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The UK Top 40 singles of the 1980s: listening sessions + polls: resuming on 19 April!

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Top 5

Ultravox - The Voice (my favourite song from them)

Duran Duran - My Own Way (one of their best)

Queen and David Bowie - Under Pressure (still emotive)

Imagination - Flashback (their best song imo, a bit more lively than their earlier songs, more like space disco)

Rod Stewart - Young Turks (his best ever song imo and I have liked this new wave style song for a long time)

ABC - Tears Are Not Enough (good debut)

Jon and Vangelis - I'll Find My Way Home (quite an emotive synth ballad)

The Human League - Don't You Want Me (a bit overplayed but still very good).

Bucks Fizz - The Land Of Make Believe (used to love this)

Edited by TheSnake

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  • Best of Week 7 poll results 8 Adam And The Ants - Antmusic 8 Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry 6 Spandau Ballet - To Cut A Long Story Short 5 Abba - Super Trouper 3 Blondie - The Tide Is High 3 Kate Bush

  • Best of Week 1 poll results 6 John Foxx - Underpass 5 Jon and Vangelis - I Hear You Now 5 New Musik - Living By Numbers 5 The Buggles - The Plastic Age 5 The Specials - Too Much Too Young 4 Amii Stew

  • I've decided it's best to postpone the next listening session as we're a bit too busy to complete the prep by this Sunday. I'm out the following Sunday, so we'll reconvene on Sunday 14 December at 16:

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Queen And David Bowie - Under Pressure

Fun Boy Three - The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)

Kim Wilde - Cambodia

The Human League - Don't You Want Me

Abba - One Of Us

Ultravox just missing out, a good discovery.

Fun Boy Three - The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)

The Human League - Don't You Want Me

Japan - Visions Of China

Queen and David Bowie - Under Pressure

Ultravox - The Voice

2 obvious classics and 3 discoveries this week, Ultravox as quality as ever, Fun Boy Three was a real quirky standout and I did know of the Japan song before as I was aware of it being an inspiration point for my BJSC entry 'Hailing Drums' by Re-TROS but never actually gave it a listen so good to finally hear it now!

I playlisted 27 songs in total this week which I think is the most to date but still whittled them down quite quickly so a lot of those were more in the 7.5-8/10 quality range - nonetheless, my next faves that I already knew were Kim Wilde, Earth, Wind & Fire, Madness and Meat Loaf and next best discoveries were Toyah and Genesis. Shoutout to Chas & Dave for a medley that actually had some thought put into it and was fun for what it was, and to Rod Stewart for finally getting a spot on my playlist with a song I like enough and didn't think his vocals ruined xx

ooh tough choices for me here, but these 5 are essential:

Abba - One Of Us

Bucks Fizz - The Land Of Make Believe

The Human League - Don't You Want Me

Kim Wilde - Cambodia

Madness - It Must Be Love

so no room for Queen/Bowie, Godley & Creme, Adam, EW&F, Dollar...

I love the iconic keyboard riff in Foreigner - Waiting For A Girl Like You, maybe I should have included it it in my top 10 but the whole song misses the top 5 anyway for me.

Edited by TheSnake

The 5 best:

Queen And David Bowie - Under Pressure

Ultravox - The Voice

Madness - It Must Be Love

Jon And Vangelis - I'll Find My Way Home

The Four Tops - Don't Walk Away

The worst:

Bucks Fizz - The Land Of Make Believe

  • Author

I've decided it's best to postpone the next listening session as we're a bit too busy to complete the prep by this Sunday. I'm out the following Sunday, so we'll reconvene on Sunday 14 December at 16:00 to launch into 1982!

  • 2 weeks later...

Is this still coming back today? Just realising it'll clash with BJSC results a bit if so x

Best

Queen And David Bowie - Under Pressure

Ultravox - The Voice

David Bowie - Wild Is The Wind

Jon And Vangelis - I'll Find My Way Home

The Pretenders - I Go To Sleep

Worst

Modern Romance - Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey

Holly And The Ivys - Christmas On 45

Imagination - Flashback

  • Author

Best of Week 14 poll results

8 Ultravox - The Voice

7 Queen And David Bowie - Under Pressure

6 Abba - One Of Us

6 The Human League - Don't You Want Me

4 Fun Boy Three - The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)

4 Kim Wilde - Cambodia

3 Jon And Vangelis - I'll Find My Way Home

2 Altered Images - I Could Be Happy

2 Bucks Fizz - The Land Of Make Believe

2 Madness - It Must Be Love

1 David Bowie - Wild Is The Wind

1 Duran Duran - My Own Way

1 Foreigner - Waiting For A Girl Like You

1 Imagination - Flashback

1 Japan - Visions Of China

1 Meat Loaf - Dead Ringer For Love

1 Rod Stewart - Young Turks

1 The Four Tops - Don't Walk Away

1 The Pretenders - I Go To Sleep

Wall of fame

Week 1: John Foxx - Underpass

Week 2: Blondie - Atomic

Week 3: The Cure - A Forest

Week 4: Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

Week 5: David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes

Week 6: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay

Week 7: Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry

Week 8: Visage - Fade To Grey

Week 9: The Teardrop Explodes - Reward

Week 10: Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes

Week 11: The Specials - Ghost Town

Week 12: Soft Cell - Tainted Love

Week 13: Laurie Anderson - O Superman

Week 14: Ultravox - The Voice

16,000th post cheeseblock

  • Author

Full list of hits covered today, all of them are on Spotify (w/e of Top 40 new entries in bold):

