I don't know how many of you buy 80's hits compilation CDs (I buy tons of them because I love 80's music), but I have noticed something very interesting about them.

Prince, Madonna and Michael Jackson are not on a lot of them!!! I wonder if it's because the record companies who release these 80's CDs are trying to make them "family friendly", so they are purposely excluding the artists that they feel may be controversial. This does not seem right, because Prince, Madonna and Michael Jackson were all MAJOR recording artists during the 80's, and they have the right to be on those CDs too, just the same as any other artist who was popular during that era. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this.

Most of those consist of bands and artists that are no longer around or do not have that deep of a catalog. So it's a way of giving re-exposure to them and the sound. Lots of Level 42, Bananarama etc. Lot's of one hit wonders. I have actually yet to see any of the 3 you mentioned on any 80's comp. Also since those three also are still around, they have the potential for retrospectives of their own.

I know Prince is against these type of comps or any comps and would probably give the NO if he has any decision int he matter.

It could be something as simple as a licensing thing. Maybe the labels for these compilations can't get the licensing for the songs. I have Rhino's 4 cd box set of disco songs called The Disco Box, and there isn't a single Bee Gees song on it. A Disco box set without the Bee Gees would be like a Soul box set without any songs by Aretha. The thing that prohibited Rhino from including any Bee Gees material was the fact that they weren't available for licensing.

It's all due to licensing issues.

Supernova said:

the bee gees were str8 white people's answer to Disco. i would never dare say you couldn't have disco without them.

ehuffnsd said:

Good, cuz that's not what I said. I said a disco compilation without them is akin to a Soul box without Aretha. Meaning their contribution to the genre is much more relevant than that box set would have a novice believe.

Tho they were making soul influenced dance music prior to the disco explosion.

I've noticed that Prince, Michael Jackson, and Madonna are not on any compilations these days. That's not the case in the old days though.

Remember K-Tel back in the day. They used to do compilations of songs that were like a year old...back in those days a song was considered out of style by then. Anyway, a friend of mine used to have a K-Tel disco compilation with Prince's "I Wanna Be Your Lover" on it. I still have a K-Tel compilation with Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" and "Rock With You". This compilation was released as soon as the records went out of style.

Of course, in those days, neither Prince or Michael were nowhere near the big stars they are now.

ehuffnsd said:

uhh the Bee Gees were MUCH more than just disco..if you took out the disco part of their career they STILL would be hall of famers

I think the last compilation record to have an MJ song on it was 'Let's Beat It' back in the 80's

Yeah,it's shocking to buy an 80s compilation and not see anything by Prince,MJ or Madonna.And you rarely see Bruce Springsteen on these types of compilations.But since the big artists already have compilations of their own,it makes sense to focus more on the one-hit wonder acts.Rhino Records,in particular,seems to be more interested in the forgotten,hard-to-find hits.i have their 7-CD "Have A Nice Decade" box set,which focuses on the 70s,and it doesn't contain anything by Elton John,Donna Summer,The Bee Gees,or The Carpenters.

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