Red flag to a bull, this

Yahoo! is featuring what they call

The official "New Wave Sissy Boy 80s Hits You Were Afraid To Admit You Liked In High School" playlist

-on their home page. Well. I think we all knew I wasn't going to let this pass without comment...

Too Shy - Kajagoogoo
Ask me sometime how many copies of this record I have...go on, ask me.

No One Is To Blame - Howard Jones
I prefer the Dream Into Action album version to the single, but yeah, I'm a fan. My friend Jeopardygirl is an even bigger one.

Do You Really Want To Hurt Me - Culture Club
Culture Club's songs were, are, and always will be colored construction paper. Pretty but lightweight and apt to blow away.

Poison Arrow - ABC
ABC set out to make pop more ridiculous and less pompous without being any less emotionally engaging. They succeeded.

Save A Prayer - Duran Duran
Ashamed? Not a bit of it. This is one of their best, most lush records and songs. But for God's sake avoid the Arena live version...as a live singer, Simon LeBon was not quite in control of his instrument yet...

Careless Whisper - Wham!
Well...it's a classic, innit?

Hold Me Now - The Thompson Twins
A recent documentary showed ex-Twins knocking themselves and being down on their hits. Which is a shame -- they were great.

If You Leave - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Another classic.

Blasphemous Rumours - Depeche Mode
Martin Gore's lyrics aren't always as strong as they could be, but this is one of his best-and a theme (religion) he would return to again and again.

Tainted Love - Soft Cell
Well I've talked about them before--for a long time I felt as though I should like Soft Cell more than I did and now, I do. If that makes me a sissy, I'll slip into the leather dress willingly...

It's My Life - Talk Talk
Still holds up.

More Than This - Roxy Music
Along with Bowie and Kraftwerk, Roxy Music wrote the old testament.

I Ran (So Far Away) - A Flock Of Seagulls
And here we have the '80s single that even I can't stand. But, this does give me an excuse to pull out one of my favorite quotes.

"Any idiot with two fingers crossed can make a record. Get a beat, throw in some lyrics and someone somewhere is going to like it."-

Mike Score, A Flock Of Seagulls-who should know.

Promises, Promises - Naked Eyes
Never exactly pioneers, but I remember them well...

Perfect Way - Scritti Politti
Big hit. Killer. The thing about Scritti Politti records is that they've always had a sense of place...

West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys
I could recite the lyrics right now. Don't test me.

Only You - Yaz
Part of the lineage, and one of the most effective blends of smooth synthesizers and lovely vocals ever.

Girls Just Want To Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
Eh. I can take it or leave it.

Safety Dance - Men Without Hats
We can dance if we want to.

Love Plus One - Haircut 100
Not in over 25 years have I had a clue as to what this song is about. Nor have I cared, 'cos it's succesful without knowing.

True - Spandau Ballet
I said this in my other blog last month-- I think most people think of True as "just" a love song (probably because the backing vocals and production make it such a sedative). But for me it's always been about more than that.

Perhaps it's just my nutty interpretation, but I hear it as a song about, among other things, a need to return to your self. Plus as a record it's just so soulful and sweet.