I can understand why 'O Superman' elicits such strong reactions, both a 10 and 0 in this thread already, as it's such a unique and left-field chart entry. The power of John Peel! I am also in the appreciation camp - the lyrics are heart-breaking and those backing vocals add another haunting layer. The build-up to the end is so effectively done.

Glad the Human League continued to build up their hype well before leaving their biggie so criminally late in the campaign. Love how joyful 'Open Your Heart' is.

That New Order double A-Side is interesting, as 'Procession' feels quite Joy Division coded, while 'Everything's Gone Green' is a lot more like the New Order we'd come to know; 'Blue Monday' instantly came to mind for me too. Great stuff on both sides.

The Toyah song is very good, production is like Ultravox - epic but with Kate Bush influence with the vocal style!

Not sure if I like the whistle sound on the Human League song.

O Superman is interesting to say the least.

The Slade song is catchy and better than I thought it would be musically, but the title and lyrics have aged very badly indeed.

Edited November 21, 2025Nov 21 by TheSnake

I switched my top 3 from this group around a few times. On first listens OMD we’re getting another one but I eventually decided this one isn’t quite as essential as “Souvenir”. And in a way I really wanted to give it to Rush after the wonderful “The Spirit Of Radio” missed out due to being in the same group as “Echo Beach”. But in the end I decided the epic “Twilight” edges them both.

9	Electric Light Orchestra	Twilight	A small but brilliant hit for them with a Queen-esque operatic feel and an epic orchestral build with time travel themed lyrics
8	Rush	Tom Sawyer	Most of their future releases will miss the Top 40, but this is marvellous with swirling synths and a biting vocal performance
8	Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark	Joan Of Arc	This has a similar dreamy and intimate atmosphere to "Souvenir" and it's also a beautiful track with gently twinkling percussion
7	The Police	Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic	488th #1: the rumbling piano riff is lovely and it's a very catchy song; more commercial than "Invisible Sun" though that is better
7	Haircut One Hundred	Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)	1st of a flurry of 4 Top 10 hits for this short lived UK group, this is an earworm that grabs you instantly, and I love the brass riff
7	Olivia Newton-John	Physical	A huge US #1; here her last solo Top 10 hit and in fact her most Spotify streamed non "Grease" song: a sensual disco pop track
6	Trevor Walters	Love Me Tonight	1st hit for this UK reggae singer whose bigger success will be a cover: I think this is a nice beautifully sung understated track
6	The Jam	Absolute Beginners	Another big hit for them and it's a nice soulful and rhythmic track, but I don't think it reaches the level of their other recent hits
5	Exploited	Dead Cities	"Dead SAAYS!" it sounds like: only Top 40 for this UK hardcore punk group and it's a fun and explosive, though very short, track
4	The Four Tops	When She Was My Girl	Impressive that they're still having hits and there's more to come, but this one, while nice, feels like it's from an earlier decade
3	Rod Stewart	Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)	The lead from his eleventh album: I do enjoy the verses but find the chorus terribly lacklustre, and so it leaves me cold overall
3	Gillan	Nightmare	Another slice of heavy rock from them: there's plenty going on and I suppose it does evoke a nightmare, but none of it grabs me
2	Julio Iglesias	Begin The Beguine (Volver A Empezar)	490th #1: 1st and biggest hit for this Spanish singer songwriter with a 1930s Cole Porter song: I find this version rather lifeless
1	Gary Glitter	And Then She Kissed Me	His 1st Top 40 in a few years based on the 1963 Chrystals hit "Then He Kissed Me": remarkably unpleasant with horrid vocals

