Three Tune Tuesday is back and this week we are diving straight into the late eighties. That era where hard rock, funk, and pure attitude collided and changed everything. These are not just songs. They are statements. Each one hit differently but left a permanent mark on rock radio, MTV, and anyone paying attention.
First up is Guns N’ Roses with Welcome To The Jungle from 1987. There are opening tracks and then there is this. From the second the eerie intro creeps in and explodes into Slash’s riff, you know you are in for something wild. Appetite for Destruction threw listeners headfirst into the chaos of Los Angeles. Axl moves from a whisper to a full scream without warning. The song captures the danger and grit of the Sunset Strip before it was cleaned up. It is raw, aggressive, and it still punches decades later.
Next is Living Colour with Cult Of Personality from 1988. If you ever needed proof that heavy riffs and sharp social commentary could coexist, this is it. Vernon Reid’s guitar work is technical, explosive, and unpredictable while Corey Glover delivers one of the most commanding vocal performances of the era. The song takes aim at celebrity worship and political manipulation while making you move. It grooves, it shreds, and it says something. That riff feels urgent even today. It does not sound dated. It sounds necessary.
Closing it out is Red Hot Chili Peppers with Magic Johnson from 1989. Before they became stadium giants, the Chili Peppers were pure funk punk chaos and this track captures that energy perfectly. It is fast, loose, and built around Flea’s elastic bass line. Anthony Kiedis delivers it in that half rap, half hype man style that defined their early sound. The song is a love letter to the Lakers legend but it also reflects late eighties Los Angeles culture. Sports, swagger, and rhythm all wrapped together. It is raw, fun, and impossible not to move to.
Three songs, three angles of late eighties rock. Guns N’ Roses brought the danger. Living Colour brought the firepower and intellect. Red Hot Chili Peppers brought the funk and fearless energy. That is what makes Three Tune Tuesday fun. Each track hits from a different direction but still feels connected.
Turn it up and enjoy the chaos, the groove, and the energy that only the late eighties could deliver. Also a big thanks to 