My Top 20 Lists that I compiled as a kid 1973-1990

[Catfish]

September 1983 List-
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1. Neil Young- (No change)
2. Jackson Browne (+8)
3. Styx (-1)
4. Journey (-1)
5. Dire Straits (-1)
6. Loverboy (+3)
7. Bog Seger (-2)
8. Kansas ((-2)
9. Foreigner (-1)
10. Christopher Cross (-3)
11. Pat Benetar (No change)
12. Police (+1)
13. Rush (-1)
14. Led Zeppelin (+3)
15. Fleetwood Mac (+5)
16. Tom Petty (+3)
17. Duran Duran (-3)
18. Boston (No change)
19. Romantics (-3)
20. Def Leppard (-5)

 

[Catfish]

October 1983 List
------------------------
1. Neil Young (No change)
2. Jackson Browne (No change)
3. Styx (No change)
4. Journey (No change)
5. Dire Straits (No charge)
6. Loverboy (No change)
7. Pat Benetar (+4)
8. Bob Seger- (+4)
9. Kansas (-1)
10. Rush (+3)
11. Foreigner (-2)
12. Police (No charge)
13. Christopher Cross (-3)
14. Led Zeppelin (No change)
15. Fleetwood Mac (No change)
16. ZZ Top (New)
17. Tom Petty (-1)
18. Boston (No change)
19. Toto (New)
20. Duran Duran (-3)

Haven't given much air time to the old stuff. Here is one that I loved as a kid. Several versions of it exist on YT, but I thought this was the most interesting and entertaining, with their comic banter with the Smothers Brothers. Song perfectly encapsulates the sound of the pop/rock aspects of the '60's. Lip Sync and all.

 

[Catfish]

November 1983 List-
----------------------------
1. Neil Young (No change)
2. Jackson Browne (No change)
3. Styx (No change)
4. Journey (No change)
5. Loverboy (+1)
6. Dire Straits (-1)
7. Pat Benetar (No change)
8. Bob Seger (No change)
9. Kansas (No change)
10. ZZ Top (+6)
11. Rush (-1)
12. Foreigner (-1)
13. Led Zeppelin (+1)
14. Police (-2)
15. Christopher Cross (-2)
16. Fleetwood Mac (-1)
17. Tom Petty (No change)
18. Toto (+1)
19. Boston (-1)
20. Romantics (New)

Concert: The Romantics November 1, 1983- Price on Stub- $4.00. Another concert at my favorite local bar. Oddly enough, there were probably 5X the amount of people at this one, as was at the Ramones visit, at this same venue a year earlier. Place was packed. Don't seem to remember them being that good live. I do know they played their 2 hits, and plenty of filler. Nothing special.

 

[Catfish]

December 1983 List-
-----------------------------
1. Neil Young (No change)
2. Styx (+1)
3. Jackson Browne (-1)
4. Journey (No change)
5. Loverboy (No change)
6. Dire Straits (No change)
7. Pat Benetar (No change)
8. ZZ Top (+2)
9. Bob Seger (-1)
10. Kansas (-1)
11. Led Zeppelin (+2)
12. Rush (-1)
13. Foreigner (-1)
14. Police (No change)
15. Bruce Springsteen (New)
16. Christopher Cross (-1)
17. Fleetwood Mac ((-1)
18. Boston (+1)
19. Tom Petty (-2)
20. Toto (-2)

Keeping with today's "oldie theme".... Here is one that I remember even earlier that I really liked, my parent's music of course. I mean in my terms... way way back..... And in the trivia department, This was the first time and song that a UK act had a U.S No. 1 hit. (1962) I for sure would have guessed The Beatles. Song sure sounded a head of its time, even as an instrumental.

 

[Magic]

January 1983 List
----------------------


Loverboy- . Another good band from Canada, and it seems like the early '80's were the Canuck hay day. April Wine, among others. Hard rock with great hooks and best played loud. According to wiki, they charted 12 singles in the U.S. in the Top 40 in 6 years and 4 albums. Not too shabby if you ask me.

Lots to choose from, I'll pick this one

I liked Loverboy back then. Turn Me Loose, Working For The Weekend, Lovin Every Minute of It…..all got tons of radio play. I only bought one album, though, Lovin’ Every Minute of It. Then they dropped off my radar.

March 1983 List


The 16 level jump for Christopher Cross is unexplainable. Listening to the likes of fluff like Cross and Little River Band must have been a counter to the coninual depressing stuff I was listening to with Neil Young.

The Christopher Cross debut wasn’t all bad, IMO. Ride Like the Wind & Sailing were decent chill tunes, that got a crap ton of radio time.

 

[Magic]

July 1983 List
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Def Leopard- . Fantastic group, straight forward hard rock, with a tinge of pop-Sweet, T-Rexish touch. This group was kind of strange in my thoughts, in that there were finally rock stars who were younger than I was. I recommend the 2nd though 5th album for a sample of when the band was in it's prime. Yeah, they got quite a boost off the video age, but this was a really good band. I like this one for it's nostalgic bend on the late '60's early 70's UK Glam Rock era, and it's good too.



