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Before I move on to the great alternative music of the Nineties, I have decided to put the brakes on before going into the commercial zenith of this great genre of music. Instead, I want to appease the frustrated History teacher in me by taking this week to look at the historical development of alternative music.

If you have any historical perspective to music, you will probably have noticed how much cross-breeding there has been in music. Much of what we call metal has its roots in the very same music that I will bring up today. Now, back in the early Seventies, then-music critic and future-Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye compiled a double album’s worth of Sixties “punk” music, that was later renamed “proto-punk” music.

Back in the Sixties, after The Beatles hit the States, teenagers began picking out their instruments and joining up in garages across the country, playing amateurish rock music, with much power. But, many of these bands were only around for one song, as brilliantly depicted in the great movie That Thing You Do.

Still, the lasting brilliance of these artists live on, if not on the radio, then in the musical DNA of any indie rocker today. So, let’s take a look at My 75 Favorite Proto-Punk Songs.

1. The Stooges – “Search and Destroy” (1973)
2. Ramones – “Blitzkrieg Bop” (1976)
3. The Kinks – “You Really Got Me” (1964)
4. The Who – “My Generation” (1965)
5. The Kingsmen – “Louie Louie” (1963)
6. The Electric Prunes – “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)” (1967)
7. Bobby Fuller Four – “I Fought the Law” (1966)
8. The Beatles – “Helter Skelter” (1968)
9. Velvet Underground – “White Light/White Heat” (1968)
10. MC5 – “Kick Out the Jams” (1969)
11. David Bowie – “Suffragette City” (1972)
12. The Stooges – “I Wanna Be Your Dog” (1969)
13. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – “I Put a Spell on You” (1956)
14. The Strangeloves – “I Want Candy” (1965)
15. The Runaways – “Cherry Bomb” (1976)
16. The Shadows of Knight – “Gloria” (1966)
17. Count Five – “Psychotic Reaction” (1966)
18. The Troggs – “Wild Thing” (1966)
19. The Outsiders – “Time Won’t Let Me” (1966)
20. Alice Cooper – “I’m Eighteen” (1970)
21. Love – “Seven & Seven Is” (1967)
22. Blue Cheer – “Summertime Blues” (1968)
23. Strawberry Alarm Clock – “Incense and Peppermints” (1967)
24. The Easybeats – “Friday on My Mind” (1966)
25. Death – “Politicians in My Eyes” (1975)
26. Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs – “Wooly Bully” (1965)
27. The Amboy Dukes – “Journey to the Center of Your Mind” (1968)
28. The Premiers – “Farmer John” (1964)
29. Blondie – “X Offender” (1976)
30. The Dictators – “(I Live For) Cars and Girls” (1975)
31. ? & the Mysterians – “96 Tears” (1966)
32. The Human Beinz – “Nobody but Me” (1967)
33. The Sonics – “Strychnine” (1965)
34. The Amboy Dukes – “Baby Please Don’t Go” (1967)
35. New York Dolls – “Personality Crisis” (1973)
36. Them – “Gloria” (1964)
37. The Castaways – “Liar, Liar” (1965)
38. The Swingin’ Medallions – “Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)” (1966)
39. The Music Explosion – “Little Bit o’ Soul” (1967)
40. The Knickerbockers – “Lies” (1965)
41. David Bowie – “The Jean Genie” (1973)
42. The Music Machine – “Talk Talk” (1966)
43. The Standells – “Dirty Water” (1966)
44. Velvet Underground – “Heroin” (1967)
45. The Shaggs – “Who Are Parents” (1969)
46. The Sonics – “Psycho” (1965)
47. Status Quo – “Pictures of Matchstick Men” (1968)
48. The Seeds – “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine” (1965)
49. The Leaves – “Hey Joe” (1966)
50. The Beau Brummels – “Laugh, Laugh” (1965)
51. The Barbarians – “Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl” (1966)
52. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – “Diddy Wah Diddy” (1966)
53. Paul Revere & the Raiders – “I’m Not Your Stepping Stone” (1966)
54. The 13th Floor Elevators – “You’re Gonna Miss Me” (1966)
55. Link Wray & His Ray Men – “Rumble” (1958)
56. Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention – “Trouble Every Day” (1966)
57. Pink Floyd – “Astronomy Domine” (1967)
58. The Monks – “Shut Up” (1966)
59. Velvet Underground – “Sister Ray” (1968)
60. Blues Magoos – “(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet” (1966)
61. The Lovin’ Spoonful – “Do You Believe in Magic” (1965)
62. The Dictators – “Weekend” (1975)
63. The Modern Lovers – “Roadrunner” (1976)
64. Os Mutantes – “Bat Macumba” (1968)
65. Sir Douglas Quintet – “She’s About a Mover” (1969)
66. The Left Banke – “Walk Away Renée” (1967)
67. Pink Fairies – “Do It” (1971)
68. Paul Revere & the Raiders – “Kicks” (1966)
69. Nazz – “Open My Eyes” (1968)
70. New York Dolls – “Trash” (1973)
71. The Move – “I Can Hear the Grass Grow” (1968)
72. Pere Ubu – “Final Solution” (1976)
73. The Doors – “Blue Sunday” (1970)
74. The Pretty Things – “Midnight to Six Man” (1966)
75. Max Frost and the Troopers – “Shape of Things to Come” (1968)

