Top of the Pop Culture 80s - Top 20 Singles of the 80s - Numbers 10 to 1

 

1 When Doves Cry – Prince

2 Fame -Irene Cara

3 You Are - Lionel Richie

4 Love is a Battlefield - Pat Benatar

5 Broken Land -The Adventures

6 Running Up that Hill - Kate Bush

7 Martha’s Harbour - All About Eve

8 Caught Up in a Rapture - Anita Baker

 9 So Emotional - Whitney Houston

10 Hide and Seek - Howard Jones 

Top of the Pop Culture 80s - Top 20 Singles of the 80s - Numbers 20 to 11

 11 Piano in the Dark - Brenda Russell

12 Time (Clock of the Heart) - Culture Club

13 Here Comes the Rain Again - Eurythmics

14 Mary’s Prayer - Danny Wilson

15 Move Closer - Phyllis Nelson

16 In a Lifetime - Clannad & Bono

17 You Came - Kim Wilde

18 Long Hot Summer - The Style Council

19 Mated David Grant and Jaki Graham

20 Modern Love - David Bowie

Top of the Pop Culture 80s - Top 20 Albums of the 80s - Numbers 10 to 1

 

Our Top 20 all time 80s favourite albums. Numbers 10 to 1. The criteria is albums we still play today and never tire of, where we never skip any songs or think I've heard that track too many times. Yes, we are aware that Pat Benatar's "In the Heat of the Night" was released in August 1979 in America but it never charted in the U.K. until 1985. 

Listen to some of our favourites:

Play the Number One album

Top of the Pop Culture 80s - Top 20 Albums of the 80s - Numbers 20 to 11

 Our Top 20 all time 80s favourite albums. Numbers 20 to 11. The criteria is albums we still play today and never tire of, where we never skip any songs or think I've heard that track too many times.

Listen to some of our favourites:

Alison Moyet - ALF 1984

ALF is the debut album from Alison Moyet, released on 9th November 1984 on CBS/Columbia Records. It was produced by Tony Swain and Steve Jolley.  The album reached No. 1 on the British charts and peaked at No. 45 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.

Listen to the Full album:

Track listing:

Love Resurrection
Honey For The Bees
For You Only
Invisible
Steal Me Blind
All Cried Out
Money Mile
Twisting the Knife
Where Hides Sleep

Smash Hits Review

Number One Magazine Review

Jermaine Stewart - Word is Out Album, 1984

“The Word Is Out” by Jermaine Stewart.

The first album from Jermaine Stewart was released in 1984 on Virgin/ Arista records. It was produced by Peter Collins. The Album It didn't chart in the U.K. and peaked at Number 90 on the U.S. Billboard Album chart.

Track listing:

The Word Is Out
I Like It
In Love Again
Debbie
Reasons why
Get Over It
Month of Mondays
You
Spies 
Brilliance


Listen to the Full Album  

                                                                    Music Week Review:

Suzanne Vega - Small Blue Thing - 1986

Suzanne Vega "Small Blue Thing"  

 The 2nd Single from Suzanne Vega was released in January 1986 and reached Number 68 on the U.K. singles chart.  Written by Suzanne Vega it was released on A&M records on  7 inch, & 12 inch Single and spent  3 weeks on the chart.

Live Perfromance

 

Number 1 Magazine Review

 

This is one of my all time favourite songs.

Chris De Burgh - Borderline - Favourite Songs

I think Chris De Burgh is underrated both as a songwriter and vocalist. I remember it was mid 80s and in the job I was doing the manager would play music over the P.A. and one of the albums he played was a best of Chris De Burgh. A number of the songs resonated with me and from then I started to investigate Chris' back catalogue and the new albums as they were released.

His songs are often stories of wonderful characters usually from times past and situations that perhaps the listener is always familiar with.  They have a powerful intensity. While listening the stories come to life and are brilliantly emotional. Borderline is one of his best. The line "And it's breaking my heart ..." is sung with such feelings that it really touches me.

For a while in the 80s Chris music would be my cry in my beer music when I felt down and alone.    

Live Performance 1987

 

 

Julia Fordham - Towerblock - 1989 - Favourite Songs

Julia Fordham's 1989 album "Porcelain" is a big favourite of mine. I love her voice and the subtle emotion it conveys. "Towerblock" is my favourite track, such a tender lover song with a twist at the end. Back in the 80s I felt this need to not let anyone see my emotions, which was incredibly difficult as I am a very emotional person. I guess I put it walls that I let very few people through. All the time longing for someone who I could lean on.

Interview and Live Performance

 

Jermaine Stewart - Brilliance - Favourite Songs

In 1986 Jermaine Stewart had a hit with "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off". Loving that song I bought it on 12 inch. The B Side was Brilliance. As soon as I heard it I loved it more than the A side. Jermaine seemed really cool, with great dance moves and even better hair. Oh I so wanted my hair like that! 

"Brilliance" wasn't like any other love song I'd ever heard. I hadn't realised that this song actually came from his 1984 "Word is Out" album. I instantly sought out that album and that quickly became one of my favourite albums of all time. Jermaine would release a couple more albums but for me his first album was always the best and "Brilliance" the best song on that album.
  

Pet Shop Boys - I Want A Lover - 1986 - Favourite Songs

A personal favourite from the Pet Shop Boys 1986 album "Please" written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. As an 18 year old struggling with his sexuality this song spoke to me. The Pet Shop Boys weren't out (how didn't we know?) but a couple of songs on their debut album, which I loved, really spoke to the gay guy in me trying to come out. After a couple of drinks there were times when I just wanted to be me and wanted to be with someone who understood and not have to admit to the World who I was and have to face the issues that coming out could bring. 



Neil Tennant Says:

"This was written in 1983, and is a self-proclaimed gay disco song: "When we first started writing together Chris was very keen that we should write sleazy songs - it had never occurred to me before. It's about standing at a corner of a nightclub and everyone's leaving and you've seen someone you fancy, and who's going to make the first approach?" It was recorded with Blue Weaver, who was a regular keyboardist for the Bee Gees."

1984 Demo Version

 

 

Spanish TV Performance