Twenty four years since high school ended and undergrad began. I sometimes wonder that, with the passing of time, that moment in my life is as distant as 1957 was to it. Ancient history I would have said then.
Anyway, someone has created a internet meme-thingie about the songs in the top 100 you really liked by showing them in bold and Michael picked it up for 1987 and John for (I think) 1976. In response, here are my notes from top ten of 1981:
1. “Bette Davis Eyes”, Kim Carnes – awful
2. “Endless Love”, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie – awful
3. “Lady”, Kenny Rogers – really awful
4. “(Just Like) Starting Over”, John Lennon
I had the 45 and gave it to a Beatles fan a couple of years ago. John Lennon’s death greatly affected me and my pals in the middle of our grade 12. It also spawned the ditto band show “Beatlemania” that people watched in Canadian rinks.
5. “Jessie’s Girl”, Rick Springfield
I actually liked this one. But, then again, I watched General Hospital after school. Synth, rocky guitar and the saucy lyric.
6. “Celebration”, Kool and The Gang
really awful and made worse when the committee girls at school played it about 12 times during what was billed as a “new wave dance”.
7. “Kiss On My List”, Daryl Hall and John Oates
I really only came to appreciate them as something I could stand around 1983.
8. “I Love A Rainy Night”, Eddie Rabbitt
Yee. Haa. Yet I recall driving around Truro singing the song on a summer evening between the end of one school and the start of another.
9. “9 To 5”, Dolly Parton – beyond redemption. Cow pie.
10. “Keep On Loving You”, REO Speedwagon
The soundtrack of my life…errr…I meant this really sucked if only for encouraging Richard (“Dickie”) Marks in the years that followed.
Click here for my entire top 100 list for 1981 if you really need to.