That was the first group of songs that influenced the alternative and punk music of the Seventies, Eighties and beyond. Tomorrow we will look at the next genre of music that had a major influence on alternative music, bubblegum music…whhhaaaaaatttttt?!?!?! I kid you not!

I had a great time going back through my old albums and CDs to listen to this music that I have brought to you for the past two weeks. The Police, R.E.M., U2, The Cure and The Smiths were the superstars of the genre at the time, while The Replacements, Pixies, Bob Mould/Hüsker Dü, Depeche Mode and New Order walked away as the big influences from the genre. Still, to this day, we have a group of artists that are underappreciated by Boomers since these artists represent the first batch of rock music that the Boomers did not understand.

Now, for your information, thanks to a long time friend who happens to be in the radio industry, suggested that I work on a historical view of alternative music. So, I plan to back up to do a week’s worth of music that lead up influenced the new wave and college rock of the 1980s. Then, I will forge forward into the alternative music of the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. This whole thing has been a blast from a music nut like me. Plus, I get to appease the dormant historian in me (I come from a family of history teachers and owners of history/political science/sociology degrees, with my wife and me being the only Kellers without history-related degrees). As some of my former students can attest, I have always enjoyed showing how certain genres of music have developed over time. So hang on people! This crazy trip through alternative music is just beginning and going deeper than you could have imagined.

With that said, let’s get to my Top 5 Favorite 80s College Rock Songs!

5. Hüsker Dü – “Makes No Sense at All” (1985). The band that took pop songs and then played them faster than any group before them played with more distortion ever imagined tones things down a bit to show the true inner power pop band that always was the beating heart of the band. However, the lyrics were true Eighties cynicism that grew in the hearts of many early alternative artists as a reaction to how they were being screwed by the lack of trickle in the trickle-down economic policy of Reaganomics.

4. Pixies – “Debaser” (1989). This is the sound of grunge music being birthed. This is one of the songs that influenced Kurt Cobain’s use of the quiet-loud-quiet alternation of verse-chorus-verse. Pixies developed here and on several of their others songs from their 1989 classic album Doolittle.

3. U2 – “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (1987). In 1987, U2 assume the mantle of being the world’s biggest band upon the release of The Joshua Tree. This was the second single that hit #1 from this album. This song is a gospel song dressed up as a rock song with lyrics that spoke volumes about what it was like to be in your twenties in the Eighties. What a brilliant song that tapped in to the zeitgeist of a budding generation.

2. The Smiths – “How Soon Is Now” (1985). This song is often listed as the #1 song of this genre by critics. It’s classic haunting opening salvo sets the tone of the song that this is not a typical song by The Smiths. The band takes us on a crazy psychedelic trip through the insecure mind of a twenty-something in the 1980s.

1. R.E.M. – “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” (1987). Here’s the collective media-overload purge that our generation needed. Michael Stipe’s rapid-fire listing of events and paranoid visions that brought our worries to a head just as the chorus was comforting us as we learned to harness our power that would result in the election of Bill Clinton.

Well, ladies and gentlemen! There you have it. I hope you are enjoying this ride as much as I am. Have a great weekend and I will be back.

The Top 10! Finally! This is probably THE group of songs that most of you have been waiting to see. I have always LOVE Top 10s in lists. If something is listed or ranked in the Top 10, then the item must be special. I don’t care what the subject is (Now wait a sec Keller! You don’t read Martha Stewart’s lists or anything on Pinterest.), I want to see the Top 10. That list will give me a brief look as to what is import to that subject matter.

So, let’s jump right in to My Top 10 Favorite ’80s College Rock Songs!

