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The official "New Wave Sissy Boy 80s Hits You Were Afraid To Admit You Liked In High School" playlist

Posted Sun Mar 16, 2008 1:04pm PDT by Robert of the Radish in The Y! Music Playlist Blog

I published my first playlist to the web almost 4 years ago on June 12, 2004. And this is the very same list which kicked off a playlisting obsession for me.

When I was in grade school during the late 1970's classic rock bands like The Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin ruled the hallways. Tough guys wore black concert t-shirts looking to pick a fight with anyone who had the slightest propensity toward disco -- another major pop genre of the time.

Disco was eventually slayed by rock & roll and no one dared admit owning a Village People or Gloria Gaynor album, although almost everyone did.

Then the 80's came and with them came "new wave", a genre that was neither outright ridiculed by the rock & roll set, nor embraced. But a new invention called cable television gave MTV an opportunity to bypass previous methods of getting music out to the masses and new wave took off.

However, many of us who were raised on the classic rock or first wave punk of the 1970's had trouble admitting that we were attracted to the music of Culture Club, Kajagoogoo or Wham!

But we were...

This is the ultimate 80's new wave guilty pleasures playlist. All the sissy boy hits we secretly loved in high school, but were never man enough to admit until grunge killed pop metal.

The official "New Wave Sissy Boy 80s Hits You Were Afraid To Admit You Liked In High School" playlist

1. Too Shy - Kajagoogoo

2. No One Is To Blame - Howard Jones

3. Do You Really Want To Hurt Me - Culture Club 

4. Poison Arrow - ABC 

5. Save A Prayer - Duran Duran

6. Careless Whisper - Wham!

7. Hold Me Now - The Thompson Twins

8. If You Leave - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark 

9. Blasphemous Rumours - Depeche Mode

10. Tainted Love - Soft Cell

11. It's My Life - Talk Talk

12. More Than This - Roxy Music 

13. I Ran (So Far Away) - A Flock Of Seagulls

14. Promises, Promises - Naked Eyes

15. Perfect Way - Scritti Politti

16. West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys 

17. Only You - Yaz

18. Girls Just Want To Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper

19. Safety Dance - Men Without Hats 

20. Love Plus One - Haircut 100

21. True - Spandau Ballet 

2545 Comments

81. Karen -
I miss the 80s!!! I agree with howitis... GOOD TIMES, definitely! Even my 12-year-old daughter knows most of the 80s music. Her step-dad and I make sure our kids know all about the great 80s bands and what fun it was being in high school in the 80s. Aahhh... the memories. Thanks for bringing them back with this article.

82. angelar -
I have to say I still listent to all of my 80's music, lol. Even my teenage daughters (14 & 16) like a lot of the songs. The only difference now is I have them on CD instead of tapes. Not to mention my IPOD is full of all of the 80's songs. The 80's were great and I'm glad I was a teen at that time.

83. Laura -
loved the 80's, that's when fun was fun and dancing was dancing

84. Yahoo! Music User -
http://tinyurl.com/2ngp5c - my list

85. Yahoo! Music User -
i love the 80's best music era ever those were the good ol daysi always listen to old school everyday!!!!

86. Erin -
Ahhh yes, 8th grade dance - flashback! I say that every time I hear songs like these! lol Although, there are some others that aren't on this list, that could have made it - ummm like Michael Jackson's "Thriller" - yes we all despise Michael now for the crap he's pulled, but EVERYONE loves this song!!

87. Emily -
i still listen to these songs at work.

88. Yahoo! Music User -
I was born in the 80's i didnt grow up in the 80's but my aunts did, so i grew to like the 80's, i love everything about the 80's..i mean everything. some songs and movies were ok, but overall the 80's rocked!!

89. Paul -
You forgot Take On Me- A-ha and Purple Rain - Prince.

90. Lee -
I grew up in the 80's and as a boy, I found them to be mushy, lame, corney, and overall cheesy. Ang guess what? I still do! OK, there are some exceptions. Roxy Music's "more than this", beautiful song. Scritti Politti's "perfect way", pure pop perfection!I loved the entire album, "Upstairs at Eric's" from Yaz. And everytime I hear "Love Plus one" from Haircut 100, it makes me smile.

91. Jennifer -
I am not ashamed to love the 80s! I have more mixes of 80s songs than anything else - I even still have all my mix tapes! Great list of songs, although it just touches the tip of the iceberg!

92. m k -
I remember all of the songs and albums you list but never heard Haircut 100.

93. Irina -
80's ... it's our era!!! we love em!

94. steve b -
Good music is good music..no matter what decade.. If it sounds good, makes u feel good and brings back memories..then its all good

95. Bob -
One of my favorite activities is to drive around campus blasting 80s music as groups of people are gathered, waiting for a cab, ready to go out on a Saturday night.

96. moniquecpt -
OMG, flashbacks flasbacks!! love all the 80's music believe it or not still listen to it. and think of all the good times i had back then!!!

97. Eli -
No one should be ashamed of liking Duran Duran...

98. Jim -
Wow, there's alot of cheese on that list... But being from the 80's, I can honestly say that I liked alot of the songs and/or artists... The ones that really stick out are Howard Jones (great voice), Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Soft Cell and A Flock Of Seagulls!!!!

99. Yahoo! Music User -
I am not ashamed to say I LOVE all of these Songs....especially the WHAM!, Duran Duran, and Culture Club ones. In Fact...Duran Duran will be in my Area-- within 4 miles of my home in a month and I will be there and flashing back to the 80's along with the rest of their Diehard Fans!!! By the Way...If the "Latin Rascal" is reading this...Eat your Heart out...I will be there and you will not.. But... I"ll save a Prayer till the morning after!!!

100. kiki -
I loved and still love the 80s.I am PROUD to listen to the best ever music!!!
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