1981 Group 19:

#592	31/10/1981	Kool And The Gang	Steppin' Out	12	74-32-25-18-14-{12}-18-24-43-43-51-56-71->13
#593	31/10/1981	Genesis	Keep It Dark	33	53-{33}-38-43->4
#594	07/11/1981	Earth, Wind And Fire	Let's Groove	3	37-20-9-{3}-3-5-11-25-25-32-37-45-64->13
#595	24/10/1981	Arthur Adams	You Got The Floor	38	73-43-{38}-41-58->5
#596	07/11/1981	Diana Ross	Why Do Fools Fall In Love?	4	40-22-19-7-5-{4}-7-13-13-20-34-53->12
#597	14/11/1981	Queen And David Bowie	Under Pressure	1	8-{1}-1-2-8-16-35-35-38-41-48->11
#598	07/11/1981	Modern Romance	Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey	10	45-23-17-12-{10}-15-21-38-38-39-49-64->12
#599	07/11/1981	Ultravox	The Voice	16	49-27-23-18-{16}-23-25-53-53-43-59-74->12
#600	14/11/1981	Soft Cell	Bedsitter	4	28-13-5-{4}-6-9-16-16-22-32-40-57->12
#601	14/11/1981	The Pretenders	I Go To Sleep	7	29-12-10-{7}-13-17-34-34-45-50->10
#602	07/11/1981	Japan	Visions Of China	32	55-{32}-33-32-48-65-74-69-69-74-66-67->12
#603	31/10/1981	The Jets	Yes, Tonight Josephine	25	71-44-35-31-{25}-25-27-33-42-42-75->11
#604	07/11/1981	Fun Boy Three	The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)	20	53-37-30-21-{20}-20-20-27-27-29-52-61->12
#605	31/10/1981	ABC	Tears Are Not Enough	19	72-50-39-26-{19}-19-30-32->8
#606	14/11/1981	Kim Wilde	Cambodia	12	45-32-24-18-{12}-15-17-17-19-39-43-68->12
#607	14/11/1981	Spandau Ballet	Paint Me Down	30	54-35-{30}-45-39->5

The Rush song definitely my favourite of that lot - an epic - my dad has Rush albums so thats how I heard it!

Physical is good though.

Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) is definitely following the brass funk new wave trend started by Spandau's Chant Number 1

Edited November 22, 2025Nov 22 by TheSnake

Great to see Twilight at the top of that group. It's more representative of the synth pop sound of the 'Time' album than the first single 'Hold On Tight'. Joan Of Arc and Favourite Shirts would make up the rest of my top 3.

Twilight is one of my fave ELO singles, and I was gobsmacked that such a great chart-topping track for me flopped in the chart - I think it was the music scene flipping (from 70's to 80's), as music scenes periodically do and ELO being thought of as 70's - frankly it took another 30 years for them to get a re-appraisal and appreciated for being fab again. Love Twilight 10/10. Spirit Of Radio is my top Rush track, but Tom Sawyer was OK - but as I never got hold of a copy, it's not one I know well 6/10.

Joan Of Arc another winner, but not quite top rank OMD, so it's been alternating 10's and 9's since Messages 9/10. I got a bit peeved that Every Little Thing She Does topped the chart and Invisible Sun didn't - it is joyfully catchy, but it's more fluffy than essential 8/10. Nick Heyward was loveably boy-next-door-having-a-laugh, but Haircut 100 were pretty infectious, and Favourite Shirts is a good un 9/10. Physical was a monster track, the video was fun, and it was Livvy trying to move from Girl-next-door to grown-up, which worked as a one-off but never really suited her 8/10.

Trevor Walters, ooh not heard that one since 1981!! I know I liked it, so prob a 7/10. Absolute Beginners had a nice funk groove to it, and I rated it well enough, but it's never been replayed much since sadly 8/10. No memory of Exploited, but I know I didnt like it. The Four Tops' comeback hit was nicely laid-back for an older 60's audience, and it was fab having them back even if not on the scale of their heyday - 8/10.

The UK went for a different lead single - Young Turks in the USA, arguably a better song than Tonight I'm Yours - but it had an upbeat appeal to it, chugging along nicely 8/10. Don't remember Nightmare, but Gillan got more and more on my nerves as they went on. Begin The Beguine seemed very 1940's plus mellow disco rhythm, but it washed over me mostly, though I do like the song itself. 6/10. Glitter was scraping the barrel by this time, though his 1980 EP of his early hits reminded everyone how drum-tastic they were. Don't remember this one either, but bound to be 3 or 4 out of 10 just for the song.

