The SFB

Random musings from a Gen X life lived on the edge… of nothing except Lake Erie. 70s and 80s pop culture and music.

Growing up in the 80s

  • Robert Palmer and Addicted to Love May, 1986. Robert Palmer and five red lipped beauties. That beat. Those lyrics. Yeah, I’m talking about a hot, hot, hot PERFECT song that peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 3, 1986 and spent a week there. Addicted to Love. What. A. Fucking. Great. Song.… Read more

  • Another perfect song from the spring of ’86. Was there a bigger song in the spring of ‘86 than The Outfield’s Your Love? Well, probably but that’s the one up for discussion next while I’m reliving the spring of ‘86. Here’s a funny coincidence. A former student of mine, I taught middle school English, posted that… Read more

  • From my Valentines Day themed YouTube THE perfect song series. Chrissy Hyde is such a badass! Back with the second love themed song for this month. I low-key hate Valentine’s Day but I love this perfect song about love.  The Pretenders Message of Love was released forty five years ago this month.  I was in… Read more

  • Valentines season picks for THE perfect song. Even though Valentine’s Day is over, it’s still February, so I’ve got one more hot song about lovin’ that I want to talk about. Can’t really make a list of hot songs and not include something by Prince, and his early perfect hit I Wanna Be Your Lover… Read more

  • BILLY IDOL

    Eyes Without a Face is THE perfect song. HTF did he not get more fan votes for the Rock Hall?????? I’d been thinking about including Billy Idol here for a while, and his nomination for inclusion in the RnR HoF, long overdue IMO, spurred me on to talk about this perfect song- Eyes Without a… Read more

  • Part of my PERFECT song series. Not Enough Time is THE perfect song! And how the hell did they not get enough fan votes for the Rock Hall? SMH… Since INXS has been nominated for the Rock Hall they are next up for THE perfect song. It was really, really difficult to pick one song… Read more

  • How was 1986 forty years ago? This is the first in a series of essays about THE perfect songs from that long ago spring. Blackwell Hall on the Circle of William Smith College. Some fun was had here! I Can’t Wait by Nu Shooz is THE perfect song. That distinctive bass and hand clap is… Read more

  • Signs

    A hawk and a text. I have been struggling with something the last few days and really feeling lost, stupid, and like I made bad decisions. Wondering how a fairly accomplished and educated woman can makes foolish decisions. But also trying to forgive myself for being human, being curious, being overly sensitive, and overly sharing… Read more

  • To All the Boys Part 3

    1986 and ’87, Geneva, New York. Ready for the spring formal for one of the fraternities, maybe Phi Sig, at Hobart College. In my thrifted dress, haha, and my grandma’s jewelry. And a really interesting shade of blonde hair. But my tan was looking good! Ha ha! Lol! I thought I could do this in… Read more

  • And the rabbit hole I fell down while reminiscing about this PERFECT song. It’s the end of the world as we know it and are we feeling fine?  If you were in college in the early to mid 80s R.E.M. was everything.  I was reminded recently that It’s The End of the World As We… Read more