Punk and New Wave in the 70s were frankly reactionary at heart but their influences can be felt on nearly every cut of this triple-disc hits anthology, from the Buggles' all-too-prophetic "Video Killed the Radio Star" to the nouveau funk of Kool and the Gang, the Dazz Band, and the Gap Band, to the nascent big-hairdom of Night Ranger ("Sister Christian") and Whitesnake. If you're looking for the roots of alternative rock or obscure college playlist fodder, look elsewhere; this is prime-time '80s pop chart glory, as seen on MTV (over and over and over). Though the songs here cover a breadth of style and genre (if not necessarily substance), there's a remarkable unity of purpose and hook-laden musical accomplishment that's sorely missed. If this collection woefully shortchanges hip-hop, it still underscores a distinctly irony-free era where style admittedly triumphed over substance, as opposed to the '90s, where style caricatured substance.
The
I Want My 80's Box (Dig)
is on sale for just $32.49. Free shipping available in the U.S.
