The Eighties Online

For a great many artist's, re-invention is the name of the game. David Bowie is the master of this particular skill, but failed British 1960's teen Shane Fenton's rebirth as mysterious glam-rocker Alvin Stardust is perhaps a better reference point for the transformation of Billy Idol.

Born William Broad in London, England, he renamed himself Billy Idol while a member of The Bromley Contingent, cult followers of the Sex Pistols, played for a while with the punk band Chelsea, and the went on to be the frontman of Generation X.

When he found it difficult to hit the big time in Britain, Billy relocated to NYC in 1981 and teamed up with KISS manager Bill Aucoin and guitarist and songwriter Steve Stevens.

As a solo act Billy contrived a new image that was part metal, part punk, and totally MTV friendly.

Conveying a rebelliuos personality with some slick bondage chick videos which played heavily on his over the top variation of the Elvis-James Dean sneer, Billy Idol was an ideal heavy rotation favorite, gettin his first US Top 30 Hit with "Hot in the city".

Without a doubt, Madonna was the biggest and brightest female pop star of 80s music and is still greatly respected and admired today for her talent and fashion insight. Here is a quick look at some of her most popular singles.

1) “Borderline”: This song was one of the first hits Madonna experienced off of her debut 1983 album. In true Madonna style, this song was a bit different from the albums other cuts like “Holiday” and “Lucky Star” because it had a more diverse melody and flow.

2) “Like A Virgin”: Madonna has often brought forth bold statements about society and life through her music and this song was certainly one of her first bold musical statements. With its catchy melody and dark warmth, the song is a beautiful piece of art. Thus, when Madonna’s voice brought the lyrics to live along with the unforgettable music video she filmed, this song became an 80s iconic artistic moment frozen in time.

3) “Papa Don’t Preach”: Again, Madonna took possibly controversial lyrics of the time and turned them into a message the whole world understood with this song. It was an amazing way to address the issue of teen pregnancy in a time where it wasn’t socially acceptable to address it openly.

Michael Jackson costumes will be hot this Halloween. And I think that's great! It's totally acceptable to dress up as Michael. That's a fine tribute to his memory.

This is especially true if you consider "Thriller". Isn't this the ultimate Halloween song?

It's been 3 months since The King of Pop's untimely death and in another month "This Is It! The Movie" will be released in theaters across the country at the end of October.

I am saddened by all the sensational news coverage of Michael and his family over the last three months and glad it has started to die down.

Throughout history great men, and women have been vilified and attacked by the media, by those who did not understand. Many great people have been misunderstood!

So just remember you media people, you radio talk show hosts, you rag "entertainment magazine" publishers, you "so-called" reporters, TMZ, the Enquirer and others, these our our beloved icons. We are a powerful force! You attach them, you attack us.

So, save your sensational journalism for the reality TV stars and leave Kirstie Alley alone. Leave Michael Jackson alone. Leave Elizabeth Taylor alone. Leave Madonna alone. Leave the late Patrick Swayze alone. Leave Michael J. Fox alone.

Released in July of 1981, Tainted Love comes on the radio 28 years later and anyone, young and old thinks "now that's some fine 80's music".

Soft Cells' debut hit is an example of both the role of technology used to create an entirely new sound, a great hook, and the way a great song can endure.

Synthesizers were becoming readily available and relatively affordable in the early 1980s.

Marc Almond and Dave Ball formed the group Soft Cell, an archetypal synth-pop duo. The band released an EP and two singles in 1980 and 1981.

The singles generated little interest and didn't sell at that time. then they found "Tainted Love".

The song was written by a 1960s songwriter who had been a member of of a vocal harmony group called The Four Preps.

The Standells, a garage rock band made the song their biggest hit, and was called "Dirty Water". the song "Dirty Water" was also covered by the UK band, The Inmates.

To add even more confusion, the song "Tainted Love" was recorded by soul singer Gloria Jones way back in 1964 and became a favorite in Britain's Northern soul clubs in the late 70s.

The suicide of Joy Division's lead singer, Ian Curtis, in 1980 cast a long shadow over the band's recordings.

Even before the death of Ian there was something out-of-this-world about Joy Division.

Joy Division was a band inspired by punl but never a punk band favoring instead, a sort of monolithic rock styling, dominated by two-note guitar riffs, rigid drum patterns, a bass melody from Peter Hook providing the melody.

The band crafted a rather dark, forlorn form of pop with the release of "Love Will Tear Us Apart", which included the addition of rudimentary synthesizer parts that seemed to bring out the otherwise hidden musicality in Curtis's voice.

"Love Will Tear US Apart" hit the charts in April 1980 just when the Joy Division story was reaching the critical point.

Ian Curtis was epileptic and sometimes had seizures on stage. As a result he had a maniacal, jerky, spasmodic dance style that seemed to mimic his condition. Audiences were fascinated with his on-stage antics, never sure whether he was having a fit or simply dancing to the beat.

The new Feel Good 80s CD collection from Sony Music includes not only some of the biggest fan favorites from top 80s artists but also many rare tracks from the 80s.

Take a peek at the song list below and see for yourself.

This 80s music collection would be the perfect thing to play during your next 80s party, jam out in the car, or just listen to with friends during a weekend barbecue.

Including your favorite 80s music can make any occasion extra memorable!

Feel Good 80s - the new compilation from Sony Music with 58 classic tracks from the eighties.

CD1
1. Michael Jackson - Thriller
2. Wham! – Club Tropicana
3. A-Ha - The Sun Always Shines On T.V.
4. David Bowie - Let's Dance
5. The Human League - (Keep Feeling) Fascination
6. Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)
7. Bananarama – Venus
8. K.C. & The Sunshine Band - Give It Up
9. Kenny Loggins - Footloose
10. The Weather Girls - It's Raining Men

Michael Jackson died yesterday afternoon and the reality of this unexpected event is still sinking in around the world.

I watched the Jackson 5 on the Mike Douglas show in the 1970's. I watched, glued to the screen, Michael bloom into the King of Pop on the Motown 25th Anniversary special in 1982 and, like millions of others across the globe, I was blown away!

I listened to Thriller repeatedly in the coming years. I watched Michael's pioneering videos in the early days of MTV.

While the passing of Farrah Fawcett was expected, and we have already mourned for her and her family, with Michael, this has come as such as surprise to everyone.

The first single from The Jackson Five was "I Want you Back", released in 1969 soon after signing with Motown Records. The Jackson family never looked back.

As early as 1972, singing and dancing out in front of the group, Michael was clearly destined to become the cornerstone of the Jackson family dynasty.

By the early 1980s, Michael Jackson was ready to break away from his brothers, releasing Thriller in 1982. Thriller still holds the record for the most top 10 singles from one record.

Singer Michael Jackson, 50, died in Los Angeles today, various news sources reported. Jackson, a child Motown sensation who grew into a moonwalking megastar, sold millions of records, earning worldwide adoration in the 1980s.

Later he came to be regarded as one of show business's legendary oddities, hopping from one public relations crisis to another.

The Los Angeles Times, citing city and law enforcement officials, reported late this afternoon that the singer was dead after being rushed to UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles around 3:30 p.m. Eastern time. Other news sources and Web sites also reported the death. The Times reported that the singer was not breathing when paramedics arrived at the singer's home, at 12:26 p.m. Pacific time.

Authorities were closing down the streets around UCLA and the hospital and were expected to make an announcement shortly.

As news spread, a large crowd gathered outside the hospital awaiting word on the performer who had sold 750 million albums, was twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received 14 Grammy Awards, including one for lifetime achievement. People snapped photos and called friends. His music blared from a fan's boombox.