10. The Replacements – “Alex Chilton” (1987). So, who is Alex Chilton? Chilton was the lead singer of the Sixties group The Box Tops, who scored a Number One Billboard hit with the band’s timeless classic “The Letter”. Now, the band had a few more hits, but none as big as their first hit. After Chilton left The Box Tops, he joined the godfathers of power pop, Big Star. Chilton became an iconic figure within the 80s alternative scene, as did Big Star. So, The Replacements honored both Chilton and Big Star with this Big Star/Alex Chilton homage.

9. Bob Mould – “See a Little Light” (1989). In 1987, Bob Mould left Husker Du for a solo career. What we were not ready for was the organic-sounding song cycle of acoustic-based rock songs in the place of the usual pile driving distorted guitar assault of his aforementioned band. It was a startling contrast. And, this was his finest song on his brilliant debut album.

8. R.E.M. – “Radio Free Europe” (1983). This was ground zero of the whole College Rock movement. After this song’s release, for a time, it seemed like there were actually thousands of sound-a-like bands. This song remains iconic and vital to this very day.

7. The Pogues – “Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah” (1988). In 1986, The Clash were kaput. Few artists were stepping up to try to fill the void left behind in the wake of their demise. U2 filled the sincerity portion with their excellent music. But, it was not until 1988, that another Irish band of drunken Celtic folk punks to release a single that recalled The Clash’s energy and vitality. And, this was all done in an ode to a woman’s body.

6. The Style Council – “Walls Come Tumbling Down” (1985). Paul Weller and company seemed to conjure up the ghost of The Jam in order to create this song. It’s desperation and yearning about societal ills. It was the perfect song for the mid-point of the Reagan administration.

Another five songs down, making a total of 195 songs cover thus far on this list. Tomorrow, of course, we will finish off this list! So, until then, keep on rocking in the free world! Peace!

Let me begin by saying, “Happy birthday!” to my beautiful bride. We have been together since going to see Ghostbusters the summer we met. We have had our ups and downs like most couples. But, we have been on a life ride that I would not have traded for anything. Happy birthday baby!

Before I met my wife, she only listened to pop/rock radio. And, guess what?!?! She continues to listen to pop/rock radio, and mainly rolls her eyes at some of the stuff I think is great. Once person described me as a hot air balloon and my wife as the anchor that keeps me floating off, which is fairly accurate. And, although she is not as big of a music fan as I am, she has been my biggest influence on me becoming a blogger. Currently, she is gently prodding me to write a book or screenplay, which seems like a daunting task for this left-brained microbiologist/chemist/hematology technologist/medical technologist. So, we will see, because the thing has been a VERY slow process.

With that said, how ’bout we get back on track with the next five songs in the countdown of what is turning into a history of alternative music series of countdowns. Today, I present to you #11-15 in the countdown of My 200 Favorite ’80s College Rock Songs. Let’s go!

15. Pixies – “Here Comes Your Man” (1989). The Pixies gave Kurt Cobain the idea of the alternating soft-loud-soft concept of verse-chorus-verse. This song is a nice little Power Pop dish that clearly displays guitarist/vocalist Black Francis’ pop melody songwriting ability without the Pixies’ usual blasts of fuzzed-out guitar.

14. New Order – “Bizarre Love Triangle” (1986). Yes, the lyrics are a bit “bizarre”, but the music is clearly meant for the dance floor in a manner that only the synth-pop dance sound of New Order could create.

13. Depeche Mode – “People Are People” (1985). Finally, Depeche Mode discovered their post-Alan Clarke sound by turning the contrast in their music and lyrics toward the darker side of things. By doing so, their synth-pop sound became more rock-like.

12. The Smiths – “Girlfriend in a Coma” (1987). The opening lyrics of this song directly showed what a sly sense of humor songwriter Morrissey had: “Girlfriend’s in a coma, I guess it’s getting serious.” Ya think!?!? HAHAHA!!! I was hooked by the dark humor of the lyrics set to the usual proto-Britpop sound The Smiths had become known for.

11. The Cure – “Lovesong” (1989). Who knew that the biggest mopey band in the world could possibly ever write a sexy love song? This song was so good that it peaked at #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1989. FYI: the album on which this song can be found is The Cure’s masterpiece Disintegration.

Well, we are now on the cusp of the Top Ten of this current countdown. Please allow me a moment to thank my favorite radio man in Indianapolis, the incomparable Drew Carey, for the idea of digging into the history of alternative music. It was a fantastic idea that will be reaping weeks of blog space. So, if you do not like what I am doing now and in the short-term on this blog, you can thank my friend Drew. Here’s to you Drew! And, here’s to the rest of my loyal readers! Cheers!

