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Oklahoma Lefty’s The Essential ’80s Alternative

Tremendous work and pretty comprehensive, an awesomazing primer on virtually all the stuff that today’s kids should be considering roots music. Although I chided (hopefully gently, I tried not to be mean, but that doesn’t always work) the author about one of my very favorite old bands not making the cut since their debut album was a relic from the bitter tail end of the 1970s (The Specials, whose debut came out in 1979. The link takes you to the song “Hey, Little Rich Girl,” which Amy Winehouse, in my view, utterly destroys despite her terrific voice. But you be the judge — I linked both versions).

I should have asked in my comment about my curiosity as to why 7 Seconds’ version of “99 Red Balloons” got listed there instead of  Nena‘s version (the English version of the song appears to have been removed from YouTube). It was a one hit wonder, sure, but when it was up there I remember it being all over MTV (when it was still, you know, interesting. It certainly isn’t now) and the radio. Hell, I still have the 45 rpm single (English on one side, German on the other).

Sadly, it’s a song that still carries some resonance in the post-Nine Eleven world. OTOH, the end of the world as we know it was never quite so catchy and sung by such a sexy little pop-tart.

Anyway go read it and the rest of Oklahoma Lefty‘s blog.