Three Chord Thursdays at Three: 80’s Hits

After disco burst into the scene, the next decade was filled with dance music of disco rock and other fast numbers. We take a sneak peak at beloved three chord songs of the vibrant eighties. Put on your dancing shoes!

Register in advance for Thursday July 9th and Thursday May 28th, 2020 at 3 pm EDT. You’ll then receive an e-mail with the meeting ID and link. Please keep it in a safe place. You can enter the zoom meeting early to check that you do get in. We start with a 5-minute warm-up of useful chord progressions and strum patterns promptly at 3 pm! FREE TASTER WORKSHOP on PLUCK & STRUM afterwards at 4:30 pm EDT on July 9th.

To request a song to perform, please use the Google Form. We will confirm the line-up (songs and order/sequence) before the session. Priority will be given to those songs not yet performed in the previous 80’s session. July 9th session.

Here is a preliminary list of well-known songs from the 1980’s. Whichever we can’t fit into May 28th session will spillover to July 9th, 2020. Bolded titles refer to song sheets that can easily be transposed from that website.

1. 99 Red Balloons – Nena
2. Abracadabra – Steve Miller (Am, Dm, E7 – transposable)
3. Beat It – Michael Jackson (Am, F, G)
4. Billie Jean – Michael Jackson – Pat B. (use this sheet in Em)
5. Don’t Get Me Wrong – The Pretenders – Laura S.
6. Don’t You Want Me – The Human League
7. Don’t Worry Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin – Steffi
8. Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
9. Faith – George Michael – Adrienne
10. Footloose – Kenny Loggins (A, D, E7, G – one-page PDF) – Bruce C. (use this!)
11. Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty (Ukulele Hunt)
12. Give It Up – KC and the Sunshine Band (D, A, G – 2 page PDF)
13. I Love Rock and Roll – Joan Jett and the Black Hearts – Chris A. in C
14. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2
15. I Want to Break Free – Queen
16. I Melt With You – Modern English (G, Csus2, Em7) – Anne, Adrienne
17. If You Don’t Know Me By Now – Simply Red
18. Jack and Diane – John Cougar Mellencamp (A, E, D – 2-page pdf)
19. Jump – Van Halen (with riffs, page 50 of pdf)
20. Just Called to Say I Love You – Stevie Wonder
21. Karma Chameleon – Culture Club – Adrienne
22. Kiss – Prince
23. La Bamba – Los Lobos – Michelle
24. Land Down Under – Men at Work – Kevin G. & Mary
25. Life is Live – OPUS
26. Mickey – Toni Basil (in F major) (in D major)
27. Owner of a Lonely Heart – Yes!
28. Red Red Wine – UB40 (C, F, G)
29. Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash (one-page PDF) (two-page PDF) – TAG (relay)
30. Shout – Tears for Fears
31. She Drives Me Crazy – Fine Young Cannibals (C, F, Am, G)
32. Spirit in the Sky – Dr and the Medics – Pat
33. Super Trouper – ABBA (one page pdf)
34. Sweet Dreams – Eurythmics – TAG (relay)
35. Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynrd (D, C, G) (with riffs)
36. Tainted Love – Soft Cell
37. Take It On the Run – REO Speedwagon – Adrienne
38. Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper – Beth A. in F
39. Under Pressure – Queen / David Bowie
40. Venus – ( Shocking Blue Am, D, G, F, E7 with riff) / (Bananarama – transposable) – Anne
41. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go – Wham!
42. Walk Like an Egyptian – The Bangles (C, F, Eb – half-step down to play with video B, E, D)
43. Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves (C, F, G – whole step down to play with video Bb, Eb, F) and in G major – John
44. We Are the World
45. With or Without You – U2 (C, G, Am, F) – Bruce B. (IT)

For inspiration, check out Cynthia Lin and Ukulenny’s 80’s jam on youtube. Download the 9-page PDF of song sheets (in order presented) from the youtube description text.

@ July 8, 2020 18:30 BST Line-up for July 9th, 2020

1. I Melt With You – Modern English (G, Csus2, Em7) – Anne, Adrienne (use this!)
2. With or Without You – U2 (C, G, Am, F) – Bruce B. (IT)
3. I Love Rock and Roll – Joan Jett and the Black Hearts – Chris A. in C
4. Don’t Get Me Wrong – The Pretenders – Laura S.
5. Land Down Under – Men at Work – Kevin G. & Mary
6. Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper – Beth A. in F
7. Billie Jean – Michael Jackson – Pat B. in Em
8. Karma Chameleon – Culture Club – Adrienne
9. Footloose – Kenny Loggins (A, D, E7, G – one-page PDF) – Bruce C. (use this!)

Stay after for the free taster workshop at 4:30 pm, please register in advance via the link in PLUCK & STRUM at 4:30 pm EDT.