Many people say 1986 was a c**p year for music. I disagree (mainly because its when i first started buying records). My favourites of the year:

 

1. Housemartins - Think For A Minute

 

2. Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk - Love Can't Turn Around

first record i ever bought, because at just five years of age, the sight of a large camp man rolling about on the floor made me laugh. Well, it sold me the record. Still a great house tune, which I believe is coming out again soon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqZgAl7NowI

 

3. Bangles - Manic Monday

I was torn between this and Walk Like An Egyptian. This Prince written track just edges ahead for me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s48kuKLf0mE

 

4. Nu Shooz - I Can't Wait

Great dance track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukEekHe-xHU

 

5. Billy Bragg ft Kirsty MacColl - Greetings To The New Brunette

Criminally, not a Top 40 hit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHDwONQJtuY

 

6. Genesis - Land Of Confusion

Never particularly liked them, but I love this track and the Spitting Image video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MzShg7yXik

 

7. Kim Wilde - You Keep Me Hangin' On

Superb cover

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNyRU0fKHAY

 

8. Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls

The first, and some still say the best. Avoid the East 17 cover at all costs though

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAHfoIfo_7A

 

9. A-ha - The Sun Always Shines On TV

I may be in a minority, but I prefer this to Take On Me. Classic No.1

 

10. Bananarama - Venus

I've noticed this one gets a lot of stick on here, but I still love it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQkxYrPP43A

 

11. Mel & Kim - Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend)

SAW again, but one of their finest moments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajt9-l6OZFA

 

12. Gwen Guthrie - Ain't Nothin Goin On But The Rent

Superb floor filler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMkyZAZNuHA

 

And while I'm here, the only contender for the absolutely most awful, dire, shambolic, evil record of the year is, not Spitting Image, not Su Pollard, not Anita Dobson...it's this:

 

 

Lady In Red - :puke2: :puke2: :puke2:

 

 

 

lol... as i see it 1986 was the last year that decent pop music was made before standards slipped into 'waterdom'...:lol: , but in 86 s/a/w was still fresh so acts like mel and kim were acceptable. indeed i liked 'showing out'. 'venus' gets stick from me because imho its an awful cover of the shocking blue original that is a fav of mine from 1970.

 

my 'album of 86' would include

 

madonna 'open your heart' ... imho her best track.

 

talk talk 'lifes what you make it' ... love it!

 

mr mister ... 'broken wings'... ok i know its not 'cool' but its a goodun anyway!

 

latin quarter ... 'radio africa' ... splendid pc track when appartied was still rife

 

belouis some ... 'imagination' ... great track dodgy video!

 

genesis .... 'land of confusion' .. agreed, a good eco-freindly protest track long before environmental issues were main stream politics

 

5 star !!!!! .... 'find the time'... yep, i like this track! good harmonies, wistful track.

 

wham! ... 'edge of heaven' ... track of the year for me! great 60's-esque produced track.

 

its immaterial ... 'driving away from home (jims tune)' ... simply splendid!

 

cameo ...'word up'.. another class track.

 

madonna.... 'borderline'... lol..ok but imho a good track!

Ah you bugger I was just about to do my album of 1986 AND a lot of those tracks you include would be in mine aswell! Anyway, here goes...

01: Gwen Guthrie "Ain't Nothin Goin On But The Rent"

 

 

THE undisputed anthem for Gold Diggers! Certainly one of the best 80s soul anthems ever?

 

02: Joyce Sims "All & All"

 

 

One of the tracks that bridged the transition between soul and techno and still regarded as a cult club classic.

 

03: Nu Shooz "I Can't Wait"

 

 

Chunky 80s R&B by sort-of one hit wonders.

 

04: Farley "Jackmaster" Funk "Love Can't Turn Around"

 

 

The first ACTUAL house track to trouble the top ten. And the rest, as they say, is history...

 

05: Madonna "Open Your Heart"

 

 

For me personally, the only great track from her "True Blue" era. So much energy to this, great track.

 

06: Erasure "Sometimes"

 

 

Don't care much for Erasure, but I really like this one!

 

07: Mel + Kim "Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend)"

 

 

When S/A/W were true innovators in the UK pop market, just introduced the kids of the time to a sprinkle of chicago house coupled with cockney diva's in the making!

 

08: Cameo "Word Up"

 

 

Did this really initiate a craze for red thongs?

 

09: New Order "Bizarre Love Triangle"

 

 

One my favorites of theirs.

 

10: Swing Out Sister "Breakout"

 

 

Gotta finish each of these albums with a guilty pleasure! I defy you not to watch the video without cringing! HA!

No one's mentioned these yet? Amazing songs!

 

Queen - A Kind of Magic

Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love

Housemartins - Happy Hour

Communards - Don't Leave Me This Way

Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer

Berlin - Take My Breath Away

Europe - The Final Countdown

 

Plus a load that people have already mentioned, like Swing Out Sister/Farley Jackmaster Funk/Pet Shop Boys/Bananarama/Mel & Kim/Wham/Nu Shooz/etc etc.

 

My mum's favourite year ever for music!

Many people say 1986 was a c**p year for music. I disagree (mainly because its when i first started buying records). My favourites of the year:

 

Agreed, it was the year i started getting into music and listening to the charts too.

Agree with all the tracks mentioned above, all good stuff.

 

Ah you bugger I was just about to do my album of 1986 AND a lot of those tracks you include would be in mine aswell! Anyway, here goes...

