Your music knowledge astounds me -- the way you were spittin' out factoids left and right off the cuff and unscripted is phenomenal. MUSIPEDIA should be your moniker, as you transcend beyond rock into all genres of music. Wow, just wow!!
@@magra453 Yes, it is a circular thing and personal opinion is a very valid thing for much of modern music. However, just because of technological changes, I'd say it can objectively be argued that modern music is worse these days. In these earlier eras there was no all-in-one computer that could replace a studio, you had to actually play the instruments and have talent. Autotune also didn't really become a thing until the later 80's, so there is that too along with a number of other factors.
The 80s was the decade when music really came together, and for those of us who lived through the period, we would never see another time like it. We were blessed.
I loved 1987. I think of the likes of Crowded House, Michael Jackson's Bad, U2, Dokken's Dream Warriors, FMac's Tango In The Night, Whitesnake, Tesla, Whitney, Huey, etc. But I was 16 in 1984 and even the worst of the worst songs were good to me back then. I loved the year and the music, the last real year of pure MTV, great classics came out that year. Great topic, Adam. It really made me think.
@@mattmckenzie7654 I don’t know how innocent it was, but it was definitely some great times! Just this weekend my son and I were jamming along to Living On A Prayer. His generation loves the music of our youth. Of course then he changed the video to Dream Theater and I was completely lost.
I love this topic so much I need to comment twice! I’ve ALWAYS said that 1984 is my favorite year. I was all of 7 years old. Those songs stuck with me. We moved from PA to TX that year. As the radio stations faded one into another as we went from city to city, the top 20 played consistently. I have a PERFECT memory of looking out the window into lightning in the distance, rain beginning to fall to the soundtrack of “Missing You” by John Waite. TO THIS DAY, when I hear that song, I am taken back to that little girl, driving into the unknown, going to a new life in a big city coming from a small town, sleepily resting her head against the side of the seat, watching the lightning. I go back to that exact moment. THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS THE POWER OF MUSIC!!!
I always argue it is a 24 month span starting in Jan 83 and ending in Dec 84. Pop, rock, metal, country, R&B, mega release, height of second British wave.
@William De Los Santos. Mostly agree, but I would move the dates back a little to about September 1982 to August 1984 to include a lot of great music from late ‘82.
I was 13 in 84 and became fan of MJ what a decade!!!Hypnotised by is music!!!Still have a real memorabilia since those days til today!!!Miss those days for many reasons!!!...
Both 84 and 87 had amazing music but, I'm leaning towards 1984 as a better year for music than in 87. A few albums come to mind released in 84 that I loved: The Cars (Heartbeat City), Depeche Mode (Some Great Reward), The Go-Gos (Talk Show), Elvis Costello (Goodbye Cruel World).
Police and the pointer Sisters where still on the charts; And most of those artists listed in 1984 had their biggest hits of their careers on the 1984 record charts. That's competition.
Two great albums for Depeche Mode in both 84 and 87 with Music For The Masses in the latter, but I agree with you.. Some Great Reward kills. Somebody, It Doesn't Matter, Blasphemous Rumours.. magic.
1984- Some of my favorite songs from this year, Duran Duran- The Reflex & Wild Boys, The Romantics- Talking in your sleep, Cyndi Lauper- She Bop & All Through the Night, Thompson Twins- Hold me now, Prince- Let's Go Crazy, Laura Branigan- Self Control, Kenny Loggins- Footloose, Corey Hart- Sunglasses At Night. So many other songs. Good year in music.
You know who should be contributing most to Professor of Rock's patreon? The Artists themselves. They have the millions and Adam's work helps to keep their work alive. I suggest that we tweet to our favourite artists and let them know.
Having lived through both 1984 and 1987, I'd have to say 1984 wins by a long shot. By the time 1987 hit, we were well on our way to pushing boy bands, Yo' MTV Raps, and hair bands.
@@jwalzer True. I think the artists should also be paying it forward by helping to create bands of the future. Especially since the industry itself has collapsed in the last 2 decades and we don't have truly great bands now.
Yes, your ABSOLUTLEY right. Until I had seen this, I actually unsubscribed because of something that was and wasn't said. It was like, all he was doing was talking about stuff he liked. Well, we alll have music that we have loved, FAITHFULLY!!! You know who I am talking about. But, after I have set and listened to this, I was AMAZED by his KNOWLEDGE!!! OF all the music that I grew up with. I Graduated Minor High School, here in Birmingham, Alabama, in the c/o "1984"!!! The most AWESOME YEAR OF MUSIC, as I have always thought. He's right, Micheal Jackson's Thriller album, Prince and the Revolution's "Purple Rain plus the movie, Madonna, Van Halen and MTV had the most AWESOME video's EVER!!! SO, I am going to Subscribe again because of his knowledge of, Led Zepplin, Boston, Journey, Bad Company, Foreigner, Loveryboy,Steve Miller Band, and The List goes on. Thank You Adam for your AWESOME EXPERTISE ON GENRE'S MAN, KEEP UP THE AWESOME WORK. And yes, the Artist's ought to be paying him for that very reason.♊💋❤🤟😍🤪
1984! I was 11 in 1984. I grew up hearing my dad's stereo playing The Rolling Stones, Bob Seger, CCR, Rod Stewart, Fleetwood Mac, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, The Commodores, Elvis, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, The BeeGees, Neil Young, and quite a few hit single compilation albums from the 70's. My mom always had am radio on in the kitchen in the morning when we were getting ready for school and the dj's didn't talk for two hours back then. At the top of the hour they stated the time, read a couple quick news headlines with a few details, weather update, and late busses or school closures. That's it. They would play upbeat and energetic music to wake you up and start your day on a positive note and I loved it. At a young age I had my own 12volt transistor radio and I always had the am radio on in my room until I fell asleep. They played everything under the sun back then and I liked a lot of it. From Funky Town to Another One Bites The Dust. I fell in love with KISS after seeing posters on my best friend's older brothers bedroom walls and hearing the music coming out of his room whenever I visited. There was a lot of great music in 1984 and 1987 and in between, from Tina Turner to Def Lepard, from Duran Duran to Tom Petty. However the first band that I latched onto on my own after hearing their new song on the radio in 1984 was Van Halen, Jump. I wore that cassette out and even though overall my favorite band is The Rolling Stones , Van Halen 1984 is my favorite album of all time.
I was hoping you'd broach this topic. Both incredibly loaded years musically. Before even watching the video, I gotta give it to 1984. 1987 was an awesome year to but the amount of star power and blockbuster albums were off the charts in '84. Pop music was more diverse in the songs and the artists that made them than ever before and the underground was on fire with various groups and names rising to fame and building a foundation for what was to come in 1987 and beyond. '84 had it all: new/young names, veterans, one hit wonders, foreign acts, journeymen, solo efforts from artists that were part of significant bands/groups and so much more all across the board. Astounding. It's also worth noting that 1984 and 1987 are the only years in history where the Big 3 of the 80s (Michael Jackson, Prince and Madonna) all released albums. 1984: Michael: Victory (though this was a Jacksons album, he was a part of it even though his involvement was reduced compared to their previous releases) and the Motown-released Farewell, My Summer Love (Debatable as well since it wasn't an official MJ album) Prince: Purple Rain Madonna: Like A Virgin 1987: Michael: Bad Prince: Sign 'O The Times Madonna: Who's That Girl (Debatable as it is a soundtrack and not a true Madonna album but she is the main artist on it) So much greatness to be had.
*1984* RATT, Missing Persons, Van Halen, Duran Duran, Sting, Iron Maiden, Human League, Paul McCartney, Metallica, Slade, Kiss, Scorpions, WASP, Dokken, WHAM!, Phil Collins, Nena, Irene Cara.
@@michaelfrazia4569 , Agree. I've always said the 80's were three separate "decades" 80-83. 84-87, 88-89 Or perhaps 84-86, then 87-89. 84' was that first big purely 80's transition year, with 83' and prior still emerging in various degrees from the 70's .
@@chestrockwell8328 Blackie Lawless from WASP said one time in a interview. "...if someone write the big book of rock/music, there's gonna be like, 50's, 60's, 70's and then 81, 82, 83......." And I totally agree
Even beyond music, 1984 was just an absolute monster of a year in pop culture and goings on. It was the year that: -Michael Jordan was drafted alongside other greats like Hakeem Olajuwon, John Stockton and Charles Barkley -LeBron James was born -The first Apple computer launched -The Dragon Ball manga was released in Japan -Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends premiered in the UK -Tetris was released -Jeopardy premiered -The first (American) CD pressing plant was opened in Terre Haute, IN And I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting but wow... On a personal note, my Detroit Tigers and LA (at the time) Raiders won the World Series and Super Bowl, respectively.
1984 - HANDS DOWN! Most of my favorite songs from all time are from that year. Also, I have all my "Greatest Hits" singles playlists broken down by year and 1984 contains the most singles! 1987 was also a great year, don't get me wrong...but I was asked to decide and I did!
Actually for me 1987 was not a great year for music like the other 80's. Oh, it's better than any thing nowadays but for the 80's it was the low point for me since I don't like metal and hair bands are too close to metal for me to like them a lot.
Dude you hit the nail on the head when speaking about musical diversity in the 80’s. 1984 is the greatest year. Look how many big hits and artists from that year have stood the test of time. 87 just didn’t have the same staying power.
Overall: 1984. Out of left field came Cyndi Lauper. For an album that has a song as beautiful as All Through The Night to one of the weirdest songs to hit the top 5 - She Bop - it competed on the Grammy's with the big ones - Tina, Lionel, Springsteen... Madonna was the cool girl that gave the cheerleaders their hero, Cyndi came along and gave the outcasts their hero and the ability to compete on the same pedestal level of popularity.
I love that She Bop, the #3 smash, was one of the filthy fifteen!!!!!!!!!!! BAHAHAHAHAHA Cyndi deserves to be in the Rock & Roll HOF. Time After Time, True Colors, and Girls has been covered hundreds of times!
