Decade Playlist with Jana and Erin: The Ladies of the Eighties

We (Jana and Erin) told you last month, as we looked at the music from the Men of the '80s, that we are unable to come up with any kind of sensible length of a playlist in the '80s unless we broke it down for you.  There will be more to come because we will take a look at groups, and hairbands will probably get their own list too.  So, you've probably figured out what today is all about...well, the title kinda gave it away...that's right...it's time for "The Ladies of the Eighties!"

Awwwww the '80s...when the ladies (and the guys) used Aquanet so our bangs could reach heights never seen before.  Spandex was king.  So were shoulder pads and blue eyeliner.  We saw Janet Jackson step out from behind the shadows of her famous brothers.  We saw her choreographer, Paula Abdul, step out from Janet's shadow and become a pop star too.  Cyndi Lauper just wanted us to have fun.  Madonna wanted to feel like a virgin.  We had artists with established careers shine on the radio and in the movies (Dolly and Cher.)  The ladies danced, they sang, some yielded guitars, and most of them kicked ass. 

Erin's note:  Before we hit you with our list, I have to give Jana props.  She came up with this ultimate playlist.  I just added a few touches to finesse it.  I wouldn't have picked all the songs that she did, but as I looked at the total list, I thought she pretty much nailed it.

As always, some of our picks are obvious ones and others are hidden gems.  We hope you enjoy!

Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Madonna - Dress You Up
Stevie Nicks - Edge of Seventeen
Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time
Janet Jackson - What Have You Done for Me Lately
Paula Abdul - Cold Hearted
Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot AND Invincible (okay, yes, we normally try to limit ourselves to only one song per artist, but Jana felt strongly about her choice, and Erin did as well, and Pat Benatar is awesome, so, yes, she gets two.)

Dolly Parton - 9 to 5 (our mutual love of Dolly continues to shine)
Irene Cara - Flashdance...What a Feeling
Alannah Myles - Black Velvet
Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart (always reminding Jana of "Old School")
Toni Basil - Mickey
Juice Newton - Angel of the Morning
Kim Wilde - You Keep Me Hangin' On

Donna Summer - She Works Hard for the Money (Jana's love for Donna almost rivals her love for Dolly...almost.)
Belinda Carlisle - Heaven is a Place on Earth (don't worry, the Go-Go's will be represented in our groups post)
Taylor Dayne - Tell It to My Heart (the original Taylor)
Joan Jett - I Hate Myself for Loving You
Cher - If I Could Turn Back Time

Lita Ford - Kiss Me Deadly
Sheena Easton - Morning Train
Debbie Gibson - Electric Youth
Tiffany - Could've Been (fun fact: Jana's first concert ever was Tiffany and New Kids on the Block.......another fun fact: Erin forgot this song existed, but when listening to it for this playlist sang almost every lyric.  How do our minds remember song lyrics like that?!)
Laura Branigan - Solitaire
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car

Now, it's your turn.  Tell us your favorite song(s) by The Ladies of the Eighties!

A Decades Playlist by Jana and Erin: The Men of the '80s

In case you didn't notice, we (Jana and Erin) skipped our playlist in December.  Let's remind you that we are taking a trip through the decades of our musical faves from the '50s, the '60s, the '70s...and that brings us to...THE 80s!!! Everyone's favorite! And since the 80s is massive, we've decided to split it in three: one for the men, one for the women, one for the groups. There might even be a hairbands one in there but we're not sure yet.

Anyway, like most people, we love the music of the '80s. I (Jana) spent my childhood in the 80s (I turned 13 in 1990) and Erin entered her teen years during this decade. Beyond that, the 1980s had Reagan, Thatcher, and Gorbachev. Charles and Diana got married. The Berlin Wall came down and AIDS was on the rise. The 80s also had Saturday morning cartoons, neon (so much neon), THE MOTHERFUCKING FRAGGLES, big hair, and the Brat Pack.  It also saw the birth of MTV (you know, back when it played music) which helped launch or sustain the career of so many artists including these guys:  

Rick Springfield, "Jessie's Girl". Quite possibly one of the best songs ever written. Okay, in my (Erin's) opinion, at least. Jana's take: "Love Somebody" is a better song and also, Rick Springfield is my favorite Australian. 

