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A Truly Schizophrenic Year: The Music of 1985 Four Decades Later

A look back

Paul Combs
Rock On

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Image: Wikimedia Commons

As a proud member of Generation X, I have a completely unrepentant love for all things 1980s. This is especially true when it comes to ’80s music, from New Wave to Metal to, of course, Springsteen. As good as the movies were, many have not aged well (kind of like me) and though numerous great books were published during the decade, it wasn’t a literary golden age. With the music, everything was golden.

Or so I thought until looking back over the songs released in 1985 for a piece similar to my recent story about songs turning 50 this year. There are without question some classic tunes, but there were an equal number of musical travesties that I had apparently blocked from my memory. In my defense, the period from 1985 to 1989 is a bit hazy as result of spending too much time in bars when you could still get a pitcher of beer for $2.00.

My troubled youth aside, in honor of this auspicious 40th anniversary of 1985, I give you several pairs of songs below. The first of each pair is one you should absolutely add to your playlist, and I apologize in advance for the second. Let’s get started.

“She Sells Sanctuary” — The Cult

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