OK, "Come on, Get Happy" — otherwise known as the Partridge Family Theme Song — is from the '70s, not the '80s. But if you were listening to music in the 80s, you have to admit that a lot of it was up-tempo, pretty happy stuff. With that in mind, several months ago, the Stuck in the '80s blog asked readers to submit the happiest songs of the '80s. The readers submitted their suggestions and the site winnowed them down to the 80 happiest songs of the 1980s.

I was an adolescent in the '80s, so I'm reasonably familiar with the music of the decade. Consequently, some of the songs that made the list perplex me. For example, I certainly like No. 32 "Jenny 867-5309" (Tommy Tutone) but I don't know that I'd call this song about obsession with a stranger happy. And I probably wouldn't include Cheap Trick's similarly themed "She's Tight" (No. 25). I might be OK with the inclusion of Irene Cara's "What a Feeling" (No. 21) if I didn't associate it with my grandfather's death. But I definitely cannot see the Violent Femmes' "Blister in the Sun" in the top 10. I mean, it's a great song, but not the 10th happiest song of the 1980s.

Had I been compiling their list, I would have dictated some basic criteria for inclusion:

1. The lyrics need to be positive and upbeat.
2. The music needs to be light and up-tempo. It should probably make you want to dance.
3. The video (this was the decade of the music video) should reinforce the happiness inherent in the song.

Of course, after being critical, I had to compile my own mini-list of the happiest songs of the '80s. So here they are — in no particular order — starting with the ones the Stuck in the '80s blog got right:

"New Song" – Howard Jones

This was No. 1 on the Stuck in the '80s list, which is higher than I would have rated it. But there's no denying that it is a happy, upbeat, quintessentially '80s song. The video not only features classic '80s hair and clothes, but also includes a chained mime who seems awfully happy to be there.

"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" – Cyndi Lauper

Stuck in the '80s brings this one in at No. 5, and I definitely agree with it's inclusion in the top 10. This was Cyndi Lauper's first big hit, and its title spawned a happy movie with Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt.

And the video, featuring her real-life mother and wrestler, Captain Lou Albano, was a huge hit and a veritable happy-fest. The irreverence, the dancing, the big party … all of this screams HAPPY. … continue reading

When it comes to videos, I'm old. I remember the premiere of Friday Night Videos, and even before that (and even before MTV), I watched something called FM-TV (later Teletunes) on a local public access channel. It was such a thrill to stay up late and enter that strange new world. My sister even figured out how to hook up our clunky TV to the stereo so we could enjoy bizarre bands like Les Rita Mitsouko in high fidelity.

And just as the age of music video was dawning, so was my baby dykedom. Here are some '80s videos that helped me explore my newfound appreciation for the fairer sex. (Note to the PMRC types: I'm not really saying these videos made me gay; just that these women are totally worth going gay for, if that were possible.)

1. The Eurythmics, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (1983) … continue reading

If you remember Members Only jackets, big hair and the musical stylings of the Cars, A Flock of Seagulls, and Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, you'll appreciate this. Drew Barrymore threw friend and production partner Nancy Juvonen an '80s-themed birthday party at her house last week.

Sounds like it was more fun than a can of Diet Coke and a mouthful of Pop Rocks.

Guests were treated to prom-style photos upon their arrival. Here, Courtney Love shows off her prom finery, complete with the most important accessory: a date in a powder-blue tux and white bucks. … continue reading