SO . . . do you remember the days when cable was what fancy people had and the only time you got to watch MTV was when you went over your Nana and Papa’s house in Cranston, RI and went down to the basement and told everyone you were reading but instead you were, er, studying the existential work of Peter Gabriel videos?

I bet the kidz today don’t even know the song “Sledgehammer.” Blasphemy!

Yup, those were the days.

It was a golden age for women of sorts, when female pop stars didn’t have to strip down and they could just sing their hearts out and yours truly would just dance, dance, dance. Let’s highlight three classic videos and honest to God I dare you not to groove.

1981-“Mickey” by Toni Basil

Home girl looks like a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Yessss.

1982-“Gloria” by Laura Branigan

Who ELSE was not pissed that their mother did not name them Gloria after this super fun song??? I had the pleasure of seeing Laura perform on the Boston Common sometime in the early naughts and everyone was still into it. Sadly, Branigan passed away in 2004 due to  a cerebral aneurysm.

1983-“Flashdance . . . What a Feeling” by Irene Cara

Never saw the movie because I was three when it was released but my sister Katie did own the soundtrack. Damn, this song STILL makes me get up and boogie. And also cut up sweatshirts and pretend I’m a welder/dancer.

Most beautiful girl in the world.

So what was your jam in the early 1980s?