Great Britain churned out some fantastic stuff in the 80s.  Some of it became popular in North America, but a lot of it did not.  What are some of your favourites?

EDIT:  Please remember 2-3 videos per post

I shall begin with two of my favourites from the late 80s ...


Fairground Attraction - Perfect (1988)
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Easterhouse - Come Out Fighting (1989)
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Two from the early 80s I really enjoy ...


Big Country - Chance (1983)
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Modern Romance - Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey (1981)
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A wee bit 'O trivia:  The debut album by Modern Romance was called 'Adventures of Clubland'.  In Canada, after the album was already pressed, their record label decided to credit the album to members Geoffrey Deane and David Jaymes, so they put a sticker on the side of the sleeve and on the vinyl label itself to cover up the words Modern Romance.  Some releases (such as the one below) have the sticker over the Modern Romance logo on the album art as well, but the one I have just has it on the side and label. 

http://cdn.discogs.com/IebanL14rctuLdnn_124i6UbyQ0=/fit-in/600x597/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(96)/discogs-images/R-6979504-1433107664-4882.jpeg.jpg http://cdn.discogs.com/1O33IQNfNV1JtoMKctgreYxrpbs=/fit-in/600x602/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(96)/discogs-images/R-6979504-1430875979-2115.jpeg.jpg

These two immediately come to mind for me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S03UOkb9zU4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TupvVpxY_U

One that springs to mind:

Killing Joke - Love Like Blood

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnpwuRlXbhk

Being British (well half-British) and growing up there, this is a tough one. My all-time favourite group are Five Star but I think I've bombarded this forum with enough of their work. :D And so I shall list some of the runners-up...

Nik Kershaw - Progress (1984) is a nice catchy tune with quirky lyrics that funnily enough never made it onto any of his albums.

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Culture Club - I'll Tumble 4 Ya (1982) the video features a young Naomi Campbell.

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The The - This is the Day



Killing Joke - Love Like Blood


You're speaking my language.  Love both of those


Being British (well half-British) and growing up there, this is a tough one. My all-time favourite group are Five Star but I think I've bombarded this forum with enough of their work. :D

There's no such thing as too much Five Star.  They were awesome!

Here's two urban ones that I really enjoy ...

The Funk Masters - It's Over (1983)
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The lead singer for Funk Masters was Juliet Roberts.  As a solo artist, she had a brief run of UK Top 40 hits in the 90s including 'I Want You' which spent 2 weeks atop the US Dance chart in 1994

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Sade - Hang on to Your Love (1984)
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This was Sade's first single release in the US/Canada.  It was not released as a single in the UK. 
It failed to reach the US Hot 100 (by 2 positions), but it made the Top 20 in Canada

The Funk Masters - It's Over (1983)

Yeah I remember this one. The female vocalist Julia Roberts went on to have big dance hits in the 90s. Sorry Whistle didn't read through your post fully.


I love Eddie Reader (and Fairground Attraction). Their follow up single was nice too...

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WET WET WET... my sisters loved them but I only found real appreciation for them recently.

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^ Good stuff there.  I like The Wets a lot. 


Here's two more I really enjoy ...

Hot Chocolate - What Kinda Boy You Lookin' For (1983)
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Nick Heyward - Tell Me Why (1988)
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The latter one didn't chart anywhere, which I don't understand because it's so catchy.  Like the song says:  "Tell me why, I don't honestly know"

Nick Heyward - Tell Me Why (1988)



I liked that! Quite poppy.
And I had no idea Hot Chocolate were British!?

Two more from me...

Hazell Dean - Who's Leaving Who (1988)... always reminds me of my '88 summer holiday in the UK.

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Mel & Kim - More Than Words Can Say (1987)... this was me and my 'girlfriends' song... well I was only 11 yrs old. :P This was never released as a single but most people know it.

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^ Love that Hazell Dean track.  Can't say as I knew that Mel & Kim track, but I quite enjoyed it.

Here's two more from me, oddly enough both are from 1981 ...

10cc - Don't Turn Me Away
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Dollar - Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)
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Always thought 10cc were American.

I also saw Dollar when they toured with Five Star on an 80s revival tour in 2002.

Sticking with 1981, here's a Sheena Easton track I'd never heard of until recently...

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Can we say British bands too?

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Sticking with 1981, here's a Sheena Easton track I'd never heard of until recently...


This was her first effort, but didn't achieve success until her second effort came along ('9 To 5', or 'Morning Train' if you must!) - didn't hurt that she was the subject of a well-watched documentary showing on British TV at the time!

And loooooonnng before anyone in America, let alone Britain, knew who they were, some upstarts calling themselves Level 42 were cracking the Dutch charts...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65aUfZ33Fo8

The Adventures were active during most of the 80s, flitting from label to label in search of that bit of success - it finally came in 1988 with a song that was rarely off the radio, but only just managed to ease itself into the Top 20 - fine song, tho', should've reached a lot higher...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yBWf0rcddo

Always thought 10cc were American.


10cc do sort of have an American sound to them, atleast their 70s stuff anyway.  Don't Turn Me Away was a surprise Top 40 hit in Canada, and from what I gather from endless searches on the internet, it was not a Top 40 hit anywhere else


The Adventures were active during most of the 80s, flitting from label to label in search of that bit of success - it finally came in 1988 with a song that was rarely off the radio, but only just managed to ease itself into the Top 20 - fine song, tho', should've reached a lot higher...


