Greatest First Lines of ’80s Songs

Dave records an episode of the Past Tens: Top 10 Time Machine podcast without co-host Milt (who is away on a winter trip or something) and brings on his brother Adam Yas as guest co-host. Each present a personal top 10 list of the greatest opening lines of 1980s songs, alternating picks and briefly discussing why each first line stands out. Adam explains his criteria: lyrical quality, vocal delivery, the artistic statement/arrival moment for the artist, and whether the line opens a great song. They discuss and play clips of selections including Wall of Voodoo’s “Mexican Radio” (Adam’s #10), De La Soul’s “Me Myself and I” (Dave’s #10), Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” (Adam’s #9), ’Til Tuesday’s “Voices Carry” (Dave’s #9, with Dave recalling seeing Amy Mann perform in Boston), Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” (Adam’s #8, discovered via The Young Ones), Dennis DeYoung’s “Desert Moon” (Dave’s #8), Duran Duran’s “Rio” (Adam’s #7, including discussion of Patrick Nagel’s cover art and the band’s image), Elton John’s “Kiss the Bride” (Dave’s #7), Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” (Adam’s #6, framed as a major cultural turning point), Neneh Cherry’s “Buffalo Stance” (Dave’s #6, with background on her family), Run-DMC’s “King of Rock” (Adam’s #5, plus Adam’s middle-school lip-sync story), Poison’s “Fallen Angel” (Dave’s #5), Jane’s Addiction’s “Mountain Song” (Adam’s #4, with Perry Farrell’s impact and Lollapalooza mentioned), Foreigner’s “Jukebox Hero” (Dave’s #4), The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” (Adam’s #3, noting their late-’70s origin but US soundtrack release in 1980), Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes” (Dave’s #3, with Dave clarifying “Harlow gold” and dedicating it to their late father), David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” (Adam’s #2, highlighting Bowie’s reinvention with Nile Rodgers and Stevie Ray Vaughan), AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” (Dave’s #2), Prince’s “When Doves Cry” (Adam’s #1), and The Outfield’s “Your Love” (Dave’s #1, including the connection to Adam’s own song character named Josie).   They also touch on music history and influence (e.g., Guns N’ Roses and Nirvana, Run-DMC bridging rap and rock, Lemmy’s documentary and WWII memorabilia, and Amy Mann’s Magnolia-era acclaim). Adam plugs his work (adamyas.com, album Gender of the Holy Spirit, and Leather Feather on Spotify, including “Evolve”). Before leaving, Adam lists honorable mentions: Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” The Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now?,” Def Leppard’s “Rock of Ages,” Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (noting Jim Steinman), and Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen.”    Email us at toptentimemachine@gmail.com Visit www.timemachinepod.com www.adamyas.com Leather Feather on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6S7jPIPY15GXpdyqAXSVpZ   Topics 00:00 Welcome to Past Tens + Adam Yas Fills In for Milt 02:03 Today’s Topic: Greatest First Lines of ’80s Songs (Rules & Criteria) 05:26 #10 Picks: Wall of Voodoo “Mexican Radio” vs De La Soul “Me, Myself and I” 12:04 #9 Picks: Madonna “Like a Virgin” vs ’Til Tuesday “Voices Carry” 20:44 #8 Picks: Motörhead “Ace of Spades” vs Dennis DeYoung “Desert Moon” 30:16 Ballads, Heartstrings & What Makes a Line Work 33:31 #7 Picks: Duran Duran “Rio” vs Elton John “Kiss the Bride” 44:29 #6 Pick: Guns N’ Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” and Changing Rock’s Direction 53:01 Neneh Cherry’s “Buffalo Stance” — forgotten hip-hop gem & iconic first line 56:33 Adam’s #5: Run-DMC “King of Rock” — rap vs rock, plus the lip-sync contest story 01:04:54 Dave’s #5: Poison “Fallen Angel” — hair metal story-song guilty pleasure 01:08:26 Adam’s #4: Jane’s Addiction “Mountain Song” — danger, artistry, and Perry Farrell’s impact 01:13:57 Dave’s #4: Foreigner “Jukebox Hero” — painting the picture of teenage rock dreams 01:16:27 Adam’s #3: Ramones “I Wanna Be Sedated” — punk history & what makes a great frontman 01:21:15 Dave’s #3: Kim Carnes “Bette Davis Eyes” —