Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesFriday MP3 Shuffle: Happy Birthday Terri Nunn Edition

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Today we celebrate the birthday of Terri Nunn, lead singer of the American New Wave band Berlin. In addition to singing, Nunn appeared in several extremely '80s TV shows (T.J. Hooker, Lou Grant) and even auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars. Fortunately for her band mates, she also kept her focus on music. In a sea of electronic blips and bleeps, Nunn had the kind of solid vocal punch that stood up to and elevated the synth-pop sounds behind her, putting her in the same league with the era's top front-women like Belinda Carlisle and Debbie Harry.

Combining a hair spray and skinny ties New Wave aesthetic with an air of '70s-style Studio 54 decadence, Berlin had success with chart hits "The Metro," "No More Words," and "Sex (I'm A...)." For a brief moment the band hit the stratosphere with a song written for the blockbuster (and also extremely '80s) movie Top Gun. "Take My Breath Away" (1986), written and produced by Giorgio Moroder, was far and away the band's biggest hit, but ironically also led to the end of the line as the group broke up in 1987. Nunn reformed the band with different personnel ten years later and today they work the '80s nostalgia circuit while also producing new material.

Wish Ms. Nunn a happy birthday by pressing the "shuffle" button on your MP3 player and sharing the first 10 songs you hear:

1. J.S. Bach – The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, Prelude #4 in C-sharp minor (Bach for Book Lovers): Fun fact: The sections of this particular Bach piece are written in all 24 major and minor music keys. Besides being lovely music, it's educational as well!

2. Chastity Belt – On the Floor (Time to Go Home): Mid-tempo guitar Rock that's excellent for a summer afternoon chill

3. Delorean – Keep Up (Apar): Subiza is one of the first records I reviewed for CHIRP Radio, and is still in my permanent rotation. Apar is a solid follow up to that album, a little more dance-club-ish in form, but still with the blissfully sunny disposition

4. Shooby Taylor – Somewhere Over the Rainbow: One of the many versions of the classic song, this one is firmly in the "radio-nerd" category. It's a rendition one will either embrace or run from fairly quickly

5. Uncle Tupelo – Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down (March 16-20, 1992): If you have any affinity for Wilco, RUN and get this album now. It will make your day

6. Morcheeba – Trigger Hippy [Newcheeba Mix] (Fused): Big-beat, Portishead-esque electronica from the midst of the UK rave scene. I got a copy of Fused, a compilation of acts from the 1992-94 era from a friend in Boston ages ago and still listen to it now

7. Gardens & Villa – Avalanche (Dunes): A spiritual successor to the artists that appear on Fused, with a little more edge but the same hazy, druggy outlook

8. How to Dress Well – Walking This Dumb (Live) (Love Remains): A groovy, thumping dream-like trance. He'll be making a return appearance at Pitchfork next month that I'm looking forward to

9. Calico – Coral Dreams (Kimekai): An electronic excursion that strikes me as a more subdued Clams Casino

10. Bananarama – Nathan Jones ('Rain Man' Soundtrack): The New Wave trio's version of the 1971 Supremes hit. It's oddly fitting for an underrated movie soundtrack – perhaps it's the Tom Cruise factor

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