If I was to compile a list of the 100 greatest songs of the 80s, 'Broken Land' would be in there.  I just love it!

Before The Adventures signed a record deal, lead singer Terry Sharpe made himself somewhat of a known face playing the 'shy boy' in the video for the 1982 song of the same name by Bananarama.  A fun song I still enjoy ...

Bananarama - Shy Boy (1982)
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And loooooonnng before anyone in America, let alone Britain, knew who they were, some upstarts calling themselves Level 42 were cracking the Dutch charts...


I love Level 42.  Their early 80s stuff is like jazz-funk which is such a difference to their later stuff when they finally broke North America.  Another great jazz-funk group from the early 80s was Shakatak.

I really enjoy this one ...

Shakatak - Dark is the Night (1983)
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Duran Duran: Save A Prayer

You saw me standing by a wall
corner of a main street
and the lights are flashing
on your window sill

All alone ain't much fun
so you're looking for the thrill
and you know just what it takes
and where to go.

Don't say a prayer for me now
save it till the morning after
no don't say a prayer for me now
save it till the morning after.
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'The Living Years' by Mike and the Mechanics.

Bit of Bucks Fizz... this got to no1. Used to love those pencil-thin microphones lol.

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Bit of Bucks Fizz... this got to no1. Used to love those pencil-thin microphones lol.

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What other hits did Bucks Fizz have?

Making Your Mind Up, Land Of Make Believe, Piece Of The Action, One Of Those Nights, Run For Your Life, Now Those Days Are Gone, London Town, When We Were Young. And that's only the ones I can remember!

Love 'My Camera Never Lies'.

I have a picture
pinned to my wall
an image of you and of me
and we're laughing and we're lovin it all

Look at our life now
we're tattered and torn
We're fussing and fighting
and delighting in tears
and we cry until dawn

Hold me now
warm my heart
stay with me
Let loving start
let loving start

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Howard their most well known hit outside of the UK would probably be this (which wasn't mentioned by RedHairKid)

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I love Bucks Fizz.  They never charted in North America, but they did have several releases here.  I'd say their best known hit outside of the UK was 'Talking in Your Sleep' as it was a cover of a song made famous in North America by The Romantics.

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I'd also say 'The Land of Make Believe' was well known in Canada through it's cover version by The Mini Pops.

I proudly own these on vinyl.  The one on the left was a US/Canada only compilation aimed to break the band in North America.  Sadly, it did not work ...

http://cdn.discogs.com/SR9_B683amRw4Q99t5Sy5b1qVqk=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb()/discogs-images/R-2078485-1262759136.jpeg.jpg http://www.raffem.com/images/Bucks_Fizz/bfgh5.jpg

Yes I love "Land Of Make Believe" too.

I'm actually not sure which version of "Talking In Your Sleep" I knew best as a kid. Perhaps I listened to both equally as I lived all around the world back then.

I love Bucks Fizz.  They never charted in North America, but they did have several releases here.  I'd say their best known hit outside of the UK was 'Talking in Your Sleep' as it was a cover of a song made famous in North America by The Romantics.

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I'd also say 'The Land of Make Believe' was well known in Canada through it's cover version by The Mini Pops.

I proudly own these on vinyl.  The one on the left was a US/Canada only compilation aimed to break the band in North America.  Sadly, it did not work ...

http://cdn.discogs.com/SR9_B683amRw4Q99t5Sy5b1qVqk=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb()/discogs-images/R-2078485-1262759136.jpeg.jpg http://www.raffem.com/images/Bucks_Fizz/bfgh5.jpg


How come they weren't popular in The U.S.?

I'd also say 'The Land of Make Believe' was well known in Canada through it's cover version by The Mini Pops.


Co-written by Fromer King Crimson member and ELP collaborator Peter Sinfield.



I proudly own these on vinyl.  The one on the left was a US/Canada only compilation aimed to break the band in North America.  Sadly, it did not work ...

http://cdn.discogs.com/SR9_B683amRw4Q99t5Sy5b1qVqk=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb()/discogs-images/R-2078485-1262759136.jpeg.jpg


I too own this album.

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Haywoode's 1986 single "Roses"...


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Trying to put Happy Hour Again by the Housemartins, but it isn't working.

Haywoode's 1986 single "Roses"...


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Wow I never knew there was a video to this.  :o

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Really nice this one - didn't expect it to be so poppy!

And wasn't The Farm in 1990? I remember that and "Groovy Train" being all over the place back then. Good times!

Sorry, I considered 1990 as part of the '80s decade, although it really ends on January first of the year.

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Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels (1985)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZyGDiUnta4

(Although I also loved) Change (1983)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7t7gKh0qIM

The Fixx - Stand or Fall (1982)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM6Ilhqms_8

Marillon - Kayleigh (which I did not discover until only a couple years ago.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr7hXE9m6r8

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This is the song that most "feminists" thought was sexist.  I was 9 at the time that this video was released so I didn't understand what all of the fuss was about?

West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys

Everything by the Clash

Our House By Madness