John Richards

This is Radio Clash was released as a single in 1981. The song is based on the idea of The Clash transmitting from their own pirate radio station. It is considered by the American music critic, Eric Schafer to be the first British hip-hop record, following the bands pioneering use of rap (with a straighter disco beat) on The Magnificent Seven. - www.theclash.com --- Celebrating the music of 1981 & 50 years of music on KEXP! - www.kexp.org

"Dancing with Myself" is a punk rock song written by singer Billy Idol and bassist Tony James, and first recorded by their band Generation X. The song was first released in 1980 and, a few weeks after the single release, was included on the band's last album—1981's Kiss Me Deadly. It would become one of the group's most well-known songs, but had limited success in its initial release. It was remixed and re-released by the band's singer/frontman Billy Idol as a solo artist in the United States in 1981, where the song reached number 27 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. - bit.ly --- Dancing to the music of 1981 & celebrating 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

"Tom Sawyer" by Canadian rock band Rush was originally released on their 1981 album (and their eighth studio album) Moving Pictures as its opener. The band's lead singer, bassist, and keyboardist, Geddy Lee, has referred to the track as the band's "defining piece ... from the early '80s". --- Celebrating the music of 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

"The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" is a single released by Grandmaster Flash in 1981. It is a live DJ mix recording of Flash scratching and mixing records from various groups using three turntables. This single was highly influential on many DJs, including rapper Dr. Dre, and an early example of what would eventually be termed turntablism. --- Happy 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

Blondie's Rapture was released as a single on 1981. This was the first #1 hit song with a rap. Artists like Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, and Kurtis Blow had been rapping since the mid-'70s, and The Sugarhill Gang cracked the Hot 100 in 1979 with "Rapper's Delight," but until "Rapture," rap had never been incorporated into a hit pop song. - www.songfacts.com

Just Can't Get Enough was released in 1981 as the third single from Depeche Mode's debut studio album, Speak & Spell. Depeche Mode founding member and keyboardist Vince Clarke had just turned 20 when he wrote this song, which turned out to be the last one he wrote for Depeche Mode. He left the band after the Speak and Spell album was released, later joining Yaz and Erasure. The "Just Can't Get Enough" video is the only one he appears in. - bit.ly --- Happy 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

"I Could Be Happy" by Scottish new wave band Altered Images was released in 1981 as the first single from their second album, Pinky Blue. --- Happy 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

"Planet Earth" is the debut single by Duran Duran, released in 1981. --- Bop bop bop bop bop bop bop bop... Happy 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

Sorry I'm so late on 1981 Day, John! Let's roll with Kim Wilde's Kids In America. Not many songs quite scream early 80s like this one! Thanks & I am already loving the show! #genxforever Chad in Detroit

Bella Donna is the debut solo studio album by Stevie Nicks, released in 1981. Stevie Nicks wrote this song about the death of her uncle and the death of John Lennon. The line about the "Words from a poet and a voice from a choir" refers to Lennon. Nicks always ends her concerts with this song, sticking with the same arrangement. "It's such a strong, private moment that I share with people in this song." - bit.ly --- Happy music of 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

'81 is jam packed with hits so no worries if you can't get to it, but I wanted to know if you could send a "Message of Love" off the Pretenders II album that came out in August of that year to McKenzie on our 3rd anniversary! Thanks so much! Take Care, Dukes

"Joan of Arc" is a 1981 song by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the second single from their third studio album Architecture & Morality. --- Happy music of 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

"Ceremony" was one of the last Joy Division songs to be composed, with lyrics written by Ian Curtis. First commercially released as New Order's debut single in 1981, the song and its B-side, "In a Lonely Place", were written and recorded as Joy Division prior to the death of Ian Curtis. Both were re-recorded and carried over to Joy Division's re-formation under the name New Order. --- Celebrating the music of 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

"Primary" by The Cure was released as the sole single from their third studio album, Faith, in 1981. --- Celebrating the music of 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

