Jason Gross @SockofFleagulls

Backseat in the High Life: More Backseat Drivers of the 80s

After I wrote the previous column on Backseat Drivers of the 80s, I had quite a few songs leftover from my list. I thought no sense letting all that research go to waste, so here I am to spread more great 80s music featuring famous backup vocals. There were many great duets in the 80s, […]

Awesome Instrumentals of the 80s – Side 2

by Jason Gross @SockofFleagulls

The decade of the 80s proved that instrumental songs could still top the charts. Whether it was Herbie Hancock and M.A.R.R.S. using turntables, synthesizers, and mixers or Kenny G and Joe Satriani using traditional instruments, Side 1 of this column examined some great innovative instrumental tracks. Now it’s time to fast forward and flip the […]

Awesome Instrumentals of the 80s – Side 1

by Jason Gross @SockofFleagulls

Lyrics? Where we’re going, we don’t need…lyrics! The reason that I celebrate the music of the 80s over other decades is simple…variety. Top 40 radio in the 80s was a melting pot that spanned from British new wave to the early origins of hip hop and rap. No bias or traditions dare got in […]

The 80s Court: Peter Cetera vs. Chicago

by Jason Gross @SockofFleagulls

Does anybody really know what time it is? No, it’s not “25 or 6 to 4.” It’s time for another edition of the 80s Court, where we pit those ambitious lead singers against their former bands. In this edition, we’ll look back at one of the most successful American rock bands of all time. In […]

The History of Double Dragon

by Jason Gross @SockofFleagulls

The 80s arcade would not be complete unless we include one of the classic “beat ’em up” or brawler arcade games. Probably the most popular and widely known in this gaming genre is Double Dragon. With fists flying and legs kicking, our quarters would lead us into streets and back alleys on a quest to rescue […]

A Little Help From Our Friends: Backseat Drivers of the 80s

by Jason Gross @SockofFleagulls

Once a musical artist makes it big, we usually assign to them the stereotype of having big egos and being selective of who they choose to work with in the future. But it seems in the 80s and even in earlier decades, there were many well-known singers and musicians that would jump in the backseat […]

Careless Whispers & Smooth Criminals: A Tale of 80s Covers Gone Wrong (and Right)

by Jason Gross @SockofFleagulls

If you’ve known me for more than five minutes, you know how I feel about music from the 1980s. If you’ve known me for more than 5 weeks, you might know how I feel about artists who sample songs from the 80s in their music. (See my Sloppy Seconds of the 80s article on this […]

The 15 Biggest Two-Hit Titans of the 80s

by Jason Gross @SockofFleagulls

The 1980s are well known for their one hit wonder bands and artists like Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Devo, Soft Cell, Tony Basil, Kajagoogoo, and of course my favorite- Flock Of Seagulls. I’m not ashamed to admit…some of these songs were just plain awful; however, many of them happened to have a catchy hook. In some […]

The 80s Court: David Lee Roth vs Van Halen

by Jason Gross @SockofFleagulls

Welcome again to the halls of musical justice known as The 80s court. Upon considering the following case, I went through much deliberation on which parties should be involved. After all, it seems like Van Halen has broken up and reunited more in the past 10 years than Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards. That being […]

Saxify the Economy – How the Saxophone can Jump-Start America

by Jason Gross @SockofFleagulls

When is the last time you heard a saxophone on a Top 40 radio station? With the exception of maybe the Dave Matthews Band and the occasional song like The Heavy’s “How You Like Me Now?”, the sax has been all but forgotten over the past 20 years. I’ve come up with a way for […]

The Rise and Fall of the Garbage Pail Kids

by Jason Gross @SockofFleagulls

Ten years prior to the Pokemon frenzy in the late 1990s, the Garbage Pail Kids ruled the trading card world. But what happened?

The 80s Court: Sting vs. The Police

by Jason Gross @SockofFleagulls

Welcome to the first edition of The 80s Court! In the upcoming months, I’ll be putting on my long black robe and arbitrating 80s cases…Wapner style! Our first series of cases will examine popular bands that split in the 80s. We’ll see if those balloon-headed prima donne lead singers were justified in launching solo careers […]

The History of the Keytar

by Jason Gross @SockofFleagulls

Let’s face the facts of keyboard players in 1979: Fact #1: Piano or keyboard players in rock and roll bands never got as many groupies as the lead guitarist. Fact #2: Expressing your tremendous talent at a piece of musical furniture just didn’t give you the stage presence and attention you needed to attract those […]

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