Thursday, September 22, 2005

Karla Bonoff?

I'm needing something light right now, so I'm digging into something that I think the entire blogging world has already done: the Music Outfitters thing.

Just in case you've missed it, here's the drill:

Go to Music Outfitters.

Enter the year you graduated high school in to the search function.

Take the list of top songs from that year and bold the ones you like, strike through the ones you don't, underline your favorite, and leave the rest alone.

Here's my take on the magical year that was 1982, including some commentary when appropriate.

1. Physical, Olivia Newton-John

Remember the video for this one?

2. Eye Of The Tiger, Survivor

This was 1982?

3. I Love Rock N' Roll, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts

The programming manager at the little radio station in my hometown didn't like this song and wouldn't let it be played. He went out of town one weekend and one of the DJ's played it like 5 or 6 times in a row. I think that was about the only time it was ever played there.

4. Ebony And Ivory, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
5. Centerfold, J. Geils Band
6. Don't You Want Me, Human League
7. Jack And Diane, John Cougar
8. Hurts So Good, John Cougar
9. Abracadabra, Steve Miller Band
10. Hard To Say I'm Sorry, Chicago
11. Tainted Love, Soft Cell
12. Chariots Of Fire, Vangelis
13. Harden My Heart, Quarterflash
14. Rosanna, Toto
15. I Can't Go For That, Daryl Hall and John Oates

16. 867-5309 (Jenny), Tommy Tutone

My roommate in college my freshman year was named Tommy. All the guys on the floor called him "Tutone."

17. Key Largo, Bertie Higgins
18. You Should Hear How She Talks About You, Melissa Manchester
19. Waiting For A Girl Like You, Foreigner

20. Don't Talk To Strangers, Rick Springfield
21. The Sweetest Thing, Juice Newton
22. Always On My Mind, Willie Nelson
23. Shake It Up, Cars
24. Let It Whip, Dazz Band
25. We Got The Beat, Go-Go's

Until the day I die, this will always be my all time favorite group.

26. The Other Woman, Ray Parker Jr.
27. Turn Your Love Around, George Benson
28. Sweet Dreams, Air Supply

29. Only The Lonely, Motels
30. Who Can It Be Now?, Men At Work
31. Hold Me, Fleetwood Mac
32. Eye In The Sky, Alan Parsons Project

What the hell was this song supposed to be about anyway?

33. Let's Groove, Earth, Wind and Fire
34. Open Arms, Journey

Okay, I know it's cheesy, but I had my first "serious" relationship my senior year in high school. I also ended my first "serious" relationship my senior year in high school.

She stayed in our small hometown, hooked up with another guy from our class, got married, and now works at Wal-Mart. I went to college, moved to Louisville, eventually came out of the closet, and fell in love with Keith. I think I got the better deal.

35. Leader Of The Band, Dan Fogelberg
36. Leather And Lace, Stevie Nicks and Don Henley

I LOVED this song!

37. Even The Nights Are Better, Air Supply

Isn't it surprising how many shitty Air Supply songs are on this list?

38. I've Never Been To Me, Charlene

This song always reminds me of a friend of mine from my senior class. She got pregnant our senior year and had to finish the school year at home. She wasn't even allowed to walk with the rest of us at graduation.

39. '65 Love Affair, Paul Davis
40. Heat Of The Moment, Asia
41. Take It Easy On Me, Little River Band
42. Pac-man Fever, Buckner and Garcia
43. That Girl, Stevie Wonder
44. Private Eyes, Daryl Hall and John Oates
45. Trouble, Lindsey Buckingham
46. Making Love, Roberta Flack
47. Love's Been A Little Bit Hard On Me, Juice Newton
48. Young Turks, Rod Stewart
49. Freeze-frame, J. Geils Band
50. Keep The Fire Burnin', REO Speedwagon

Wasn't that such a great album?

