The second Eightiesology iMix focuses on hard rock and glam metal from the dubiously designated hair bands of the era. I thought it was important to take a hard left turn after the first mix since these are pretty much the polar opposite images of the time: pop stars abiding my fashion trends versus hair bands decked out in leather and denim. For me, I lived comfortably in both worlds but leaned more towards the hair bands once we entered high school. And much like a hat could not have enough space to contain this much hair, 80 minutes was not enough to capture the best sounds of the time so I’ve kept with the mostly upbeat, edgier tunes of the genre here while the planned sequel will focus on the more powerful ballads of these bands. There are exceptions to change the tempo but these are mostly songs to passionately air guitar to with fists shaking in the air.
Click the button below to go to the iMix on iTunes. Again, I don’t make any money off of this, it’s just a way for me to further promote the site. Feel free to download the whole mix, individual songs or use it as a guide for you to create your own mix. Download the artwork here and print it out for a mix CD. But most of all, enjoy the ride on a crazy train!
“Crazy Train,” Ozzy
I wasn’t a big Ozzy fan in the ‘80s but always dug this song. It’s one of the strongest, rawest metal tunes on this compilation and thus made for a great opening track. It’s one of the rare times that Ozzy was able to cross over into many different markets and genres with a song, one that put the melody and vocals on par with the guitar muscle of Randy Rhodes. This also happens to be one of the earliest songs (of any genre) in the ‘80s that ranks in Eightiesology lore.
“Round & Round,” Ratt
Ratt didn’t do much for me as I tended to be more of a fan of cleaner, glammier metal sounds at the time (at least until Guns ‘n Roses entered the scene). In fact, I don’t even recall being a huge fan of this song at the time but in nostalgic mode, it’s gained significant relevance and appreciation for me.
“Runaway,” Bon Jovi
We’re now 3 for 3 on songs by artists I wasn’t crazy about. It’s almost sacrilege to have ill-conceived criticisms of Bon Jovi but they were just never a band that captured my interest. For the most part, I find them to be a little too ordinary and vanilla to me, even though they’ve created a lot of cool tunes. To me, though, those tunes were never as good as their first real hit. Despite the pulsating piano riff, the song had an otherwise raw aesthetic to it that seemed to go away as the band progressed into hair-spray infused rock.
“Dreams,” Van Halen
And now a band that to me ranks as one of the top hard rock bands of the decade and remained relevant into the ‘90s. I’m an unabashed fan of the Van Hagar era. I think Sammy Hagar’s a far superior singer to David Lee Roth, capable of reaching incredible octaves with his voice. I also happened to prefer the band’s more melodic approach in this era over the bluesier tones of its earlier phase. “Dreams” wasn’t even the biggest hit of this lineup’s output but it was a popular song in my circle, assisted by a cool video featuring the Blue Angels. It still pumps me up today.
“Tell Me,” White Lion
White Lion’s third single from Pride. (Their first? You’ll have to “wait” for it.) The band made quite a splash on the scene with an album full of accessible songs. I always dug this one, particularly the fist-pump-invoking opening, and appreciated how it snuck onto the scene but got lost in much of the nostalgia of the time. I think it’s important to respect how rare it is for some of these bands to chart three worthy songs from one album in hair metal lore.
“Talk Dirty to Me,” Poison
What a way to burst onto the scene? One of the main proprietors of metal’s glam phase, Poison was also one of the first bands I remember “arriving” (whereas many bands seemed to have already been there when I discovered them). A band that provided many highlights for this genre of music, making it harder to edit their input on this compilation. The song remains a sing-along highlight for my friends and I today.
“Up All Night,” Slaughter
Slaughter was big for about a week but it was quite a week. Actually a ‘90s hit, the song reminds me of hanging out at my friend Tom’s house. Now in high school, the music of the time was a backdrop to our own attempts at more rowdy endeavors. (Tom was always successful; me, not so much.) The song is actually one of hair metal’s last gasps but those last gasps also had added poignancy with their place in the hormone-raging high school years. And yeah, I had a habit of sleeping all day.
