Eighties music more than just bubble and fluff

We never thought it would happen either. Three minds meeting as one. But when it comes to a topic like the music of the 1980s, we girls stick together.

As the '80s great, Devo, said, "We're through being cool." We don't care if you think the music sucks. It's a part of our history and we love it.

The '80s was not your average decade of bubble gum pop. Depeche Mode told us "people are people. So, why should it be, you and I should get along so awfully?" Especially over such a fun topic like music?

Although we thank our "lucky stars" for wacky pop acts like Madonna, we realize there are some redeeming qualities in the power ballads from our childhood as well.

Sure, fun trash, like Bon Jovi, sounds bad, but we appreciated the effort. "Wanted Dead or Alive," was wanted dead by most people, but we still kept it alive by screaming the lyrics, just about as well as Bon Jovi.

Other bands, like Def Leppard, still produced something useful. Hell, we know "Pour Some Sugar on Me," did absolutely nothing for women's rights or said anything deep, but it was always a hit at junior high school dances.

Erin admits in seventh grade, she cranked up "Love Bites" every day after school, she stood on her bed, brush in hand, and sang it at the top of her lungs. It even brought a tear to her eye. "Love bites, love bleeds," . . . it brought us to our knees.

But those macho guy bands had to go. We craved the feminine mystique of hard-core lady-rockers.

"We Belong" to the myriad of female crooners, like Pat Benatar.

At the risk of sounding nutsy, Molly will admit she has attended four of Pat's hard rock fantasy concerts throughout her life (with some prodding from an obsessed friend).

One way she knows how to find a true friend is to mention the fact that she was once pulled up onstage to sing "Love Is a Battlefield" with the beloved Pat.

At parties, she blasts that song on the stereo system and watches people flock to the dance floor.

People cry, "Oh! I love this song," when those fave '80s tunes play. Well, maybe only the girls. But there is definitely a bond that surfaces.

The music brings to mind easier times, when we were little girls holding stuffed animals instead of beers and boys' hands.

Our older sisters led us into the world of pop music. Some of it was scary, like Michael Jackson, but some of the music helped to shape us into the strong, free-thinking women we are.

Back in the day, TR's sister exposed her to her first riot girl, Joan Jett. She was different, she was everything TR wanted to be -- innovative, intelligent and oh-so-cool. No one wore leather better, well, maybe the cows.

The punk rock sound inspired TR and more female singers popped into her life. Most influencial was the She-Bopper herself -- Cyndi Lauper. She made all of us realize it's okay to be funky and weird

The trend continued with the less-threatening Janet Jackson, who was always better than Michael in TR's eyes. She taught us about attitude -- "So what have you done for me lately?" Then she taught us to combat ignorance, racism and hate with her Rhythm Nation album. But TR regrets that riot girls did not fill the decade.

Music from the '80s might generally be a little shallow, but we don't see many people dancing with Katrina-and-the-Waves-enthusiasm to Live or Hootie and the Blowfish.

There is something about eighties music. It must be the nostalgic side of it that makes us press repeat on those oldies. Because it's not that the lyrics are that deep or that the rhythms are that challenging. Actually, we laugh at '80s music. But we love it. And so should you.