All the great records listed here just serve to further prove that the musical charts reached something approaching perfection in the early 80's. So many brilliant records, covering many different genres.
I'm in Love With German Filmstar - Passions
Lately - Stevie Wonder
Southern Freeze - Freeez
Kids in America - Kim Wilde
Underwater - Harry Thuman
Rapture - Blondie (possibly from 1980)
Mind of a Toy - Visage
Einstein a Go Go - Landscape
Just the Two of Us - Grover Washington
Is that Love - Squeeze
Draw of the Cards - Kim Carnes
Don't let it Pass You By - UB40
The Birdie Song - Tweets
Capstick Comes Home - Tony Capstick
Classical Mudley - Portsmouth Sinfonia
Nice timing to reactivate this thread at the start of the 30th anniversary year! I like loads of songs from 1981, such as the following:
Adam & the Ants :- Young Parisiens / Stand & Deliver
Visage :- Fade to Grey
Stray Cats :- Rock this Town
Jam :- That's Entertainment / Absolute Beginners
Pretenders :- Message of Love
Yoko Ono :- Walking on Thin Ice
Shaking Stevens :- This Ole House
Kim Wilde :- Kids in America / Chequered Love / Cambodia
Duran Duran :- Planet Earth
Polecats :- John I'm Only Dancing
Buck's Fizz :- Making Your Mind Up / One of Those Nights
Hazel O'Connor :- D Days
David Bowie :- Up the Hill Backwards
Sugar Minott :- Good Thing Going
Public Image Ltd :- Flowers of Romance
Spandau Ballet :- Musclebound
Undertones :- It's Gonna Happen
Squeeze :- Is That Love? / Tempted
Coast to Coast :- Let's Jump the Broomstick
Whitesnake :- Would I Lie to You?
Kate Bush :- Sat in Your Lap
Tempole Tudor :- Wunderbar
Debbie Harry :- Backfired
Aneka :- Japanese Boy
Ultravox :- The Thin Wall
Genesis:- Abacab
Godley & Creme :- Under Your Thumb
Japan :- Quiet Life
Police :- Invisible Sun / Every Little Thing She Does
Altered Images :- Happy Birthday
Human League :- Open Your Heart
Chas & Dave :- Stars Over 45
Kool & the Gang :- Get Down on It
I wonder whether one week in 2011 we may have a top 40 like this? I sincerely doubt it!
Lindsey Buckingham-Trouble
Imagination-Body talk
Kate Robbins-More than in love
ELO-Hold on tight
Smokey Robinson-Being with you
Michael Jackson-One day in your life
Susan Fassbender-Twilight cafe
Specials-Ghost town
Visage-Fade to grey & Mind of a toy
Godley & Creme-Wedding bells & Under your thumb
Duran Duran-Girls on film
Duran Duran - Planet Earth, Sound of Thunder, Tel Aviv
OMD - Joan of Arc, Souvenir, Architecture and Morality, The Romance of the Telescope, Motion and Heart (Amazon Version)
ABBA - The Visitors, Head Over Heels, Soldiers, When All Is Said & Done, I Let the Music Speak
Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Yodel 1, Air A Danser
The Police - Spirits in the Material World
Although if you look at my Spotify playlist, I actually have 45 songs from 1981.
In the spirit of the two other threads and as this was probably my favourite year for music in the 1980's, I was 14/15 and totally obsessed with the charts, Top of the Pops and anything to do with music, I was wondering about peoples favourites from this great year.
Thinking of these songs has brought back happy memories of buying singles for 99p and taping the charts off Radio one every Sunday night. I still play most of these songs even now.
