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[ImRonBurgundy?]

I'm making an 80's party mix, and I'm trying to strike a good balance between genuinely cool stuff, 80's pop staples, and completely ridiculous shit.  I also cheated a bit by using a few songs from like 1978-79.  Currently, however, the mix is nearly seven hours long (6:44:31, to be exact), and I'm trying to trim it down to a more respectable five.  So, any ideas of what I could afford to lose?  The list is below, and long.

The (English) Beat:
-Rotating Head (3:28)
-Mirror in the Bathroom (3:08)

A Flock of Seagulls:
-I Ran (So Far Away) (5:08)

A-Ha:
-Take On Me (3:50)

Adolescents:
-Amoeba (3:06)

Ashford & Simpson:
-Solid As a Rock (6:06)

Bad Manners:
-Special Brew (3:38)

Billy Joel:
-We Didn't Start the Fire (4:30)

Black Flag:
-Rise Above (2:26)
-TV Party (3:31)

Bruce Springsteen:
-Born in the U.S.A. (4:41)

The Cars:
-Good Times Roll (3:44)
-Shake it Up (3:35)

Cheap Trick:
-Dream Police (3:54)
-Surrender (4:14)

The Clash:
-Rock the Casbah (3:40)
-Hateful (2:46)
-Rudie Can't Fail (3:31)
-Train in Vain (3:13)

The Cure:
-Just Like Heaven (3:33)

Cyndi Lauper:
-Time After Time (4:03)

De La Soul:
-Magic Number (3:16)

Dead Kennedys:
-Kill the Poor (3:02)

Descendents:
-Coolidge (2:47)
-Myage (2:00)

Devo:
-Whip It (2:39)
-Gates of Steel (3:28)
-Uncontrollable Urge (3:10)

Dramarama:
-Anything, Anything (I'll Give You) (3:24)

The Dream Academy:
-The Edge of Forever (4:23)

Europe:
-The Final Countdown (5:09)

Falco:
-Rock Me Amadeus (4:08)

Fishbone:
-Ma and Pa (3:19)
-Question of Life (3:01)
-Ghetto Soundwave (4:23)

Fugazi:
-Waiting Room (2:53)

Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel:
-White Lines (Don't Do It) (2:56)

Human League:
-Don't You Want Me (3:59)

Joe Esposito:
-You're the Best (2:59)

Journey:
-Any Way You Want It (3:23)

Judas Priest:
-The Sentinel (5:06)
-Turbo Lover (5:28)
-Breaking the Law (2:37)

Madness:
-Our House (3:21)
-One Step Beyond (2:18)
-The Prince (3:18)
-It Must Be Love (3:24)
-House of Fun (2:49)

Men at Work:
-Down Under (3:45)

Modern English:
-Melt With You (3:48)

Motley Crue:
-Kickstart My Heart (4:42)

Oingo Boingo (I went kind of overboard with the Boingo, I think):
-Just Another Day (5:12)
-Dead Man's Party (6:21)
-No One Lives Forever (4:14)
-Weird Science (6:07)
-Grey Matter (5:52)
-Little Girls (3:43)
-On the Outside (3:51)
-Controller (3:26)

Operation Ivy:
-Sound System (2:14)

Pixies:
-Debaser (2:52)
-Wave of Mutilation (2:04)
-Monkey Gone to Heaven (2:56)
-Broken Face (1:30)
-Where is My Mind? (3:53)

The Police:
-Message in a Bottle (4:52)
-Every Breath You Take (4:14)
-Don't Stand So Close to Me (4:00)

The Pretenders:
-Brass in Pocket (3:06)
-Tattooed Love Boys (2:59)

Public Enemy:
-Bring the Noise (3:46)
-Rebel Without a Pause (5:02)

Queen:
-Flash's Theme (3:30)

Quiet Riot:
-Cum On Feel the Noize (4:50)

REM:
-It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) (4:06)

