ChuckyG's List of 80's Compilation Disks, Main List, A-D

This list consists of compilations that have fewer than 3 CD's reviewed for a series. Compilations can be discs that are marketed as strictly eighties songs or compilations that came out during the eighties that consist of popular music at the time. Please no country/rap/classical or other non-mainstream compilations.


Title:  18 Modern Rock Classics From The 80's
Label:  JCI, A Division of Essex Entertainment,Inc. by Warner Special Products
TTime:	67:45
Notes:	None (a disappointment for a collection this good), but it lists
        individual songwriting credits, which is always of interest to me.
Paid:   $13
Rank: 	4 out of 5

Track Listing
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Title                                  Artist
-=-=-                                  -=-=-=-=-
What You Need                          INXS
Things Can Only Get Better             Howard Jones
One Thing Leads To Another             The Fixx
Our House                              Madness
Hold Me Now                            Thompson Twins
I Melt With You                        Modern English
Situation                              Yaz
You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)      Dead Or Alive
Cars                                   Gary Numan
Peter Gunn                             Art Of Noise (featuring Duane Eddy)
I Want Candy                           Bow Wow Wow
Perfect Way                            Scritti Politti
The Look Of Love (Part I)              ABC
Smalltown Boy                          Bronski Beat
Love Plus One                          Haircut One Hundred
If You Leave                           Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
True Faith                             New Order
Two Tribes                             Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Comments:

The most frustrating thing about collecting 80's compilations is that the
same songs get repeated on so many of them, and you soon find yourself
pondering whether or not to buy a disc that has seven or eight songs you've
already collected just to get three that you haven't.  Or worse yet,
whether or not to buy one that has ten obscure new wave bands you've never
heard of just to get "Major Tom" by Peter Schilling.  This disc does
contain a couple of the more repeated numbers ("One Thing Leads To
Another", "The Look Of Love"), and a few you may have missed (I'd never
heard "Smalltown Boy", and my life isn't any more fulfilled now that I
have), but it also contains a lot of very memorable songs from the decade
that for some reason haven't appeared on any other worthy compilations.
Any self-respecting 80's music fan would want to have "I Melt With You",
"You Spin Me Round", "True Faith" and "If You Leave" in their collection.
"Situation" by Yaz is one of those where you don't recognize the title, but
put it on and it all comes back to you.  "Perfect Way", "Hold Me Now", "Our
House" and "Love Plus One" represent some of the most memorable singles of
the era, one often maligned for its constant overkill of synthesized music,
but these songs ("Cars" notwithstanding) truly have enough soul and emotion
to argue the case otherwise.  It also wisely chooses Frankie Goes To
Hollywood's forgotten "Two Tribes" instead of forcing "Relax" on us for the
umpteenth time.

One of the few comprehensive compilations that you could put on at your
80's party start to finish and probably only hit the skip button twice
(once for "Peter Gunn", once for "Smalltown Boy" - unless your crowd was
really into the more eclectic stuff from the 80's, in which case this
probably too much of a pop album for them).




Title   : 18 Screamers From the 80's
Label   : Essex
Medium  : CD
TTime   : 70:04
Notes   : Ads for their other discs.
Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr.
Paid    : $10
Rank    : 4 out of 5.

Track Listing
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Title                                  Artist(s)
-=-=-                                  -=-=-=-=-
I Can't Drive 55                       Sammy Hagar
The Stroke                             Billy Squier
Naughty, Naughty                       John Parr
I Like To Rock                         April Wine
Little Miss Dangerous                  Ted Nugent
Ah! Leah!                              Donnie Iris
Don't Let Him Go                       REO Speedwagon
Foreigner                              Urgent
Keep Your Hands To Yourself            Georgia Satelites
Beatin' The Odds                       Molly Hatchet
All Night Long                         Joe Walsh
867-5309/Jenny                         Tommy Tutone
The Warrior                            Scandal
Fly Away                               Blackfoot
Power                                  Kansas
Lay It On The Line                     Triumph
We're Not Gonna Take It                Twisted Sister
Yankee Rose                            David Lee Roth

