Your favorite 80's American "college rock" band

[Calexico]

However much I love R.E.M. I will have to go with the Huskers this time. Massively important band for me.

[Moss]

I went with REM only because I listened to them back then. I didn't "discover" the Mats until later.

[LouisvilleGreg]

I voted The Replacements, and though perhaps not as adventurous as others on the list, they, for me at least packed the most emotional wallop, and I still listen to them the most by far. A great, Louisville based mid-80's indie band was Squirrel Bait. They were moderately successful, though significantly smaller than the bands on the list. If you ever stumble across either of their releases on Homestead give them a chance. Good stuff.

[Oil Can Boyd]

A great, Louisville based mid-80's indie band was Squirrel Bait. They were moderately successful, though significantly smaller than the bands on the list. If you ever stumble across either of their releases on Homestead give them a chance. Good stuff.

[Basil II]

The Long Ryders

 

these guys really kicked the door to me accessing some of bands listed here....Minutemen,Meat Puppets and the Twin Tone,along with Bloodshot label artists.....

 

-Robert.

[deepseacatfish]

Seeing as I was born in 1986 I can't really say I had any knowledge of the college rock scene until it was no longer. That said, it's a really tough call between REM and Sonic Youth for me.

[brianjeremy]

I was born in 1980 and went to college in the late 90's, but REM and the 'Mats were in heavy rotation around the dorm constantly, so it's a tough choice. I would have said that REM would have been the band in high school, but by the time I was in college the 'Mats had taken their place. The Pixies were pretty high in the mix too. In fact, I am guessing I had a ritual experience with each of those bands, with the big exception of the Minutemen and CVB. I was never ever able to really get into them although we did listen to Cracker quite a bit.

[Sir Stewart]

Where's The Beastie Boys?

For Licensed To Ill? Was that a big college album? I was young, but I think of that as a bigger high school phenom than with college kids.

I'm not sure that's an accurate portrayal of them. Paul's Boutique was also an 80's release. Additionally, they were a punk band before Rubin had them rapping.

 

I think it's fair to suggest that the Beastie Boys were known for little else than Licensed To Ill by the end of the '80s. Their pre-LTI past was really unearthed in the early/mid '90s when their stock rose again thanks to Check Your Head and Ill Communication (the Some Old Bullshit compilation from '94, which packaged their debut EP Pollywog Stew with the "Cookie Puss" single, reflected fans' interest in learning more about these guys who were supposed to have been burnout jokes yet were suddenly the avatars of cool). When the LTI followup Paul's Boutique was released, the '80s had five months left to live. And 99.9% of their supposed fanbase wrote it off anyway - hard to imagine now, since PB holds such a lofty position in pop culture, but it failed bigtime when it came out and nobody really expected to hear from them again. Paul's Boutique was not blaring from dorm rooms in the '80s. And I'm still not sure Licensed To Ill was, either. Maybe.

So, sure, hardcore fans knew about "Cookie Puss" and "Egg Raid On Mojo" in the '80s, but the Beastie Boys were certainly not considered a 'college band' along with the likes of the Meat Puppets and REM.

Of course, this thread is about personal preference, and perception. I voted for REM and I wasn't even in college in the '80s. But in 1987, REM made me wish I was in college. If you consider the Beastie Boys your favorite '80s college band, then I stand aside. I just like talking about the Beastie Boys.

[dawarren33]

Thanks for starting this thread and taking me back to my college days! From your excellent list I would pick Meat Puppets, and would recognize these other great bands that got a lot of play on college radio and/or in my dorm:

 

- NRBQ (1970s were their better decade, but 80s were solid as well, especially live until Big Al left the band);

- The Feelies (Crazy Rhythms and Only Life still get a lot of play in my car);

- Del Fuegos (terrific short-lived Boston "roots" band)

- The Blasters

- Los Lobos (one of best live bands if you dig their style)

- Fishbone (another GREAT live band)

[hardwood floor]

REM edges out Husker Du by a nose. If I had to pick an "other" it'd be Game Theory.

 

ya know, game theory (and the loud family) is up there for me too and i'll tell you what ... at least for me, their stuff has held up better over the years than REM and as well as the 'Mats

 

unbelievably great band

 

and donnette was the hottest rock babe in history

 

[bjorn_skurj]

I cranked the hell out of Paul's Boutique my last semester in the dorms.

I voted for Hüsker Dü, which won out by a doink over R.E.M. HD connected with me a bit more when I was young and angst-ridden. (And HD did not survive to shit all over their legacy.) Another band I liked back then which one doesn't hear a lot about anymore is Killing Joke.

