Uncategorized

So for those of you that are connected to me on Facebook at all, you know that I occasionally slip into a familiar internet rabbit hole. One of my favorite things to do (especially after a couple of glasses of wine) is to troll Youtube for the best 80s music videos in history. Once I find them, I love to plaster my Facebook wall, and in turn flood all my FB friends with music that, at best are annoyed by or have no emotional attachment to, and at worst, hate.

Recently as I was posting some great LL Cool J and Simply Red, I made an off-handed comment about a song that would definitely be in my top ten. A friend responded by asking what my full top ten list would be, and named it my challenge for the night.  This was 9 days ago and it’s been on my mind ever since then. THIS IS NOT A CHALLENGE TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.

If you read my posts or see my Facebook, you know that in my mind, its still the 80s. From parachute pants to Reebok hi-tops, I love absolutely everything about the decade. My favorite pandora station is 80s Pop. My favorite TV is 80s sitcoms.  And the music is no exception.  So to create my definitive top 10 80s music list, I knew I’d have to set some basic rules/standards.

CRITERIA USED TO DETERMINE THE DEFINITIVE TOP 10 80s SONGS

1. Music Videos: The 80s was THE era of the music video. It only makes sense that the quality/ridiculousness of the music video would influence my decision.

2. Movies: Music was vital to the 80s. Ask any 80s kid “Who ya gonna call?” and you’ll get the answer sung to you. The magic that John Hughes created wouldn’t have been magic without his amazing ability to choose the right soundtrack.  The films of the 80s owe a lo to their music.

3. One Hit Wonders: It’s as if the 80s was the birthplace of the One Hit Wonder. Of all the decades, the 80s seemed to have the most One Hit Wonders, and surely at least one will make the list.

4. Not Just Pop: Even though pop dominated the decade and what we most often think of when we reminisce about 80s music, it wasn’t just pop. I’ll consider rock and even country.

5. Sing-along-ability: Some of the best 80s songs are great because when they’re played, they illicit an immediate and passionate response. Your head bobs, your toe taps and you absolutely sing along – loudly.

6. The “Takes Me Back” Effect: This consideration is perhaps the most important. Some songs are personal, and carry us back to a place and time instantly. The first notes float through the air, we smile, close our eyes and are immediately where we first heard them. This is MY LIST, so I’ll lean heavily on this when making my decisions.

So that’s the criteria, and I’ll begin counting down this weekend. I plan to give each song it’s own post, along with video links to each, if I can find them and some background on why they made my list and some historical background for each.  I hope you enjoy the list as much as I think I’ll enjoy creating it and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts, comments and your lists too. This oughta be fun.

Those of you who know me, who have seen my Facebook posts, or who follow me on Twitter know that I’m prone to reminiscing.  A lot.  I’ve often said that my brain is stuck in the 80s and the rest of me wants to stay there.  Whether it’s 80s music, TV shows or movies, I continue to be convinced that the decade(s) of my childhood are in my opinion, the best decades ever.

So it should come as no surprise that late last year, when word spread through Facebook that plans had begun for my 20th high school reunion, I marked the calendar and was set to go.  The chance to relive what were some of the best days of my life was one that I just couldn’t pass up.  As word spread, one of my closest friends dating back to 4th grade came up with an idea: Let’s get the old gang together. In high school, there were 4 of us.  And wouldn’t it be great to have the chance for an adventure together again?  Phone calls were made, emails went out.  The location? A no brainer: New Orleans, a place we all claim as our own.  The plan: Two days together before reunion night.  It was on once we got confirmation from all involved.

Without giving up too many gory details, the New Orleans weekend was amazing.  With a few exceptions, it was like we’d never been apart.  The same old jokes, the same laughs, the same 4 guys I remember. Ken, Robert and Chris are some of the best friends a person could have. New Orleans was a great host, one I hope to return to often.  48 hours with the boys have provided another lifetime of memories.

Reunion Night: I always considered myself pretty fortunate to have a happy childhood.  I don’t come from an affluent family,  but I had two parents that loved me and grew up in a small Southern town mostly sheltered from a lot of the stuff that kids face today.  I’ve said often that even though I love my life, I pine for my childhood often. That meant that I was set up for either a great night or a HUGE letdown.  I’m sure that I’m only seeing the good parts of high school in my mind’s eye, but I’ll take it.  There’s enough bad stuff in the world today that a rose-colored memory is valuable.  And here’s the cool part.  When I think back to high school friends, I don’t just think of the close friends.  The picture my mind paints includes those people who I was “Mortal Enemies” with in high school.  It includes those people who I didn’t really know well.  I think of all of them, and I think of them fondly. A friend of mine recently said that High School is the time when we are put together with other people in the most random way. That, because of this, we’re forced to support to each other, we become like family, and form these connections forged from adversity.  This totally makes sense to me and maybe it’s why I was so affected when I walked through that door.

I’ll admit that I was a bit nervous, but as I walked into the reunion, I immediately saw smiling faces reaching through the pages of my yearbook and greeting me with open arms.  I was guilty, like most people I’d imagine, of wondering how time had treated my classmates.  I wondered who’d look great, who wouldn’t, and what to expect. Funny thing: When I saw everyone, I saw the 18-year old high school senior version of them. The Cheerleader, Valedictorian, Basketball Player, Trouble Maker, Quiet Kid, they were all there, laughing, sharing, reaching out for a handshake, or more often, a hug.

I mentioned on Facebook that my heart was filled to overflowing, and it was.  For nearly 4 hours, old classmates talked, laughed, shared stories and hugged.  Really hugged. These weren’t nice, polite half hugs, but big, giant, loving hugs, the kind that people don’t want to let go of. Old friends and even old acquaintances were genuinely thrilled to see each other. We asked about kids, jobs, and missing classmates.  It was heartwarming, even moving to see everyone.

Reconnecting with a couple of people in particular hit me like a punch in the stomach.  I’d forgotten about the strengths of the friendships I had with some.  There was one dear friend specifically who I was incredibly happy to see. I hadn’t seen this person in 17 or 18 years, and simply being around them again made me amazingly happy.  It occurred to me at that moment Saturday night that I was with one of the most important people who’d ever been a part of my life. By the end of the night, when I had to say goodbye again, my heart ached in a way that it hadn’t in a long time, and simply writing about it now evokes incredible emotions.  Watching a true friend walk out the door was so tough that it physically hurt.

And so, one last round of hugs were given out, along with promises to stay in touch.  The hugs and promises were sincere, but life will surely intervene in the latter.  The members of the WJH class of 91 went their separate ways, returning to kids, careers, new hometowns and the lives they live today.  They stepped back out of 1991, leaving behind tight rolled jeans, hypercolor shirts and Reebok hi-tops, and returned to 2011.  But at least one of them isn’t quite ready to let go.  And I’m guessing I’m not the only one.

Top 5 Moments of the Class of 91 Reunion:

5. The slide shows of classmates we’ve lost and those serving our country
4.  The electric slide
3.  Tony Graham’s greeting from the group as a whole
2. Jim Scott (!!) of SL100 as the DJ – and the shrieks from the group when he announced it.
1. Jody Johnson’s Table Dance