Comments:
        This disc has some real gems on it, like "Naughty, Naughty" which was
John Parr's first big hit that sounds nothing like his soft rock ballads like
"Man In Motion, St. Elmo's Fire", this song rocks.  Another gem on this disc
is a song I had forgotten all about, which is "Ah! Leah!" by Donnie Iris,
which I barely remember, but was one of those songs I didn't want until I
reheard it.  There are three songs on here that I know I don't remember, but
they at least fit the overall disc (in other words, they're in the rock
category, not rap or country or something out of the ordinary).  The inclusion
of Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55" is also a nice addition since it doesn't
appear on too many other compilations, as well as David Lee Roth's "Yankee
Rose," although the video for that is more memorable than the song "Give me a
bottle of anything and a glazed donut... TO GO!" I recommend it if you can find
it.




Title   : 80's Greatest Rock Hits Volume 5 - From The Heart
Label   : Priority Records
Medium  : CD
TTime   : :
Notes   : Copyright info.
Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr.
Paid    : $5
Rank    : 3 out of 5.

Track Listing
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Title                                  Artist(s)
-=-=-                                  -=-=-=-=-
When I See You Smile                   Bad English
When I'm With You                      Sheriff
More Than Words Can Say                Alias
The Flame                              Cheap Trick
Second Chance                          Thirty Eight Special
Can't Fight This Feeling               REO Speedwagon
The Search Is Over                     Survivor
Angel Eyes                             The Jeff Healey Band
Sister Christian                       Night Ranger

Comments:




Title: The 80's: Video Stars
Label: K-Tel
TTime: 43:23
Notes: Running Times
Reviewer: Carlos Torres
Paid : $11.00
Rank : 4 out of 5.

Track Listing
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Title                                  Artist(s)
-=-=-                                  -=-=-=-=-
Hold Me Now                            Thompson Twins
Too Shy                                Kajagoogoo
Cars                                   Gary Numan
Obsession                              Animotion
She Blinded Me With Science            Thomas Dolby
Destination Unknown                    Missing Persons
Whirly Girl                            OXO
I Ran                                  A Flock of Seagulls
One Thing Leads To Another             The Fixx
The Politics Of Dancing                Re-Flex

Comments:
-=-=-=-=-
Best thing about this CD is owning a special, longer mixed version of 'She
Blinded Me With Science'.




Title   : Awesome '80s
Label   : Razor &Tie
Medium  : CD
TTime   : 77:38 - 77:29
Notes   : Humorous time line of eighties events and songs.
Reviewer: Carlos Torres
Paid    : $34
Rank    : 3 out of 5.

Track Listing
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Title                                  Artist(s)
-=-=-                                  -=-=-=-=-
Another One Bites The Dust             Queen
Love Shack                             The B-52's
Maneater                               Daryl Hall and John Oates
Come On Eileen                         Dexy's Midnight Runners
Venus                                  Bananarama
Down Under                             Men At Work
Relax                                  Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Whip It                                Devo
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?         Culture Club
Maniac                                 Michael Sembello
Let's Dance                            David Bowie
Tainted Love                           Soft Cell
Mickey                                 Toni Basil
Talking In Your Sleep                  The Romantics
My Prerogative                         Bobby Brown
Freeze Frame                           J. Geils Band
Rhythm Of The Night                    DeBarge
We Built This City                     Starship
Let's Hear It For The Boy              Deniece Williams
Don't Worry, Be Happy                  Bobby McFerrin

Disc 2
-=-=-=-
We Got The Beat                        The Go-Go's
Straight Up                            Paula Abdul
Der Kommissar                          After The Fire
Shake It Up                            The Cars
Love Is A Battlefield                  Pat Benatar
Workin' For The Weekend                Loverboy
Shout                                  Tears For Fears
I Feel For You                         Chaka Khan
Rosanna                                Toto
Stand Back                             Stevie Nicks
Walk This Way                          Run-D.M.C.
Need You Tonight                       INXS
One Thing Leads To Another             The Fixx
Just a Gigolo/ I Aint' Got Nobody      David Lee Roth
You Keep Me Hangin' On                 Kim Wilde
Heat Of The Moment                     Asia
The Warrior                            Scandal
Keep Your Hands To Yourself            Georgia Satellites
C'est La Vie                           Robbie Nevil
I Want To Know What Love Is            Foreigner

