I always quite liked Paula Abdul. Firstly, she married Emilio Estevez and secondly she cast Keanu Reeves in one of her videos. The girl can't be all bad.
She had a few good pop songs but I will always love Rush Rush for the video. It's so badly modelled on Rebel Without A Cause. Paula, you are no Natalie Wood darling, and much as I love Keanu, he is no James Dean. It astounds me how young Keanu looks in this and why we ever thought that was a good haircut on him!
Sometimes all you need in your life is a bit of 80s Bon Jovi. From the mighty Slippery When Wet album comes Wanted Dead or Alive. I adore this song. It's a proper punch the air and sing along loudly power ballad.
It has a tremendous opening. I could watch the video all day long as it has every single poodle rock cliche in it: hotel rooms, big hair, stage shots, glitzy jacket, earnest emoting, the band looking tired, close ups of guitar strings. It has a great guitar solo. It's a proper American road trip song too. Love, love love. Sing it Jon...
Mad Men is back next week. If you live in a cave, you may be unaware. This is cause for much celebration chez Teen household as we're big Mad Men fans. Who isn't? It's the most wonderful TV show.
What has this to do with Nancy Sinatra you ask? Well, this season is 1966 and this was a huge hit in 1966 and I reckon it's the sort of song they'd have Peggy dancing round her bedroom too. This is a great song. Nancy Sinatra was the Cyndi Lauper of her day. Cool and slightly wacky. I love this video.
I was just putting a file back in a cupboard today and out of nowhere came the theme to Rentaghost (in my head I mean, not literally playing although that woud have been super cool). I've not thought about this programme for years but I used to love it.
Claypole and Miss Popov were my favourites. I am sure this is why I like Audrey so much in Coronation Street because she once played Miss Popov! I am devastated to learn that the actor who played Claypole died in 1984, nearly 30 years he's been gone and I've only just realised. RIP Mr Claypole.
Top line in credits here; very low-key but perfect for the programme and I love the little ghost logo. Coming soon... a trip down memory lane with some classic children's tv. I know, I am excited too!
Songs From The Big Chair is a seminal 80s album. Every teenager in the 80s owned this I am sure. I certainly did and I loved it. I rarely listen to it now but I could tell you every song on it and the order too.
Tears For Fears were a great band held back by Roland's totally bizarre teeth and singing style. He was very off-putting. But they had some cracking tunes. Let's revisit a few shall we?
Shout. Look at the freeze frame! See what I mean about Roland? A great pop song.
Head Over Heels - this song is my desert island TFF song. I love it so much.
A close second for me is Everyone Wants to Rule The World. This is a perfect summer song.
I am aware they had other hits - Pale Shelter, Mad World, Sowing The Seeds of Love to name a few (all excellent) but this was their big album and these are the songs I will remember them for. Songs from the big chair indeed. Thanks boys.
I never knew this was Fat Larry's Band, I thought it was Fat Larry Band which makes much less sense. I shamelessly adore this song and it was another Late Night Love Affair special. It has some spectacular lyrics mentioning moonbeams, church bells and rainbows. This should be everyone's wedding song, I'm wishing I'd made it mine.
I don't think I've ever seen the video before and now, if possible, I love the song even more. Look how many were in Fat Larry's band! I'm thinking Larry is the drummer as he's the only one who is fat. They really don't make them like this anymore. Enjoy!
Believe me, I am as embarrassed about this as you are. I wish I didn't like this song but we can't always choose the songs that crawl into our hearts. Some enter without invitation.
My head knows this is cheesy, sentimental nonsense but whenever it comes on Magic (which is often) then I admit, I turn the volume up and sing along. To be clear, I don't own this song, things aren't that bad but I think we can safely say it comes under the title of a Bad Song I Love and Am A Bit Ashamed Of.
Much of my love comes down to the video. Have you ever seen such craziness? Jennifer Love Hewitt looking tackily sexy, Enrique's tongue making me feel nauseous, the money! And just when it can't get any better, along comes Mickey Rourke! The whole film seems to be based on Desperado with the saturation of yellow and bad, nasty guys. It even has rain at the end to underline the tragedy of it all. Needless to say I love it.
It's a slice of sunday afternoon cheese. Enjoy! I know secretly you like it too.
I'm getting a little tired of doing tribute posts. Can celebrities stop dying please? It's a sad day as Davy Jones has left us. He was only 65.
When I think of The Monkees, I always think of Hey Hey We're The Monkees! I've just rewatched this and was transported back to my childhood (something that often happens as I blog). Check it out.
It's so wonderful.
Daydream Believer is my fave Monkees song - if that's obvious, so be it. I just adore it. But there are many other Monkees songs for us of course and here are a few of them.
