Time to karaoke with Barbie!

I saw a Facebook post saying that Mattel has come out with a line of three Barbie ladies of the 80s.

The news is a bit dated, since the dolls were introduced almost a year ago. But still, Mattel has immortalized three great ladies of rock in the 80s: Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett, and Debbie Harry. And there is at least one more lady of rock from the 80s who has become a Barbie Girl: Cher. Note that the Cher doll is wearing her uber-sexy outfit from her 1989 If I Could Turn Back Time video. Wow. That still gives me chills. (Honey... my birthday is coming up...)

These Barbie dolls tie back to a recent post of mine, where I reported spending literally hours of time painstakingly compiling an almost infinite number of lists into the definitive list of best songs of the 80s. Naturally, it makes sense to wonder how Mattel did at picking their dolls? Did they pick the best of the best?

Actually, Mattel didn't do too bad. Three of the four ladies are on my definitive list. Here are the most popular songs from these three ladies and where they ranked.

Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun   (#18)
Joan Jett - I Love Rock 'N Roll   (#19)
Debbie Harry - Call Me   (#58)

Cher, surprisingly enough didn't make it on my best of the 80s list. Evidently, none of the ten websites I looked at knew that If I Could Turn Back Time was recorded in 1989. That's too bad.

Cher and Joan Jett did make it on my list of crowd pleasing karaoke songs. I am guessing Cher might be embarrassed about this, but I Got You Babe is her only entry in the best of karaoke. It is the #2 duet. Joan Jett's I Love Rock 'N Roll was a well deserved #9 on the list of best karaoke.

I think Mattel missed an important female artist from the 80s, though. Madonna had two hits that were high on my list:

Madonna - Like a Virgin (#4), Material Girl (#21).


Incidentally, Mattel also sells a karaoke Barbie. Well... actually it is an American Idol Barbie. But, you can certainly pretend that she is singing karaoke.