Back in January 1986, I was obsessed with The Replacements. So, imagine my reaction when I heard the band was going to be the musical guest on an upcoming Saturday Night Live. Now, the band had two personalities. In the studio, they could be focused long enough to produce brilliant songs with unparalleled songwriting. But, when the band toured, they could be a drunken mess or a brilliant tight band, many times within the same concert. With that in mind, the band’s reputation had the SNL staff on edge for the night of the show.

During a rehearsal, the band had jacked up the amps to such loud levels that the SNL soundman was yelling at the band to turn it down during the rehearsal. For their 1985 album, Tim, The Replacements had joined a major label. Being a band from the underground, The ‘Mats were constantly needling the label by saying the band would play older songs from their original indie label. So, the level of nervousness was pegged on high as the band performed during the rehearsal earlier in the evening that Saturday. The band was set to play two songs from their latest album Tim: “Bastards of Young” and “Kiss Me on the Bus”.

Between the rehearsal and the actual show, the band did two things: crank up their amps and got drunk. So, for the live show, the band kicked off their rowdy “Bastards of Young” with the sound blaring too loud for the show, which caused distortion in the picture being sent to televisions throughout the country. It took nearly half the song before the sound people got things under control. To top things off, the band came back drunk and high and performed an amateurish “Kiss Me on the Bus”. Their antics lead Lorne Michaels to ban The Replacements from any other performances on SNL.

Now, did The Replacements blow their chance. Probably. But, the band produced three more great albums before breaking up. Still, their music lives on, which is proof that the band’s influence continues to grow this day.

Of today’s five songs, four of the five artists are all part of College Rock’s hierarchy. Let’s take a closer look.

20. Joy Division – “Love Will Tear Us Apart” (1980). No other band has a reputation on the rise like this band. Much like the Velvet Underground before them, Joy Division has blossomed in influence since singer Ian Curtis’ suicide. This song is the band’s masterpiece.

19. R.E.M. – “Fall on Me” (1986). College Rock’s golden boys had stayed away from political statements until they released this pro-environmental song. I remember when my generation actually believed in climate change. Now, for some reason, many don’t. Whatever. This song explains what is happening.

18. The Police – “Every Breath You Take” (1983). The Police were one of the first and most revered College Rock bands when they released this song in the Summer of 1983. After its released, they became the biggest band in the world, transcending all genres.

17. Alison Moyet – “Invincible” (1984). Back in the early-80s, their was once a band known as Yaz (or, for a time, Yazoo). Their lead singer was a plus-sized young woman with a powerhouse, soulful voice, Alison Moyet. She released her solo debut in 1984 that set the world on fire. This song was her finest moment, Live Aid performance included. She may have been Adele long before Adele showed up on the scene.

16. The Replacements – “Talent Show” (1988). The album this song comes from, Don’t Tell a Soul, was the band’s attempt to become a commercial success. And, although, this song was never really released as a single, I have always loved the lyrics’ mission statement-like directness. Never before had the band seemed so focused.

Well, we are now ready to jump into the Top 15. The numbers are getting smaller, and the songs are getting bigger. Any guesses as to what will be number 1? Stay tuned!

I’ve discussed this in the past, but it is worth dredging up once again. Back during the Summer of 1983, I worked at a resort in Southern Wisconsin. That summer was notable for many things, much of which I will not discuss on here. But, one thing that was fun was hanging out with a guy who created music in the vein of Elvis Costello and Marshall Crenshaw. I found the young man very interesting in that he was a walking jukebox when he had his guitar. He was great with making a medley out of songs by Buddy Holly, Elvis Costello, Marshall Crenshaw and himself. The medley made for a very interesting rock history lesson as his medley showed how these songs were all related.

Unfortunately, the only thing that all of the college rock artists had in common was a rejection by commercial radio. College Radio played everything from the rock music commonly associated with college rock, along with rap, reggae, and even thrash metal music. Quite honestly, these “modern rock” stations were the last gasp of terrestrial radio’s power to innovate. Personally, I never understood why radio “thought” no one wanted to listen to college rock music at the time. Stations were constantly adding new artists to their playlists throughout the Eighties, so long as those bands did not stray far from the sounds of Journey and Loverboy. So, no, the stations would never play Black Flag or Dead Kennedys due to non-traditional vocalists along with the rawness of their music.

Well, that is history. Today, there seems to be a little revisionist history is taking place as we begin to hear about some radio stations programming “classic” alternative, “classic alt.” So, let’s get going with the countdown.

