Saturday, May 18, 2024

1984: THE 100 GREATEST SONGS. Concludes with this post.

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1984

THE 100 GREATEST SONGS

MCMLXXXIV


It was in 1984 that famine worsened in Ethiopia. Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated, Konstantin Chernenko became Soviet leader and Ronald Reagan was re-elected as US President. Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympics from which the Soviet Union withdrew. In England, the year-long Miner’s Strike began against the Thatcher Government. At the box office, films such as ‘Amadeus’, ‘Beverly Hills Cop’, ‘Ghostbusters’, ‘Splash’ and ‘The Killing Fields’ drew audiences. The first Apple Macintosh went on sale as did the first commercial compact disc players. “The Cosby Show” premiered on US television.

 

This retrospective on the music of 1984 highlights the best of the music released during that year.  Twelve months that saw Bob Geldof organise the Band Aid charity disc “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and Tina Turner stage an amazing comeback.  

Listen to all the songs on the Spotify playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6k2ttOy6DZaLtLZ8y3JjoW?si=999f8888aaaa4eea&pt=8406b7494e7aa88b869342e6ad1f32cf

 

 

 

1

 

WHEN DOVES CRY

Prince & The Revolution

 

To fully appreciate the impact of ‘Purple Rain’, one should put its emergence in context. Prince had been building up his pop credentials with staples such as “Controversy”, “1999” and “Little Red Corvette”. In 1983, Michael Jackson became the hottest star in music with his mammoth hit ‘Thriller’. Instead of being overshadowed by this mega-seller, Prince countered with a classic album of his own. ‘Purple Rain’ was not only the parent LP bursting with new signature songs such as “Let’s Go Crazy”, “I Would Die 4 U”, “Take Me With U”, “Baby I’m A Star”, the title track and “When Doves Cry”, but it was the soundtrack for his first feature film. The latter song was a recording that still sounds as compelling today. It catapulted him into pop’s pantheon of musical giants.  


2

 

WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO

Wham!

 

Wham! had already made popstars out of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, but “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” elevated their success to a higher trajectory. Nothing they recorded came close to the infectious pop appeal of this new hit.  


3

 

LOVE KILLS

Freddie Mercury

 

Queen’s charismatic lead singer Freddie Mercury scored a solo hit with “Love Kills”. He co-wrote the song with Giorgio Moroder. They co-produced the cut with Queen’s frequent producer Mack. The single was recorded as part of a new soundtrack album for a film classic entitled ‘Metropolis’. The 1927 Fritz Lang silent film was revamped using music helmed largely by Moroder in 1984.

 

4

 

PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE)

U2

 

One of the most glorious pop moments in the Irish group’s canon is the anthemic “Pride (In The Name Of Love)”. Recorded as a tribute to civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, it features Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders on backup vocals. This single helped propel U2 into global success.

 

5

 

SMOOTH OPERATOR

Sade

 

Sade broke through with “Smooth Operator”. The group was named after its Nigerian lead vocalist Sade Adu. Fusing jazz, R&B, pop, soul and adult contemporary sounds, the British band went on to win the Best New Artist Grammy and continues to this day.


6

 

YOU’RE THE BEST THING

The Style Council

 

Paul Weller had used politics to motivate music fans as the leader of The Jam. For his next group, the “Modfather” adopted a softer soulful, but even more enticing sound with The Style Council. “You’re The Best Thing” was one of the highlights from this new incarnation, essentially a duo formed with keyboardist Mick Talbot.  

 

7

 

CARELESS WHISPER

George Michael

 

This watershed solo release was key for George Michael at the time of its release. He was half of the most popular duo on the planet, but very aware that the time had come to go out on his own. George tested the water with “Careless Whisper”. Its international success encouraged him to quit Wham!.


8

 

SAD SONGS (SAY SO MUCH)

Elton John

 

Elton John made his mark with a string of songs that tug at the emotions, so who better to sing the case for sad songs? So many of his compositions with Bernie Taupin helped soothe and comfort listeners in a range of trying contexts.

 

9

 

SMALLTOWN BOY

Bronski Beat

 

Accompanied by a powerfully moving music video, this became an instant gay anthem. Few songs encapsulate the despair of a young teen thrown out of his family home simply because of his sexuality as effectively.


10

 

I FEEL FOR YOU

Chaka Khan

 

The intro announces the arrival of Chaka Khan. She was already soul / R&B royalty, but this new song thrust her right into mainstream pop culture. Throw in Stevie Wonder on harmonica and a nod to his 1960s #1 “Fingertips” and you have one of the first rap pop hit singles. This cover of a Prince song also featured rapper Melle Mel. It all helped to make “I Feel For You” her own.