View attachment 226243

Def Leppard…..I started with Pyromania & Hysteria then they kinda went into oblivion until Songs From the Sparkle Lounge. Great comeback album, IMO. I honestly liked what they did with Tim McGraw, shows they have a sense of humor……...I know, shocker!

Nine Lives

I also liked their collaboration with Taylor Swift, too.

Def Leppard & Tay Tay’s Crossroads Playlist

 

[TACdtf]

Def Leppard…..I started with Pyromania & Hysteria

Def Leppard....I ended with Pyromania & Hysteria. lol

 

[Catfish]

January 1984 List
-------------------------
1. Neil Young (No change)
2. Styx (No change)
3. Jackson Browne (No change)
4. Loverboy (+1)
5. Journey (-1)
6. Dire Straits (No change)
7. ZZ Top (+1)
8. Bob Seger (+1)
9. Kansas (+1)
10. Pat Benetar (-3)
11. Led Zeppelin (No change)
12. Rush (No change)
13. Bruce Springsteen (+2)
14. Foreigner (-1)
15. Police (-1)
16. Fleetwood Mac (+1)
17. Boston (+1)
18. Tom Petty (+1)
19. Christopher Cross (+1)
20. The Kings (New)

The Kings-. The Kings are pretty much a trivia question now, and known as a one hit wonder. I guess they milked it for the Casino circuit for a long time afterwards This video is kind of sad in the manner it documenterizes them playing it over and over for 30 years. Kings? Yeah maybe of Album Filler. Great catchy tune here though.....

Concert: Girlschool- January 31, 1984. No stub, admission was cover charge.

What a sad, but fun night. This concert was held again at my local watering hole. It was a farewell party for our local FM Rock station. Way before there was the term "Classic Rock Stations" there was just Rock stations. By the mid '80's these were dying a slow death. Even the what I felt was the invincible KLOL in Houston would die too, within 20 years, or so.

This was the station's last night, and they set up a remote at the bar, and played tunes after the concert. The concert itself was with the rocking Punkish/Metalish girl band Girlschool (below), who had a helluva of lot of talent, but could never crack the U.S. charts. From a rock and roll perspective, they sure rocked better and harder than the Go Go's. These girls got the place loud and rowdy. Can't remember ever seeing so many messed up Texans in my life. People were pissed we were losing our Rock Station.

Station was also interviewing the crowd while spinning tunes. When they stuck the mic in my face, I said "Disco Still Sucks". Sometimes you can't take the '70's out of the boy.

When the band stopped, the DJ played nothing but the greatest classics for the last 2 hours of the life of the station. With last song being...... Long Live Rock, by The Who. What a fun night.

 

[TACdtf]

That would've been a great time to see Girlschool.

 

[Catfish]

February 1984 List-
----------------------------
1. Neil Young (No change)
2. Styx (No change)
3. Loverboy (+1)
4. Jackson Browne (-1)
5. Journey (No change)
6. Dire Straits- (No change)
7. Bob Seger (+1)
8. Kansas (+1)
9. ZZ Top (-1)
10. Fleetwood Mac (+6)
11. Police (+4)
12. Big Country (New)
13. Pat Benetar (-3)
14. Led Zeppelin (-3)
15. Rush (-3)
16. Bruce Springsteen (-3)
17.Foreigner (-3)
18. Tom Petty (No change)
19. Boston (-2)
20. English Beat (New)

Seems the themes of late are one hit wonders and nostalgia.

Big Country- Scottish band used native sounds and roots into their sound. The tune I have added below, has their guitar almost sounding like how bagpipes would be if added. The did well in the U.S with their first album, and then pretty much faded. In the UK OTOH I noticed that all 9 of the works charted in the their Top 100.

English Beat- Another short time '80's English wuss band, who had good success mostly in the UK. But you got to give them props having a tune good enough that Pete Townsend asks you, if you can do a cover. Overall take on this band... 3 and done.

Concert: Three Dog Night, February 5, 1984, price of ticket on stub- $7.50- Band nicely did their extensive catalog of hits for a few hours. In this fit of nostalgia, I noticed I was with a bunch of old people, and the venue had the energy of a nursing home. Found how it was at a Slim Whitman concert. Second thing I noticed, these weren't the same people I rememberd seeing on the albums 15 years earlier. But for $7.50 how could you go wrong.

Concert: Night Ranger and Black Sabbath February 10, 1984, price on ticket stub $11.00- Nostalgia for the month Part II was entirely differently. Night Ranger was never in my scope, so after hearing Sister Christian, I was pretty much done with interest there.

Wow.... Now came Black Sabbath. Yeah, they were Ozzyless but seeing Iommi, Ward, and Butler was a joy as they hit the stage. Then the bricks fell. Tony and company cranked the Marshall's up to "12", and I was subjected to the loudest 2 hours of my life. The sets lists were great, as all the early epic classic stuff was covered, along with their newer, but less interesting material. True story though, when we all left, we all could barely hear other, and had an overbearing ring in our hearing. And it took 2 days to get it back.

My favorite Sabbath tune?....