Various Artists
‘80s Gold
Hip-O/UME
By David Chiu
‘80s Gold shouldn’t be regarded as the ultimate compilation because it doesn’t have the one-hit wonders that made that decade either memorable or notorious(“Video Killed the Radio Star,” “99 Luftballoons,” and “Too Shy” just to name a few). Featuring songs that were #1 on the Billboard charts, ‘80s Gold covers a spectrum of styles from New Wave (Blondie’s “Call Me”); electropop (Michael Sembello’s “Maniac”); soft rock (Christopher Cross’s Sailing, and the syrupy “Endless Love” by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie), alternative rock; (Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”), classic rock (Boston’s “Amanda”); and New Jack Swing (Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative”). As indicated on this collection, the MTV era in which veteran stars from the previous decade, such as Tina Turner (“What’s Love Got to Do With It”), Robert Palmer (“Addicted to Love”), Steve Winwood (“Higher Love”), and Heart (“Alone”), saw their careers get a second wind. The inclusion of “Waiting for a Girl Like You” by Foreigner is a little unusual given the fact that song only hit #2 on the charts, granted it stayed at that position for an astounding ten weeks. Glaring omissions aside—Duran Duran, Culture Club, Bon Jovi, Cyndi Lauper, and, of course, Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna—the set is a good sampler for those nostalgic for the skinny tie and big hair.
NewBeats 