The official "New Wave Sissy Boy 80s Hits You Were Afraid To Admit You Liked In High School" playlist
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
2. No One Is To Blame - Howard Jones
3. Do You Really Want To Hurt Me - Culture Club
5. Save A Prayer - Duran Duran
7. Hold Me Now - The Thompson Twins
8. If You Leave - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
9. Blasphemous Rumours - Depeche Mode
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
I had to deal with a gf wanting to go see him in concert. Go, I said, but I'm not going.
Howitis....you nailed it....roller skating! I went every weekend. Some of the ballads still get me teary eyed.
"Hands to Heaven" by Breathe
"Time" by Culture Club
"Close to Me" by The Cure
"A Little Respect" by Erasure
"She Drives Me Crazy" by FYC
"Don't You Forget About Me" by Simple Minds
"Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears
"Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House
Oh, this list could go on all day...
Even the young kids love this stuff. I think because it was all so different and often over the top. Now much of the music sounds the same and artistry seemed to fall by the wayside.
Also love alternative 80's like Fad Gadget.
And I am usually color blind :-)
I'll take Howard Jones, Thompson Twins, TalkTalk, Ultravox, Depeche Mode and the rest anyday over Brittany and the like!