Aussie Powerpop 80s Under Neon: "What You Need" by Sunnyboys (1981)

80s Disco-Funk Under Neon: "Strung Out on the Boogie" by Gangsters (1981)

80s Disco/Funk Under Neon: "Walking Into Sunshine" by Central Line (1981)

Jazz/Blues/RnB/Funk/Soul/Latin Under Neon: "Funkadelic" by Electro-Cuties (1981)

Akhu's Movie Reviews: 'An American Werewolf in London' (1981)

Movie: An American Werewolf in London

Year: 1981

My Rating: 6.9/10 Stars ******'

A classic 80's werewolf movie, and being from the 80s makes it even better for me, I just dig 80s movies I guess. Very gruesome special effects, but well done. Check this one out if you are a were-wolf movie fan/horror movie fan, its a must see in that case, and it's on cable tv all of the time.  

Akhu's Movie Reviews: 'The Howling' (1981)

Movie: The Howling

Year: 1981

My Rating: 5.8/10 Stars ******

This movie was so not scary at all, and the best part about it I suppose are the werewolf transformation scenes, being good special effects for 1981, and actually looks more real than the crappy computer-generated graphics they have these days. John Sayles did screenwriter for this, so it is redeemed some, but I don't know if it is even worth watching even if you are werewolf movie fan.

#29 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown: 'Our Lips Are Sealed' by The Go-Go's (1981)

Greetings 80's fans, we are now in the 20's range of the Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown! So, without delay, #29 of the countdown is Our Lips Are Sealed by all female American Rock-pop group The Go-Go's. The Go-Go's started out on the music scene back in 1978 in Los Angeles, California and they are hailed as the first all-female rock band who played all of their own instruments, wrote all of their own songs, and that produced top Billboard Hot 100 hits. When they made it big in the early 1980's the band consisted of members  Belinda Carlisle (vocals), Jane Wiedlin (guitar, vocals),  Kathy Valentine (bass), and Elissa Bello (drums). Their debut album titled Beauty and the Beat (released in July of 1981) peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart and it is considered by many to be one of the true cornerstone new wave albums that paved the way for the genre at that time. That very same album would reach double platinum status, making it one of the most successful debut albums of all time. Incidentally, Our Lips Are Sealed was the first track on that very album and in the year 2000 Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the 100 Greatest Pop Songs of All Time. Our Lips Are Sealed would peak at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, #10 on U.S. Billboard Club Play Singles chart, #2 on the ARIA Singles chart, and #47 on the UK Singles chart. No doubt The Go-Go's hit it big in the 80's, and thus I knew I had to include at least one of their songs on this countdown. Apparently this song was covered by the Duff sisters in 2004. Well there is #29, stay tuned for #28 and may the force be with you...

#35 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown: 'Working For the Weekend' by Loverboy (1981)

And #35 of the Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown is.....Working For the Weekend, by 80's Canadian rock band Loverboy! Loverboy was formed in Calgary, Alberta Canada back in the year 1980, and it consisted of members  Mike Reno (lead vocalist), Paul Dean (lead guitar), Scott Smith (bass guitar), Doug Johnson (keyboards), and Matt Frenette (drums). The band is currently based out of Vancouver, B.C. in Canada, and have since picked up member Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve. Loverboy has quite a classic 80's rock sound, and they are best known for this Working For the Weekend single and their Turn Me Loose (also 1981) single. Throughout the years Loverboy has produced 4 albums that have achieved multi-platinum status, thus selling millions of albums since their early days in the 1980's. Working For the Weekend comes off of their October 1981, 2nd studio release album titled Get Lucky.  The song peaked at #2 on the US Mainstream Rock chart and at #29 on the Pop Singles chart. The Get Lucky album itself would attain the peak spot at #7 on the Billboard Hot 200 albums chart, and would remain listed on the Hot 200 chart for over 2 years and sell around 4 million copies in the USA alone. This album was later remastered and re-release in 2006 with 4 bonus tracks of previously unreleased demo songs. Now, many of you will probably recognize this song from the coal-mining scene in the 2001 hit Ben Stiller comedy film Zoolander. I must say that is the scene that comes to mind when I hear this song, which also makes this the second 80's dance hit off of this Top 100 Countdown that was on the Zoolander Soundtrack, whoever produced that soundtrack sure knew their 80's music! This song was also featured in the 2003 film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, an episode of the television series Scrubs, as well as an episode of Saturday Night Live in the famous Chippendale's audition skit with Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze (RIP to them both).  I would also add that Working For the Weekend was ranked at #100 on VH1's 100 greatest songs of the 80's, so I am not the only one including it on a Top 100 80's list aye!  ;-D This post also found at http://your80smusicauthority.blogspot.com/

