Judd Nelson, Mr Mod’s ’80s role model and unsuspecting lunch table mate at a burger joint in Portland, Maine, circa 1999.
You may recall our recent effort to help Mr. Moderator identify his list of 25 characteristically ’80s songs even he liked during that era, when he was, by his own admission, too cool for school. Despite rigorous exclusion criteria and the Mod’s artful stickwork in fending off hopeful shots on net, we managed to help him show the world that he was actually not quite as a big a party pooper as imagined. I consider it an extraordinary personal triumph that I was able to get even one song on his Top 25 list.
Attached is the compilation of the Top 25 songs plus all candidate songs and their sponsors.
Mr. Mod’s Top 25 and the RTH ’80s Playlist
A few items of trivia related to the thread:
- Total submissions, including Mr. Moderator’s top 25: 206
- Submitter with the highest number of successful top 25 candidates other than Mr. Moderator: alexmagic (5)
- Top 5 submitters overall: alexmagic (27); ladymisskirroyale (26); Sgt. Peppermint Petty (15); cliff sovinsanity (15); Suburban kid (14)
- Most frequent first word in song title (other than “I”): Don’t(5)…hmmm, interesting considering the point of the thread.
That’s quite a compilation!
Back in 1989, I would have also had difficulty naming 25 that I liked, but time has cured me of some ailments. As of know, this is how I related to the list of 206:
In my iTunes/record collection – 27
Wouldn’t mind adding: 13
Don’t hate it when I hear it: 21
And now, what you’ve been REALLY waiting for: the HVB review of Mod’s list. In general, I found Mod to have the most consistently poor taste when it comes to 80s hits, as I found many of his selections to be entirely dreadful. The songs from his list I would gladly listent to, for fun, on my own dime, include:
Love Plus One: the big WINNER of this exercise
True
Antmusic
Goody Two-shoes
Material Girl
I have spoken.
HVB
1.) Don’t You Want Me, Human League — okay
2.) True, Spandau Ballet — excellent
3.) Missing You, John Waite — okay
4.) Like a Virgin, Madonna — good
5.) Temptation, New Order — okay
6.) What You Need, INXS — terrible, fail, what the fuck is wrong with you, Mod?
7.) Tainted Love, Soft Cell — good
8.) I Melt with You, Modern English — okay
9.) Faith, George Michael — okay
10.) She Drives Me Crazy, FYC — terrible, fail, what the fuck is wrong with you, Mod?
11.) Always Something There to…, Naked Eyes — good
12.) Age of Consent, New Order — good
13.) Rhythm is Gonna Get You, Gloria Estefan — terrible, fail, what the fuck is wrong with you, Mod?
14.) (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right…, Beastie Boys — barely tolerable
15.) So Alive, Love and Rockets — this was a hit?
16.) Looking for a New Love, Jodi Watley — good
17.) Pass the Dutchie, Musical Youth — good
18.) Antmusic, Adam and the Ants — excellent
19.) Goody Two Shoes, Adam Ant — excellent
20.) Love Plus One, Haircut 100 — excellent
21.) Paper in Fire, John Cougar Melloncamp — terrible, fail, what the fuck is wrong with you, Mod?
22.) (Keep Feeling) Fascination, Human League — good
23.) Material Girl, Madonna — excellent
24.) Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), Eurythmics — okay
25.) Church of the Poison Mind, Culture Club — barely tolerable
Thank you for completing one of the main post-thread objectives. Now let’s see if we’ll ever get the likes of shawnkilroy and dbuskirk back in action. I’ve given up on EPG and General Slocum. The latter’s commentary and analysis would have been especially helpful.
And happiness stan! I miss his perspective!
Mod, while I was researching Haircut 100, I came across their other big hit, which perhaps could make your list at #26. I actually like this song more than “Love Plus One.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2cat4kykzI
I forgot about that one. Sure, that was pretty good too!
To touch on something HVB mentioned, although I couldn’t stand behind Haircut 100’s hair, I am partial to sweaters. It’s for that reason as much as my high school history as a fan of The Jam that I found Style Council particularly disappointing. Here was a band led by a high school hero, now sporting a sweater, who’s music I just couldn’t like.