What is the most "urgent" 80's song of all time?

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Classic 80's arena rock was many things to many people, but one trait is most universal: it was urgent! Songs like "Pressure" by Billy Joel were overflowing in impelling synth bass lines, pressing guitar fills, and vocals warning of impending crisis. If nothing else, something must be done NOW, or else!

But what's the most urgent song of them all? Journey's "Separate Ways", Toto's "Africa", Joe Bean Esposito's "You're the Best"? I'm leaning toward Journey.

― Darthmahler, Thursday, 27 January 2005 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

"Urgent, she's so urgent, urgent, urgent"

― Snappy (sexyDancer), Thursday, 27 January 2005 21:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm not sure what the fuck "urgent" is but I'll volunteer "Wolves, Lower."

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 27 January 2005 21:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Dramarama "Anything, Anything"

― mcd (mcd), Thursday, 27 January 2005 21:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Fishbone's "Party At Ground Zero"! The bombs are falling! The world is ending! The last days are nigh! It is urgent that you get yr freak on!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 27 January 2005 21:54 (twenty-one years ago)

"Major Tom"

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 27 January 2005 21:57 (twenty-one years ago)

The verses, anyway, which is actually kind of a popular 80s trick -- verses tense and hushed leading into big pillowy "release" chorus.

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:00 (twenty-one years ago)

"Danger Zone" or "She's a Maniac" - both songs signs of the apocalypse.

― darin (darin), Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:01 (twenty-one years ago)

That Material Issue song about someone happening. If that's from the 90s, I don't wanna know.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Another secret you might not want to know, Dave: you might be thinking of "Alison's Starting to Happen," which is by the Lemonheads? Though that's not particularly urgent. So maybe you just mean "Valerie Loves Me."

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:04 (twenty-one years ago)

before sex and religion the purple one sand political songs.
prince -ronnie talk to russia-"Ronnie talk to Russia before it's too late, before it's too late, before we blow up the world".
prince - 1999- "everybody's got a bomb - "we could all die anyday"
prince -sign of the times - is it silly,no when rocket ship explodes and everybody still wants to fly"

― rurple pain, Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I would never in a million years think of "Africa" as "urgent." Turgid, sure. Is "regurgitant" a word? God, I hate that song.

― Daniel Peterson (polkaholic), Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:12 (twenty-one years ago)

see all madonna

― noizem duke (noize duke), Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Something off Crass's Yes Sir, I Will. Pick a track.

― donut christ (donut), Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:19 (twenty-one years ago)

snappy otm, right down to the sax solo.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:20 (twenty-one years ago)

It's not arena rock by any stretch, but as an 80's song, you don't get more urgent that "Stigmata" by Ministry.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:23 (twenty-one years ago)

who did that crap? Foreigner? As a kid I thought he was singing "Virgin. She's so virgin, virgin, virgin."

― Snappy (sexyDancer), Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:28 (twenty-one years ago)

"Owner of a Lonely Heart"

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Truthfully, GTA Vice City's rock station to thread.

― Snappy (sexyDancer), Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:34 (twenty-one years ago)

If the answer to this isn't Roachford's "Cuddly Toy (Feel For Me)," I don't know what is.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:50 (twenty-one years ago)

"Somebody Told Me" :)

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Bowie's "Modern Love," maybe?

That, "Don't Stop Believin'" or General Public's "Tenderness".

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, 27 January 2005 22:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Ha: Journey and Perry own this thread. Every other Journey song was basically just five glorious minutes of "Wait, wait, check it out, this is awesome."

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 27 January 2005 23:00 (twenty-one years ago)

"Separate Ways," for God's sake!

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 27 January 2005 23:00 (twenty-one years ago)

"Are you listening? Dude, listen to this. No, no, look at us. This is going to rock. Seriously, guys, this is totally important."

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 27 January 2005 23:03 (twenty-one years ago)

snappy, yeah i think it's foreigner.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 27 January 2005 23:04 (twenty-one years ago)

The Comsat Angels - "Eye of the Lens"

― Ian Riese-Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Friday, 28 January 2005 03:38 (twenty-one years ago)

("Urgent" was definitely Foreigner. nabisco OTM about Journey, one reason they were so superior to Foreigner.)

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Friday, 28 January 2005 03:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Never Say Never by Romeo Void?

