Classic Alternative Car Blast Mania

It’s been a complete flashback week with music for me. I’ve done a lot of writing for other publications I submit to and called on my classic alternative music past to inspire me to greatness.

This year marks my 25th high school class reunion. To be honest, when I graduated, I never thought I’d live to see my 10th let alone my 25th reunion. I was reckless and in my mind, it was live fast die young – like Sid and Nancy, without the drugs.

Then life happened a year and a half after graduation and I (accidentally) got pregnant.

Talk about a game-changer.

Priorities had to be reassessed and I had to get serious.

After I had my daughter and placed her for adoption, I tried to be a better person, but I came spiraling down into a whirlwind of self-destruction. These whirlwinds seem to happen to me at least once every five to seven years or so.

I feel another one approaching. It’s been knocking on my door for the past few months and I refuse to answer. I listen to the voices of my past from behind that door wanting me to give in to all my hatred and self-loathing. 

Yesterday it was pounding like crazy and I almost gave in. 

Almost.

I entertained some of the thoughts in my head and at one point wondered which one of my meds, if taken in excess, would be the most peaceful and painless way to end it all. Sadly, I admit these destructive thoughts have been with me a lot these past six months or so. 

But I am a survivor. I refuse to give up or give in.

By late afternoon and going through several crying breakdowns, I decided I needed to get out of the apartment. I had taken a mental health day from work – which looking back now at where my head was, that was a good decision at 6 AM.

1st-Wave-SiriusI went for a drive and turned my Sirius to the 1st Wave station. The sounds of my classic alternative roots strengthened me and reminded me of how far I’ve come since those glorious carefree (and sometimes gloomy) days of my youth.

I flashed back to being the only “punker” in my graduating class and having to bring my tapes to high school dances if I wanted to hear any of “my” music. I would be the only person on the dance floor when the DJ would play my music and I didn’t care. I was the epitome of a social introvert and I reveled in it.

Oh to be that bouncy, carefree, and (somewhat) innocent soul again.

So to both commemorate 25 years since high school and 25 years of “running up that hill”, here is a (long) playlist of some of the great classic alternative tunes I cannot help but crank up and sing loudly. 

I hope this list inspires you to take a look back at how far you’ve come.

 

And if I only could,
I’d make a deal with God,
And I’d get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
With no problems.

Kate Bush – Running up that Hill – 1985

 


 

80s cassettes

 

Classic Alternative Car Blast!

  1. Why Can’t I Be You? – The Cure
  2. Panic – The Smiths
  3. StrangeLove – Depeche Mode
  4. The Passenger – Siouxsie & The Banshees
  5. The Reflex – Duran Duran
  6. Kick in the Eye – Bauhaus
  7. Go! – Tones on Tail
  8. I Wanna Be A Flintstone – Screaming Blue Messiah’s
  9. London Calling – The Clash
  10. Take the Skinheads Bowling – Camper Van Beethoven
  11. Rise – Public Image Ltd.
  12. The Globe – Big Audio Dynamite
  13. I Beg Your Pardon – Kon Kan
  14. Brand New Lover – Dead Or Alive
  15. I Touch Roses – Book of Love
  16. Here Comes Your Man – The Pixies
  17. Burning Down the House – Talking Heads
  18. Sunday Bloody Sunday – U2
  19. Gone Daddy, Gone – Violent Femmes
  20. Bedbugs and Ballyhoo – Echo and The Bunnymen
  21. No New Tale To Tell – Love and Rockets
  22. Pump it Up – Elvis Costello and the Attractions
  23. True Faith – New Order
  24. The One I Love – R.E.M.
  25. Reptile – The Church
  26. Head On – The Jesus and Mary Chain
  27. I’ll Be You – The Replacements
  28. Sold Me Down The River – The Alarm
  29. Missionary Man – Eurythmics
  30. Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division
  31. Jane Says – Jane’s Addiction
  32. Blitzkrieg Bop – The Ramones
  33. I Melt With You – Modern English
  34. A Girl Like You – The Smithereens
  35. Groove Check – That Petrol Emotion 
  36. Motorcrash – The Sugarcubes
  37. Let The Day Begin – The Call
  38. Anything Anything – Dramarama
  39. Just Another Day – Oingo Boingo
  40. What You Need – INXS
  41. Love is the Slug – Fuzzbox
  42. Mexican Radio – Wall of Voodoo
  43. Punk Rock Girl – The Dead Milkmen
  44. Debbie Gibson is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child – Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper
  45. Bikini Girls with Machine Guns – The Cramps
  46. Heartbreak Beat – The Psychedelic Furs
  47. Crash – The Primitives
  48. Rock Lobster – The B-52’s
  49. Warm Leatherette – The Normal
  50. In a Big County – Big Country
  51. Our House – Madness
  52. Dancing with Myself – Billy Idol
  53. Forgotten Years – Midnight Oil
  54. Balloon Man – Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians
  55. Cuts You Up – Peter Murphy
  56. Wishing (If I Had A Photograph of You) – Flock of Seagulls
  57. Send Me An Angel – Real Life 
  58. The Sun Always Shines on TV – a-ha
  59. I’m an Adult Now – The Pursuit of Happiness
  60. Running up that Hill – Kate Bush