Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear

Some of my younger friends may not be familiar with this time in history.  It was a different time  ...

When the end of a TV show came, you read the credits on a full-size screen while in the background played music specifically arranged for you to listen to during the showing of these end credits.  Although most of the time a local or network announcer would do a voiceover on top of the music.

There were big places full of flashing lights called video arcades, where the big, freestanding machines were about the size of a fridge, and it took one quarter to play them.  I saw guys whose hands had blisters from the knob at the end of the  Pac-Man joystick.

There was an amalgamation of countries collectively called "the Russkies" or "the Reds" and they wanted to bomb us off the planet.  Or, as in the 1984 film Red Dawn,  they wanted to invade & take us over.

And perhaps most amazingly, there was cable TV -- more channels than you could ever imagine -- perhaps thirty channels!  One of them was called "MTV," and -- get this -- they played music videos!

As my friend Thomas said, "These fragments I have shored against my ruins."

These songs remind me of the GOOD PARTS of those bygone days:

01.   MTV Theme “Man on the Moon” - Jonathan Elias; John Petersen (0:55)

02.   I Think I'm in Love - Eddie Money (3:10)
03.   We Belong - Pat Benatar (3:43)
04.   Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer (4:06)
05.   Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel (4:51)
06.   Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads (4:10)
07.   The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun - Julie Brown (4:42)
08.   Message of Love - The Pretenders (3:27)
09.   Turning Japanese - The Vapors (3:48)
10.   Theme from “The Greatest American Hero” - Joey Scarbury (3:16)
11.   Roll Over Beethoven (album version) - Electric Light Orchestra (8:11)
12.   Hold Me - Fleetwood Mac (3:47)
13.   Shakin’ - Eddie Money (3:11)
14.   The Warrior - Patty Smyth and Scandal (3:59)
15.   Words - Missing Persons (4:31)
16.   Shadows of the Night - Pat Benatar (3:40)
17.   Mickey - Toni Basil (3:39)
18.   Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo (4:12)
19.   Walk Like an Egyptian - The Bangles (3:25)
20.   Shock the Monkey - Peter Gabriel (3:57)

And you may now dive into the time capsule.