Summer of 69

A few months back, a friend and I time warped to our sad youth and went to see an old flame in concert. Bryan Adams was in town with his Bare Bones tour and we were there with black t-shirts on and Bic lighters in hand. Although due new rules and regulations our Bics weren't real, they were on our Iphone. Can't leave all modern technology behind now can we?


As we rocked out to some classic Bryan Adams tunes, he inevitably did his biggest hit- Summer of 69.

Much to my annoyance Bryan pulled out the "have the audience sing the song so I don't have to sing it for the 10 millionth time" trick. Normally this little trick makes me crazy. I didn't pay $50 and $700 in Ticketmaster fees to hear Joe Schmo sing "a little pitchy" and "all over the place". (I'm an American Idol fan, what can I say)

So 3000 of us, some more drunk than others, got out of seats and sang along. I don't want to call it a magical moment, but it certainly was cool. And as we were singing along, it got me thinking about my favorite genre of music- The 80's. And how Summer of 69 has to be one of the quintessential rock anthems of that decade. It also made me think about other anthems of the 80s. Coming up with songs was a little more difficult than one would expect. Because you see no ordinary song could make the list. Here is what I cam up with.

1. Singability- Like Summer of 69, it has to be a song that gets people out of their seats 25 years later and sing it at the top of their lungs.

2. Recognizability- It also has to be a more mainstream hit. As the founding and only member of The Cutting Crew fan club, I could stand up and sing I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight, but sadly I would be alone in this endeavor (which is a big loss for you-The Cutting Crew rocks!)

3. NO HAIRBANDS. Hairbands are the scurge of 80s music. Up until 1987, not only could I buy hairspray whenever I needed it, but 80s music had a good beat and I could dance. . . errrrr sorry that was the 60s.



So here is my list. It is not laminated, so feel free to suggest others. Just remember NO HAIRBANDS!!!! Anyone who suggests Poison or Bon Jovi will be banned from reading my blog for the rest of their life (banning will not take place until I get at least 10 followers). I'm keeping it to 18 songs, because that is how many can fit on a mix CD



1. Summer of 69- Bryan Adam

2. Don't Stop Believin- Journey (Thank you Sopranos)

3. Jack & Diane- John Cougar Mellencamp

4. Billie Jean- Michael Jackson (can't have a list of 80s songs without him)

5. Don't You Forget About Me- Simple Minds (made the list based on the la-las alone)

6. Celebration- Kool & the Gang

7. I Love Rock & Roll- Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

8. Take on Me- a-ha

9. Walk Like An Egyptian- The Bangles