The wonderful I'm A Believer, thank you Mr Diamond.
And for lovely DiffBird. Your pain is my pain my friend.
Abba - best pop band ever. Don't try and argue with me, you know I am right. A heated debate has started over on another part of the internet I frequent about which Abba songs should be taken to a desert island. If we're following the format of the Radio 4 show, then that is eight songs. But which eight?
It's a conundrum to be sure. Thrown into the discussion mix are: Mamma Mia, The Winner Takes It All, Take A Chance On Me, Summer Night City, SOS, Fernando, Chiquitita (although that would be thrown into the ocean by me), Gimme Gimme Gimme, Dancing Queen, Knowing Me Knowing You, Super Trouper, Like An Angel Passing Through My Room (yeah, that was my face too), Ring Ring...
Where to start with such riches? Well, all I can say is this is my list (and it's in no order). Add your own in the comments.
Dancing Queen. Anyone who doesn't include this in their list is just plain weird and I wouldn't be able to trust them.
The Winner Takes It All. I've explained before how much I love this. I have nothing further to add except to say the intro alone makes me well up. *sniffle*
SOS. The greatest pop song ever composed according to Pete Townsend who I have no time for but, he's got a point.
Summer Night City. A joyous treat with rarely no sad undertones from Abba.
Mamma Mia. Oh god, I am already at number five. I am having a meltdown that I only have three left. This is simply perfect.
Take A Chance On Me. One of the best videos ever, ever, ever made. Who didn't act this out in the playground?
Knowing Me Knowing You. Oh my, this is sad: "walking through an empty house, tears in my eyes." The Swedes are killing me.
And finally, Thank You For The Music. This is the hardest choice, I could have gone with Under Cover, The Name Of The Game (nearly killing me not to include this), I Do, I Do I, Do, Fernando, One of Us, Money Money Money, Gimme Gimme Gimme, Voulez-Vous but this makes me all nostalgic and this blog is all about nostalgia. This sums up my childhood.
A confession: I've never been much of a fan of Super Trouper. There I've said it.
We love you Abba, don't ever reform and spoil it all for us.
Kylie may not be Madonna (who will always be my queen of pop) but she's done us proud over the years. Kylie is our girl next door pop star and has had some cracking songs so let's step back in time (see what I did there?) and take a look at my pick of her songs.
I adore I Should Be So Lucky - it's got the best video and it makes me feel all nostalgic for an innocent time. She sings it like it really does mean something, bless her.
There are lots of Kylie duds, I can live without Hand On Your Heart and Got To Be Certain but I still listen to Wouldn't Change A Thing. I love this song but watching the video is funny, the days before proper hard core dancing hit pop videos. I swear, I could do what she does here.
I prefer to pretend Tears On My Pillow didn't happen and skip to Better The Devil You Know. I believe this coincides with when she met Michael. This is vintage Kylie and a song that never grows old.
Step Back In Time is my desert island Kylie song. I think it's perfect with a great video. I always have to dance if this comes on. I love the whole vibe of this.
This was such a great string of hits, now we have What Do I Have To Do. Another corker.
Shocked - also fabulous, wonderful introduction to this one.
Then we seem to go through a blah period. Finer Feelings? Give Me Just A Little More Time? They are okay but not memorable.
She dumped Stock Aitken and Waterman and released Confide in Me which I still think is a great song with an excellent video.
Put Yourself In My Place is another cool video based on Barbarella. Another underrated song.
It all got a bit tedious as she went and looked for her alternative side and it was sighs of relief from everyone when she discovered she really was a pop princess with Spinning Around. This is a slice of pop heaven.
Then came Can't Get You Out Of My Head. This is the song that she'll be remembered for and it is perfect pop but it's not my fave Kylie. She does look unbelievable in this though.
I prefer In Your Eyes, this song does not get enough credit. It's a great song to dance to.
And I also love Come Into My World, totally brilliant video.
Slow is a song I would never listen to through choice but I do think the video is amazing even though I am not particularly interested at looking at Kylie's boobs. You know, I hadn't realised until writing this how good Kylie videos are, they are always interesting to watch.
2 Hearts is another great pop song but the video is a little try-hard for me.
All The Lovers is an indication that I think Kylie needs to change her sound slightly. I feel I've heard it before but you know, it's still fab!
But we close with her ultimate masterpiece, the song that should be played at every wedding, the song that takes us all back to the wonder years that were Scott and Charlene. Take it away my friends...
I wish Kylie nothing but good things, she is cute, perky and can sing perfectly well. I feel that she's probably a very nice person too, after all, she is Australian and they tend to be nice don't they?! May you have many more years of perfect pop Kylie!
