Dexton, have you found anything you like that you didn't already know?

 

Anyone else think that we left something essential out?

Love the inclusion of "Rain" by Madonna. It's one of my favourite Madonna singles of all time. Would you go for the Album Version or the Radio Mix?

Glad we included that. It was the final addition because we had a few minutes to spare on disc 4 and gooddelta campaigned for it to be included.

 

Poor Lisa Standsfield lost out to the Queen of pop, partly because her song In All the Right Places was too long.

I hope we can compare ours with the "Extra" volume of 1993 when Now decide to announce this.

It'll be interesting to see if they can fill the gaps that were obvious on the main yearbook. Animal Nitrate, Mr Vain and Boom Shake the Room weren't on that.

I AM SOOOOO ANGRY BECAUSE I CAN'T WORK FOR THIS STUPID PLACE!

ANYONE??

You're welcome to contribute. I've outlined the two ways that anyone can contribute.

 

Is there something else you'd like to know?

Coming soon:

 

 

 

 

The whole playlist:

 

 

Disc 1:

 

 

Disc 2:

 

 

Disc 3:

 

 

Disc 4:

 

 

Synthpop emerged as a musical genre in the early 1980s and this collection contains the best songs from that decade as well some from the 1970s that utilised the synthesiser as a musical instrument. I originally included thirteen songs from 1990 to 2019 but Colm, Dandy and myself have agreed that a second compilation is required for the post-1989 years to show fully how the genre has evolved over that time and Dandy will be putting that together later in the year.

 

75 of the 80 singles here were UK top 40 hits. Of the remaining five, 'She Blinded Me With Science' and 'Always Something There To Remind Me' went top 10 in the US, 'Behind The Mask' and 'Cccan't You See' (French Extended Mix) were both winners of The Best Song Contest In The World.....Ever! in the retro forum and I think 'Oh Yeah' by Yello is more well known now than their top 40 hits after its use in films and TV advertisements. Their are sixteen UK number 1 singles scattered across the four discs.

 

I've used 'Are Friends Electric' from 1979 as a starting point on disc 1. It was the talk of my school playground the day after it was performed on Top Of The Pops and was unlike anything we'd heard before. The rest of that disc is mostly what you would expect from a standard synthpop compilation. There are more classics on disc 2 as well as some others I've chosen that might be less well known. If you're wondering about Phil Lynott's 'Yellow Pearl', you will recognise it when you hear it as the theme tune to Top Of The Pops from 1981 to 1986.

 

Disc 3 is where you will find the origins of the genre, starting with 'Telstar' from 1962 and then moving forward to 'Son Of My Father' from 1972. Kraftwerk are the only act to appear twice as I felt that the hugely influential 'Autobahn' had to be included as well as their number 1, 'The Model'. 'I Feel Love' might be considered as dance music but has to be part of this playlist as it's another one that influenced so much of the electronic music that followed.

 

Later songs from the 80s can be found on disc 4. I've put 'Funkytown' from 1980 where it is as sonically it fits in well with the four tracks that precede it.

 

Thanks to Colm for doing all the artwork.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a brilliant collection. To find 80 tracks from the genre and only feature one artist twice tells us the depth of this compilation. So many songs I didn't know.

 

Great work. Also, looking forward to Dandy's collection.

Edited August 22, 2024Aug 22 by Colm

Thank you for putting this together Rollo, a very high quality compilation and an immediate save for me. I love the inclusion of Cccan't You See.

Excellent, most of my late 70s and 80s faves are here, I would have chosen different Yazoo, Duran, Ultravox, Japan and Talk Talk songs but I suppose their highest charting/best known synthpop songs should be represented and songs like 'Only You' and 'Ghosts' do represent the more downbeat or minimalist form of synthpop.

 

I mostly prefer more upbeat synthpop and also 80s synthpop with guitars in it too eg. Ultravox, Classix Nouveaux, Animotion I think but I will listen to everything on this playlist thanks. There are a few songs on the playlist I don't know at all.

 

'Oh Yeah' by Yello like Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love' could be categorised as dance I think too but I like both's inclusion on here!

 

Funkytown fits well there on the mostly mid to late 80s disc 4 as there was of course a cover in 1987 by Pseudo Echo that was a hit.

 

 

 

Glad to see the inclusion of Propaganda's Duel. One of the most underrated songs from the era. And eeing The Art of Noise there too is great.

 

Great collection all round although I definitely prefer the pre '85 era for Synth Pop and especially like the '77 to '82 period where everything feels bleaker and colder (to my ears)

 

 

Tell me though, was Kissing the Pink's The Last Film ever in contention? Love that track

The Last Film is wonderful, I included it on the new wave compilation I did before this as I think it's more at home there than it would have been on this one.

Another splendid job there Rollo. Must save some more of these!

I think it wouldn't be right to exclude I Feel Love. I'd probably have opened one of the discs with, such as its stature.

This is absolutely my sort of thing!

There are so many of my favourite songs on that track list (love that it even goes as far back as 'Telstar' <3) and even one of my song contest entries in Vicious Pink. *.*

 

Wonderful job Rollo... can't wait to listen through this one :wub:

I thought you would like the inclusion of those two songs. B-)