When I was 18...

Meme Alert!!!

I got this from Os.

My take on these picks is a bit different that what I think was intended by the Meme. I did listen to a lot of pop radio. I was listening to the college stations to the New Wave shows. Once in a while there is a popular song or group that even my non-conforming musical taste would enjoy. Eventually everything moved away from guitar music and started to make me ill. Then came the hair bands. Yikes!

The rules:

1. Go to the Billboard #1 Hits listings (go here, scroll down, and you’ll
see them separated by decades/years on the left in the sidebar)
2. Pick the year you turned 18 (1982, for me)
3. Get yourself nostalgic over the songs of the year
4. Pick 5 songs and write something about how these songs affected you
5. Pass it on to 5 more friends

"Who Can It Be Now" - Men at Work - I was fully running down the New Wave path when these guys hit the scene. They looked goofy in their videos. Almost 3 Stooges like, so of course that appealed to me. I always loved bands that even though synthesizers were the rage they kept the guitar work up front. They were one of many Australian bands out in that time frame. I liked many of them.

"Someday, Someway" - Marshall Crenshaw - The first time I heard this song I was driving my oldest brother and I somewhere. Billy heard it start playing and turn up the shitty AM radio that was in my mom's 1976 Mercury Comet. It's a simple song, without a lot of flare, but it has heart. I immediately loved it. I bought this album (yes vinyl), and his second album right before heading to college. I was always awkward around "girls". I didn't date all through high school. I never even went to a dance. I didn't know how to dance, and I had no idea how to learn. One day while cleaning my apartment while playing this album I miraculously figured out how to move my ass to a beat. Pretty sad for a musician. I'm still not a great dancer, but I am not afraid to try anymore. Thanks Marshall!

"Paperlate " - Genesis - i bought this album from a used record store near home. I was on a big Genisis kick for many years to come. They were kind of artsy cool for their early career, but turned radio friendly and started cranking out excellent hits. This one happened to only come on their 3 Sides Live album. A double album with one of the 4 sides containing new stuff. Any band willing to put a horn section in has a lot of class in my book.

"867-5309 (Jenny Jenny)" - Tommy Tutone - An instant classic with pretty much the same guitar rhythm as John Mellencamp's "R.O.C.K in the USA", or The Romantics "What I Like About You". Yes, I know there are differences, but my point is that they all rock. I was hoping this wasn't going to be a one hit wonder. Oh well.

"Should I Stay Or Should I Go" - The Clash - Probably one of the songs responsible for moving me further away from main stream pop music. Sure it was a hit, but it was Punk. You either loved it or you hated it.





It really surprised me how few artists that I liked were on that list. This may have inspired another music meme. Originating from me means it's going to be a bit odd.