80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
I had chimed-in on a thread about 80's music, and it got me thinking...
Since I am a product of the 80's, and most of the music I listen to is from the 80's... I figured I'd compile a list of 80's songs that are recorded well.
There's lots of music from that era, that is recorded like crap. So let's have some input on songs that you know, are recorded well.
Here's a few that come to mind:
She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby
All Through The Night - Cyndi Lauper
Cosmetics - Gowan
Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top
Shake It Up - The Cars
Need You Tonight - INXS
White Wedding - Billy Idol
Who's Crying Now - Journey
Think I'm In Love - Eddie Money
Sussudio - Phil Collins
Winning - Santana
Roll With The Changes - REO Speedwagon
Mother - Pink Floyd (lots of hiss, but still recorded well)
Heart of Glass - Blondie
Tom Sawyer - Rush
No One Is To Blame - Howard Jones / Phil Collins
La Isla Bonita - Madonna
Panama - Van Halen
I Can't Hold Back - Survivor
Joyride - Roxette
Industrial Disease - Dire Straits
Avalon - Roxy Music
Obsession - Animotion
Worlds Away - Strange Advance
Sweet Dreams - Eurythmics
Spaceship Superstar - Prism (technically from 1977, but still a wicked song)
The Power of Love - Huey Lewis and the News
Don't You Want Me - Human League
Eyes of A Stranger - Payola$
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police
Africa - Toto
River of Dreams - Billy Joel (circa 1993 - but still a wicked SQ song)
Thriller - Michael Jackson
Under Pressure - Queen / Bowie
Victory Day - Tom Cochrane & Red Rider
Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
Tina Turner - Private Dancer
Johnny Hates Jazz - Shattered Dreams
Fleetwood Mac - Little Lies, 7 Wonders, As Long as you Follow
Icehouse - Street Cafe, Paradise, Hey Little Girl
Phil Collins - All of my life
FYI I think River of Dreams is a 90s song. If you like that, try Hazard by Richard Marx, Hypnotized by Simple Minds and Come Undone by Duran Duran.
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
That's a great list! New member here also raised on 80s. I 2nd Thriller! Michael Jackson's Thriller is definitely a must. But for good ole Classic Rock, 38 Specials Greatest Hits is a great sounding CD.
Keep the list going!
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
Just listened to another good one...
Moving In Stereo - The Cars
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
I agree with most of your list since many of those songs are on my list when evaluating and tuning a new build.
Owner of a Lonely Heart - Yes
P.Y.T. - Michael Jackson (pretty much anything on the Thriller album)
Wicked Game - Chris Isaak
Careless Whisper - George Michael
Shattered Dreams - Johnny Hates Jazz
Lucky Star - Madonna (you already listed my #1 for her)
Vogue - Madonna
One Night in Bangkok - Murray Head
Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell
Smooth Operator - Sade
Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears
Voices Carry - Til Tuesday
Rough Boy - ZZ Top
and the best of all...
Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
Nice list so far. I listened to a lot of 80's contemporary music riding in mom's '85 Sunbird wagon as a toddler. Oh, "River of Dreams" is from the 90's;)
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Hillbilly SQ
"River of Dreams" is from the 90's;)
Yes. My bad. Circa 1993.
Still a good SQ song...
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JimmyDee
Yes. My bad. Circa 1993.
Still a good SQ song...
It will probably end up on my next demo cd since you jogged my memory on it. I've been a HUGE Billy Joel fan since 1987 when my folks bought me "An Innocent Man" at the age of 5. Wore out two cassette tapes and my first non-kid cassette tape was also my very first cd that mom bought me. Over 30 years later it's still probably my favorite album of all time. Actually, I'll add any of the 10 songs from "An Innocent Man" to the list here. I own quite a few of his albums and really love his lounge type music from the 70's too.
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
The entire Donald Fagen Nightfly SACD. That is one of my all time favorites.
