I love Crash

1980s

#06 Prince and the Revolution - 'When Doves Cry' (1984)

#05 The Jam - 'Going Underground' (1980)

The colouring for the '1980s' header in this thread may have been a hint that the Purple One was on the way!

Prince's sixth studio album Purple Rain, which also doubles up as the soundtrack for the semi-autobiographical film of the same name, is a brilliant body of work that I'd certainly consider as one of my favourites of the '80s. Its track list includes the epic titular song, 'I Would Die 4 U' which was originally introduced to me through the Space Cowboy version as a kid, one of my favourite Prince album tracks 'Computer Blue' and two U.S. #1 singles in 'Let's Go Crazy' and 'When Doves Cry' - the latter is of course my top Prince song of them all. 🕊️

The gorgeous 'When Doves Cry' was inspired by Prince's relationship with Susan Moonsie, a member of vocal trio Vanity 6. He also needed to write a song for the Purple Rain film that incorporated both a love affair and a difficult relationship with his parents. Prince, ever the musical genius, was up to the challenge and wrote the song in just one night.

Prince walks us through a relationship that is so passionate that even animals can feel the heat between them. But, despite all the love that's there, turbulent arguments persist. So doves are flown in as a contrasting metaphor to this behaviour. Prince looks inwardly at his own contributions to the relationship and this is where the themes of parental difficulties weave in, as he wonders if he is too bold and demanding like his father. His mother is also depicted as a woman who is never satisfied. I adore his vivid storytelling throughout the whole song.

Musically, 'When Doves Cry' is unconventional, as Prince preferred the sound of it without a bassline. So one was not used. Instead, the song opens with a burst of electric guitar, then expands to a drum machine and synthesisers. Prince unsurprisingly performs everything on the track including the long guitar and synth solo on the fuller studio version. The lack of bassline makes the instrumental feel quite stripped back but it's still incredibly effective, providing an eerie feel.

Prince also gives a striking vocal performance. His wailing noises towards the start of the track are quite a left-field introduction. His vocals generally match up to the emotional lyrics well, switching from conversational to a more tortured falsetto delivery.

'When Doves Cry' became Prince's first U.K. top 10 hit when it peaked at #4 here. MC Hammer also took a sample of the song back into the top 10, when his 1990 single 'Pray' peaked at #8. 'When Doves Cry' was recently used in the latest series of Stranger Things although 'Purple Rain' experienced more of a streaming impact from the show, even returning to the U.K. top 40 earlier this year.

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I can officially reveal that 'Going Underground' is my favourite '80s #1 single that was actually recorded in the decade. Kraftwerk would still take the overall title for me, but since they've been moved to the '70s, The Jam can enjoy a top 5 placing for this decade.

My relationship with this song has been quite slow burning. I previously mentioned that my mum's first concert was The Jam but she didn't really introduce me to their music at all, for shame. I didn't actually do a deep dive into their catalogue until last year, but better late than never, as I properly fell in love with them - Paul Weller's voice, reliably sharp lyricism and guitar work, Bruce Foxton's bass and backing vocals and the late Rick Buckler's drumming talents. I think their track 'Funeral Pyre' was when I properly sat up and took notice of how great the latter was. Speaking of Buckler, here is another Smash Hits interlude, as I couldn't help but smile when I saw this in a letters section from one of my very early copies of the magazine:

❤️

The aforementioned deep dive revealed to me that Setting Sons is my favourite album by them, which is surprising, as their following (also great!) record Sound Affects feels like the more obvious pick as it is heavily inspired by The Beatles' Revolver. Setting Sons produced just one single but a pretty brilliant one in 'Eton Rifles'. This was followed by a standalone single release of 'Going Underground' / 'Dreams Of Children', although both have since been tacked on to physical and streaming re-releases of Setting Sons. I love the contrast between both songs but 'Going Underground' has really solidified itself as my favourite of theirs. I've always liked it but an obsessive period of spamming last year has catapulted it into proper all-time favourite territory.

