Ultimate 80s Real Men Don't Cry Playlist

Ultimate 80s Real Men Don't Cry Playlist

We've all learned that music can be a great healer and get you through the worst of times. Music can also trigger a memory of a very happy time in the past. Add in, those songs that are forever linked to an emotional part of a movie and you can turn even the toughest man into jello. Most of us men are taught to be strong and that crying shows weakness, but we are human after all. So, here is a playlist of 80s songs that have us men reaching for our handkerchiefs and sometimes, a place to hide.

Journey "Open Arms" (1981)
One of the most powerful love ballads of all time. Steve Perry wails...end of story.

Vangelis - "Titles (Chariots Of Fire theme)" (1981)
Even though it's has been heavily parodied for the running scenes at the beginning of Chariots of Fire, this song still touches the hearts of those who know the triumphant story of the 1924 Olympics.

Billy Vera & the Beaters "At This Moment" (1981/1986)
Originally recorded in 1981, the song got new life on the hit TV show Family Ties in 1986 and was re-released. Michael J. Fox has stated that "Tracy and I couldn't get on the dance floor anywhere in the world for like ten years without hearing 'What would you think...'"

Lionel Richie - "Hello" (1984)
Even though this song has almost a soap opera feel to it, the lyrics really brings home a true feeling of desperation.

80s Exam: Name That Movie Line 2

Can you name the 80s movie lines from the following 8 scenes??

#1

#2

#3

80s Literal Music Video: "Drive"

Another hilarious literal music video. This one uses the 1986 video "Drive" by the Cars, one of my personal faves. Thanks to robohara for posting on Youtube.

Rediscover the Cars greatest hits on Amazon MP3

Footloose Shoes of the 80s

Let's take a look back at our favorites kicks worn in the 80s! 

Jelly shoes or "Jellies"

I would classify these as the "crocs" of the 80s, although they were mainly designed and worn by women. Introduced at the 1982 World's Fair, former bank president Preston Haag developed the plastic shoes as his new family business. The were an immediate hit and really excelled in the market after Bloomingdale's of New York began selling the shoes in 1983. Most 80s ladies will agree that they were probably the most uncomfortable shoe trend of the 80s!

KangaROOS

Having to jog with your keys jingling in your pants pocket was a problem solved in the early 80s. Created by avid runner Bob Gamm in 1979, KangaROOS quickly became popular and one of the top 5 sports shoe brands in the mid 80s. At one point 700,000 pairs a month were being produced. The KangaROOS "Dynacoil" technology, tested by NASA, was one of the first innovations developed for athletic shoes. NFL legend Walter Payton developed his own line and was famously rewarded with a Lamborghini for his contribution. 'Roos are still around today and still being manufactured for worldwide sales with those famous zipper pockets.

Atari 2600 Humor: Part 2

RD80s has received some great feedback from our first Atari 2600 humor post. So here is round 2 that I've plucked off other internet sites. Some funny stuff here and hope to bring you more...some RD80s originals for the next batch!!

 

The 80s Arcade: Dragon's Lair

Your Quest Awaits!

Fifty cents!! Really, for one game?? Yep. I think we all had that conversation with our friends the first time we encountered Dragon's Lair. But it turned out that the high price was worth it!! I remember when I first encountered the game and thought "wow...it's like I'm controlling a cartoon!!" The arcade game was truly a breakthrough in technology, unlike any others in 1983. Using laser disc technology, Dragon's Lair was a unique game in that there was no control over the main character's actions. Rather, you made decisions for him and then he acted upon your choices. Dragon's Lair has been revered highly in arcade video game history, so much so that it is one of only three games to be displayed at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Let's take a look back at the history of the Dragon's Lair up until this present day.


Dragon's Lair was the brainchild of Rick Dyer, president of AMS video game company. His concept was inspired by the 1976 text-based computer game Colossal Cave Adventure and the 1982 animated film the Secret of NIMH. The film's director Don Bluth, a former Disney animator, was hired by Dyer to create the animation for Dragon's Lair. The animation, voice acting, and music were all done on a $1.3 million budget. Some of the animators actually used there own voices to cut back on costs. It was completed in seven months and then paired with Dyer's laser disc technology to create a game experience unlike any other at the time. The laser disc helped Dragon's Lair to essentially look and feel like an animated cartoon. The picture quality was incomparable to any other cabinet arcade game at the time.

G.I. Joe Battle Pie Chart

Find it on 80stees.com

80s Art by Matt Owen

Matt Owen has taken our favorite 80s movies and portrayed them in a whole new light with his movie posters. These 10 posters just scratch the surface of what he has on his Brickhut blog. There are many more pertaining to movies from other eras. You can also purchase prints from his Image Kind store. Thanks to Matt for allowing me to post them here for our 80s enjoyment!!

    

    

Things We Learned In 1984...

