Rock of the '80s
This series of CD's, packaged individually, tends to be a little on the short side as far as CD length, but the songs all tend to be of pretty high quality. Most every disc has something good on it, and most of them are filled with good one hit wonders that are sure to jar the memory.
You can buy them at Amazon
Title : Rock of the '80s (Available at Amazon) Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : 38:50 Notes : Track listing with year of release, running times, and original label Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 4 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Whip It Devo Call Me Blondie My Sharona The Knack Tenderness General Public I Ran A Flock Of Seagulls Love Plus One Haircut One Hundred Words Missing Persons One Thing Leads To Another The Fixx Tempted Squeeze I Got You Split Enz Comments: This whole series tends to have short running times (none exceed 45 minutes) but with the exception of almost every disc having a track by the Fixx, tends to have "one hit wonders" that are very difficult to find. The first three discs tend to have more mainstream samplings. Overall, the discs have a good selection and a great order.
Title : Rock of the 80's, Volume 2 (Available at Amazon) Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : 38:00 Notes : Track listing with year of release, running times, and original label Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 5 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- She Blinded Me With Science Thomas Dolby Tainted Love Soft Cell Always Something There to Remind Me Naked Eyes The Look of Love ABC The Metro Berlin Hold Me Now Thompson Twins Cars Gary Numan Video Killed The Radio Star The Buggles Never Say Never Romeo Void Comments: This disc has a VERY hard to find mix of "She Blinded Me With Science" by Thomas Dolby. This mix is the original VINYL album mix that is not present on the CD version of this album. That alone gives this disc a 5 rating. Along with the other songs, there is not one artist with more than 2 hit songs on this disc and makes it well worth the cost, since you'll never find these songs on anything other than another compilation of greatest hits. The version of "Video Killed The Radio Star" is the well known song that launched MTV (not the original Bruce Wolley &The Camera Club, check out the Big Hits Skinny Ties disc if that's the version you wish.) The order of songs on this disc is PERFECT. If you were going to buy any disc in this series, this is the ONLY disc to consider.
Title : Rock of the 80's, Volume 3 (Available at Amazon) Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : 36:80 Notes : Track listing with year of release, running times, and original label Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 4 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- She's A Beauty The Tubes Weird Science Oingo Boingo Turning Japanese The Vapors I Don't Like Mondays The Boomtown Rats Mexican Radio Wall of Voodoo 99 Luftballons Nena Is There Something I Should Know Duran Duran Talking In Your Sleep The Romantics (I Just) Died In Your Arms Cutting Crew Comments: Not as good as the first two discs, but the selections run the gamit, and have some very hard to come by tracks. Pretty much sums up the rest of the series. From Greg A short disk but packed with some wonderful, hard to find cuts. Split reaction on "I Don't Like Monday's" Great, great song. But it's 1979. Rating: 4
Title : Rock of the 80's, Volume 4 (Available at Amazon) Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : 40:10 Notes : Track listing with year of release, running times, and original label Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 4 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Shout Tears For Fears Wild, Wild West The Escape Club Who Can It Be Now? Men At Work Venus Bananarama Time (Clock Of The Heart) Culture Club Everybody Have Fun Tonight Wang Chung Der Kommissar After The Fire The Politics of Dancing Re-Flex Money (That's What I Want) Flying Lizards Comments: This disc has some unique tracks, "Der Kommissar" is of course the English version of this song, DeFalco did the original in German, which I haven't seen yet on a compilation disc (neither have I seen the English version of Nena's Luftballons on a compilation disc). Most of the Culture Club songs that were popular are on this series on one disc or another, with the exception of "Church of the Poison Mind."
Title : Rock of the 80's Volume 5 (Available at Amazon) Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : 32:29 Notes : Track listing with year of release, running times, and original label Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 4 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Too Shy Kajagoogoo Voices Carry 'til Tuesday Goody Two Shoes Adam Ant The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades Timbuk3 Kiss The Art Of Noise (Featuring Tom Jones) Saved by Zero The Fixx Love My Way The Psychedelic Furs Cool Places Sparks Oh Yeah Yello Comments: The version of "Oh Yeah" on here, has to be the shortest version every recorded, which is somewhat disappointing. "Kiss" is a remake of the Prince song which came out not too long after the original, which is somewhat unusual. "The Future's So Bright..." is the rarest song on this disc, and makes it worthwhile to grab.
