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Your favorite 80's American "college rock" band


  

78 members have voted

  1. 1. Who are your favorite 80's underground band?

    • R.E.M. (the I.R.S. years)
      29
    • Hüsker Dü
      3
    • Minutemen
      2
    • Meat Puppets
      3
    • Camper Van Beethoven
      1
    • Pixies
      8
    • Sonic Youth
      4
    • Violent Femmes
      3
    • The Replacements
      21
    • other (please specify because we wanna know!)
      4


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I was in college in the late 80's and early 90's. That was when I (musically) came of age and all that, so this seems like a perfectly logical poll for me to underwrite.

 

Now, I know that my choice will probably be the last-place choice, so let me explain:

Meat Puppets

were my "gateway" band; they were the first band that I listened to that weren't played on ANY commercial radio station. At least they weren't until long after I had started listening to them. And when "Backwater" finally got them some airplay in '94 or whatever, I was pretty psyched for them. Sadly, that went nowhere... a one-(semi)hit-wonder.

 

I didn't include any bands from outside the U.S. because some of the bands that were "underground" here were chart toppers in the UK or wherever (i.e. - The Jam or The Smiths). So, apologies in advance.

 

Also, I'm sure that there are some bands that I've missed here, including some of your favorites, so let 'er rip.

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I voted Replacements but REM were a close 2nd. Both essentially definted my high school years and the Replacements/Westerberg are probably still my favorite band/artist.

 

That said, Uncle Tupelo defined my college years.

 

I didn't include UT because their debut came out at the VERY END of 1989, so I wouldn't count them as an "80's" band at all. Although, if you lived in the StL area, you probably had the chance to see them live many times between '87 and '90, so for you they might be.

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Those are all excellent choices. I voted for the R.E.M.

 

To me, the quintessential college radio band was Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians. I'm not saying they were the ultimate college rock band ... just that when I listened to the local college radio station (WIDR at Western Michigan University) when I was in high school, it was Hitchcock that I remember hearing more than any other artist.

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I didn't include UT because their debut came out at the VERY END of 1989

I've said this before in another thread, but seeing how the album was recorded in January 1990, it would have been extraordinarily difficult for it to get released in 1989. ;)

 

(Unless you're talking about their demo -- Not Forever, Just For Now -- which was a self-released cassette.)

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I went with Husker Du, because they were the ones who really changed things for me. At the time (1985) I mostly listened to the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, and the Beatles. I had started to listen to some REM, Talking Heads, Replacements, etc. mostly because my friends did. But I came home one day and my roommate was playing Flip Your Wig and it blew me away.

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In order of who I've listened to the most:

 

1. The Replacements

2. R.E.M.

3. Minutemen / Meat Puppets (tie)

4. Pixies

5. Sonic Youth

6. Hüsker Dü

7. Violent Femmes

8. Camper Van Beethoven

 

 

Also would add Mission of Burma to the list, and a big 2nd to the Robyn Hitchcock suggestion.

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Meat Puppets.

 

Up On The Sun changed my outlook on music; opened doors to other forms of music.

 

And many other kinds of love.

 

Lammy... that was my exact experience with the Pups and that album. I will always and forever love that band.

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And many other kinds of love.

 

Lammy... that was my exact experience with the Pups and that album. I will always and forever love that band.

 

You know, I saw them open up for Ween at Red Rocks a couple months ago and I was a little nervous as to how they'd sound there. The reaction from the crowd was mixed as many were panning them before they'd even heard them (or had heard OF them, even). They got a nice reaction from the crowd and they were real tight. I couldn't help but think that'd I'd probably had never given a band like Ween a shot had it not been for The Pups and Up On the Sun.

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As someone who spent the majority of the 80's at the University of Michigan, all of the choices represent the finest music being produced at the time. My vote ultimately went to the Femmes because let's face it, it wasn't a party until Blister in the Sun was spun. I don't know what it was about the VF's, but man, the ladies lost their inhibitions when they heard those tunes.

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I voted for R.E.M. I came close to voting for Pixies since this was the only time they made music.

Granted, I was 5 when Murmur came out. I recommend picking up 39 songs if you like the IRS years. There's a lot of pre-Green stuff on there.

 

I'm more familiar with Violent Femmes, thanks to Grosse Point Blank, than The Replacements. Although, they are on my list of bands to catch up on.

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