The Replacements:
-Alex Chilton (3:15)
-Bastards of Young (3:38)
-Left of the Dial (3:44)

Rod Stewart:
-Young Turks (5:00)

Run-D.M.C.:
-King of Rock (5:13)
-It's Tricky (3:03)
-My Adidas (2:47)
-You Be Illin' (3:25)
-Rock Box (5:30)

The Selecter:
-Too Much Pressure (2:48)

The Specials:
-Ghost Town (5:52)
-Monkey Man (2:45)
-Little Bitch (2:33)

Stray Cats:
-Rock This Town (2:39)

Styx:
-Mr. Roboto (5:30)

Survivor:
-Eye of the Tiger (4:03)

Talking Heads:
-And She Was (3:40)
-Once in a Lifetime (4:22)
-Burnin' Down the House (4:02)

They Might Be Giants:
-Ana Ng (3:20)
-Don't Let's Start (2:34)

Toto:
-Hold the Line (3:56)
-Africa (4:57)

U2:
-Pride (In the Name of Love) (3:50)
-Sunday Bloody Sunday (4:43)
-Where the Streets Have No Name (5:37)

Van Halen:
-Jump (4:01)

Violent Femmes:
-Kiss Off (2:56)
-Add it Up (4:43)
-Blister in the Sun (2:24)

When in Rome:
-The Promise (3:40)

Zapp & Roger:
-Computer Love (4:43)

Good Lord.

[The extra letter]

Needs more Wall of Voodoo

Back in Flesh or Mexican Radio.

Perhaps some New Order?

Ooh, also some Furs. "Pretty In Pink" is a must!

Ehh, I'll be no help in cutting down your list, but I generally stick to one or at the most, two songs by each artist. That way you get more of a range of artists and styles. It just depends on your personal preferences and those of your party guests, I think.

[Thrillho]

'Blue Monday' by New Order, either version works; the full six and a half minute version of 'Don't Leave Me This Way' by the Communards.

[KharBevNor]

You need Culture Club - Karma Chameleon, Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Right Round (Like a Record), Kraftwerk - Techno Pop, Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Love Missile F1-11 and, if you're going for some 78/79 cheats, Ian Dury & The Blockheads - Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll (or 'Reasons To Be Cheerful Pt. 3'. or 'Spasticus (Autisticus)').

Also, lose the Falco, the Journey, the Styx, one or maybe two of the clash songs, Madness - The Prince, The Police - Don't Stand So Close to Me, one pixies song, cut the Oingo Boingo in half,  and if the Computer Love you speak of is the same as Kraftwerks, kill it with fire and put some real Kraftwerk on there. Also, if you're only going to have one Queen and one Dead Kennedys song, make them Don't Stop Me Now and either Holiday in Cambodia or Nazi Punks Fuck Off.

[a pack of wolves]

I'd drop Hold The Line but you really ought to replace it with Good For You. And pick another Fugazi track instead of Waiting Room. It's good but far from their best and it's massively overplayed since whenever someone decides to play just one Fugazi track it's that one, take something from Repeater instead. I disagree with KharBevNor about the Queen, Don't Stop Me Now is similarly overplayed and Flash's Theme is great so stick with it. I think you can easily get rid of the whole U2 section though, it's a party mix and those aren't good party songs. You will need Huey Lewis And The News - The Power of Love in there somewhere though.

[Cartilage Head]

SHE BLIIINDED ME WITH SCIIIENCE!




 (Science!)

[a pack of wolves]

'Repeater' wasn't in the 80s.

Whoops. I'm terrible with dates, but you'd think after owning an album for about ten years I'd have noticed that.

[MadassAlex]

Get rid of anything that pussyfoots around. Awesome rock bands like Queen and early metal bands are awesome for background music at parties.

[Inlander]

You cannot reasonably be claiming to make an 80s mix if you don't include one of the greatest singles ever released, "Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush.