[u2roolz]

I think it's fair to suggest that the Beastie Boys were known for little else than Licensed To Ill by the end of the '80s. Their pre-LTI past was really unearthed in the early/mid '90s when their stock rose again thanks to Check Your Head and Ill Communication (the Some Old Bullshit compilation from '94, which packaged their debut EP Pollywog Stew with the "Cookie Puss" single, reflected fans' interest in learning more about these guys who were supposed to have been burnout jokes yet were suddenly the avatars of cool). When the LTI followup Paul's Boutique was released, the '80s had five months left to live. And 99.9% of their supposed fanbase wrote it off anyway - hard to imagine now, since PB holds such a lofty position in pop culture, but it failed bigtime when it came out and nobody really expected to hear from them again. Paul's Boutique was not blaring from dorm rooms in the '80s. And I'm still not sure Licensed To Ill was, either. Maybe.

So, sure, hardcore fans knew about "Cookie Puss" and "Egg Raid On Mojo" in the '80s, but the Beastie Boys were certainly not considered a 'college band' along with the likes of the Meat Puppets and REM.

Of course, this thread is about personal preference, and perception. I voted for REM and I wasn't even in college in the '80s. But in 1987, REM made me wish I was in college. If you consider the Beastie Boys your favorite '80s college band, then I stand aside. I just like talking about the Beastie Boys.

 

What I'd love to know is how did I miss this yesterday in the thread?!

Sir Stewart, are you in another dimension new galaxy intergalactic planetary?

[cryptique]

Thanks for starting this thread and taking me back to my college days! From your excellent list I would pick Meat Puppets, and would recognize these other great bands that got a lot of play on college radio and/or in my dorm:

 

- NRBQ (1970s were their better decade, but 80s were solid as well, especially live until Big Al left the band);

- The Feelies (Crazy Rhythms and Only Life still get a lot of play in my car);

- Del Fuegos (terrific short-lived Boston "roots" band)

- The Blasters

- Los Lobos (one of best live bands if you dig their style)

- Fishbone (another GREAT live band)

Other favorites from my college years:

 

Fetchin Bones

Guadalcanal Diary

The dB's

Scruffy The Cat

The Jesus and Mary Chain

The Long Ryders (I see Robert beat me to that one)

The Woodentops

The Housemartins

The Lemonheads

The Church

The Reivers

The Silos

The Smithereens

Let's Active

The Nils

Redd Kross

Echo & The Bunnymen

The Godfathers

Green On Red

Trip Shakespeare

 

...and how could this thread possibly not have any mention of XTC?

[PopTodd]

...and how could this thread possibly not have any mention of XTC?

 

Thread title:

Your favorite 80's American "college rock" band

 

Also, see explanation in first post.

But yeah, they are one of my favorite bands, too. (In fact, I have the Dukes Of Stratosphear with me at work today.)

[cryptique]

Thread title:

Your favorite 80's American "college rock" band

D'oh!

 

Some of the others I mentioned weren't American either -- Jesus & Mary Chain, Echo, Woodentops, Housemartins, Church, Godfathers. And The Nils were Canadian.

[cryptique]

Oh, and...

 

Butthole Surfers

Dead Milkmen

Killdozer

[myboyblue]

Has Naked Raygun been mentioned?

[PopTodd]

Has Naked Raygun been mentioned?

 

I had them as a part of my original poll, but figured they weren't as high-profile as some of the others that I added, instead.

Great, great band.

[NightOfJoy]

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.

 

Yes, yes, yes!

[jff]

My favorite underground band FROM the '80s that I listened to a lot IN the '80s was probably Black Flag.

 

My favorite underground band during my college years (most of the '90s) was probably fIREHOSE.

[ih8music]

The Replacements were the soundtrack for my HS and college years, so yeah them by a mile. I didn't really get exposed to the Minutemen until much later in life, or else they might have been close. Husker Du would be #3, followed by very early REM.

[Winston Legthigh]

- The Blasters

- Los Lobos (one of best live bands if you dig their style)

When I was in 7th grade (82-83), I was obsessed with X's cover of Breathless, which was played on the local community college's radio station. I think I called in to request it every other night for a couple months. That obsession led to discovering their older releases, and also led to Los Lobos and The Blasters.

[Dmada]

but the Beastie Boys were certainly not considered a 'college band' along with the likes of the Meat Puppets and REM.

Of course, this thread is about personal preference, and perception. I voted for REM and I wasn't even in college in the '80s. But in 1987, REM made me wish I was in college. If you consider the Beastie Boys your favorite '80s college band, then I stand aside. I just like talking about the Beastie Boys.

for me, no question its REM

I agree that the BBs were not played on "college" radio-but pauls boutique was huge at my school in 89-90

 

you could also add the cure to the list

[PopTodd]

you could also add the cure to the list

Reading comprehension: FAIL.

[lamradio]

Pixies by far. There was a point in my life when pretty much all I listened to was the Pixies and Frank Black.. Strange thing is I haven't listened to a Pixies record in 4 years.