I got high influence in 80's pop and progressive rock, period. It's a misleading quiz, though. I like songs, not groups. I used to like Bruce Springsteen pretty well, for example, until he started shooting his big mouth off on stuff that a high school graduate from Jersey shouldn't think he's an expert in and have to lecture us plebes about, whether he can sing or not. I can listen to quite a bit of today's pop music too, but I don't care for the people making it. Shut up and sing!

Hi Barb,

"Shut up and sing"...boy do I agree with that. I recently bought a few songs by an up-and-coming British synthpop band called The White Rose Movement. I liked the songs because they had a retro Depeche Mode type sound.

I did a little research because I was curious about what one of their songs -- "Deborah Carne" -- is about. I ran across an interview they did for an American "alternative" rag. I found out the song was a true story about the horrible and tragic torture and murder of a girl out of jealousy.

Anyway, one of the band members goes on to blame the "warmongering" Tony Blair for creating a society where terrible things like that happen.

Arg! Ugh!

So there was no crime until the Iraq War? How wrongheaded can you get?

Why do they do that? While I still like the songs I bought, the memory of the bad taste left by that passage of the interview causes me to be more likely to hit "Next" when one of their songs comes on my iPod.

As for Bruce Springsteen...I never could stand him. I remember about ten years ago how he was screeching that Congress was having a "white riot" because they were reforming welfare. Gee Mr. Stinksteen, isn't that a bit racist to imply that welfare is a black thing? Jerk!

Anyway...I could go on and on about this subject. :-)