Thursday, September 18, 2008

Pop goes my heart

This is an improptu post. Just saw a movie called Music and Lyrics, yeah that one, starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. It was giggle worthy and very cute. But, I don't want to talk about the RomCom buuuut about the title song of this movie. Its called Pop! Goes My Heart. Its hilarious!! My roomate and I were rolling on the floor laughing at this. lololol

It brought up loads of memories of 80s Pop. I LOVE 80s Pop. I grew up on them. My dad used to get something called best of CBS tapes from bombay whenever he came home from there. These CBS tapes contained the hits of the year. Dad was transferred to bombay you see for 12 years I think. We saw him once in 6 months and he came bearing gifts always. To us he was the greatest daddy in the world because he got us so many fabulous things, with twinkle in his eyes. He also got us new music - nice, peppy songs with very catchy beats that we as a family would sway to. That's why I love 80s Pop in a way. It harks back to happier times when music came out of a magic box called the the tape player that we would watch mesmerizedly (is that a word?) looping infinitely. Sigh, theres no charm in the art of playing music these days

There's this quality to 80s Pop that I find utterly endearing. I can't quite describe it - Its cheesy, its weird, its catchy and its sort of uplifting you know? I find it more palatable than Pink Floyd. Sorry people. Thats what I think. But you know what makes Pop ..er..well..Pop? Its the SYNTHESIZER! Any good Pop song would have an overdose of this. May be its just me, but I miss Synthesizer riffs on songs today. Well anyway, the movie got me thinking of my favourite Pop songs. Here they are in no particular order. Go ahead, listen to them and make your day. See thats how much I love the 4 people who read this blog.

1. Step By Step - New Kids on the Block: I used to watch MTV most wanted as a kid in the mornings, before I left for school. When this song came out, I used wait for this song every morning. This is quintessential POP for me. On another note, how cool is my dad? he used to let me watch the most awesome videos and I was 8 years old and was the only one in my class to watch MTV. I even wrote to Nonie, who used to host MTV most wanted at that time. My dad very cutely posted the letter to Hungom Bay, Hong Kong but the buggers never played my song :(

2. Wake me up before you go go - Wham!: I love George Michael, I really do inspite of Wham! I still have the wham tapes. They are mouldy and damaged but it makes me nostalgic to the time when music was about the sound and the beat and not so much about the lyrics. I'm not a lyrics person at all. I somehow don't pay attention what is being sung. I love the beats and the Rhythm. May be that's why I like Pop so much, its sooo uncomplicated you know? While we are discussing Wham! do check out Last Christmas and Faith. George Michael had the sexiest music videos methinks. They were sexy but not trashy. Too Funky is my eternal favourite (would you like me to seduce you? Is that what you're trying to tell me?)

3. Take on Me - A-Ha: Morten Harkett, ahhhhhh, sigh... need I say more. A norse god who sang in english. What more can a girl ask? I loved the song and the video. I saw the video later but it was so close to what I had imagined! Btw is it just me or have we given up on videos? I haven't seen a single video that made go WOW in that last 4 or 5 years. Is our generation so satiated with the digital world that we are no longer inspired?

4. Rhythm is gonna get you - Gloria Esteban & Miami Sound Machine:This song typifies a synthesizer heavy song. This song was even copied bollywood in a movie called Tridev. Yesss that one where Nasseruddin Shah is wearing a Cowboy Hat and Kimi Katkar. Jeez, may be thats why I remember Tridev

5. Tarzon Boy - Baltimora: Raise your hands if you've heard this song before. If you've not, you should not waste a single minute and listen forsooth right NOW! If you're at work, turn up the volume when Maurizio Bassy's voice goes "ooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaahoooooooooooo" ..ok I was trying to represent the Tarzan Howl in text form there.

6. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Starship: Perfect ending for this post on POP. Great Grace Slick vocals. Sing with me....
And we can build this dream together
Standing strong forever,
Nothings gonna stop us now
And if this world runs out of lovers
We'll still have each other
Nothings gonna stop us,
nothings gonna stop us

Ok now, go back to work. Tata and pip-pip

3 comments:

'Tis a beautiful life! said...

if ever there was a post to make one smile here it is...

and now i have those songs stuck in my head

damnnnn! :P

S said...

Totally! This could be my list too..
Have you heard Everybody wants to Rule the World?

Suhas said...

Nostalgia attack! especially 'take on me' and tarzan boy. Two other songs I always associate with the 80s are laura branigan's 'self control' (surprised it wasn't on your list) and 'the final countdown' (cheesy but anthemic).

And yeah, couldn't agree more about the 'art of playing music' bit. Must write a post on that if you don't beat me to it.