'Dreams Of Children' was supposedly intended to be the focal point of this release, with 'Going Underground' merely a B-side, but a pressing plant error gave the two songs equal prominence and DJs chose to play 'Going Underground' more. The original plan seems unfathomable so I'm glad events panned out as they did in the end!

'Going Underground' is a scathing attack on Margaret Thatcher's Britain and tackles themes of war and class. I think "you'll see kidney machines replaced by rockets and guns" is particularly powerful imagery where policies were concerned. Although my overall favourite lyrical moment is the subtle change between the democratic "the public gets what the public wants" and the more brainwashed "the public wants what the public gets" as the song progresses.

Weller performs his angry lyrics with youthful vigour. Paul's slashing guitar is also a dynamic touch, in addition to the heavy bass and rush of the drums. Overall, it has an overwhelmingly energetic presentation and is full of hooks, totally irresistible to me.

The Jam may have been 'Going Underground', but this was a real turning point for their chart career, after 'The Eton Rifles' had already been a sizeable step up for their success. 'Going Underground' was not only their first #1 single but the first track to debut at the top since Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody' at the end of 1973. A hardcore fanbase was ready to turn out for them.

Great storytelling in 'When Doves Cry'.

I didn't know 'Going Underground' was a political song its a good song anyway.

Edited Monday at 19:261 day by TheSnake

I agree that 80s Abba are better as my two favourites by them are The Day Before You Came and One Of Us.

West End Girls and Two Tribes are the best two songs so far. I would also put Two Tribes above The Power Of Love and Relax in order of Frankie's best number 1 singles and agree with Jaz that the full 13 minute album version of Welcome To The Pleasuredome is just as good as any of them. I did laugh at you doing a school project on banned songs when some of them aren't considered as suitable for children to listen to.

I’ve mentioned before that When Doves Cry is my favourite Prince single, it was a revelation in every way when I first heard it. I think it would likely make my top 10 too!

I was a huge Jam fan back in the day, and Going Underground is also my favourite single. One of my all time favourite chart memories was when they were still announced at Tuesday lunchtime. I would sneak my tiny transistor radio into school at playtime to hear the rundown. I distinctly remember the apparent shock, on the part of the DJs, of this unhyped non radio friendly song being the first single in many years to enter at number one. It was pretty much purely driven by their huge and loyal fan base. And it was such a blast of energy and fury. Yes it was very political, and sadly over 40 years later, the lyrics are still too relevant in today’s UK.

19 hours ago, TheSnake said:

Great storytelling in 'When Doves Cry'.

I didn't know 'Going Underground' was a political song its a good song anyway.

Indeed, the band have quite a few political songs! 'The Eton Rifles' particularly comes to mind, especially as David Cameron once said it was one of his favourite songs *_* much to Paul Weller's amusement.

Glad you're a fan of both 'When Doves Cry' and 'Going Underground' too anyway :)

18 hours ago, King Rollo said:

I agree that 80s Abba are better as my two favourites by them are The Day Before You Came and One Of Us.

West End Girls and Two Tribes are the best two songs so far. I would also put Two Tribes above The Power Of Love and Relax in order of Frankie's best number 1 singles and agree with Jaz that the full 13 minute album version of Welcome To The Pleasuredome is just as good as any of them. I did laugh at you doing a school project on banned songs when some of them aren't considered as suitable for children to listen to.

'The Day Before You Came' is another great example of ABBA's 80s brilliance! Love that quite a few of us have mentioned 'One Of Us' as a highlight now.

Thought you might approve of both those songs appearing :D with the impact of Trevor Horn and of course your very first Pop Factor act. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of '80s synth acts that have shown up this time, shall see if any get close to the success of Pet Shop Boys in the first edition.

Hahahaha that is a very good point...! I liked to shoehorn music into any project where we had creative control.

17 hours ago, Jaz13music said:

I’ve mentioned before that When Doves Cry is my favourite Prince single, it was a revelation in every way when I first heard it. I think it would likely make my top 10 too!