'Twilight' is indeed very good and epic synth-based - even reminds me in production a bit of the new-at-the-time TOTP theme tune 'Yellow Pearl'.

Didnt check out 'Twilight' there now at first there as 'Hold On Tight' was a bit 70s and dated imo and I didn't like it much.

Edited November 23, 2025Nov 23 by TheSnake

One of the best groups to date here: really difficult to separate the majority of these great tracks, and I’ve resorted to a triple 9. I hadn’t realised how much great synth pop Kim Wilde produced and this one is right up with “Kids In America”. “Under Pressure” of course speaks for itself, but “The Voice” is Ultrabeat’s best other than Vienna for me and just takes the top spot.

9	Ultravox	The Voice	A wonderfully intense and captivating track - all 6 hits so far have been excellent but this is my 2nd favourite after "Vienna"
9	Queen And David Bowie	Under Pressure	489th #1: a wonderful bassline and beautifully crafted collaborative song: I love the later more improvisatory sounding parts
9	Kim Wilde	Cambodia	A 4th great single from her; this one stands out with a captivating ritualistic feel and is synth heavy with some Oriental elements
8	Fun Boy Three	The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)	1st hit for this trio of former Specials members: the political message is evergreen and it's a delightfully bitter, haunting track
8	The Pretenders	I Go To Sleep	The only charting version of this 1965 Ray Davies song: it's beautifully done with a dreamy and waltz-like feel, and I like the horn
8	Soft Cell	Bedsitter	A worthy follow up to the "Tainted Love" monster: this track about London's club scene is more like their typical sound than that
7	Japan	Visions Of China	A 2nd very strong single from them: it's quite slow paced but atmospheric and punchy with rich Eastern flavoured production
7	ABC	Tears Are Not Enough	1st hit for this UK band from their debut album which has classics to come, but this is great and I love the harpsichord break
7	Genesis	Keep It Dark	I love the twangy baseline and unusual rhythm here and it's a very interesting track about a man who's been to a utopian future
6	Earth, Wind And Fire	Let's Groove	Their joint highest peaking hit with "September": nowhere near as good as that but it's enjoyable with a very infectious chorus
6	Arthur Adams	You Got The Floor	Only hit for this US blues singer: the song itself is nice but not distinctive, whereas the instrumental improvisations are brilliant
5	Kool And The Gang	Steppin' Out	Not one of their classics, but a fairly standard example of its genre and a perfectly nicely done track with good vocal delivery
4	Spandau Ballet	Paint Me Down	By far the smallest of their hits so far during their sophomore slump;  the funk parts aren't bad but the melody is rather brash
3	Modern Romance	Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey	This is not great and sounds rather similar to "Everybody Salsa" but with more bizarre lyrics that apparently arose from a bet
2	Diana Ross	Why Do Fools Fall In Love?	A cover of the 1956 #1 by Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers that doesn't have the energy of the original and is generally dull
2	The Jets	Yes, Tonight Josephine	1st Top 40 for this UK rockabilly revival band of brothers: it's dull without the "yip yip" that makes Johnnie Ray's original charming

