S3E24: Madonna Region 5v12(Adams/Gabriel)

80s-est Note: Due to circumstances entirely within our control, this show went 15 minutes longer than usual…2 stories to start the show, a listener contribution, and who knows what else? We apologize for going long, but hopefully you will enjoy the extra content!?This battle pits two fundamentally different approaches to conquering the 80s: raw nostalgia versus radical reinvention. Bryan Adams' (5)"Summer of '69" weaponized the decade's obsession with looking backward, crafting what would become the ultimate anthem about "the best days of my life" (though whether those days involved teenage garage bands or adult bedroom activities remains ambiguous). The song's power was in making everyone feel personally connected to a golden age they may never have experienced. (It worked on Keith!)Peter Gabriel's (12) "Sledgehammer," meanwhile, represented the 80s at their most forward-thinking, as the former Genesis frontman channeled his art-rock into an irresistibly funky soul homage, then paired it with stop-motion animation that redefined what a music video could be. One song succeeded by making the complex simple; the other by making the simple magnificently complex. The real question is whether the decade's spirit was better captured by an artist selling universal nostalgia or by one using cutting-edge technology to create something genuinely unprecedented? VOTE NOW! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest.substack.com