51. Do You Believe In Love, Huey Lewis and The News
52. Cool Night, Paul Davis
53. Caught Up In You, 38 Special
54. Why Do Fools Fall In Love?, Diana Ross
55. Love In The First Degree, Alabama
56. Hooked On Classics, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
57. Wasted On The Way, Crosby, Stills and Nash
58. Think I'm In Love, Eddie Money
59. Love Is In Control, Donna Summer
60. Personally, Karla Bonoff
61. One Hundred Ways, Quincy Jones
62. Blue Eyes, Elton John
63. Our Lips Are Sealed, Go-Go's

What? You expected me to be albe to pick between two Go-Go's tunes for my favorite??

64. You Could Have Been With Me, Sheena Easton

I HATED this song!

65. You Can Do Magic, America
66. Did It In A Minute, Daryl Hall and John Oates


The number of shitty Hall and Oates songs equals the number of shitty Air Supply songs.

67. I Ran, A Flock Of Seagulls
68. Somebody's Baby, Jackson Browne
69. Oh No, Commodores
70. Take It Away, Paul McCartney
71. It's Gonna Take A Miracle, Deneice Williams
72. Love Will Turn You Around, Kenny Rogers
73. Don't Stop Bellevin', Journey

Someone told me this was the "offical" song of our senior calss. I don't remember who made that decision.

74. Comin' In And Out Of Your Life, Barbra Streisand
75. Gloria, Laura Branigan
76. Empty Garden, Elton John

This might possibly have been the last era when Elton John songs were tolerable.

77. Yesterday's Songs, Neil Diamond

Yeah, yeah...I know....


78. Crimson And Clover, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts

For some reason, I've not warmed to many covers of Tommy James songs.

79. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Police
80. Here I Am, Air Supply
81. I Keep Forgettin', Michael Mcdonald

82. Get Down On It, Kool and The Gang
83. Any Day Now, Ronnie Milsap
84. Make A Move On Me, Olivia Newton-John
85. Take My Heart, Kool and The Gang
86. Mirror Mirror, Diana Ross
87. Vacation, Go-Go's

I like it, but it's not as good as the other two.

88. (Oh) Pretty Woman, Van Halen
89. Should I Do It, Pointer Sisters
90. Hot In The City, Billy Idol
91. Kids In America, Kim Wilde

I didn't realize this came out in '82. I thought it was closer to my college graduation.

92. Man On Your Mind, Little River Band
93. What's Forever For, Michael Murphy
94. Waiting On A Friend, Rolling Stones
95. Do I Do, Stevie Wonder
96. Working For The Weekend, Loverboy
97. Goin' Down, Greg Guidry
98. Arthur's Theme, Christopher Cross
99. Through The Years, Kenny Rogers
100. Edge Of Seventeen, Stevie Nicks

I was kind of surprised how many sappy sings there were in 1982. I'm also surprised that there were quite a few I couldn't remember. Who the hell was Karla Bonoff?

Great. Now I'm starting the day with Air Supply songs stuck in my head.

3 comments:

Roger Owen Green said...

Eddie! Pull out your Hasten Down the Wind album. Check background vocals and songwriting credits. She was later in a group called Bryndle with Kenny Edwards,
Wendy Waldman and Andrew Gold. Check out her website at http://www.karlabonoff.com/

EM said...

Doh! Why didn't that click with me? Thanks for the info Roger.

I still don't remember a song from her in '82.

And the Air Supply somgs are still crappy.

Do you know who that Guidry guy was?

Roger Owen Green said...

Ron Guidry? A fine pitcher for the NY Yankees. Louisiana Lightning, they called him.
Oh you mean GREG Guidry. Never heard of him. From my Whitburn bible:
Born 1/23/50 in St. Louis. Pop singer/somngwriter/pianist. Had two singles chart in 1982- Goin' Down/Darlin' It's You, which debuted on 2/13 and got to #17 (16 weeks on the charts) and Into My Love/Are You Ready for Love, debuted 7/17, 2 weeks on the charts, only got to #92. Both on Columbia Records. Never heard of him or the songs.
Actually, I saw Karla Bonoff a few years back, and when she did her big hit Personally, it was one of the few songs I DIDN'T recognize.