Billy Idol, "Rebel Yell". Yes, the obvious choice because it's just so, so good. Jana's take: I have yet to hear a Billy Idol song and NOT had it stuck in my head for days afterwards. 

David Lee Roth, "Just Like Paradise" because when he broke from Van Halen, I (Erin) refused to pick sides. Jana's take: I didn't give a shit when that happened but this is a great song.

Bobby Brown, "My Prerogative". This was before drugs, alcohol, and arrests. He was awesome. Jana's take: Sadly, who could've predicted he'd be the last one from that family still standing.

LL Cool J, "I'm Bad". This lady (Erin) certainly does love cool James. "I'm Bad" is probably the first rap song I (Erin) knew word for word. Jana's take: When I was pregnant with The Child, we called her LL (for little Lynch). We're so clever. Also, did you notice LL never dies in any movie he's in? WHY IS THAT?

Elton John, "I'm Still Standing". A new personal anthem for me (Jana). Also a fun song. And there's a great cover of it in the movie Sing.

Eric Carmen, "Make Me Lose Control". There are no words to accurately convey how I feel about this song. I simply love it. 

John Mellencamp, "Authority Song". The struggle was real picking a JM song. Too many good options to choose from but I (Jana) settled on this one since I crank it to 11 when I listen to it. Erin opted for R.O.C.K in the U.S.A. which, incidentally, was my second choice. 

Steve Winwood, "Back in the High Life". Another one I (Jana) find beautiful and absolutely love.  

Phil Collins, "Don't Lose My Number". Confession: I (Jana) LOVE PHIL COLLINS. Almost as much as I love Billy Joel. Actually considered flying to Ireland to see him in concert in June #notajoke   Erin's take:  I do not love Phil Collins, but that's okay, this is a collaboration, and I'm happy for Jana to have her love for Phil.

We could probably list all the reason we love all the men and songs on this list (full playlist below) but instead, we'll just do our In Memoriam and get to the music. All of these men redefined how we think of a man, all of these men (well, three of four) empowered women, and all of them were influential, phenomenal musicians whose impact will be felt for decades to come. That, and their music is just fucking timeless. There's no editorial on these as the music speaks for itself.  RIP.

George Michael, "Father Figure".   Erin: I freaking love this man's voice, and I am glad Jana picked a song because I'm not sure I could narrow it down to just one.  If you too are a George fan, in case you missed this, I'm going to share this link where Rolling Stone perfectly gives you George Michael: 20 Essential Songs.

David Bowie, "Modern Love"  

Michael Jackson, "Man in the Mirror"

Prince, "Let's Go Crazy". Jana:  I could not find a decent video or a link to accompany this song which is a fucking shame. This song is incredible and showcases everything Prince was capable of.  Erin:  So, I "cheated" and included Prince's SuperBowl performance because it is the best one ever...EVER...and he opens with Let's Go Crazy.

And here's the whole playlist:
    

What are some of your favorite 80s songs performed by men?

High School was a long time ago

I'd written about some heavier topics this week, you know, like, depression relapses and rapists who receive idiotic punishment... so I thought I'd end it Friday with a little fun.  (after all, I had this in draft, and it didn't need much work to publish, so there you have it...less work for me; fun times for you.)

I'm stealing borrowing this post about High School Reflections from the lovely Audrey Louise; and it appears that she stole borrowed the post as well.  Folks, it has been *cough* 25 years since I graduated high school.  Yes, you read that correctly.  For me, that means I straddled the late '80s and early '90s for my high school experience.  For you, that means you get to see pictures from 25 years ago.  Holla for the big hair!

The yearbook photos

What kind of student you were in high school (popular, nerd, sport obsessed, choir, etc).

I'm not sure I fit into any one particular group.  I was on the high school drill/dance team and that consumed a lot of my time and attention.  I was friends with and in classes with so-called "nerds".  Funny enough, of those that I have contact with these days, most would fall into this group.  They grew up to be the wittiest, most intelligent, and interesting group (no surprise). 
For two years, I dated a football player, and you know, in Texas, football is like a religion.  And, I participated in and had friends in my church youth group.  While I was a die hard Bon Jovi girl (and lover of all hair bands), a few of my close friends were "new wave" kids who loved The Cure and The Smiths.  I went to some parties but didn't drink.  So, some of the "cool kids" weren't fans of me while others that I considered "popular" were good friends of mine.  I'd say I was pretty well-rounded, but yet, I didn't feel like I fit in to any one group 100% of the time.

