1984

Getting back on track with these posts.

1984.  If you asked me before I set out to listen to these playlists in chronological order what year was going to be the best year for music, at least in the 1980s, I would have said 1984.  I seem to have a fondness for the year.  And while 1984 turned out to be pretty damn good, I don't think it holds up 1981 or 1982 like I thought it would.  Close, but not quite.

As I just looked over the playlist again, I can tell you a couple of things.  First and foremost, it's the year I really started getting down with the sassy black divas.  This year had "The Glamourous Life" by Sheila E, it had "Centipede" by Rebbie Jackson, "Let's Hear It For The Boy" by Deniece Williams, "I Feel For You" by Chaka Khan, but more importantly, it had the big breakthrough for the Pointer Sisters and the triumphant comeback of my favorite artist of all time, Tina Turner.  And I can remember vividly how I found out Tina was on her way back.  There was a full page ad in Billboard magazine touting the release of "Let's Stay Together."  I remember looking at the ad and thinking Capitol Records wasted a lot of money on this train wreck.  Little did I know that after seeing the video once, I'd be hooked for life.  The video was cheesy as hell, but considering when it was made and for a budget I'm guessing was next to nothing, it did what it needed to do.  Tina was back and the rest became the stuff legends are built on.

1984 was the year I graduated high school and about the only thing I can associate with my senior year is Bruce Springsteen.  I've never been a huge fan of his, but I don't really dislike many of his hits.  And he was all over the radio that year.  He was all over EVERYTHING that year.

Other highlights for me were the final (until 2001) album by the Go-Go's, one of my favorite bands ever, the start of Alison Moyet's solo career ("Invisible" was my jam for 1984), Romeo Void, Nena (discussed in an earlier post), seeing Rick Springfield's bare ass in the movie Hard To Hold and the joy that is This Is Spinal Tap.

This is the year I also started developing my mad crush on Howard Jones, which I will admit, has barely faded in the last nearly 30 years.

Looking through my playlist, I was pleasantly surprised to see my album collection started growing.  Here's what I added that year.