The '80s: Were They Really That Bad?
Were the 1980s the worst years for music? NPR listeners seem to think so, according to the results of our poll. When asked to pick the best year for music, nearly everyone skipped the '80s entirely. On this edition of All Songs Considered, host Bob Boilen looks back at the decade of synth pop, hair metal, and hardcore with Stephen Thompson, editor of Song of the Day, Robin Hilton, All Songs Considered producer and host of Second Stage, and Carrie Brownstein, writer for the Monitor Mix blog.
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The '80s: Were They Really That Bad?
![Cover for Footloose [Expanded Edition]](http://media.npr.org/programs/asc/archives/20080902/footloosecvr.jpg?t=1248630456 "Cover for Footloose [Expanded Edition]")
Original Soundtrack
- Album: Footloose [Expanded Edition]
- Song: Let's Hear It for the Boy
Purchase Featured Music
- "Let's Hear It for the Boy"
- Album: Footloose [Expanded Edition]
- Artist: Original Soundtrack
- Label: Sony
- Released: 1998
Beastie Boys
- Album: Licensed to Ill
- Song: Fight for Your Right
Purchase Featured Music
- "Fight for Your Right"
- Album: Licensed to Ill
- Artist: Beastie Boys
- Label: Def Jam
- Released: 2008
Escape Club
- Album: Wild Wild West
- Song: Wild, Wild West
Purchase Featured Music
- "Wild, Wild West"
- Album: Wild Wild West
- Artist: Escape Club
- Label: Atlantic
- Released: 1988
Hall & Oates
- Album: Voices
- Song: You Make My Dreams
Purchase Featured Music
- "You Make My Dreams"
- Album: Voices
- Artist: Hall & Oates
- Label: BMG
- Released: 1980
Don Johnson
- Album: Heartbeat
- Song: Heartbeat
Purchase Featured Music
- "Heartbeat"
- Album: Heartbeat
- Artist: Don Johnson
- Label: Razor & Tie
- Released: 1986
Bruce Springsteen
- Album: Tunnel of Love
- Song: Brilliant Disguise
Purchase Featured Music
- "Brilliant Disguise"
- Album: Tunnel of Love
- Artist: Bruce Springsteen
- Label: Columbia
- Released: 2008
The Replacements
- Album: Let It Be
- Song: I Will Dare
Purchase Featured Music
- "I Will Dare"
- Album: Let It Be
- Artist: The Replacements
- Label: Twintone
- Released: 1984
Starship
- Album: Knee Deep in the Hoopla
- Song: We Built This City
Purchase Featured Music
- "We Built This City"
- Album: Knee Deep in the Hoopla
- Artist: Starship
- Label: BMG Japan
- Released: 1985
Tracy Chapman
- Album: Tracy Chapman
- Song: Fast Car
The label did not give us permission to play the full version of this song.
Purchase Featured Music
- "Fast Car"
- Album: Tracy Chapman
- Artist: Tracy Chapman
- Label: Elektra/Asylum
- Released: 1988
Guns N' Roses
- Album: Appetite for Destruction
- Song: Paradise City
Purchase Featured Music
- "Paradise City"
- Album: Appetite for Destruction
- Artist: Guns N' Roses
- Label: Geffen
- Released: 1987
Tears for Fears
- Album: Songs from the Big Chair [Deluxe Edition]
- Song: Head Over Heels
Purchase Featured Music
- "Head Over Heels"
- Album: Songs from the Big Chair [Deluxe Edition]
- Artist: Tears for Fears
- Label: Mercury
- Released: 2006
Talking Heads
- Album: Speaking in Tongues [Bonus Tracks]
- Song: This Must Be the Place [Naive Melody]
The label did not give us permission to play the full version of this song.
Purchase Featured Music
- "This Must Be the Place [Naive Melody]"
- Album: Speaking in Tongues [Bonus Tracks]
- Artist: Talking Heads
- Label: Sire
- Released: 2006
Minor Threat
- Album: Minor Threat [EP]
- Song: Straight Edge
This CD is available from the band's Web site.
The Bats
- Album: Daddy's Highway
- Song: North by North
Purchase Featured Music
- "North by North"
- Album: Daddy's Highway
- Artist: The Bats
- Label: Mammoth
- Released: 1987
Bush Tetras
- Album: Boom in the Night
- Song: Too Many Creeps
Purchase Featured Music
- "Too Many Creeps"
- Album: Boom in the Night
- Artist: Bush Tetras
- Label: ROIR
- Released: 1995
Doveman
- Album: Footloose
- Song: Let's Hear it For the Boy
This CD is not available for purchase. Visit the artist's Web site for more information.
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