09/01/1982

Phil Lynott - Yellow Pearl

16/01/1982

Shakin' Stevens - Oh Julie

The Human League - Being Boiled

The Stranglers - Golden Brown

Christopher Cross - Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)

The Mobiles - Drowning In Berlin

Alton Edwards - I Just Wanna (Spend Some Time With You)

Shakatak - Easier Said Than Done

Electric Light Orchestra - Here Is The News / Ticket To The Moon

23/01/1982

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz Of Joan Of Arc)

Olivia Newton-John - Landslide

Gillan - Restless

George Benson - Never Give Up On A Good Thing

Stiff Little Fingers - Listen

30/01/1982

Elkie Brooks - Fool If You Think It's Over

Lindsey Buckingham - Trouble

XTC - Senses Working Overtime

Japan - European Son

Haircut One Hundred - Love Plus One

Diana Ross - Mirror, Mirror

Rhoda With The Special AKA - The Boiler

Mike Post featuring Larry Carlton - The Theme From 'Hill Street Blues'

Daryl Hall And John Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)

06/02/1982

AC/DC - Let's Get It Up

Soft Cell - Say Hello Wave Goodbye

Tight Fit - The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Stevie Wonder - That Girl

Theatre Of Hate - Do You Believe In The Westworld

13/02/1982

The Jam - Town Called Malice / Precious

The J. Geils Band - Centerfold

Black Sabbath - Turn Up The Night

Toni Basil - Mickey

Depeche Mode - See You

20/02/1982

Madness - Cardiac Arrest

The Jets - Love Makes The World Go Round

Earth, Wind And Fire - I've Had Enough

D Train - You're The One For Me

Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills

Kraftwerk - Showroom Dummies

Fun Boy Three And Bananarama - It Aint What You Do It's The Way That You Do It

Votes welcome for up to five of your favourites, with the song with the most votes played at the start of the next session!


My votes (could have voted for another 5 - The Human League, Mobiles, OMD, Haircut 100 and Hall & Oates just miss out - also some great discoveries beyond these):

The Stranglers - Golden Brown

XTC - Senses Working Overtime

Soft Cell - Say Hello Wave Goodbye

The Jam - Town Called Malice

Depeche Mode - See You

Depeche Mode - See You

The Human League - Being Boiled

The Jam - Town Called Malice

The Mobiles - Drowning In Berlin

The Stranglers - Golden Brown

Top 5

Phil Lynott (and Midge Ure) - Yellow Pearl

The Mobiles - Drowning In Berlin

Depeche Mode - See You (the music is darker/moodier than their previous tracks)

Japan - European Son

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz Of Joan Of Arc)

The Human League - Being Boiled

XTC - Senses Working Overtime

Haircut One Hundred - Love Plus One

Fun Boy Three And Bananarama - It Aint What You Do It's The Way That You Do It (B&Q advert memories)

Soft Cell - Say Hello, Wave Goodbye

Daryl Hall And John Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)

J Geils Band - Centerfold (this is so catchy, na-na-na-na-na singalongy near the end but couldn't put it higher on my list because of the lyrical themes in it which have aged so badly)

Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills (great chorus but the verse lyrics are too violent)

It was difficult to rank these!

Edited by TheSnake

Top 5 for me:

Depeche Mode - See You

Soft Cell - Say Hello Wave Goodbye

The Mobiles - Drowning In Berlin

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz Of Joan Of Arc)

The Jam - Town Called Malice / Precious

Electric Light Orchestra - Here Is The News

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz Of Joan Of Arc)

Soft Cell - Say Hello Wave Goodbye

The Human League - Being Boiled

The Stranglers - Golden Brown

The Stranglers - Golden Brown

Japan - European Son

Theatre Of Hate - Do You Believe In The Westworld

The Jam - Town Called Malice

Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills

Japan and Theatre of Hate were fantastic discoveries (The Mobiles and Phil Lynott also that just missed out), shoutout also to Rhoda also for an incredibly striking, well put together entry that nonetheless, I'm not sure I can ever listen to again.

Maid of Orleans is like an electronic version of Scottish bagpipes and drums, it really works anyway and is quite epic.

Golden Brown is good - like medieval/baroque instrumentally.

The Rhoda one is a tough listen indeed as it goes on but an important issue to be addressed.

Edited by TheSnake

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