Monday, April 18, 2011

Why The 80's Ruled the Music Scene

I am a self-professed child of the 80's. I was ages 10-20 in the 80's - I grew up there. I had the BIG HAIR and the Esprit retro tank dress and the studded triple belts (in white and black.) I had leg warmers and jelly bracelets and swatch watches (a minimum of 3 on each arm.) I slept out on a sidewalk to get tickets to see George Michael. I wore my Axel Rose Guns & Roses headband (late 80's), worshipped Bon Jovi, and never got to see U2. I fought for my right to party, knew all the words to Jodi Whatley, and still thought Milli Vanilli were great.

Two words: John Hughes. Two more: Pac man.

I could go on and on and on about how I honestly believe the 80's were the best time to grow up in. (and you know all you 80's kids agree too...)

However, on one front I think we are the indisputable champions, and that's on the Music front. I won't necessarily take up the argument that the 80's music was better (although it was); it was DIFFERENT.

If you pull up the Billboard Top 10 list for any random week in 1987, you'll most likely see something like this:

10.Beastie Boys (Rap)
9. George Michael (Pop)
8. Michael Jackson (Pop)
7. Motley Crue (Metal)
6. The Cure (Alternative)
5. Bon Jovi (Pop/Rock)
4. Bobby Brown (Pop/Dance)
3. New Order (Alternative)
2. Run DMC (Rap)
1. REM (Alternative)

That is a good 5-6 different genres of music. All on 1 Top 10 List. And at any given minute, you could have several of those in your tape collection. (Yes - I said tape.)

Try a random week in 1985. You'd see:

10. Michale Jackson (Pop)
9. The Go-Gos (Pop/Dance)
8. John Cougar Mellencamp (Pop-Country-ish)
7. Journey (Ballad Pop)
6. Simple Minds (Alternative-ish)
5. ZZ Top (Rock)
4. Van Halen (Rock)
3. Commodores (R&B)
2. Foreigner (Rock/Pop)
1. Madonna (Dance)

Granted, metal had just not peeked onto the scene yet, but still..that's 5-6 totally different types of music again.

Try 1989:

10. New Kids on the Block (Dance Pop)
9. Tone Loc (Dance/Rap)
8. Poison (Metal/Rock)
7. Paula Abdul (Dance/Pop)
6. Aerosmith (Rock)
5. Milli Vanilli (Pop)
4. REM (Alternative)
3. Young MC (Dance/Rap)
2. Warrant (Metal)
1. Fine Young Cannibals (Alternative Pop)

Again - you might have your Tone Loc CD (most of us had some CDs by this point) right next to your Guns & Roses CD. Or your Paula Abdul and your REM all together.

And we did. Even if you were a metal-lover, I guarantee you had some of that other stuff on you. Run DMC or REM or U2. Bobby Brown. Michael Jackson. Van Halen. The GoGos. The Bangles. It was messed up, I tell you.

But I really DID love my Funky Cold Medina (Tone Loc) AND my Quiet Riot. I Lived On A Prayer (Bon Jovi) and Walked Like an Egyptian (Bangles) at the same time. I had hair like Vince Neil and clothes like Whitney Houston. REALLY.

OK...so flash forward to this week - 3rd week in April 2011. Here's what's on the Top 10 this week:

10. Katy Perry (Dance/Pop)
9. Rhianna (Dance/Pop)
8. Britney Spears (Dance/Pop)
7. Ke$ha (Dance/Pop)
6. Black Eyed peas (Dance/Pop)
5. Celina Gomez (Pop)
4. Chris Brown (Dance/Pop)
3. Ce Lo (Pop)
2. Jennifer Lopez (Dance/Pop)
1. Lady GaGa (Dance/Pop)

See the difference? Now don't get me wrong - I LOVE most of those artists. (Not Chris Brown, cause he's a psychopath.) I will download the crap out of some Britney and GaGa and Ke$ha. My point is the lack of variety. Sure, every once in awhile you'll get a Lady Antebellum in there (which I would only loosely call "Country") or Taylor Swift (ditto to her stuff...) You might get something that swings a little closer to Rap than to Dance. But really - it's all the same shit. No variety at all.

And some of the stuff you can find that IS a little different? REMAKES OF OLD 80's SONGS! (Exhibit A: the Black Eyed peas re-making "Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing.)

I have 2 kids, and I am trying to at least expose them to something different. Lord knows my 7 and 9 year old children cannot listen to Rhianna singing about how she smells sex in the air and whips and chains excite her. They do, however, love Jimmy Buffett and Bob Marley. Chase is particular likes the Charlie Daniels Band. They will both rock out to some old Van Halen. They know most of the words to "Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi. (OK - that's mostly because it's the theme song on "Deadliest catch", but they still like it.)

Even the kid's music teacher at school is making an effort. Granted, he was still in diapers in the 80's, but his concerts of late have had the kids singing songs from the movie "Footloose" and songs by the 80's band Styx.

I think that growing up in the 80's is why I have such diverse music on my ipod. I can listen to Aretha Franklin and Prodigy one right after the other and not give it a second thought. I can listen to Johnny Cash followed by Ke$ha. I have Limp Bizkit and Britney Spears back to back. And it's OK.

I feel sorry for the kids today, not because the music is bad. Only because the music is all the SAME.

The 80's ruled. Welcome to the Jungle, I'm Hungry Like The Wolf, and I Wanna Dance With Somebody, cause it's My Prerogative. After all, It's the End of the World as We Know It, and I feel fine....

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Happy Camper

Last weekend, I forced my family (meaning my husband) to take our annual trek into the pseudo-wildnerness for a camping trip. He got out of it last year, becuase we did it on spring break, and he was working (The kids and I hit Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine and St. Joseph Peninsula State Park in Cape San Blas.) The year before last we did 1 night at Ft. Desoto Park in St. Petersburg.

This year's trek was to Tomoka State Park in Ormond Beach. Long story short, we had a great time. We went camping - in a tent - and had a mostly no electronics rule.

We didn't watch movies or check email or send text messages. There was no Facebook once we arrived. No PS3 or Angry Birds or any video games at all. My kids went almost 48 hours electronics free. What on earth did they do?

They rode bikes. They rode probably more than they have ever ridden before. On trails, off trails, along the water. They hiked and explored new paths through the woods. They found little hidden bodies of water that surrounded the campground. They read books. They danced. Chase helped cook dinner over a charcoal grill. Karlin recited the entire life history of Obi Wan Kenobi. They played in the surf and sand. They found a deceased periwinkle shell, named it Tommy, then buried it, and created an entire sand memorial for it. Oh - and they made up a whole back story for Tommy's short little life. They tried Lobster Rolls for the first time. They made smores.

It's so funny to me, becuase the first 12 hours or so is awful. "Can I play angry birds?" "Can we watch a movie?" Then they realize it's not going to happen, and the most amazing thing occurrs. THEY START TO FIND OTHER THINGS TO DO. They use their brains. They pretend. They explore. By Sunday morning they've all but forgotten the electronics, and they're bummed because we're going home.

It excited me to see them become old-fashioned kids again, even if it's just for a day and a half. It's good for them to go and get away from the junk. It's good for them to be free to use their eyes and ears and minds.

So, and Bart's not gonna be happy with this, but I'm thinking we need to go more often. Maybe two, three times a year. It's a huge pain in the butt to pack up all the crap and go, but I like who my kids are when we get them out there.