I would probably choose 1984, but “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House is easily in my top 5 songs of all time. For me, the best year in the 80’s for music was 1982. I’ll throw out a few songs that came out that year. “Rosanna” and “Africa” by Toto, “Heat Of The Moment” and “Only Time Will Tell” by Asia, “Find Your Way Back” by Jefferson Starship, “Young Turks” by Rod Stewart, “Don’t You Want Me” by Human League, “Who Can It Be Now” and “Down Under” by Men At Work, “Hurts So Good” and “Jack And Diane” by John Cougar Mellencamp, “Who’s Crying Now” and “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, “Eye a Of The Tiger” by Survivor, “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) and “Private Eyes” by Hall and Oates, “Do You Believe In Love” by Huey Lewis And The News, “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” by The Police, “Hungry Like A Wolf” and “Rio” by Duran Duran, The Thriller Album...the list goes on and on. I think you get my point. Haha. I was 5 years old in 1982. I had a teenage girl in the neighborhood who would babysit me on Saturdays. We would watch MTV almost all day long. I had a lot of the songs I mentioned here on a 45 record because the babysitter would take me down to the record store and I would spend my allowance on those records. I had the Fisher Price record player. Ahhh, the memories.
I thought that too but U2 Joshua Tree, GnR Appetite for Destruction, INXS Kick, RHCP Uplift Mofo, Motley Crue Girls Girls Girls and Hysteria (I didn't like this much but was massive) and Whitesnake. But I agree I'm all about 1984 Purple Rain changed my life at 10. Thriller still releasing music, Footloose, Madonna, Huey Lewis, 1984 VH, The Cars Heartbeat City. 1984 was off the charts for music.
Now my favorate decade is the 70s for so much creativity was exploding. Whatever came from the 60s was topped in the 70s. Now the 80s was when all of that was put to work in an overwhelming manner. What great moments from 1970 to 1990 in Music. My childhood was listening to The Radio for my Mom loved Music. My Abuela was also a lover of Music. English or Spanish or Portuguse because of Brazil it was heard.
Agreed. 1985's greatness just wasn't bright enough to stand out from the colossal shadow of 1984. Honestly, the shadow of 1983 as well. Those 2 years back to back are a tough act to follow.
Grew up on 80s music and i still think most of its good (mostly early 80s) but when i hear some of the hits I enjoyed as a kid today they’re just not as good or i enjoy as much as i did when i was younger. It’s kinda like watching the street fighter movie back in 94 compared to now lol. Still think 70s and late 60s had the best music.
1981 was by far the best year in the 80's ! Great albums from U2 , The Cure , The Comsat Angels , Tom Verlaine , Prince , The Psychedelic Furs , Wall Of Voodoo , Urban Verbs , Siouxsie & The Banshees & The Fall to name 10 !
Adam... Between this relaxed format and sprinkling in your personal anecdotes really made this feel all the more personal. LOVED it! Keep up the amazing work that you do!
@@lwaves Thanks, I thought so, I can remember where I was working during that time. P. of R. really started something with his 84' vs 87'. Hard to choose on of the other, aside from Springsteen I like them all.
@@chestrockwell8328 Yes, it's tough to choose and I'd add '85 into the mix as well, all three are excellent years. I like Springsteen, although I didn't know him much at the time. It would be Whitney Houston and Madonna that would put me off, I never could get to like them.
Loved that you did a big shout out to The System's "Don't disturb this Groove" for 1987, and I'm looking forward to you interviewing members Mic Murphy and/or David Frank about the song. It's my 2nd favorite song of all time behind Level 42's "Something About You" ( enjoyed that Mike Lindup interview btw).
87 was probably the bigger year for the things I was personally listening to the most (hard rock/metal) but I would have to give it to 84 hands down for diversity and quality of music overall. That was a HUGE year for the whole spectrum of music (and a really really good one for me). The 80s in general was just such an epic decade. Kids today just have no idea.
The greatest music in history, without a doubt were the 60s and 70s. Every thing else is a bad joke. When you say the 80s were the greatest year for music, you make yourself sound foolish. You should say, the greatest music of 1987 was, the music of 1987. That's realistic.
@@kenperk9854 "Old Fart Alert! Old Fart Alert!" Gee I wonder how old you are? And if you aren't that old, then congrats on being brainwashed and buying into the Boomer's mentality, instead of enjoying the music that was "of your time" and buying into a nostalgia for a time you weren't there for. YOU are the one who sounds foolish.
1984 was summed up for me by Into The Gap from The Thompson Twins. Played that album to death. From the glorious Doctor Doctor and You Take Me up to the Pharaoh-esque intro of The Gap at the beginning of Side-B, this was amazing stuff. The album version of Sister of Mercy is superior to the 7inch release - and then there's the sublime Hold Me Now. I never saw the group live, but did eventually see Tom Bailey last year at an 80s festival in the UK. A real trip down nostalgia valley. As for 1987? Well, that's easy. From the moment I saw the video to Need U Tonight on a Saturday Morning music show, it was like an awakening. INXS became my everything! KICK was, and still is, one of the greatest LPs of all time. Not only are the songs incredible, but the running order is spot on. Guns in the Sky stomps into the funk rock of New Sensation, followed by blues rock Devil Inside. Then, Need U Tonight and its stablemate Mediate. Indefinable, undeniable greatness. I saw INXS on the KICK tour and then again for the X tour in 1990. In 1991 I was among the crowd at Wembley Stadium at Summer XS - INXS headlined its own festival, featuring Debbie Harry, Jellyfish, Jesus Jones and Roachford among others. 1984 or 1987? For me, it's 87 - just.
I was a senior in high school in 1985 and Thompson Twins was set to play at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City. I went for grad night there, and the Twins had some sort of dispute with the park about constructing some kind of three-tier stage, similar to the one in the video for “Hold Me Now”. They cancelled! Their opener, Re-Flex, came on and played “Politics of Dancing” among other stuff off their album, but I was crushed.
the casette version of into the gap was the one to get as the A side were all the vinyl lp release songs while the b side was full of instrumental 12 inch reworks of the same songs that i liked even better, xl1 from pete shelley had a similar tape version
"a decade of musical synthesis, such a fertile point for creativity, like old school & technology coming together & shake hands in the middle." - LOVED that analogy & LOVE the show, thanks for bringing back the music & the good memories
Well, a man after my own heart... I couldn't have said it better myself. My taste in music is very broadly eclectic... I have the 80's to thank for that. 😉
First off, thank You for nod to the complicated times we find ourselves living in, how sad they actually are. I would love music and times similar to either of the years you covered. The youth of today have no idea of the freedom we have lost. In the 80’s you could do what you wanted as long as you didn’t hurt anyone. The social music movement in ‘84/85 were out of love and promoted helping one another and coming together with others in unity; quite the opposite of the times we currently live in. There is such a feeling of loss for those of us who were in our mid-late 20’s during the 80’s; especially when discussing music of those by gone days. Music is the soundtrack to one’s life and it tends to highlight both very good as well as very dark times, events become engrained with the music that played out to them. Anyway back to music, you are correct about the marriage of music/technology, a great combination in the 80’s. However it seems one could use the Buggles analogy of video killed the radio star, when following that marriage of music/technology. It would seem music isn’t as rich anymore and that technology has made things easy for artists, this cheapens the quality of the music (imo). As to the years, overall I would give it a tie. I would have to agree with ‘84 being the winner in pop. There were so many great one hit wonders from both of those years also , from Tony Carey’s “Fine Fine Day”(84) to the Psychedelic Furs album “Midnight to Midnight” radio hit “Heartbreak Beat”(87), the variety and such diversity of music allowed everyone to find something that they liked. I very much enjoy your videos, many of which bring back fond memories. Memories of a much better, more simper, and definitely a time when there were many more personal freedoms. Nothing better than 80’s music along with the MTV of the time. Thank You for your videos and keep up the great work!!
I was 13 in 1984 and loved listening to Michael Jackson and Wham. I loved 1987 too because I went to my first concert and saw Frankie Valli. Both years were great for me.
1984 is my favorite year in music. So many artists coming out with great music & unforgettable unique looks. When i think of 1984 many artists that i like comes to mind... Prince, Cyndi Lauper, Duran Duran, Madonna, Eurythmics, Culture Club, etc... It was the year that i really got into music & bought my first album which was Cyndi Lauper- She's so Unusual released in October 1983 but i got around to it in 1984 since most of her singles came out this year. Girls just want to have fun was her only single released in 1983 & this album is one of my Top 5 favorite 80's albums. Purple Rain & Private Dancer by Tina in my top 5 as well.
1984 was the best year. I was in the 6th grade. Prince was everything, Darling Nikki revelatory. The pop singers were so memorable Madonna, Cyndi Lauper. Culture Club, Duran Duran - MTV on repeat. Footloose all the way. Wouldn't It Be Good-Nik Kershaw. Howard Jones - New Song!!! The Detroit Tigers won the World Series. If I could live that year on repeat, I would. Dan Hartman - I Can Dream About You -- 1987 - is an absolute favorite, but '84 wins.
Great point about the genres. I had always thought the early 70s AM radio was the most diversified, hearing old WNBC tapes of the early 70s where Sabbath was played before a Partridge Family record. Crazy. I guess because I was living in the middle of the whole decade of the 80s, it never really hit on me until many years later. And then, here you are bringing it back up. I host a radio segment called "Vinyl Museum" and some of your episodes inspire songs or artists I'd like to spotlight. You're the best.
I was 15 in 84 so music that year was defining for me, my heart is there but what about my head. Well, I am looking at this from my UK perspective, so what was on the airwaves over here. please be patient with me: Artists are in order of albums appearing on the UK album Chart, some had more than one album: 1984 - Billy Joel, Eurythmics, U2, White Snake, Simple Minds, Thompson Twins, The Smiths, Madness, Queen, Nik Kershaw, Howard Jones, Style Council, Marillion, Ultravox, MJ, Rush, Echo and the Bunnymen, OMD, The Cure, Human League, Springsteen, Elton John, Spandaut Ballet, Pointer Sisters, Tina Turner, Sade, iron Maiden ZZ Top, Prince, Bowie, Depeche Mode, Sister Sledge, U2 UB40, Bronski Beat, Big Country, Culture Club, Frankie goes to Hollywood, Deep Purple, Wham, Alison Moyet, Duran Duran, 1987 - The Bangles, Deep Purple, Clapton, Style Council, Luther Vandross, Europe, The Smiths, U2, SImply Red, level 42, prince, Erasure, Whitesnake, Bryan Adams, Alison Moyet, Fleetwood Mac, Curiosity killed the cat, Suzanne Vega, Swing out Sister, Whitney, The Beastie Boys, Marillion, Janet Jackson, Terence trent D'arby, Heart Def Leppard, Michael Jackson, Pet Shop Boys, Wet Wet Wet, The Housemartins, Depeche Mode, Springsteen, Communards, Sting, ABC, T'Pau, George Michael, Eurythmics, Rick Astley, Madonna As you look at it it has to be 84. However in 84 the pop revolution was in full flow, the 80s sound had been established and most artists were feeding of that. IN 87 the pop and rock sound was changing so many more innovative styles were appearing. I dont think there was much reinvention in 84 but 87 is full of it, i.e. Simply Red, Curiosity, Vega, Swing out Sister, Beastie Boys, Trent D'arby, Pet Shop Boys, the Wets, Housemartins, T'Pau. So 51% of me says 84 and 49% says 87
Easy answer: ‘84 was the Year of the Decade. It had a meteoric impact... it really was a game-changer year. Also, great call on The System! I absolutely LOVE “Don’t Disturb This Groove” ran out and bought the CD immediately... with the two guys driving in the convertible on the cover.
