For reasons that are too boring to discuss, we (Jana and Erin) skipped our playlist in December. But we’re back now, finishing our trip through decades of our favorite music. We’ve already covered the 50s, 60s, and 70s and that brings us to…THE 80s!!! Everyone’s favorite! And since the 80s is massive, we’ve decided to split it in three: one for the men, one for the women, one for the groups. There might even be a hairbands one in there but we’re not sure yet.

Anyway, like most people, we love the music of the ’80s. I (Jana) spent my childhood in the 80s (I turned 13 in 1990) and Erin entered her teen years during this decade. Beyond that, the 1980s had Reagan, Thatcher, and Gorbachev. Charles and Diana got married. The Berlin Wall came down and AIDS was on the rise. The 80s also had Saturday morning cartoons, neon (so much neon), THE MOTHERFUCKING FRAGGLES, big hair, and the Brat Pack.  It also saw the birth of MTV (you know, back when it played music) which helped launch or sustain the career of so many artists including these guys:

Rick Springfield, “Jessie’s Girl”. Quite possibly one of the best songs ever written. Okay, in my (Erin’s) opinion, at least. Jana says: “Love Somebody” is a better song and also, Rick Springfield is my favorite Australian.

Billy Idol, “Rebel Yell”. Yes, the obvious choice because it’s just so, so good. Jana says: I have yet to hear a Billy Idol song and NOT had it stuck in my head for days afterwards.

David Lee Roth, “Just Like Paradise” because when he broke from Van Halen, I (Erin) refused to pick sides. Jana says: I didn’t give a shit when that happened but this is a great song.

Bobby Brown, “My Prerogative”. This was before drugs, alcohol, and arrests. He was awesome. Jana says: Sadly, who could’ve predicted he’d be the last one from that family still standing.

LL Cool J, “I’m Bad”. This lady (Erin) certainly does love cool James. “I’m Bad” is probably the first rap song I (Erin) knew word for word. Jana says: When I was pregnant with The Child, we called her LL (for little Lynch). We’re so clever. Also, did you notice LL never dies in any movie he’s in? WHY IS THAT?

Elton John, “I’m Still Standing”. A new personal anthem for me (Jana). Also a fun song. And there’s a great cover of it in the movie Sing.

Eric Carmen, “Make Me Lose Control”. There are no words to accurately convey how I feel about this song. I simply love it.

John Mellencamp, “Authority Song”. The struggle was real picking a JM song. Too many good options to choose from but I (Jana) settled on this one since I crank it to 11 when I listen to it. Erin opted for R.O.C.K in the U.S.A. which, incidentally, was my second choice.

Steve Winwood, “Back in the High Life”. Another one I (Jana) find beautiful and absolutely love.

Phil Collins, “Don’t Lose My Number”. Confession: I (Jana) LOVE PHIL COLLINS. Almost as much as I love Billy Joel. Actually considered flying to Ireland to see him in concert in June #notajoke

We could probably list all the reason we love all the men and songs on this list (full playlist below) but instead, we’ll just do our In Memoriam and get to the music.

All of these men redefined how we think of a man, all of these men (well, three of four) empowered women, and all of them were influential, phenomenal musicians whose impact will be felt for decades to come. That, and their music is just fucking timeless. There’s no editorial on these as the music speaks for itself.

RIP.

George Michael, “Father Figure”.

David Bowie, “Modern Love”

Michael Jackson, “Man in the Mirror”

Prince, “Let’s Go Crazy”. I could not find a decent video or a link to accompany this song which is a fucking shame. This song is incredible and showcases everything Prince was capable of.

And here’s the whole playlist:

What are some of your favorite 80s songs performed by men?

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A lot happened in the 70s. Some of it good, some of it bad, some of it in the middle. However, most notable is the fact that this is the decade in which Erin and I were both born! Yay for 70s babies! Granted I have approximately zero memories and I don’t think Erin’s are that clear but still. WE WERE THERE.

You know what else was there? Great music. The dawn of punk, the dawn of rap, the abomination of disco, the big sounds of arena rock and so much more. In fact, this was the most difficult playlist we’ve put together because we seriously didn’t know where to stop. This is actually our biggest playlist at 39 songs (and that’s with leaving off a lot) and we’ve linked to the whole list at the bottom, with our favorites highlighted below.

Enjoy!

“Closer to the Heart”–Rush. As you all know, this is Jana’s favorite band. Picking one song was a challenge but this one was selected specifically because of the poignancy and significance and relevance to the current state of politics in the US. (ex., And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start. To mold a new reality. Closer to the heart.)

“Dream On”–Aerosmith. There are A LOT of 70s Aerosmith songs that I (Erin) love, but the quintessential song that still gives me goosebumps that still has a powerful message “Dream until your dreams come true”

“Prelude/Angry Young Man”–Billy Joel. Like Rush and Aerosmith, HOW DO YOU PICK JUST ONE?! Well, you pick one with his incredible piano playing that’s also fun to sing along to and one you never, ever tire of hearing.

“Dance the Night Away”–Van Halen. Again, A LOT, because I’m (Erin) a DLR fan over Van Hager fan and this one started my love of “rock music that you can dance to”.

“Who Are You?”–The Who. So, it’s one of my parents’ favorite stories to tell about me (Jana) and how I used to walk around at the age of 3 or 4 singing this song. Specifically, the “who? who?” part, like a fucking owl. Also fun to know is that they say “who the fuck are you” in the song so it’s pretty evident where my love of that particular word comes from.

“Crazy on You”–Heart. Heart Those fucking Wilson sisters broke so many glass ceilings proving that women rock just as hard as men (we actually have a whole badass women playlist. The Wilson sisters are on it. Obviously).

“Bat Out of Hell”–Meatloaf. I (Jana) probably should have picked Paradise by the Dashboard Light because it’s one of my all time favorite songs but this one is like the opening line from The Martian. It’s unforgettable and makes a statement you never forget.

“Strutter”–KISS. So many Kiss songs are more well known, but I love this little gem of a song. Fun fact: my Paul Stanley doll was my (Erin) favorite doll as a kid for a while.

“Bohemian Rhapsody”–Queen. Arguably one of the greatest songs ever written. It is still original and unique 40+ years later. Fun fact: It’s the only song that was a duplicate from both of our lists. Another fun fact: I (Jana) think of Wayne’s World when I hear it. Every. Single. Time.

“Already Gone”–Eagles. I’ve (Erin) explained the significance before, but I’ll say it again – after living in a turbulent relationship, getting married at 19 (with no business doing so), I packed up my white Honda Civic at the age of almost-21 and left that asshole.  When I pulled out of the drive-way, I opened the sunroof, and this song started.  Tears streamed down my face as I sang it at the top of my lungs.  It is “my victory song”.

“Horse with No Name”–America. My (Jana) victory song is not from the 70s but here’s another embarrassing story about me instead. I called this the camel song for years. No real clue why. Just did.

“Hot Child in the City”–Nick Gilder. You know how some random memories from childhood are still so vivid?  I (Erin) have a vivid memory of standing on my swing on our backyard swing set singing the song aloud for all the neighbors to hear. (Jana’s note: glad to know I wasn’t the only weird ass child).

“Good Hearted Woman”–Willie Nelson. He IS Texas to me (Erin)

Okay, so now that you have the highlights, here’s the whole list. Let us know what songs from the 70s you enjoy and we should add!

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