I will be 100% honest with you--you're right! I was under the impression it was a late-80s song because of when I became familiar with it. Only after the brackets were completed did I realize my error, and that's why it didn't make it. So it's basic incompetence and not poor taste(in this case 😂)--Keith
Africa was my favorite song when I was 4 or 5. Couldn't get enough. So it holds a lot of 80's nostalgia for me. That being said, I'm not mad about it not making it in. In a fan-favorite, nostalgia tournament? Toto's got first place in my heart. In an 80s-EST tournament, it would get creamed.
I don't think any committee would seed it. MAYbe it would get in to the first round by winning its conference tournament thanks to morale from a swell of fan support. But hearts would break after that.
This is kinda how we felt about Africa. Great tune, probably not going to go far in THIS competition. Opinions vary, though, which is why we have comments! 😁
I can't imagine how difficult it was to narrow the complete set of bracket-worthy songs performed by bands to the 16 you included. It is so much easier for me to critique your choices than it is for me to make my own!
Having said that, this group of songs seems to fit in a general "pop" 80s category. I would have replaced Night Ranger with a-Ha (Take on Me), Eurythmics (Here Comes the Rain), Hall and Oats (Maneater), Men with Hats (Safety Dance), The Tubes (She's a Beauty), Tears for Fears (Everybody Wants to Rule the World), and even not my personal favorites, but still relevant - Wham (Wake Me Up before you Go-Go), Culture Club (Do you Really Want to Hurt Me), etc.
I think Night Ranger fits in a different category, along with bands like Asia, Toto, Journey (how can you NOT include Journey???), The Cars, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, 38 Special, etc. There are probably many other categories as well. You mentioned the Alan Parsons Project - it seems to fit with America, J. Geils Band, Steve Miller Band, etc. What about rock - Van Halen, ZZ Top, Quiet Riot, Ratt, (and a whole genre of others that admittedly came mostly after 1985), etc. And... we can't forget the Police, Chicago, Dire Straits...
Just writing this post made me break out into a sweat and appreciate all of the work that goes into this podcast. Thanks for all of your efforts!
Thanks, John! Hold on for one more...week? Some or all of these songs may still make it! Remember, there are two brackets left!! I think with hindsight we could have done 3 time eras (early, mid, late), and also done a specific category(pop, rock, hair metal). What we have now is a big old mish-mash, and it's not pretty! But we push forward! 😂
I find myself irrationally upset at your leaving "Heat of the Moment" - arguably a 1- or 2-seed contender - off this list in favor of "Let's Go All the Way." And yet here I am.
Some great matchups in this region. Looking forward to it
I can't fathom cutting Frankie Goes to Hollywood, that should have been a top 5 seed.
I will be 100% honest with you--you're right! I was under the impression it was a late-80s song because of when I became familiar with it. Only after the brackets were completed did I realize my error, and that's why it didn't make it. So it's basic incompetence and not poor taste(in this case 😂)--Keith
I'm honestly not sure if that makes it more forgivable or less forgivable.
Africa was my favorite song when I was 4 or 5. Couldn't get enough. So it holds a lot of 80's nostalgia for me. That being said, I'm not mad about it not making it in. In a fan-favorite, nostalgia tournament? Toto's got first place in my heart. In an 80s-EST tournament, it would get creamed.
I don't think any committee would seed it. MAYbe it would get in to the first round by winning its conference tournament thanks to morale from a swell of fan support. But hearts would break after that.
(...did I do it? Did I sports?)
BTW, here's the mashup you didn't know you needed: Toto in the middle of Kansas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynrLWIlNBIc
Yes! You SPORTSED!!
This is kinda how we felt about Africa. Great tune, probably not going to go far in THIS competition. Opinions vary, though, which is why we have comments! 😁
I can't imagine how difficult it was to narrow the complete set of bracket-worthy songs performed by bands to the 16 you included. It is so much easier for me to critique your choices than it is for me to make my own!
Having said that, this group of songs seems to fit in a general "pop" 80s category. I would have replaced Night Ranger with a-Ha (Take on Me), Eurythmics (Here Comes the Rain), Hall and Oats (Maneater), Men with Hats (Safety Dance), The Tubes (She's a Beauty), Tears for Fears (Everybody Wants to Rule the World), and even not my personal favorites, but still relevant - Wham (Wake Me Up before you Go-Go), Culture Club (Do you Really Want to Hurt Me), etc.
I think Night Ranger fits in a different category, along with bands like Asia, Toto, Journey (how can you NOT include Journey???), The Cars, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, 38 Special, etc. There are probably many other categories as well. You mentioned the Alan Parsons Project - it seems to fit with America, J. Geils Band, Steve Miller Band, etc. What about rock - Van Halen, ZZ Top, Quiet Riot, Ratt, (and a whole genre of others that admittedly came mostly after 1985), etc. And... we can't forget the Police, Chicago, Dire Straits...
Just writing this post made me break out into a sweat and appreciate all of the work that goes into this podcast. Thanks for all of your efforts!
Thanks, John! Hold on for one more...week? Some or all of these songs may still make it! Remember, there are two brackets left!! I think with hindsight we could have done 3 time eras (early, mid, late), and also done a specific category(pop, rock, hair metal). What we have now is a big old mish-mash, and it's not pretty! But we push forward! 😂
I think what you are doing now is great! What would we argue about if it wasn't a mish-mash? Besides... this leaves so many ideas for future episodes!
I find myself irrationally upset at your leaving "Heat of the Moment" - arguably a 1- or 2-seed contender - off this list in favor of "Let's Go All the Way." And yet here I am.
I feel you, man. But don't come at me that "Let's Go All the Way" isn't 80s! 😂
Zhak zhak.
Ninny-ninny.
Zhak-zhak! ❤️
🧠 🦊
I always sang it as "schom-schom ba-na-na-na schom-schom."
How wild it is that probably every listener has a different sound for this. Wonder what the author would say he was saying?
For me it was "Zhum-Zhum, zitty-zitty zhum-zhum" 😃
--Keith