25. Elvis Costello – “Veronica” (1989). When this song was released, many were excited to hear his collaboration with Paul McCartney. This was the biggest hit of those batch of songs the two great songwriters worked on. The two split their batch of songs on their two albums released in 1989: Costello’s Spike and McCartney’s Flowers in the Dirt.

24. Marshall Crenshaw & the Handsome, Ruthless & Stupid Band – “You’re My Favorite Waste of Time” (1983). How in the world did a song released as a B-side end up ranking so high? When the song is as powerful as this one is.

23. Dead Kennedys – “Holiday in Cambodia” (1980). No band was a lyrically provocative as the Dead Kennedys. Had this band had arisen during the grunge era, they might have been recognized as the geniuses that really were.

22. The Church – “Under the Milky Way” (1988). This song is often listed as being the greatest song by an Australian band. That speaks to the lasting quality of this song.

21. The Cure – “Just Like Heaven” (1987). On this song, The Cure dropped their trademarked moping and replaced it with a wistful optimism. And, they got a hit out of it.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the Top 20! Until then, follow Casey Kasem’s rule: Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars. Cheers!

As of this writing, I am sitting in a quiet house, much like the proverbial quiet before the storm. I am back in my music room, surrounded by my modest collection of albums & CDs, along with some memorabilia dotting the room while listening to my favorite album thus far in 2017, Paul Weller’s A Kind Revolution. Weller has been a constant artist in my life from his days as the leader of the punk/mod band The Jam in the late-70s/early-80s, of the sophisticated Europop band The Style Council throughout the 80s and as a solo artist since the early-90s. I would say since 2008, Weller has been on a creative roll, with music that ranks with the best of his illustrious career.

My problem is that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame seems to be ignoring artists who were big in the UK & Europe, like The Jam, and focusing more on classic rock artists who were popular in the US. Of the genres that have a beef with the RRHOF, like heavy metal, rap, soul and prog rock, alternative music, especially that of the Eighties, has been ignored. How can artists such as The Smiths (would have Britpop happened without these guys?), Pixies (Nirvana ripped them off quite a bit), The Cure and Depeche Mode (what music would we have moped around the house to?) and New Order/Joy Division (two bands that are interlocked forever and may have had the greatest influence on today’s music if you think about it). I know the people involving with nominating and electing artists is a thankless job, but come on! The public would love it if they would simply inducted 10 artists a year, instead of the small classes of five to seven.

The Hall of Fame is a great visit, though I have not been there since 2002. I am looking forward to visiting again, especially since my beloved Prince, Cheap Trick and Daryl Hall and John Oates have all been subsequently inducted in the intervening years. Son #2’s fiance’s parents were just there for a short visit and want us to road trip with them up to Cleveland for a better and longer visit. Hopefully, we will be able to make it happen soon.

Well, in my effort to keep the college rock artists alive in the collective memories of my readers, let’s continue with my favorite song countdown. Today, let’s cover numbers 26 through 60. Let’s get it started! (My apologies to the Black Eyed Peas!)

26. XTC – “Dear God” (1986). Who knew an atheist song could become so popular?

27. R.E.M. – “The One I Love” (1987). Another great stalker song.

28. The Housemartins – “Happy Hour” (1986). This was a great band in the shadow of The Smiths. Here is their best song.

29. The B-52’s – “Love Shack” (1989). Before this song was worn out by every wedding DJ since the song’s release, this was the major reason for the breathtaking comeback of the Eighties favorite party band.

30. The Stone Roses – “I Wanna Be Adored” (1989). For one album, The Stone Roses were causing a commotion over in Great Britain with a near-Beatlemania reaction toward the band. Unfortunately, the band’s innovative dance/rock hybrid fell on deaf ears in the States. However, the band was the second biggest influence on the Britpop phenomenon in the Nineties.