My favorite decade is definitely the 80’s for me and I am team 1984!!! I was 14 years old, had a boom box that I would listen to outside with my friends while we played freedom and other fun games from morning till night and till the batteries ran out! Also using the blank cassette tape to record the songs we waited to hear when they came on the radio so we can create our own personal greatest hits! Those were such special times that I’ll never forget! I absolutely love this channel because it takes me back to those special times that I really treasure so much!!!❤️
1984. I was 16 & had started learning guitar just a couple of years before. Van Halen - 1984. The knockout blow. I'm still hooked on guitars to this day.
@@scooterthepog3763 I agree with the one exception I would add '85 as well for some epic albums, songs from the big chair, brothers in arms, Whitney Houston's first album, etc.
@@danielwillette3895 I'd rather not say 85 At least to me I think 1985 mostly continued the success of 84. The songs/albums relased in 1985 were either good or blunders In my opinion. I do love Hunting High And Low and Songs From The Big Chair.
Loved this segment. I was involved with music industry from 1979 to 1990 and had the pleasure of meeting virtually everyone you’ve mentioned here. Love your tube.
In my opinion the music period 77 to 84 is the purple peak of popular music. Variety of styles competing, established and new artists jostling for top status. Emergence of videos, innovative use technology in production and electronic music. Never to be heard again. Everyone was at the top of their game. From a UK perspective - 1984 was best. This voted by readers of the national paper The Sun recently. I also believe similarly so by Rolling Stone and Billboard. But 84 was on the back of the 77-83 incredible period; with multiple genres, emerging talent that became legendary artists such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna but also alternative band greats too, The Cure, The Smiths, REM, etc. Along with the effective use of technology and media that left an indelible mark to this day. For me music peaked in 84. Rest 80s good especially 85 to 87 but then production took over. Most songs of 84 and I mean not just no.1s but across the charts were good then but 30 plus years later are now recognised and universally acknowledged as classic. . . Most no.1s are now generally regarded as radio standards; are durable songs with widespread play. All well known. Many were huge selling and at the time of 84 in UK the biggest selling single ever. Moreover half a dozen singles sold well over a million - I believe the highest number ever. And reviewing Guinness Book Records, of the 10 biggest selling songs of all the 1980s, the top 4 are from 1984 and overall six from 1984. You could make a greatest 80s compilation album just from the songs of 84. Interestingly 84 also had some great movies. And its noticeable that 84 is a fave year to base many recent TV and movies set in the 80s. It all came together in 84. I was born in 60s shaped 70s and partied the 80s. Time machine please.
The first time I heard "Let's Go Crazy", I was standing in front of the stage in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, after watching The Tubes open for Peter Gabriel who was opening for David Bowie. It was by far the biggest concert I had attended at that point in my life. It was hot and sweaty, people crammed in together. It was the largest crowd north of the 53rd parallel at that point in time. And "Let's Go Crazy" played over the P.A. before Bowie took the stage. It was an amazing day, but that is the only song I remember that wasn't played live on stage that day. Peter Gabriel diving into the crowd while singing "Lay Your Hands On Me" stands out, among many more, but Prince is the only song I remember from the P.A.system.
THAT IS CRAZY! I recently watched the whole AMERICAN MUSIC AWARD 1984 SHOW with Lionel Richie hosting, and I could not believe the acts and the albums and the songs that were in the winning and losing categories. It REALLY oprnedw my mind up to that single year being ONE amazing year for music. BUT, being the 80s music LOVER//////// no....IM OBSESSED! Being the 80s music OBSESSER that I am, peraonally and publically I've ALWAYS made it clear 1987 was my single most favorite year for 80s music. I just think that it's wild you have singled out those two years for this and I guess now with the things you've pointed out about those specific years its always been obvious , without me realizing it, are possibly the best two years of that whole decade of music that we love. I know you are sharing with THE WORLD but it has been so rewarding for me to feel like I have YOU to share and relate to when it comes to my love with the 80s. You are presenting it here in a different fashion than ive ever seen it. You really describe things in a way that actually takes me back there. Simply put, when it comes to the 80s.....I LIKE THE WAY YOU TALK!
It's mpossible for me to pick a best year. Every song we hear has the potential to tap into memories that defined our lives. Thank you for being the source for so many of those taps.
Professor, you forgot about the song, Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr. Released in the summer of 1984 went to #1 on the Billboard hot 100 for three weeks beginning August 11th.
Didn’t forget. Just ran out of time ha ha. We have the story of this song from Ray Parker Jr. going to release it before Halloween. Thanks for watching!
Both great years. I regularly listen to the Casey Kasem AT40 rebroadcasts on iHeart Radio and when it's announced that the show is from 84, i smile. But, when I learn it's from 87, I re-arrange my day to listen to as much of the show as I can. Thanks for tackling this debate, Prof.
MJ "thriller" was one of the best music and film blending together adding in a spooky aspect of zombies and werecat/werewolf (some dispute that) i want to say it was a werewolf character. but on top of that Vincent Price as the spoken word part at the end of the song prolly the best song and music video from the 80s. some came close but no one could compare to Michael Jacksons, "Thriller". at age 5 i thought it was his present to be cause my birthday was just a few days prior... great song great album great video great decade great year [1984]
Absolutely. I can't understand why the Professor hasn't mentioned this band more often, unless I've missed one of his videos. In case you haven't seen it, there's 2 Talk Talk retro interviews from the Historic Films Stock Footage Archive now made available. th-cam.com/video/TYqHenTBGjs/w-d-xo.html
Man we have the exact same taste in music. I've long told my son of 11 years of age that 1984 (I was 10) was my favourite year for music and life for that matter ever! Phenomenal!
1983 - Because that's when U2's WAR came out, as well as Under a Blood Red Sky. As well as Pyromania by Def Lepard, Synchronicity by the Police., Frontiers by Journey, etc, etc. Though 1987 is a close 2nd.
@@PianoMan-hx3ev oh, I was off on that. Funny I remembered dancing to that song earlier but though I was misremembering since somewhere in google is was listed as '84. Thanks for setting it straight.
Imo 1987 is my favorite year, musically. Hysteria, BAD, Music For The Masses, Faith, Girls Girls Girls, I mean the list goes on and on.. just an incredible year that wasn’t engulfed by the late 80s, early 90s formulaic sound and look (which wasn’t a bad thing, personally). Thank you for your awesome content!
Thank you so much Adam, your videos bring back such great memories of my childhood, your passion and knowledge is amazing. I listen a more varied list of 80s music now than I did back then. Please don't stop.
Born 1970, this is part of the soundtrack to my teens. In 1984 I remember our English teacher walking into class, a kid quickly took his 5ape out of the teachers tape player. The teacher noticed and made the kid bring the tape up to the front of the class, the teacher asked about the music, no one answered so he started playing the tape, line by line and we had a class discussion about the lyrics. Best lesson ever, I still listen carefully to the lyrics of songs.
I love music......good music is life. I was privileged enough to go thru my teen years in the 80s. Each year of that decade had some of the best music....different styles, genres etc.....but I have to go with 84 as well. Keep up the great work and thank you for all the background and knowledge you pour out to us fans 💗🕊️
For sure 1984-1988 was an incredible year for amazing albums. For all the genres . Picking one year ...1984 Purple Rain .The soundtrack ,the movie . Bruce Springsteen ‘Born in the USA’ Tina Turner ‘private dancer ‘ amongst other great albums that year.
Man... It's like picking your favorite kid!!! End of the day, I gotta go with '87 on the impact of Appetite for Destruction alone! In my opinion, there are just records which change the orbit of the planet, and Appetite was, and remains, one of those kinds of records. Side note: I can't tell you what a blessing this channel has been to me man... I really didn't think there could be anybody else out there who just lives and breathes everything music, and I'm so glad I was wrong. Watching your videos is like visiting a brother, or kindred spirit, and I look forward to each and every one of them. Thank you Professor, and keep up the outstanding content!!!
You did an amazing job here. What an encyclopedic mind you have. When you were going on and on about Prince's 'Purple Rain' in 1984, the whole time I was thinking "But dude - 1987 was 'SIGN O THE TIMES' - which is not only his best album, but maybe my favorite album of all time". Then you got around to bringing up SOTT and pretty much said everything I was thinking, and I just had to shake my head and chuckle. Nice job!
Great analysis; I'd say the 90s have a similar situation, but with two parts instead of one, with 90-95 being one half and 96-00 the other one. The music wasn't so good as 70s/80s though.
The more I watch Adam give these outstanding segments, the more addictive they've become. He puts his heart and soul into his craft. I enjoy how enthusiastic and knowledgeable he is and how eclectic his music taste is. Adam and I are the same age, so we were both young boys at the start of the 80's. What's cool is that we like the same music (New Wave, R&B, Pop, Classic Rock, and Hard Rock).
Adam, here's a wild card for you in the footloose movie soundtrack theres very good song"never" by Australian rock Band "moving pictures " ,..their biggest hit internationally was the song "what about me?"... get an interview with them!
Whatever you do with the lighting in every other video of yours that you're not doing here so that you're not squinting your eyes, keep it up. It's so much more personal when you can see your eyes. Love your work, man.