...Mogwais are perhaps not the best of Christmas presents.

Thanks to SteVin89 for putting this video montage together!

80s Literal Music Video: "Just A Friend"

Rapper Biz Markie's one and only hit "Just A Friend" reached #9 on the US charts back in 1989. Now, parody rapper Seanie Mic will give us his hilarious literal interpretation of the video.

Visit Parodyrapper.com for more stuff from Seanie Mic

80s Exam: Name That Movie Line

If you are an 80s fan, you should be able to name the movies from the following scenes. But can you also name the famous movie lines that are spoken in each scene? Post your answers in the comment section below!

#1

#2

#3

#4

80s Art By Christopher Tupa

I recently came across some great 80s artwork by Christopher Tupa. He has taken some great TV shows, cartoons, and toys from the 80s and really made them his own. I really enjoy his work and appreciate him allowing me to post a few here. If you want to see more, visit Ctupa.Com. You can also find a store for his artwork, a blog, and a podcast. You can also find hundreds more originals on his Flickr page. Enjoy!

80s icons in the jungle

G.I. Joe carwash

M.U.S.C.L.E. Skating Party

Calvin & Hobbes as He-Man & Cringer

"Total Eclipse Of The Heart" Flowchart

Things We Learned In 1987...

...our worst Thanksgiving imaginable, will never measure up to Neal and Del's.

80s Metal Version TV Themes

We all know the great television show themes of the 80s. You can pretty much tell me the name of an 80s TV show and theme will pop in my head.
The A-Team.........
Knight Rider.........
Magnum P.I.........
Recently I found Sylvian Cloux's channel on Youtube. Cloux has taken many of these 80s TV themes and reformatted them into metal versions. As a fan of rock music and the 80s, I gotta say these are outstanding. Cloux plays all guitars and drums on these cover versions and if that wasn't enough, he has also combined his new sound with the original opening video footage on many of these videos to give us the following 80s greatness....

Ultimate 80s Girl Names Playlist

Ultimate 80s Girl Names Playlist

T-shirt layers, leg warmers, spandex shorts, stone-washed denim, high top sneakers...those '80s girls really knew how to turn heads and steal hearts. So much so, that some songwriters felt the need to express their affection for their gal pals through their music. With many to choose from, I've found my "sweet sixteen" 80s songs that feature names of girls. Slide your sunglasses down your nose and take a long look at these totally awesome girl tunes....

Starship "Sara" (1985)

Fresh off legal proceedings and a name change, Starship had back-to-back #1 hits in the US with "We Built This City" and "Sara" in 1985-86. It was sung by Mickey Thomas and named for his wife at the time.

Toto "Rosanna" (1982)
Although "Rosanna" never reached #1 in the US (peaked at #2 for 5 consecutive weeks,) Toto received a Grammy award for Record of the Year in 1983.

Steve Perry "Oh Sherrie" (1984)
Written for his then girlfriend Sherrie Swafford, it was Perry's biggest hit as a solo artist reaching #3 in the US. It's been mistaken labeled as a Journey song because its sound and that it was released while Perry was still with the band. Co-writer Bill Cuomo, who performed the keyboard melody, is also know for riff performed on Kim Carnes' hit "Bette Davis Eyes."

Ready For The World "Oh Sheila" (1985)
The first of 2 top ten hits in the US, the song features spoken words at the beginning in what sounds like an Australian accent. A "sheila" in Australian slang is a woman or girl.

Aerosmith "Janie's Got A Gun" (1989)
Originally titled "Danny's Got A Gun" after a friend of Steven Tyler, the song did not perform well on the charts reaching only #61 in the US. However, the music video was very popular and earned the band its first 2 MTV VMAs and also its first Grammy in 1991. the video is highly regarded at one of the top 100 ever made.

Europe "Carrie" (1987)
After reaching the top ten with "The Final Countdown" in 1986, this power ballad made it all the way to #3 in the US. (Man, I sound like Casey Kasem) Early versions consisted only of keyboards and vocals.

Michael Jackson "Billie Jean" (1983)
#1 on the US charts for seven weeks, it was a large contributing factor for making the album Thriller the best selling album of all time. It also produced two of Jackson's record of eight Grammy awards in 1983. Jackson explained on numerous occasions that he based the song on "groupies" he encountered while he was with the Jackson 5.

80s Car Art

I love the 80s, but these people really know how to show it!!

Rubix Cube

Pacman

Voltron

Thundercats

Atari 2600 Humor

I was surfing the net recently and stumbled across a fun site, Atari 2600 Label Maker. On the site, you can customize (and print) your own Atari 2600 game labels. For guys like me, this is hours of fun. It also made me think that I'm probably not the only one who sees the fun here and there must be others who have already used this site....and I was right. Here are some of the best fake Atari 2600 labels that I've found. Enjoy!!