This is an odd question, I know. Background: I make music tapes for myself by decade.

Here's the conundrum: The Buggles charted with their song in 1979 (#40), but it really hit its stride in the early 1980's (it was the first video shown on M-TV) but it didn't pass its earlier peak on the chart.

I want to include the song on my 80's tape, but it really is a 70's song. When I include it on my 70's collection, it really sounds out of place (the song was truly ahead of its time).

I know I can do what I want, but what would you do? Stay accurate, or just put the songs you like on any mix tape?

Put it where you think it sounds the best. Likewise, I wouldn't include a song of the first two Zeppelin albums in a 60s rock tape, since they would sound out of place there. Does that help?

80's

Another vote for the '80s. "My Sharona" was a hit in late summer '79, and it's frequently present on '80s compilations.

Wouldn't it be misrepresentative to have it mixed into the 80's when it is a 70's song? Like, if you're with a naive friend who has no clue to music, and you pop in your 80's comp with Video, he'll erroneously think it was an 80's song. So I'd be misleading him.

If he was that naive about music, he probably wouldn't realise it was actually released in the 70's.

It's the same sad situation with that Elvis Costello song, Oliver's Army. Recorded and released in 1979, but since I didn't hear it until the late 1980's on my NY newWave station, I always associated it with the 80's.

When Rolling Stone published their list of the 100 best albums of the 80s, London Calling by the Clash was ranked No. 1 despite the fact that the album was released in December 1979.

If Vice City plays it, then it's gotta be in the 80's!

Gary Numan's "Cars" was released in 1979 as well, but is considered a quintessential '80s song. I think it has more to do with the sound than the calendar date of the release. The fact is, New Wave (especially synth-based), is considered '80s music.

tapes??

It was released in January 1980 in the US, so Rolling Stone gets a pass.

I feel that the 80's are not 10 consecuitive years from January 1st 1980 to December 31st 1989 - but more of a mood and style. In my huge 80's MP3 directory, I'll freely admit that there is some bleed over from the 70s and into the 90's - some ABBA songs for example have that synth-pop sound that I was looking for, but were very much from the late 70's.

If you want complete truth in advertising, put a post-it note on the disc when you give it to him. Otherwise, dont sweat it. As long as it fits thematicaly, it's all good.