31. U2 – “Where the Streets Have No Name” (1987)

32. Jane’s Addiction – “Jane Says” (1988)

33. Talking Heads – “Once in a Lifetime” (1980)

34. Kate Bush – “Running Up That Hill” (1985)

35. Peter Gabriel – “Games Without Frontier” (1980)

36. Nine Inch Nails – “Head Like a Hole” (1989)

37. Peter Murphy – “Cuts You Up” (1989)

38. Suzanne Vega – “Luka” (1987)

39. Wire – “Eardrum Buzz” (1988)

40. The Style Council – “How She Threw It All Away” (1988)

41. Living Colour – “Glamour Boys” (1988)

42. Talking Heads – “Burning Down the House” (1983)

43. Love & Rockets – “So Alive” (1989)

44. Husker Du – “Don’t Want to Know If You Are Lonely” (1986)

45. Pixies – “Monkey Gone to Heaven” (1989)

46. Patti Smith – “People Have the Power” (1988)

47. Pet Shop Boys – “West End Girls” (1986)

48. Yazoo – “Don’t Go” (1982)

49. Sonic Youth – “Teen Age Riot” (1988)

50. The Psychedelic Furs – “The Ghost in You” (1984)

51. Cowboy Junkies – “Sweet Jane” (1988)

52. The Sicilian Vespers – “Baccala” (1988)

53. The Stone Roses – “I Am the Resurrection” (1989)

54. The Smiths – “Stop Me If You Think You Heard This Before” (1987)

55. Echo & the Bunnymen – “Lips Like Sugar” (1987)

56. The Cure – “Close to Me” (1985)

57. Sting – “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” (1985)

58. Camper van Beethoven – “Take the Skinheads Bowling” (1985)

59.Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians – “Balloon Man” (1988)

60. Eurythmics – “Who’s That Girl” (1984)

There you go. Next week, we will be all over my Top 25. Have a great weekend.

I will admit that much of the College Rock music from the 1980s was initially a tough listen. These artists were taking much of the punk and new wave lessons and began to darken the music. For the most part, MTV stayed away from these artists during the day and prime time. But, the leaders at the cable network were intelligent enough to take the two budding genres of the day, college rock and rap musics, and make shows out of them. College Rock Music was played during a two-hour time slot late at night during a program called 120 Minutes, and everyone remembers that the rap music of the day was on a show called Yo! MTV Raps. Both show were terrific ways to see the videos for those genres that would eventually become the mainstream music in the Nineties.

In the late-80s, I worked mainly second shift at the first two hospital labs in which I worked. After work, I would get home in time to watch Late Night with David Letterman, followed by a couple hours of 120 Minutes. So, between 120 Minutes and 97X, I was immersed in College Rock. All of a sudden, Culture Club was left behind for The Cult and The Cure, and The Human League gave way to Depeche Mode. As more and more pockets of the US and UK were dying due to the conservative policies of the day, college rock artists began speaking to the kids not being economically washed by the trickle-down policies of the day. All of a sudden, “Talk Dirty to Me” was not speaking to me, but R.E.M.’s “Exhuming McCarthy” made sense. Then, I got past the initial shock of the vocalists of Dead Kennedys or Black Flag and heard the pop melodies and insightful political lyrics of their great music. A group like Minutemen interwove jazz musical leanings with punk and funk to create a very unique, update on Frank Zappa’s or Captain Beefheart’s music. And, their lyrics were just what I was looking for at the moment: from the heart and angry.

Therefore, today, I continue on with my countdown of My 200 Favorite ’80s College Rock Songs with numbers 61 through 95.

61. INXS – “The Original Sin” (1984)

62. Cocteau Twins – “Lorelei” (1984)

63. Iggy Pop – “Real Wild Child” (1986)

64. Morrissey – “Suedehead” (1988)

65. Peter Gabriel – “Shock the Monkey” (1982)

66. The Police – “King of Pain” (1983)

67. General Public – “Tenderness” (1985)

68. Marshall Crenshaw – “Cynical Girl” (1982)

69. Siouxsie & the Banshees – “Peek-A-Boo” (1988)

70. Artists United Against Apartheid – “Sun City” (1984)

71. Gang of Four – “To Hell with Poverty” (1982)

72. Duran Duran – “Say a Prayer” (1982)

73. Jerry Harrison – “Rev It Up” (1987)

74. 10,000 Maniacs – “What’s the Matter Here?” (1987)

75. Billy Bragg – “Levi Stubb’s Tears” (1986)

76. Bauhaus – “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” (1982)

77. Minutemen – “Corona” (1984)

78. Killing Joke – “Eighties” (1985)

79. The Jesus & Mary Chain – “Just Like Honey” (1985)

80. The Smiths – “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side” (1986)

81. R.E.M. – “So. Central Rain” (1984)

82. Depeche Mode – “Strangelove” (1987)

83. David Bowie/Pat Matheny Group – “This Is Not America” (1985)

84. X – “The Hungry Wolf” (1982)

85. New Order – “True Faith” (1987)

86. Black Flag – “Rise Above” (1981)

87. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – “From Her to Eternity” (1984)

88. Echo & the Bunnymen – “The Killing Moon” (1984)

89. Modern English – “I Melt with You” (1982)

90. Nirvana – “About a Girl” (1989)

91. R.E.M. – “(Don’t Go Back to) Rockville” (1984)

92. Ramones – “My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)” (1986)

93.Tears for Fears – “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (1985)

94. The Cult – “She Sells Sanctuary” (1985)

95. Public Image Ltd. – “Rise” (1986)

That makes 140 songs down and 60 to go! Next week, I will get back to making commentaries on song of my favorite songs. Peace!

