Pocket Rockers - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Pocket Rockers was a brand of personal stereo

Personal stereo

The personal stereo is the term given to a portable audio player using an audiocassette player. This allows the listening of music through headphones while a person is mobile. The first personal stereo was the Stereobelt invented and patented by Andreas Pavel in 1977. Pavel attempted to...

produced by Fisher-Price

Fisher-Price

Fisher-Price is a company that produces toys for infants and children, headquartered in East Aurora, New York. Fisher-Price has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel since 1993.-History:...

in the late 1980s, aimed at elementary school

Elementary school

An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...

-age children. It played a proprietary variety of miniature cassette (appearing to be a smaller version of the 8-track tape) which was released only by Fisher-Price themselves. Each tape had two songs. Tapes were available from several pop stars, including Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...

, Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston

Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...

, The Bangles

The Bangles

The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...

, Tiffany

Tiffany (singer)

Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...

and Debbie Gibson. They were designed to be as much a fashion accessory as a music player, and for a brief period they were enough of a youth craze to be banned in some schools.

The advertisements featured a song in the tune of Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....

's "Down on the Corner

Down on the Corner

"Down on the Corner" is a song by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It appeared on their fourth studio album, Willy and the Poor Boys . The song chronicles the tale of the fictional band Willy and the Poor Boys, and how they play on street corners to cheer people up and ask for nickels...

".

The Pocket Rockers line was discontinued in 1991, following a sharp decline in sales. Today, the player and cassettes are sought after by collectors.

List of featured artists and songs

Bananarama

Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...

"I Heard a Rumour

I Heard a Rumour

"I Heard a Rumour" is a 1987 song recorded by English girl group Bananarama, featured on their Wow! album. It was also featured in the film Disorderlies and included on its soundtrack....

The Bangles

The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...

"Walk Like an Egyptian

Walk Like an Egyptian

"Walk Like an Egyptian" is a number-one hit from the album Different Light by The Bangles in 1986.-Origin:Liam Sternberg wrote the song after seeing people on a ferry walking awkwardly to keep their balance, which reminded him of figures in Ancient Egyptian reliefs. The opening lyrics state, "All...

" / "Manic Monday

Manic Monday

"Manic Monday" is a song by the American pop rock band The Bangles, and the first single released from their second studio album Different Light . It was written by Prince, using the pseudonym "Christopher". Originally intended for the group Apollonia 6 in 1984, he offered the song to The Bangles...

Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....

"(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)"

Bon Jovi

"Livin' on a Prayer

Livin' on a Prayer

"Livin' on a Prayer" is Bon Jovi's second single from their Slippery When Wet album. Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora with Desmond Child, the single, released in late 1986, was well-received at both rock and pop radio and its music video was given heavy rotation at MTV, giving the band...

" / "Runaway

Runaway (Bon Jovi song)

"Runaway" is a Bon Jovi song, written in 1980 and originally recorded in 1981 for the so called "Power Station Demos". The recordings were primarily done by an ensemble simply known as Jon Bongiovi & The Rest. Lead guitar on the original 1980's track was Bon Jovi's neighbour, Dave Sabo , who would...

"Wanted Dead or Alive

Wanted Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi song)

-Music Video:The video for the song is black and white and features footage from the band's massive 1986-1987 world tour, including shots from Chicago's UIC Pavilion, Rochester, Minnesota's Mayo Civic Center, Denver, Colorado's McNichols Arena, Pittsburgh, PA F. Pitt Tunnel and Pittsburgh Skyline...

" / "You Give Love a Bad Name

You Give Love a Bad Name (song)

"You Give Love a Bad Name" is a song written by Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child, and Richie Sambora about a woman who has jilted her lover. Although originally written for the band Loverboy, the song was recorded by Bon Jovi...

Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club (band)

Breakfast Club was an American New Wave group. Their biggest hit single was "Right on Track", which went to #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.-Band history:...

"Right on Track" / "Kiss and Tell"

Belinda Carlisle

Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...

"Heaven Is a Place on Earth

Heaven is a Place on Earth

"Heaven Is a Place on Earth" is the title of a song recorded by Belinda Carlisle, the lead singer of The Go-Go's. Written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, and interpolating the aria "Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh'" from Johann Sebastian Bach's Christmas Oratorio, it hit number one on the...

