Pick songs by year starting with 1960 to current chronologically

Todd is one of my favorites. Nice catch!

 

“1984” — Van Halen

After listening to this synthesizer prelude you... Might as well jump.


from 1984 (Warner Bros., 1984)

 

“Wake Up (It's 1984)” — Oingo Boingo

I have to say I never saw Weird Science, and this is not really my jam. “Dead Man's Party” has a certain charm however, and Oingo Boingo definitely had a following back then.


from Good For Your Soul (A&M, 1983)

 

“The World in 1984” — Shearwater

Some soulful indie rock/pop from what was originally an Okkervil River spinoff.


from The Winged Life (Misra, 2004)

 

**************1985***********

SR-71 - 1985

I like this little known band. Apparently a group called Bowling for Soup did a cover of this song that is more well known.



Bowling for Soups Version...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K38xNqZvBJI

 

Here's another one. This one by Klaatu is from the LP Sir Army Suit, maybe my favorite of theirs.

It happened back in ancient times
When people worked overtime overtime
In fact I think in 1985

 

“Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five” — Paul McCartney & Wings

Sorry to post an obvious one, but I love this song. Peak Macca? It's gotta be up there.

"With a lot of songs I do, the first line is it. It's all in the first line, and then you have to go on and write the second line. With 'Eleanor Rigby' I had 'picks up the rice in the church where the wedding has been.' That was the one big line that started me off on it. With this one it was 'No one ever left alive in nineteen hundred and eighty-five. That's all I had of that song for months. No one ever left alive in nineteen hundred and eighty... six?' It wouldn't have worked!"

— Paul McCartney, Paul McCartney In His Own Words


from Band On The Run (Apple, 1973)

A few leftovers from 1984:
“(Another) 1984” — Billy Squier (1984)
“1984” — Rick Wakeman (1980)
“1984” — New Model Army (1980)
“1984” — Dollie (1980) Norwegian pop, and yes, it sounds like ABBA. Except sung in Norwegian (I assume).
“1984” — The 4 Skins (1984) Yup, it's punk.
“The Rise and Fall of 1984” — The Overdrive Superthruster (2007)

 

Missed this one but it mentions 1980 and 1985 as well:

(Another) 1984 - Billy Squier

 

Great minds think alike again. A number of my selections prepared for today have already been posted. I should try and be less obvious

Here is '1985' by the Manic Street Preachers.

 

Looking for something a little less obvious and searching among artists I wasn't previously familiar with, I found this track '1985' by Norwegian heavy metal band Kvelertak. It's some quite catchy hard rock music with not quite death metal but some of the way there vocals. Video includes brief nudity, mild threat, some violence, and an exploding television.

 

'Love 1985' by the Marketts


instrumental from the 1964 LP "Out of Limits"; written by Pat Vegas (later of Redbone)
The Marketts - Out Of Limits

 

'85 and still alive' by Dick van Altena and Ruud Hermans


from a 1986 Netherlands LP
Still Alive (1986, Vinyl)
also released by Ruud Hermans on the B-side of a single
Ruud Hermans & Natalie Shelar – Two of a kind / '85 and still alive (1986, Vinyl)

 

“July 13th 1985” — John Wesley Harding

“What was being at Live Aid like, daddy?” “Here, lemme play this record. He tells it funnier than me.”




from It Happened One Night (Demon, 1988)

 

“The New Messiah Coming 1985” — Hapshash & The Coloured Coat

Before going down this rabbit hole thread of "year songs," I was completely unaware of this record's existence, and of this artsy musical collective founded by a couple of English artists/graphic designers, who were apparently known for creating psychedelic rock concert posters for Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, the Soft Machine, and others. The vibe here is proto-psychedelic folk, a sort of British version of an even looser, far out Velvet Underground. Among many others, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones and future "London Calling" producer Guy Stevens were involved in this project.

Fun fact: I'd always thought that Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild" (1968) was the first mention of the term "heavy metal" in a rock 'n' roll context. But check out the title of this album, which was released in 1967: Featuring The Human Host & The Heavy Metal Kids... !


from Hapshash & The Coloured Coat Featuring The Human Host and the Heavy Metal Kids (Imperial, 1967; re-released on Sundazed, 2016)

Sample posters:

 

“1985” — Mystery Jets

New to me, but I like it. Remind anyone else of Pink Floyd?


from The Curve of the Earth (Caroline, 2016)

 

I like the Mystery Jets cut. There is some pink floyd vibe in the 2nd half of the song. I would say it sounds like it could have come off Richard Wright's Wet Dream LP.

Just read their BIO. They were inspired by Syd Barrett and also influenced by King Crimson.

This video by the Mystery Jets is a hoot! It has the most views.

 

“1985” — Carcass

I thought I heard Brian May of Queen in the opening guitar notes. Turns out these guys were "grindcore" (?) then changed their style to "melodic death metal" (an oxymoron?) I must be getting old.


from Surgical Steel (Nuclear Blast, 2013)

 

“Lifted Up (1985)” — Passion Pit

The opening of this video is a pretty cool overhead shot.


from Kindred (Columbia, 2013)

 

My wife's toes were tapping when I played this!

 

**********1986***********
Portugal the Man- Feel it Still

What cool James Bond sounding song! I don't know why James Bond popped in my brain.

 

Alive in '85

 

I don't have a lot for 1986, so I'd better get in quick.

'Halley Came To Jackson' by Mary Chapin Carpenter



This song mentions Halley's Comet, in 1910 and 1986. Lyrics include:

Now daddy told the baby sleeping in his arms
To dream a little dream of a comet's charms
And he made a little wish as she slept so sound
In 1986 that wish came 'round

'Can't Tell Me Nothin'' by Travis Tritt

Tritt's lyrics are perhaps less poetic.

1986 Harley
Blowing smoke and sucking oil
My daddy said, 'Buy it and you're crazy boy'
You can't tell me nothin'

 

I used to have an original 1967 UK mono copy on red vinyl, although I don't remember playing it very often .... The Island Records' group Art (which would become Spooky Tooth) played on the album; I've never heard that Brian Jones was involved
Hapshash And The Coloured Coat – Featuring The Human Host And The Heavy Metal Kids (1967, Red, Vinyl)

 

Maybe we should quit while we are ahead

Destoyer-
"Watercolours into the Ocean"

Listening to "Strawberry Wine"
For the 131st time
It was 1987, it was spring
It's 1987 all the time
Now it's 1987 all the time