Though it was only then just beginning to hit the mainstream, looping and sampling by the ’80s was becoming old hat for the New Music/Minimalist guys.

Here’s a band so obscure and long forgotten that even the most voracious vinyl collector probably isn’t even aware of their existence. Formed in 1980, the Pencils featured singer and guitarist Tony Skeggs, singer and bassist Den Pugsley, keyboardist Rick Birmingham and drummer Andy Wells.

Thirty years ago today, a “big bang” of sorts occurred on television. This moment would profoundly affect R&B, rock, pop, MTV, and general pop culture.

For ZZ Top, 1983′s Eliminator was a turning point, in more ways than one. Billy Gibbons and Co. would never have more commercial success, but they would never sound more commercial, either — memorably experimenting with synthesizers

You may have listened to “Jump,” Van Halen’s lone charttopping hit from 1984, without stopping to realize the deeper philosophical message laying just beneath the surface. David Lee Roth is here to help.

I love that feeling that washes over me when a piece of music is so screwed up that I (at least initially) have no idea why I’m enjoying myself so much. That feeling will be the driving force behind most of my WTF?! entries.

“It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)” is one of the longer song titles in rock ‘n roll and one of the more oddball releases from R.E.M. (probably only superseded by “Leave” from New Adventures In Hi-Fi).

We took a break from our non-stop heavy rotation of Boz Scaggs’ new Top 20 album Memphis to dig further back into his stirring catalog of sophisticated soul, sizzling R&B and gritty blues.

I used to force my brother Dustin to listen to my records — the Beatles, Hall and Oates, Journey, all of it. I made him learn every “nah nah” on “Hey Jude,” every deep cut off Voices, every Neal Schon guitar lick.

Justin Hayward delves into classic cuts from the Moody Blues like “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Gemini Dream” and “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” — as well as two songs from his forthcoming album — on a new edition of One Track Mind.