The Music Of The 80s - Favorites, Classics And Rarities

[hitman531ph]

Depeche Mode was originally made up of Vince Clarke, Andrew Fletcher, Martin Gore and Dave Gahan. They initally played at small clubs and gained a following. They recorded a song called PHOTOGRAPHIC in 1980 and went on to complete and release SPEAK AND SPELL in 1981. The singles, NEW LIFE, PUPPETS (DREAMING OF ME) and WHAT'S YOUR NAME made little impact in the UK charts. But the release of JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH changed all that and eventually landed the band on the UK Top 10. Depeche Mode defined synth-pop or melodies that were obviously artificially produced via synthesizer but were catchy tunes anyway.

 

In 1982, the eccentric Vince Clarke suddenly left the band leaving Gore, Gahan and Fletcher all by themselves to come up with a new album A BROKEN FRAME. The album was a mild success with hits SEE YOU, THE MEANING OF LOVE and PHOTOGRAPH OF YOU. The sound and style replicated the previous album SPEAK AND SPELL.

 

In 1983, the band signed up Alan Wilder and the group released CONSTRUCTION TIME AGAIN and produced the classic EVERYTHING COUNTS and TWO MINUTE WARNING. This album profoundly differed in style and sound from the first two albums. This had a more serious feel to it, although it was still synthesizer-based. Not included in the album was a moderate chart hit GET THE BALANCE RIGHT in early 1984.

 

In 1984, SOME GREAT REWARD was released that produced the hits MASTER AND SERVANT, SOMEBODY, SOMETHING TO DO, BLASPHEMOUS RUMOURS and the hit PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE which made it to the Top 20 in the US in 1985, gaining the band international recognition. The sound and style from CONSTRUCTION TIME AGAIN is still obvious in SOME GREAT REWARD but became deeper and fuller, though still quite synthesizer-based. But the sound effects coming from synthesizers were a marvel at the time.

 

In 1985, the band released THE SINGLES 81 -> 85. The album contained the UK #1 hit SHAKE THE DISEASE and a lesser successful IT'S CALLED A HEART.

 

In 1986, BLACK CELEBRATION was released and met with a lesser degree of success. FLY ON THE WINDSCREEN and the title track made little impact. A QUESTION OF TIME brought Depeche Mode back to the US Top 40 and the UK Top 10. A QUESTION OF LUST met moderate success.

 

For the seventh straight year, Depeche Mode released MUSIC FOR THE MASSES in 1987, which produced the dance floor hit STRANGELOVE and two US Top 40 hits NEVER LET ME DOWN AGAIN and BEHIND THE WHEEL. Depeche Mode made a remake of an old Rolling Stones hit ROUTE 66 and combined it with BEHIND THE WHEEL on the 12" single.

 

In 1988, Depeche Mode took a much-needed break from recording. So what did they do? They toured the US.

 

By 1989, Depeche Mode released the double LP/CD called 101. 101 featured live recordings of their tour in the USA.

 

By 1990 Depeche Mode had transformed its style and sound anew with the release of VIOLATOR

[hitman531ph]

JOURNEY

 

This band had several band member changes in the course of the band's existence. But the band was most successful with its core Steve Perry, Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain.

 

Journey had been around since the late 70s and scored a big hit with their third album ESCAPE in 1981 with the oft-heard OPEN ARMS which also appeared in the movie The Last American Virgin.

 

In 1983, Journey continued their success with the release of FRONTIERS which produced 2 Top 10 hits FAITHFULLY and a rocking SEPARATE WAYS (WORLDS APART) and a Top 20 hit SEND HER MY LOVE

 

By 1984, Steve Perry took a break from Journey and came up with his own solo album STREET TALK which produced a Top 10 hit OH SHERRIE and 2 Top 20 hits SHE'S MINE and the oh-so-familiar FOOLISH HEART

 

1985 saw the band record and release ONLY THE YOUNG incorporated into a movie soundtrack of Vision Quest (along with Madonna's Crazy For You). The track made it to the Top 10.

 

1986 saw the release Journey's final album RAISED ON RADIO. It had deviated somewhat from its previous style and sound but was equally successful with their previous albums. 2 Top 10 hits came out of the album BE GOOD TO YOURSELF and SUZANNE. Another Top 20 hit I'LL BE ALRIGHT WITHOUT YOU capped the band's chart successes as the core of Perry, Schon and Cain finally fully disintegrated in 1988.