" / "I Get Weak

I Get Weak

"I Get Weak" is a pop song written by Diane Warren and produced by Rick Nowels for Belinda Carlisle's second album Heaven on Earth. The song reached number 2 on the US Billboard Charts and number 10 in the UK in 1988.-Music video:...

Phil Collins

Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....

"Sussudio

Sussudio

"Sussudio" is a song by Phil Collins, released as a single in February 1985. The song is also the first track on Collins' third album, No Jacket Required, released in January of the same year. The song entered frequent rotation on MTV in May, and by 6 July, both the single and the album reached...

" / "Don't Lose My Number

Don't Lose My Number

"Don't Lose My Number" is a song by Phil Collins from his third solo album No Jacket Required. The single was not released in the UK, though it peaked at #4 in the US during late September 1985...

Cutting Crew

The Cutting Crew is a pop rock band formed in England in 1985, best known for their #1 hit, " Died in Your Arms".-Career:Vocalist Nick Van Eede founded the group along with Canadian guitarist Kevin MacMichael in 1985, and the two made demos that led to a recording contract, before bassist Colin...

"(I Just) Died In Your Arms

(I Just) Died in Your Arms

" Died in Your Arms" is a power ballad written by Nick Van Eede and introduced by his band, Cutting Crew, in 1986. It was their biggest hit, peaking at #1 in the United States, Canada and Finland, and reaching the top five in the UK, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland.-Background of the music and...

" / "I've Been In Love Before"

Taylor Dayne

Taylor Dayne was born Leslie Wunderman on March 7, 1962 before later adopting her current stage name. She is an American pop vocalist, songwriter, and dance artist. Overall, she has had eighteen individual hit songs reach the top ten in Billboard magazine...

"Prove Your Love

Prove Your Love

"Prove Your Love" is a song recorded by dance-pop vocalist Taylor Dayne, released as the second single from her debut album in 1988. Like her previous single "Tell It to My Heart", it is a high energy dance track with aggressive vocal delivery....

" / "Tell It to My Heart

Tell It to My Heart

"Tell It to My Heart" is a song recorded by dance-pop vocalist Taylor Dayne, released as her first single from her debut album of the same name in late 1987. The single was Dayne's first major exposure, and she soon became known for her up-tempo, dance-oriented music.-Background and writing:The...

Genesis

Genesis (band)

Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...

"The Last Domino" / "Invisible Touch

Invisible Touch (song)

"Invisible Touch" is the title track of the 1986 Genesis album of the same name. It is the most successful single in the band's lengthy history and was their first and only #1 single in the United States. It went to number four in Canada, but only reached number 15 in the United Kingdom.Its B-side...

Debbie Gibson

"Shake Your Love

Shake Your Love

"Shake Your Love" is the second single by American singer-songwriter-actress Deborah Gibson, and the leadoff single for her album Out of the Blue...

" / "Only in My Dreams

Only in My Dreams

"Only in My Dreams" is the debut single for American singer-songwriter-actress Deborah Gibson. Released December 16. 1986 as a maxi single , and then in remixed form February 1987, the song was written by Gibson herself in 1984, two years before she recorded it...

Jan Hammer

Jan Hammer is a composer, pianist and keyboardist. He first gained his most visible audience while playing keyboards with the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the early 1970s, as well as his film scores for television and film including "Miami Vice Theme" and "Crockett's Theme", from the popular 1980s...

+ Glenn Frey

Glenn Frey

Glenn Lewis Frey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Frey formed the Eagles after he met drummer Don Henley in 1970 and the two eventually joined Linda Ronstadt's backup band for her summer tour. The Eagles formed in 1971 and...

"Miami Vice Theme

Miami Vice Theme

The musical piece Miami Vice Theme was created and performed by Jan Hammer as the theme to the television series Miami Vice. It was first presented as part of the television broadcast of the show in September 1984 and released as a single in 1985, peaking at the number one spot on the Billboard Hot...