1981 Group 20:

608	14/11/1981	George Benson	Turn Your Love Around	29	58-36-31-{29}-31-37-49-49-46-54-72->11
#609	21/11/1981	Cliff Richard	Daddy's Home	2	37-15-6-{2}-2-2-2-6-12-24-28-72->12
#610	14/11/1981	Imagination	Flashback	16	56-38-28-23-{16}-18-23-23-18-31-28-41-56->13
#611	14/11/1981	Blue Rondo A La Turk	Me And Mr Sanchez	40	62-{40}-45-61->4
#612	28/11/1981	Toyah	Four More From Toyah EP	14	23-{14}-14-22-29-29-24-40-46->9
#613	21/11/1981	Godley And Creme	Wedding Bells	7	48-26-21-10-8-{7}-7-11-17-30-45->11
#614	21/11/1981	Bad Manners	Buona Sera	34	68-36-{34}-34-34-39-39-37-51->9
#615	28/11/1981	Duran Duran	My Own Way	14	37-26-22-{14}-15-15-16-16-27-44-59->11
#616	21/11/1981	Boney M	We Kill The World (Don't Kill The World)	39	67-{39}-39-40-60->5
#617	05/12/1981	The Human League	Don't You Want Me	1	9-{1}-1-1-1-1-2-5-12-22-28-54-66->13
#618	05/12/1981	Madness	It Must Be Love	4	24-7-5-6-6-{4}-9-12-18-28-48-73->12
#619	28/11/1981	Status Quo	Rock 'N' Roll	8	42-27-17-12-{8}-8-13-15-25-27-52->11
#620	28/11/1981	David Bowie	Wild Is The Wind	24	59-28-25-27-{24}-24-28-29-32-48->10
#621	05/12/1981	Gary Numan And Dramatis	Love Needs No Disguise	33	{33}-33-43-58-58-72-73->7
#622	28/11/1981	Bucks Fizz	The Land Of Make Believe	1	48-35-24-10-5-5-2-{1}-1-2-4-9-19-31-48-70->16
#623	28/11/1981	Meat Loaf	Dead Ringer For Love	5	63-36-36-31-30-30-30-26-7-9-{5}-5-9-15-21-41-59->17

Not heard The Voice since I went to the Ultravox reunion tour 20 years or so ago, I think. I liked it at the time, and it has weathered rather well 8/10. Under Pressure topped my charts rather quickly and then drifted away after that overwhelmed by some classics, but that riff is undeniable albeit like so many Queen tracks overplayed these days. I'd rather hear Ice Ice Baby 😲9/10. Cambodia is peak-quality Kim, what a song 10/10.

Fun Boy 3 demonstrating they didnt need The Specials right off the bat, less ernest and quirky, but still serious message. Great rhythms 9/10. I Go To Sleep is lovely, and Chrissie giving the partner some royalties income before he made his own comeback in the charts. 9/10. Bedsitter is good but it's no Tainted Love and left me disappointed at the time 8/10. Visions Of China never gets radio plays, so it's been a few decades for me, but I liked the arrangement I think 7/10.

ABC debuting with a bang - and it's not even one of the best 3 songs on the classic album. Bangin! 9/10. Keep It Dark, vague memories of too, but it wasnt big in my charts I think 6/10. Let's Groove is fab, love the video and sound effects in the intro. I've heard an inferior version omitting the single intro - ignore! They looked set up for the 80's synth new world - and then went back into 70's formula follow-ups. 9/10.

You Got The Floor I have no memory of at all! Steppin' Out is Kool on coasting 6/10. Paint Me Down was dreary, never liked it much 4/10. Modern Romance is a bit better, but these things are relative 5/10. Diana Ross' big new debut for EMI - and it's a limp 50's cover that annoyed me like hell. Shouldve stayed with Motown. 3/10. The original is fabulous. The Jets were OK, lively rockabilly 5/10.

'Cambodia' is my favourite Kim Wilde song so I'm pleased you rate it too I was a bit taken aback when I first heard it, after previously being familiar with her more feel-good new wave material like the also great 'Kids in America', but I think she stuck the landing well with this moody synth sound too. The haunting lyrics, vocals and production all come together perfectly.

My initial Fun Boy Three education was the Bananarama collabs but 'The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)' later massively stood out for me when I explored 1981 further. Their commentary is sharp, I love the percussion and the backing vocals are a rich addition too. Pleased it went down well on SyncTube!

'The Voice' is right up there as one of Ultravox's best for me too and 'Under Pressure' is a classic, what a bassline and effective meeting of two musical greats.

The Voice and Under Pressure are both epics, fantastic.

Not a massive fan of the Soft Cell follow up tbh.

The ABC song is catchy and brassy Britfunk/early sophistipop.

Edited November 28, 2025Nov 28 by TheSnake

Cambodia is the worst Kim Wilde song.

It’s actually quite rare for a monster million selling song to also be a fantastic and forward looking piece of music but “Don’t You Want Me” manages that, and was just a whisker away from a 10.

