Music Lessons from The Pit: The Playlist

Music Lessons from The Pit is my in-progress novel set in the 1980s. The story follows Gil through college as he navigates the trek from youth to adulthood, accompanied by the era's burgeoning college-rock movement. In fact, Gil's life is so tied to music that each chapter is named after a song and the subsequent reflections that ensue in that chapter are inspired by that song.

What follows is a playlist of songs referenced in the book. You can watch the video, buy it via Amazon, or check out the lyrics.

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Chapter 1: Should I Stay Or Should I Go

The Clash “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” (1982) went to #45 in the U.S. and #17 in the UK in the summer of 1982. In 1991, the song was revived in the UK thanks to a Levi’s commercial and went to #1. In the U.S., “Rock the Casbah,” another cut from the Combat Rock album, gave The Clash mainstream American success, going top ten. However, the group only released one more album before calling it quits.

U2 “40” (1983) was never released as a single, but became a concert favorite for U2. It hails from their War album which became the group’s American breakthrough and one of the early staples of the burgeoning college rock movement.

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Chapter 2: Blue Monday

New Order “Blue Monday” (1983) was first released in March 1983 in the UK. It reached #12 despite exceeding 7 minutes in length and being available only as a 12” single. The song reached #68 in the US and was rereleased multiple times in the UK. The 1988 remix got to #3. With sales exceeding 1 million in the UK, the song became the biggest 12” single of all time.

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Chapter 3: Like a Virgin

Madonna “Like a Virgin” (1984) was the song that lifted her to the ranks of superstardom and spawned Madonna-wannabes everywhere who copied her style. She’d built a following with her eponymous debut from 1982 to ’84 on the strength of her hits “Holiday,” “Borderline,” and “Lucky Star.” However, “Virgin” became her first of many #1’s in the U.S. and peaked at #3 in the U.K.

Psychedelic Furs “Love My Way” (1982) was a minor hit in both the U.S. and UK, peaking at #44 and #42 respectively. However, the group was one of the early favorites of the college-rock movement, also having success with songs like “Pretty in Pink,” “The Ghost in You,” and “Heartbreak Beat.”

Violent Femmes “Add It Up” (1983) did not chart, but was a favorite in dance clubs and on college-rock radio. The group’s debut album, from which this song comes, also produced the college-rock staple “Blister in the Sun.”

Split Enz “I Got You” (1980) was another college-rock favorite which failed to chart stateside. It went to #12 in the UK. The group was an early MTV staple with their wacky and colorful videos. The group’s leader, Tim Finn, went on to a solo career and his brother and bandmate, Neil Finn (who sings lead on “I Got You”), went on to form Crowded House.

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The Clash “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” charted

Should I Stay Or Should I Go The Clash

Writer(s): Topper Headon, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Joe Strummer (see lyrics here) Released: May 1982 First Charted: June 5, 1982 Peak: 45 US, 63 CB, 13 AR, 1 CO, 12 UK, 40 CN, 37 AU, 5 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.6 UK Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 127.35 video, 633.64 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The Clash formed in London in 1976. They were one of the pillars of British punk rock, touted early on as “the most important rock group in Britain.” KL Their self-titled debut album hit #12 in the UK. 1978’s Give ‘Em Enough Rope hit #2, 1979’s London Calling hit #9, and the 1980 triple album Sandinista! reached #19. Their peak came in 1982 with Combat Rock. It got to #2 in the UK, but became the group’s only top-10 album in the United States, also reaching double platinum status. Prior to Combat Rock, the Clash had racked up 13 chart hits in the UK, but their only success in the United States had been with 1980’s “Train in Vain,” a #23 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. “Know Your Rights,” the lead single from Combat Rock, was nother miss on the U.S. charts, but got to #43 in the UK. The second single, “Rock the Casbah,” proved to be the breakthrough for the Clash in the U.S., going all the way to #8. The follow-up, “Should I Stay Or Should I Go,” hit #45. “Should I Stay” wasn’t done, though. Originally it peaked at #17 in the UK, but in 1991 the song saw a resurgence because of its appearance in a Levi jeans commercial. It was re-released and hit #1 in the UK. Not only was it their only chart-topper, but their only song to hit the top 10 in the UK. When the song initially came out, some interpreted it as a sign that singer and guitarist Mick Jones was leaving the band. He was, in fact, fired in 1983. In 2009, Rolling Stone SF said it was about “the tempestuous personal relationship between Jones and American singer Ellen Foley,” WK who sang backing vocals on Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell. Jones said, “it wasn’t about anything specific and it wasn’t pre-empting my leaving The Clash. It was just a good rockin’ song, our attempt at writing a classic.” KL Resources: AMG All Music Guide KL Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh (2005). 1000 UK Number One Hits: The Stories Behind Every Number One Single Since 1952. London, Great Britain: Omnibus Press. Pages 366-7. SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 10/2/2022.