In which I shuffle through some music files and listen to the first five songs from the years 1976-85 that randomly pop up.
- "No Matter What I Do" by The Dishes (1985, Underwhere)
When the album Hot Diggety Dog was featured on this blog in 2016, I wrote that this tune reminded me of Nick Lowe. I'm not hearing that so much today, but it's a fun, brief power pop tune with just the right amount of Farfisa organ. - "Magic Man" by Herb Alpert (1981, A&M)
Alpert still trying to reproduce the sound (and success) of "Rise." The melody here is a bit repetitive and that probably hurt sales, but most likely the reason this didn't succeed was the fall of disco and the rise of New Wave on the pop charts in '81. This tune, which incorporates some of Alpert's Tijuana Brass tropes in the bridge, only reached #79 on the pop charts, but climbed to #22 on the Adult Contemporary chart. - "How Much I Feel" by Ambrosia (1978, Warner Bros.)
I once ranked this as the 26th best single of 1978 and now I'm reconsidering that ranking as too low. Catchy melody, smooth background vocals, tasty piano and string arrangements - it's like a soft rock blueprint. This band put out some great singles in '78 and '80. I hear this thing and I'm immediately back in 7th grade. - "Private Eyes" by Daryl Hall & John Oates (1981, RCA)
Number one in 1981. Ubiquitous almost 40 years later. And deservedly so. As overplayed as it is, I'll be dadgummed if it still doesn't sound fantastic. - "A Song from Under the Floorboards" by Magazine (1980, Virgin)
I don't recognize this post-punk tune, but that doesn't necessarily mean I haven't heard it before although I can guarantee you I wasn't listening to post-punk in 1980. I don't hate it, but I wouldn't seek it out to hear. My files of this tune come from Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the '80s Underground, a 4 CD compilation set released in 2004 by Rhino.