Comments:
2 CDs full of mainstream hits and nothing that's hard to find anywhere
else. The set is a great starter collection to get all these songs but the
quality of recording is very low and most of the songs are shortened. I
would recommend finding the songs you want on some other collection.
Otherwise, a lot of music for a low price.




Title   : Alterno-Daze, Survival of the 80's Fittest
Label   : Rebound Records/Polygram
Medium  : CD
TTime   : 49:28
Notes   : Artist, composer, original album title &label
Reviewer: Tria
Paid    : $6
Rank    : 5 out of 5.

Track Listing
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Title                                  Artist(s)
-=-=-                                  -=-=-=-=-
Soft Cell                              Tainted Love (12 inch)
Tears for Fears                        Change
Joe Jackson                            I'm the Man
Frankie Goes to Hollywood              Relax
Modern English                         I Melt With You
The Go-Go's                            Our Lips Are Sealed
The Buggles                            Video Killed the Radio Star
Squeeze                                Black Coffee in Bed
The Waitresses                         I Know What Boys Like
ABC                                    Be Near Me
Wall of Voodoo                         Mexican Radio
Bananarama                             Robert DeNiro's Waiting

Comments:
I don't have many compilations, so this seems to be a pretty good
one--lots of standards. . .



Title   : Best of 80's Rock, Volume 6
Label   : Priority
Medium  : CD
TTime   : 33:24
Notes   : Copyright Info
Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr.
Paid    : $5
Rank    : 3 out of 5.

Track Listing
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Title                                  Artist(s)
-=-=-                                  -=-=-=-=-
Do You Wanna Hold Me?                  Bow Wow Wow
Mickey                                 Toni Basil
AEIOU Sometimes Y                      EBN-OZN
True Men Don't Kill Coyottes           Red Hot Chili Peppers
Chinese Rock                           The Ramones
Mexican Radio                          Wall of Voodoo
Jackie Onassis                         Human Sexual Response
Marching On                            The Alarm
This Is Not a Love Song                Public Image LTD.

Comments:
        Decent, Priority Records seems to put out decent compilations. This
is no exception.  It's too short though! It has some harder to find tunes
like the (Bill &Ted mode on) most excellent (mode off) "Jackie Onassis" by
Human Sexual Response, which features those immortal lines, "I wanna be like
Jackie Onassis/I wanna wear dark sunglasses." Of course one cannot over look
the inclusion of Johnny Rotten's PIL with "This Is Not a Love Song" which I'd
never seen (or thought I would EVER see) on a compilation.  "Mickey" though
is the one song that is VERY out of place on this compilation, I don't know
what they were thinking, anyone who likes the Ramones and PIL is going to
despise "Mickey" and vice versa... one only wonders if they're trying to
immitate K-tel compilations with that move!




Title   : Big Hits, Skinny Ties (New Wave In The U.K.)
Label   : Risky Business
Medium  : CD
TTime   : 44:10
Notes   : None
Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr.
Paid    : $10
Rank    : 4 out of 5.

Track Listing
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Title                                  Artist(s)
-=-=-                                  -=-=-=-=-
Video Killed The Radio Star            Bruce Woolley &The Camera Club
"Ant Music"                            Adam And The Ants
Mirror Star                            The Fabulous Poodles
Take Me To Your Leader                 The Sinceros
Another Girl, Another Planet           The Only Ones
Always The Sun                         The Stranglers
Pretty In Pink                         The Psychedlic Furs
Space Age Love Song                    A Flock Of Seagulls
I Only Want To Be With You             The Tourists
Birth, School, Work, Death             The Godfathers
Baby Baby                              The Vibrators
Girls Talk (Live)                      The Dave Edmunds Band

Comments:
        Did you live in the UK during the eighties?  Did you ever watch
MTv after midnight during the early eighties?  If so you might know these
songs.  If not, you'll at least recognize the "Psychedlic Furs" and "Adam
And the Ants."  You'll also recognize the original version of "Video
Killed the Radio Star" though you might not recognize the singer.  The
choice of music on this disc, while not overly popular in the US, is none
the less a very good compilation and is one of those few discs you can
listen to from begining to end without having to skip a lot of songs.