I love that Foreigner song and I don't care who knows it. Thomas Dolby's synths turned crap into gold.

― seedy poops in the woods (Queen Electric Butt Prober BZZ), Friday, 28 January 2005 04:09 (twenty-one years ago)

"gathering dust" by modern english?

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Friday, 28 January 2005 04:29 (twenty-one years ago)

and of course "uncontrollable urge" by devo!

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Friday, 28 January 2005 04:31 (twenty-one years ago)

NEGATIVE APPROACH?

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 28 January 2005 04:34 (twenty-one years ago)

and of course "uncontrollable urge" by devo!

Well, technically speaking, that was 1978.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 28 January 2005 04:43 (twenty-one years ago)

see how urgent it was for an 80's song?

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Friday, 28 January 2005 04:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Nabisco saved my life tonight.

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 28 January 2005 05:34 (twenty-one years ago)

It gets no more urgent than 5 idiots pretending to play instruments and making monster faces at a Joisey girl in a leather mini on a wharf in Bayonne...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v304/ashbyman/sw2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v304/ashbyman/Sw1.jpg

I hate Journey. It's hard for me to explain why, because i love Toto, REO Speedwagon and all sorts of other 80s cheese rock. This video, helps to explain I think.

― Ash (ashbyman), Friday, 28 January 2005 05:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I think my Journey love may be aided by the fact that I haven't watched their videos.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Friday, 28 January 2005 06:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing" by the minutemen, especially if it had actually been sung by Michael Jackson.

By yeah, "Seperate Ways". Us homophobic redneck teens used to argue over whether Steve Perry sings "I really love you, boy" towards the end of the song.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Friday, 28 January 2005 09:48 (twenty-one years ago)

You can just feel Steve Perry's pain, intense pain in these heart-stirring words:

"Here we stand
Worlds apart, hearts broken in two, two, two
Sleepless nights
Losing ground
I'm reaching for you, you, you
Feelin' that it's gone
Can change your mind
If we can't go on
To survive the tide love divides

Someday love will find you
Break those chains that bind you
One night will remind you
How we touched
And went our separate ways
If he ever hurts you
True love won't desert you
You know I still love you
Though we touched
And went our separate ways

Troubled times
Caught between confusions and pain, pain, pain
Distant eyes
Promises we made were in vain, vain, vain
If you must go, I wish you love
You'll never walk alone
Take care my love
Miss you love

(chorus twice)

I still love you girl
I really love you girl
And if he ever hurts you
True love won't desert you
No, No"

― darthmahler, Friday, 28 January 2005 17:14 (twenty-one years ago)

It gets no more urgent than 5 idiots pretending to play instruments and making monster faces at a Joisey girl in a leather mini on a wharf in Bayonne...

Bayonne??? That video was shot totally across the street from where I type this (Pier 31)!!!

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 28 January 2005 17:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Dunno why, since I never had any opinion about the song one way or another, but the first one that comes to mind is "Maniac" (Michael Sembello.)

Other candidates: Duran Duran ("Rio"), Laura Branigan ("Gloria"), FGTH ("Relax"), Abba ("Gimme Gimme Gimme A Man After Midnight").

(Surprisingly thought-provoking thread, incidentally - I'm sitting here trying to think about what these songs (some of which I don't even LIKE, particularly!) have in common, aside from that sense of urgency. What has "Rio" got, that a half-dozen other better/worse Duran Duran hits hasn't, in my estimation? Can't quite grasp it...)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 28 January 2005 17:48 (twenty-one years ago)

"planet earth" is more urgent than "rio"

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 28 January 2005 17:50 (twenty-one years ago)

My notion of 80s-urgency = tickly eighth-note synth pulses w/ palm-muted guitar. You'd think this would make the Cars the most urgent band ever, but no -- just "Separate Ways" and "Major Tom."

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 28 January 2005 17:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Also maybe if we could rewrite "Young Turks" into a minor key.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 28 January 2005 17:54 (twenty-one years ago)

WAIT WAIT WAIT my ultimate winner for this: Men Without Hats, "Antarctica."

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 28 January 2005 17:54 (twenty-one years ago)

> What has "Rio" got, that a half-dozen other better/worse Duran Duran hits hasn't, in my estimation?

I think it's the "soft-into-hard" approach that was alluded to above. Simon wasn't exactly "soft" in the verses, but the ramp-up to the chorus was more pronounced than in any other Duran Duran song, with the possible exception of "Hold Back the Rain."