Planet Earth ~ Duran Duran
Reward ~ Teardrop Explodes
Tainted Love ~ Soft Cell
Ghost Town ~ The Specials
It's my Party ~ Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin
What becomes of the Broken Hearted ~ Dave Stewart
Prince Charming ~ Adam and the Ants
Young Parisennes ~ Adam and the Ants (I know it was released before 1981, but was a hit when re released that year)
Don't you want me ~ Human League
Vienna ~ Ultravox
In the air tonight ~ Phil Collins
It's a love thing ~ The Whispers
Just can't get enough ~ Depeche Mode
One in Ten ~ UB40
Jealous Guy ~ Roxy Music
Southern Freeeze ~ Freeeze brilliant dance track never heard on the radio now and should be.
Spandau Ballet ~ Chant no 1
Every little thing she does is Magic ~ The Police
Invisible Sun ~ The Police
Good thing going ~ Sugar Minott
There isn't one of those songs I don't like..:D....early 80's was a great time for music. I was 11 in 1981 and just really getting into music.
This thread proves how the early 80s pop charts were so superior to the late 80s charts or indeed any time after that.
I blame Stock Aitken & Waterman for everything going pear-shaped!
Hehe - only half-joking.
I think the UK was really lucky to have some thriving indie labels in the late '70s/early '80s (Stiff, 2-Tone, Mute etc) which really injected some personality and colour into the charts. When that bubble burst, the whole thing got too corporate again.
This thread proves how the early 80s pop charts were so superior to the late 80s charts or indeed any time after that.
im not sure it does tbh, im sure if there was a thread championing charts from 20 years ago, 1991, fans of that era would be out in force. i much prefer 81, but its because the music was of my flavour.
I blame Stock Aitken & Waterman for everything going pear-shaped!
Hehe - only half-joking.
I think the UK was really lucky to have some thriving indie labels in the late '70s/early '80s (Stiff, 2-Tone, Mute etc) which really injected some personality and colour into the charts. When that bubble burst, the whole thing got too corporate again.
Seems I hadn't replied to this one. This year will never be the best, what with the twin prongs of Joe Dolce and The Birdie Song polluting the charts.
Soft Cell - Bedsitter
The Go-Go's - Our lips are sealed
Godley & Creme - Under Your Thumb (discovered this brilliant song from a thread on here)
Kim Wilde - Cambodia
J.J. Cale - Mama don't
Toto - Turn back
Public Image Ltd. - Banging the door
Gang of Four - What we all want
Human League - Love Action
Bauhaus - The Passion of Lovers
Crosswinds (Turkish Blend) - Flying Higher (lost gem - youtube it!)
Elton John - Je veux de la tendresse (bonus track on french version of The Fox)
Michel Jonasz - Joueurs De Blues
Richard Gotainer - Chipie
France Gall - Tout pour la musique
Michel Polnareff - Tam Tam (l'homme Préhisto)
Comments
Hall & Oates - I Can't Go For That
Kraftwerk - Computer Love
Soft Cell - Tainted Love
The Stranglers - Golden Brown
Lately - Stevie Wonder
Southern Freeze - Freeez
Kids in America - Kim Wilde
Underwater - Harry Thuman
Rapture - Blondie (possibly from 1980)
Mind of a Toy - Visage
Einstein a Go Go - Landscape
Just the Two of Us - Grover Washington
Is that Love - Squeeze
Draw of the Cards - Kim Carnes
Don't let it Pass You By - UB40
The Birdie Song - Tweets
Capstick Comes Home - Tony Capstick
Classical Mudley - Portsmouth Sinfonia
Loved that year:)
I also liked Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin's cover of It's my party
Adam & the Ants :- Young Parisiens / Stand & Deliver
Visage :- Fade to Grey
Stray Cats :- Rock this Town
Jam :- That's Entertainment / Absolute Beginners
Pretenders :- Message of Love
Yoko Ono :- Walking on Thin Ice
Shaking Stevens :- This Ole House
Kim Wilde :- Kids in America / Chequered Love / Cambodia
Duran Duran :- Planet Earth
Polecats :- John I'm Only Dancing
Buck's Fizz :- Making Your Mind Up / One of Those Nights
Hazel O'Connor :- D Days
David Bowie :- Up the Hill Backwards
Sugar Minott :- Good Thing Going
Public Image Ltd :- Flowers of Romance
Spandau Ballet :- Musclebound
Undertones :- It's Gonna Happen
Squeeze :- Is That Love? / Tempted
Coast to Coast :- Let's Jump the Broomstick
Whitesnake :- Would I Lie to You?
