I Should've Known Better

Composed of Don Dokken on vocals, George Lynch on lead guitars, Juan Croucier on bass, and "Wild" Mick Brown on drums, here is the American heavy metal band Dokken from 1984 with "Just Got Lucky"...




Lyrics | Dokken lyrics - Just Got Lucky lyrics

"Just Got Lucky"

by Dokken
from the album: "Tooth and Nail"
released: 1984

U.S. Mainstream Rock charts peak: #27

Who's On the Seventh Floor?

Here's a top 10 UK hit today for you from one of the more critically acclaimed bands that never achieved as much popularity in the U.S. during its heyday. From London with a video shot on location in Iceland here is the underrated Echo and the Bunnymen with "The Cutter"....




Lyrics | Echo & The Bunnymen lyrics - The Cutter lyrics

"The Cutter"

Cover from the 7" release
Single by Echo & the Bunnymen
from the album Porcupine
B-side "Way Out and Up We Go" / "Zimbo" (live)
Released 14 January 1983
Format 7", 12"
Genre Post-punk
Length 3:53
Label Korova
Writer(s) Ian McCulloch, Will Sergeant, Les Pattinson, Pete de Freitas
Producer Kingbird

UK peak position #8

Love is Gentle as a Rose

Today's artist came onto the scene in a big way in late 1989, but reached the height of his popularity in the 90's. Born the son of actress Roxie Roker (of "The Jefferson's" fame) in 1964, Lenny Kravitz released his debut album in 1989 entitled "Let Love Rule." Featuring then wife Lisa Bonet, here is Lenny's first mainstream hit - the title track, "Let Love Rule"...




Lyrics | Lenny Kravitz lyrics - Let Love Rule lyrics

"Let Love Rule"

Single by Lenny Kravitz
from the album Let Love Rule
Released September 24, 1989
Format CD single,
Maxi single
Recorded 1988
Genre Neo psychedelia, funk rock
Length 5:42
Label Virgin Records America
Writer(s) Lenny Kravitz
Producer Lenny Kravitz

U.S. Mainstream Rock tracks peak: #23

80's Movie Weekend

This weekend's movie is a sequel to 1984's hit "Romancing the Stone," starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito. It's "The Jewel of the Nile"...

the trailer...




The Jewel of the Nile

Directed by Lewis Teague
Produced by Michael Douglas
Written by Screenplay:
Mark Rosenthal
Lawrence Konner
Characters by:
Diane Thomas
Starring:
Michael Douglas
Kathleen Turner
Danny DeVito
Music by Jack Nitzsche
Cinematography Jan De Bont
Editing by Peter Boita
Michael Ellis
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date(s) December 11, 1985
Running time 107 mins
Country France
Morocco
USA
Language English
Arabic
Budget $25,000,000
Box office $96,773,200
(worldwide)[1]

Want a Love to Last Forever

After featuring Pete Townshend yesterday with a solo hit while on hiatus from The Who, The Excellent 80's is featuring another member of an iconic rock band. Maybe you've heard of The Beatles. They had one or two hits. After they all went their separate ways, Paul McCartney kept churning out hits with his group Wings and as a solo artist. This 1980 hit of his featured him playing all of the instruments while wife Linda McCartney provided backup vocals. According to the always accurate wikipedia page, this video is an early example of electronic trickery, with Paul McCartney playing ten roles and Linda McCartney playing two. The "band" identifies itself as "The Plastic Macs" on the drum kit, which is a nod to Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band." Here is "Coming Up"...




Lyrics | Paul McCartney lyrics - Coming Up lyrics

"Coming Up"

Single by Paul McCartney
from the album McCartney II
B-side "Coming Up" (Live at Glasgow)
"Lunchbox/Odd Sox"
(both with Wings)
Released 11 April 1980
Format 7"
Genre Funk rock
Label Parlophone/EMI (UK)
Columbia (US)
Writer(s) Paul McCartney
Producer Paul McCartney

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1

When People Keep Repeating

As arguably one of the greatest guitarists from one of the greatest rock groups of all time, Pete Townshend occasionally broke away from The Who to do some solo stuff including this hit from his 1980 album "Empty Glass." Here is Pete Townshend with "Let My Love Open the Door"...