About your school. Was it private? Public? How many in graduating class? Mascots? School colors?

My high school was a public school in the 'burbs of Houston.  I can't remember...I think we had 300ish in the graduating class.  Mascot - the War Eagles; colors - red, white, and blue; school fight song was to the tune of "Grand Ol' Flag", and I still remember the pom routine that we performed every time it played.

About some of your favorite memories of high school or what stands out the most. Any teachers? Specific classes?
As mentioned before, the good ol' Liberty Belles took up a lot of time and focus.  There were practices and camps, games and competitions, choreography and marching drills, costumes and meetings, try-outs, sore muscles, sprained ankles plus a fractured ankle and thumb (both needed casts at different times)...this was mixed with valuable lessons of hard work and dedication, memorable friendships, laughs, sweat, tears, and rivalries.

Other memories that come to mind as I type this:

• Thesis day in Mrs. B's English class (I had her sophomore and senior years); she'd wad up your paper and throw it across the room if she knew that you wrote it in homeroom before coming to class...and she knew...she always knew if you'd done a half-ass job.
• Reebok hi-tops ... I was kind of known for having pretty much every color that they made at the time.
• Sitting in Ms. S's Geography class on the back row with JY (don't know if people from that time want their name floating around the internet) and becoming each other's "back-up plan"...you know the one..."if I'm not married by 40, look me up, and let's get hitched" kind of plan.
• Our salutatorian (who I frequently still chat with on facebook) said in the closing of his speech "crossdressers need love too"...yes, he liked to push buttons and provoke the heavily populated Southern Baptist community.  He was ahead of his time.
• My 1984 Pontiac Firebird
• Mums - I think this is just a Texas thang, so let me explain...at Homecoming, you get this mum (as in the flower) with ribbons and gizmos and ribbons with stickers and lights and even more ribbons, and heck, the one I'm wearing in the picture below even played music!

A piece of advice you would pass on to your children or any child entering high school.

This advice from Miss Audrey Louise is pretty perfect: "Be nice to your friends and the kids that aren’t so popular. Be nice to teachers and administration and your parents. If all the fish in the sea aren’t being nice, swim the opposite direction and show some kindness."
Also, I'd say: Apply yourself.  Participate.  Be active.  Utilize mentors.  Speak your mind, but prepare to listen and learn as well.  Don't take yourself too seriously, but don't be a total clown either.

You know that you envy that hair.  My apologies to the ozone layer.

A piece of advice you would pass on to your children or any child exiting high school.
There was an old saying about high school: "these are the best years of your life."  No, they aren't.  Don't let that happen.  Appreciate the gift of life and what this great big world has to offer.  Travel.  If you can study abroad, do it, even for only a semester.  Do NOT use credit cards foolishly.  Debt is a bitch and can haunt you for years.  Put the effort to maintain friendships you feel are worth it.  Let go of the ones that aren't.  Open yourself up to meeting new people and learning new things.  Always keep learning.

Care to share your high school reflections?

Movie Music from the '80s: A Playlist by Jana and Erin

It's that time again, the last Thursday of the month, the time that Jana and Erin bring you a playlist that usually has a theme with a twist.  This month, we are talking about songs from '80s movies.  Yep, this playlist is as fun as it sounds.  There are a few obvious choices and a few hidden gems.  Take a look/listen and walk down memory lane with us.  Or, for some of you who weren't born yet, here's a history lesson.

 

Fame (1980) - I Sing the Body Electric by the Cast of Fame - Fun fact: this is also the name of a Walt Whitman poem

 

Urban Cowboy (1980) - Love the World Away by Kenny Rogers - My Texas roots started showing, and this was probably the most difficult soundtrack to choose a favorite song for me.

 

 

9 to 5 (1980) - 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton - We both love Dolly; this was a given.

 

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) - Somebody's Baby by Jackson Browne -  The song playing when Stacy is going to lose her virginity to an older man...statutory rape is never good, but this song is.



Easy Money (1983) - Easy Money by Billy Joel - A Rodney Dangerfield movie from the '80s was going to be represented; "I'm Alright" from Caddyshack almost made the list too.