Kate Bush :- Sat in Your Lap
Tempole Tudor :- Wunderbar
Debbie Harry :- Backfired
Aneka :- Japanese Boy
Ultravox :- The Thin Wall
Genesis:- Abacab
Godley & Creme :- Under Your Thumb
Japan :- Quiet Life
Police :- Invisible Sun / Every Little Thing She Does
Altered Images :- Happy Birthday
Human League :- Open Your Heart
Chas & Dave :- Stars Over 45
Kool & the Gang :- Get Down on It
I wonder whether one week in 2011 we may have a top 40 like this? I sincerely doubt it!
Under pressure: Queen and Bowie
Iron Maiden: Wrathchild
ELO: Twilight
Van Halen: Mean street
Lindsey Buckingham-Trouble
Imagination-Body talk
Kate Robbins-More than in love
ELO-Hold on tight
Smokey Robinson-Being with you
Michael Jackson-One day in your life
Susan Fassbender-Twilight cafe
Specials-Ghost town
Visage-Fade to grey & Mind of a toy
Godley & Creme-Wedding bells & Under your thumb
Duran Duran-Girls on film
Yes a forgotten classic in my opinion.
OMD - Joan of Arc, Souvenir, Architecture and Morality, The Romance of the Telescope, Motion and Heart (Amazon Version)
ABBA - The Visitors, Head Over Heels, Soldiers, When All Is Said & Done, I Let the Music Speak
Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Yodel 1, Air A Danser
The Police - Spirits in the Material World
Although if you look at my Spotify playlist, I actually have 45 songs from 1981.
Complete Collection Chronologically
There isn't one of those songs I don't like..:D....early 80's was a great time for music. I was 11 in 1981 and just really getting into music.
Prince - When Doves Cry
Alexander O'neal - Criticise
Suzanne Vega - Luca
Imagination - Just an Illusion
erm.... when doves cry was 84, criticise and luka was 87!!!! just an illusion was 82....
And Luka was 1987:D
Ooops I added these to the wrong thread
I'm so sorry
They were meant for the 'favourite tunes from the 80s' thread!
I blame Stock Aitken & Waterman for everything going pear-shaped!
Hehe - only half-joking.
I think the UK was really lucky to have some thriving indie labels in the late '70s/early '80s (Stiff, 2-Tone, Mute etc) which really injected some personality and colour into the charts. When that bubble burst, the whole thing got too corporate again.
im not sure it does tbh, im sure if there was a thread championing charts from 20 years ago, 1991, fans of that era would be out in force. i much prefer 81, but its because the music was of my flavour.
ill not argue against that!
shoulda gone to specsavers!
Soft Cell - Bedsitter
The Go-Go's - Our lips are sealed
Godley & Creme - Under Your Thumb (discovered this brilliant song from a thread on here)
Kim Wilde - Cambodia
J.J. Cale - Mama don't
Toto - Turn back
Public Image Ltd. - Banging the door
Gang of Four - What we all want
Human League - Love Action
Bauhaus - The Passion of Lovers
Crosswinds (Turkish Blend) - Flying Higher (lost gem - youtube it!)
Elton John - Je veux de la tendresse (bonus track on french version of The Fox)
Michel Jonasz - Joueurs De Blues
Richard Gotainer - Chipie
France Gall - Tout pour la musique
Michel Polnareff - Tam Tam (l'homme Préhisto)
I agree 100%. SAW ruined the pop charts in the late 80s for me as a teenager.