“Don’t Close Your Eyes,” Kix
To me this song was representative of tunes from bands you knew little about, and cared less when you heard what else they had to offer, and yet compelled you in that moment. I don’t need to know much about the band Kix, just that this song was pretty friggin’ killer. As you’ll see by the end of this compilation, I tended to favor those songs sung by high-octave-reaching singers.
“Kiss Me Deadly,” Lita Ford
The first relevant metal chick, Lita Ford was scary and sexy at the same time. She also introduced me to the more scandalous meaning of the word “laid.” (Though I may not have entirely understood it for the first few listens.) And while Lita and I could relate on going to a party but not getting laid, our evenings differ because I didn’t get into fights. It ain’t no big thing.
“Here I Go Again,” Whitesnake
In retrospect, Whitesnake probably started to annoy me when I realized how bad of a Led Zeppelin rip off they were. But they released a couple of tunes that are incredibly relevant to the time and can’t be overlooked. It also introduced us to the tawdry Tawny Kitaen, dancing atop car hoods. Singer David Coverdale at least had a distinct voice among his peers, which helped make Whitesnake’s songs slightly unique.
“Signs,” Tesla
This cover song was very popular in my High School when it came out, likely for tapping into the burgeoning acoustic metal movement and because the song was a cover tune. I also think it has to do with the underproduced, fun nature of the song which was recorded live. It’s also a bit of a departure from some of Tesla’s best, more-epic songs.
“I Remember You,” Skid Row
Hair bands found a home in New Jersey. Bon Jovi kicked it off but Skid Row became new favorite native sons when they broke with “18 and Life.” Sebastian Bach’s been a ubiquitous presence ever since, for good or for bad. But he had a good rock n’ roll voice that shined on this song. I’ve tried to stay away from ballads for the most part as there’s an entire second compilation coming up focusing on metal ballads, but after so much fist-pumping and air-strumming, it’s important to take a breather and look inside for a stretch.
“Heaven,” Warrant
Continuing the slower mood of the mix is Warrant’s “Heaven,” an essential song for mix tapes around the world. I know because it was embedded on one of my own. I used to have a paper route for the Shopper newspaper, working a few blocks near my house. I still remember most of the songs I’d listen to on the mix tape in my walkman while I flung newspapers towards front steps. This is definitely one of the finer ballads of the decade (coupled with Warrant’s other big ballad “I Saw Red”).
“Coming Home,” Cinderella
One of my favorite songs from the decade, “Coming Home” wasn’t Cinderella’s biggest hit or even that widely known. But it’s a song that for some reason resonates with me even today. It’s a great travellin’ song, whether you’re coming home or going. Try air-strumming on your steering wheel and muddling through the lyrics, attempting your own high-pitched declarations in the chorus!
“The Way It Is,” Tesla
Tesla’s second song on the mix is more representative of their style of music than “Signs.” I always felt the band to be a above the genre in some ways. They infused their songs with a little more intelligence and seriousness (how could one not respect where they got their name?) and kept the rest of the genre at a distance. I don’t think that seriousness came off as pretention but it only help serve the music better, which captured a bluesier feel and included more structured progressions. That’s the way it is, that’s the way it goes.
“Wait,” White Lion
White Lion’s biggest hit was a pretty striking debut on the charts. Pained vocals and sonic rhythm threaded with dynamic guitar playing, “Wait” climbed into everyone’s headsets and remains a great track of the time.
