This week, the League was asked to list the songs that were forever looping in their tape deck back in high school.
I got my driver’s license back in the late 80’s, and on Friday nights you would find me cruising the streets in my VW Bug. I’m a firm believer that every teenager’s first car should be a VW Bug. When something goes wrong with a VW, you hop out and fix it. No lie, I once went three months using a long piece of twine as my accelerator cable.
My Bug was one sweet ride, and it rumbled loud–you knew when I was on your street–and since the car was so loud, the stereo had to be even louder. I had mixtapes for every occasion, but you can bet every one of them was filled with hair bands. The 80’s produced some amazing music, but for this article, I’m going to focus on my late night cruising tunes–you know the ones, those songs that you’d play while driving your date home, all the while hoping it would get you a little something to think about on your ride home.
I could probably write a full blog post on each and every one of these songs and the memories that they each bring to mind. It really surprised me at the wave of nostalgia that came over me while watching each of these videos after so many years. Well, without further delay, here’s the list.
Warrant – Heaven
Journey – Faithfully
Cheap Trick – The Flame
Motley Crue – Home Sweet Home
Skid Row – I Remember You
Bon Jovi – I’ll be There for You
Van Halen – Love Walks In
Bad Company – Feel Like Making Love
Scorpions – Still Loving You
Guns N Roses – Swet Child O’ Mine
White Lion – When the Children Cry
Brian Adams – Heaven
(You didn’t think I’d leave out my namesake did you?)
I thought this was going to be an embarrassing post, but after writing it up, I can honestly say that I’d still fire up any of these songs on a Friday night on my iPod–and hey, no pencil required! (10 points to the first person who understands that reference.)
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This is the latest post in response to the weekly blog challenge presented by the League of Extraordinary Bloggers. My fellow League members have also been posting their high school mixtapes, so head over to Hobgoblin, TL, Goodwill Geek, and Bubba Shelby for their tunes (and more!).
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Got to love Skid Row!
Well, with a lead singer named Sebastian Bach, how could you not?
All of these songs are great. Too bad I can no longer listen to that Bryan Adams song, though. It was my wedding song and conjures up all sorts of painful memories (I am divorced). Now Sweet Child of Mine on the other hand… That is my favorite song of all time and it never gets old. \m/
Songs can really have an impact–positive or negative. “Faithfully” was the theme song for my senior prom and I can’t listen to it without being transported back to that night. And the opening sequence of “Sweet Child oMine” is an unbeatable flashback device.
I hated Guns & Roses but I have to admit that Sweet Child O’ Mine has a killer opening riff . I remember Appetite for Destruction being THE album all the metal kids had and there being a bit furor about the alternate/banned cover.
The Scorps!! Still Lovin you!! Nice 🙂 I forgot about that and just downloaded it! No pencil? Wasn’t that a fact book??
I used to love the Scorpions — glad to see a fellow fan here. 😉
Their last few albums have been really good.
I know I reeled in plenty of tapes guts with pencils back in the day. I also remember stuffing the open tab on the tape top with a wad of paper so that I could record over some tapes when I got tired of them too.
So many of these songs were recorded off of MTV onto my boombox back in the day, when I was too cheap to buy the singles and had plenty of my parents Hall & Oates tapes that needed to be recorded over…
10 points!
I miss cassingles. (not really.)
Stuffing it with paper? Scotch tape!
Yup, scotch tape was always my solution too!
Your mention of White Lion makes this entire topic worthwhile!
Ha! Salt n Pepa just missed my list. 😉
Great mixtape! This is exactly the kind of stuff I was listening to in high school.
I’m looking forward to seeing your mixtape Dex!
I have all those albums too (cassettes and cds actually, did have the Crue album on vinyl though) and saw many of those groups in concert way back when. Great mix tape selection.
You obviously are a man with good taste.
Damn awesome car. You are one cool cat, Brian. If we had known each other in high school, I would have hated you. Hahaha. And secretly wanting to steal your mix-tape.
Ha! These topics are so much fun to write about because we get to see how far (or not) we have come. In hindsight, high school was such a strange and funny time.
I listened to the majority of these as well. More specifically, Van Halen, Motley Crue, Skid Row, Guns N Roses and Journey. Great track list, Brian.
I’d stuff the holes with paper and then cover them with tape. Just to be sure. I recorded over many of my mom’s Streisand albums. It was my civic duty.
Pax
And we thank you for your service. 😉
I remember recording Sam Kinison’s album over an old Asia tape, hoping my mom would not find it.
Your Beetle would have fit in the back of my station wagon 😉
Great song selections!
I don’t doubt it for a second. That’s actually one of the few stunts we never did try with my bug. 😉
That car is amazing. What became of it?
It literally fell to pieces around me and was sold off to another naive kid with big dreams a few years later. (It was awesome for a while though!)
Awww mate! My favourite compilation on the list by far. You and I clearly went to the same school of music. We’ve got 3 bands in common and the only reason we don’t have more is that I ran out of songs. Well played!
Another man with impeccable taste.
The Aquanet is getting pretty think in here guys. Just sayin’.
Hey, if you didn’t empty the can in a week, you were doing it wrong. 😉
check out SLIPPERY WHEN WET, a great station on iHeart Radio