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Friday, 28 January 2005 17:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Interesting theory...Not sure that I ever heard "Hold Back The Rain"; all I knew were the singles.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 28 January 2005 18:15 (twenty-one years ago)

REM's "It's The End of The World as We Know It."

Foreigner's "Urgent" is actually not that urgent, as I recall.

― mike a, Friday, 28 January 2005 18:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Frankie says "Two Tribes" and "Relax"

― Penelope_111 (Penelope_111), Friday, 28 January 2005 18:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Soft Cell - Art of Falling Apart

― Ferg, Ah (Ferg), Friday, 28 January 2005 18:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Wait, doesn't Dave mean "Something's Happening to Catherine"? For proper '80s Material Issue though I nominate "She's Going Through My Head" for suburban-crush urgency.

― Paul Eater (eater), Friday, 28 January 2005 19:16 (twenty-one years ago)

"Foolin'" by Def Leppard!!!!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 28 January 2005 19:26 (twenty-one years ago)

How about "Mother" by The Police? I always had an urgent reaction to that.

― Paul Eater (eater), Friday, 28 January 2005 19:46 (twenty-one years ago)

the lyrics are lame, but it's gotte be Rush, "Subdivisons".

― derrick (derrick), Friday, 28 January 2005 19:48 (twenty-one years ago)

seriously, it sounds like all the scary bits of Tron put to music.

― derrick (derrick), Friday, 28 January 2005 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

All of "Holding Out for a Hero" and the chorus to "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" by Bonnie Tyler to thread. (I witnessed a small bar packed full of very, very drunk people all singing along to the latter a few weeks ago. It was awesome in every sense of the word.)

― Graeme (Graeme), Friday, 28 January 2005 19:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I never thought a lot about the "Subdivisions" lyrics but I guess they do seem a little over-dramatic in their criticism of the suburban experience! Relax, guys, you're from Scarborough not Siberia;) I kind of like the way they flow with the music though, esp "Sprawling on the fringes of the city/with geometric borders/On insulated corners/In between the bright lights and the far unlit unknown".

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Friday, 28 January 2005 20:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Ultravox - "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes"

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Friday, 28 January 2005 20:53 (twenty-one years ago)

choruses specifically:

Tears For Fears: "Change"
Midnight Oil: "Beds Are Burning"
Talk Talk: "It's My Life"

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 28 January 2005 20:55 (twenty-one years ago)

"Synchronicity"!!!!!

Fucking Loch Ness is URGENT! "KICK IN THE CROTCH"!!!

(Paul, I really have no idea what I meant, though I think Nabisco is closest to what I meant.)

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 28 January 2005 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

actually, I'll have to agree with 'Holding Out for A Hero', especially when the spectral backup singers start ramping up the tension, and the drum fills, and the explosions!

― derrick (derrick), Friday, 28 January 2005 21:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Pretty much anything by Husker Du up through Candy Apple Gray

― danh (danh), Friday, 28 January 2005 21:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Definitely "Holding Out for a Hero". It even scored the heartbreaking climax of the critically-acclaimed Short Circuit 2.

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Friday, 28 January 2005 21:40 (twenty-one years ago)

"I'm So Excited" - Pointer Sisters.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Saturday, 29 January 2005 00:23 (twenty-one years ago)

David R otm re: Synchronicity.

― Kim (Kim), Saturday, 29 January 2005 01:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah that's a good one.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Which one: 1 or 2... hmmmm???

:-P

― gygax! (gygax!), Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Eye of the Tiger

― Seuss, Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Kids in America

― Hunter (Hunter), Saturday, 29 January 2005 04:23 (twenty-one years ago)

"Maniac" also came to mind for me instantly.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Saturday, 29 January 2005 07:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Spandau Ballet - "Through the Barricades"

― Melson (ArchCarrier), Saturday, 29 January 2005 10:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Not sure that I ever heard "Hold Back The Rain"; all I knew were the singles.

Oh you poor, poor darling. The singles are actually the worst of the band's output, save for the Wedding Album era, in which case they were actually pretty damn good.

Ultravox - "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes"

You win. Game over.

― Samantha Baker (Dee the Lurker), Saturday, 29 January 2005 18:24 (twenty-one years ago)

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