Sunday, September 20, 2020 5:18 PM I really miss the 80's. The music, fashion, movies, TV (especially MTV), even politics and really just the simpler time we lived in. The variety of music on Billboards top 40 week in, week out can't be rivaled by any decade before or since. I would even go so far as to say society was in a far better place than today and I think that the diversity of music played a huge part in that. For me though it wasn't just Wolfman Jack , Casey Kasem and my friends that influenced my musical tastes, my Dad played a huge role in influencing the eclectic music collection I have amassed over the years. I still remember my Dad coming home from the record store (thanks for asking me to go!) with a handful of albums so different that it taught me to give anyone a listen. In 1 trip he would have Alabama, Earth Wind & Fire, Chuck Mangione, Oak Ridge Boys, and George Benson. Of course there was Willie Nelson, Herb Albert, The Bee-Gees, Abba, Anita Baker, plus lots and lots and lots of Elvis. My Dad pretty much went from 50's rock & roll straight over the 60's and most of the 70's up until Saturday Night Fever. I think that movie rekindled an interest in music he had put aside while building a career and starting a family. So that was my early education in music. Now to the question at hand, '84 or '87? Without a doubt I pick 1984. I think many people overlook the big change in music that took place starting after 85/86. While many of the same artists were charting throughout the decade their sounds became quite different. Van Halen's 1984 was quite the pop success while 5150 not only lacked David Lee Roth but it lacked much of the playfullness that was 1984. This harder edge sound that Sammy Hagar brought could be found in many other bands of the time. INXS went from Shabooh Shoobah to Kick., Fleetwood Mac's Mirage to Tango in the Night. Def Leppard's Pyromania to Hysteria. Some bands went the other way and adopted a softer edge like Foreigner and Genesis. I'm not saying the different sounds were bad, most artists like to think of themselves as growing. I just prefer the "sounds" that I originally fell in love with and are tied to memories from my youth. I clearly remember 87 since that was the year I graduated high school, bought my first new car with a smokin sound system and turned OFF the radio for the first time since I was about 7 years old. To me 1980 felt like just a carry over from the 70's. In 1981-82 disco still hung around. But after 85/86 and by coincidence with Miami Vice gone, music started it's slide downhill into a more segregated territory. By 87 country was gone from top 40 radio. So were jazz type artists like Herb Albert and George Benson. R&B was on it's way out too. New Wave was vanishing and by 87 we were left with just pop and an ever increasing harsher rock sound (Guns and Roses). There was also the unfortunate emergence of rap Look, I can go crazy sometimes on some AC/DC, Cinderella, Aerosmith, etc. especially while playing my drums and I still listen to music from the entire decade but give me music from 1981-1986 any day of the week. Just reserve at least 1 day for some Elvis and other 50's classics. My long winded vote goes to 1982. BTW, if you own an Amazon Echo just ask it to play Billboard songs from specific years and you can definitely spot the trends in music . Also Miami Vice is worth a re-watch. I missed many good songs featured in that iconic show.
I can’t! Fall of 83 thru spring of 87 was my high school, my puberty, my awkward ventures into relationships, my first semester of college and my first step into adulthood. Thank you for validating what I’ve always thought. I was one of millions teens/youth that grew up in that age and we were bombarded by the largest diversity of music, artist, and genres ever. It seem like everybody wanted to share everything. It was the wild west with music. Radio stations and the start of MTV three everything at us.
Hysteria has been firmly entrenched as my all-time favorite album for over 30 years, so I have to give my vote to ‘87. (Huey Lewis’ Sports from ‘84 is a ton of fun, too)
Hey, Adam!! Diggin' your t-shirt! I'm the biggest Journey with Steve Perry fan on earth. I actually had the pleasure of meeting Steve Perry in 1983. Unfortunately, I was unable to speak to him, as I was suffering "deer in the head lights syndrome" and he was so sweet to me. He said he understood and that I shouldn't worry about it. I'm so glad that my idol was not a prick. They say don't meet your idol bc you'll be disappointed. My experience was so sweet.
87 great hard rock albums: GnR---Appetite, Crue---Girls Girls Girls, Whitesnake, Aerosmith---Permanent Vacation, Great White--Once Bitten, Y&T---Contagious, Satriani---Surfing with the Alien, Tesla---Mechanical Renaissance White Lion---Pride, Dokken---Back for the Attack, Helix---Wild In The Streets. This is just some of the great albums. ****Great segment Professor!! Both years ruled
darrell mfume I think part of the problem is that no one allows themselves to have time to think or to be bored anymore. We always have a device in our hand and are mildly entertained at all times so we are not motivated to be creative. I remember an interview with Neil Peart saying that part of his “work” was staring out the window. I think in these quiet moments genius can often be found.
The Apple Music catalogue has just about everything that had ever been recorded, I would recommend exploring different music styles of decades past. You might just be surprised at what you can find. Only downside is many of the artists from decades past no longer tour. Some do and you can find some really great venues but it’s not the majority. Anyway, good luck in your search!
Nena I find myself going backwards to discover bands from the past that I overlooked, never heard of and different genres. I’ve discovered how much I like Ella Fitzgerald.
And the "Big Bam Boom" of Hall and Oats? Out of Touch sound by years on the Night Clubs, one most elaborated sounds of the 80's, that 'Sound Wall" is the most amazing memories i got from that years.
Misplaced Childhood is a great album! But, i do think Clutching at Straws tops it as my all time favorite. Surprisingly Marillion never took off in the United States but, with Kayleigh they did gain some recognition.
@Cheryl Damn you Cheryl, now I really want a bag of Quavers but all the shops are closed. It's going to be a long night.... ;-) A mate of mine got into the rave scene and the drugs side of it to. To me it was just repetitive noises and you needed the drugs to get into it. I'm not judging you with that comment.
@Cheryl My mate went for a bit longer and harder than that. He was a completely different person who I lost contact with and when I did see him in town, he didn't even recognise me. He got clean later but it wasn't good. Asda do Quavers as I've seen them, so they still make them and other supermarkets will probably sell them, depending who your nearest is. I'm going hunting myself but my local choices are a Co-Op, the Co-Op, another Co-Op and the villages surrounding us have only Co-Ops too. Plus a tiny Tesco. Good luck with your hunt.
Love professor of rock. I love his opinions and insights on 80 s music. He really knows his music. 1984 vs. 1987. Wow thats tough, 87 gave us whitesnake self titled 87, def leppard's hysteria album, whitney houston whitney album, 84 was a good year too.
I've got to go with 1984 since it is my favorite year ever for music. I don't believe I heard you mention the following from 84: the album an innocent man by billy joel, heartbeat city by the cars. Singles pink houses and authority song by john mellencamp, eyes without a face and rebel yell from billy idol, dance hall days by wang chung, and I could go on and on and on. I would love to see you do a list of the top 5 soundtracks from the 80s.
Hey Professor, your music taste is right up my alley. 1984 was my Sophomore year in high school, 1987 was my Freshman year in college. I guess you can say those were kinda memorable years for me! So lucky to be spoiled by all the great music.
Your music knowledge astounds me -- the way you were spittin' out factoids left and right off the cuff and unscripted is phenomenal. MUSIPEDIA should be your moniker, as you transcend beyond rock into all genres of music. Wow, just wow!!
1987 was better, because you could listen to songs from 1984 and 1987
I agree with you. He is really informed. I thought I was informed.
@@commentfreely5443 true never thought of tbat
What she said!
@@commentfreely5443 funny
Having songs like Cardi B's top the charts now is why so many of us are going out of our way to search out the music of our pasts.
I have no idea who that is and I'm guessing I don't want to but I fully agree with your sentiment.
Lwaves I have heard some of this song and it has no redeemable qualities whatsoever. It I said it sucked I would be overly generous
That’s precisely how people raised in the 50’s and 60’s felt about 80’s and 90’s music.
magra453 I was raised in the sixties and I love nineties music. I like drums and guitars etc. this modern stuff isn’t in the same realm on any level.
@@magra453 Yes, it is a circular thing and personal opinion is a very valid thing for much of modern music. However, just because of technological changes, I'd say it can objectively be argued that modern music is worse these days. In these earlier eras there was no all-in-one computer that could replace a studio, you had to actually play the instruments and have talent. Autotune also didn't really become a thing until the later 80's, so there is that too along with a number of other factors.
The 80s was the decade when music really came together, and for those of us who lived through the period, we would never see another time like it. We were blessed.
I loved 1987. I think of the likes of Crowded House, Michael Jackson's Bad, U2, Dokken's Dream Warriors, FMac's Tango In The Night, Whitesnake, Tesla, Whitney, Huey, etc. But I was 16 in 1984 and even the worst of the worst songs were good to me back then. I loved the year and the music, the last real year of pure MTV, great classics came out that year. Great topic, Adam. It really made me think.
Yesss!
Even the worst songs from your youth are great to listen to now because they take you back to more innocent times
Agree with everything you said here. Was also 16 in 1987- great year!
@@mattmckenzie7654 I don’t know how innocent it was, but it was definitely some great times!
Just this weekend my son and I were jamming along to Living On A Prayer. His generation loves the music of our youth. Of course then he changed the video to Dream Theater and I was completely lost.
The biggest one from '87 you missed was Def Leppard's Hysteria, a near perfect album
I love this topic so much I need to comment twice! I’ve ALWAYS said that 1984 is my favorite year. I was all of 7 years old. Those songs stuck with me. We moved from PA to TX that year. As the radio stations faded one into another as we went from city to city, the top 20 played consistently. I have a PERFECT memory of looking out the window into lightning in the distance, rain beginning to fall to the soundtrack of “Missing You” by John Waite. TO THIS DAY, when I hear that song, I am taken back to that little girl, driving into the unknown, going to a new life in a big city coming from a small town, sleepily resting her head against the side of the seat, watching the lightning. I go back to that exact moment. THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS THE POWER OF MUSIC!!!
I always argue it is a 24 month span starting in Jan 83 and ending in Dec 84. Pop, rock, metal, country, R&B, mega release, height of second British wave.
Killer music from everyone during this span. The 2nd wave of the Brit's, have some of my favorites of ALL time.
I couldn't agree more!
@William De Los Santos. Mostly agree, but I would move the dates back a little to about September 1982 to August 1984 to include a lot of great music from late ‘82.
I was 13 in 84 and became fan of MJ what a decade!!!Hypnotised by is music!!!Still have a real memorabilia since those days til today!!!Miss those days for many reasons!!!...
Both 84 and 87 had amazing music but, I'm leaning towards 1984 as a better year for music than in 87. A few albums come to mind released in 84 that I loved: The Cars (Heartbeat City), Depeche Mode (Some Great Reward), The Go-Gos (Talk Show), Elvis Costello (Goodbye Cruel World).
Yeah, Heartbeat City is awesome. And it wasn't even mentioned in the video.
Police and the pointer Sisters where still on the charts; And most of those artists listed in 1984 had their biggest hits of their careers on the 1984 record charts. That's competition.
Hi Samantha, both were freakin awesome
Samantha M,
I'm with you on the choice of 84.'
An almost unbelievable amount of amazing music...
Two great albums for Depeche Mode in both 84 and 87 with Music For The Masses in the latter, but I agree with you.. Some Great Reward kills. Somebody, It Doesn't Matter, Blasphemous Rumours.. magic.