9	The Human League	Don't You Want Me	491st #1: my favourite ever Christmas #1, a 1.5 million seller, a US #1 and a brilliantly written and performed synthpop duet
8	Meat Loaf	Dead Ringer For Love	His only pre 1990 Top 10 hit with uncredited assistance from Cher: an epic feeling piece of storytelling excellently delivered
8	David Bowie	Wild Is The Wind	Orignally a 1957 film song, this version pays tribute to Nina Simone's cover, and it's a beautiful vocal performance from David
8	Gary Numan And Dramatis	Love Needs No Disguise	Only Top 40 for Gary's backing band alongside him: a small hit but a beautiful synth laden track with his usual futuristic delivery
7	Madness	It Must Be Love	A Labi Siffre cover that's now one of their signature songs: I do prefer the original but this piano led version suits them very well
7	Toyah	Four More From Toyah EP	Another quartet of tracks from them: the opener "Good Morning Universe" is very lovely, and the others are all very good too
7	Bucks Fizz	The Land Of Make Believe	492nd #1: this is on the syrupy side for me but it is one of a kind and there's a sincerity and warmth to the lyrics and sound world
6	Status Quo	Rock 'N' Roll	This is very different from their usual chirpy chugging guitar sound: an interesting ballad with nice touches like the whistling
6	Godley And Creme	Wedding Bells	By far their biggest hit and it's very nice but missing the intensity of "Under Your Thumb" or their other more experimental work
6	Imagination	Flashback	Their 2nd #16 peaker in quick succession and another brooding and atmospheric but catchy British soul style track from them
5	Duran Duran	My Own Way	After a n excellent opening trio of singles this has a 4th single feel to it: it's decent but clearly weaker and less well remembered
5	Blue Rondo A La Turk	Me And Mr Sanchez	Only Top 40 for this UK jazz group who probably did other better things: this is a pleasant but fairly standard salsa style track
4	Bad Manners	Buona Sera	A Louis Prima track from 1956 turned into a ska hit: this isn't a bad effort at a reinvention but certainly doesn't feel essential
4	George Benson	Turn Your Love Around	This formed part of his greatest hits collection: it's very much his usual style and serviceable but doesn't stand out at all to me
3	Boney M	We Kill The World (Don't Kill The World)	Their last new Top 40 hit, which starts off quite promisingly but descends into a "Heal The World" child led turgid second part

1981 Group 21:

#624	14/11/1981	Dollar	Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)	4	67-41-41-37-26-19-9-9-8-{4}-11-8-16-24-38-63-74->17
#625	28/11/1981	Showaddywaddy	Footsteps	31	71-38-35-38-{31}-31-35-47-59->9
#626	12/12/1981	Adam And The Ants	Ant Rap	3	9-4-4-4-{3}-5-15-23-32-63->10
#627	12/12/1981	Abba	One Of Us	3	11-{3}-3-3-5-6-17-22-30-65->10
#628	12/12/1981	The Police	Spirits In The Material World	12	28-13-{12}-12-15-18-38-54->8
#629	12/12/1981	Rod Stewart	Young Turks	11	41-23-{11}-11-14-14-21-25-38->9
#630	12/12/1981	Jon And Vangelis	I'll Find My Way Home	6	46-26-10-10-9-8-{6}-7-11-19-25-47-73->13
#631	12/12/1981	Altered Images	I Could Be Happy	7	51-29-20-20-10-{7}-10-13-17-27-37-57->12
#632	12/12/1981	Foreigner	Waiting For A Girl Like You	8	58-30-19-19-12-11-{8}-11-13-15-39-43-65->13
#633	12/12/1981	Chas And Dave	Stars Over 45	21	59-36-{21}-21-27-24-34-47->8
#634	12/12/1981	The Snowmen	Hokey Cokey	18	68-40-{18}-18-23-28-33-52->8
#635	19/12/1981	Kool And The Gang	Get Down On It	3	52-26-26-7-{3}-4-5-8-14-20-32-55->12
	19/12/1981	John And Yoko And The Plastic Ono Band With The Harlem Community Choir	Happy Xmas (War Is Over) {1981}	28	63-{28}-28-36-74->5
	19/12/1981	Slade	Merry Xmas Everybody {1981}	20	56-32-32-59-67R(50)-67-72-72R(48)-35-{20}-20-20-67R(49)-47-48-67->16
#636	12/12/1981	Brown Sauce	I Wanna Be A Winner	15	75-64-33-33-31-20-23-{15}-19-25-34-51->12
#637	19/12/1981	The Four Tops	Don't Walk Away	16	58-37-37-26-23-19-{16}-18-21-27-58->11
#638	19/12/1981	Holly And The Ivys	Christmas On 45	40	66-{40}-40-40->4

'My Own Way' probably my favourite of those tracks, fast synth disco.

