A Concise Guide To Eighties' Music, Karl Vorderman [best thriller novels to read TXT] 📗

Word Up by Cameo (peak chart position: No.3)
Cameo hardly enjoyed a durable career in the world of music but they did make one enormous splash with the dancefloor favourite 'Word Up'. This superb pop song was a welcome inclusion in the British Top Three in the autumn of 1986, and it will perhaps be best remembered for the group's appearances on BBC's 'Top Of The Pops' whereupon the lead singer cheekily displays an outfit that came seriously close to exposing his manhood, though I guess that was his intention.

The song of the month for September 1986
True Colors by Cyndi Lauper (peak chart position: No.12)
'True Colors' is a truly towering piece from the colourful Cyndi Lauper. It perhaps surpasses the very different 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' as her best recording. Here Miss Lauper shares words of wisdom and encouragement with a beautiful, uplifting track that found favour with American record buyers. Not for the first time, British music lovers took leave of their senses and failed to appreciate this stunning song. A plague on all their houses!

The song of the month for October 1986
Always The Sun by The Stranglers (peak chart position: No.30)
Punk pioneers The Stranglers continued to invade the singles charts at various intervals, but not even the hugely popular 'Golden Brown' can quite compare with the musical treat that was 'Always The Sun'. Here Hugh and his comrades get all philosophical about the fact that no matter how much life sucks and doesn't go according to plan, "there's always the sun". This brilliant item also ought to have been embraced by more record-buyers, but it is still an 'eighties classic.

The song of the month for November 1986
French Kissin' In The USA by Debbie Harry (peak chart position: No.8)
Debbie Harry might have expected to go from strength to strength after the break-up of Blondie but her initial solo effort 'Backfired' did precisely that and the ageing blonde bombshell had to jettison her solo career for a while as she nursed her partner Chris Stein back from a serious bout of ill health. Stein and Harry were eventually back on top form with the marvellous 'French Kissin' In The USA' which actually represented their first UK Top Ten hit in almost six barren years.

The song of the month for December 1986
Hymn To Her by The Pretenders (peak chart position: No.8)
Chrissie Hynde survived the double trauma of losing half her band to drug abuse to re-group and return with the occasional jewel of a recording. The new look Pretenders sneaked back into the British Top Ten with the commendable 'Hymn To Her'. It was refreshing for Hynde to have a musical success story to crow about, away from regular tabloid coverage of her dalliances with the singers Ray Davies of the Kinks, Jim Kerr of Simple Minds, and then Ali Campbell of UB40.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR FOR 1986:
Graceland by Paul Simon (released in August)
Side 1: Side 2:
1. The Boy In The Bubble; 3:59 1. You Can Call Me Al; 4:39
2. Graceland; 4:48 2. Under African Skies; 3:37
3. I What I Know; 3:13 3. Homeless; 3:48
4. Gumboots; 2:44 4. Crazy Love, Vol.II; 4:18
5. Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes; 5:45 5. That Was Your Mother; 2:52
6. All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints; 3:15
Paul Simon incurred the wrath of the anti-apartheid movement when he recorded his new 'Graceland' project in South Africa, thus defying an international boycott. This was a bit harsh, considering that his album acted as a commercial for (South) African music as he was showcasing the talents of some of the country's most renowned performers. The vocal harmonies of 'Homeless' and 'I Know What I Know' are the obvious examples of that. Furthermore, Simon recruited the likes of Linda Ronstadt for a memorable bout of backing vocals on 'Under African Skies', whilst Phil and Don Everly were drafted in to vocally decorate the outstanding title track. For all the negative reaction in certain quarters, Simon had delivered his most impressive long player since 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' and it certainly found favour with record buyers around the globe. It narrowly defeats 'So' by Peter Gabriel for my choice of the best album of 1986.

1987
The song of the month for January 1987
I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) by Aretha Franklin & George Michael (peak chart position: No.1)
George Michael, having previously collaborated with Andrew Ridgeley would proceed over the course of the next decade to join forces with such slightly more talented acts as Elton John and Queen, and on this notable occasion with the 'Queen of soul', Aretha Franklin. Remarkably, this was the only chart-topping triumph for Aretha but this Transatlantic smash hit is undoubtedly one of the great Number Ones of the 'eighties.

The song of the month for February 1987
Shoplifters Of The World Unite by The Smiths (peak chart position: No.12)
The polar opposites of Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr have accurately been held up as Britain's most important songwriting duo since Lennon and McCartney. The latest poetry in motion from their factory of hits was the black humour of 'Shoplifters Of The World Unite' in which Morrissey confesses that his "only weakness is a listed crime." Regrettably, Morrissey and Marr would soon sue for divorce due to irreconcilable differences.

The song of the month for March 1987
Mothers Of The Disappeared by U2 (not released as a single)
U2 had come a long way since their early punk leanings and their raw rock. Now the Edge, with the considerable help of ace producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, was constructing sounds and imagery that took rock onto a new plateau. Bono was now in the business of raising awareness of serious issues rather than reverting to the standards of female conquests and such like. 'Mothers Of The Disappeared' was one such dark example of the new art that U2 typified. After Band Aid, rock too was maturing and confronting reality.

The song of the month for April 1987
Let It Be by Ferry Aid (peak chart position: No.1)
The tragedy of the Herald Of Free Enterprise capsizing at the port of Zeebrugge in early March prompted the latest well-intentioned fundraising single for the victims. Paul McCartney's classic composition was updated, with the great man himself lending his vocal support. Other pop luminaries such as Kate Bush weighed in with their contribution, and voila we had another chart-topping chart smash, which sounded better than the original.

The song of the month for May 1987
I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) by Whitney Houston (peak chart position: No.1)
Now that Diana Ross and Tina Turner were in the twilight of their illustrious careers, a new African-American female singing sensation stepped into the large void vacated by their gradual disappearance. Whitney Houston was the latest pop wonder who would be a constant presence in hit parades for the subsequent decade. Her biggest smash to date was 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)'. Many more hit singles would follow.

The song of the month for June 1987
Star Trekkin' by The Firm (peak chart position: No.1)
The enduring popularity of the science fiction series 'Star Trek' would prompt the latest novelty pop release. The Firm clinched a Number One position in the British chart with a daft little ditty which many music-buyers clearly found a liking for. The Firm had previously visited the UK singles lists with a tribute to the artful dodger Arfur Daley of Minder. 'Star Trekkin' was their finest glory and a reminder of the zany taste of UK music lovers.

The song of the month for July 1987
Who's That Girl? by Madonna (peak chart position: No.1)
Madonna's relentless pursuit of global domination continued in earnest as 'Who's That Girl' quickly followed 'La Isla Bonita' to the summit of the BBC Top 40. Madonna had also branched out into