Title : Rock of the 80's, Volume 6 (Available at Amazon) Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : 37:18 Notes : Track listing with year of release, running times, and original label Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 3 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Overkill Men At Work Lay your hands On Me Thompson Twins Promises, Promises Naked Eyes Red Skies The Fixx Desperate But Not Serious Adam Ant What About Love 'til Tuesday Destination Unknown Missing Persons Space Age Love Song A Flock of Seagulls Dead Man's Party Oingo Boingo Comments: This disc seems to have almost nothing but artists that appeared on the first 5 discs, with their lesser known songs. Not really a bad disc, but not great.
Title : Rock of the 80's Volume 7 (Available at Amazon) Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : 38:19 Notes : Track listing with year of release, running times, and original label Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 3 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Everybody Wants To Rule The World Tears For Fears Do You Really Want to Hurt Me Culture Club Eye In The Sky The Alan Parsons Project I've Been In Love Before Cutting Crew Gold Spandau Ballet Stand Or Fall (Live) The Fixx Whisper To A Scream (Birds Fly) Icicle Works A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing) Romeo Void Heaven (Must Be There) The Eurogliders Comments: The only saving grace of this disk is the Cutting Crew and "Whisper To A Scream (Birds Fly)" which are both hard to find. While I'm a big fan of Tears For Fears, this is a pretty common song on all the compilations I have. What really makes this disc earn a low rating is yet ANOTHER $*#@ING FIXX SONG! To top it off, it's live, and not a very good recording.
Title : Rock of the 80's, Volume 8 (Available at Amazon) Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : 35:35 Notes : Track listing with year of release, running times, and original label Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 4 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Down Under Men At Work King For A Day Thompson Twins Are We Ourselves? (Live) The Fixx Heartbreak Beat Psychedelic Furs I Predict Sparks When The Lights Go Out Naked Eyes Strip Adam Ant Walking In L.A. Missing Persons Lust To Love Go-Go's Comments: A great selection of harder to find tracks, especially "Lust To Love" by the Go-Go's which was a great seldom heard selection.
Title : Rock of the 80's, Volume 9 (Available at Amazon) Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : 36:39 Notes : Track listing with year of release, running times, and original label Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 3 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Mad About You Belinda Carlisle You Keep Me Hangin' On Kin Wilde Life In A Northern Town Dream Academy The Promise When In Rome In The Name Of Love Naked Eyes God Is A Bullet Concrete Blonde Pass The Dutchie Musical Youth Wishing (If I Had A Photograph of You) A Flock Of Seagulls I Want Candy Bow Wow Wow Comments: A little on the short side, but most of these songs are memorable. The inclusion of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" was also great as this song is rather hard to find on other compilations.
Title : Rock of the 80's, Volume 10 (Available at Amazon) Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : 34:45 Notes : Track listing with year of release, running times, and original label Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 4 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Shattered Dreams Johnny Hates Jazz Waiting For A Star To Fall Boy Meets Girl Something About You Level 42 Valotte Julian Lennon Veronica Elvis Costello Breakout Swing Out Sister Freedom Of Choice Devo Live My Life Boy George Wouldn't It Be Good Nik Kershaw Comments: Every song on this disc is a one hit wonder which makes this disc a lot of fun to listen to. The arrangement of the disc is also great. I'd also have to say that very few of these songs are available on other compilations which makes this a great disc to get songs you might not have otherwise.
Title : Rock of the 80's, Volume 11 (Available at Amazon) Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : 34:51 Notes : Track listing with year of release, running times, and original label Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 3 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Puttin' On The Ritz Taco Axel F Harold Faltermeyer Funky Town Pseudo Echo I Wanna Be A Cowboy Boys Don't Cry Pop Goes The World Men Without Hats Where Are You Now? Jimmy Harnen With Synch It's My Life Talk Talk Peter Gunn The Art of Noise (Featuring Duane Eddy) Cross My Heart Eighth Wonder Comments: This has to be one of the shortest compilations I have ever bought, it does have "Pop Goes the World" which is a somewhat hard to find second hit by the people that brought us "Safety Dance." Overall the CD isn't bad, just not great.