" / "The Heat Is On

The Heat Is On (Glenn Frey song)

"The Heat is On" is a song written by Harold Faltermeyer and Keith Forsey and recorded by Glenn Frey, from Faltermeyer and Forsey's soundtrack of the popular 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop.-History:...

Whitney Houston

"How Will I Know

How Will I Know

"How Will I Know" is a song recorded by American recording artist Whitney Houston for her debut album, entitled Whitney Houston, which was released in February 1985. It was released by Arista Records in November that year, as the album's third single. Composed by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam,...

" / "Greatest Love of All

Greatest Love of All

"The Greatest Love of All" is a song written by Michael Masser and Linda Creed and originally recorded by George Benson for the 1977 Muhammad Ali biopic The Greatest. The song was later popularized by Whitney Houston. Creed wrote the lyrics in the midst of her struggle with breast cancer...

"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)

I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)

"I Wanna Dance with Somebody " is the first single from Whitney Houston's second studio album Whitney. It was produced by Narada Michael Walden, and written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam of the band Boy Meets Girl, who had previously written the number-one Whitney Houston hit "How Will I...

" / "So Emotional

So Emotional

"So Emotional" is a song recorded by American pop/ R&B singer Whitney Houston. The song was the third single from her second album Whitney, and was released on November 12, 1987....

Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

"Bad" / "Beat It

Beat It

"Beat It" is a song written and performed by American recording artist Michael Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones . It is the third single from the singer's sixth solo album, Thriller . Eddie Van Halen was hired to add the song's distinctive overdriven guitar solo, but was prevented by his...

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" is a song by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was released on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records as the fourth single from Jackson's sixth studio album Thriller in 1982. It is the first song on Thriller...

" / "Another Part of Me

Another Part of Me

"Another Part of Me" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. Produced by Quincy Jones for the singer's seventh solo album, Bad , the song was originally featured in Jackson's 1986 3-D film Captain EO. It is the sixth song on the album...

The Jets

The Jets (band)

The Jets are a family band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, composed of brothers and sisters who specialize in pop, R&B, and dance music, particularly Latin freestyle.The group officially formed in 1985, with the original lineup fizzling out by 1990...

"Cross My Broken Heart

Cross My Broken Heart

"Cross My Broken Heart" is the title of the first single released from Magic, the second studio album released by the dance-pop band The Jets. The song reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1987. It also appears on the soundtrack to the Eddie Murphy film, Beverly Hills Cop...

" / "You Got It All

You Got It All

"You Got It All" was the fourth single released by the 1980s dance-pop band, The Jets, from their commercially successful debut 1985 album, The Jets. It was written by Rupert Holmes, most famous for the song, "Escape ."...

"Make It Real

Make It Real

"Make It Real" is a song by the American dance-pop sibling group, The Jets, released as a single from their album, Magic, in the spring of 1988 ....

" / "I Do You

I Do You

"I Do You" is the title of a song by the American dance-pop sibling group, The Jets. It was written by Stephen Bray and Linda Mallah....

Huey Lewis and the News

Huey Lewis and the News is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually scoring a total of 19 top-ten singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock charts...

"Doing It All for My Baby

Doing It All for My Baby

"Doing It All for My Baby" is a song performed by Huey Lewis and the News, released as a single from the album Fore! in 1987. The single peaked at number six on the U.S...

" / "The Power of Love"

"Hip to Be Square

Hip to Be Square

"Hip to Be Square" is a song by Huey Lewis and the News, written by Bill Gibson, Sean Hopper, and Huey Lewis, and released in 1986 as the second single from the multi-platinum album, Fore!. The song features Pro Football Hall of Famers and then-San Francisco 49ers Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott...

" / "The Heart of Rock & Roll

The Heart of Rock & Roll

"The Heart of Rock & Roll" is a song performed by Huey Lewis and the News, released as the third single from their album Sports in 1984. The single peaked at number six on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.-History:...

Kenny Loggins

During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...

"Footloose

Footloose (song)

"Footloose" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins. It was released in January 1984 as the first of two single by Loggins from the 1984 film of the same name. The song spent three weeks at number one, March 31—April 14, 1984 on the U.S. Billboard...

Los Lobos

Los Lobos are a multiple Grammy Award–winning American Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños.-History:The...

