Adam & the ants had peaked this year with 2 no.1’s, Stand and deliver and Prince Charming. With the clever use of video which gave new British bands a boost especially on the new MTV channel in the USA. They managed 91 weeks on the chart this year.

 

Band rivalry, which had been missing for years since Slade/T Rex and Beatles/Stones resurfaced with Spandau Ballet and new guys Duran Duran. The Spans sang about Chant no.1 (I don’t need this pressure on), and the Freeze, The Durannies gave us Planet Earth, Careless memories and Girl’s on film (remember the video).

 

The new romantics were everywhere in 81, Visage singing about Fade to Grey and Mind of a toy. Ultravox gave us Vienna, All stood still and The Voice. Teardrop Explodes sang about Reward and Treason. Japan- Visions of china, OMD- Souvenir and Joan of Arc.

 

David Bowie started the year singing about Scary monsters and ended up dueting with Queen on the no.1 Under Pressure.

 

Madness were still having fun with Return of the Los Palmas 7, Grey Day, Shut up and It must be love.

 

Heavy music was represented by Rainbow singing I surrender, Gillan, Motorhead and Whitesnake.

 

Roxy Music had their only no.1 with the Lennon classic - Jealous Guy.

 

Squeeze had hits with Labelled with love, Tempted and Is that love. The Human League arrived with The sound of the crowd, Love action, Open your heart and Don’t you want me.

 

The Jam were still popular with hits like That’s entertainment, Funeral Pyre and Absolute beginners.

 

Not many female singers at the time, however Kim Wilde gave us Kids in America and Toyah with I want to be free and Its a mystery. Kim Carnes sang about Bette Davis eyes.

 

New bands to 1981 included:

 

Altered Images - Happy birthday, I could be happy

Talking Heads - Once in a lifetime (brilliant song)

Landscape - Einstein a go go

Department S - Is Vic there

Tenpole Tudor - Swords of a thousand men

Depeche Mode - New life, I just can’t get enough

Soft cell - Tainted Love, Bedsitter

UB40 - One in ten

tbh brian, i dont think i can add much to that! you have listed my favs from that superb year..

 

'sound of the crowd'

'fade to grey'

'kings of the wild fronteer'

 

in particular were absolute class.

 

'stand and deliver' i think was a perfect pop track...

 

 

also goodies were

 

susan fassbender............'twilight cafe'

coast to coast.................'do the hucklebuck' !!

linx................................'intuition'

whispers.........................'its a love thing'

pil..................................'the flowers of romance'

siouxsie and the banshees...'spellbound'

kate bush........................'sat in your lap'

creatures........................'mad eyed screamer'

japan.............................'quiet life'

 

and lets not forget it was the year of them bloody awful medleys! starsound or whatever...

and lets not forget it was the year of them bloody awful medleys! starsound or whatever...

 

 

Your right those ghastly songs made up of 10 seconds clips of old songs. Had a quick check, and in this year there was :

 

Star sound (a dutch producer Jaap Eggermont) using session singers, unbelievable now but he had 2 top 10 hits with Stars on 45 and wait for it Stars on 45 volume 2. Stand and Deliver stopped the first getting to number one (it was in the top 3 for 5 weeks), and Ghost Town stopped the second getting to number one. The follow up was (you guessed it) Stars on 45 volume 3. The album Stars on 45 got to no. 1.

 

 

Beach Boys medley, Hooked on classics, Hooked on Can-can, Back to the sixties (Tight Fit), and Back to the sixties part 2, Stars over 45 (Chas and Dave), Startrax club Disco, Starturn on 45(pints), Holliedaze (Hollies), Classical Muddley. :puke2:

 

i cant understand why that utter garbage was so popular... but then again i think that alot of 'dance' /'disco' tracks were and still are banal.

