Worst '80s songs?

[Stu]

Many many many horrible songs from that decade. Too many to count. I've mercifully forgotten most of them, or those college bong hits have done the trick for me. Still, two stand out as exceptionally offensive:

Wake me up before you go go (Wham)
Everybody Wang Chung tonight (Wang Chung)

 

[Thracozaag]

Any song done by a band with the name "white" in it; Great White, White Lion, Whitesnake.....

koji

 

[JBZ]

"We Built This City" - Starship

No contest.

 

[bachbeet]

I think you guys pretty much summed up the worst ones. I just want to say that there were also some great songs from the 80s. Just like any other decade one might choose, there are some duds along with the greats. I don't think the 80s had a larger share of duds though.

And, George Michael redeemed himself with Faith after leaving Wham.

 

[Stu]

And, George Michael redeemed himself with Faith after leaving Wham.

He did?

 

[bachbeet]

Stu: Yes. That album was voted one of the best that year by the LA Times critics and other critics in general. It is a much more mature work than his Wham crap. I like it.

 

[bachbeet]

Stu: Do I consider Faith as good as the stuff REM or U2 put out? No. Nor is it as good as Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits. Nor is it as good as Tears for Fears. But, I do like it much better than Wham. I also think it's better than Duran Duran.

 

[Thracozaag]

Stu: Do I consider Faith as good as the stuff REM or U2 put out?  No.  Nor is it as good as Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits.  Nor is it as good as Tears for Fears.  But, I do like it much better than Wham.  I also think it's better than Duran Duran.

Not the early Duran Duran stuff, imo.

koji

 

[marc37]

Thracocaag: why are you called that? That is a real mystery of the world to me. You name is koji yet you use Thracocaag, WHY???

 

[Dakota rube]

I was "limewire-ing" yesterday and decided to see what a search for "80s" turned up. Truly a dreadful decade musically.

Stu: your examples of Wang Chung and Wham are precisely the kind of songs that came up in the search. In addition: Rick Astley, A Flock of Seagulls, Billy Ocean, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Level 42 and Naked Eyes. To my ears, a bunch of one-hit wonders, all selling the same sort of over-engineered, synth-pop pablum.

Or, as you say, it could've been the bong, too.

 

[bachbeet]

Dakota: Well, I still say the 80s didn't have a greater share of duds than any other decade. REM, U2, Dire Straits, Tears for Fears, John Hiatt, Tom Waits (put out some good stuff then), Sting, Thriller (MJ's best), Bonnie Raitt, UB40, Ziggy Marley, et al.

 

[AlanC]

Nominated for worst song:

"I Touch Myself" by The Divinyls
"You Give Love a Bad Name" Bon Jovi

 

[mrgoblueguy]

Anything by Simple Minds or Bananarama.

 

[Stu]

Stu: Do I consider Faith as good as the stuff REM or U2 put out?  No.  Nor is it as good as Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits.  Nor is it as good as Tears for Fears.  But, I do like it much better than Wham.  I also think it's better than Duran Duran.

Bachbeet: I respect your taste and you are certainly right that it is better than Duran Duran and Wham. But then again, that bar ain't exactly high.

 

[bachbeet]

Stu: Thanks for the compliment. And, my comparison's to both Duran Duran/Wham on the one end and REM, U2 on the other were just to give some perspective. If that's the spectrum, I'd say Faith is more than halfway to the REM side.

And, I forgot to mention a group that put out some great sounds in the 80s - The Pretenders. Sorry, Chrissy.