A Child of the 80s

As many of you know, by day, I’m a teacher to hormonally-charged little people (12 year olds). A few years back, I was trying to think of a fun way to incorporate music into my American history class. My husband came up with a great idea: The Song of the Day. As the kids enter my room when they change classes, I play a song from whatever decade they’re studying. In the 1920’s, we played “Yes, Sir, That’s My Baby” and “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue.” During WWII, we listened to Glenn Miller, and the Andrews Sisters.

But now, we’ve reached my decade: the 1980s. I am gleefully rubbing my hands together, figuring out which songs accurately depict the greatest decade of music EVER. I spent tonight burning a CD of possible songs. I have to choose only 6. But which ones? Which 6 songs can possibly be the perfect 1980s songs? It was like trying to choose between my children.

At last, I narrowed it down to nineteen. There were more, but I ran out of space on the CD. In any case, here are some of my top 1980s favorite songs. Which ones would you choose? Or, which songs were your favorite songs growing up?

Here are some of my top favorites, in no particular order:
Mickey by Toni Basil
Whip It by Devo
Jessie’s Girl by Rick Springfield
867-5309 by Tommy Tutone
Maneater by Hall & Oates
Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran
Africa by Toto
Thriller by Michael Jackson
Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
Major Tom by Peter Schilling
In a Big Country by Big Country
Karma Chameleon by Culture Club
Maniac by Michael Sembello
Mr. Roboto by Styx
Man in Motion by John Parr
Life in a Northern Town by the Dream Academy
We Built this City by Starship
Axel F by Harold Faltermeyer
Walk Like an Egyptian by the Bangles
Venus by Bananarama
Wild Wild West by the Escape Club