Lyrics | Pete Townshend lyrics - Let My Love Open The Door lyrics

"Let My Love Open the Door"

Single by Pete Townshend
from the album Empty Glass
Released 1980
Format 7"
Recorded 1980
Genre Rock
Length 2:44
Label Atco
Writer(s) Pete Townshend
Producer Pete Townshend

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #9

Take the Sheet Off Your Face, Boy. It's a Brand New Day

Believe it or not, while he was becoming a successful action movie star, the former "Moonlighting" actor Bruce Willis was moonlighting in an HBO mockumentary as fictional blues star "Bruno Radolini." He released an album called "The Return of Bruno," and it produced this billboard top 10 hit. It's a remake from a 1971 song by The Staple Singers. With June Pointer of the Pointer Sisters lending a little help, here is Bruce Willis, aka Bruno Radolini with "Respect Yourself"...




Lyrics | Bruce Willis lyrics - Respect Yourself lyrics

"Respect Yourself"
Single by Bruce Willis
from the album The Return of Bruno
B-side "Fun Time"
Released 1987
Genre Pop, Soul
Length 3:53
Label Motown Records
Writer(s) Luther Ingram, Mack Rice
Producer Robert Kraft

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5

Yo, It's Time for Me to Pump the Volume

Today's anti-drug song features a sample from Curtis Mayfield's "Pusherman," and comes from a rapper born in Newark, raised in L.A., and who spent four years in the Army after high school. He's been a detective on TV since 2000 on Law and Order S.V.U. It's the cool, collective Ice T with his 1988 hit "I'm Your Pusher"...




Lyrics | Ice-t lyrics - I'm Your Pusher lyrics

"I'm Your Pusher"
Single by Ice-T
from the album Power
B-side "Girls L.G.B.N.A.F."[1]
Released 1988
Format Vinyl, 12"
Genre Hip hop
Length 5:35
Writer(s) Ice-T, Afrika Islam, Curtis Mayfield

Domo Arigato, Excellent 80's Viewers

From 1983 we bring you the phrase that swept through my 6th grade school class - "I'm Kilroy! Kilroy! Kilroy!" It's the band Styx with the "futuristic" (LOL) video that is laughably out of date for a popular song from 1983 that hit #3 on the U.S. Billboard charts called "Mr. Roboto"...




Lyrics | Styx lyrics - Mr. Roboto lyrics

"Mr. Roboto"
Single by Styx
from the album Kilroy Was Here
B-side "Snowblind"
Released February 11, 1983
Recorded 1982
Genre Progressive rock, synthpop
Length 5:30 (album)
4:44 (single)
Label A&M
Writer(s) Dennis DeYoung
Producer Styx

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #3

80's Movie Weekend

Today's look back takes us back to 1985, and a pretty good flick starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis. It's a love story. It's a thriller. And there's a bunch of Amish people running around. It's "Witness"...

the trailer...



here is the murder scene that starts it all off...



Witness

Directed by Peter Weir
Produced by Edward S. Feldman
Screenplay by Earl W. Wallace
William Kelley
Story by William Kelley
Pamela Wallace
Earl W. Wallace
Starring Harrison Ford
Kelly McGillis
Jan Rubes
Danny Glover
Lukas Haas
Viggo Mortensen
Music by Maurice Jarre
Cinematography John Seale
Editing by Thom Noble
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) February 8, 1985
Running time 112 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $12,000,000 (estimated)
Box office $68,706,993 (US)

Shut Up. Do It.

It's Friday and it's time for a little hair metal wind-up to get you pumped for the weekend. Today's video is the concert style video by the band Kix. From the album of the same name, it's the underrated song "Blow My Fuse"...




Lyrics | Kix lyrics - Blow My Fuse lyrics

"Blow My Fuse"

by Kix
from the album: Blow My Fuse
released: 1988

I Take Two Steps Forward. I Take Two Steps Back

Anytime you can have a video where one singer is real and the other singer is portrayed by an alley cat then you know that you have video gold! Right? It worked for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" didn't it? Oh well, not so much for this three and half minutes of torture. Sorry, Paula, but I hated this video growing up and I don't think too much more of it today. Anyway, here is the #1 hit for Paula Abdul along with MC Skat Kat, from 1989 - "Opposites Attract"...




Lyrics | Paula Abdul lyrics - Opposites Attract lyrics

"Opposites Attract"
Single by Paula Abdul and MC Skat Kat
from the album Forever Your Girl
B-side "One or the Other"
Released November 28, 1989
Format CD maxi, 7" single, 12" maxin cassette
Recorded 1988, 1989
Genre R&B, New Jack Swing
Length 3:46
Label Virgin
Writer(s) Oliver Leiber
Producer Oliver Leiber
Certification Gold (US)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1