'Flashback' very good too, I first discovered it on the GTA 5 soundtrack, it is a bit faster and more lively than Imagination's previous songs, and the synth effects in the second half are very good.

'Wedding Bells' is a bit of a cheesy and slightly dated follow up after the fab 'Under My Thumb'.

'Don't You Want Me' I have heard a bit too much, it is still good though!

Edited November 30, 2025Nov 30 by TheSnake

10/10 for The Land of Make Believe.

9/10 for Don't You Want Me, but for Mandy Smith's version.

Don't You Want Me, bought the gatefold sleeve vinyl single, topped my charts, a bonafide classic. 10/10 Dead Ringer For Love, easily as good as anything on Bat Out Of Hell and I'm still annoyed Cher doesn't get official credit when she sang half of it, battle of big voices 9/10. Wild Is The Wind was never quite my thing, and Bowie's old RCA label making hay while the sun shines ahead of his move to EMI as per with an old album track when there was a gap in new stuff. 6/10.

Gary Numan, very much past his peak for me now, it's OK based on memory - not one you hear on radio. Ever. 6/10. It Must Be Love, Labi Siffre's original is perfect but this more upbeat version was fab too and got Labi a lot more royalties 10/10. Good Morning Universe is quirky enough from Toyah 7/10. Land Of Make Believe is a perfect pop record - classy and charming and kid-friendly 10/10 Bucks Fizz, as unlikely as it seemed 9 months earlier, had a proper career and quality records - just like ABBA, who were about to release their final album for 40 years.

Rock 'n' Roll was a nice change of pace for Quo, and their best single for a year 7/10. Wedding Bells was another fave, back in 10CC 50's doowop era pastiche mode, it even had that "mistake" in tempo to make it obvious, but it works anyway for me 10/10. Flashback is one of Imagination's best upbeat tracks, a bit more oomph added than the previous hits 9/10. My Own Way sounded pedestrian when it came out. Still does. 6/10.

Me & Mr Sanchez I barely remember so guess around 5/10. Buona Sera was much more fun, as Buster Bloodvessel kept the hit momentum going 6/10. Turn Your Love Around, polished and not amongst his best songs, but still decent. 7/10. We Kill The World - Boney M needed to try something new to get a hit in the new 80's music scene. But this wasnt it sadly. 5/10.

Inevitably there’s some end of year silliness, and of course as it’s 1981, more medleys. Still not a bad end to the year and it’s ABBA’s final hurrah as far as being a hit machine goes.

