ChuckyG's List of 80's Compilation Disks, Main List, A-D
This list consists of compilations that have fewer than 3 CD's reviewed for a series. Compilations can be discs that are marketed as strictly eighties songs or compilations that came out during the eighties that consist of popular music at the time. Please no country/rap/classical or other non-mainstream compilations.
Title: 18 Modern Rock Classics From The 80's Label: JCI, A Division of Essex Entertainment,Inc. by Warner Special Products TTime: 67:45 Notes: None (a disappointment for a collection this good), but it lists individual songwriting credits, which is always of interest to me. Paid: $13 Rank: 4 out of 5 Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist -=-=- -=-=-=-=- What You Need INXS Things Can Only Get Better Howard Jones One Thing Leads To Another The Fixx Our House Madness Hold Me Now Thompson Twins I Melt With You Modern English Situation Yaz You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) Dead Or Alive Cars Gary Numan Peter Gunn Art Of Noise (featuring Duane Eddy) I Want Candy Bow Wow Wow Perfect Way Scritti Politti The Look Of Love (Part I) ABC Smalltown Boy Bronski Beat Love Plus One Haircut One Hundred If You Leave Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark True Faith New Order Two Tribes Frankie Goes To Hollywood Comments: The most frustrating thing about collecting 80's compilations is that the same songs get repeated on so many of them, and you soon find yourself pondering whether or not to buy a disc that has seven or eight songs you've already collected just to get three that you haven't. Or worse yet, whether or not to buy one that has ten obscure new wave bands you've never heard of just to get "Major Tom" by Peter Schilling. This disc does contain a couple of the more repeated numbers ("One Thing Leads To Another", "The Look Of Love"), and a few you may have missed (I'd never heard "Smalltown Boy", and my life isn't any more fulfilled now that I have), but it also contains a lot of very memorable songs from the decade that for some reason haven't appeared on any other worthy compilations. Any self-respecting 80's music fan would want to have "I Melt With You", "You Spin Me Round", "True Faith" and "If You Leave" in their collection. "Situation" by Yaz is one of those where you don't recognize the title, but put it on and it all comes back to you. "Perfect Way", "Hold Me Now", "Our House" and "Love Plus One" represent some of the most memorable singles of the era, one often maligned for its constant overkill of synthesized music, but these songs ("Cars" notwithstanding) truly have enough soul and emotion to argue the case otherwise. It also wisely chooses Frankie Goes To Hollywood's forgotten "Two Tribes" instead of forcing "Relax" on us for the umpteenth time. One of the few comprehensive compilations that you could put on at your 80's party start to finish and probably only hit the skip button twice (once for "Peter Gunn", once for "Smalltown Boy" - unless your crowd was really into the more eclectic stuff from the 80's, in which case this probably too much of a pop album for them).
Title : 18 Screamers From the 80's Label : Essex Medium : CD TTime : 70:04 Notes : Ads for their other discs. Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 4 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- I Can't Drive 55 Sammy Hagar The Stroke Billy Squier Naughty, Naughty John Parr I Like To Rock April Wine Little Miss Dangerous Ted Nugent Ah! Leah! Donnie Iris Don't Let Him Go REO Speedwagon Foreigner Urgent Keep Your Hands To Yourself Georgia Satelites Beatin' The Odds Molly Hatchet All Night Long Joe Walsh 867-5309/Jenny Tommy Tutone The Warrior Scandal Fly Away Blackfoot Power Kansas Lay It On The Line Triumph We're Not Gonna Take It Twisted Sister Yankee Rose David Lee Roth Comments: This disc has some real gems on it, like "Naughty, Naughty" which was John Parr's first big hit that sounds nothing like his soft rock ballads like "Man In Motion, St. Elmo's Fire", this song rocks. Another gem on this disc is a song I had forgotten all about, which is "Ah! Leah!" by Donnie Iris, which I barely remember, but was one of those songs I didn't want until I reheard it. There are three songs on here that I know I don't remember, but they at least fit the overall disc (in other words, they're in the rock category, not rap or country or something out of the ordinary). The inclusion of Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55" is also a nice addition since it doesn't appear on too many other compilations, as well as David Lee Roth's "Yankee Rose," although the video for that is more memorable than the song "Give me a bottle of anything and a glazed donut... TO GO!" I recommend it if you can find it.