1981 My Top 30 - (One Song per artist)

 

1. Adam & The Ants - Prince Charming

2. Soft Cell - Bedsitter

3. The Jam - That's Entertainment

4. The Specials - Ghost Town

5. Human League - Don't You Want Me

6. Ultravox - Vienna

7. Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime

8. Blondie - Rapture

9. Visage - Fade To Grey

10. Teardrop Explodes - Reward

 

11. Madness - It Must Be Love

12. Kate Bush - Sat In Your Lap

13. Kim Wilde - Kids In America

14. Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

15. The Jacksons - Can You Feel It

16. Go Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed

17. Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure

18. Spandau Ballet - Chant No.1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)

19. Abba - Lay All Your Love On Me

20. UB40 - One In Ten

 

21. Squeeze - Labelled With Love

22. XTC - Sgt Rock (Is Going To Help Me)

23. Godley & Creme - Under Your Thumb

24. OMD - Souvenir

25. Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood

26. The Who - You Better You Bet

27. Stevie Wonder - I Ain't Gonna Stand For This

28. Depeche Mode - New Life

29. U2 - Gloria

30. John Lennon - Watching The Wheels

Faves of mine in 1981

 

Ultravox – Vienna

Jam – That’s Entertainment, Funeral Pyre and Absolute Beginners

John Lennon – Imagine and Woman

Queen/Bowie – Under Pressure

Going Back To My Roots – Odyssey

Michael Jackson – One Day In Your Life

Can You Feel It – Jacksons

Soft Cell – Tainted Love

Police – Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

Specials – Ghost Town

Human League – Don’t You Want Me

Spandau Ballet – Chant No 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)

Duran Duran – Planet Earth and Girls On Film

Smokey Robinson – Being With You

And of course, how can I forget Elvis Presley’s Guitar Man and Loving Arms :D

 

Definitely not one of my faves but of course 1981 was the year we won the Eurovision Song Contest with Making Your Mind Up and Bucks Fizz :lol:

actually i thought 'making your mind up' was the perfect eurovision pop track! glad it won!

actually i thought 'making your mind up' was the perfect eurovision pop track! glad it won!

 

 

nothing to do with ripping of their skirts then :lol:

nothing to do with ripping of their skirts then :lol:

 

everything to do with ripping off their skirts! :drool:.... lol.

aww dont they use the :drool: smiley here?..

My fave songs from 1981 - :D

 

1. Squeeze - Tempted

2. Visage - Fade To Grey

3. Blondie - Rapture

4. The Specials - Ghost Town

5. Duran Duran - Planet Earth

6. Go Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed

Edited April 24, 201114 yr by Dancing Shoes

What a great year for music!

 

I love Vienna, Prince Charming and Ghost Town. Kids In America is also a great song! Great chart pal!

Bucks Fizz - The Land Of Make Believe :wub:

My second favourite song from all 80s decade.

I adore the original and beautiful allSTARS* cover. The one from the best songs, which was ever recorded. :heart:

 

Major favourite artists / hits :

Bucks Fizz (The Land Of Make Believe, Making Your Mind Up)

Aneka (Japanese Boy, Little Lady)

Kim Wilde (Chequered Love, Kids In America)

Barbra Streisand (Promises) Her second best song after "Woman In Love"

Kirsty MacColl - There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis (It is her debut single ?)

ABBA - One Of Us

 

Eurovision was very good in this year : "Making Your Mind Up", "Johnny Blue", "Horoscopes"

 

Prefer "Shaddup You Face", than "Vienna" :)

Edited October 9, 201311 yr by AlexRange

Im not keen on Vienna either, but I wouldnt go as far as to say I prefer Shaddup Your Face over it! Dancing With Tears In My Eyes is my fave Ultravox single.

i cant understand why that utter garbage was so popular... but then again i think that alot of 'dance' /'disco' tracks were and still are banal.

 

the clue's in the term "dance"... people go out, want a laugh, bit of fun, bit of a dance. Why was The Birdie Song so popular? Kids love it. I worked in a youth club at the time, kids loved Madness, Shaky, Bucks Fizz and so on. It's not all about what's only a work of art for adults, music's for everybody and dance music is for dance clubs. You could try sticking on some Metallica but the place would clear out pretty quickly... :lol:

 

(I know, I once cleared a college disco by putting on Jasper carrott. I found it hilarious, but I was nearly lynched. Which was even funnier B-)