Valley Girl (1983) - I Melt with You by Modern English - A humming sing-a-long is good stuff ... if you don't know what I'm talking about, you need to listen to the song.

Eddie and the Cruisers (1983) - On the Dark Side by John Cafferty - Damn, this song is soooo good.  Damn, the lead actor of this movie was soooo hot. 

Flashdance (1983) - What a Feeling by Irene Cara - This song still gets regular airplay.  That's the testament of a good song.

Footloose (1984) - I'm Free by Kenny Loggins - We had to consult each other for this choice.  Too many songs on the Footloose soundtrack to choose from, but you can't pass up the moment that Ren dances around the factory performing a high bar routine.

Purple Rain (1984) - Jungle Love by The Time - Arguably, the best soundtrack of the '80s (or all-time), but why not a Prince song?  Apparently, Prince doesn't do spotify.

Against All Odds (1984) - Against All Odds by Phil Collins - Pretty sure I've never seen this movie, but this power ballad of song is awesome.

Streets of Fire (1984) - I Can Dream About You by Dan Hartman - The movie was advertised as "A Rock & Roll Fable".  Of course, we are going to have a song from such a movie.

St. Elmo's Fire (1985) - St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) by John Parr - This song is still in heavy rotation on Australian radio, as it should be.

The Breakfast Club (1985) - Don't You Forget About Me by Simple Minds - The timeless and definitive teen movie from the '80s is represented by a timeless song.

The Goonies (1985) - The Goonies R Good Enough by Cyndi Lauper - Gosh, this lady sure can sing some fun songs.  A fun song for a fun movie.

The Legend of Billie Jean (1985) - Invincible by Pat Benatar - Jana mentioned this song, and Erin sang it for the next 3 days.  Friends, listen to this song.

Vision Quest (1985) - Crazy for You by Madonna - A song from the days that Madonna made entertaining music.

Pretty in Pink (1986) - If You Leave by OMD - The song is a reminder of a classic '80s teen movie moment (the girl runs to the boy at prom leaving her best friend behind); you can't hear this song and not think of that movie scene.

Dirty Dancing (1987) - She's Like the Wind by Patrick Swayze - That's right.  Patrick Swayze sings a song on this soundtrack, and it is wonderful.

The Lost Boys (1987) - Good Times by INXS with Jimmy Barnes - Americans don't know Jimmy Barnes, but Australians sure do.  When the quintessential Australian band teamed with an iconic Aussie voice, they made a fantastic song.

Disorderlies (1987) - Edge of a Broken Heart by Bon Jovi - Duh.  I had a say in this playlist.  Bon Jovi is represented...but y'all, this song is really, really good.  Promise!

Nightmare on Elm Street 3 (1987) - Dream Warriors by Dokken - Duh.  Jana and Erin created this playlist.  Hair bands are represented.  Plus, an '80s teen horror movie needed to be represented.

Say Anything (1989) - In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel - John Cusack holding a boombox over his head to profess his love for a girl.  Classic '80s moment. 

What song(s) did we miss?  We know there's more because we knowingly left off so many.  Tell us your favorites.

Playlist 2 : Favorite Forgotten Hair Band songs

Jana of JanaSays.com is in her late 30s, and Erin of TexErin-in-SydneyLand is in her early 40s.  #noshame

Aquanet ... Spandex ... Blue eyeshadow ... MTV ... BIG HAIR ... all of these things were part of our childhood and teen years.  So was the genre of music that gets a lot of teasing (pun intended) and ridicule known as Glam Metal, Hair Bands, Cock Rock....but these bands and songs are beloved by the two of us.  In fact, as we got to know each other, we instantly connected with our mutual love of books and hair bands. 

This is not the list of songs that are played in sports stadiums or classic rock stations.  C'mon.  Admit it.  You guys know Welcome to the Jungle, Every Rose Has Its Thorn, and Livin' on a Prayer.  You probably even know Pour Some Sugar on Me, Cherry Pie, and Here I Go Again.

This list is not those songs.  This list features the songs that you have to turn to a specialty station like SiriusXM's Hair Nation (in the U.S.) for a chance to hear them. Or be an avid fan of this music from days gone by.  This list is a combined effort of our favorite forgotten hair band songs.