"La Bamba

La Bamba (song)

"La Bamba" is a Mexican folk song, originally from the state of Veracruz, best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens, a top 40 hit in the U.S. charts and one of early rock and roll's best-known songs...

" / "Tequila

Tequila (song)

"Tequila" is a 1958 Latin-flavored rock and roll song recorded by the group, the Champs. The title of the song constitutes the entirety of the lyrics, and is spoken a total of three times during the course of the song. "Tequila" became a #1 hit on both the pop and R&B charts at the time of its...

Madonna

Madonna (entertainer)

Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...

"Who's That Girl?" / "Material Girl

Material Girl

"Material Girl" is a song performed by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on January 30, 1985, by Sire Records, as the second single from her second album Like a Virgin. It also appears slightly remixed on the 1990 greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, and in its...

Ray Parker, Jr.

Ray Erskine Parker, Jr. , is an American guitarist, songwriter, producer and recording artist. Parker is known for writing and performing the theme song to the motion picture Ghostbusters, for his solo hits, and performing with his band Raydio as well as the late Barry White.-Early life and...

+ The Monkees

The Monkees

The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...

"Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters (song)

"Ghostbusters" is a 1984 song recorded by Ray Parker, Jr. as the theme to the film of the same name starring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11 in 1984, and stayed there for three weeks...

" / "(Theme From) The Monkees

(Theme from) The Monkees

" The Monkees" is a 1966 popular song, written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart as the theme song for the TV series The Monkees. It later appeared on their album The Monkees. Originally intended as an album track, it was later released as a single in Australia, where it became a hit. It is still...

David Lee Roth

David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....

"California Girls"

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...

"Born in the U.S.A.

Born in the U.S.A. (song)

"Born in the U.S.A." is a 1984 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. Taken from the album of the same name, it is one of his best-known singles. Rolling Stone ranked the song 275th on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2001, the RIAA's Songs of the Century placed...

Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...

"Shout

Shout (Tears for Fears song)

"Shout" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears.Written by Roland Orzabal and Ian Stanley and sung by Orzabal , it was the band's eighth single release and sixth UK Top 40 hit, peaking at #4 in January 1985...

" / "Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Everybody Wants to Rule the World

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is a song by the British New Wave band Tears for Fears.It was the band's ninth single release in the United Kingdom and seventh UK Top 40 chart hit, peaking at number two in April 1985...

Tiffany

Tiffany (singer)

"All This Time

All This Time (Tiffany song)

"All This Time" is the first single from Tiffany's second album, Hold an Old Friend's Hand. The single was Tiffany's fourth and last top-ten hit in the United States.-Song information:...

" / "Radio Romance

Radio Romance

"Radio Romance" is the second single from Tiffany's second album Hold an Old Friend's Hand in the US and first from the album in the UK.-Song information:...

"I Saw Him Standing There

I Saw Her Standing There

"I Saw Her Standing There" is a song written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and is the opening track on The Beatles' debut album, Please Please Me, released in the United Kingdom by Parlophone on 22 March 1963....

" / "Feelings of Forever

Feelings of Forever

"Feelings of Forever" is the final single from the album Tiffany by Tiffany. It was considered a flop in most areas of the world, but was a very minor success in the U.S. and the U.K.-Song information:...

"I Think We're Alone Now" / "Could've Been

Could've Been

"Could've Been" is the third single released from Tiffany, the debut album of American teen-pop singer Tiffany.-Song information:The song was discovered by Music Industry Insiders Don McGovern and Brad Schmidt when they stumbled into a Hungry Tiger Restaurant in Thousand Oaks, California and heard...

Wham!

WHAM!

Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....

"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"

Kim Wilde

Kim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...

"You Keep Me Hangin' On

You Keep Me Hangin' On

Vanilla Fudge's 1967 psychedelic/hard rock remake of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" reached #6 on the Hot 100 chart two years after the release of the Supremes' recording. While the version released on 45 RPM single was under three minutes long, the album version was extended to six minutes and...

" / "Say You Really Want Me

Say You Really Want Me

"Say You Really Want Me" is a single from the Kim Wilde album Another Step. In the US and Canada it was the first single to be released from that album...

External links

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