The Best Of 1985: #1

It's been a fun few days... and now we're at the end of our list. My favorite video from 1985 is, of course, "Home Sweet Home" by Motley Crue. Was there any doubt?

Comments

[Him]

No doubt, Allyson. No doubt. An obvious and fitting end to the list!

[Kixchix]

Great list with a fitting end Ally!

One glaring omission IMO. Something from Dokkens Under Lock & Key. A regular poster astutely mentioned that earlier in the week. "It's Not Love" would have been my choice to replace either Night Ranger, Kiss or one Ratt tune.

Man oh man, what a time in pop culture!!! I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to have been 15 in 1985 to live the decadence (not too much I was 15 thank goodness for I may have enjoyed the decadence too much) and live the music.

Onto 1986!!! (Just kiddin :-) ) maybe next time. Best rock board on the web!!!!!

[Rita]

Thanks Allyson. This countdown was a lot of fun. And I think you should definitely take Kixchix's suggestion and keep doing these. I loved it.

This video was great. To this day one of the coolest shots ever is when Vince is sharing the microphone with that girl and they are both singing the hell out of the song. I love that part and what a dream that would still be.

And Kixchix, I feel the same. I was 18 and when this scene was in full gear, I hadn't really come into my own yet. Which is good because the most dangerous thing, for me anyway, was these long haired pretty boy musicians. When most of them chopped their hair off in the 90's, the world became safe again for me. Less beautiful, but safe. LMAO.

[Gary]

This was really cool Ally! (Maybe 1986 next?) I kind of figured this would ( quite deservedly) be #1. It was #1 on MTV for about half the year until they decided nothing was going to beat it so they just quietly removed it from the voting. Love this video and what it represents for to this very day...

[Bob]

Amen Kixchix and Rita! This really was a great time to be alive. Not that I don't love my life now, because I do, but in 1985 I was about 70 pounds lighter, had long flowing hair, was making money playing drums and seemingly didn't have a care in the world. What a difference 30 years makes.

[Metalboy!]

I knew it! I knew it! But I didn't want to say anything because who needs a spoiler alert during such a fun countdown. I agree with everyone here! Do it again soon, Al! p.s. This is #1 on my "Ultimate Power Ballads" Playlist!

The playlist is 2.2 days long and contains 715 Songs without repeats of a band unless that band replaced the singer, in which case, they got another slot.also, if a singer left a band to join another, then his new band gets a slot. Plus, there are plenty of hidden gems mixed in -- songs and demos of songs by unknown bands that are as good or better than their more renowned counterparts.

And at the very end of this over two days long playlist comes this song. Rock On, Allsyson!

[Metalboy!]

Oops! Damn keyboard!

Take two!...

Rock On, Allyson!

p.s. And I agree with Kix Chix on 2 counts, Dokken's "It's Not Love", their best song, certainly belongs on the list and yours is THE Best Rock Board, bar none, Al!

[Shawn]

Great choice.... I gotta agree that Dokken did deserve a mention. MB 2 days, 715 power ballads that is incredible... I hope the countdown continues 1986 was a wild year for music.. I could be wrong but I think both Poison and GnR launched that year but the video's may not of hit til 87. Those years are awful fuzzy sometimes. I don't usually log in on the weekends but I had to check to see who was #1 .....

[Him]

Can't help but watch this video and think how (relatively speaking) healthy Mars looks. And the rest of the band? This was when they were truly "on top."

Still, I loved the list even without Dokken. After all, it is your list Allyson!

Now Metalboy!, will you be posting a streaming link (that sounds dirty for some reason) to this majestic playlist? You know the fans would love to hear it.

"Less beautiful, but safe." Had me laughing Rita. "70 pounds lighter." What many of us wouldn't give to go back again, Bob. Thirty years goes by so quick and so slow. One constant? That darn music. Nothing can age it.

[Metalboy!]

Hmmm..., HIM... Let me look into it... If I can do it, I will!