New Traditionalists is the fourth studio album by Devo, released in 1981. --- Celebrating the music of 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

"The Waiting" is the lead single from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' album Hard Promises released in 1981. At the time, Tom Petty was so popular his record label wanted to charge $1 more for the LP than the standard $8.98, but they backed down after he considered naming the album "$8.98" - bit.ly --- Celebrating the music of 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

Tattoo You is the 16th British and 18th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1981. Originally recorded in 1972 at the sessions for their album Goats Head Soup, "Waiting On A Friend" didn't make the cut but was repackaged and released on Tattoo You nine years later. --- Happy 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

"Golden Brown" by The Stranglers was released as a single in the US in 1981. Happy 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

"Spirits in the Material World" is the opening track for The Police's 1981 album Ghost in the Machine. Happy 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

Released in 1981, this song was written just as three band members - Neville Staples, Lynval Golding and Terry Hall - were leaving The Specials to form Fun Boy Three. According to The Specials keyboardist Jerry Dammers, the song was inspired by the band's split. He said: "'Ghost Town' was about the breakup of the Specials. It just appeared hopeless. But I just didn't want to write about my state of mind so I tried to relate it to the country as a whole." - bit.ly --- Happy 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

Opening tune of Siouxsie and the Banshees' fourth studio album, Juju, released in 1981. Celebrating 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

The song was first released in 1981 and included on the group's second album, Talk Talk Talk. It was revived in 1986 when the director John Hughes named his 1986 movie after this song. --- Celebrating the music of 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

Since You're Gone was released as the second single from their fourth album, Shake It Up. --- Celebrating the music of 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

This Queen collaboration with David Bowie was recorded at an impromptu session in Montreaux, Switzerland in the summer of 1981. Celebrating the music of 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

"Let's Groove" Earth, Wind & Fire was released as the first single from their eleventh studio album, Raise! (1981). --- Happy 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

"Controversy" by Prince is the lead single and title track to his 1981 album. The song addresses speculation about Prince at the time such as his sexuality, gender, religion, and racial background, and how he could not understand the curiosity surrounding him. --- Celebrating the music of 1981 & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

From Joni Mitchell's third studio album. --- Celebrating 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

DJs Riz Rollns joins John in studio to share their journey as DJs! Dionne Warwick, along with The Temptations, was the first concert that DJ Riz saw when he was 9 years old. DJ Riz was part of a panel of DJs talking about 50 years of KEXP. Read it here: www.kexp.org

Written and produced by Smokey Robinson. --- You ready for more celebration of KEXP's 50th birthday? Read Larry Mizell Jr., John Richards, Cheryl Waters, Kevin Cole, and Riz Rollins Reflect on 50 Years of KEXP - bit.ly

The first record DJ Riz bought! It can be found on the official 1973 soundtrack album of the film American Graffiti. --- Celebrating Radio Week & 50 years of KEXP! - www.kexp.org

DJ Riz sings back up on Pigeonhed's Glory Bound!!! --- The Full Sentence is the second album by Pigeonhed. The Seattle band is a collaboration of Shawn Smith and Steve Fisk, that released three albums during the period from 1993 to 1997. They reconvened in 2010.

Riz and Rob's Wedding Song!

Last song DJ Riz played on KCMU! --- Read more about how much can a radio station change in 50 years - bit.ly

We're celebrating Radio Week, KEXP's 50th anniversary AND highlighting tracks from 1981 today on The Midday Show! kexp.org 'Kingdom of Rust' is the fourth studio album from British band Doves. The band was originally named Sub Sub and was formed by twin brothers Jez and Andy Williams shortly after meeting Andy Goodwin at the age of 15. The band's studio burned down on the twins' birthday in 1996, and led to a shift in sound. Jez Williams shared, "We were faced with a really black and white decision: throw the towel in or carry on. And if you're going to carry on, you've got to put everything into it to justify it, because before that you've lost everything. That was quite a liberating feeling, actually." bit.ly