I'd also urgently insist that you consider including songs by the Waterboys, the Pogues, and Billy Bragg in your compilation.

[Johnny C]

You need to find yourself a copy of Dee Dee Ramone's rap album, recorded under "Dee Dee King," and get a song off of that. Also, Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer." Also, any track off of Appetite For Destruction.

[ImRonBurgundy?]

I cut the Ashford & Simpson song, because my friend really wanted me to include it, but it is so fucking bad.  It's terrible to the point where you can't even appreciate it ironically, even if you really want to.

And guys, I've ignored all but a handful of the "add these songs" suggestions (good call on the Simple Minds, Tommy), because that would do the exact opposite of what I'm trying to do, and there's no way I can cram everything that everyone likes (or even everything that I like) from the 80's into five hours.

Also, the "Computer Love" in question isn't a version of the Kraftwerk song.  At least I don't think so, because the thought of someone out there making bad R&B songs out of Kraftwerk material is rather horrific.

[E. Spaceman]

This is a terrible mix. Terrible like leprosy, but i don't think antibiotics could cure this mix.

[camelpimp]

If you want to narrow the list down, I suggest you narrow the aim of the list. Do you want to be party/dancy, rocky, punky, or what? Something that would really narrow it down is the only include a specific genre.

[greenMonkey]

This is a terrible mix. Terrible like leprosy

Perhaps this is the aim of the mix?

[ImRonBurgundy?]

This is a terrible mix. Terrible like leprosy, but i don't think antibiotics could cure this mix.

Thanks, but we're not exactly looking for your input.

[Yakob]

Q: '79 cheats?
A: Pink Floyd- Another Brick In The Wall, Pt.2

or anything from The Wall for that matter

[Joseph]

I'd take out Born In The USA and replace it with Dancing In The Dark.  Much better song for a party.

[johns320]

Only sure things are

Our House
We didn't start the fire
The Future so bright(I gotta wear shades)
Love Shack

Everything else is pretty much interchangable(except for Black Flag and do you really want to be the only person dancing to Black Flag)

[Gryff]

So, actually responding properly to your question (guys, pay attention), I think you should be saying to yourself, "Okay, there are a lot of great songs here but I really can only afford to have one or two songs by each artist". If it's a party mix then people are going to want to hear lots of different stuff, and if you need to cut two and a bit hours the only way to do it is be ruthless.

Also definitely replace Born In The USA with Dancing In The Dark.

[Johnny C]

Gryff is correct. In fact I would submit that paring down a lot of those to one or two per artist would cut your mix down to a slender and lean size, not unlike when you trim fat off of an otherwise awesome cut of steak.

Also man what the hell with The Cure, that should be either "In Between Days" or "Friday I'm In Love."

[Inlander]

So, actually responding properly to your question (guys, pay attention)

I was paying attention, but I maintain that at least one of the singles off Kate Bush's Hounds of Love album is absolutely essential to an 80s mix.

[Johnny C]

Also, ditch the Dead Kennedys. Or replace it with "Holiday In Cambodia." The first option's better though.

[Joseph]

I question how well The Pixies would work for a party.

Oh, and I would definitely cut out some of The Clash.  And then replace it with Gang Of Four.

[vegkitkat]

This is a terrible mix. Terrible like leprosy, but i don't think antibiotics could cure this mix.

Thanks, but we're not exactly looking for your input.

Woah, if you're looking for a fun times party mix, then Emilio is your man. I played one of his CD's last night at a party; it was well-received.

[The Kangmiester]

Waterfall, The Stone Roses and as previous people have said, you need New Order.

[Nosh]

Bad Brains - I against I. Should be included on every single mixtape ever, but certainly on any self-respecting 80's mix.

Oh, and add something from Magazine. It's the post-punk band from ex-Buzzcock's Howard Devoto and known for it's very dark, typical sound.
Ministry even covered a song from them, without bollocking it up!