1984- Some of my favorite songs from this year, Duran Duran- The Reflex & Wild Boys, The Romantics- Talking in your sleep, Cyndi Lauper- She Bop & All Through the Night, Thompson Twins- Hold me now, Prince- Let's Go Crazy, Laura Branigan- Self Control, Kenny Loggins- Footloose, Corey Hart- Sunglasses At Night. So many other songs. Good year in music.
Yes!
Undoubtedly, 84. The diversity, the magic, the happiness.
You know who should be contributing most to Professor of Rock's patreon? The Artists themselves. They have the millions and Adam's work helps to keep their work alive. I suggest that we tweet to our favourite artists and let them know.
Couldn’t agree more - POR is more a champion of their music, and music in general, then some of the artists are themselves
Having lived through both 1984 and 1987, I'd have to say 1984 wins by a long shot. By the time 1987 hit, we were well on our way to pushing boy bands, Yo' MTV Raps, and hair bands.
@@jwalzer True. I think the artists should also be paying it forward by helping to create bands of the future. Especially since the industry itself has collapsed in the last 2 decades and we don't have truly great bands now.
Yes, your ABSOLUTLEY right. Until I had seen this, I actually unsubscribed because of something that was and wasn't said. It was like, all he was doing was talking about stuff he liked. Well, we alll have music that we have loved, FAITHFULLY!!! You know who I am talking about. But, after I have set and listened to this, I was AMAZED by his KNOWLEDGE!!! OF all the music that I grew up with. I Graduated Minor High School, here in Birmingham, Alabama, in the c/o "1984"!!! The most AWESOME YEAR OF MUSIC, as I have always thought. He's right, Micheal Jackson's Thriller album, Prince and the Revolution's "Purple Rain plus the movie, Madonna, Van Halen and MTV had the most AWESOME video's EVER!!! SO, I am going to Subscribe again because of his knowledge of, Led Zepplin, Boston, Journey, Bad Company, Foreigner, Loveryboy,Steve Miller Band, and The List goes on. Thank You Adam for your AWESOME EXPERTISE ON GENRE'S MAN, KEEP UP THE AWESOME WORK. And yes, the Artist's ought to be paying him for that very reason.♊💋❤🤟😍🤪
@@jeaneneenglish2321 Great thoughts, Jeanene!
1984. Hands down the best year for pop in the 80s. So many great songs and albums that year. 84 all the way baby!
1984! I was 11 in 1984. I grew up hearing my dad's stereo playing The Rolling Stones, Bob Seger, CCR, Rod Stewart, Fleetwood Mac, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, The Commodores, Elvis, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, The BeeGees, Neil Young, and quite a few hit single compilation albums from the 70's. My mom always had am radio on in the kitchen in the morning when we were getting ready for school and the dj's didn't talk for two hours back then. At the top of the hour they stated the time, read a couple quick news headlines with a few details, weather update, and late busses or school closures. That's it. They would play upbeat and energetic music to wake you up and start your day on a positive note and I loved it. At a young age I had my own 12volt transistor radio and I always had the am radio on in my room until I fell asleep. They played everything under the sun back then and I liked a lot of it. From Funky Town to Another One Bites The Dust. I fell in love with KISS after seeing posters on my best friend's older brothers bedroom walls and hearing the music coming out of his room whenever I visited. There was a lot of great music in 1984 and 1987 and in between, from Tina Turner to Def Lepard, from Duran Duran to Tom Petty. However the first band that I latched onto on my own after hearing their new song on the radio in 1984 was Van Halen, Jump. I wore that cassette out and even though overall my favorite band is The Rolling Stones , Van Halen 1984 is my favorite album of all time.
I was hoping you'd broach this topic. Both incredibly loaded years musically.
Before even watching the video, I gotta give it to 1984.
1987 was an awesome year to but the amount of star power and blockbuster albums were off the charts in '84. Pop music was more diverse in the songs and the artists that made them than ever before and the underground was on fire with various groups and names rising to fame and building a foundation for what was to come in 1987 and beyond. '84 had it all: new/young names, veterans, one hit wonders, foreign acts, journeymen, solo efforts from artists that were part of significant bands/groups and so much more all across the board. Astounding.
It's also worth noting that 1984 and 1987 are the only years in history where the Big 3 of the 80s (Michael Jackson, Prince and Madonna) all released albums.
1984:
Michael: Victory (though this was a Jacksons album, he was a part of it even though his involvement was reduced compared to their previous releases) and the Motown-released Farewell, My Summer Love (Debatable as well since it wasn't an official MJ album)
Prince: Purple Rain
Madonna: Like A Virgin
1987:
Michael: Bad
Prince: Sign 'O The Times
Madonna: Who's That Girl (Debatable as it is a soundtrack and not a true Madonna album but she is the main artist on it)
So much greatness to be had.
Cosign
*1984*
RATT, Missing Persons, Van Halen, Duran Duran, Sting, Iron Maiden, Human League, Paul McCartney, Metallica, Slade, Kiss, Scorpions, WASP, Dokken, WHAM!, Phil Collins, Nena, Irene Cara.
Agreed, it's really hard to beat 1984
Don't forget Hanoi rocks
84 imo is the most 80ish year of the 80s..fashion, tv, movies, music...all the pop culture bastions screamed 80s in 84
@@michaelfrazia4569 , Agree. I've always said the 80's were three separate "decades" 80-83. 84-87, 88-89 Or perhaps 84-86, then 87-89. 84' was that first big purely 80's transition year, with 83' and prior still emerging in various degrees from the 70's .
@@chestrockwell8328 Blackie Lawless from WASP said one time in a interview. "...if someone write the big book of rock/music, there's gonna be like, 50's, 60's, 70's and then 81, 82, 83......." And I totally agree
1984 was crazy. So many great songs came out that year. Every week something new would come out. It was an awesome time to be 13 and have MTV.
Even beyond music, 1984 was just an absolute monster of a year in pop culture and goings on. It was the year that:
-Michael Jordan was drafted alongside other greats like Hakeem Olajuwon, John Stockton and Charles Barkley
-LeBron James was born
-The first Apple computer launched
-The Dragon Ball manga was released in Japan
-Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends premiered in the UK
-Tetris was released
-Jeopardy premiered
-The first (American) CD pressing plant was opened in Terre Haute, IN
And I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting but wow...
On a personal note, my Detroit Tigers and LA (at the time) Raiders won the World Series and Super Bowl, respectively.
…yepp, best year of that decade…. 1984!
1984 - HANDS DOWN! Most of my favorite songs from all time are from that year. Also, I have all my "Greatest Hits" singles playlists broken down by year and 1984 contains the most singles! 1987 was also a great year, don't get me wrong...but I was asked to decide and I did!
Actually for me 1987 was not a great year for music like the other 80's. Oh, it's better than any thing nowadays but for the 80's it was the low point for me since I don't like metal and hair bands are too close to metal for me to like them a lot.
Dude you hit the nail on the head when speaking about musical diversity in the 80’s. 1984 is the greatest year. Look how many big hits and artists from that year have stood the test of time. 87 just didn’t have the same staying power.
Overall: 1984. Out of left field came Cyndi Lauper. For an album that has a song as beautiful as All Through The Night to one of the weirdest songs to hit the top 5 - She Bop - it competed on the Grammy's with the big ones - Tina, Lionel, Springsteen... Madonna was the cool girl that gave the cheerleaders their hero, Cyndi came along and gave the outcasts their hero and the ability to compete on the same pedestal level of popularity.
Wasn't She Bop a rather naughty song? Maybe not quite WAP, but still...
@@MrJonno85 it did make the filthy 15 list by Tipper Gore.
@@MrJonno85 It's talking about masturbation.
@@fivestring65ify I thought as much.
I love that She Bop, the #3 smash, was one of the filthy fifteen!!!!!!!!!!! BAHAHAHAHAHA Cyndi deserves to be in the Rock & Roll HOF. Time After Time, True Colors, and Girls has been covered hundreds of times!
I would probably choose 1984, but “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House is easily in my top 5 songs of all time.
For me, the best year in the 80’s for music was 1982. I’ll throw out a few songs that came out that year. “Rosanna” and “Africa” by Toto, “Heat Of The Moment” and “Only Time Will Tell” by Asia, “Find Your Way Back” by Jefferson Starship, “Young Turks” by Rod Stewart, “Don’t You Want Me” by Human League, “Who Can It Be Now” and “Down Under” by Men At Work, “Hurts So Good” and “Jack And Diane” by John Cougar Mellencamp, “Who’s Crying Now” and “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, “Eye a Of The Tiger” by Survivor, “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) and “Private Eyes” by Hall and Oates, “Do You Believe In Love” by Huey Lewis And The News, “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” by The Police, “Hungry Like A Wolf” and “Rio” by Duran Duran, The Thriller Album...the list goes on and on. I think you get my point. Haha.
I was 5 years old in 1982. I had a teenage girl in the neighborhood who would babysit me on Saturdays. We would watch MTV almost all day long. I had a lot of the songs I mentioned here on a 45 record because the babysitter would take me down to the record store and I would spend my allowance on those records. I had the Fisher Price record player. Ahhh, the memories.
upvote for "Don't Dream It's Over"
1982 was a very good year. One of my faves from 82 is I Love Rock N Roll! Also Mickey and Waiting for a Girl Like You.
Jesus the 80s were so loaded...
@Aaron Brunning he said Captain?!
1982 with a Bullet!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_with_a_Bullet
1984, no question... Prince, Michael, Madonna, Billy Joel, Phil Collins, plus new wave hitting its stride... 1987 is no match...
I thought that too but U2 Joshua Tree, GnR Appetite for Destruction, INXS Kick, RHCP Uplift Mofo, Motley Crue Girls Girls Girls and Hysteria (I didn't like this much but was massive) and Whitesnake.
But I agree I'm all about 1984 Purple Rain changed my life at 10. Thriller still releasing music, Footloose, Madonna, Huey Lewis, 1984 VH, The Cars Heartbeat City. 1984 was off the charts for music.
@@Redhotlugnut Don't forget Bon Jovi and Van Halen.
@@AUGUSTALLEN28 You're right forgot about VH and The Cars!
@@AUGUSTALLEN28 "1984 VH"
The original BJ wasn't anything compared to the mega smash hit album SWW.
@@flavellinator "1984 VH, The Cars Heartbeat City." Not sure if you were referring to me if not, my apologies.
Love the whole decade. Ten years worth of brilliant albums and songs.
Now my favorate decade is the 70s for so much creativity was exploding. Whatever came from the 60s was topped in the 70s. Now the 80s was when all of that was put to work in an overwhelming manner. What great moments from 1970 to 1990 in Music. My childhood was listening to The Radio for my Mom loved Music. My Abuela was also a lover of Music. English or Spanish or Portuguse because of Brazil it was heard.
