Violent Femmes

My friend Heather’s mom would drive us to the movies and we’d pop this cassette in to her Pontiac Firebird and giggle endlessly when the curse words came up and she’d roll her eyes and tolerate our nonsense.

This is one of the first times I recall a parent becoming an ally — partially for putting up with our music but also escorting us and suffering through A Nightmare on Elm Street.

It’s a solid album though. Through and through.

I picked it up after pouring over the College Album charts in the back of Rolling Stone or maybe my friend Dawn Strickmeyer played me a track (she always knew the cool stuff).

However it landed in my cassette player, I wore it out.

So different than everything else swirling around the radio at the time. Here’s the top ten singles for reference:

No.TitleArtist(s)
1Every Breath You TakeThe Police
2Billie JeanMichael Jackson
3Flashdance… What a FeelingIrene Cara
4Down UnderMen at Work
5Beat ItMichael Jackson
6Total Eclipse of the HeartBonnie Tyler
7ManeaterHall & Oates
8Baby, Come to MePatti Austin and James Ingram
9ManiacMichael Sembello
10Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)Eurythmics