 

 

11 SHOUT TO THE TOP The Style Council

12 I SEND A MESSAGE INXS

13 HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN Eurythmics

14 I WOULD DIE 4 U Prince & The Revolution

15 FREE NELSON MANDELA Special AKA

16 PRIVATE DANCER Tina Turner

17 LIKE A VIRGIN Madonna

18 THE OOH OOH SONG Pat Benatar

19 THAT WAS YESTERDAY Foreigner

20 JUMP Van Halen

 

21 RADIO GAGA Queen

22 OH BILLY PLEASE Donna Summer

23 PAINTED DESERT Pat Benatar

24 AGAINST ALL ODDS Phil Collins

25 TAKE ME WITH U Prince & The Revolution

26 LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY Deniece Williams

27 HEAD OVER HEELS The Go-Go’s

28 FOOTLOOSE Kenny Loggins

29 GHOSTBUSTERS Ray Parker Jr.

30 MIDDLE OF THE ROAD Pretenders

 

31 WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT Tina Turner

32 LEFT IN THE DARK Barbra Streisand

33 LET’S GO CRAZY Prince & The Revolution   

34 FREEDOM Wham!

35 IT’S A HARD LIFE Queen

36 MATERIAL GIRL Madonna

37 HAPPY ENDING Joe Jackson

38 WHY? Bronski Beat

39 I WANT TO BREAK FREE Queen

40 PURPLE RAIN Prince & The Revolution

 

41 ALL CRIED OUT Alison Moyet

42 HARD HABIT TO BREAK Chicago

43 REBEL YELL Billy Idol

44 SEA OF LOVE The Honeydrippers

45 99 LUFTBALLONS Nena

46 DRIVE The Cars

47 THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE U2

48 YOUR LOVE IS KING Sade

49 HEADSTART FOR HAPPINESS

The Style Council

50 THAT’S ALL Genesis

 

51 TAKING THE TOWN Icehouse

52 BLUE JEAN David Bowie   

53 DANCING IN THE DARK Bruce Springsteen

54 THE GLAMOROUS LIFE Sheila E.

55 YAH MO B THERE

Michael McDonald with James Ingram

56 JOANNA Kool & The Gang

57 INVISIBLE Alison Moyet   

58 THE POWER OF LOVE Frankie Goes To Hollywood

59 BORDERLINE Madonna

    60 COVER ME Bruce Springsteen

 

61 YOU TAKE ME UP Thompson Twins

    62 SEARCHIN’ Hazell Dean

63 AIN’T NOBODY Chaka Khan & Rufus

64 BABY I’M A STAR Prince & The Revolution

65 I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU Stevie Wonder

66 EVERYTHING SHE WANTS Wham!

    67 LOVE RESURRECTION Alison Moyet

68 YOU THINK YOU’RE A MAN Divine

69 CARIBBEAN QUEEN Billy Ocean

70 THE RIDDLE Nik Kershaw

 

71 SEXCRIME (1984) Eurythmics

72 YOU CAN’T GET WHAT YOU WANT Joe Jackson

73 HITLER RAP (TO BE OR NOT TO BE) Mel Brooks

74 WOOD BEEZ (PRAY LIKE ARETHA FRANKLIN)

Scritti Politti

75 MISSING YOU John Waite

   76 THE REFLEX Duran Duran

     77 WOULDN’T IT BE GOOD Nik Kershaw

    78 HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO Bonnie Tyler 

79 NOBODY TOLD ME John Lennon

80 WHERE IS MY MAN Eartha Kitt

 

81 FLAME TREES Cold Chisel

     82 THINK OF LAURA Christopher Cross

83 SWEPT AWAY Diana Ross

84 I WON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME

 Nik Kershaw

    85 THIS CHARMING MAN The Smiths

86 PINK HOUSES John Cougar Mellencamp

87 TWO TRIBES Frankie Goes To Hollywood

88 SELF CONTROL Laura Branigan

89 I WANT YOU BACK Hoodoo Gurus

90 ROBERT DE NIRO’S WAITING Bananarama

 

91 LOCOMOTION Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

92 TOO LATE FOR GOODBYES Julian Lennon

93 YOU’RE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Barbra Streisand

94 WORKING WITH FIRE AND STEEL China Crisis

95 NO MORE LONELY NIGHTS Paul McCartney

96 SOMEBODY Depeche Mode

 97 THE WARRIOR Scandal ftg. Patti Smythe

98 SUNGLASSES AT HEART Corey Hart

99 YOUNG AT HEART The Bluebells

100 TIME WILL REVEAL DeBarge


HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

Our retrospectives don’t usually include seasonal recordings, but these two 1984 releases deserve a special tribute-

*** DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS? Band Aid

*** LAST CHRISTMAS Wham!

 

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