Sunday, March 08, 2009

Music Meme: 1983

Continuing my list of favorite albums from every year I've been alive.

1983

U2: Under a Blood Red Sky



I'm breaking my own rules in picking this one because I didn't actually discover it until the following year. But it's such an important album to me, because it launched a long-term infatuation with U2. Even though there was other music I was listening to in 1983 instead of this one, I can't in good conscience pick them over this. Even though (or because) it's a live album and not a studio record, it's one of my favorite recordings of all time.

My brother was actually the one who brought this home, but I borrowed it from him and didn't give it back for about a year. I remember carrying it around in my Walkman at high school to listen to between classes.

Can't embed the video, but here's the Blood Red Sky version of "Sunday Bloody Sunday."

I have to embed something though, so here's a song from an album I was actually listening to in 1983.



Runners up:
Big Country: The Crossing
David Bowie: Let's Dance
Genesis: Genesis
Billy Idol: Rebel Yell

Singles:
Culture Club: "Karma Chameleon"
Def Leppard: "Rock of Ages"
The Eurythmics: "Here Comes the Rain Again"
Men at Work: "Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Jive"
Men at Work: "It's a Mistake"
The Romantics: "Talking in Your Sleep"
Styx: "Mr. Roboto"
Spandau Ballet: "True"
"Weird Al" Yankovic: "Another One Rides the Bus"
Yes: "Owner of a Lonely Heart"
Yes: "Leave It"

Edited to add: Rebel Yell by Billy Idol; "Mr. Roboto" by Styx

3 comments:

Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness said...

Once again Brother May you take me back and speak my musical language. This set takes us truley into the golden age of music videos when looks triumphed over substance except for many of the songs you chose. I once actually sang TRUE to a girl at kareoke and she rocked my world afterwords. Of course I had a pink shirt on and eye liner so that might have helped. Appreciate the details and the memories.

Scott D. Parker said...

1983 was a big year for me. Since my parents didn't listen to pop music, I had to discover everything myself. I listened to Queen's "Under Pressure" and wondered "Who's this Bowie guy?" I bought "Let's Dance" and the rest is history. I like how he punked up "Modern Love" in the 2004 tour although I missed the sax solo. Cool meme. I'll have to give it some thought. My problem will be my birth year: 1968. Oh so many to choose.

Michael May said...

@Calvin: Pink shirts and eyeliner... you're taking me back too. I only indulged in one of those and only on occasion, but thanks to U2 I would soon get a mullet and an army trenchcoat covered in band pins. Good times.

@Scott: It was really hard to pick albums from some of my early years. I made a rule for myself that I'd try to only pick albums that I actually remember listening to at the time, but obviously I had to break that a few times.

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