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What 80s songs fit?

V

vchimpanzee

Obviously, "Uptown Girl" and "Tell Her about It" by Billy Joel, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen and "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut" by The Stray Cats.

And I heard "Roll with It" by Steve Winwood on the Muzak in the grocery store. That's a good one.
 
You won't get too many people to say that 80's songs belong on an oldies station...especially on this board.

But to add a couple to your list:

1) Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen
2) Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham
3) Morse Code Of Love - Capris (even though it was recorded in '82, it has an early 60's sound to it which is why it probably doesn't receive too much airplay.)
4) You Got It - Roy Orbison & Traveling Wilburys

Personally, I don't want any of the above (with the exception of #3) on my oldies station, but there you go.
 
Many Hall & Oates blend: Did It in A Minute, Maneater, Lovin' Feeling, Family Man, Out Of Touch, any of the stuff Todd Rundgren produced.

Say, Say, Say, The Girl Is Mine- McCartney/Jackson. It's Gonna Take A Miracle (Royalettes remake) Denise Williams. Always On My Mind, Elvis. Ebony & Ivory. Gypsy - Fleetwoos Mac. Wasted On The Way, Southern Cross - CS&N. Sailing, Ride Like The Wind-Christopher Cross. I Just Called to Say I Love You-Wonder. '65 Love Affair-Cliff Richard. Here Comes The Rain-Eurythmics. True Blue-Madonna. All This Love-DeBarge. Woman, Just Like Starting Over, Nobody Told Me, Beautiful Boy-John Lennnon. That's What friends Are For - Dionne Warwick/Elton John et al. Gloria-Laura Branigan. Make A Move On Me, Magic, Physical-Olivia Newton John. Mama Can't Buy You Love, I Guess That's Why They call it The Blues, Little genie, SaD sONGS sAY sO MUCH,NIKITA-Elton John. Sara-Jefferson Starship +70's hits Miracles, Count On Me) Don't Ask Me Wht, Say Goodbye To Holllywood, She's Got A Way, Allentown, (get your turntable out for the hit 45 rpm version mix of) Keeping The Faith, A Matter Of Trust, B Joel. Waitng On A Friend-Rolling Stones.

There's so,so much more from the 80's that will mix with Whitney Houston, The Hollies or Buddy Holly. It's not rocket science, it's Pop Music! Just use your ears!
 
"This Little Girl is Mine" by Gary "US" Bonds.
"When She was My Girl" by The Four Tops.
"Tough Enuff" by The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
"Freeway of Love" by Aretha Franklin.
 
"65 Love Affair" was done by Paul Davis.

I would think anything from "Dirty Dancing" or those other "period" movies would fit right in. I believe Eric Carmen was still in "Dirty Dancing" mode when he came up with "Make Me Lose Control." It fits with the mood of "Dirty Dancing" even better than "Hungry Eyes."

When we had an oldies station here in Nashville, they were loath to play anything after about 1975, with the following exceptions:

"Old Time Rock & Roll," Bob Seger
"I Will Survive," Gloria Gaynor
"Celebration," Kool & the Gang
"Kokomo," the Beach Boys
 
Tired of Toeing the Line- Rocky Burnette
Youre Only Woman, Ambrosia
You Can Do magic- America
Daydream believer- Anne Muray
Oh Julie- barry Manilow
Kokomo- Beachboys
Beachwood 4-5789- Carpenters
Touch Me When We're Dancing- Carpenters
Daddys Home- Cliff Richard
Rhythm of The rain- Dan Fogelberg
Bop - Dan Seals
Crying- Don McLean
Sexy Eyes- Dr Hook
I Love A rainy Night/Drivin My Life Away- Eddie Rabbit
Hold on Tight- ELO
Words- FR David
This Little Girl is Mine- Gary US Bonds
Out of Work- Gary US Bonds
Tell It Like it Is - Heart
Centerfield- John Fogerty
ANgel of the Morning- Juice Newton
Queen of Hearts- Juice NEwton
We've Got Tonight- Kenny Rogers/Sheena Easton
More Than I Can Say- Leo Sayer
I Knew You When- Linda Rondstadt
Hurts So bad- Linda Rondstadt
LaBamba- Los Lobos
Stand By Me- Mickey Gilley
That Was Then, This Is Now- Monkees
I Only Wanna Be With You - Nicolette Larson
Kiss Him Goodbye- Nylons
Times of Your Life- Paul Anka
Oh Girl- Paul Young
Groovy Kind of Love- Phil Collins
He's So Shy- Pointer Sisters
Back on The Chain Gang- Pretenders
Twistin The Night Away- Rod Stewart
Any Day Now- Ronnie Milsap
Bop Wont Stop- Shakin Stevens
Wake Up Little Susie- Simon & Garfunkle
Workin My Way Back To You- Sppinners
Stars on 45- Stars on 45
I Just Called To Say I Love You- Stevie Wonder
Rock This Town- Stray Cats
Stray Cat Strut- Stray Cats
Nobody- Sylvia
Lets Stay Together- Tina Turner
They Dont Know- Tracy Ullman
 
AZJoe, your list is a little too heavy on remakes and cover versions. There is nothing wrong with having a "retro" feel to such a station, but why listen to the remakes when the originals are still available? In most cases, the remakes can't hold a candle to the originals.
 
firepoint525 said:
AZJoe, your list is a little too heavy on remakes and cover versions. There is nothing wrong with having a "retro" feel to such a station, but why listen to the remakes when the originals are still available? In most cases, the remakes can't hold a candle to the originals.
Click to expand...

