Twenty-five years ago today, The Cure released ‘Standing on a Beach: The Singles,’ a seminal compilation — and yes, we’re talking about the cassette here, not the ‘Staring at the Sea’ CD — that stands alongside New Order’s ‘Substance’ and ‘Catching Up With Depeche Mode’ as one of the signpost compilations of the ’80s college rock era.

To commemorate Ian McCulloch’s 52nd birthday today, here’s a full, 53-minute Echo & The Bunnymen live performance filmed in Madrid and broadcast on Spanish TV on Sept. 4, 1984.

The classic second album from New Order — 1983’s ‘Power, Corruption & Lies’ — was released exactly 28 years ago today, and to commemorate that release, here’s an equally classic five-song performance by the band filmed 18 months later, on Aug. 25, 1984, in the BBC Basement Studio.

It’s indie-rock icon Kim Gordon’s birthday today — she’s 58 — so we thought we’d mark the occasion by turning the clocks back to 1988 for this clip of Sonic Youth absolutely ripping through ‘Daydream Nation’ highlight ‘Cross the Breeze.’

Another day, another birthday: Today it’s Andy Bell’s, and the Erasure singer is 47. To mark the occasion, here’s video of Erasure making its debut on UK television institution ‘Top of the Pops’ nearly 25 years ago with its hit single ‘Sometimes.’

It’s Bauhaus/Love and Rockets bassist David J’s birthday today, and it seems a good as time as any to dig up the video from that one-off classic, The Bubblemen. So here they are, Love and Rockets dressed as giant bees. Dig it.

It’s Robert Smith’s birthday today — he’s 52 — and to commemorate the occasion, we present this U.K. television performance from 1984 that finds The Cure playing a trio of songs from what’s now one of the band’s most overlooked records, ‘The Top.’

Twenty-five years ago today, Siouxsie and the Banshees released their seventh studio album, ‘Tinderbox,’ which spawned the band’s first 12-inch single in the U.S. — and its first significant club hit — with the classic ‘Cities in Dust.’

The Pixies’ classic album ‘Doolittle’ was released exactly 22 years ago today, and to commemorate that college-rock milestone, check out this full concert filmed just a month later in Athens, Greece, and broadcast on Greek TV.

Martin Hannett help craft the sound of a generation, most notably through his sparse, reverb-heavy production of Joy Division — plus work with other acts from Manchester and beyond, including landmark tracks by OMD, U2 and New Order, as well as the debut single by The Stone Roses.

Twenty years ago tonight, Nirvana took the stage at the OK Hotel in Seattle, Wash., and played ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ in concert for the first time — debuting a song that would, in just a few months time, alter the course of popular music and drag much of the ’80s indie underground into the mainstream.

To celebrate the birthday today of Black Francis, the songwriter whose lyrics gave name to this site, check out full video of the Pixies’ classic 15-song set opening for the Throwing Muses at London’s Town & Country Club on May 1, 1988

It’s SoCal punk icon Mike Ness’ birthday today — he’s 49 — so to mark the occasion, here’s some vintage Social Distortion footage that captures most of the band’s March 22, 1986, concert at The Ritz in New York City.