The e-mail went out to all us Popdosers a couple weeks ago: “Who’s interested in participating in Al Jarreau Week?” My initial reaction was that I couldn’t possibly be less…
John C. Hughes
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John C. Hughes began his Lost in the ’80s blog in 2005 and is now proud to be a member of the Popdose family, where he’s introduced LIT80s’s companions, the obviously named Lost in the ’70s and Lost in the ’90s, alongside the slightly more originally named Why You Should Like…
John C. Hughes
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She’s Edwina Monsoon’s idea of God and for a short time in the ’70s, a lot of European pop fans felt the same way. Detroit native Suzi Quatro blasted onto…
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John C. Hughes
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Ah, Thomas Dolby. No, please don’t instantly yell “SCIENCE!” Yes, he’s primarily pigeonholed as a one-hit wonder, with “She Blinded Me With Science” still getting played nearly daily on ’80s…
John C. Hughes
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It’s strange that Flesh & Blood, the most critically reviled Roxy Music LP (Rolling Stone said it was “such a shockingly bad Roxy Music record that it provokes a certain…
John C. Hughes
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Sometimes a huge single with a overly familiar sample can be both a blessing and a curse. Look at P.M. Dawn or this week’s example, U.K. trio Soho, fronted by…
John C. Hughes
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The Danse Society began in 1981 as goths with more than a touch of new romanticism, but after two albums and a fair to middling single (a cover of the…
John C. Hughes
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The double A-side single had a nice little streak in the late ’70s; Queen alone had two. But one of my favorites didn’t chart nearly as high, and one of…
John C. Hughes
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London’s Placebo, recently reduced to a duo due to the departure of drummer Steve Hewitt late last year, have spent the past 14 years garnering equal helpings of praise and…
John C. Hughes
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Stop. Freeze. Don’t you dare close this window. I know the primal urge to flee and survive is a strong one, encoded in your very DNA, but you must resist….
John C. Hughes
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Orchestra JB was the nom de plume of Jimmy Brown, a multi-instrumentalist and DJ who, after releasing a few underground dance hits for indie labels, signed to major EastWest Records…
John C. Hughes
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With guest musicians like Sting, the Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey, Nile Rodgers, Carly Simon, Todd Rundgren, and Steve Winwood, Will Powers’ Dancing for Mental Health is probably the most star-studded…
John C. Hughes
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You know what I miss? Novelty songs. Not just the typical “Weird Al” parodies, but wholly original works that slipped into the mainstream and became pop hits. Even crap like…
John C. Hughes
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Known to most Americans as the opening band on the 1992 Lollapalooza tour, Lush had a few minor Modern Rock hits in the early ’90s but never broke through in…
John C. Hughes
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The new Erykah Badu video for “Honey,” released Jan. 2008: [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/HNJt5ADHzIY” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] The old Morningwood video for “Nth Degree,” released Apr. 2006: [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/_vhMhm9euT8″ width=”425″ height=”350″…
John C. Hughes
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1982 was a banner year for former Runaway Joan Jett — “I Love Rock & Roll” was number one for a kajillion weeks, “Crimson and Clover” followed it into the…
John C. Hughes
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Some giving soul out there has provided something of a Holy Grail for LIT80s fans, including me — they’ve posted three full hours of MTV from 1983 (The Best Year…
John C. Hughes
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Since we visited Boston for Tuesday’s LIT80s, let’s stick around there for the ’90s and take a look at one of the more unique bands from the Boston scene during…
John C. Hughes
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Boston’s ‘Til Tuesday first got noticed after winning WBCN’s Rock & Roll Rumble contest in 1983, which led to the band getting signed to Epic Records. Two years later, their…
John C. Hughes
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It’s 1974 and a major milestone occurs in six-year old John Hughes’s life Á¢€” he gets his weekly allowance, one dollar, for the first time. That first dollar was precious….
John C. Hughes
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Frankie Say One-Hit Wonder?: While “Relax” is pretty much all the Liverpudlians are known for on this side of the pond, I’d add “Two Tribes” in there at the very…
John C. Hughes
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Every once in a while, I’ll stumble across a CD I’ve had for years that I just didn’t care for, only to give it another shot and discover it’s really…
John C. Hughes
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Swedish trio Whale burst onto the alternative music scene in 1994, instantly making a splash on MTV with their video for Á¢€Å“Hobo HumpinÁ¢€™ Slobo Babe,” a song aboutÁ¢€¦what, exactly? Seeking…
John C. Hughes
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Don’t know if there’s anyone besides me still reading comic books, specifically The Amazing Spider-Man, but the powers that be just pulled a major Dallas-style boner — y’see, a lot…
John C. Hughes
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If there’s one thing the ’80s had their fair share of, it’s annoying songs that one shouldn’t like, but just can’t help loving. “Method of Modern Love.” “99 Luftballons.” “Rock…
John C. Hughes
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Canadian Nick Gilder had a penchant for writing sugary-sweet pop/rock songs about underage hookers/street trash/what have you for a couple of years in the mid-Á¢€Ëœ70s with CanadaÁ¢€â„¢s glam answer to…
John C. Hughes
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The first in a series where we take a band everyone’s heard of Á¢€” whether via constant critical acclaim (the Velvet Underground) or just one huge, annoying hit (um, the…
John C. Hughes
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By 1989, The Cars were history and leader Ric Ocasek embarked as a full-time solo artist, flexing his Roxy Music/Iggy Pop/Suicide influences to the hilt with a more commercial pop…
John C. Hughes
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I love Ringo. Unashamedly. While the other solo Beatles get all the accolades and major hits, I’ve always been partial to the laid back, laconic goofiness and self-deprecating pop of…
John C. Hughes
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New Wave slammed headfirst into the ’60s girl group aesthetic and out came Get Wet, a duo led by the chirpy vocals of Sherri Beachfront (really?) aided by songwriter Zecca…
John C. Hughes
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Fear and denial were my initial reactions when I was told by the boyfriend that we were going to see the Spice Girls Live! In Concert! Truthfully, I had my…