9	Abba	One Of Us	The last of their run of 18 straight Top 10s and the lead from "The Visitors": it's an utterly beautiful shimmering heartbreak song
8	Jon And Vangelis	I'll Find My Way Home	Last and biggest Top 40 for the duo, and another dreamy and lovely song from them that fills the listener with warm feelings
8	Foreigner	Waiting For A Girl Like You	By far their biggest hit to date with a power ballad that's still heard quite often: it is excellent, especially the ethereal riff
7	Altered Images	I Could Be Happy	Another very pretty and sweet new wave track from them that can't fail to bring a smile, with some good instrumental parts
7	Kool And The Gang	Get Down On It	One of their best known tracks: the genre as a whole is one I struggle with but this is certainly one of the greatest examples
7	Rod Stewart	Young Turks	Of the Rod hits I've heard this is one of my favourites: a really well written bright and breezy song done with a nice light touch
6	Dollar	Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)	Their 2nd Trevor Horn produced hit, and a much bigger hit than "Hand Held In Black And White" but I find that more joyous
6	The Police	Spirits In The Material World	One of their smaller hits from the period, missing the Top 10, and it's good but sounds rather similar to "Message In A Bottle"
5	The Four Tops	Don't Walk Away	A smaller hit than "When She Was My Girl" but I slightly prefer it: it has a nice chorus and feels true to their old Motown sound
5	Chas And Dave	Stars Over 45	A medley spoofing the "Stars On 45" series: this is genuinely quite funny and cleverly weaves in "Rabbit" and other tracks
4	Adam And The Ants	Ant Rap	Their last huge hit, which deserves credit for trying something different and is chaotic fun, but the rapping doesn't come off
3	The Snowmen	Hokey Cokey	Only Top 40 for this novelty act with Ian Dury soundalike vocals to the traditional song: it's fun but doesn't bear many listens
3	Holly And The Ivys	Christmas On 45	A medley of clips of carols with a disco beat added: I'm not sure who'd want to listen to them like this but it's not too bad
2	Brown Sauce	I Wanna Be A Winner	A one off novelty hit for Saturday morning TV involving Noel Edmonds and Keith Chegwin: pretty naff but there has been worse
2	Showaddywaddy	Footsteps	A cover of Steve Lawrence's 1960 hit, and another one from them that doesn't do much beyond going through the motions

'Get Down' on it is much preferable to the Kool's other massive hit, 'Cherish' from 1985. But yeah I prefer the more electronic influenced tracks in 80s post-disco!

'Waiting for A Girl like You' is a bit cheesy lyrically but that iconic keyboard riff makes up for it.

Yes 'Young Turks' is Rod's best song. A cross between new wave and Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing influence.

'I'll Find My Way Home' is quite a winter/Christmassy sounding hit I think. Synth ballads aren't my fave I prefer more upbeat synth tracks but its a good example of the genre.

Not really a fan of Altered Images, I prefer the more electronic new wave.

Edited December 3, 2025Dec 3 by TheSnake

oh no, there's a column missing! I will just assume the marks, and agree One Of Us is top Abba, lovely, wistfully sad with a new beginning video for Agnetha giving hints of the future 10/10. I bought the single ahead of the album coming out one sub-zero snow-filled day, very few people out and about and roads blocked with snow in Mansfield. By the time I walked home the album had warped from the intense cold. Tch! Jon & Vangelis is a nice one, gentle and engaging 9/10. Foreigner's big ballad breakthrough hit was pretty good, though I'm not so big on it now as I was then 8/10.

I Could Be Happy, I preferred to Happy Birthday actually, nice riffs 8/10. Get Down On It about as good as Kool & the Gang got in the 80's, 7/10, and Youn Turks is one of Rod's best 80's tracks 9/10. Mirror Mirror not quite as classy as Hand Held In Black & White, but a great pop song all the same 9/10. Trevor thought they looked like a couple of dolls and wrote it for that, one of the dolls eventually had manufacturing problems though and tried to pass itself of as being another brand with Fizz in the label.

Spirits In The Material World was an odd choice of single, chugs along nicely but is the weakest Police single to date bar De Do Do. 7/10. Signals which direction they were heading though. Don't Walk Away, yes very much more Motown-ish, and catchy enough 8/10. Stars Over 45, not really big on Chas & Dave singles in the first place, so not high on my list essentials 4/10.

I have always been alone in my love of the riff-tastic Ant Rap, Rap was still splitting public opinion and looked down on, but I loved the rhythm and the Lulu video, Adam a much better job of rapping than he did acting in irreverant sitcom Sledge Hammer later in the 80's 9/10. I hear the Hokey Cokey in a public arena and I dash for the exit, I'm not putting my left foot in and out on any dance floor 2/10 😇Christmas On 45 = one barrel too much scraped 2/10. I Wanna Be A Winner was marginally better but not much 3/10. ITV Tiswas manic energy was way better than wholesome dull BBC fare for Saturday mornings. Footsteps is a decent song, and better than much of the above so 6/10 sounds about right.

3 hours ago, Popchartfreak said:

oh no, there's a column missing!

Thanks - fixed!