1. Wait for You by Bonham - 1989 - Do you recognize this name?  John Bonham, the drummer of a little band called Led Zeppelin, who died in 1980...he had a son named Jason Bonham.  He can play drums too.  He had a band that had a song, and this is it.

2.  Call to Your Heart by Guiffria - 1984 - Honestly don't remember anything about Guiffria except this song.  And, this is a good song. 

3.  Edge of a Broken Heart by Bon Jovi - 1987 - Back in the day, pop radio had djs and you could actually call and request to hear your favorite songs.  The local Houston station (104 KRBE) had a "Top 8 at 8:00" most requested program.  From Erin: "I'd wait for this song to play, so I could record it on my cassette tape each night, so I could have an entire cassette of just this song playing over and over."  The work and commitment we had to give for our favorites.....

4.  Burning Like a Flame by Dokken - 1987 - To be honest, we could give you a whole list of fantastic songs from Dokken, but this is a fave.  From Erin: "Is this the time that I tell you about getting my picture taken with Don Dokken when my friend was getting beers or going to the bathroom, and she's the one that really loved Dokken and she missed the photo opportunity??"

5.  Tell Me by White Lion - 1987 - Don't know many girls that didn't find Mike Tramp (the lead singer) pretty dreamy back in the day.  The last time I (Erin) saw him was 2008, and he was still pretty dreamy. 

6.  Coming of Age by Damn Yankees - 1990 - Once upon a time, a supergroup was formed with a member of Night Ranger, a member of Styx, and Ted Nugent.  Fun fact from Erin: "I saw them open for Poison in Fargo, ND."

7.  Bang Bang by Danger Danger - 1989 - From Jana: "They were my favorite and I was obsessed. Meeting Ted Poley and Andy Timmons was the highlight of 8th grade."  No other words are needed.

8.  Love Song by Tesla - 1989 - Serious now.  If you aren't going to listen to any other of the songs on this list, listen to this one.  It truly is one of the greatest anthemic love songs ever created.  Yes, we are biased about this list, but we speak the truth about this song. 

9.  Dirty Love by Thunder - 1990 - This British band has 9 studio albums, 7 live albums, and 22 singles released.  Sure, they've had a lot of band members in and out during that time...but that's more albums produced than Taylor Swift or Rhianna or One Direction or many of the other big sellers of popular music.

10.  Big Talk by Warrant - 1989 - Awww Warrant.  The band known for Cherry Pie.  In fact, that song was part of the demise of lead singer, Jani Lane, who died a few years ago from an alcohol fueled death.  They really were a talented band.  (Feel free to fast forward the first minute of this film clip.)  R.I.P Jani

11.  One in a Million by Trixter - 1991 -  This song hit radio airwaves the same year as Nirvana and Pearl Jam.  Poor Trixter was just a little too late for any serious music people to listen to them.  Wait.  We ain't about those music snobs anyway.

 12.  Mad About You by Slaughter - 1991 - Not sure this song made it to the music charts.  There were actually some songs on this album that got more airplay.  But, we're rebelling and going with this lesser known gem for our list.

13.  Tainted Angel by Southgang - 1991 - We knew this one was a given.  Erin loves Butch Walker (he's the "hunk" of a brunette guitarist in this video clip).  Admittedly, most of the love is for the artist that Butch is now.  (No joke.  He is a hugely talented singer-songwriter-producer-and yes, guitarist.)  Jana saw Southgang in concert New Year's Eve 1991.  Jana frickin' wins!

14.  I'll Never Let You Go by Steelheart - 1990 - This is Jana's "favorite power ballad", and it was going to be left off the list "because his voice may hurt the ears of others", but Erin said "Hell no!  I'm totally including Steelheart!", and here you have it.  (Get to the chorus - the vocals are seriously insane!)

You really have no idea how difficult it was for us to narrow down this list.  It was like selecting our favorite child or something (even though Erin doesn't have a child, but she does have step-children, and Jana has one, so obviously, that one is the favorite).   So, really, this was more difficult than picking our favorite child.  We're still questioning how Ratt, Cinderella, Mr. Big, Skid Row, Firehouse, Whitesnake, and others didn't make this list.  But, we wanted to  keep it short enough that you may stay with us.

If you're actually still with us, tell us some of your favorite songs from big hair bands.