Title : 80's Greatest Rock Hits Volume 5 - From The Heart Label : Priority Records Medium : CD TTime : : Notes : Copyright info. Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $5 Rank : 3 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- When I See You Smile Bad English When I'm With You Sheriff More Than Words Can Say Alias The Flame Cheap Trick Second Chance Thirty Eight Special Can't Fight This Feeling REO Speedwagon The Search Is Over Survivor Angel Eyes The Jeff Healey Band Sister Christian Night Ranger Comments:
Title: The 80's: Video Stars Label: K-Tel TTime: 43:23 Notes: Running Times Reviewer: Carlos Torres Paid : $11.00 Rank : 4 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Hold Me Now Thompson Twins Too Shy Kajagoogoo Cars Gary Numan Obsession Animotion She Blinded Me With Science Thomas Dolby Destination Unknown Missing Persons Whirly Girl OXO I Ran A Flock of Seagulls One Thing Leads To Another The Fixx The Politics Of Dancing Re-Flex Comments: -=-=-=-=- Best thing about this CD is owning a special, longer mixed version of 'She Blinded Me With Science'.
Title : Awesome '80s Label : Razor &Tie Medium : CD TTime : 77:38 - 77:29 Notes : Humorous time line of eighties events and songs. Reviewer: Carlos Torres Paid : $34 Rank : 3 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Another One Bites The Dust Queen Love Shack The B-52's Maneater Daryl Hall and John Oates Come On Eileen Dexy's Midnight Runners Venus Bananarama Down Under Men At Work Relax Frankie Goes To Hollywood Whip It Devo Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? Culture Club Maniac Michael Sembello Let's Dance David Bowie Tainted Love Soft Cell Mickey Toni Basil Talking In Your Sleep The Romantics My Prerogative Bobby Brown Freeze Frame J. Geils Band Rhythm Of The Night DeBarge We Built This City Starship Let's Hear It For The Boy Deniece Williams Don't Worry, Be Happy Bobby McFerrin Disc 2 -=-=-=- We Got The Beat The Go-Go's Straight Up Paula Abdul Der Kommissar After The Fire Shake It Up The Cars Love Is A Battlefield Pat Benatar Workin' For The Weekend Loverboy Shout Tears For Fears I Feel For You Chaka Khan Rosanna Toto Stand Back Stevie Nicks Walk This Way Run-D.M.C. Need You Tonight INXS One Thing Leads To Another The Fixx Just a Gigolo/ I Aint' Got Nobody David Lee Roth You Keep Me Hangin' On Kim Wilde Heat Of The Moment Asia The Warrior Scandal Keep Your Hands To Yourself Georgia Satellites C'est La Vie Robbie Nevil I Want To Know What Love Is Foreigner Comments: 2 CDs full of mainstream hits and nothing that's hard to find anywhere else. The set is a great starter collection to get all these songs but the quality of recording is very low and most of the songs are shortened. I would recommend finding the songs you want on some other collection. Otherwise, a lot of music for a low price.
Title : Alterno-Daze, Survival of the 80's Fittest Label : Rebound Records/Polygram Medium : CD TTime : 49:28 Notes : Artist, composer, original album title &label Reviewer: Tria Paid : $6 Rank : 5 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Soft Cell Tainted Love (12 inch) Tears for Fears Change Joe Jackson I'm the Man Frankie Goes to Hollywood Relax Modern English I Melt With You The Go-Go's Our Lips Are Sealed The Buggles Video Killed the Radio Star Squeeze Black Coffee in Bed The Waitresses I Know What Boys Like ABC Be Near Me Wall of Voodoo Mexican Radio Bananarama Robert DeNiro's Waiting Comments: I don't have many compilations, so this seems to be a pretty good one--lots of standards. . .
