'80s rewind

My iPod and CD players don’t really rewind like we’d rewind our tapes in the ‘80s. During the Walkman and BeatBox days, rewinding our cassette tapes was oddly exciting stuff — you didn’t know where the tape would stop exactly and so it was hit or miss, trying to locate the precise start of a song. In a way it made you listen more to the songs since you couldn’t easily skip from track to track. But the ‘80s never really left us because good music survives the test of time. Simply, the ‘80s is a treasure trove of great music and it is one of the legacies that I intend to share with my kids. Here are my top 10 songs from the ‘80s that I’m going put on a playlist that will be required listening for the Tamano boys:

1. Thriller by Michael Jackson. They called him the Prince of Pop but he was not just a princeling, he was a musical king. Or a titan, an artistic giant who revolutioned music, videos and pop culture. I would be doing a disservice to my children if I didn’t turn them on to the magic of MJ. And Thriller is a great intro because not only is it a fun, danceable song but it also was revolutionary in terms of melding filmmaking, music and special effects. I doubt if I can recreate the awe and creepy joy I felt when I first saw the Thriller video. Sadly, the video also presaged MJ’s descent into weirdness but even that is something that I think my boys can learn something from as they grow older. But listening to MJ will teach them one simple lesson as well: great music is timeless.

2. True by Spandau Ballet. My kids have to hear what their old man defines as a perfect romantic song — smooth, not smarmy, no over-the-top vocals, and no “I’m Mr. Sexy/Loverman” vibe. Just pure, beautiful music. And my kids have to see their dad’s fashion icons and style mentors. Hey, the ‘80s may be out — or in, I don’t know — but clean, well-cut, tailored suits will always be in season. My kids will also learn about the British invasion, new wave, and the new romantics, when we discuss Spandau Ballet.

3. Every Breath You Take by the Police. Obviously my kids have to listen to the music of Sting. I’ve always thought his earlier work was better, so some Police is in order. The fact that there are now bossa nova versions of this song makes it imperative that my children listen to this original music before they hear the bastardized remakes.

4. Livin’ on a Prayer by Bon Jovi. I hate glam rock but this song is so iconic, infectious and emblematic of the ‘80s that it’s an heirloom song. Have I mentioned that I hate glam rock? But my kids should hear this and perhaps also laugh at the outrageous things that glam rockers wear. I mean, tights and bandanas for men — really? And the song actually has a positive empowering message, depending on how you interpret it, about striving to make ends meet.

5. September by Earth Wind and Fire. Kids, if you want your friends to dance, this is a surefire party starter. It worked in the ‘80s (even though it actually came out in ‘78) but it seems to work in the 21st century just as well. The good vibes, smooth grooves, and great vocals of the EWF make this song, and in fact the whole corpus of EWF music, required listening. Add a bit of Egyptian and new age weirdness to the musical mix and what you get is an unforgettable group that defies any categorization or era.

6. 99 Luftballons by Nena. Hey, I had to put a novelty song on the list, right? This 1984 international hit was about 99 red balloons, which was a metaphor for something that I never quite figured out since it was sung in German. Yes, there is an English version but I don’t know if it’s an exact translation of the original. The great musical hook and the New Wave synths in the background make this a true ‘80s classic. “Whatever happened to Nena?” my kids might ask. Well, she was, at least in the Philippines, a one-hit wonder. Maybe she flew off with those red balloons.

7. Feed the World by Band Aid. Okay, I’m not sure what to call the motley crew of British and Irish musicians — including Tony Hadley, Duran Duran and U2 — that Bob Geldof assembled to raise relief funds for famine-ravaged Ethiopia. My kids will get a history and geography lesson aside from listening to a catchy Christmas song. It was idealism distilled into song, a lovely idea of helping your fellowman that I’d like to instill likewise into my children. I’m sure my kids will be surprised at my ability to name all the singers as they sing their solos. Released in 1984, it was also a time of political ferment in the Philippines, the roots of People Power, stuff that my kids have a right to know and learn from as well.

8. Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears. The music of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith deserves a hearing from my kids. Particularly because their music has an introspective quality that made you think deeply about the lyrics. Especially, the “Hurting” album that deals with Orzabal’s difficult childhood. This one, I’ll let my children listen to when they are a bit older and more mature.

9. Growing Up by Gary V. This was the theme — and opening song if I recall — of the movie Bagets. Nothing captures ‘80s teen Philippines like Bagets. Through this song I’d like to share with my kids a life without cell phones, Facebook and Starbucks. A time when people actually had to find a telephone, and perhaps have some spare change, to make a call; when a cup of coffee cost less than 10 pesos; when people actually — gasp! — wrote letters, even love letters, to each other. A simpler time, not necessarily better but different from our current latte-drinking, multimedia digital age. A time when getting a kiss on the cheek from the girl you liked was a big deal. I expect my kids to misunderstand my wistfulness and see it as mawkishness but that’s okay. My parents had their stories — and their wistfulness — too.

10. Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson. You might protest: two MJ songs out of the thousands of other choices? Well, he was a musical genius and an icon of the decade. Period. And the lessons embedded in the song about self-realization, remorse, forgiveness and self-actualization surely deserve a listen from my kids. Is it just me or do others get goosebumps when they really listen to the message of this song? And that’ll be the final musical lesson for my kids: that great music is not only timeless but empowering as well.