Lady Gaga gets too much credit for merging pop and dance music. This combination can, in fact, be traced back to 2005, in which nearly electro-pop diva went for an ‘80s vibe, and Madonna, Depeche Mode, and New Order revisited their classic sounds. A playlist from five years ago wouldn’t be complete without a synthpop track or dance remix to give that 1980s-but-modern direction. Duran Duran might be dated, but the latest Madonna track? It was the ‘80s without the big hair. Check out this class’s suggested playlist after the jump.

Of all the albums released today, I have to admit, I’m sooooooo excited about The Jonas Brothers (“A Little Bit Longer”) and New Kids On The Block (“Greatest Hits“). In which sort of warped teeny bop universe do we release cds from both of these acts on the same day? It’s perfect, really. Thirty-year-old moms can take their 12 year old daughters out for new cds to… Click to read more