Rita... Just so you know, I held out in the long hair department until 1993... I even wrote a song about it called, "Last Of The Longhairs".,

But, actually, I transitioned from Knebworth Era Robert Plant Hair in 1992 to "Pulp Fiction" Era John Travolta Hair in '93, presaging his appearance with it in "Pulp Fiction" by 1 year! Once he showed up with it, I ditched it for the short, slicked back look of Pat Riley, former NBA Championchip Basketball Coach, now President of Miami Heat. Don't worry, though, Rita, I'm not nearly as ugly as he is, hahaha!!! ; )

[Brian C.]

As much as I dispise Vince on a personal level, this was the correct ending to the countdown. Well done Ally!!

[Bob]

Metalboy!, my good sir, this could be a separate discussion all its own. I chopped off my long hair for good in '96. I say, "for good", because I chopped it all off the first time in '93 for a job interview. I didn't get the job, so I grew it back out again. By the time '96 rolled around, I simply got tired of all of the maintenance associated with it. I still have a lock of it somewhere in the house because my girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife, insisted that I give her a lock to hold on to. I've lived in California for 18 years, and almost no one knows about my long-haired New Jersey rocker past.

[EddieLongHair]

Why chop the locks?! My long-haired New Jersey past is still alive and well! (I did chop it off in '94 but started growing it back the next day!) Lol! And great countdown Ally!

[Rita]

Metalboy! and Bob, glad to hear you both held out for a while after the 80's ended.

And EddieLongHair, good going. Keep it alive as long as you can.

All I know what I was lucky the bassist in one my favorite bands had chopped his all off and started wearing one of those winter toques in '96 when we hung out a couple times. Made it a lot easier to turn him down. Lord knows what would have happened if he still had his 80"s hair lol.

[Metalboy!]

Hahaha!!!, Rita... I somehow imagine you with giant hair back in the day. When did you begin to tame it down?

[Rita]

Haven't tamed it down yet Metalboy! Ha. Ha.

It's still long, longer now actually, but I certainly don't tease it up like the old days. It looks less like rocker hair now but I don't think I'll ever cut it off. I'd lose all my power if I did lol ;)

[Dj]

Killer pick. One of my favorite Crue songs ever. Although, I like the video for Smokin In The Boys Room a lot better. Still, you can't go wrong with Motley. Loved the list. 1986 next?

[Metalboy!]

Hahaha!!!, Rita! Actually, I take what you say seriously about having you hair long providing power. It's a conduit and extension of spiritual powers!

[Rita]

You may be onto something Metalboy! Maybe that's why Hair Metal was such an important genre for so many. And I, like you , use the term "Hair Metal" with much affection.

[Jakki Steal]

I took this post from somebody on the Amazon Forums, But I think it describes my feelings to a T!!!
Here It Goes...
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***No Offense To Anybody Here, Just My Personal Experiences***

It's very hard for me to take anybody seriously, who thinks that "Hair Metal" is an actual style of music. It's just a very lame uninspired term for glam metal. Glam metal is a style of music, "hair metal" is just a weak insult.

What amuses me the most is that people on the "internet" are so quick to dismiss glam metal by calling it "hair metal" and ragging on it but in all of my personal life experiences...
I know and am constantly meeting people (almost every single day) who love glam metal. Never once in my life have I ever met somebody who actually called glam metal "hair metal".

Glam metal is the only style of music that never fails for me to get random strangers to constantly give me props. Pretty much every single time I'm wearing a Motley Crue or Guns N Roses (etc) T-shirt, I always have people stopping me to tell me how much they love those bands and most of them are young teenagers or 20 year olds, who weren't even born when these bands were selling millions of albums. I constantly hear people say how they wish they were teenagers during the 1980's and how boring popular metal music is today.

I've just noticed that people on the "internet" are mostly the complete opposite of pretty much everybody I've ever met in real life. I find it very entertaining/fascinating that people on the "internet" honestly think that "hair" is some sort of style of music.
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I 1000% agree w/every single part of that persons statement.