WE WERE SEVEN YEARS OLD WHEN 1980 arrived. The currency of music in the playground was without doubt the compact cassette tape and the beloved mix-tape. We spent hours sitting next to the radio trying to time the perfect recording of 1999 and hustling friends for their uninterrupted version of Take on Me or Mirror Man. We did have vinyl records too (mostly seven inch singles) and we purchased collectively to avoid overlap, with limited funds we would do anything to expand the music available. High fidelity technology (DON’T LAUGH) was pretty new to our generation and to an extent we have been culturally defined though the cassette and Sony Walkman (we had lesser brands). By the time the ominous year 1984 came along we were riding around on a BMX (probably a Raleigh Burner) in small tight–knit friendship gangs with portable cassette tape players listening to I Feel For You and Sweet Dreams recorded from the Top 40. It’s no surprise the first Now Music compilation was released in 1983, it tapped into the strange beauty of the mix-tape, how the songs can all mean something or link together in just the way you remember. The songs and artists for our 1980s house party are chosen for their familiarity, from or around the time of release and our seemingly never ending love of each (misguided or not).
You can listen to our ’80s PARTY MIXTAPE on Spotify.
|
Song |
Artist |
Year of Release |
Chart Pos |
|
Upside Down |
Dianna Ross |
1980 |
2 |
|
Atomic |
Blondie |
1980 |
1 |
|
Just Can't Get Enough |
Depeche Mode |
1981 |
8 |
|
You Make My Dreams (Come True) |
Daryl Hall & John Oates |
1981 |
5 |
|
Planet Earth |
Duran Duran |
1981 |
12 |
|
Rapture |
Blondie |
1981 |
5 |
|
Don't You Want Me |
The Human League |
1981 |
1 |
|
Tainted Love |
Soft Cell |
1981 |
1 |
|
Hungry Like the Wolf |
Duran Duran |
1982 |
5 |
|
White Wedding |
Billy Idol |
1982 |
6 |
|
Billie Jean |
Michael Jackson |
1982 |
1 |
|
Only You |
Yazoo |
1982 |
2 |
|
Mirror Man |
The Human League |
1982 |
2 |
|
Don't Go |
Yazoo |
1982 |
3 |
|
Rio |
Duran Duran |
1982 |
9 |
|
The Message |
Grandmaster Flash & |
1982 |
8 |
|
Really Saying Something |
Bananarama |
1982 |
5 |
|
Karma Chameleon |
Culture Club |
1983 |
1 |
|
Beat It |
Michael Jackson |
1983 |
3 |
|
Ain't Nobody |
Chaka Khan |
1983 |
1 |
|
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) |
Eurythmics |
1983 |
2 |
|
Blue Monday |
New Order |
1983 |
9 |
|
Fascination |
The Human League |
1983 |
2 |
|
Rebel Yell |
Billy Idol |
1983 |
6 |
|
I.O.U. |
Freeez |
1983 |
2 |
|
Borderline |
Madonna |
1984 |
2 |
|
Relax |
Frankie Goes To Hollywood |
1984 |
1 |
Song | Artist | Year of Release | Chart Pos |
I Would Die 4 U | Prince | 1984 | 8 |
Smalltown Boy | Bronski Beat | 1984 | 3 |
Together In Electric Dreams | Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder | 1984 | 3 |
I Feel for You | Chaka Khan | 1984 | 1 |
Down on the Street | Shakatak | 1984 | 9 |
Here Comes the Rain Again | Eurythmics | 1984 | 8 |
Lucky Star | Madonna | 1984 | 14 |
Song | Artist | Year of Release | Chart Pos |
Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four) | Eurythmics | 1984 | 4 |
Smooth Operator | Sade | 1984 | 19 |
99 Red Balloons | Nena | 1984 | 1 |
New Moon on Monday | Duran Duran | 1984 | 9 |
I Want To Break Free | Queen | 1984 | 3 |
Dr. Beat | Miami Sound Machine | 1984 | 6 |
Take on Me | a-ha | 1985 | 2 |
Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) | Kate Bush | 1985 | 3 |
Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves | Eurythmics, Aretha Franklin | 1985 | 9 |
The Power Of Love | Huey Lewis & The News | 1985 | 9 |
System Addict | Five Star | 1985 | 3 |
We Close Our Eyes | Go West | 1985 | 5 |
Boys Don't Cry | The Cure | 1985 | 22 |
Would I Lie to You? | Eurythmics | 1985 | 17 |
Raspberry Beret | Prince | 1985 | 25 |
You Are My World | The Communards | 1985 | 30 |
1999 | Prince | 1985 | 2 |
Song | Artist | Year of Release | Chart Pos |
I'm Your Man | Wham! | 1985 | 1 |
Who Needs Love Like That | Erasure | 1985 | 55 |
We Built This City | Starship | 1985 | 12 |
West End Girls | Pet Shop Boys | 1985 | 1 |
Everybody Wants To Rule The World | Tears For Fears | 1985 | 2 |
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) | Dead Or Alive | 1985 | 2 |
Kiss | Prince | 1986 | 6 |
Don't Leave Me This Way | The Communards | 1986 | 1 |
Walk This Way | Run–D.M.C., Aerosmith | 1986 | 1 |
Addicted To Love | Robert Palmer | 1986 | 5 |
Big Fun | The Gap Band | 1986 | 4 |
You Keep Me Hangin On | Kim Wilde | 1986 | 2 |
Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent | Gwen Guthrie | 1986 | 5 |
Walk Like an Egyptian | The Bangles | 1986 | 3 |
Nasty | Janet Jackson | 1986 | 19 |
Pull Up To The Bumper | Grace Jones | 1986 | 12 |
Wishing Well | Terence Trent D'Arby | 1987 | 4 |
I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) | Whitney Houston | 1987 | 1 |
Everywhere | Fleetwood Mac | 1987 | 4 |
Sign Your Name | Terence Trent D'Arby | 1987 | 2 |
Walk The Dinosaur | Was (Not Was) | 1987 | 10 |
U Got the Look | Prince | 1987 | 11 |
Faith | George Michael | 1987 | 2 |
I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) | George Michael, Aretha Franklin | 1987 | 1 |
Push It | Salt-N-Pepa | 1988 | 2 |
My One Temptation | Mica Paris | 1988 | 7 |
A Little Respect | Erasure | 1988 | 4 |
Good Life | Inner City | 1988 | 4 |
Theme from S-Express | S’Express | 1988 | 1 |
She Drives Me Crazy | Fine Young Cannabals | 1989 | 5 |
Like A Prayer | Madonna | 1989 | 1 |
Back To Life | Soul II Soul | 1989 | 1 |
END NOTES
—
Words: Glen Robinson & Rebecca Robinson
Post Art: GRRR
Relax — Cover art by Yvonne Gilbert
Lucky Star - Cover art (designer unknown) of the German 7" vinyl pressing, distributed in Europe, and also used for 1984 UK reissue.
1999 — Cover art by Prince
