Before John Mellencamp began taking himself a mite too seriously, he was just a fun rocker guy who hit on a massive earworm with summer ’82’s “Hurts So Good”. “Hurts” broke him wide open, catapulting its parent album American Fool to the top of the album charts and peaking at #2 on Billboard’s Top 100.… Read More “Hurts So Good” by John Cougar (Mellencamp) (1982)
“Hungry Like The Wolf” was the first time many of us in America heard of Duran Duran. Perhaps more importantly, “Hungry Like The Wolf” marked the first time many Americans saw Duran Duran. And while there was certainly a contingent of people who saw the Fab Five as major eye candy (like my cousin Antoinette… Read More “Hungry Like The Wolf” by Duran Duran (1982)
When I was a kid, there were definitely people that cast aspersions on Michael Jackson’s sexuality. In the late ‘70s and ‘80s, the “Michael is gay” rumors were prevalent, to the point that a rumor floated (and was published) that MJ had actually undergone a sex change operation. Allegedly, the sex change was so that… Read More “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson (1982)
“How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?” is such an intimate song, you can close your eyes and feel like Prince is right next to you, hashing his thoughts about a recent breakup out on the piano. The only percussion is Prince’s feet kicking away at the pedals. It would be within reason to think… Read More “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?” by Prince (1982)
I’m fairly certain I didn’t know the meaning of the word “lush” the first time I heard Fleetwood Mac’s “Hold Me” (cut me some slack, I was five), but my intro to that song created a mood in my head that I would later grow to understand as the definition of the word “lush”. Christine… Read More “Hold Me” by Fleetwood Mac (1982)
Yes, I realize this is out of order. I’ve been going back and doing some re-rating. In the case of Paul Davis’s “Cool Night”, here was a song I fell in love with after the fact. Way after the fact. 36 or 37 years after the fact. Look, I listened to the radio in 1981… Read More “Cool Night” by Paul Davis (1981)
Players can be vulnerable, so sings Morris Day on The Time’s 1982 track “Gigolos Get Lonely Too”. Released as the second single from the funk band’s sophomore album, “Gigolos” slowed the pace down from their previous three hits, “Get It Up”, “Cool” and “777-9311”. It offered Morris the chance to do something resembling actual crooning,… Read More “Gigolos Get Lonely Too” by The Time (1982)
Here’s what I know about Australia independent of Men At Work’s “Down Under”: our seasons run opposite to one another, it’s the only continent that’s also a country, it was founded as a penal colony, INXS, Crocodile Dundee, koala bears, Steve Irwin, my friend Brittany lives there, Andrew Gaze the basketball player (he was at Seton… Read More “Down Under” by Men At Work (1982)
Have you folks checked out the Beyond Yacht Rock podcast? It’s awesome. Actually, before that, you might want to check out the Yacht Rock web series, and then jump over to the podcast. One of my favorite elements of the podcast is that there’s a recurring series of mini-sodes called “Yacht Or Nyacht”, in which the… Read More “Don’t Talk To Strangers” by Rick Springfield (1982)
I’ve already discussed how Janet’s 1982 debut album is a low-key jam. “Don’t Mess Up This Good Thing” is probably the album cut that’s most suggestive of the itchy funk that she’d go on to perfect with the assistance of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. It’s produced by Foster Sylvers, whose big brother Leon defined… Read More “Don’t Mess Up This Good Thing” by Janet Jackson (1982)
Five Star Jamz 