Severin

Never particularly liked George Michael's work and really didn't like Wham. That being said he was a talented songwriter, and a good singer, although not that pleasant an individual but much of the success was thoroughly deserved. Depeche Mode are my favourite of the three here and are definitely among the best of the synth bands. The early pop tracks are good (although 1 minute of Just Can't Enough is ironically, quite enough) and the move into more serious work served them well. I think they've been treading water since Gahan overdosed but they've never been awful. Although it drives e up the wall when they get labelled Goth! Pet Shop Boys had some great early Pop singles but seem content to never do anything particularly different musically. I feel they're a tad overrated but a decent singles band.

Hot Milk - The American Machine The Molotovs - Today's Gonna Be Our Day Dinosaur Pile Up - Sick of Being Down Muse - Unravelling

Muse, the only one for me. Added to playlists this week - Hot Milk - The American Machine The Molotovs - Today's Gonna Be Our Day Dinosaur Pile Up - Sick of Being Down

Dexys were a much more interesting band than they often get credit for. I like all three of the 80s albums. Soft Cell too were really good at first, and the second album The Art of Falling Apart is my favourite. By thetime Marc formedMarc and the Mambas with The The's Matt Johnson I thought they were spent and the new band was a more interesting group. Marc's work in The Immaculate Consumptive with Nick Cave, Foetus and Lydia Lunch was incredible stuff too. OMD are one of those bands that started out very Kraftwerk influenced but by 1984 had become more of a pop group. Similar to what happened with Thompson Twins and Ultravox to a degree. I will always prefer the really stark, cold European feel of the early synth bands over the poppier numbers. Give me Enola Gay over Tesla Girls any day.

Foxx's first three albums are all really good.

I'd say start with the Vienna album as it's the one most like what you will expect and it's great. The follow up Rage in Eden is also great but the album feels more like a whole piece rather than a collection of songs. Plus the singles from it were heavily edited for radio. Alternatively the Quartet album is much poppier but for me feels rather lightweight but is still decent. Lament is ok but the ideas are wearing thin. Avoid U-Vox like the plague althoughAll Fall Down is brilliant, if very different for them. Ignore anything between that and Brilliant as it's not really Ultravox. Brilliant though is pretty decent. Then there's the John Foxx albums - Ultravox! - Roxy Music inspired Proto Punk Ha! Ha! Ha! - Post Punk during the Punk era and one fo my favourite albums ever. Systems of Romance - The template for 80s New Romantic and probably their most influential album. For me the weakest of the three.

Ultravox were a defining band in my musical history. Of all the New Romantic bands they were the most arty and thoughtful I thought. Plus the 3 albums with John Foxx are all brilliantly ahead of their time. Lennon was truly gifted and cruelly taken away but it took me another 20 odd years before I'd set about properly listening to his solo work. He and The Beatles et al, symbolised my parents generation so I ignored a lot of it for way too long.

Prince is one of the defining acts of the decade and I can't overemphasise how influential he is. A true genius. Tears for Fears first two albums are pretty solid and typical of their times but I never thought they were that special Elton John had his moments but they were pretty much all in the 70s really.

Went to Nova Twins

Simple Minds were great in the early Post Punk days (Empires and Dance is an oft forgotten gem) but I kind of lose interest around 1983 when Sparkle in the Rain is their last decent album. Not much needs to be said about Abba although they were clearly on the decline in the 80s. That being said The Day Before You Came and Winner Takes it All are exceptional, even by their standards. Never liked Whitney. Good voice but she tends to go for the vocal theatrics too much. Not my kind of thing.

Congratulations to DanG. Well done and a worthy winner. Really pleased to finished as high as I have done here. Keeping up a recent run of decent results. I shall celebrate by seeing the Psychedelic Furs again next Sunday at Milton Keynes. Thanks also to Brer for excellent hosting

I have to confess I'd never thought to check out anything else by Zager & Evans, which feels like an oversight

I'm very pleasantly surprised to be in 2nd right now. Really pleased to see the Furs getting some love

Ever since I first heard The Mercy Seat back in 1988 on John Peel, where he described it a like two songs being played at once, I've absolutely loved it. All of the versions - the video mix, the radio edit and the album version are all brilliant Johnny Cash also does a brilliant cover of it too

Was a great choice and only the presence of a genuine favourite of mine held it off a 12