 

Sorry :lol:

 

I do have fond memories of that year though. In your list there's Erasure and Swing Out Sister which I forgot to include. Plus Bizarre Love Triangle. Outstanding pop classics! Should have made room for Wham - Edge Of Heaven too - my favourite of theirs. And I also forgot Madonna! I agree that Open Your Heart was the best from the True Blue period.

 

Anyone have contenders for the worst track of the year? Mine's listed above

Often-overlooked track from 86.

 

Haywoode - Roses

Sorry :lol:

 

I do have fond memories of that year though. In your list there's Erasure and Swing Out Sister which I forgot to include. Plus Bizarre Love Triangle. Outstanding pop classics! Should have made room for Wham - Edge Of Heaven too - my favourite of theirs. And I also forgot Madonna! I agree that Open Your Heart was the best from the True Blue period.

 

Anyone have contenders for the worst track of the year? Mine's listed above

 

Oh no I really do not like Wham! Don't care much for Geroge Michael as a soloist either, barring a couple of tracks.

 

Pepsi and Shirlie on the other hand...... Joking! :D

 

Worse tracks I think for me are the majority of the ones BillyH has mentioned above! Sorry they just bring back memories of being trapped in a horrible student hell hole in my uni days!

Edited October 5, 200816 yr by ScottyEm

Beastie Boys Paul Revere

 

 

Metallica - Master of Puppets

 

 

the Smiths - Panic

 

 

Run DMC - You Be Illin'

 

 

Iron Maiden - Wasted Years

 

 

AC/DC - Who Made Who

 

Worse tracks I think for me are the majority of the ones BillyH has mentioned above! Sorry they just bring back memories of being trapped in a horrible student hell hole in my uni days!

 

:lol:...i was thinking the same!

 

but 'lady in red' takes some beating for the most :puke2: track of 86.

Agreed, it was the year i started getting into music and listening to the charts too.

 

same old thing though innit?... the year we 'get into music' is often the time we regard with greatest fondness, wether it actually was a vintage year (plenty of new innovative sounds/fashions) or not (88 anyone?....:lol: )

An underrated song from 1986 - "Sara" by Starship. Made #66 and much better than "We Built This City" and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us":

 

 

I know it's trashy and sleazy but I do like "Touch Me" by Sam Fox :D

 

 

 

Contender for worst......

 

"I need your lovin" by the Human League. It deservedly flopped and it has nothing to it. It makes "Soundtrack of a generation" look like a masterpiece!

 

Well, I was 9 and my favourite song was Spirit in the Sky by Dr & The Medics. I won't offer that...but I will offer these...

 

Whistle - Nothin' Serious (Just Buggin') - seriously catchy lite hip hop

Level 42 - Lessons In Love - Their best song, great pop from the band Richard Herring once described as 'the most mediocre band ever'

Stan Ridgway - Camouflage - Bonkers

The Real Roxanne with Hitman Howie T - Bang Zoom (Let's Go Go) - One of those Roxanne Shante take-offs but chock-full of stupid samples - Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd anyone?

Lovebug Starski - Amityville (The House On The Hill) - Utterly strange record, but I do rather love the production and it sounds ace through the right speakers. Love the Vincent Price-style voice half way through too.

Edited October 6, 200816 yr by richie

1986 was the year I seriously got into indie starting with C86 and going on from there...

 

1. Primal Scream - Velocity Girl

 

 

From C86 and the b-side to Crystal Crescent but this sums up 86 for me

 

2. Big Black - Kerosene

 

 

Just primal!

 

3. Talk Talk - Life's What You Make It

 

 

An actual hit! Sheer brilliance!

 

4. Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Love Missile F1-11

 

 

I don't care... I still love this!

 

5. Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction - High Priest of Love

 

 

The High King of Grebo!

 

6. Age of Chance - Kiss

 

 

Best cover ever? Certainly one of my faves.

 

7. Jesus and Mary Chain - Some Candy Talking

 

 

Even when they lost the feedback they were still brilliant. And this was a hit!

 

8. The Smiths - Panic

 

 

Couldn't not have The Smiths.

 

9. We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It - Rules and Regulations

 

 

Bostin'!

 

10. The Mission - Serpent's Kiss

 

 

Goth was also big in '86!

 

11. Half Man Half Biscuit - The Trumton Riots

 

 

Proving comedy and rock do mix.

 

12. The Fall - Mr Pharmicist

 

 

Typically great cover from MES and a #75 hit!

My top 12 of 1986:

 

1. Samantha Fox - Touch Me

2. Madonna - Live To Tell

3. A-Ha - The Sun Always Shines On TV

4. Modern Talking - Brother Louie

5. Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls

6. Europe - The Final Countdown

7. Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out For A Hero

8. Chris De Burgh - The Lady In Red

9. Sandra - Innocent Love

10. Stephanie - Irresistible

11. Sandra Kim - J'aime La Vie

12. Alice Cooper - He's Back (The Man Behind The Mask)

 

I counted Rock Me Amadeus by Falco and Kyrie by Mr Mister as songs from 1985 even thou I guess it is debatable are those 85 or 86 hits.

 

 

 

 

Grebo69 - that's a fantastic compilation!

Many people say 1986 was a c**p year for music. I disagree (mainly because its when i first started buying records). My favourites of the year:

 

I don't - largely 'cos 1987 was worse.

I think if you went by mainstream music then many years are horrendous. But go outside the Top 40 then there are always treasures to be found.

Grebo69 - that's a fantastic compilation!

Thanks Richie. I do have a part two ready to go but that's a bit more eclectic.

Edited October 7, 200816 yr by grebo69