20 Comments
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Deni's avatar

I always think of The Living Years when I think of Mike plus the Mechanics. I swear, that year every damn baby boomer was middle aged and had just lost the father they never spoke to. No wonder the Boomers are a mess, none of their fathers spoke to them. Fucking crybabies.

I gotta say, I have a soft spot for Toy Soldiers. I really should hate it, but I love it. I never would have admitted that at 18/19 years old. I'm not sure I've admitted it until right now.

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Joe Wack's avatar

No, man, you're in good company. It's a weirdly appealing song.

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The 80s-est's avatar

This is a safe space for admitting guilty pleasure songs! 😁

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Margaret's avatar

I had totally forgotten about Mike + The Mechanics, but I like the ones you played. Agree with Alejandro, though, All I Need is a Miracle would have been a better choice.

Joe, I also remember crying to In the Living Years, but it couldn't have been when Grandpa died because he died in 1985. Plus, Grandpa and Dad didn't have a terrible relationship. I'm sure they both knew how much they loved each other, and I do remember the occasional hug between them. But, no, not super demonstrative.

Found this online and had a question...

"Martika has been regularly referred to as one of his several romantic conquests since his transition, however Martika said she only met Prince briefly, once, while discussing their collaboration Love Thy Will Be Done, a No. 1 hit in 1991. “It was a completely professional relationship,” Martika says.Jun 11, 2017"

His transition? Huh?

Anyway, I love her voice (melodramatic) and always loved this song.

I don't think I ever saw an episode of Full House, but it's no wonder those twins ended up so creepy.

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The 80s-est's avatar

Transition from person to symbol? 🤷🏼‍♂️

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Leter Pames Jomax's avatar

This is close, but I think Toy Soldiers edges it

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The 80s-est's avatar

I agree, it’s so damn ridiculous! 😆—K

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Genevieve's avatar

This is one where I really think Mike + the Mechanics is probably the more 80s song, but I’m HIGHLY biased toward Toy Soldiers, so it’s getting kind of an unearned vote from me.

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The 80s-est's avatar

I think Toy Soldiers is really 80s, and Martika wasn't gonna get a hit in another decade the way every member of Mike+The Mechanics did. So I don't think it's unearned! --Keith

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Chris Jacobs's avatar

Mike + the Mechanics were an ok band, but totally forgettable and not super-80s. Neither of these songs will go far in that category, but I think Matrika wins this one.

I think Full House was popular too late for me. Never watched it, and the commercials for it just seemed incredibly annoying.

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Joe Wack's avatar

Listening to "Silent Running (On Deadly Ground)" again, I think their explanation for the story of the song is bullshit. I think 16/17-year-old us were right and it's just a Cold War paranoia song. Where the hell in there is something about a time-traveling astronaut? What in the name of cocaine were they thinking?

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The 80s-est's avatar

Listen between the lines, Joe, for the love of Moses, LISTEN!

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Alejandro Saya's avatar

In the name of cocaine, it makes sense to read "between the lines"! (I don´t know if my witty comment translates well into english, but I tried!)

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The 80s-est's avatar

hahahahahaha yes it definitely works in English 😂

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Alejandro Saya's avatar

The Mike + the Mechanics video is really something 😂 I love the desperate yet silent cry of the mother when the kid just vanishes into an electronic world!

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Joe Wack's avatar

Definitely nobody winning an Oscar for their performances in this video.

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The 80s-est's avatar

Thanks for checking it out--it's something you have to see to believe!

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Alejandro Saya's avatar

"All I need is a miracle" was the one to go with, you guys! That song was all over the place in the late 80s. Martika was quite popular back in the day, and her song "Love, thy will be done" is actually a Prince song. I don´t know if it´s a cover or if he wrote it for her, but there's a Prince version of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwfRxNhSqA8

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The 80s-est's avatar

I obviously agree! And I had read that she was briefly linked to Prince…thanks for the link! I think it’s safe to assume that he at least had a hand in writing it. —K

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Alejandro Saya's avatar

I just listened to Prince's version on Spotify, it's good but Martika's is better. Now that you say, I remember they were romantically involved!

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