Title   : The Big Takeover: Punk's Greatest Hits Vol. One
Label   : Nouveau
TTime   : :
Notes   : Song listing with copywrite info and a little background into punk
Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr.
Paid    : $6
Rank    : 4 out of 5

Track Listing
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Owner Of a Lonely Heart                Yes
I Wanna Be Sedated                     Ramones
California Uber Alles                  Dead Kennedys
Ever Fallen In Love                    The Buzzcocks
Blank Generation                       Richard Hell and The Voidoids
Do Anything You Wanna Do               Eddie and the Hot Rods
Personality Crisis                     New York Dolls
T.V. Party                             Black Flag
2-4-6-8 Motorway                       Tom Robinson
Damaged Goods                          Gang Of Four
Homicide                               999

Comments:
-=-=-=-=-
  Almost all of these pre-date the eighties by a couple years, but since punk
played a big role in the early eighties music scene, I feel this CD fits in
pretty well in this list. It's a decent album and I can't really single out
any song over another that I would have wanted replaced, except maybe "I Wanna
Be Sedated" in favor of any other Ramones song, I see that one a little too
often on compilations.  It's all punk, so each song is pretty much playable
next to any other :). I liked it, and I needed some Dead Kennedys in my CD
collection to help round things out a little. Recommended only if you like
punk, especially the late seventies/early eighties variety.





Title   : Billboard Top Hits 1985-1989 (5 CD set)
Label   : Rhino Records
Medium  : CD
TTime   : 1985: 41:12
          1986: 39:51
          1987: 41:40
          1988: 41:58
          1989: 42:48
Notes   : Pictures of some of the artists, and a timeline of the major
          events of that particular year.
Reviewer: Ruiner
Paid    : $50, but each CD can be purchased seperately for $10.
Rank    : 4 out of 5 as a set; 3 out of 5 seperately.

Track Listing:

Title:                              Artist:

_1985_
1. Loverboy                         Billy Ocean
2. Shout                            Tears for Fears
3. The Heat is On                   Glenn Frey
4. Broken Wings                     Mr. Mister
5. Miami Vice Theme                 Jan Hammer
6. Oh Sheila                        Ready for the World
7. We Built this City               Starship
8. The Power of Love                Huey Lewis &the News
9. Can't Fight this Feeling         REO Speedwagon
10. St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) John Parr

_1986_
1. Addicted to Love                 Robert Palmer
2. Danger Zone                      Kenny Loggins
3. Take Me Home Tonight             Eddie Money
4. Stuck with You                   Huey Lewis &the News
5. Sara                             Starship
6. Venus                            Bananarama
7. When the Going Gets Tough, the
Tough Get Going                     Billy Ocean
8. Burning Heart                    Survivor
9. Kyrie                            Mr. Mister
10. Walk Like an Egyptian           Bangles

_1987_
1. With or Without You              U2
2. You Keep Me Hangin' On           Kim Wilde
3. C'est La Vie                     Robbie Nevil
4. I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) Aretha Franklin &George Michael
5. At this Moment                   Billy Vera &the Beaters
6. I Heard a Rumour                 Bananarama
7. Heaven is a Place on Earth       Belinda Carlisle
8. Don't Dream It's Over            Crowded House
9. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now      Starship
10. The Lady in Red                 Chris De Burgh