I was a huge Jam fan back in the day, and Going Underground is also my favourite single. One of my all time favourite chart memories was when they were still announced at Tuesday lunchtime. I would sneak my tiny transistor radio into school at playtime to hear the rundown. I distinctly remember the apparent shock, on the part of the DJs, of this unhyped non radio friendly song being the first single in many years to enter at number one. It was pretty much purely driven by their huge and loyal fan base. And it was such a blast of energy and fury. Yes it was very political, and sadly over 40 years later, the lyrics are still too relevant in today’s UK.

I thought you might approve of 'When Doves Cry' appearing here 💜

Ahh thank you so much for sharing the anecdote about following The Jam in the charts at the time, that is so cool 🤩

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#4 and #3 coming later 🥳

1980s

#04 Ultravox - 'Vienna' (1980)

#03 New Order - 'Blue Monday' (1983)

I recently mentioned Take That's Progress era in my commentary for the Pet Shop Boys and it is once again relevant to the countdown - as the melody from my #4 choice for the '80s, 'Vienna' by Ultravox, was interpolated on the track 'Eight Letters' from that album!

'Vienna' originally dates back to 1980, when it appeared on Ultravox's fourth studio album of the same name. It was released as the project's third single right at the start of 1981.

Ultravox members Warren Cann and Billy Currie, the latter of whom was classically trained, wanted to create something that sounded like it had been written by a late 19th century romantic composer. Lead singer Midge Ure was initially hesitant about the overly classical, romantic feel of the song and uttered the now iconic line: "this means nothing to me". Producer Conny Plank responded with "well, sing that then".

Ure soon pieced together the rest of the lyrics and this song became about a holiday romance, in a beautiful place. However, he immediately puts a dark spin on this tale when setting the scene in the first verse, where the air is cold and there is an empty silence. I enjoy the juxtaposition of romance in a stunning place with a detached sadness, capturing the fleeting nature of this relationship well. Midge Ure also nails the vocal performance, which effectively conveys a melancholic mood and builds towards a soaring chorus.

The production of 'Vienna' is just as breathtaking as the vocals. It opens with the futuristic, chilling sound of drum machines and synths, matching the coldness of the air in the story. The instrumental soon evolves to include some beautiful piano playing, which lives up to the rest of the drama in the chorus. The peak of the instrumental has got to be the break that transitions into an epic final chorus. The tempo excitingly shifts and the faster synths merge with a viola solo, which captures the intended classical, romantic moodboard perfectly. The song concludes with Ure's fading memories of that whirlwind romance one last time, accompanied by piano and synths. That heightened, cinematic pay-off is always such a rush.

Midge Ure claimed that the soundscape of 'Vienna' was inspired by The Walker Brothers' 1978 single 'The Electrician'. I've just reminded myself of that source material and feel those eerie synths would slot perfectly into the soundtrack of A Clockwork Orange.

'Vienna' had to settle for #2 in the U.K. for four weeks, as it was initially kept off the top by John Lennon's 'Woman', then Joe Dolce's 'Shaddap You Face' infamously blocked Ultravox for three weeks. Ure was offered the chance to meet Dulce but declined, as he said the conversation around the song had already been dominated by that chart battle for 40 years, so he didn't want to spend his remaining years now talking about the two meeting! 'Vienna' was voted Britain's favourite ever single to peak at #2 when a poll was conducted by BBC Radio 2 and the OCC back in 2012.

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I'm pretty sure I've said 'Blue Monday' is my favourite song of the '80s in the past so it may come as a shock that two songs have now leapfrogged it in my affections. But it's still a 10/10 for me nevertheless. I think 'True Faith' is slightly more well regarded on the forum and I do love that too, but am especially attracted to the sound of 'Blue Monday'.

Joy Division members Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris regrouped as New Order in 1980, after lead singer Ian Curtis tragically took his own life. They also recruited Gillian Gilbert as a keyboardist and second guitarist, in addition to Sumner's lead guitar. Their earlier singles largely feel like a sonic continuation of Joy Division, with a post-punk sound. However, 'Blue Monday' would signal more of a shift towards the dancefloor.

