Daily Dirt: Forty years ago, were all your rowdy friends coming over? Those truly were glory days

Daily Dirt for Friday, Oct. 25, 2024

The year was 1984, and The Boss was  … well, the boss. Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,096 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Welcome to day two of our three-part special dealing with the sweetest sounds of late summer and early fall from 50, 40 and 30 years ago.

Today we’re looking at The Daily Dirt’s personal top 10 from 40 years ago — 1984 which, along with being George Orwell’s favorite year, offered some tunes especially dear to all the hearts of baby boomers.

Here’s the best from four decades ago when we were all a little wiser, probably much thinner and had a lot more hair:

• 1. “Glory Days,” by Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band: Of all the Springsteen videos from that era, this one was the best. Not only was it a great song, but it also featured Little Steven and his wicked guitar quite prominently. I also loved the way it ended with The Boss on that pitcher’s mound talking about Graig Nettles.
• 2. “Let’s Go Crazy,” by Prince: The best song from the “Purple Rain” album? This one or the title track? For me, it would depend on what kind of mood I was in.
• 3. “Boys of Summer,” by Don Henley: Henley has never received his due as a vocalist.
• 4. “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” by Band Aid: At about the 1:35 mark, Bono becomes involved and the song earns “instant classic” status.
• 5. “All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin’ Over Tonight,” Hank Williams’ Jr.: One of my top 10 all-time favorite country songs from the best decade of that particular genre of music. 
• 6. “Ghostbusters,” by Ray Parker Jr.: Who ya gonna call?
• 7. “Foolish Heart,” by Steve Perry: This gets my vote as Perry’s finest individual work.
• 8. “I Can’t Fight This Feeling,” by REO Speedwagon: One of two No. 1 songs for the Speedwagon. The other was “Keep On Living You.”
• 9. “Drive,” by The Cars: Benjamin Orr sang lead on this, not Ric Ocasek.
• 10. “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On,” by Mel McDaniel: “Lord have mercy … baby’s got her blue jeans on.”

Next: 1994.

2. Did you know (Part 164) …

• If tomatoes are a fruit — which they are — then ketchup should probably be considered a smoothie.
• Caitlin Clark can keep $53,988 of her $76,535 salary with the Indiana Fever once taxes are taken out. 
• Actor Vin Diesel’s real name is Mark Sinclair.
• Kirk Douglas, the late film star, was named Issur Danielovitch at birth.
• Honey is technically bee vomit.

3. This week’s best of “Found on Facebook”:

• “My friend David had his ID stolen. Now he’s just Dav.”
• “If a witch is a twin, how can you tell which witch is which?”
• “Indiana is ranked higher than Alabama right now in football. Let that sink in.”
• “A bike in town keeps running me over. It’s a vicious cycle.”
• “Before Mount Rushmore was carved, its beauty was unpresidented.”

Steve Thought O’ The Day
Is a turtle homeless, or simply naked, without its shell?

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Steve was a big baseball player back in high school. He could throw that speedball by you and make you look like a fool, boy.