1985 is criminally underrated year of music....
Agreed.
1985's greatness just wasn't bright enough to stand out from the colossal shadow of 1984. Honestly, the shadow of 1983 as well. Those 2 years back to back are a tough act to follow.
Agreed! Everybody wants to rule the world! That is one song that could be the lead single off of an 80s greatest hits album.
85 gave us the worst song in history we built this city
Ciccio Palermo and thus the criminally part lol
Grew up on 80s music and i still think most of its good (mostly early 80s) but when i hear some of the hits I enjoyed as a kid today they’re just not as good or i enjoy as much as i did when i was younger. It’s kinda like watching the street fighter movie back in 94 compared to now lol. Still think 70s and late 60s had the best music.
1981 was by far the best year in the 80's ! Great albums from U2 , The Cure , The Comsat Angels , Tom Verlaine , Prince , The Psychedelic Furs , Wall Of Voodoo , Urban Verbs , Siouxsie & The Banshees & The Fall to name 10 !
Adam... Between this relaxed format and sprinkling in your personal anecdotes really made this feel all the more personal. LOVED it! Keep up the amazing work that you do!
Why, when this man talks about music, do I get goose bumps?
87"
Def Leppard Hysteria
The Cure Kiss Me Kiss Me
Guns N Roses Appetite for Destruction
U2 The Joshua Tree
INXS Kick
Michael Jackson BAD
🤘
Prince-Sign of the Times released in 87' also? or was it 86'?
@@chestrockwell8328 March '87
@@lwaves Thanks, I thought so, I can remember where I was working during that time. P. of R. really started something with his 84' vs 87'. Hard to choose on of the other, aside from Springsteen I like them all.
@@chestrockwell8328 Yes, it's tough to choose and I'd add '85 into the mix as well, all three are excellent years.
I like Springsteen, although I didn't know him much at the time. It would be Whitney Houston and Madonna that would put me off, I never could get to like them.
Whitesnake!
If 1984 was the original Star Wars, 1987 would be the Empire Strikes Back! Best sequel ever, but only because the original was so good.
Loved that you did a big shout out to The System's "Don't disturb this Groove" for 1987, and I'm looking forward to you interviewing members Mic Murphy and/or David Frank about the song. It's my 2nd favorite song of all time behind Level 42's "Something About You" ( enjoyed that Mike Lindup interview btw).
*1984 by far ... Prince's Purple Rain album & movie is reason enough!*
It’s so sad that there is such a lack of diversity in today’s music. We were SO lucky! 🙌🏻
87 was probably the bigger year for the things I was personally listening to the most (hard rock/metal) but I would have to give it to 84 hands down for diversity and quality of music overall. That was a HUGE year for the whole spectrum of music (and a really really good one for me). The 80s in general was just such an epic decade. Kids today just have no idea.
Most of today's music is garbage compared to what we had back in the 80's
Much of his list is garbage.
The greatest music in history, without a doubt were the 60s and 70s. Every thing else is a bad joke. When you say the 80s were the greatest year for music, you make yourself sound foolish. You should say, the greatest music of 1987 was, the music of 1987. That's realistic.
@@kenperk9854 I dunno what you're going on about. I never said the 80's were the greatest. Oh well.
"Old Fart Alert! Old Fart Alert!" Congratulations you sound like your grandpa talking to your dad.
@@kenperk9854 "Old Fart Alert! Old Fart Alert!" Gee I wonder how old you are? And if you aren't that old, then congrats on being brainwashed and buying into the Boomer's mentality, instead of enjoying the music that was "of your time" and buying into a nostalgia for a time you weren't there for. YOU are the one who sounds foolish.
1984 had Wham!’s “Make it Big”.
1987 had George Michael’s “Faith”.
Just a thought...
Phenomenal albums and phenomenal singer, writer, producer, that is George Michael! Love!
I'd go with 1984.
Life 87. Music..87. Professor of rock.. Priceless. Three cords and the truth to you brother. Top notch as always.
1984 was summed up for me by Into The Gap from The Thompson Twins. Played that album to death. From the glorious Doctor Doctor and You Take Me up to the Pharaoh-esque intro of The Gap at the beginning of Side-B, this was amazing stuff. The album version of Sister of Mercy is superior to the 7inch release - and then there's the sublime Hold Me Now. I never saw the group live, but did eventually see Tom Bailey last year at an 80s festival in the UK. A real trip down nostalgia valley. As for 1987? Well, that's easy. From the moment I saw the video to Need U Tonight on a Saturday Morning music show, it was like an awakening. INXS became my everything! KICK was, and still is, one of the greatest LPs of all time. Not only are the songs incredible, but the running order is spot on. Guns in the Sky stomps into the funk rock of New Sensation, followed by blues rock Devil Inside. Then, Need U Tonight and its stablemate Mediate. Indefinable, undeniable greatness. I saw INXS on the KICK tour and then again for the X tour in 1990. In 1991 I was among the crowd at Wembley Stadium at Summer XS - INXS headlined its own festival, featuring Debbie Harry, Jellyfish, Jesus Jones and Roachford among others. 1984 or 1987? For me, it's 87 - just.
I was a senior in high school in 1985 and Thompson Twins was set to play at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City. I went for grad night there, and the Twins had some sort of dispute with the park about constructing some kind of three-tier stage, similar to the one in the video for “Hold Me Now”. They cancelled! Their opener, Re-Flex, came on and played “Politics of Dancing” among other stuff off their album, but I was crushed.
the casette version of into the gap was the one to get as the A side were all the vinyl lp release songs while the b side was full of instrumental 12 inch reworks of the same songs that i liked even better, xl1 from pete shelley had a similar tape version
"a decade of musical synthesis, such a fertile point for creativity, like old school & technology coming together & shake hands in the middle." - LOVED that analogy & LOVE the show, thanks for bringing back the music & the good memories
you just can't have one genre to be your favorite in the 80's it's like choosing a favorite between your kids
Well, a man after my own heart... I couldn't have said it better myself.
My taste in music is very broadly eclectic... I have the 80's to thank for that. 😉
Ikr.,...
First off, thank You for nod to the complicated times we find ourselves living in, how sad they actually are. I would love music and times similar to either of the years you covered. The youth of today have no idea of the freedom we have lost. In the 80’s you could do what you wanted as long as you didn’t hurt anyone. The social music movement in ‘84/85 were out of love and promoted helping one another and coming together with others in unity; quite the opposite of the times we currently live in. There is such a feeling of loss for those of us who were in our mid-late 20’s during the 80’s; especially when discussing music of those by gone days. Music is the soundtrack to one’s life and it tends to highlight both very good as well as very dark times, events become engrained with the music that played out to them.
Anyway back to music, you are correct about the marriage of music/technology, a great combination in the 80’s. However it seems one could use the Buggles analogy of video killed the radio star, when following that marriage of music/technology. It would seem music isn’t as rich anymore and that technology has made things easy for artists, this cheapens the quality of the music (imo).
As to the years, overall I would give it a tie. I would have to agree with ‘84 being the winner in pop. There were so many great one hit wonders from both of those years also , from Tony Carey’s “Fine Fine Day”(84) to the Psychedelic Furs album “Midnight to Midnight” radio hit “Heartbreak Beat”(87), the variety and such diversity of music allowed everyone to find something that they liked.
I very much enjoy your videos, many of which bring back fond memories. Memories of a much better, more simper, and definitely a time when there were many more personal freedoms. Nothing better than 80’s music along with the MTV of the time.
Thank You for your videos and keep up the great work!!
I was 13 in 1984 and loved listening to Michael Jackson and Wham. I loved 1987 too because I went to my first concert and saw Frankie Valli. Both years were great for me.
1984 is my favorite year in music. So many artists coming out with great music & unforgettable unique looks. When i think of 1984 many artists that i like comes to mind... Prince, Cyndi Lauper, Duran Duran, Madonna, Eurythmics, Culture Club, etc... It was the year that i really got into music & bought my first album which was Cyndi Lauper- She's so Unusual released in October 1983 but i got around to it in 1984 since most of her singles came out this year. Girls just want to have fun was her only single released in 1983 & this album is one of my Top 5 favorite 80's albums. Purple Rain & Private Dancer by Tina in my top 5 as well.
1984 was the best year. I was in the 6th grade. Prince was everything, Darling Nikki revelatory. The pop singers were so memorable Madonna, Cyndi Lauper. Culture Club, Duran Duran - MTV on repeat. Footloose all the way. Wouldn't It Be Good-Nik Kershaw. Howard Jones - New Song!!! The Detroit Tigers won the World Series. If I could live that year on repeat, I would. Dan Hartman - I Can Dream About You -- 1987 - is an absolute favorite, but '84 wins.
Great point about the genres. I had always thought the early 70s AM radio was the most diversified, hearing old WNBC tapes of the early 70s where Sabbath was played before a Partridge Family record. Crazy. I guess because I was living in the middle of the whole decade of the 80s, it never really hit on me until many years later. And then, here you are bringing it back up. I host a radio segment called "Vinyl Museum" and some of your episodes inspire songs or artists I'd like to spotlight. You're the best.
There’s an old Top 40 Radio saying: “It’s not what you play that counts - it’s what you DON’T play”.
1984 for me, the year i really started to listen to music. went from 8th to 9th grade. music to influence your thinking and feeling.