[hitman531ph]

SPANDAU BALLET was a band comprised of Tony Hadley (vocals), Gary Kemp (lead guitar), Martin Kemp (bass), Steve Norman (sax and keyboards) and John Keeble (drums).

 

The British band had some minor UK hits with their first two albums JOURNEYS TO GLORY (1981) and DIAMOND (1982). The group was known for the UK hits TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT and CHANT #1 (which featured a rapping Gary Kemp)

 

The group was still meandering in cult status by the time TRUE was released. The first two releases of the album didn't help much. COMMUNICATION was a chart hit in the UK and LIFELINE entered the US Hot 100 but landed nowhere near the US Top 40. It was only upon the release of TRUE that blasted Spandau Ballet into international fame. TRUE was a UK #1 hit and a US #4 hit. The song had been sampled by R&B artists PM Dawn (Set Adrift on Memory Bliss 1993) and by Nelly (N Dey Say 2004).

 

Following the rousing smash hit TRUE came GOLD. It was a UK Top 3 hit and a US Top 40 hit. By this time, Spandau Ballet was known to be a glamorous, neat and well-dressed band.

 

In 1984, PARADE was released and ONLY WHEN YOU LEAVE went to the UK Top 5 but managed to peak at #29 in the US charts. Somehow, the US audience were not as keen on the band than the Brits. However, ROUND AND ROUND managed to peak at #16 at the US charts while making the UK Top 10 again. HIGHLY STRUNG and I'LL FLY FOR YOU again made it to the UK charts but not in the US Top 40.

 

By late 1985, THROUGH THE BARRICADES was released with the first single RAW that bombed. The second single was the title track which made the UK Top 10 but had little impact in the US Hot 100.

 

By 1988, Spandau Ballet released its last album HEART LIKE A SKY and didn't replicate its past successes in the US and UK. Their last single BE FREE WITH YOUR LOVE managed to land in the UK Top 20 and it proved to be the band's finale.

 

Tony Hadley attempted to start a solo career but didn't succeed. It seems that he was lost without Spandau Ballet backing him up.

 

Brothers Gary and Martin Kemp dabbled in acting when they appeared as the violent gangsters The Krays in the late 80s. Gary Kemp also appears in the 1992 Whitney Houston-Kevin Costner movie The Bodyguard

Edited August 10, 2005 by hitman531ph

[hitman531ph]

The only instrumental songs that made it to the top of the pops in the 80s were Jan Hammer's MIAMI VICE THEME and Harold Faltermeyer's AXEL F (Beverly Hills Cop theme) and TOP GUN ANTHEM (Top Gun theme with Steve Stevens)

Edited June 27, 2005 by hitman531ph

[hitman531ph]

Some of the best soundtracks of the 80s were Footloose, Top Gun, Dirty Dancing, Staying Alive and Pretty in Pink

 

Footloose came up with:

 

Footloose - Kenny Loggins (first and only #1 hit)

Let's Hear It for the Boy - Deniece Williams (#1 hit)

Dancing in the Sheets - Shalamar

Holding Out for a Hero - Bonnie Tyler

Heaven Help the Man (I'm Free) - Kenny Loggins

Almost Paradise (Love Theme from Footloose) - Mike Reno and Nancy Wilson (Top 10 hit)

 

Top Gun came up with

 

Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins (#2 hit)

Playing With the Boys - Kenny Loggins

Top Gun Anthem - Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens

Take My Breath Away - Berlin (#1 hit)

 

Dirty Dancing came up with

 

Time of My Life - Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes (#1 hit)

She's Like the Wind - Patrick Swayze

 

Staying Alive

 

The Woman in You - Bee Gees

Someone Belonging to Someone - Bee Gees

Never Gonna Give You Up - Cynthia Rhodes and Frank Stallone

Far From Over - Frank Stallone

Finding Out the Hard Way - Cynthia Rhodes

 

Pretty in Pink came up with

 

If You Leave - OMD

Shell Shock - New Order

Left of Center - Suzanne Vega with Joe Jackson

Bring on the Dancing Horses - Echo & the Bunnymen

Pretty in Pink - The Psychedelic Furs

Edited July 14, 2005 by hitman531ph

[hitman531ph]

Marvin Gaye already had a string of hits in the 60s and early 70s. He was out the charts for some time already until in 1983 when his song SEXUAL HEALING went peaked at #3 of the US charts.