“17,” Winger
The song stayed relevant to me for much longer than it should have. (ZING!) It really epitomizes the sort of naughty debauchery prevalent in hair band hits of the day. In the current context, it’s almost soft since rappers and nu-metalheads have sung many tales of sodomy and hard drug use removing whatever shock was left in the system. But at the time, not a lot could get past the censors and you had to read between the lines. This is why a clueless person like me could sing along to Appetite for Destruction and yet never feel inclined to drink Jack Daniels or snort cocaine. Obviously, Winger’s level of decadence didn’t necessarily rank high in the decade, but this ode is an almost-charming representation of what made roc k n’ roll seem dangerous and yet so fun. (Note: Dig the clever placement of the song numerically.)
“Jump,” Van Halen
I mentioned my reverence for Hagar-era Van Halen earlier but here I’ll take a moment to clarify that I do have an affinity for a lot of Roth-era tunes, from the rawness of their earlier material all the way up to his finale 1984. The album is essential to the landscape of memories of the time period, between its videos’ presence on MTV to the prominence of the singles on the chart. Van Halen is one of the few bands that managed to escape the decade relatively unscathed and would even stick around when grunge was in full force. Some have noted that “Jump” (as well as many Hagar-led albums) represent where they felt Van Halen went astray. I disagree. Rock geniuses like David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Pete Townsend embraced the sounds ‘80s to an often embarrassing degree. None wrote anything remotely as mesmerizing as “Jump” in the decade. In my opinion, VH was the rare band that adapted to the sounds of the era yet controlled their own fate. If you’re going to use a synthesizer, you’d do well to use one to the degree of skill that guitar-wizard Eddie Van Halen used it in this song, one of the greatest songs of any genre in the ‘80s. Typically a great way to lead it off or to end things on a high note.
BONUS TRACKS
Thankfully hair bands were more apt to let iTunes sell their material and any tracks you may feel were left off are likely being reserved for future compilations. However, my favorite band of the decade, Def Leppard, is not (entirely) on iTunes and could have scored three to four songs on this compilation and a few more for the slower one coming up. I had planned on these two before I realized they’re not on iTunes. Rip ‘em, download ‘em, find a way to stick ‘em on this set.
“Photograph,” Def Leppard
In one iteration of the track listing, I had this song opening up the set as it was one of those first songs that led me towards the harder rocking songs of the decade. It also has a really cool guitar effect to open the song as it sort of announces Def Lep’s arrival on the charts. Hysteria arrived at a more prominent time in my life and thus created the backdrop to more significant memories, but “Photograph” was my first taste of the band and quite a few years earlier. The song still gives me chills when I listen to it today. I’ll admit to kitsch appeal with a lot of ‘80s music, but I’m completely serious in my appreciation for “Photograph.”
“Pour Some Sugar On Me,” Def Leppard
The video edit of the song also was a contender for album opener in previous track lists, as it really is the definitive anthem of the decade. A massive hit for the band and an almost unavoidable presence on radio and MTV for a few years, “Pour Some Sugar On Me” has to have a place on any soundtrack of the ‘80s. It also helped justify my faith in the band, in a way almost making me seem cool for having already dug these guys. Hysteria is one of the definitive albums of the decade, having produced seven hit singles, and elevating the band to superstardom around the world. But even more important are the memories of an 8th-grade rocking out in a red house in Wood-Ridge, NJ.
“Dr. Feelgood,” “Kickstart My Heart,” or “Looks That Kill,” Motley Crue
Motley Crue gets some action in the next hair band mix and I couldn’t quite fit “Dr. Feelgood” in here so fire up these tunes for your Crue fix.
This is by far the best mix that I’ve seen in a long time. It makes me want to whip out my Aqua Net and 80’s concert t-shirts and sing along. If only I could decide between the Bon Jovi t-shirt that says “The Jersey Syndicate” on the back, or my Crue t-shirt with “The Crue’s back, and they’ve brought the doctor!”. Both are classics.
And please explain to me why, as a young girl, I screamed and fantasized over these men that, when it comes down to it, really looked a lot like our mothers (between the teased hair and gawdy make-up). It’s not like their sock-stuffed pants really did that much for me.