The phrase “Left of the Dial” comes from the 1985 Replacements song title from their brilliant album Tim. The the first time, a band was paying homage to the college radio stations who were playing their music. And, where on the FM bandwidth would one find most college stations? On the left side of the “dial”, to which you would turn the dial to the range between 88 to 93 kilowatts to hear these stations. Now, with digital signals we use preset buttons to lock in on a radio station’s signal, that is if you listen to terrestrial radio at all anymore. Before those preset buttons, you had a dial to help you lock in on a station’s signal, thus the reason for the song’s title.

Now, my primary source for information about ’80s College Rock can be found on the fantastic website called Slicing Up Eyeballs. The site is a cornucopia of information on this music, which was the next step beyond New Wave and Punk music. And, in addition to my own music collection, I would like to refer you to four box sets that have been quite helpful in this endeavor. Yesterday, I referred to the first one, Left of the Dial. The other three are Children of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the Second Psychedelic Era, 1976–1995; Like Omigod! The ’80s Pop Culture Box and A Life Less Lived: The Gothic Box. All three sets are loaded with songs found on this list and many that probably should have been.

Now that we are in 2017, we can more look back at this vast history of rock & roll music and see that this music had to happen. Ground zero can be found in the music of a little-known band from the late Sixties called the Velvet Underground, who had a singer/songwriter by the name of Lou Reed. Their albums initial did not sell well, but legend claims that everyone that did purchase the album all started bands, which, when combined with the UK’s glam rock scene and the USA’s bubblegum music fixation gave way to punk and new wave. Then, as the darkness of Reaganomics began to take on toll on Gen X, they turned inward with college rock. Eventually, college rock morphed into the Alternative Nation of the Nineties, including grunge, Britpop, alt-country (or Americana), power pop, funk-rock and nu-metal. Then, at the dawn of the 21st Century, the alternative scene gave way to the indie scene, since the record companies started dying off in the digital age.

So, today, let’s kick back and enjoy the next 35 songs in My Top 200 80s College Rock Songs, specifically #96-130.

96. Dinosaur Jr. – “Freak Scene” (1988)

97. The Cure – “Why Can’t I Be You” (1987)

98. Lone Justice – “Ways to Be Wicked” (1985)

99. The Replacements – “Left of the Dial” (1985)

100. Roxy Music – “More Than This” (1982)

101. Violent Femmes – “Add It Up” (1983)

102. Big Audio Dynamite – “The Bottom Line” (1985)

103. Godley & Crème – “Cry” (1985)

104. Meat Puppets – “Lake of Fire” (1984)

105. The Godfathers – “Birth, School, Work, Death” (1988)

106. Talk Talk – “It’s My Life” (1984)

107. New Order – “Blue Monday” (1983)

108. Mudhoney – “Touch Me I’m Sick” (1988)

109. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Higher Ground” (1989)

110. Lloyd Cole & the Commotions – “Perfect Skin” (1984)

111. Los Lobos – “How Will the Wolf Survive?” (1984)

112. Gene Loves Jezebel – “Gorgeous” (1987)

113. Midnight Oil – “Beds Are Burning” (1988)

114. The Clash – “Go Straight to Hell” (1982)

115. The Cure – “Let’s Go to Bed” (1982)

116. The Fixx – “Are We Ourselves” (1984)

117. X – “Johnny Hit and Run Paulene” (1980)

118. Ministry – “Stigmata” (1988)

119. Bob Mould – “Wishing Well” (1989)

120. Dream Academy – “Life in a Northern Town” (1985)

121. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – “Enola Gray” (1981)

122. Talking Heads – “Road to Nowhere” (1985)

123. The Pogues – “If I Should Fall from Grace with God” (1987)

124. The Dukes of Stratosphear – “Vanishing Girl” (1987)

125. DEVO – “Working in a Coalmine” (1981)

126. Julian Cope – “The World Shut Your Mouth” (1984)

127. Gang of Four – “I Love a Man in Uniform” (1982)

128. Killing Joke – “Wardrobe” (1981)

129. R.E.M. – “Can’t Get There from Here” (1985)

130. Grace Jones – “Private Life” (1980)

We are now in the Top 100. Hold on since we have 95 more songs to go!

