For the month of October, I’m selecting a song each day from the decade that has the most meaning to me: the 80s. It was the decade that I grew up in. The period of time where I discovered my love for music — and explored many different genres. For the next 31 days, I’ll highlight a handful of songs that I truly loved and that were representative of the decade. #31DaysOf80sSongs
The late 80s were an unusual moment in music history. New alt rock forms were birthed, including the beginnings of some of the most influential rock bands: Jane’s Addiction, Smashing Pumpkins, and the Pixies, just to name a few. The latter is often credited with igniting the grunge era. A little, unknown band called Radiohead also got its start during this time. But what made the late 80’s even more unusual was this really late resurgence of synth pop making its way onto the airwaves — through outfits like When in Rome, Anything Box and Kon Kan. “I Beg Your Pardon” is one of the beautiful by-products of this era.
Let’s be honest. This song was immediately addictive, but by the thousandth listen we were all just about ready to give it up. It starts with a phone ring, as if signaling it’s coming to us with an important message. But the message wasn’t important. “I Beg Your Pardon” was simply a fun, almost meaningless little fling. The beats and synth hooks sounded like a blend between Pet Shop Boys and Anything Box. But then it took samples and weaved them in effortlessly into the melody. At times it was hard to tell what was the sample and what was original. Decades later, “I Beg Your Pardon” hasn’t aged nearly quite as well as some of its synth pop peers, but it remains a prime example of pure, fun nostalgic pop.
“I know now's the time that I went to find something new. You know it's your crime that I'm out to find someone, too.”