 

Marvin Gaye badly needed a hit and got his hit. Unfortunately, because Marvin and his father did not have good relations, his father eventually shot his own son to death months after his 1983 hit.

 

R&B and Soul lost a great artist

 

Diana Ross released a tribute song in 1985 called MISSING YOU. The Commodores (minus Lionel Richie) included Marvin Gaye in their tribute of soul legends who have passed on in their 1985 hit NIGHTSHIFT

[cruesome]

tsk. too bad, i just can't leave the 80's. i just loved new wave and glam rocks. to the extent that i buy out of print cd releases cds and dvd's.

[Cain N Moko]

ONE HIT WONDER:

 

Vitamin Z.

 

After releasing an album called Rites of Passage in 1985 under Mercury Records, and making it to the UK charts with a song called Burning Flame, Vitamin Z quickly burned out like a flame and was never heard from again.

[hitman531ph]

THE ROLLING STONES

 

One of the longest running acts that came all the way from the 60s.

 

They left the 80s with 4 hits. Undercover of the Night (1983) which drew controversy as the music video was deemed by moralists as violent. Waiting on a Friend (1983) was less successful but was a hit nevertheless.

 

Mick Jagger then went solo for a while. He worked with other artists including the Live Aid hit Dancing in the Streets with David Bowie (1985) and also with The Jacksons where Jagger was feature in a song State of Shock (1984). In 1984, Jagger released a solo album which produced a hit called Just Another Night. A second single was only a minor hit called Lucky in Love.

 

By 1986, The Rolling Stones got back together with a hit called Harlem Shuffle and in 1989 they had another hit called A Rock and a Hard Place

[Batabatuta™]

Whatever happened to Level 42 and Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark (OMD)?

[hitman531ph]

The death of a band member left Level 42 in a void. They haven't come up with an album afterwards.

 

Level 42's success was initially limited to the UK. But in 1985, the band released World Machine that gave them worldwide fame. The sone Something About You rocketed to the US Top 10 and the UK Top 10. Leaving Me Now was a lesser hit in the album.

 

In 1986, Level 42's single Lessons in Love became a US Top 20 hit and went to #1 in the UK. By 1987, Lessons in Love was released in an album called Running in the Family. Other tracks that made it big in Running in the Family were: Children Say, Running in the Family, It's Over. The title of the song It's Over was a sign of foreboding that their chart-hitting days were over.

 

In 1988, Two Solitudes became a UK hit but didn't make much impact in the US.

 

Level 42 is one the cool sounding bands that came out of the 80s.

[hitman531ph]

OMD stands for Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark

 

The duo was formed in the late 70s and had minor hits in their early days with Virgin Records. In 1982, their first hit was a new wave classic Enola Gay. It was a UK hit but not in the US. In 1983, Talking Loud and Clear and Locomotion were UK hits and both songs entered the US Hot 100.

 

In 1985, OMD reached worldwide fame when two singles So In Love and Secret were UK top 10 hits and US Top 40 hits. The album Crush was recognized worldwide.

 

In 1986, OMD recorded their biggest hit for a movie Pretty In Pink called If You Leave. It was a memorable track from the movie. It went to #1 in the UK and #4 in the US.

 

In 1988, however, OMD lost some steam when their album The Pacific Age was not as successful. The single Forever Live and Die made it to the UK Top 10 and US Top 20. The follow up single We Love You did not enter the US Top 40.

 

However, OMD is considered by many New Wavers, a classic band that made its mark

[Guest airmax]

Whatever happened to Level 42 and Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark (OMD)?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

ang alam ko namatay ung lead singer noong level 42 kaya hindi na sila nakagawa ulit ng album.

[telemaster_311]

hirap comment baka malaman edad ko hehehe

[hitman531ph]

The Dawn made their mark in the OPM scene of the 80s in 1986 when OctoArts Records signed them up.

 

Their first hit Enveloped Ideas was followed up Dreams

 

Their next album I Stand With You also made its mark in the OPM scene. But disaster struck when their lead guitarist and core man Teddy Diaz was murdered by some drunk in Tatalon in Quezon City with an ice pick.

 

The band had to go on and record their next album with a temporary Japanese lead guitarist at the close of the 80s and a hit called Salamat