loved them both).

[Bassnote]

The actor in Flash Gordon that surprised me most was Richard O'Brien. People might remember him better as Riff Raff from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Awesomely campy movie, with a lead actor who couldn't act his way out of a paper bag.

I'm totally up for Sunday chat. I love Queen, but my 80s anthem was 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World'.

[Big Tex]

I prefer One Vision to Radio Ga-Ga, but whatever floats your boat.

I'm all for having a weekly chat, but is there any way we can put it on a chat board instead of the blog?

[Big Tex]

I forgot to offer my congratulations to Queen guitarist Brian May on his PhD in astrophysics and his appointment as Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University

[Al]

Steve,

Once again, your posts bring a smile to my face. Now that I'm in radio, I would LOVE to crank Radio Ga-Ga on-air, but unfortunately the format isn't 80's.

"Through War of Worlds....someone still loves youuuuuu"

[Dan Vhay]

This is VERY eerie . . . last week I was literally playing that YouTube clip over and over again once I found it, now here it is on SIT80's. Weird. As far as anthems go, my mind tends to drift towards movie themes, because they represent two mediums. To start the day, I always think of "Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News, mostly because I think of Marty McFly skateboarding to school at the beginning of Back To The Future with it playing. To partner with "Radio Ga-Ga", check out Ben Folds Five cover of "Vido Killed the Radio Star", a good double-bill.

[Complaint Department Manager]

To add to what I said earlier, everytime I hear "Barcelona" I get goose bumps and chills, what a loss to the world and not just the industry.

[80sfan]

I just picked up Queen's The Game CD last week. Classic! A must have for every 80s collection.

[specialkness]

Not only I own the Live Aid DVD but also the tribute concert. I play them loud in surround sound stereo to clean the house.
No matter the modd, there is a Queen song to cover it. Right now my ring on my cell phone is Radio Ga Ga, brings back good memories of listening to the radio just waiting for my favorite song to come one, singing loud in my truck at lunchtime in HS, good stuff.
Barcelons is one of our favorite songs in the house and when my son rode to work with me, that was one of the last songs we'd play and we'd sing together loud and proud.
There will never be another Freddie!
The people that sang at the Tribute concert did an amazing job didn't they though?