I saw the Musical Age of Majority at Paul Gorbould’s blog and thought, hey, what the heck. For those not familiar with it:
- Go to http://www.popculturemadness.com/ [actually, go to the music page]
- Pick the year you turned 18
- Get yourself nostalgic over the songs of the year
- Write something about how the song affected you
- Pass it on to 5 more friends
Feel free to skip the last step (as Paul and his source did).
As I look over the Milli Vanilli-New Kids on the Block-Guns N Roses wasteland that was popular music in 1989, though, I find it hard to identify a large number of the songs, and even some of the acts. (Teddy Riley Featuring Guy? Johnny Kemp?) Of the tunes I do recognize, there aren’t five I feel particularly attached to—I own copies of only two of the CDs on which any of the songs appear. And although I’ve come to know (and sometimes even like) some of the songs since the year I turned 18, that’s not what this particular meme is about.
It’s not like I wasn’t listening to popular music in 1989, it’s just that none of it is represented there. So I’ve got to pass on this one. Perhaps some of you others out there will have better luck.
Actually, I had a look at 1985 — what? I’m old; get over it — and I recognised and even waxed nostalgic for a lot of the top 50 tunes of my year. But “Meeting In The Ladies Room”? By Klymaxx? WTF?
Yeah, the 1985 list is a lot more familiar. I heard “One Night in Bangkok” a few weeks ago and it’s still the best tune about playing chess I’ve ever heard. 🙂 Also getting back into Thomas Dolby, and (for various reasons) the non-disco hits of the ’70s.
Well, thanks for giving it a shot. I have to agree with you, a lot of the songs that made the top 40 were utterly forgettable – I guess radio stations were playing them, and maybe someone was buying, but it sure wasn’t me. I too identified better with some of the earlier years – perhaps by 18 people have actually developed, you know, taste in music 🙂