Here's that blog post I asked for your help in compiling a few days ago. If I didn't pick your band/singer or your song, there was probably a good reason for it. But don't worry – I still love you. At the very least, I still like you as a friend. Commentary is included for each song, for those of you to whom it matters. Enjoy! ~ JH
1) Lynyrd Skynyrd ~ "Simple Man" (No, it's not "Sweet Home Alabama" or "Free Bird," but I've posted both of those here before, and this one never made the blog. But it's way awesome, so here it is.)
2) Oingo Boingo ~ "Weird Science" (Admit it, guys, you had a crush on the "Weird Science" girl when you were a kid. And if you're a girl, you probably tried to look like her so guys would crush on you, too.)
3) Ace Of Base ~ "Don't Turn Around" (Nothing says kitschy-cool like Ace of Base. I used to love them back in the day. I still have a healthy appreciation for their classic pop gems.)
4) Tina Arena ~ "Chains" (This lady was way more popular in her native Australia than she was in the States, but this song charted here and still gets occasional airplay.)
5) Milli Vanilli ~ "Girl, You Know It's True" (Oversized suit jackets with huge shoulder pads paired with skin-tight leggings…what were we thinking, '80s babies?)
6) Right Said Fred ~ "I'm Too Sexy" (This song is ridiculously bad, and the video is even worse. But what OTHER Right Said Fred song would I include here? I mean, really!)
7) Tears For Fears ~ "Advice For The Young At Heart" (This might be one of TFF's lesser-known songs, but it hasn't been too many months since I posted "Everybody Wants To Rule The World," so there you go. Besides, people should know this band had more than one good song worth listening to.)
8) Slick Rick ~ "Children's Story" (If I were a kid, I don't know if I could sleep after hearing this story! LOL! On a side note, this beat sounds remarkably similar to the "Fresh Prince" theme song. Who sampled who?)
9) U2 ~ "Window In The Skies" (I've posted a lot of U2 songs here and on my original blog, but never this one. I don't know why not, because the song is excellent and video's even better!)
10) Chumbawamba ~ "Tubthumping" (Hands down, one of the catchiest hooks in a song in the past twenty years. If it's stuck in your head the rest of the day, don't blame me! Well, I guess you could blame me. Just don't HATE me!)
11) Enuff Z'Nuff ~ "Fly High Michelle" (This is one of those rare bands that I somehow managed to not realize existed until I started compiling songs for this post. Apparently, this was one of their biggest hits. Anyone else remember these guys?)
12) Believin' Stephen ft. Calm One ~ "Teddy's Story" (Y'all know I gotta sneak in some Christian rap whenever I get a chance, right? So check it, check it, check it out!)
13) Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs ~ "Li'l Red Riding Hood" (Had to throw in a "golden oldie" in here. It's a good one, too!)
14) Scritti Politti ~ "Perfect Way" (Here's another band I'd never heard of before, but they're not too shabby. This signature synthpop song is very much of its time – mid-1980s – but still manages to look and sound fresh. Neat trick, that.)
15) Haysi Fantayzee ~ "Shiny Shiny" (What the heck did I just watch? And why did I include it here? I don't have an answer for either.)
16) Quiet Riot ~ "Stay With Me Tonight" (Ah, '80s "hair bands"! How much do we miss you? Answer: Not all that much, actually.)
17) Shaquille O'Neal ft. Fu-Schnickens ~ "What's Up, Doc (Can We Rock?)" (OK, so the Fu-Schnickens TOTALLY steal this song from Shaq with their rapid-fire, hip-hop delivery. But for the 30 seconds of the song where he is rapping, the Big Guy actually does pretty well. To listen to a pretty decent Shaq solo song, click here.)
18) Tower Of Power ~ "What Is Hip" (Every so often, it's nice to hear a good band with a bunch of horn players in it. Today must be "every so often.")
19) The Nice Device ~ "Innocent" (This song is what is known in the music industry as a "filler." Basically, I wanted to include 20 songs here, and I was one short. So I found a song by a band that neither I nor anyone else has ever heard of but that fit my criteria and was decent enough to be included here. And it serves its purpose. Be nice, and give it a listen, 'kay?)
20) a-ha ~ "Take On Me" (It seems this post has been a bit heavy on '80s songs. So why not end it off with a classic pop song from that most unique of decades!)