Title : Best of 80's Rock, Volume 6 Label : Priority Medium : CD TTime : 33:24 Notes : Copyright Info Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $5 Rank : 3 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Do You Wanna Hold Me? Bow Wow Wow Mickey Toni Basil AEIOU Sometimes Y EBN-OZN True Men Don't Kill Coyottes Red Hot Chili Peppers Chinese Rock The Ramones Mexican Radio Wall of Voodoo Jackie Onassis Human Sexual Response Marching On The Alarm This Is Not a Love Song Public Image LTD. Comments: Decent, Priority Records seems to put out decent compilations. This is no exception. It's too short though! It has some harder to find tunes like the (Bill &Ted mode on) most excellent (mode off) "Jackie Onassis" by Human Sexual Response, which features those immortal lines, "I wanna be like Jackie Onassis/I wanna wear dark sunglasses." Of course one cannot over look the inclusion of Johnny Rotten's PIL with "This Is Not a Love Song" which I'd never seen (or thought I would EVER see) on a compilation. "Mickey" though is the one song that is VERY out of place on this compilation, I don't know what they were thinking, anyone who likes the Ramones and PIL is going to despise "Mickey" and vice versa... one only wonders if they're trying to immitate K-tel compilations with that move!
Title : Big Hits, Skinny Ties (New Wave In The U.K.) Label : Risky Business Medium : CD TTime : 44:10 Notes : None Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 4 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Video Killed The Radio Star Bruce Woolley &The Camera Club "Ant Music" Adam And The Ants Mirror Star The Fabulous Poodles Take Me To Your Leader The Sinceros Another Girl, Another Planet The Only Ones Always The Sun The Stranglers Pretty In Pink The Psychedlic Furs Space Age Love Song A Flock Of Seagulls I Only Want To Be With You The Tourists Birth, School, Work, Death The Godfathers Baby Baby The Vibrators Girls Talk (Live) The Dave Edmunds Band Comments: Did you live in the UK during the eighties? Did you ever watch MTv after midnight during the early eighties? If so you might know these songs. If not, you'll at least recognize the "Psychedlic Furs" and "Adam And the Ants." You'll also recognize the original version of "Video Killed the Radio Star" though you might not recognize the singer. The choice of music on this disc, while not overly popular in the US, is none the less a very good compilation and is one of those few discs you can listen to from begining to end without having to skip a lot of songs.
Title : The Big Takeover: Punk's Greatest Hits Vol. One Label : Nouveau TTime : : Notes : Song listing with copywrite info and a little background into punk Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $6 Rank : 4 out of 5 Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Owner Of a Lonely Heart Yes I Wanna Be Sedated Ramones California Uber Alles Dead Kennedys Ever Fallen In Love The Buzzcocks Blank Generation Richard Hell and The Voidoids Do Anything You Wanna Do Eddie and the Hot Rods Personality Crisis New York Dolls T.V. Party Black Flag 2-4-6-8 Motorway Tom Robinson Damaged Goods Gang Of Four Homicide 999 Comments: -=-=-=-=- Almost all of these pre-date the eighties by a couple years, but since punk played a big role in the early eighties music scene, I feel this CD fits in pretty well in this list. It's a decent album and I can't really single out any song over another that I would have wanted replaced, except maybe "I Wanna Be Sedated" in favor of any other Ramones song, I see that one a little too often on compilations. It's all punk, so each song is pretty much playable next to any other :). I liked it, and I needed some Dead Kennedys in my CD collection to help round things out a little. Recommended only if you like punk, especially the late seventies/early eighties variety.
