What songs from the 80's do you wish radio stations would play more often? Here's just a short list of some of my faves:

Forever Young - Alphaville
I Got You - Split Enz
Pass the Dutchie - Musical Youth
Pump Up the Volume - MAARS
Brand New Lover - Dead or Alive

Der Kommissar by Susie Andrews (there were 4 cuts of this song and imo she did it the best)!

Where I'm from, as far as 80's music goes, a lot of emphasis is put on the "rawk" aspect of the decade (Journey, Loverboy, Foreigner, hair metal, etc.) and less is put on the New Wave/New Romantic/electropop scene. And I think it was pretty much the same way in the 80's itself!! So, since I can't stand the whole "rawk" thing, there are several songs and bands that I think are underrated and underplayed!! Here are some examples:

- Any other song by so-called "one hit wonders" besides their one hit
- Any other song by Ultravox besides "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes" and even "Vienna" (though that could be held in higher regard itself!)
- Any song by John Foxx (I think he's practically unheard of here)
- "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead" by Depeche Mode (which is on the UK release of Speak & Spell instead of "Dreaming Of Me" and I think a far superior song)
- "The Promise" by When In Rome
- "(Feels Like) Heaven" by Fiction Factory
- "Invisible" and "Love Insurrection" by Alison Moyet
- "City Of Night" and "Saturdays In Silesia" by Rational Youth (They're Canadian after all!)

That's all I can think of for now, but I believe a lot of songs were covered in one lump. I may come up with more later.

Absolutely Vile

I just thought of another one I haven't heard in ages: "Let Me Go" by Heaven 17.

Change-by John Waite (it was part of the Visionquest soundtrack)




Cat

Going Southbound by John Hiatt
Knocked Down, Made Small (Treated Like a Rubber Ball) by Was (Not Was)
World Where You Live by Crowded House
Do You Believe in Shame? by Duran Duran
Channel Z by the B-52's
anything by Pylon

World Where You Live by Crowded House

Oh yes... This just reminded me of my favourite Crowded House song which I think is highly underrated and underplayed... "Chocolate Cake!" ;)

Absolutely Vile

One of my favorites:

Max Carl - "The Circle" (From the Weird Science soundtrack)

Going Southbound by John Hiatt
Knocked Down, Made Small (Treated Like a Rubber Ball) by Was (Not Was)
World Where You Live by Crowded House
Do You Believe in Shame? by Duran Duran
Channel Z by the B-52's
anything by Pylon



Pylon, there's a forgotten blast from the past, and they were dang good 8)  Also Let's Active and the DBs!

Great suggestions I've seen so far!



- "The Promise" by When In Rome
- "(Feels Like) Heaven" by Fiction Factory
- "Invisible" and "Love Insurrection" by Alison Moyet

That's all I can think of for now, but I believe a lot of songs were covered in one lump. I may come up with more later.

Absolutely Vile


I love those songs! Neither of those Alison Moyet songs were ever that popular here in the U.S., except for the former, but I always thought she should have been much more popular here than she was. I am also a personal fan of Fiction Factory and have always loved Feels Like Heaven. Some of their other songs were really great too. Same with When In Rome.

I'd like to add one to the bunch:

Be Still My Beating Heart by Sting

The only songs from him that I ever hear in my neck of the woods are Fortress Around Your Heart and his 90s hits like Fields of Gold and If I Ever Lose My Faith in You. This one was a Top 20 hit but I never ever hear it anymore. One of my personal favs from him and deserves more airplay and mention in general. I could probably gush about it forever but I won't.  :)

I'd also like to add:

The Great Commandment by Camouflage
Don't Be My Enemy by Wang Chung

Just my two cents.  8)

The Great Commandment by Camouflage

CAMOUFLAGE!!! They're great!!! I really, really wish I could find more of their stuff because I'd really like to hear it! I do have a few songs (including "The Great Commandment," which I now have on 12" vinyl) that were sent to me by the person who first introduced me to the band's music, and I've loved them all! I'm happy to know that there are a few people on this side of the Atlantic who know who they are! :P

Absolutely Vile

Nearly all the tunes you've been talking about are songs which still seem commercial!  :o

There're tons and tons of awesome tunes performed in the UK as alternative pop-rock, gothic pop-rock (oh! gothic sounds were so high in the 80's 8)), techno-pop...

Peter Murphy has very underrated songs (Blind Sublime, All Night Long, Cuts You Up)
Then Jerico (Big Area, The Motive, Reeling, You Ought To Know)
Snake Corps (Calling You, Colder Than The Kiss)
1000 Mexicans (Under Construction, Diving For Pearls)
Sad Lovers & Giants (Cowboys, Things We Never Did)
....
and tons more of bands which only made 1,2 or 3 hits around here at most.

And in my opinion this is the most underrated album (and band) in history:
Playground, by The Truth (with soulful-pop gems like Thursday Club, Exception Of Love, Always On My Mind, It's A Miracle)

Every Day is Halloween by Ministry
All in My Mind by Love and Rockets

The Canadian band Honeymoon Suite had a lot of good songs, but they didn't get much airplay in the US.

The Canadian band Honeymoon Suite had a lot of good songs, but they didn't get much airplay in the US.


LUCKY YOU!!! We had to put up with them all the time! And still have to if you listen to radio stations that play a lot of 80's music, or watch MuchMoreMusic or something. <shudder> :P

Absolutely Vile

I remember a song called "Everybody Dance" by Ta Mara & the Seen. I never hear that song on an eighties night radio program.
They always play "jungle love" from The Time but what about "The Bird"? Some artists are called one hit wonders when they actually did have a second "hit". Everybody knows "Rock Me Amadeus" but how 'bout "Vienna Calling"?
Hey, I love the christmas season and all but when they play "Do they know it's Christmas" and "Dear Mr.Jesus" more times in one month than do they my other "obsure" songs,  >:(
what about "one in a million"? by the romantics.  I'm sure more underplayed songs will sink in.

There is a reasonably good local radio station which plays many mainstream 80's hits.  By request they have played one or two more unusual stuff (Scritti Politti - Wood Beez was the last one I asked for).  I don't think I've heard them play any early stuff by The Cure or any Bauhaus.  Maybe I should start asking for more?

Well, long time reader first time poster.

The following songs i believe are underrated

Most are ballads.....

Angry Anderson - Suddenly
Cold Chisel - Flame Trees
Cold Chisel - When the War is over