_1988_
1. Wishing Well                     Terence Trent D'Arby
2. Shattered Dreams                 Johnny Hates Jazz
3. Seasons Change                   Expose
4. Get Outta My Dreams, Get into
My Car                              Billy Ocean
5. Anything for You                 Gloria Estefan &Miami Sound Machine
6. Hold on to the Nights            Richard Marx
7. Wild, Wild West                  The Escape Club
8. The Flame                        Cheap Trick
9. Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird
Medley (Free Baby)                  Will to Power
10. Don't Worry Be Happy            Bobby McFerrin

_1989_
1. When I See You Smile             Bad English
2. Eternal Flame                    Bangles
3. Sowing the Seeds of Love         Tears for Fears
4. Toy Soldiers                     Martika
5. Heaven                           Warrant
6. Don't Wanna Lose You             Gloria Estefan
7. Soldier of Love                  Donny Osmond
8. Hangin' Tough                    New Kids on the Block
9. Right Here Waiting               Richard Marx
10. Lost in Your Eyes               Debbie Gibson

Comments:  This set is one of two that Billboard/Rhino Records makes for the 1980's,
the other one being for 1980-1984.  This set is very good together, but like all
other ones, it has its problems.  One of them is the fact that it only has #1 songs
on it, thus leaving out some really good songs that didn't quite make it then, but
are remembered now.  This is an extremely good set for straight pop hits, but it
leaves out the hard rock/heavy metal/college radio hits.  The other major problem
that I have with this set is the length of the discs themselves.  These CD's only
have ten songs on them each, and that amounts out to about $1 a song, which isn't
all that bad, but it isn't all that good, either.  Seperately, these discs whet
your appetite for more, and then you have to go buy the next CD.  A very good job
on the part of the marketers, but wholly unsatisfying for us poor college students
on a limited budget.  I only have one more major problem with this set:  they
actually put NKOTB on it!!! It might have been a #1 hit back in '89, but hey, so
was Milli Vanilli, and they aren't on there.  I'm sure there were more than
10 #1 hits in 1989...why couldn't they have picked another song?  The people who
want that song already have the album with that song on it...

All in all, I think that this is one of the better sets that I've come across when
it comes to those songs you can play at parties and everyone will sing along and
not complain about...but then only an idiot would complain about an 80's song!




Title   : Classic Rock: 80's
Label   : Rebound Records
TTime   : :
Notes   : Song listing with copywrite info.
Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr.
Paid    : $6
Rank    : 5 out of 5

Track Listing
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Owner Of a Lonely Heart                Yes
Mr. Roboto                             Styx
Everybody Wants To Rule The World      Tears For Fears
Call Me                                Blondie
Addicted To Love                       Robert Palmer
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)        Eurythmics
You Keep Runnin' Away                  .38 Special
Something About You                    Level 42
Gemini Dream                           The Moody Blues
In a Big Country                       Big Country
New Sensation                          INXS
Don't Go                               Hothouse Flowers

Comments:
-=-=-=-=-
The first compilation I've come across with "Mr. Roboto," so I had to grab it.
There's two tracks listed as bonus tracks to the CD version, which is the
.38 Special song and the Hothouse Flowers song, neither of which are near the
level of popularity of the other tracks.  The flow of songs is pretty good
though, and even though I had most of these already, I'll probably play this
CD quite a few times.




Title:	Classic MTV: Class of 1983
Label:	Rhino
TTime:	Disc 1-62:12
      	Disc 2-59:21
Notes:	None
Paid :	17.99
Rank : 4 out of 5.

Track Listing
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Title                                  Artist(s)
-=-=-                                  -=-=-=-=-

Disc 1
-=-=-
She Blinded Me With Science            Thomas Dolby
Come On Eileen                         Dexy's Midnight Runners
Always Something There to Remind Me    Naked Eyes
Mirror Man                             Human League
Cool Places                            Sparks &Jane Wiedlin
Love My Way                            Psychedelic Furs
China Girl                             David Bowie
Twilight Zone                          Golden Earring
Rock This Town                         Stray Cats
The Walls Came Down                    The Call
Lies                                   Thompson Twins
True                                   Spandau Ballet
Mexican Radio                          Wall of Voodoo
Why Me?                                Planet P
I Melt With You                        Modern English

