Top 50 Non Hip Hop Songs Of The 80’s That Hip Hop Fans Loved (Compiled By Me)

Poisonous Dart

Lone Swordsman
This is a list with music by "non urban" (read: White) groups or artists that had songs that urban audiences loved. I am aware that some of these bands had Black members and even lead singers...however, back in the 80's most of us DIDN'T (broke folks don't have cable and we never saw Top Of The Pops. Enjoy...a great mix of 80's UK synthpop on here:

http://poisonousparagraphs.blogspot.com/

One.
 

28 Gun Nice Boy

Well-known member
Great selection of music. I'd like to say that in the UK the concept of black people actually liking white music isn't so shocking but then you only have to see how journalists wet themselves when Dizzee Rascal says he likes Nirvana or Goldie declares his love of Brian Eno that this wouldn't stand up to scrutiny...
 

hucks

Your Message Here
That is fantastic....

On a barely related note, I seem to remember Running up that Hill (No. 15 in the list) being used as the soundtrack to a children's BBC tv drama about racism and how bad it was
 
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Poisonous Dart

Lone Swordsman
What?

That is fantastic....

On a barely related note, I seem to remember Running up that Hill (No. 15 in the list) being used as the soundtrack to a children's BBC tv drama about racism and how bad it was

Wow, that's weird. DJ's used to mix that song with other songs like crazy back in the days. The video actually freaked me out as a kid...then again so did the video for "The Warrior" by Scandal f/Patti Smyth.

Shootin' down the walls of heartache! Bang! Bang!

LOL.

One.
 

STN

sou'wester
Really interesting list, cheers for this.

Least surprised to see: Talking Heads, The 80s synth stuff
Most surprised to see: The JoBoxers
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
That is fantastic....

On a barely related note, I seem to remember Running up that Hill (No. 15 in the list) being used as the soundtrack to a children's BBC tv drama about racism and how bad it was

I remember that too! First time I ever heard Kate Bush...
 

micmack

My Little Pony
I was sure Phil Collins 'Easy Lover' was going to be on this list.

Friends who are into Hip-hop always talk about it's influence.
 

Poisonous Dart

Lone Swordsman
Yeah, but...

I was sure Phil Collins 'Easy Lover' was going to be on this list.

Friends who are into Hip-hop always talk about it's influence.

Phil Collins was removed from the list the same reason The Police and Hall & Oates were...they would've had between 5 and 8 songs on the list each. Think about it:

"Sussudio", "Easy Lover", "In The Air", "That's All", "In Too Deep", etc. Peter Gabriel could've had just "Sledgehammer" but I couldn't leave that ONE song and excuse the other material he made in the 80's. It took me a LOT of time to come to my conclusions about the final list. In the end Howard Jones ended getting knocked off...which really sucked.

One.
 

Diggedy Derek

Stray Dog
Kate Bush is an interesting one, "Cloudbusting" is one of those songs that it's almost impossible to dislike, it's epic, it's funky, it's tender, but it's kind of tough too. You could almost play it any DJ set, especially if you were outside and it was raining a lot.
 

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
That list made me laugh out loud, I was working in a hiphop shop during all that period, and you totally haven't left anything out, absolutely on point.
 

dominic

Beast of Burden
Phil Collins was removed from the list the same reason The Police and Hall & Oates were...they would've had between 5 and 8 songs on the list each. Think about it:

"Sussudio", "Easy Lover", "In The Air", "That's All", "In Too Deep", etc


i was talking with Greg Caz last night -- and he's an authority on music if i've ever met one -- and through some bizarre twist or turn he began talking about how black people in the 80s loved Phil Collins, Hall & Oates, and Sting

i kid you not
 

PeteUM

It's all grist
Yeah but... brothers digging Level 42? I was just stabilising after these Phil Collins revelations and now this?This world is wrong...
 

Poisonous Dart

Lone Swordsman
Strange but true...

Yeah but... brothers digging Level 42? I was just stabilising after these Phil Collins revelations and now this?This world is wrong...

I loved English Beat, The Police (later on it became Sting), Heaven 17, Level 42, Peter Gabriel, Howard Jones, Genesis (especially Phil Collins) and several other groups that people wouldn't think brothers would normally like back in the days...I wasn't the only one, either (as the list would highlight). My only regret about the list was leaving about 20-25 other songs off that I thought really need to be there (like "Once In A Lifetime" by Talking Heads) but the list was heavy enough as it was. One.
 
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