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
Spyro Gyra "Alternating Currents"
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
All Night Long- Lionel Ritchie
Dancing on the Ceiling- Lionel Ritchie
Axel F- Harold Faltermeier
Land of Confusion- Genesis
I Don't Care Anymore- Phil Collins
Easy Lover- Philip Bailey and Phil Collins
Ain't Nobody- Chaka Kahn
Gonna Make You Sweat- C+C Music Factory
Paul Revere- Beastie Boys
Sweet Emotion- Aerosmith
Her Strut- Bob Segar
Money For Nothing- Dire Straights
Mr. Roboto- Styx
Flashdance (What a Feeling)- Irene Cara
Something About You- Level 42
Heart and Soul- T'Pau
Dr Feelgood- Motley Crue
Kickstart My Heart- Motley Crue
Let's Groove- Earth, Wind and Fire
What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)- Information Society
My Head's in Mississippi- ZZ Top
Oh Yeah- Yello
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
One Night in Bangkok - Murray Head
I Don't Care Anymore- Phil Collins
I absolutely love these two.
Pretty much anything Quincy Jones produced back then. He spent more time mixing then artist did on the album's!
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
Actually, lots of 80s music was recorded very well... What I find hilarious, is how such great recordings were then distributed on cassette tapes! Lol
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DavidRam
Actually, lots of 80s music was recorded very well... What I find hilarious, is how such great recordings were then distributed on cassette tapes! Lol
I agree. With CD's growing in popularity, music was really well done.... until the volume wars and cookie cutter pop sucked the life out of music.
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
Obviously, I'm a bit biased... but I think the 80's (and maybe into mid 90's) was the last of the real 'good talented musical bands'.
I mean; there have been a few talented people since then (Bruno Mars types), but for the most part; music is just manufactured now.
It's more about the presentation nowadays. What choreographed dance moves can you do on stage?
The music is just put there, as a means to keep the stage show in sync.
If you can think of good 80's songs that are produced / recorded well (SQ)... then keep the list going!
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
The list is just so long. Everyday I hear more for the list and forget the songs when I get home. Many have showed up here from others after my original post.
I'm going to find a way to print my file list and post it to Big Al's 80's music thread.
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JimmyDee
Obviously, I'm a bit biased... but I think the 80's (and maybe into mid 90's) was the last of the real 'good talented musical bands'.
I mean; there have been a few talented people since then (Bruno Mars types), but for the most part; music is just manufactured now.
It's more about the presentation nowadays. What choreographed dance moves can you do on stage?
The music is just put there, as a means to keep the stage show in sync.
If you can think of good 80's songs that are produced / recorded well (SQ)... then keep the list going!
I agree and I am biased too, because that was "MY" era, as well. You have to search for good music and especially for well recorded stuff, today...
The pop/hip-hop/top-forty stuff today, is for the most part awful... Strangely, what I consider the good stuff of today, never seems to make it big. But here I go again sounding like a grumpy-getting-old guy! Lol
"Damnit kids, get off my lawn!"
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
I guess I'm a grumpy old man too. However, here is objective data on compression and music repetition that clearly shows older music was more original and had much better dynamic range. The compression in newer music also leads to fatigue and the music begins to drone on after a while of listening.
Producers have discovered we are more apt to like something new if it is familiar to us so they have run this into the ground. Most modern popular music is written by only a few people and almost all has musical components or electronic add-ins from other popular music. The bad thing is, once you hear it, you can barely listen to new music. I discovered this when I began to feel like all new music sounded the same. I began searching the web to see if it was just me. Turns out, there is a lot on the subject. Search for "volume wars" and another good one is the "country music snap"
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
Burning Down The House - Talking Heads
Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
Right Down The Line - Gerry Rafferty
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
The entire George Michael - Faith album was very well recorded and mastered.
Re: 80's Songs That Are Recorded Well (S.Q. 80's)
How about Mr Roboto Mr AI Bot?