I was 15 in 84 so music that year was defining for me, my heart is there but what about my head. Well, I am looking at this from my UK perspective, so what was on the airwaves over here. please be patient with me:
Artists are in order of albums appearing on the UK album Chart, some had more than one album:
1984 - Billy Joel, Eurythmics, U2, White Snake, Simple Minds, Thompson Twins, The Smiths, Madness, Queen, Nik Kershaw, Howard Jones, Style Council, Marillion, Ultravox, MJ, Rush, Echo and the Bunnymen, OMD, The Cure, Human League, Springsteen, Elton John, Spandaut Ballet, Pointer Sisters, Tina Turner, Sade, iron Maiden ZZ Top, Prince, Bowie, Depeche Mode, Sister Sledge, U2 UB40, Bronski Beat, Big Country, Culture Club, Frankie goes to Hollywood, Deep Purple, Wham, Alison Moyet, Duran Duran,
1987 - The Bangles, Deep Purple, Clapton, Style Council, Luther Vandross, Europe, The Smiths, U2, SImply Red, level 42, prince, Erasure, Whitesnake, Bryan Adams, Alison Moyet, Fleetwood Mac, Curiosity killed the cat, Suzanne Vega, Swing out Sister, Whitney, The Beastie Boys, Marillion, Janet Jackson, Terence trent D'arby, Heart Def Leppard, Michael Jackson, Pet Shop Boys, Wet Wet Wet, The Housemartins, Depeche Mode, Springsteen, Communards, Sting, ABC, T'Pau, George Michael, Eurythmics, Rick Astley, Madonna
As you look at it it has to be 84. However in 84 the pop revolution was in full flow, the 80s sound had been established and most artists were feeding of that. IN 87 the pop and rock sound was changing so many more innovative styles were appearing. I dont think there was much reinvention in 84 but 87 is full of it, i.e. Simply Red, Curiosity, Vega, Swing out Sister, Beastie Boys, Trent D'arby, Pet Shop Boys, the Wets, Housemartins, T'Pau. So 51% of me says 84 and 49% says 87
Easy answer: ‘84 was the Year of the Decade. It had a meteoric impact... it really was a game-changer year. Also, great call on The System! I absolutely LOVE “Don’t Disturb This Groove” ran out and bought the CD immediately... with the two guys driving in the convertible on the cover.
My favorite decade is definitely the 80’s for me and I am team 1984!!! I was 14 years old, had a boom box that I would listen to outside with my friends while we played freedom and other fun games from morning till night and till the batteries ran out! Also using the blank cassette tape to record the songs we waited to hear when they came on the radio so we can create our own personal greatest hits! Those were such special times that I’ll never forget! I absolutely love this channel because it takes me back to those special times that I really treasure so much!!!❤️
1984 with Duran Duran on top its the pinacle of 80s.
Graduated HS in 87. So all of 84 - 87 was pretty influential with all music genre.
Mr. Anderson same with me
Same here. We definitely had the best music for "The Best days of our lives"
Ugh, watching this I spent an easy $100 on music..... Keep up the good work reminding us how great the 80’s were!
1984. I was 16 & had started learning guitar just a couple of years before.
Van Halen - 1984.
The knockout blow.
I'm still hooked on guitars to this day.
1982 was a great year also, I would give a slight edge to '84 mainly because of the epic album heartbeat city by the cars!
Good call! He does at least have a Cars tape on the table behind him
@@biggestsign I was surprised too
Honestly 1982 to 1984 is the 80's and pop music at it's best.
@@scooterthepog3763 I agree with the one exception I would add '85 as well for some epic albums, songs from the big chair, brothers in arms, Whitney Houston's first album, etc.
@@danielwillette3895 I'd rather not say 85 At least to me I think 1985 mostly continued the success of 84. The songs/albums relased in 1985 were either good or blunders In my opinion. I do love Hunting High And Low and Songs From The Big Chair.
Loved this segment. I was involved with music industry from 1979 to 1990 and had the pleasure of meeting virtually everyone you’ve mentioned here. Love your tube.
In my opinion the music period 77 to 84 is the purple peak of popular music. Variety of styles competing, established and new artists jostling for top status. Emergence of videos, innovative use technology in production and electronic music. Never to be heard again. Everyone was at the top of their game. From a UK perspective - 1984 was best. This voted by readers of the national paper The Sun recently. I also believe similarly so by Rolling Stone and Billboard. But 84 was on the back of the 77-83 incredible period; with multiple genres, emerging talent that became legendary artists such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna but also alternative band greats too, The Cure, The Smiths, REM, etc. Along with the effective use of technology and media that left an indelible mark to this day. For me music peaked in 84. Rest 80s good especially 85 to 87 but then production took over. Most songs of 84 and I mean not just no.1s but across the charts were good then but 30 plus years later are now recognised and universally acknowledged as classic. . . Most no.1s are now generally regarded as radio standards; are durable songs with widespread play. All well known. Many were huge selling and at the time of 84 in UK the biggest selling single ever. Moreover half a dozen singles sold well over a million - I believe the highest number ever. And reviewing Guinness Book Records, of the 10 biggest selling songs of all the 1980s, the top 4 are from 1984 and overall six from 1984. You could make a greatest 80s compilation album just from the songs of 84. Interestingly 84 also had some great movies. And its noticeable that 84 is a fave year to base many recent TV and movies set in the 80s. It all came together in 84. I was born in 60s shaped 70s and partied the 80s. Time machine please.
The first time I heard "Let's Go Crazy", I was standing in front of the stage in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, after watching The Tubes open for Peter Gabriel who was opening for David Bowie. It was by far the biggest concert I had attended at that point in my life. It was hot and sweaty, people crammed in together. It was the largest crowd north of the 53rd parallel at that point in time. And "Let's Go Crazy" played over the P.A. before Bowie took the stage. It was an amazing day, but that is the only song I remember that wasn't played live on stage that day. Peter Gabriel diving into the crowd while singing "Lay Your Hands On Me" stands out, among many more, but Prince is the only song I remember from the P.A.system.
THAT IS CRAZY! I recently watched the whole AMERICAN MUSIC AWARD 1984 SHOW with Lionel Richie hosting, and I could not believe the acts and the albums and the songs that were in the winning and losing categories. It REALLY oprnedw my mind up to that single year being ONE amazing year for music. BUT, being the 80s music LOVER//////// no....IM OBSESSED! Being the 80s music OBSESSER that I am, peraonally and publically I've ALWAYS made it clear 1987 was my single most favorite year for 80s music. I just think that it's wild you have singled out those two years for this and I guess now with the things you've pointed out about those specific years its always been obvious , without me realizing it, are possibly the best two years of that whole decade of music that we love. I know you are sharing with THE WORLD but it has been so rewarding for me to feel like I have YOU to share and relate to when it comes to my love with the 80s. You are presenting it here in a different fashion than ive ever seen it. You really describe things in a way that actually takes me back there. Simply put, when it comes to the 80s.....I LIKE THE WAY YOU TALK!
Funny. I’ve seen a lot of that show and still have it on my ‘watch later’ list. Awesome.
Remember Dave Lee Roth saying at what i believe was the first MTV video awards, "It's not weather you win or lose but how good you look."
It's mpossible for me to pick a best year. Every song we hear has the potential to tap into memories that defined our lives. Thank you for being the source for so many of those taps.
Professor, you forgot about the song, Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.
Released in the summer of 1984 went to #1 on the Billboard hot 100 for three weeks beginning August 11th.
Didn’t forget. Just ran out of time ha ha. We have the story of this song from Ray Parker Jr. going to release it before Halloween. Thanks for watching!
@@biggestsign But Ghost Busters was the better and bigger hit and i'm a big Huey fan... I always thought the lawsuit was stupid
Also “If Ever You’re In My Arms Again”. Of course had my first girlfriend, Whitney, in ‘84, so I’m biased to that entire summer.
That song was either insanely popular or so catchy that is seemed that way. I remember it was often on the radio. So fun, it couldn't be overplayed.
Both great years. I regularly listen to the Casey Kasem AT40 rebroadcasts on iHeart Radio and when it's announced that the show is from 84, i smile. But, when I learn it's from 87, I re-arrange my day to listen to as much of the show as I can. Thanks for tackling this debate, Prof.
MJ "thriller" was one of the best music and film blending together adding in a spooky aspect of zombies and werecat/werewolf (some dispute that) i want to say it was a werewolf character. but on top of that Vincent Price as the spoken word part at the end of the song prolly the best song and music video from the 80s. some came close but no one could compare to Michael Jacksons, "Thriller". at age 5 i thought it was his present to be cause my birthday was just a few days prior... great song great album great video great decade great year [1984]
Listening to you is like listening to a friend, thank you!
1984 Talk Talk
Absolutely. I can't understand why the Professor hasn't mentioned this band more often, unless I've missed one of his videos.
In case you haven't seen it, there's 2 Talk Talk retro interviews from the Historic Films Stock Footage Archive now made available.
th-cam.com/video/TYqHenTBGjs/w-d-xo.html
Man we have the exact same taste in music. I've long told my son of 11 years of age that 1984 (I was 10) was my favourite year for music and life for that matter ever! Phenomenal!
1983 - Because that's when U2's WAR came out, as well as Under a Blood Red Sky. As well as Pyromania by Def Lepard, Synchronicity by the Police., Frontiers by Journey, etc, etc. Though 1987 is a close 2nd.
You got that right! 1983!
'84! Madness... Our House in the Middle of the Street. Amazing song and so well produced.
Released Nov. 12, 1982
@@PianoMan-hx3ev oh, I was off on that. Funny I remembered dancing to that song earlier but though I was misremembering since somewhere in google is was listed as '84. Thanks for setting it straight.
Imo 1987 is my favorite year, musically. Hysteria, BAD, Music For The Masses, Faith, Girls Girls Girls, I mean the list goes on and on.. just an incredible year that wasn’t engulfed by the late 80s, early 90s formulaic sound and look (which wasn’t a bad thing, personally). Thank you for your awesome content!
Appetite for Destruction!
HHstutz55 yes! How could I forget
Yes 87 was my favorite year in music and my favorite Depeche Mode album Music for the Masses!!!
Thank you so much Adam, your videos bring back such great memories of my childhood, your passion and knowledge is amazing. I listen a more varied list of 80s music now than I did back then. Please don't stop.
1984 was the best year of all time
….yes, arguably so….
Born 1970, this is part of the soundtrack to my teens. In 1984 I remember our English teacher walking into class, a kid quickly took his 5ape out of the teachers tape player. The teacher noticed and made the kid bring the tape up to the front of the class, the teacher asked about the music, no one answered so he started playing the tape, line by line and we had a class discussion about the lyrics. Best lesson ever, I still listen carefully to the lyrics of songs.
Tipper Gore - greatest music promoter ever. Those parental warnings just screamed BUY ME!
I love music......good music is life. I was privileged enough to go thru my teen years in the 80s. Each year of that decade had some of the best music....different styles, genres etc.....but I have to go with 84 as well. Keep up the great work and thank you for all the background and knowledge you pour out to us fans 💗🕊️
For sure 1984-1988 was an incredible year for amazing albums.
For all the genres .
Picking one year ...1984
Purple Rain .The soundtrack ,the movie .
Bruce Springsteen ‘Born in the USA’
Tina Turner ‘private dancer ‘ amongst other great albums that year.
Those three albums held the top 3 for nineteen weeks
Man... It's like picking your favorite kid!!! End of the day, I gotta go with '87 on the impact of Appetite for Destruction alone! In my opinion, there are just records which change the orbit of the planet, and Appetite was, and remains, one of those kinds of records.
