Helen from https://helenespinosa.wordpress.com/ has asked for some “hopeful” music from the 80’s. I’m not sure my selections are what she had in mind. Because my very first thought was Joan Baez and her song (and album) Children of the 80’s, all I could think of after that was all the great political and protest music that came out in the tail end of that Disco-laden era.
Actually, now that I think of it, there really isn’t anything much more hopeful than younger generations filling our hearts, minds and EARS with thoughtful and inspirational music, even if it is protesting the current state of affairs!
In the 1980’s, I attended Antioch University to finish my Masters. We were encouraged to be creative in how we learned about our chosen subjects. I took a class I expected to be dry and factual, called One World-the History of Political Science. I hated both history and politics. My professor could see how much I dreaded this class and suggested that I create an informative project about “politics” as I personally defined it. I designed an auditory presentation called Music of the 60’s vs Music of the 80’s. Going in, I had assumed the music from MY time of Flower Children, Hippies and Protesters would insultingly overshadow the inane stuff I was hearing on the radio in my house. My son would have been a young teenager then. Rupert Holmes singing about Pina Coladas, Captain and Tenille, Bananarama, Come ON!
Man, was I ever shocked when I started actually researching current music. I talked to local band members like Heart, Queensryche, and Soundgarden. And all the folk singers I could find-Riley and Maloney, Tom Dundee, Jim Post. I started really listening to the non-mainstream (the tail end of disco and it’s spinoffs) type music. I interviewed disc jockeys from several local radio stations.
What I ended up with, almost accidentally, was a 90 minute tape that blew my professor’s mind. He lobbied for, and won me 10 credits for my 3 credit class.
Here are just a handful of songs I had in my project.
If you want to hear more great 80’s Protest or political songs, check out this great site.
http://www.inthe80s.com/protest.shtml
Thanks to Helen, and all the participants in her challenge, who make my musical week!
A Good News/Bad News PS
That tape got destroyed in a basement flood not long afterward. I was SO crushed!!
BUT, my son Michael informs me that the music I was so judgmental of was not at all to his liking either, just happened to be on the radio. We now enjoy mostly the same stuff.
https://helenespinosa.wordpress.com/2017/04/01/song-lyric-sunday-theme-for-4217/
Love that you have some ‘Oils’ in there! That and Jesus Jones from my youth……and you should still be listening to Depeche Mode. They have Aged well! 😍😎
Hey thanks, and I’ll give the “Mode” a try!
I wrote that comment below about giving them a try and an ad came on the radio about their concert here in Seattle THIS VERY WEEKEND!! How timely. Unfortunately I’ll be on the other side of my state and will miss them.
What a fascinating project! I didn’t know you could GET 10 credits for a 3 credit course. This is the first I’ve heard of it. Great going!
Apparently it took my Prof some effort. I was blown away, never expecting such a thing. But I should have known at a university like Antioch, anything could happen!
Man do I ever wish I still had those tapes!!