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Was there any band or act that you particularly liked in the 80s. I grew ?p with that stuff and have been told many times over by a friend & musician that there was a lot of good music going around back then, just that much of it wasn't so well known. One of my friends dated a girl from Liverpool for ages and had a running joke with her family about the best band from Liverpool, claiming that it wasn't The Beatles, it was O.M.D. I'm half-tempted to say they are both wrong, I discovered A Flock of Seagulls over the summer and consider them to be massively underrated. Upon delving into their genre and era further, there does seem to be some good stuff about, early New Order being an obvious example.

If we take the new romantics/synth pop era commonly considered to have flourished in the early 80s, is there anyone in particular worth listening to? I discovered XTC also, who are interesting but a bit strange and very slightly before my time Ryuchi Sakamoto's stuff is pretty interesting also.

Are there any bands you particularly liked from that decade that are worth checking out?

Echo and The Bunnymen were the best band from Liverpool, as any fule kno.

(and, back on topic, and of the best of the 1980s - Depeche Mode maybe have the edge tho)

And a shout to "The Vapors", fronted by a schoolfriend of mine.

It was the start of Queen, Toyah, Kate Bush, Adam and the Ants etc.

A good variety of entertainment there, not as good as the 60s of course...

Though, beyond much doubt, the *best* music decade was the 1970s.

Well the 70s brought us punk...did it give us anything else apart from the beginnings of the new wave of British heavy metal?

You jest, shurely.

Prog rock, folk rock, pub rock, Krautrock, fusion, funk, disco, reggae, new wave?? Yes, and punk too.

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 17, 2020 3:19 pm

Well the 70s brought us punk...did it give us anything else apart from the beginnings of the new wave of British heavy metal?

The start of the 70s was ok, after that it was pretty much a wasteland. I didn't see punk coming, but when it did I was very fortunate to live next door to the Roundhouse. Great time to be a young actuary!

By chance, I then moved to Amsterdam and lived down the canal from the Melkweg. Happy days.

Surely the ultimate 80s singles band were The Smiths and their albums were good too. Others may mention "The Queen is Dead" but "Hatful of Hollow" is the one I go to.

I like Prefab Sprout and their underrated debut album has the track "Cue Fanfare" which mentions Bobby Fischer.

XTC had an interesting musical journey from the punk pop of the first two albums to the chamber pop of "Apple Venus Vol. 1" All the albums are worth a listen, but I prefer the later stuff. If you like XTC check out their psychedelic alter-egos The Dukes of Stratosphear. I think they only made one EP and one LP but it's all on the compilation "Chips from the Chocolate Fireball" - brilliant stuff.

If you're looking for something really weird try the Cardiacs. Their best album might be "Sing to God" (1996) but they started out in the 80s how they meant to go on. Hard to describe their music but you can find songs on the Internet. Pop punk prog perhaps.

Talking of weird Kate Bush has already been mentioned.

By the 1980s the prog rock of Yes and Genesis had been watered down by pop. I still think both "Drama" and "Duke" are very good albums, but it was downhill from there for Yes and Genesis, although I dont think Genesis' 80s albums are as bad as their reputation. I do like Marillion but I prefer 70s Genesis. IQ and Pendragon were decent neo-prog as well.

R.E.M.'s debut album came out in 1983 but I don't think many people noticed at the time. Their more well known songs have been a bit overplayed, but their albums still sound good, especially the first four.

I'm not really a metalhead, but... Iron Maiden. I only fairly recently listened their first seven albums, and it's all pretty good.

Recommended 80s albums

Squeeze "Argybargy"
Genesis "Duke"
Yes "Drama"
Steely Dan "Gaucho"
Ultravox "Vienna"
Iron Maiden "Iron Maiden"
The Police "Ghost in the Machine"
ELO "Time"
Donald Fagen "The Nightfly"
Joe Jackson "Night and Day"
National Health "D.S. al Coda"
Pat Metheny Group "Travels"
Marillion "Script for a Jester's Tear"
The Smiths "Hatful of Hollow"
Prefab Sprout "Swoon"
Cardiacs "The Seaside"
R.E.M. "Reckoning"
Julian Cope "World Shut Your Mouth"
Robyn Hitchcock "I Often Dream of Trains"
The Alan Parsons Project "Ammonia Avenue"
Cocteau Twins "Treasure"
The Style Council "Café Bleu"
Kate Bush "Hounds of Love"
Sting "The Dream of the Blue Turtles"
Pendragon "The Jewel"
XTC "Skylarking"
Pet Shop Boys "Please"
The Dukes of Stratosphear "Chips from the Chocolate Fireball"
The Cure "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me"
Kirsty MacColl "Kite"

XTC went a bit strange and weren't the only ones. Killing Joke also undertook a rather colourful odyssey.

At a league match in 2012 I was talking to a couple of youngsters who were grappling with the age old problem of whether to enter the Berks and Bucks or go to Reading Festival. I said this was the first time in years I was tempted by Reading because The Cure were headlining. One of them said "who?" and the other answered "an 80s band". I am sure they were grateful for my lecture on the difference between an 80s band and a band from the 80s.

But if we are picking our favourite record from the 80s, The 12" Birthday EP from The Sugarcubes with the Icelandic version on the back. At the time I was convinced obscure was cool.

The sugarcubes were great in the beginning. Remember that stuff you mentioned well.

Paul Cooksey wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 18, 2020 6:07 pm

...
But if we are picking our favourite record from the 80s, The 12" Birthday EP from The Sugarcubes with the Icelandic version on the back. At the time I was convinced obscure was cool.

That's great! Björk was so sexy in The Sugarcubes. Especially here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5fAWpv_axs

If you go to Iceland, visit here... https://www.rokksafn.is/en#about

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:47 pm

If you go to Iceland, visit here... https://www.rokksafn.is/en#about

I definitely will! The Sugarcubes were my first crush, but Jonsi is the love of my life

Seriously, why are we discussing any band other than The Fall?