Raspberry Beret by Prince and The Revolution was released on May 15, 1985, with She’s Always in My Hair as the B side. It was a single from the album Around the World in a Day. Continue reading
It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me by Billy Joel was released on May 12, 1980, with Through the Long Night as the B side. It was a single from Joel’s seventh studio album, Glass Houses. Continue reading
Fascination Street by The Cure was released on April 18, 1989, with Babble as the B side. The song was only released in the United States, as the lead single from the band’s eighth studio album Disintegration. Continue reading
The Heart of Rock & Roll by Huey Lewis and The News was released on April 10, 1984, with a live version of Workin’ for a Livin’ as the B side. It was a single from the band’s third album Sports. Continue reading
Debbie Gibson‘s Electric Youth Tour was one of my first concerts and the first one I went to unchaperoned. My best friend and I, 16 at the time, got tickets for the Philadelphia stop slated for August 1, 1989 and waited anxiously all summer for the date to arrive. We were huge fans of Debbie’s since Out of the Blue – we listened to her albums (on cassette, of course), had Electric Youth perfume on our dressers, and would have worn hats just like Debbie if we had any prayer of pulling it off.
Debbie embarked on the Electric Youth tour in 1989 to promote her second album of the same name. The album produced four singles, including the No. 1 hit Lost in Your Eyes. Continue reading
Cyndi Lauper‘s She’s So Unusual was one of my very first albums, and the Fun Tour that supported it was my first concert. Cyndi’s first major headlining tour lasted from November 1983 through December 1984, covering North America and three stops in Europe. 
I saw the September 6, 1984 show at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia. Philly natives The Hooters opened for Cyndi. Because I had actually seen her in concert, I was elected president of my town’s unofficial chapter of the Cyndi Lauper Fan Club, which consisted of me and about four of my friends. I took my duties very seriously at the time (there was a handwritten newsletter and lots of Cyndi buttons pinned on denim), and I still remember that tour living up to its name – just a really fun time with lots and lots of energy. Continue reading
Eighties Grooves 