Side note: I can't tell you what a blessing this channel has been to me man... I really didn't think there could be anybody else out there who just lives and breathes everything music, and I'm so glad I was wrong. Watching your videos is like visiting a brother, or kindred spirit, and I look forward to each and every one of them. Thank you Professor, and keep up the outstanding content!!!
Any year with a George Michael album released, is the greatest year.
Amen
You did an amazing job here. What an encyclopedic mind you have.
When you were going on and on about Prince's 'Purple Rain' in 1984, the whole time I was thinking "But dude - 1987 was 'SIGN O THE TIMES' - which is not only his best album, but maybe my favorite album of all time". Then you got around to bringing up SOTT and pretty much said everything I was thinking, and I just had to shake my head and chuckle. Nice job!
I've always considered the 80s to be, musically speaking, three decades in one : 80 -84 , 85-87, 88-90...
I agree and I would rank each of those "three decades" in the same order for overall music quality.
Great analysis; I'd say the 90s have a similar situation, but with two parts instead of one, with 90-95 being one half and 96-00 the other one. The music wasn't so good as 70s/80s though.
@@stephenhanft1226 dunno Stephen, to me Joshua Tree was the greatest CD I ever heard at the time. I was 10 and it blew my mind!
@@missingwestcoast IMHO, the 90s can be summed up in one word: Nirvana.
Same.
The more I watch Adam give these outstanding segments, the more addictive they've become. He puts his heart and soul into his craft. I enjoy how enthusiastic and knowledgeable he is and how eclectic his music taste is.
Adam and I are the same age, so we were both young boys at the start of the 80's. What's cool is that we like the same music (New Wave, R&B, Pop, Classic Rock, and Hard Rock).
Adam, here's a wild card for you in the footloose movie soundtrack theres very good song"never" by Australian rock Band "moving pictures " ,..their biggest hit internationally was the song "what about me?"... get an interview with them!
Whatever you do with the lighting in every other video of yours that you're not doing here so that you're not squinting your eyes, keep it up. It's so much more personal when you can see your eyes. Love your work, man.
84'! 87' things began getting way over produced!
Sunday, September 20, 2020
5:18 PM
I really miss the 80's. The music, fashion, movies, TV (especially MTV), even politics and really just the simpler time we lived in. The variety of music on Billboards top 40 week in, week out can't be rivaled by any decade before or since. I would even go so far as to say society was in a far better place than today and I think that the diversity of music played a huge part in that.
For me though it wasn't just Wolfman Jack , Casey Kasem and my friends that influenced my musical tastes, my Dad played a huge role in influencing the eclectic music collection I have amassed over the years. I still remember my Dad coming home from the record store (thanks for asking me to go!) with a handful of albums so different that it taught me to give anyone a listen. In 1 trip he would have Alabama, Earth Wind & Fire, Chuck Mangione, Oak Ridge Boys, and George Benson.
Of course there was Willie Nelson, Herb Albert, The Bee-Gees, Abba, Anita Baker, plus lots and lots and lots of Elvis. My Dad pretty much went from 50's rock & roll straight over the 60's and most of the 70's up until Saturday Night Fever. I think that movie rekindled an interest in music he had put aside while building a career and starting a family.
So that was my early education in music. Now to the question at hand, '84 or '87?
Without a doubt I pick 1984. I think many people overlook the big change in music that took place starting after 85/86. While many of the same artists were charting throughout the decade their sounds became quite different. Van Halen's 1984 was quite the pop success while 5150 not only lacked David Lee Roth but it lacked much of the playfullness that was 1984. This harder edge sound that Sammy Hagar brought could be found in many other bands of the time.
INXS went from Shabooh Shoobah to Kick., Fleetwood Mac's Mirage to Tango in the Night.
Def Leppard's Pyromania to Hysteria.
Some bands went the other way and adopted a softer edge like Foreigner and Genesis.
I'm not saying the different sounds were bad, most artists like to think of themselves as growing. I just prefer the "sounds" that I originally fell in love with and are tied to memories from my youth. I clearly remember 87 since that was the year I graduated high school, bought my first new car with a smokin sound system and turned OFF the radio for the first time since I was about 7 years old.
To me 1980 felt like just a carry over from the 70's. In 1981-82 disco still hung around. But after 85/86 and by coincidence with Miami Vice gone, music started it's slide downhill into a more segregated territory. By 87 country was gone from top 40 radio. So were jazz type artists like Herb Albert and George Benson. R&B was on it's way out too. New Wave was vanishing and by 87 we were left with just pop and an ever increasing harsher rock sound (Guns and Roses). There was also the unfortunate emergence of rap
Look, I can go crazy sometimes on some AC/DC, Cinderella, Aerosmith, etc. especially while playing my drums and I still listen to music from the entire decade but give me music from 1981-1986 any day of the week. Just reserve at least 1 day for some Elvis and other 50's classics.
My long winded vote goes to 1982.
BTW, if you own an Amazon Echo just ask it to play Billboard songs from specific years and you can definitely spot the trends in music . Also Miami Vice is worth a re-watch. I missed many good songs featured in that iconic show.
1985 gets no love, Prince Dominated the AMAs that year, the whole year had a ton of great songs and albums
I can’t!
Fall of 83 thru spring of 87 was my high school, my puberty, my awkward ventures into relationships, my first semester of college and my first step into adulthood.
Thank you for validating what I’ve always thought. I was one of millions teens/youth that grew up in that age and we were bombarded by the largest diversity of music, artist, and genres ever. It seem like everybody wanted to share everything. It was the wild west with music. Radio stations and the start of MTV three everything at us.
Hysteria has been firmly entrenched as my all-time favorite album for over 30 years, so I have to give my vote to ‘87. (Huey Lewis’ Sports from ‘84 is a ton of fun, too)
Sports is an 83 album.
@@belessretarded4770 truth. Most of the singles were released in ‘84, though. That’s where I got thrown off…
Hey, Adam!! Diggin' your t-shirt! I'm the biggest Journey with Steve Perry fan on earth. I actually had the pleasure of meeting Steve Perry in 1983. Unfortunately, I was unable to speak to him, as I was suffering "deer in the head lights syndrome" and he was so sweet to me. He said he understood and that I shouldn't worry about it. I'm so glad that my idol was not a prick. They say don't meet your idol bc you'll be disappointed. My experience was so sweet.
'84. And I graduated high school in "87.
Same here.
Same
Same.
Ditto
Same
87 great hard rock albums: GnR---Appetite, Crue---Girls Girls Girls, Whitesnake, Aerosmith---Permanent Vacation, Great White--Once Bitten, Y&T---Contagious, Satriani---Surfing with the Alien, Tesla---Mechanical Renaissance White Lion---Pride, Dokken---Back for the Attack, Helix---Wild In The Streets. This is just some of the great albums. ****Great segment Professor!! Both years ruled
Great video! Ready for music to become awesome again. I can’t find current music I’m passionate about. Any suggestions?
Nena Lavonne have you checked out Gorillaz with Robert Smith (The Cure) - Strange Days? My wife thinks this a new Cure song....
James Cook I haven’t, I will check it out :-)
darrell mfume I think part of the problem is that no one allows themselves to have time to think or to be bored anymore. We always have a device in our hand and are mildly entertained at all times so we are not motivated to be creative. I remember an interview with Neil Peart saying that part of his “work” was staring out the window. I think in these quiet moments genius can often be found.
The Apple Music catalogue has just about everything that had ever been recorded, I would recommend exploring different music styles of decades past. You might just be surprised at what you can find. Only downside is many of the artists from decades past no longer tour. Some do and you can find some really great venues but it’s not the majority.
Anyway, good luck in your search!
Nena I find myself going backwards to discover bands from the past that I overlooked, never heard of and different genres. I’ve discovered how
much I like Ella Fitzgerald.
Man what an incredible breakdown. Adam. This is one of your Professor best. Thank you, my sonic brother.
The nostalgia's making me tear up.
Mee too...
Me too!
And the "Big Bam Boom" of Hall and Oats?
Out of Touch sound by years on the Night Clubs, one most elaborated sounds of the 80's, that 'Sound Wall" is the most amazing memories i got from that years.
For me it's 1985.
Just to name two albums: Hounds Of Love, Misplaced Childhood
Running up that hill and cloudbusting is definitely on my top 10 best singles from the 80s
@@yuri2604 Maybe the best album of the entire 80s
Those are two good reasons
Misplaced Childhood is a great album! But, i do think Clutching at Straws tops it as my all time favorite. Surprisingly Marillion never took off in the United States but, with Kayleigh they did gain some recognition.
“Hounds of Love” by Kate Bush 1985 & “Disintegration” by The Cure 1989 two of the best albums of the 1980s
Soooo many great Rock albums were released in 1981! I was 14 years old then and for me, that was the greatest year in Rock! :)
I thought 1983 was pretty awesome for music that year. Especially for music from the UK.
It's the 80's. Every year is awesome until SAW started to ruin things and then rave/night club music started taking over near the end of the decade.
@Cheryl Damn you Cheryl, now I really want a bag of Quavers but all the shops are closed. It's going to be a long night.... ;-)
A mate of mine got into the rave scene and the drugs side of it to. To me it was just repetitive noises and you needed the drugs to get into it. I'm not judging you with that comment.
@Cheryl My mate went for a bit longer and harder than that. He was a completely different person who I lost contact with and when I did see him in town, he didn't even recognise me. He got clean later but it wasn't good.
Asda do Quavers as I've seen them, so they still make them and other supermarkets will probably sell them, depending who your nearest is. I'm going hunting myself but my local choices are a Co-Op, the Co-Op, another Co-Op and the villages surrounding us have only Co-Ops too. Plus a tiny Tesco. Good luck with your hunt.
Love professor of rock. I love his opinions and insights on 80 s music. He really knows his music. 1984 vs. 1987. Wow thats tough, 87 gave us whitesnake self titled 87, def leppard's hysteria album, whitney houston whitney album, 84 was a good year too.
I've got to go with 1984 since it is my favorite year ever for music. I don't believe I heard you mention the following from 84: the album an innocent man by billy joel, heartbeat city by the cars. Singles pink houses and authority song by john mellencamp, eyes without a face and rebel yell from billy idol, dance hall days by wang chung, and I could go on and on and on. I would love to see you do a list of the top 5 soundtracks from the 80s.
All the above are from 1983 except Heartbeat City and Dance hall days was first released in 1982.
Hey Professor, your music taste is right up my alley.
1984 was my Sophomore year in high school, 1987 was my Freshman year in college.
I guess you can say those were kinda memorable years for me! So lucky to be spoiled by all the great music.