Title : Billboard Top Hits 1985-1989 (5 CD set) Label : Rhino Records Medium : CD TTime : 1985: 41:12 1986: 39:51 1987: 41:40 1988: 41:58 1989: 42:48 Notes : Pictures of some of the artists, and a timeline of the major events of that particular year. Reviewer: Ruiner Paid : $50, but each CD can be purchased seperately for $10. Rank : 4 out of 5 as a set; 3 out of 5 seperately. Track Listing: Title: Artist: _1985_ 1. Loverboy Billy Ocean 2. Shout Tears for Fears 3. The Heat is On Glenn Frey 4. Broken Wings Mr. Mister 5. Miami Vice Theme Jan Hammer 6. Oh Sheila Ready for the World 7. We Built this City Starship 8. The Power of Love Huey Lewis &the News 9. Can't Fight this Feeling REO Speedwagon 10. St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) John Parr _1986_ 1. Addicted to Love Robert Palmer 2. Danger Zone Kenny Loggins 3. Take Me Home Tonight Eddie Money 4. Stuck with You Huey Lewis &the News 5. Sara Starship 6. Venus Bananarama 7. When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going Billy Ocean 8. Burning Heart Survivor 9. Kyrie Mr. Mister 10. Walk Like an Egyptian Bangles _1987_ 1. With or Without You U2 2. You Keep Me Hangin' On Kim Wilde 3. C'est La Vie Robbie Nevil 4. I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) Aretha Franklin &George Michael 5. At this Moment Billy Vera &the Beaters 6. I Heard a Rumour Bananarama 7. Heaven is a Place on Earth Belinda Carlisle 8. Don't Dream It's Over Crowded House 9. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now Starship 10. The Lady in Red Chris De Burgh _1988_ 1. Wishing Well Terence Trent D'Arby 2. Shattered Dreams Johnny Hates Jazz 3. Seasons Change Expose 4. Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car Billy Ocean 5. Anything for You Gloria Estefan &Miami Sound Machine 6. Hold on to the Nights Richard Marx 7. Wild, Wild West The Escape Club 8. The Flame Cheap Trick 9. Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley (Free Baby) Will to Power 10. Don't Worry Be Happy Bobby McFerrin _1989_ 1. When I See You Smile Bad English 2. Eternal Flame Bangles 3. Sowing the Seeds of Love Tears for Fears 4. Toy Soldiers Martika 5. Heaven Warrant 6. Don't Wanna Lose You Gloria Estefan 7. Soldier of Love Donny Osmond 8. Hangin' Tough New Kids on the Block 9. Right Here Waiting Richard Marx 10. Lost in Your Eyes Debbie Gibson Comments: This set is one of two that Billboard/Rhino Records makes for the 1980's, the other one being for 1980-1984. This set is very good together, but like all other ones, it has its problems. One of them is the fact that it only has #1 songs on it, thus leaving out some really good songs that didn't quite make it then, but are remembered now. This is an extremely good set for straight pop hits, but it leaves out the hard rock/heavy metal/college radio hits. The other major problem that I have with this set is the length of the discs themselves. These CD's only have ten songs on them each, and that amounts out to about $1 a song, which isn't all that bad, but it isn't all that good, either. Seperately, these discs whet your appetite for more, and then you have to go buy the next CD. A very good job on the part of the marketers, but wholly unsatisfying for us poor college students on a limited budget. I only have one more major problem with this set: they actually put NKOTB on it!!! It might have been a #1 hit back in '89, but hey, so was Milli Vanilli, and they aren't on there. I'm sure there were more than 10 #1 hits in 1989...why couldn't they have picked another song? The people who want that song already have the album with that song on it... All in all, I think that this is one of the better sets that I've come across when it comes to those songs you can play at parties and everyone will sing along and not complain about...but then only an idiot would complain about an 80's song!
Title : Classic Rock: 80's Label : Rebound Records TTime : : Notes : Song listing with copywrite info. Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $6 Rank : 5 out of 5 Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Owner Of a Lonely Heart Yes Mr. Roboto Styx Everybody Wants To Rule The World Tears For Fears Call Me Blondie Addicted To Love Robert Palmer Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) Eurythmics You Keep Runnin' Away .38 Special Something About You Level 42 Gemini Dream The Moody Blues In a Big Country Big Country New Sensation INXS Don't Go Hothouse Flowers Comments: -=-=-=-=- The first compilation I've come across with "Mr. Roboto," so I had to grab it. There's two tracks listed as bonus tracks to the CD version, which is the .38 Special song and the Hothouse Flowers song, neither of which are near the level of popularity of the other tracks. The flow of songs is pretty good though, and even though I had most of these already, I'll probably play this CD quite a few times.