Title : Rock of the 80's, Volume 12 (Available at Amazon) Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : 38:43 Notes : Track listing with year of release, running times, and original label Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 3 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Karma Chameleon Culture Club Vacation Go Go's Head Over Heels Tears For Fears Games People Play The Alan Parsons Project Dance Hall Days Wang Chung Deeper and Deeper (Live) The Fixx Perfect Way Scritti Politti Call Of The West Wall of Voodoo Jane's Getting Serious Jon Astley Comments: Who ever thought of placing the Go-Go's and Alan Parsons Project songs back to back should be admitted for psychiatric evaluation. The other songs included here aren't bad, and it's nice to see Jon Astley included, it's a rather hard to find song.
Title : Rock of the 80's, Volume 13 (Available at Amazon) Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : 40:29 Notes : Track listing with year of release, running times, and original label Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 2 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- It's A Mistake Men At Work Doctor! Doctor! Thompsons Twins The Sign of Fire The Fixx Just Another Day Oingo Boingo Talk To Ya Later The Tubes The Ghost In You Psychedlic Furs China Red Rockers Strength The Alarm I Have The Skill The Sherbs Comments: This disc isn't all that great, the songs here are just not memorable for the artists (most of whom were). Rather lame overall.
Title : Rock of the 80's, Volume 14 (Available at Amazon) Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : 33:49 Notes : Track listing with year of release, running times, and original label Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 5 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Heat Of The Moment Asia The Warrior Scandal (Featuring Patty Smyth) Walking On Sunshine Katrina And The Waves Suddenly Last Summer The Motels Your Love The Outfield Someday, Someway Marshall Crenshaw And We Danced The Hooters Holiday The Other Ones Mutual Surrender (What A Wonderful World) Bourgeois Tagg Comments: This is one of the best discs in the series, all the songs on here were popular. This is a great disc for a party too as the songs are for the most part energetic with a few slow ones thrown in.
Title : Rock of the 80's, Volume 15 (Available at Amazon) Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : 38:05 Notes : Track listing with year of release, running times, and original label Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 4 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Come On Eileen Dexy's Midnight Runners Heart And Soul T'Pau I'll Tumble For Ya Culture Club Good Girls Don't The Knack Secret Separation The Fixx In A Big Country Big Country When The Heart Rules The Mind GTR Coming Up Close 'til Tuesday 19 Paul Hardcastle Comments: A couple of hard to find one-hit wonders here, like T'Pau, GTR, and Big Country. With the exception of the Culture Club song and the the Knack song here, this would be a great disc.
Compilation Review Listings:
[A-D]
[E-I]
[J-R]
[S-Z]
[Rhino's]
[Rock 80's]
[Soundtracks]
[Videos]
[Oblivion]
[Flashback]
[Sedated]
[Time Life]
[Rolling Stone's]
[Christmas]
[Vendors]
Concert Reviews
80s Cover Bands
Planning an 80s Night
Radio Shows & Clubs
Clubs from the 80s
Compilation Reviews
Album Reviews
Music Trivia
Real Places
Featured in Songs
Lyrics Quizzes
Cold War Songs
Protest Songs
Nuclear War Songs
"Do They Know
It's Christmas?"
"We Are The World"
90s Bands
with an 80s Sound
Benefits
Christmas Music
Favorite Songs
From Movies
Music in Commercials
Meaning Behind Lyrics
Favorite Lyrics
80s Dances
Covered Songs
Covers in the 80s
Christmas Compilations
Favorite Music Videos
Top 5 Songs
About Masturbation
Perfect 80s Videos
Top Ten Songs
Top Ten Albums
Top Ten Music Videos
99 Red Balloons
(Eng/Ger) Comparison
Posters of 80s Bands
Music Poster Books
,Check out ChuckyG's reviews of books about concert posters and other music picture books.
Music