Disc 2
-=-=-

Our House                              Madness
Too Shy                                Kajagoogoo
Burning Down the House                 Talking Heads
Back on the Chain Gang                 The Pretenders
Strip                                  Adam Ant
One Thing Leads to Another             The Fixx
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?         Culture Club
In a Big Country                       Big Country
Working Girl                           The Members
Jukebox (Don't Put Another Dime)       The Flirts
I Eat Cannibals                        Total Coelo
Reap the Wild Wind                     Ultravox
Talking In Your Sleep                  Romantics
Goodbye to You                         Scandal
Rock-It                                Herbie Hancock

Comments:
-=-=-=-=-
Pretty much what it sounds like, a collection of songs that played as
videos in 1983 (a few are originally form 1982 but got heavy play in 1983).
Like many of you, I believe that 1983 represented the high water mark of
80's music in general and certainly for MTV. Prior to this, much "New Wave"
wasn't accessible if you didn't get MTV or a good college rock station and
after 1983 the hard edge of post-punk pretty much faded away into the
commercial pop sound of the late 80's. We got MTV in 1982, so most of these
songs/videos I can remember hearing a lot of in the following year. These
two discs have something for everyone. While many will be all too familiar
to fans of VH-1's "The Big 80's" (like the ubiquitous Culture Club, Golden
Earring, and The Romantics) others represent the earlier sounds of college
rock New Wave (Wall of Voodoo and Planet P). There is the consumate
"techno" of Herbie Hancock, the rockabilly of the Stray Cats, and the "hard
core" new wave of the Psychedelic Furs. Although it is billed as an MTV
collection, this collection includes some fairly obscure titles that can't
even remember the videos for like Ultravox's "Reap the Wild Wind" and
"Mirror Man" by the Human League (given all their MTV "hits, this was an
especially interesting choice by Rhino/MTV). If MTV ever played some of
these as videos, it must have been at a later hour than I was watching. I
was especially attracted by Scandal's "Goodbye to You," which came off
their original album which has never been issued in CD format (tape only).
I know of only two other CD compilations with this track. Although some
songs may be hard to find, all of these are available elsewhere. The real
beauty of this album is finding them all in the same place at a reasonable
price. If you are looking for a great "survey" album for the greatest year
in 80's music, I strongly recommend this one, especially as it has double
or triple the tracks of most 1983 collections like Billboard's or CMJ's.
NOTE: MTV may also have agreed that this was their best year since there
are no other versions of this collection such as a "Class of 1982" or "1984."




Title: Don't Touch My 45's/Great Lost Singles of the 80's
Label: Risky Business
TTime: 44:26
Notes: Liner notes on each song and artists, Running Times
Reviewer: Carlos Torres
Paid : $13.00 (Tower Records)
Rank : 5 out of 5.

Track Listing
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Title                                  Artist(s)
-=-=-                                  -=-=-=-=-
Break My Stride                        Matthew Wilder
What's He Got?                         The Producers
When Your Heart is Weak                Cock Robin
China                                  Red Rockers
The Honeythief                         Hipsway
My Oh My                               Slade
Blue Kiss                              Jane Wiedlin
Coming up Close                        'Til Tuesday
Feel The Heat                          Jean Beauvoir
Angel Say No                           Tommy Tutone
Jungle Boy                             John Eddie
Goodbye to You                         Scandal

Comments:
-=-=-=-=-
One of the best collections I own, especially due to the gems that are here
that are almost impossible to find anywhere else. Break My Stride, What's
He Got? and a couple of other ones I haven't seen on any other collection.
The flow of the CD is flawless and these classics are what they're called,
GREAT lost singles. You probably don't recognize some of them, but once you
hear them you realize what a great collection this is.



Compilation Review Listings:
[A-D] [E-I] [J-R] [S-Z] [Rhino's] [Rock 80's] [Soundtracks] [Videos]
[Oblivion] [Flashback] [Sedated] [Time Life] [Rolling Stone's] [Christmas] [Vendors]