Title: Classic MTV: Class of 1983 Label: Rhino TTime: Disc 1-62:12 Disc 2-59:21 Notes: None Paid : 17.99 Rank : 4 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Disc 1 -=-=- She Blinded Me With Science Thomas Dolby Come On Eileen Dexy's Midnight Runners Always Something There to Remind Me Naked Eyes Mirror Man Human League Cool Places Sparks &Jane Wiedlin Love My Way Psychedelic Furs China Girl David Bowie Twilight Zone Golden Earring Rock This Town Stray Cats The Walls Came Down The Call Lies Thompson Twins True Spandau Ballet Mexican Radio Wall of Voodoo Why Me? Planet P I Melt With You Modern English Disc 2 -=-=- Our House Madness Too Shy Kajagoogoo Burning Down the House Talking Heads Back on the Chain Gang The Pretenders Strip Adam Ant One Thing Leads to Another The Fixx Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? Culture Club In a Big Country Big Country Working Girl The Members Jukebox (Don't Put Another Dime) The Flirts I Eat Cannibals Total Coelo Reap the Wild Wind Ultravox Talking In Your Sleep Romantics Goodbye to You Scandal Rock-It Herbie Hancock Comments: -=-=-=-=- Pretty much what it sounds like, a collection of songs that played as videos in 1983 (a few are originally form 1982 but got heavy play in 1983). Like many of you, I believe that 1983 represented the high water mark of 80's music in general and certainly for MTV. Prior to this, much "New Wave" wasn't accessible if you didn't get MTV or a good college rock station and after 1983 the hard edge of post-punk pretty much faded away into the commercial pop sound of the late 80's. We got MTV in 1982, so most of these songs/videos I can remember hearing a lot of in the following year. These two discs have something for everyone. While many will be all too familiar to fans of VH-1's "The Big 80's" (like the ubiquitous Culture Club, Golden Earring, and The Romantics) others represent the earlier sounds of college rock New Wave (Wall of Voodoo and Planet P). There is the consumate "techno" of Herbie Hancock, the rockabilly of the Stray Cats, and the "hard core" new wave of the Psychedelic Furs. Although it is billed as an MTV collection, this collection includes some fairly obscure titles that can't even remember the videos for like Ultravox's "Reap the Wild Wind" and "Mirror Man" by the Human League (given all their MTV "hits, this was an especially interesting choice by Rhino/MTV). If MTV ever played some of these as videos, it must have been at a later hour than I was watching. I was especially attracted by Scandal's "Goodbye to You," which came off their original album which has never been issued in CD format (tape only). I know of only two other CD compilations with this track. Although some songs may be hard to find, all of these are available elsewhere. The real beauty of this album is finding them all in the same place at a reasonable price. If you are looking for a great "survey" album for the greatest year in 80's music, I strongly recommend this one, especially as it has double or triple the tracks of most 1983 collections like Billboard's or CMJ's. NOTE: MTV may also have agreed that this was their best year since there are no other versions of this collection such as a "Class of 1982" or "1984."
Title: Don't Touch My 45's/Great Lost Singles of the 80's Label: Risky Business TTime: 44:26 Notes: Liner notes on each song and artists, Running Times Reviewer: Carlos Torres Paid : $13.00 (Tower Records) Rank : 5 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Break My Stride Matthew Wilder What's He Got? The Producers When Your Heart is Weak Cock Robin China Red Rockers The Honeythief Hipsway My Oh My Slade Blue Kiss Jane Wiedlin Coming up Close 'Til Tuesday Feel The Heat Jean Beauvoir Angel Say No Tommy Tutone Jungle Boy John Eddie Goodbye to You Scandal Comments: -=-=-=-=- One of the best collections I own, especially due to the gems that are here that are almost impossible to find anywhere else. Break My Stride, What's He Got? and a couple of other ones I haven't seen on any other collection. The flow of the CD is flawless and these classics are what they're called, GREAT lost singles. You probably don't recognize some of them, but once you hear them you realize what a great collection this is.
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
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