20 Songs 80's Radio Stations Forgot About

Music and dance are the one common thread found in every culture from the beginning of time. Recent generations have certain nostalgic theme songs that bring them back to a certain place and time, the good old days. I was born in the mid 70's so my earliest musical imprints came in the 1980's. When I was in college I was finally of an age where I had things to look back on, that's when I started re-listening to the music of my childhood for the first time.

At first it was novelty. I hadn't heard the songs in years, and some of them just didn't interest me as a 9 year old so they were totally new to me. It didn't take long before bargain CD bins were filled with 80's compilations, but they all pretty much had the same playlists.

Now we've turned a corner. Eight years into the new millennium, there is no lack of uninspired 80's radio stations broadcasting Rick Springfield and Journey to an utterly bored audience of neo-yuppies. One of my colleagues spent years pursuing a career in radio. I asked her why she would change her career path and leave a job she was so passionate about. "Radio is a dead media," she said with little elaboration. Today, radio stations are told what to play and when to play it. DJs have no freedom to play what they think is the next big thing. Or in this case, what was cool and different when I was a kid.

Satellite radio is a godsend for those who find commercial radio unfulfilling. For me, as much as I love satellite radio and all its diverse programming, I just can't justify the expense of the equipment and subscriptions that go along with it.

When I want to rock out to my favorite 80's hits, I find that commercial 80's stations are majorly lacking in diversity. I can't help but change the station when I hear "Come on Eileen", "Centerfold" or "99 Red Balloons" for the thousandth time. I get angry. There is a great catalog of music from the 1980's that radio has forgotten about. If I were free to choose my own programming, these are some of the tunes I would choose, in no particular order. Some are corny and some are still blazing hot today.

"Orange Crush" by REM, from the album "Document", 1987.
"Here Comes Your Man" by The Pixies, from the album "Doolittle", 1989.
"The Goonies R Good Enough" by Cyndi Lauper, from "The Goonies" soundtrack, 1985.
"Earn Eough for Us" by XTC, from the album "Skylarking", 1986.
"The Sounds of Science" by The Beastie Boys, from the album "Paul's Boutique", 1989.
"Shake Your Love" by Debbie Gibson, from the album "Out of the Blue", 1987.
"If it Isn't Love" by New Edition, from the album "Heart Break", 1988.
"You Should Hear How She Talks About You" by Melissa Manchester, from the album "Hey Ricky", 1982.
"Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)" by Squeeze, from the album "Argybargy", 1980.
"Let's Dance" by David Bowie, from the album "Let's Dance", 1983.
"Church of the Poison Mind" by Culture Club, from the album "Colour by Numbers", 1983.
"Happy Birthday" by Altered Images, from the album "Happy Birthday", 1981.
"Roll With It" by Steve Winwood, from the album "Roll With It", 1988.
"Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen, from the album "Born in the USA", 1985.
"No Myth" by Michael Penn, from the album "March", 1989.
"Ride Like the Wind" by Christopher Cross, from the album "Christopher Cross", 1980.
"Kyrie" by Mr. Mister, from the album "Welcome to the Real World", 1986.
"Walk the Dinosaur" by Was (Not Was), from the album "What Up, Dog?", 1987.
"Don't Let's Start" by They Might Be Giants, from the album "Don't Let's Start", 1987.

What are your thoughts? What songs do you look back on that radio has forgotten? Remember Jody Watley? Tina Marie? Heck, even Eddie Murphy had a singing career.