The Zeitgeist 100: Part 1

You’ve seen the “15 Albums That Shaped My Life” meme.  I’m curious about 100 singles.  They have to be singles that you remember the release of and evoke a person, time, place or way of being whenever you hear them.   Mine are below.  The order is chronological, or, as Rob from “High Fidelity” has it, autobiographical.

1. “An Innocent Man” by Billy Joel, 1983.

2. “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel, 1983.

3. “Gloria” by Laura Branigan, 1983.

4. “The Longest Time” by Billy Joel, 1984.

*1, 2, and 4:  Listening to An Innocent Man (the album) with my dad, watching cartoons and him teaching me to write, read, and box.  Singing these songs everywhere I went.  Specifically, “An Innocent Man” on my cousins’ front porch.  I was 3.

5. “Take On Me” by A-ha, 1984.  One of the first videos I ever saw.  Watching it with my mom when we moved to our new farmhouse in Maxatawny.

6. “Born In The USA” by Bruce Springsteen, 1984.  My dad had this album and I used to sing the chorus as loud as I could.  I remember playing it in my room.

7. “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker, Jr., 1984.  Another favorite at the farmhouse.  I had a Ghostbusters mirror sign in my room.

8. “Dancing On the Ceiling” by Lionel Richie, 1986.  Dancing. On. The. Ceiling! Singing this at my cousins’ house and watching the Latter Day Saints commercial where the little boy takes a groceries to his lonely neighbor.   I am 6.

9. “You Can Call Me Al” by Paul Simon, 1986.  Another one I remember because of the video.  And the trombone.

10. “True Blue” by Madonna, 1986.  Walking around my grandma’s development and singing it to show my older cousins that I knew a Madonna song.

11. “Luka” by Suzanne Vega, 1987.  The 80’s were effing scary.

12.  “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)” by the Beastie Boys.   Hey now, what is this? I have the banner of the cover of Licensed To Ill hanging in my room in our new house in Dorneyville because my dad found it somewhere and new I liked that song.

13. “Superstitious” by Europe, 1988.  Because I decided I should start watching MTV and have a favorite hairband.  I was 8.

14. “Kokomo” by the Beach Boys, 1988.  Cocktail and Uncle Jesse were everywhere that year.  Elementary school music class “bring your favorite tape to school day” was no exception.  What a cool song.  Hard to believe Mike everlovin’ Love wrote it without Brian.

15. “Make Me Lose Control” by Eric Carmen, 1988.  My sister was 3 and LOVED this song.  Singing it in the car with mom.

16. “Parents Just Don’t Understand” by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, 1988.  The first rap song I can  really remember.   “Fight For Your Right” was still rock as far as I could tell.

17. “Nightmare On My Street” by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, 1988.  My cousin and I were at our grandparents’ house and called the station to request this one.  We got through and got on air and listened to it on our Pop’s radio in his den.  I dedicated it “to everybody.”

18. “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul, 1989.  I was in fourth grade.  She was so hot.  And the video was awesome.

19. “Batdance” by Prince, 1989.  From the Batman soundtrack.  My cousin insisted that Prince said the f-word in it.  Dancers were dressed like half Jokers/half Batmen.  Started watching Vh1 around this time.

20. “Cherish” by Madonna, 1989.  Reminded me of the Association.  Thought she was pretty in the video. Wanted to live underwater.

21. “Right Here Waiting” by Richard Marx, 1989.  Do I listen to pop music because I’m miserable, or am I miserable because I listen to pop music?

22. “Runnin’ Down A Dream” by Tom Petty, 1989.   Cartoon video.  Awesome song.  Our new house in Cetronia.  My aunt had a Full Moon Fever poster in her living room.

23. “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty, 1989.  Two kids singing this on the escalator at the mall.  She loves Jesus?  And America?  I am 9 and so do I.

24. “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak, 1989.  This is when I started to realize there was something inexplicably beautiful about being heartsick.  Could longing be better than having?

25. “We Didn’t Start The Fire” by Billy Joel, 1989.

26. “Another Day In Paradise” by Phil Collins, 1989.

25. “I Wish It Would Rain Down” by Phil Collins, 1989.

27. “Leningrad” by Billy Joel, 1989.

28.  “The Downeaster Alexa” by Billy Joel, 1990.

29. “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinead O’Connor, 1990.

*25-29:  I memorized “We Didn’t Start The Fire” for a poetry recital and explicated “Another Day In Paradise” for an English project.  These tracks and these albums crystallized some early ideas about social  justice, history, politics, longing, work…

30. “Black Velvet” by Allanah Myles, 1990.  In addition to Jesus, I must now also come to terms with Elvis.  Staying up late on Friday nights watching Vh1 and the Family Channel with my mom.

31. “One More Try” by Timmy T, 1990.  I wonder what kinds of things people do to screw relationships up.  Driving to my grandparents’ house past the municipal golf course and hearing it on the radio.

32.  “No Myth” by Michael Penn, 1990.  I had trouble sleeping as a kid.  I used to listen to the local adult contemporary station every night and I really loved all these 1989/1990 songs.  I could be a Romeo in black jeans. I am 10.

33: “I’ve Been Thinking About You” by Londonbeat, 1990.  See above.  Sha-pop-pop.  I’d often hear “No Myth” and “I’ve Been Thinking About You” back-to-back on ninety-six-one WLEV.  And “King of Wishful Thinking” and so many other classics.  “Wicked Game” was like a bonus.

34. “It Must Have Been Love” by Roxette, 1990.  I remember hearing this in the car for the first time.  And then on LEV.

35. “Hazard” by Richard Marx, 1991.  Mystical.  This is one of the great narrative videos of the early 90s.  I buy Rush Street.

36. “Baby, Baby” by Amy Grant, 1991.  And everything else from Heart In Motion.

37.  “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)” by Bryan Adams, 1991.  Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Soundtrack. Video plays at the end of the VHS tape.  This is the single greatest “couples” song ever played at any elementary school skating party.  I am in 6th grade and am smitten.  See #21.

38. “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M.  One of these arty grown up bands they’re playing on Vh1 when I’m 11. More of this, please. I hear it walking past the Tilt-A-Whirl at Dorney Park.

39. “Motownphilly” by Boyz II Men, 1991. I don’t think anything needs to be said about this song.  I borrowed the album from my cousin and dubbed it.  They came to the Allentown Fair that year with Hammer and TLC.  I was not allowed to go.

40. “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday” by Boyz II Men, 1991.  See above.  These guys were the real deal.

41. “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men, 1992.  See above.  Still waiting for theuppityupalexvanderpoolera.

42. “Just Another Day” by John Secada, 1992.  What ever happened to the adult contemporary market?  It was so good back in the day.

43. “Jesus Is Still Alright” by DC Talk, 1992.  Samples the Doobie Brothers, Madonna, and Snap!  The video on that Christian station out of Bethlehem makes me want to grow a goatee.  Nathan Key turns me on to Free At Last.

44.  “The One” by Elton John, 1992.  And we’re back to longing.

Redaction:  I forgot “Into The Great Wide Open” by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, 1991.  The early 90’s music video aesthetic is something I miss.  Petty was dressing like a hippie pirate at this point and I first heard this song on SNL.  When you’re a kid, and you’ve sort of grown up on a certain album but a certain artist, and then you start getting a little older and that artist releases something new, it’s sort of like John on Patmos.  This is a great track with a great narrative video on a great album from a great artist.  When I was 11, this is what I was listening to instead of Nirvana.  

Part 2 up next.