I prefer the orginals to the remakes too, but the question was asked, what 80s hits could fit into a format of oldies, and even those listed 80s remakes could fit, and some are so different (Workin My Way Back to You Girl- Spinners for example) than the orginals that I dont think some know they are even remakes. Actually many oldies from the 50s and 60s were remakes and different versions of previous charted hits also.
 
AZ..I think the Stray Cats are a little rough sounding and may be hard to blend, but an excellent list.
 
If you're going to play the Stray Cats at all, why not add "Sexy and 17" to the list? It was top five back in the day, yet no one plays it anymore. They only play the other two previously mentioned.

And since this is the '50s and '60s format board, shouldn't we blend in more '70s before we try to skip over to the '80s?

I worked at an automated FM in west Tennessee in the early '90s that played '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s, but they played the '60s the most, followed by the '70s. The '50s and '80s were mostly filler. Any station playing music from more than 20 years apart is going to run into a bit of a "generation gap." It's hard to blend stuff from the '50s with stuff from the '80s.
 
amfmsw said:
AZ..I think the Stray Cats are a little rough sounding and may be hard to blend, but an excellent list.
Click to expand...


The Stray Cats did a great Doo Wop-type ballad called "I Won't Stand In Your Way". It would fit perfectly in a '50s format.
 
Rock and Roll Radio by the Ramones (almost anything by the Ramones, actually)
Rock Lobster by the B-52's
Don't give it up now by the Lyres
I want Candy by Bow Wow Wow
She told me Lies by the Chesterfield Kings

and from "nowadays"
2003- Picture My Face by Miss Alex White
2007- Me and Mr Jones by Amy Winehouse
 
Hazy Shade Of Winter - Bangles #2 hit 21 weeks on charts!
Manic Monay _ Bangles
9 To 5 - Dolly Parton
The Tide Is High - Blondie
Keep On Loving You - REO Speedwagon
Morning Train - Sheena Easton
Arthurs Theme - Christopher Cross
Hard To Sat I'm Sorry - Chicago
Africa - Toto
Baby, Come To Me - Patty Austin,James Ingram
Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper
Missing You - John Waite
Do Do Dah Dah - Police
I Want To Know What Love Is - Foreigner
Crazy For You - Madonna
Everybody wants To Rule The Wold - Tears For Fears
Everytime You Go Away - Paul Young
Power Of Love - Huey Lewis
Saving All My Love For You- Whitney Houston
Northern Lights - American Dream
American Music-Pointer Sisters
Heaven Must have Sent You - Bonnie Pointer
Love In The First Degree-Alabama
Three Times In Love - Tommy James
That Lovin' You Feeling Again - Roy Orbison & Emmy Lou Harris (My guilty pleasure choice)
The Cars - Drive
Love Takes Time - Orleans
 
vchimpanzee said:
Obviously, "Uptown Girl" and "Tell Her about It" by Billy Joel, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen and "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut" by The Stray Cats.

And I heard "Roll with It" by Steve Winwood on the Muzak in the grocery store. That's a good one.
Click to expand...


Not sure if these are '80s songs, but:

Walk Of Life Dire Straits

Rock & Roll Is King ELO
 
AMFMSW's list is heavy on early '80s, but that is probably a good thing. I like Bonnie Pointer's "Heaven Must Have Sent You," but did any of you know there was a so-called "Motown" version of that one? The disco version, which became the (minor) hit, is the only one anyone remembers nowadays, if they remember it at all.
 
Some 50's/60's originals.........maybe not.

Hound Dog - Elvis '56 (Willie Mae Thorton 1953)
In The Mood - Ernie Fields '59 (Glen Miller 1940)
Blue Moon - Marcels '60 (Glen Gray 1935)
Muleskinner Blues - Fendermen '59 (Jimmie Rogers 1935)

The list goes on and on and on.

The entire British Invasion was covers of 50's R&B and Blues with exception of Freddie and the Dreamers and the girl singers.

How cool would it be, if you could listen to the originals, and the covers/remakes. This is why, the best listening, is on Internet Radio, where the programming, is listener friendly.
 
By the "Motown" version, do you mean 1969 The Elgins? On V.I. P. label...Motown subsidiary. Same label as Spinners "It's A Shame" . The Elgins is in regular rotation at www.kool983.com . Some other "ow wow"s too, like Pepermint Rainbow, Jefferson, Billy Stewart.

I believe both had the same B side too: "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music"
 
amfmsw said:
By the "Motown" version, do you mean 1969 The Elgins? On V.I. P. label...Motown subsidiary. Same label as Spinners "It's A Shame" . The Elgins is in regular rotation at www.kool983.com . Some other "ow wow"s too, like Pepermint Rainbow, Jefferson, Billy Stewart.

I believe both had the same B side too: "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music"
Click to expand...
I believe Bonnie Pointer recorded her "Motown" version as the B-side to her disco version. FM 100 in Memphis used to play it back in the day. Would be nice to hear again now.
 
If some of you in radio have access to Mediabase, run a report on a number of oldies-based classic hits stations that you know do research...extrapolate it, and you'll find, it's not too big of a list.

Some of the titles I've read here are good and do test, but a bunch I've read here are simply dogs you cannot play...

But, again...it depends on your target. I learned doing the first all-80's station, the "rock" leaned songs tested...very few "dance" songs did. For Classic Hits, some other "pop" songs can filter through.

More 80's product will filter into the format, as the 70's audience hits age 55 and moves out of the "desirable" area for advertisers. But, I still suspect, the list won't be as deep as some of you may think.
 
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