Two generations of Americans have grown up hearing stories about the superiority of the 1960s, with its Woodstock, free love and fighting “The Man.” But from the end of the Cold War to the invention of the Internet, the 1980s and 1990s have made pretty good arguments that those two decades were more influential.
Of course, Thursday night at Irving Plaza, DJ Biz Markie will likely be spinning records from those two time periods, rather than leading a panel discussion on the relative merits of perestroika versus the foreign policy of the Clinton administration.
It’s late Gen Xers versus early Millennials, MTV VJs Martha Quinn versus Kennedy and porn shop Times Square versus Disneyfied Times Square. Which decade has earned bragging rights?
“Physical” by Olivia Newton-John versus “How Do I Live” by LeAnn Rimes
No, really: These are the top-charting songs of each decade, according to Billboard. As much as “Physical” may sound like it represents its decade a little more accurately, the Diane Warren-penned “Live” has aged better. WINNER: “How Do I Live”
Glam Metal versus Grunge
Be honest: Take a look at most metal music videos from the 1980s. How far in can you make it without cringing? And that’s not just during the long descent into the excesses of hair metal, either. WINNER: Grunge
NES versus PlayStation
The latter clearly has the better graphics, the more involved controls and can even play CDs. But the former had “Tecmo Bowl.” Super-fast Bo Jackson wins. WINNER: NES
Members Only versus Hypercolor
The staple of ’80s closets may have aged poorly, but Hypercolor T-shirts were the stuff of nightmares for those who don’t like to be randomly touched in public. WINNER: Members Only
Magic and Bird versus Jordan and Barkley/Kemp/etc.
The Los Angeles Lakers/Boston Celtics rivalry of the ’80s produced some of the best games in NBA history, but getting to watch Michael Jordan play at his peak meant getting to see the greatest player of all time ply his trade, even if the outcomes of the actual contests were never in doubt. WINNER: Jordan et al.
Prince and the Revolution versus Prince and the New Power Generation
As wonderful as “Diamonds and Pearls” and “7” might be, Prince and the Revolution gave the world “Purple Rain.” WINNER: Prince and the Revolution
“Fraggle Rock” versus “Animaniacs”
The latter was a great kids show with plenty of humor for the adults, too. But the former was the first-ever American (or British/American co-production) television series to air in the Soviet Union. So, Red Fraggle brought down the Berlin Wall. WINNER: “Fraggle Rock”
Biz Markie in the 1980s versus Biz Markie in the 1990s
While Markie’s 1991 album “I Need a Haircut” changed the rap landscape forever, it was for a negative reason: It triggered a lawsuit from Irish songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan that brought about stricter clearance rules for sampling for the entire industry. Plus, “Just a Friend” was released in 1989. WINNER: Biz Markie in the 1980s.
Winner: 1980s, 5-3
If you go
Decades Collide: ’80s vs ’90s featuring DJ Biz Markie is March 17 at 7 p.m. at Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Pl., 212-777-6817, $15.
