The Bill Campbell 40Nil '80s Birthday Party Mix

I've gotta confess when Mrs. Unknown told me that my 40th birthday party would have an '80s theme, I was thrown for a loop. I kept thinking, "But honey, I hate the '80s." Now, a '70s mix. I could do one of those with my eyes and probably my ears closed. But the '80s ...

Well, every time I think of the '80s, I always flash back to the painful dictatorship Phil Collins and Rod Stewart exercised over MTV, Friday Night Videos, and every other video forum I was too young to realize was rotting my frontal lobe.

However, the '80s did actually have a lot of good music, and the nerd within with its obsessive-compulsive proclivities troubled over how to include a lot of it.

There was the R&B that floundered in post-disco disco, electrofunk, and ended in New Jack Swing. Post-punk was totally schizoid, including punk, reggae, disco, hip-hop, and New Wave. Rock recoiled from the arena- and soft-rock '70s with heavy metal, the hair bands (which I hate--with Motley Crue's Shout at the Devil and Van Halen's 1984 being notable exceptions) and thrash/speed metal (which I kinda liked). The nascent hip-hop movement started with disco went into electrofunk then went with minimalist T La Rock/Rick Rubin beats, and ended with jacking all those James Brown beats.

So yes, the '80s actually were quite dynamic and were much more than all those horrible synths, electronic handclaps, and obligatory cheesy guitar and/or sax solos that we remember. But how to include it all? And how can I be kiddie-friendly?

The other challenge for Multiculti Me with coming up with an '80s mix was how to deal with what happened Thursday, July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park. That was when a whole bunch of angry, white folks held Disco Demolition Night and destroyed all those beautiful disco records on the baseball diamond.

Seemingly overnight, radio stations changed their formats and became more segregated than they had been in decades. MTV refused to play black videos and only reluctantly relaxed that policy with Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" (ironic, ain't it?). And still, for most of the decade, they'd only play Michael, Prince, Whitney, and Janet. It wasn't until 1988, with their launching Yo! MTV Raps did MTV really become integrated.

So, I had to throw up my hands in surrender, realizing that one's definition of The '80s would pretty much depend on your race. But what can ya do?

So, here it is, The Bill Campbell 40Nil '80s Birthday Party Mix. It's not by any means all-inclusive (I simply could not honor those horrible, horrible hair bands) and would not be most people's idea of an '80s mix. But hey, I don't have a lot of '80s music in my collection, I had to celebrate my own diversity (forcing folks to drink either Red Stripe or Rolling Rock), and yes, I did include a couple of '70s songs, but WTF, it was my birthday, wasn't it?

On that note, I wholeheartedly thank all yall who made the day special. Thanks to all the people who came to the party, all the emails, surprise phone calls, and FB birthday wishes. Thanks to JET for taking over the grill duties (I needed help, I hadn't barbecued in over a decade), to Mz. Canal and Johnny Walker for helping with the prep and cooking. Yall are the greatest!!!

All your efforts and well-wishing makes me think these 40s might not be so bad after all.

Enjoy the music!!!

Fela Kuti Zombie


Max Romeo and The Upsetters Chase the Devil


Bob Marley and The Wailers We and Dem


UB40 Sardonicus


Fine Young Cannibals Johnny Come Home


David Bowie Ashes to Ashes


U2 Seconds


Strafe Set It Off


Laid Back White Horse (AUTHOR'S NOTE: Forgot about the profanity in this one)


Michael Jackson Wanna Be Starting Something


EPMD You Gots to Chill


Queen Latifah Wrath of My Madness


Tom Tom Club Genius of Love


Prince and The Revolution Kiss (Extended Version)


Indeep Last Night a DJ Saved My Life


Cherelle I Didn't Mean to Turn You On


Devo Whip It





New Order Blue Monday


Paul Young Come Back and Stay (12" Extended Remix)


Level 42 Something About You


The Police Message in a Bottle


Tenor Saw Ring the Alarm


Barrington Levy Here I Come (Broader Than Broadway)


Joel Ski Love Do the Pee Wee Herman


Full Force Alice, I Want You Just for Me


Taanja Gardner Heartbeat (Party Version)


Eurythmics Here Comes the Rain Again


Depeche Mode People Are People


The Clash Rock the Casbah


Joe Jackson One More Time


Kate Bush Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)







Bush Tetras Can't Be Funky


Prince and The Revolution When Doves Cry


Rick James Superfreak


Falco Rock Me Amadeus


Herbie Hancock Rockit


Whodini Five Minutes of Funk


Salt 'n Pepa Push It


Public Enemy Rebel without a Pause


LL Cool J Jack the Ripper


Beastie Boys Shake Your Rump


Liquid Liquid Cavern


The Cure Boys Don't Cry


Elvis Costello Everyday I Write the Book


Eurythmics Who's That Girl


Imagination Just an Illusion


Newcleus Jam On It


Frankie Smith Double Dutch Bus (Extended Remix)





Beat Box Boys Yum Yum Eat 'Em Up


Michael Jackson PYT (Pretty Young Thing)


Steely Dan Hey Nineteen


Madonna Holiday


Pet Shop Boys West End Girls


Slave Just a Touch


Patrice Rushen Forget Me Not


Prince She's Always in My Hair


Simple Minds Don't You Forget about Me


ESG Moody


U2 Bullet the Blue Sky


Run-DMC Rock Box


Eric B. and Rakim I Ain't No Joke


Public Enemy Fight the Power


MC Lyte Paper Thin


LL Cool J Going Back to Cali


Musical Youth Pass the Dutchie


Bob Marley and The Wailers Forever Loving Jah


Elvis Costello Watching the Detectives


Terence Trent D'Arby Wishing Well


Nu Shooz I Can't Wait


Freeez I.O.U.







Bronski Beat Smalltown Boy


Grace Jones Pull up to the Bumper


Frankie Goes to Hollywood Relax


David Bowie Let's Dance


Prince and The Revolution Girls and Boys


Jody Watley Still a Thrill


Pointer Sisters Automatic


Roxanne Shante Bite This


Stetsasonic Sally


Jungle Brothers Beeds on a String


Eric B. and Rakim Paid in Full (Seven Minutes of Madness)


Alexander O'Neal Criticize


ABC Poison Arrow


Michael Jackson Starlight (Demo--AUTHOR'S NOTE: The song that would eventually become "Thriller")


Donna Summer I Feel Love


The Whispers And the Beat Goes On


Inner City Good Life


Run-DMC Peter Piper


Kid 'N Play Do This My Way


Cash Money and Marvelous Ugly People Be Quiet


The Fearless Four Rockin' It


Soul Sonic Force Planet Rock


Joe Jackson Steppin' Out


AHA Take On Me


Altered Images Happy Birthday


Billy Idol Dancing with Myself


U2 Sunday Bloody Sunday


The Police Spirits in the Material World


Dawn Penn You Don't Love Me


Bob Marley and The Wailers Work


Just-Ice Going Way Back


Steady B Serious (Remix w/KRS-One)


Boogie Down Productions Criminal Minded


Loose Ends Stay a Little While, Child


Junior Mama Used to Say