In July of 1986, I graduated from Medical Technology School and took my first job at a small hospital in the college town of Oxford, Ohio. Oxford was an awesome town, as it was a small town of two- to three-thousand people during the summer. But, during the school year, the population would swell by 15,000 people due to Miami University. The town was liberal for a Midwestern town and a great downtown area.

We lived there from 1986 to 1990. But, my favorite two things about the town were it had one of the greatest independent record stores, called Looney T. Bird’s. Thanks to that shop, my record collection grew. The other great thing about the town is that it was home to one of the nation’s greatest independent, family-owned radio stations that catered to alternative music from the time it came on the air. The idea of the station was to appeal to the college student’s taste in music.

During my time in Oxford, WOXY, 97.7 FM, was at its peak in popularity. I first discovered the station during the summer of 1984 while driving to visit my future wife in her hometown in southeastern Indiana. In there area where she grew up, it is hilly, so you lose radio stations easily. So, I was flipping stations when I happened upon a station playing Elvis Costello’s duet with Daryl Hall, “The Only Flame in Town”. I was hooked on the station.

If you want to measure the popularity of the station, just watch the 1980s movie Rainman, which starred Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise as brothers. During an early scene in the movie, the duo is driving around the Cincinnati area listening to the radio until you hear the station’s promo, “97X! [Explosion sound] The future of rock & roll!” That was WOXY’s more “famous” promos of the time. In the movie, the autistic character that Dustin Hoffman was portraying, Raymond, kept repeating that promo. In turn, Dustin Hoffman’s repeating quote of “97X! BAM! The future of rock & roll” became another promo for the station. It was a terrific case of product placement.

Anyway, that station influence my taste in music like no other terrestrial radio station since the old 70s behemoth radio station from Indianapolis at 93.1 on the FM dial, know as “The Buzzard” WNAP. All of a sudden, my tastes were leaving behind the New Wave of the previous years and expanding to include more introspective and darker lyrics of this new music that the rock stations of the day still would not touch. 97X would play not only R.E.M., but artists like The Smiths, Fishbone, Jane’s Addiction, and other artists you can find on a great box set of alternative music from the 80s from Rhino called Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the ’80s Underground. In addition to that, the station would play a couple hours of reggae music on Saturday mornings and heavy metal on Sunday nights. The station was a music lover’s dream.

So, to honor this music, I give to My 200 Favorite 80s College Rock Songs, #131-165.

131. The Cure – “Pictures of You” (1989)

132. Pretenders – “Message of Love” (1980)

133. Concrete Blonde – “God with a Bullet” (1988)

134. Kraftwerk – “Computer Love” (1981)

135. Peter Gabriel – “Sledgehammer” (1986)

136. Paul Hardcastle – “19” (1985)

137. XTC – “Mayor of Simpleton” (1989)

138. The Stone Roses – “She Bangs the Drums” (1989)

139. U2 – “Desire” (1989)

140. The Specials – “Ghost Town” (1980)

141. The Cure – “Hot Hot Hot” (1987)

142. Faith No More – “We Care a Lot” (1985)

143. The Call – “The Walls Came Down” (1982)

144. The Waterboys – “This Is the Sea” (1985)

145. The The – “Infected” (1986)

146. The Sugarcubes – “Birthday” (1988)

147. Minutemen – “Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing” (1984)

148. Eurythmics – “Missionary Man” (1986)

149. The Feelies – “Fa Ce-La” (1980)

150. The Human League – “The Sound of the Crowd” (1981)

151. Sisters of Mercy – “Lucretia My Reflection” (1987)

152. U2 – “With or Without You” (1987)

153. Game Theory – “She’ll Be a Verb” (1985)

154. Bruce Cockburn (It’s pronounced CO – burn) – “Call It Democracy” (1986)

155. fIREHOSE – “For the Singer of R.E.M.” (1987)

156. The Police – “Synchronicity II” (1983)

157. The Replacements – “I’ll Be You” (1988)

158. The Sicilian Vespers – “Baccala” (1988)

159. Soft Cell – “Tainted Love”/”Where Did Our Love Go” (1982)

160. The Smiths – “Bigmouth Strikes Again” (1986)

161. The Style Council – “Shout to the Top!” (1985)

162. World Party – “Ship of Fools” (1986)

163. Ultravox – “Vienna” (1980)

164. Crowded House – “Now We’re Getting Somewhere” (1986)

165. The Cult – “Love Removal Machine” (1986)

That’s my second list of 35 songs. Next week, I will give you comments on the Top 25 songs. So, enjoy this week of pure lists.