The Active Rain Gods, Adam Waldman, Jason Crouch, and Paul Slaybaugh, are it again with another contest.

The Inspired By Song contest for the month of December is titled "My Guilty Music Pleasures".

When I saw the announcement, I went into panic mode.  "My Guilty Music Pleasures".  I started hearing the music from the shower scene from Psycho.   A slight chill went down my spine, I started sweating profusely, and my heart started beating faster.  I was scared.

The "Puppet Masters" known as Adam, Paul, and Jason want me to me to announce to the world what I have been hiding for more than 20 years.  They want me to reveal the songs that don't react to voice recognition software, the songs that I have locked on my computer using a 984-bit WPA encryption code, the songs that have a special folder unto itself on my i-Pod.  These are the songs that I secretly love, but don't want people to know that I do.  

A nightmarish vision suddenly pops into my head:  Puppet Master Paul is pulling the strings of my listless body and screaming "Sing for me now, tell me your songs!!"    I now know that resistance is futile, I must give in.  Damn you, Puppet Masters!!

Being a Gen X'er and a product of the MTV Generation, the music of the 80's had a profound effect on me.  The music videos were loud, the hair was high, and the lyrics of the song had meaning (so I thought at the time).  So with much trepidation, here are my Top 5 Guilty Music Pleasures:

Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler-  The first time I heard Bonnie Tyler, I was mesmerized.  The range of her voice and the height of her hair was incredible.  This song, Holding Out for a Hero, represents everyone's journey of unrealistic high expectations of finding a relationship.  We have all been there, trying to find our Prince Charming or Cinderella to make us complete.  Everytime I time I here this song, I start belting out a tune.

To see the music video, click here

Never Say Never by Romeo Void-  A little known band called Romeo Void, led by singer Debora Iyall, hit the airwaves with a song called Never Say Never.

It was a song that hit me between the eyes immediately.  The bands extensive use of the saxophone, electric guitar, and Debora's unique singing voice, had me hooked from the beginning.

How can you go wrong with lyrics like this:

"I might like you better if we slept together"  "There's something in your eyes that says maybe, that's never, never say never".

To see the music video, click here.

Total Eclipe of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler- I guess Bonnie didn't learn her lesson in Holding Out for a Hero, and neither did I.

This song, Total Eclipse of the Heart, has been described as a haiku of the human experience.  What a bunch of crap!!  It's a total "chick song" that sucks everyone into its mindless vortex.   Once you get this song stuck in your head, it will never leave.

I have listened to this song many times when I didn't find my "Hero".  To see the music video, click here.

Rock Lobster by the B-52's- This was a tough decision to make Rock Lobster my number 2 Guilty Pleasure.  This iconic band from Athens, GA change the way I listened to music.  This song reminds me of Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, and all the Beach Blanket Movies, on acid.

"Boys in Bikinis, Girls with Surfboards, Pass the tanning butter"  "It wasn't a rock, I was a Rock Lobster!!" 

 I just go wild when I hear this song.  It brings me back to a happier place of my teenage angst.  To rock out to this song, click here.

AND THE WINNER OF THE NUMBER ONE SLOT OF HAROLD'S GUILTY MUSIC PLEASURES:

Mickey by Toni Basil-

"Oh Mickey you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind, Hey Mickey!!

After 25 years, this song really sticks in my head.  The reason this song is my guilty pleasure is a simple one.

Picture it: El Cajon Valley High, 1982.  A young high schooler named Harold Watts makes his debut as the new mascot of the Varsity Cheer Squad.  Hundreds of students anxiously await the performace of the squad's rendition of Mickey. 

There I am in my mascot uniform (we were the Braves), adorned in my Indian headress, getting ready to lift one of the cheerleaders on my shoulders to form the pyramid.  When I lift her up, one the feather quills gets caught in on her skirt.  She's stuck, and if she doesn't stand up, the whole pyramid will fall.  I reach over with my other hand to rip the headress off of my head, and part of my hair went along with it!!  I can't believe it, I've been scalped!!  It takes all my nerve not to scream out in pain.

The performance went on without a hitch.  I went to check out the damage, and luckily the hair that was pulled out of my head was in an area where I had a scar from a childhood head injury.  This an area where the hair didn't grow back.  To see the music video of this one-hit wonder, CLICK HERE. 

There you have it, you know all of my Guilty Music Pleasures.  It's a relief to no longer carry this secret for as long as I have.

And to the Puppet Masters who are running this show, you can cut the strings that bind me.  You can no longer blackmail me with threats of exposing my Guilty Music Pleasures to the world.  I've taken away your power, and now I'M FREE!!!!

pictures courtesy of Flickr