444. The Murder Of Love - Propaganda (1985)

 

 

I'm charging you with murder

The fire of love's dying down

But in the face of the verdict

I'm feeling all jealousy drown

 

The third song on my chart by Propaganda and the first from their debut album 'A Secret Wish' which featured the more well known German line-up with Claudia Brucken on lead vocals. This is possibly my favourite album from the 80s,it doesn't age at all. The lead single 'Dr Mabuse' had been produced by Trevor Horn but he was too busy with The Art Of Noise and Frankie Goes To Hollywood to do the rest of the album so the production was handled by Stephen Lipson.

 

443. London Kid - Jean Michel Jarre (1988)

 

 

The second single taken from his ninth album 'Revolutions'. Both singles peaked at number 52. This one features Hank Marvin on guitar and the backing of the Bruno Rossignol Choir.

 

 

442. The End Starts Today - Bis (2002)

 

 

Nail me down,I know my head's not here

Bring it back,the end's starting today

 

When I first heard this,it reminded me of Propaganda. It has a female vocal and the same big synth sound to it. Bis are a Scottish band formed in 1994. They have seven top 75 hits to their name but not this one which failed to chart. They split up in 2003 but reformed six years later and their fifth album is due to be released later this year.

 

441. Take The Long Way Home - Faithless (1998)

 

 

I got it sleeping rough on the streets in the rain

I got it learning to share my people's pain

 

This is the original seven minute,mainly instrumental,album version. A remixed version with added lyrics was a top 20 hit but I prefer the album track (from Sunday 8PM) which allows the keyboards and string section to shine through.

 

 

 

Hi again!

 

True Faith is a great track, heard that one a lot growing up so some slight nostalgia there even if I wasn't anywhere near being born when it was released.

YES at Dreaming being here! When I first heard the album that was the one which really stood out to me, a really great song

Trains to Brazil is some real nostalgia though :wub: One of those songs I had no idea what it was about until I was a lot older though, one my parents enjoy as well.

I remember the first two minutes of Burn My Shadow appearing on my Windows Media Player randomly back in the day without me buying it or anything, it did prompt me to buy the song though (and eventually the album on CD), the video is certainly emotional.

Hi Pete,I think I remember you mentioned you wanted to see 'Dreaming' somewhere in my chart after the first OMD song appeared. ;)

440. Keep Us Together - Sad Café (1983)

 

 

Sad Café are best known for 'Every Day Hurts',a top 3 hit in 1979 but I prefer this power ballad from 1983. Their lead singer was Paul Young,the same one who sang lead vocals on all but one of the Mike and the Mechanics songs featured in my chart so far,but not the one who had a string of solo hit singles in the 80s. This Paul Young died in 2000.

 

 

 

439. Visions In Blue - Ultravox (1983)

 

 

Ashes of memories still aglow

Portraits and pictures you once saw

 

I'm quite surprised this charted as high as number 15 as its structure and tempo are quite unusual and not very commercial. This is the uncensored video which was banned by the BBC and MTV for showing some nudity. An edited version was shown on Top Of The Pops. The song was produced by the Beatles' producer George Martin who agreed to produce the 'Quartet' album from which it came as his daughter was an Ultravox fan.

 

 

438. Shine A Little Love - Electric Light Orchestra (1979)

 

 

We'll do it all again

Until the break of light

And the feeling in your heart

Will soon be shining in your eyes

 

This is just a great uptempo pop song with a hint of disco in its sound. It was the fourth consecutive ELO single to reach number 6. Quite freakily,a remixed version by Lovefreekz called 'Shine' also peaked at number 6 in 2005.

 

 

437. No Longer Friends - Swimming With Sharks (1987)

 

 

Do you feel the end

Save your promises,they're all in vain

 

Swimming With Sharks were the German sisters,Inga and Annette Humpe. You may remember them from the song 'Careless Love' which I entered into the BJSC. This was the follow-up single,another wonderful slice of 80s Europop.

 

Hi Rollo... just noticed this and I approve majorly of many of your inclusions (kind of way too many to list now!) - I'm not so familiar with some of the (much) older stuff and Queen are kind of a no go area for me too but the rest of it is largely superb! :D

Thanks Dandy. Good to get another new viewer. :)

436. Sealand - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (1981)

 

 

From the 'Architecture & Morality' album,this has a minimal,moody sound to it. In their early days,OMD recorded quite a few songs like this one. It's mainly instrumental with just a few lyrics.

 

435. One Step From Heaven - The Adventures (1988)

 

 

I don't know,am I wasting my time?

I'm trying hard,to win this war

And you meanwhile

Seem conent just to lay down and die

 

A second song from The Adventures' album 'The Sea Of Love'. This has a rousing chorus with two sets of backing vocals behind Terry Sharpe's lead vocal. It only got to number 82 as a single.

 

434. The One - Elton John (1992)

 

 

For each man in his time is Cain

Until he walks along the beach

And sees his future in the water

A long lost heart within his reach

 

I like a lot of Elton John's 70s songs like 'Your Song','Goodbye Yellow Brick Road','Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' and 'Philadelphia Freedom' but the only one I have picked is this one from much later on. As you would expect from him,it's a piano led ballad. The addition of guitar and strings and its six minute length give it an epic quality. It got to number 10 at the time but is now maybe one of the forgotten songs from his vast back catalogue.

 

 

433. Beds Are Burning - Midnight Oil (1987)

 

 

The time has come

A fact's a fact

It belongs to them

Let's give it back

 

Midnight Oil's classic song about returning land to indigenous Aboriginals. It was a number 1 single in several countries but not Australia. I wanted to nominate this for the Ultimate One Hit Wonder but they had another top 40 hit in 1993 called 'Truganini' which I don't remember.

 

 

432. Get 'Em Out By Friday - Genesis (1972)

 

 

MR HALL

"Here we are in Harlow New Town,did you recognise your block across the square,over there

Sadly since the last time we spoke,we've found we've had to raise the rent again,just a bit"

 

A nine minute song from Genesis' third album 'Foxtrot' about greedy landlords taking advantage of their tenants,partly inspired by problems Peter Gabriel was having with his own landlord at the time. The tale involves four characters with the lyrics consisting of dialogue spoken by each person as it would be in a play. I'm not sure if I can think of any other song where this is the case.

 

Edited July 15, 20187 yr by King Rollo

431. Sub-culture (12 inch remix) - New Order (1985)

 

 

I like walking in the park

When it gets late at night

I move 'round in the dark

And leave when it gets light

 

Originally a track on New Order's 'Low Life' album,this is a remix by John Robie which appeared on the 12 inch single. He's kept all Bernard Sumner's vocals but added soulful female backing vocals and given the track a much bigger club-oriented sound.

 

 

 

430. State Of Play - Yes (1994)

 

 

No point in kidding

Let the children split the atom

 

From Yes' fourteenth album 'Talk',this is a straight rock song,no progginess here. The guitar sound at the start was inspired by Trevor Rabin hearing the Doppler effect of an emergency services vehicle going past him with its siren on.

 

429. Mothers Talk - Tears For Fears (1984)

 

 

Put your head right next to my heart

The beat of the drum is the fear of the dark

 

This is the album version which includes a great outro omitted from the single version. Someone on youtube has conveniently added it on to the TOTP performance of the single. This is the song that heralded Tears For Fears' more expansive sound when compared to the songs on their first album 'The Hurting'.