#53 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown!: "The KKK Took My Baby Away" by The Ramones (1981)

Well now, its been a bit too long this time hasn't it? I have been away at weddings and DJ gigs and what not, but I am back here today to present #53 of the countdown! And the song is....The KKK Took My Baby Away by the legendary American punk-rock band The Ramones. The Ramones are one of those staple punk-bands of all time, and they will always be out there in the spot light, at least they will be if I have anything to say about it. The Ramones originated in Forest Hills, in the burrow of Queens, New York, and they were active as a band from 1974-1996. They had a major influence on punk rock music in the USA and in the UK. All of the band members adopted the surname of Ramone, despite the fact that not of them were actually related. According to wikipedia The Ramones toured almost non-stop for more than 22 years and that they performed at 2,263 concerts during that time, and in 1996 they disbanded following one final show at the 1996 'Lollapalooza.' By 2004, the 3 lead members of the band had all died, inlcuding lead singer Joey Ramone, guitarist Johnny Ramone, and bassist Dee Dee Ramone. In 2002 The Ramones were inducted into the 'Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The KKK Took My Baby Away appeared on their 6th studio release album which was titled Pleasant Dreams and was released in July of 1981, and it was written by Joey Ramone. Well there it is in all its glory, now what could #52 be?? I reckon I should do that one sooner innit?

#66 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown: "Sex Dwarf" (1981) by Soft Cell

Its that time again, this time its #66, and the song is...Sex Dwarf by British synth-pop duo Soft Cell. Soft Cell consisted of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball and was originally from Leeds, England. Sex Dwarf came off of their 1981 release album titled Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which also contained their major 80's hit song which they are best known and renowned for, (and definitely is one of those songs that gets stuck in one's head way too easily) Tainted Love. This was also Soft Cell's first album. The duo became quite big right during the ecstasy club-scene of the early 80's in New York, and this song had a controversial S&M video which was banned in the UK for explicit content at the time. The duo was known for having drug abuse issues and like so many other successful 80's groups were constantly using drugs (according to wikipedia). In the UK Soft Cell achieved Ten Top 40 Hits, and 4 Top 20 albums between 1981-1984. They initially split in 1984, but then reformed in the early 2000's and made a new album in 2002. The song is a bit racy, but if you can handle it, it has a great dance beat and definitely hits an 80's mark that not many others do.

#75 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown!

Here we are again folks, now presenting #75 of the Countdown, and the song is...Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me), by British singer/songwriter Rod Stewart. Rod Stewart comes out of England, and is of English and Scottish decent. Stewart was born in London way back in 1945 at the close of WWII, and he started his music career with the Jeff Beck Group in the late 1960's and early 1970's. In 1969 he also officially began a solo career with his first debut album. Stewart has had something like 62 hit singles over the 5 decades of his music career and he was voted the 33rd Greatest Singer of All Time by Q Magazine. Stewart has a memorable voice and has always had a memorable hairstyle. Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me) is a song that came into my awareness not all that long ago, but it was the title track for his 1981 album of the same name. The album and the song were some of the first of Stewart's where he began adding some synth-pop and an 80's New Wave flavor to his sound which so defined his 80's musical style, and was different from his previous work for sure. Tonight I'm Yours reached #11 on the US Pop Albums Chart, and ended up going platinum. The album generated 5 big singles, and incidentally the biggest hit single from that album was Young Turks which reached #5 on the Pop Singles and Mainstream Rock Charts. Well, enough data, now for the song, enjoy yourself some Rod the Bod!
Rod Steward - Tonight I`m yours - MyVideo

#85 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown!

Welcome back to VJ Samsonite's top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown! Today we are presenting #85 of the top 100 countdown! And the song is the new wave classic...Kids In America, by English pop-singer, author, and television presenter, ya sabes, Kim Wilde. Kids In America was her first big time hit (and will always be ranked highly in the classic new wave 80's genre) which rocketed to #2 on the UK Singles charts upon its release in 1981. The song did not debut in the USA (ironically) until 1982 when it became a Top 30 Hit. According to wikipedia the song was originally written by Ricky and Marty Wilde, and then sent to Kim who made it big. Their was also a 1994 re-release version of the song produced for Kim's Singles Collection released that year. Saludos.