Hairspray + Glitter: 80s Rock Workout by Kati Rose

 Kati Rose told me that she thought of the perfect guest post for me but didn't tell me what it was.  Can I tell you how excited I was when I opened my email, looked at her blog post, and saw this?!?!  VERY excited. 

Hi I'm Kati Rose from Constantly Seeking Wonder! On my blog you'll find an appreciation of the "finer things" around us with a dash of sarcastic commentary in every post. I'm big into music, entertainment, art, and travel. Erin and I became friends over my post on How Almost Famous Taught Me About Life. Since then we've bonded over plenty of topics and now I'm lucky enough to call Erin my blogging big sis! :) When she approached me to guest post I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to write about! My friends often joke that I am the Queen of Playlists. If you need a playlist for something, most likely I have one already curated for your needs. It's kind of my thing. I knew Erin had a soft spot for 80s music so I figured this was a perfect opportunity to share one of my favorites - Hairspray + Glitter: 80s Rock Workout Playlist. Plus, it featured Bon Jovi which was a necessity because this is a post for Erin's blog, duh. Yes, I know that's the Eurythmics and they aren't featured here. It's just such an 80s music picture I couldn't pass it up. (via)[/caption] Even though I was a mere thought in the future for most of the 80s, that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the good tunes the decade provided. The 80s was full of amped up rock bands that still get your blood flowing in 2015. When I really need to get my bum into shape, I always turn to this playlist. From start to finish it will keep your head in the game - as long as you don't start dancing around pretending you're in any of these song's music videos (I am far too guilty of that.) Get your hairspray, glitter, and spandex pants ready baby! It's time to rock and to workout!

 What is your favorite 80s song to workout to?

If you enjoy music, entertainment, pop culture and other fun matters make sure to stop by any of the below links and say hello! Thanks again Erin for letting me guest post while you're living it up in Texas! Please eat all the queso and drink all the margaritas for me, nowhere else seems to do them as good as the Lone Star State.

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That was killer, wasn't it?  (Yes, I said "killer" in the '80s.)  What do you think the chances are that I put this playlist on my ipod?  The only song that I'd need to download is Limelight because I don't like Rush.  Sorry (special apology to Jana).

List #11 - 1980s Movies

Rolling Stone magazine makes lists too.  Most often, I don't agree with their lists.  Then again, I don't expect anyone to agree with my lists either.  Mine are personal and totally biased.  RS is supposed to be a reputable magazine with knowledgeable writers and researchers on staff.  That being said, this list of theirs "The 25 Greatest Movies of the 1980s" is the result of a readers' poll.  So, if they got it wrong, blame the ones that took the poll.  I happen to think it's a decent list representing '80s movies.

A friend of mine (who is a fantastic blogger and movie aficionado as well) created her own list.  (see it here)  She posed the question "what's your list look like?".  My list was LONG.  So, I asked her how to cull it.  She told me to think about how the movie made me "feel" after watching it.  Good point.  Also, she talked about the fact if she is willing to watch the movie again and again.  Second good point.  With those two points in mind, here's MY list of The 25 Greatest Movies of the 1980s (in no particular order; that was just asking too much of me):

•  The Outsiders
• Urban Cowboy
• Grease 2 - Yep, don't argue with me about this one.  It is probably the single movie that I've seen the most times in my life.  Give me Stephanie Zinone & Michael Carrington over Sandy & Danny any day! 
•  Fast Times at Ridgemont High
• Pretty in Pink
• Sixteen Candles
• The Breakfast Club
• St Elmo's Fire
• Less Than Zero
• The Lost Boys
• Dead Poet's Society
• Footloose
• Purple Rain
• Dirty Dancing
• E.T.
• The Fox & the Hound - my all-time favorite Disney movie; it still makes me cry.
• The Princess Bride
• The Color Purple
• Steel Magnolias
• Terms of Endearment
• Mask - (don't confuse it with the '90s Jim Carrey crapola; this is the 1985 gem with Cher, Eric Stoltz, and Sam Elliott)
• The Natural
• Field of Dreams
• Rocky IV
• Raiders of the Lost Ark

I look at my list with fond memories.  Even the tearjerkers have a way of making me smile.  As Truvy in Steel Magnolias says: "Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion".

Disagree with my list? - Tell me your faves!