It's no wonder I'm so hot on 'Blue Monday' when two of its biggest inspirations are artists who appeared in my '70s top ten. Firstly, this song has more than just a passing resemblance to the production of 'Our Love' by Donna Summer, another late '70s track of hers that was clearly ahead of its time. In addition to this, my beloved Kraftwerk can also be pulled into the conversation, as 'Blue Monday' directly samples the choral vocals taken from their song 'Uranium'.

'Blue Monday' is another track that greatly appeals to me due to its duality. On one hand, this is quite a dark song, as Bernard Sumner delivers a haunting vocal performance while embodying a protagonist who is feeling pretty down and abused. My favourite line is: "I see the ship in the harbour, I can and shall obey" due to the 'shall obey' / 'shallow bay' double entendre. Away from the words, the track has this relentless dance-floor ready confidence to it. Sad banger alert!

This song begins with a commanding, staccato drum machine intro. The iconic, driving synth melody of 'Blue Monday' is then heard and padded with further electronic layers. Peter Hook's atmospheric, spaghetti western style bass is also introduced within the first two minutes, in addition to the haunting choral Kraftwerk sample, before Sumner finally starts singing. The remainder of the lengthy duration continues to be a masterclass in rhythmic structure and feels like the future of electronic music at this point in time. A truly timeless record.

'Blue Monday' had its own reference points and has since become one itself, even in the pop girl world, as Kylie Minogue incorporated the track in a mash-up with her own 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head', billed 'Can't Get Blue Monday Out Of My Head', of course. Rihanna's 'Shut Up And Drive' also samples the song.

'Blue Monday' is the best-selling 12" single of all-time and peaked at #9 in the U.K. as part of a lengthy run. A remix of the song dubbed 'Blue Monday '88' would chart even higher, at #3.

The less said about the song's shambolic Top of the Pops performance the better...

Two good tracks although Vienna isn't one of my favourite Ultravox songs such is the quality of their other singles.

Edited 10 hours ago10 hr by TheSnake

I love Vienna, much more now than at the time in fact. I was very much Team Dolce (that’s a joke btw)! It has a very cold icy feel that I find fantastic.

Blue Monday is also brilliant and obviously groundbreaking, moulding new wave with dance music. New Order must be one of the greatest ever singles bands, they were great live too. My favourite would probably just about be Bizarre Love Triangle, with its perfect bridge and breakdown, absolutely gorgeous.

After 8 wonderful songs, I’m intrigued to see what makes your top two!

we must be related, Jade. When Doves Cry and Going Underground are my favorites from Prince and The Jam.

Vienna and Blue Monday are essential to my life. I do prefer True Faith to Blue Monday.

Edited 8 hours ago8 hr by Colm

2 minutes ago, Colm said:

we must be related, Jade. When Doves Cry and Going Underground are my favorites from Prince and The Jam.

Vienna and Blue Monday are essential to my life. I do prefer True Faith to Blue Monday.

I prefer 'Down In The Tube Station at Midnight' of the two Jam underground themed songs.

Same here about True Faith.

Great picks with so many 80s classics to choose from. For my own list, ABBA may appear in the 70s, but they did unleash many of their essentials in the 80s with 'The Winner Takes It All' my personal favourite. Pet Shop Boys may well feature for me with 'It's A Sin', but 'West End Girls' is one of my favourites too and sounded years ahead of its time.

The last four are all gems, but I'm especially glad to see 'Going Underground' here 💚 It was the first song from the post-punk era that really made an impression on me, and from that I bought The Jam's greatest hits in 1997 and found what a brilliant collection of singles they had! I remember you saying in the 2025 most played thread that your deep dive into their discography started after it came up in the 1980 listening sessions last year, which was fantastic to read ❤️ That and 'Blue Monday' would make my top 10 too, the latter is such an epic layered piece and a sonic shift from post-punk into dance music.

I could have a guess at the two songs left - if I'm right, one is a big favourite of mine too, and even though one of their 70s songs might just shade it for me, I hope that's the one on top...

Vienna and Blue Monday are certainly two of my favourite songs from the 80s and both groups are in the Pop Factor now. I'm much less certain of what your top 2 are compared to the 70s but I do have two songs in mind so I'll see if I'm right tomorrow.