1982

Survivor
Eye Of The Tiger

John Mellencamp
Hurt So Good

The Human League
Don't You Want Me

Marvin Gaye
Sexual Healing

Chicago
Hard To Say I'm Sorry

Jackson Browne
Somebody's Baby

Soft Cell
Tainted Love

A Flock Of Seagulls
I Ran (So Far Away)

Musical Youth
Pass The Dutchie

Huey Lewis & The News
Do You Believe In Love

This was the start of what I personally consider a golden era of popular music, which lasted through 1985. As such, I once again must go beyond 10 mere tracks.

1. Rosanna / Toto
2. Hungry Like the Wolf / Duran Duran
3. Africa / Toto
4. The Message / Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
5. More Than This / Roxy Music
6. I.G.Y. / Donald Fagen
7. Come On Eileen / Dexy's Midnight Runners
8. Nebraska / Bruce Springsteen
9. The Look of Love, Pt. 1 / ABC
10. All Night with Me / Laura Branigan

11. Only the Lonely / The Motels
12. Don't Go / Yazoo
13. Who Can It Be Now? / Men At Work
14. Maneater / Darryl Hall & John Oates
15. Mama Used to Say / Junior
16. Edge of Seventeen / Stevie Nicks
17. My Camera Never Lies / Bucks Fizz
18. American Heartbeat / Survivor
19. Pressure / Billy Joel
20. New World Man / Rush
21. I Know There's Something Going On / Frida
22. Heat of the Moment / Asia
23. Gloria / Laura Branigan
24. Promised You a Miracle / Simple Minds
25. Eye of the Tiger / Survivor

This was the start of what I personally consider a golden era of popular music, which lasted through 1985. As such, I once again must go beyond 10 mere tracks.

Rosanna / Toto
Hungry Like the Wolf / Duran Duran
Africa / Toto
I.G.Y. / Donald Fagen
The Look of Love, Pt. 1 / ABC
Who Can It Be Now? / Men At Work
Maneater / Daryl Hall & John Oates
Edge of Seventeen / Stevie Nicks
Pressure / Billy Joel
Gloria / Laura Branigan

Agreeing with you on all of these, although with Donald Fagen I prefer "New Frontier", and the better Billy Joel song was "Allentown".

Plus, I have to add these in:
Steve Winwood, "Talking Back To The Night"
Joe Jackson, "Steppin' Out"
Glenn Frey, "The One You Love"
Don Henley, "Dirty Laundry"
Tommy Tutone, "867-5309"
Steve Miller Band, "Abracadabra"
Phil Collins, "Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away"
Journey, "Only Solutions"
Fleetwood Mac, "Hold Me".

Your Pal,
Doc
8)

This was the start of what I personally consider a golden era of popular music, which lasted through 1985. As such, I once again must go beyond 10 mere tracks.


If 1982-1985 is the "golden age of 80s music" then why were you telling me 1986 is the quintessential year of the decade? 😗

Eye Of The Tiger  Dirty Laundry  and Abracadabra are as old as me

If 1982-1985 is the "golden age of 80s music" then why were you telling me 1986 is the quintessential year of the decade? 😗


Because whether or not a year is my favourite of the decade has nothing to do with how holistically it represents the entire decade. If that were the case, then 2000 would be the quintessential year of the 2000s for me and 2010 the quintessential year of the 2010s. There may have been a generally higher rate of songs with somewhat hollow melodic progressions and stiff production throughout 1986 compared to the torrent of instant classics from 1982 to 1985, but the heavier presence of loud, gated drums and hair metal as opposed to the leftover smoothness still kind of present in a lot of music prior makes 1986 a more general summation of what really defined the 80s.

Agreeing with you on all of these, although with Donald Fagen I prefer "New Frontier", and the better Billy Joel song was "Allentown".


Both of those songs are excellent too.

but the heavier presence of loud, gated drums and hair metal as opposed to the leftover smoothness still kind of present in a lot of music prior makes 1986 a more general summation of what really defined the 80s.


I disagree, I think the older analog synth sounds present throughout the earlier part of the decade (songs like Take On Me, Gold, Out of Touch, Cars etc.) are more representive of 80's music.

I disagree, I think the older analog synth sounds present throughout the earlier part of the decade (songs like Take On Me, Gold, Out of Touch, Cars etc.) are more representive of 80's music.


Well, for one, the song "Cars" is from 1979, even though it's stylistically more 80s. I just think music from the first half of the 80s had either too much of a groove or percussion that was too soft or sort of not that distant from late 70s music, whereas music from the latter half of the 80s, with its hard, crashing, edgy, over-the-top production was clearly distinguished in entirely its own right, yet simultaneously a world away from true 90s music, as well. Again, it's like my comparison between "Hello" versus "Say You, Say Me" (or "Love Will Conquer All"), or "Against All Odds (Take a Look At Me Now)" versus "Throwing It All Away." I can sort of imagine "Hello" and "Against All Odds" coming out at the end of the 70s, but "Say You, Say Me" and "Throwing It All Away" don't even seem like they belong at the start of the 1990s.

1. Harden my heart - Quarter flash
2. Eye of the tiger - Survivor
3. Private eyes - Daryl Hall &John Oates
4. Edge of Seventeen - Stevie Nicks
5. Who can it be now - Men at Work
6. Tainted love - Soft Cell
7. Abracadabra - Steve Miller Band
8. I can't go for that - Daryl Hall &John Oates
9. It's gonna take a miracle - Deniece Williams
10. Every little thing she does is magic - The Police

I thought 1982 was a quiet year musically for me, but boy was I wrong! Had to go well over 10 songs...

THRILLER - MICHAEL JACKSON (almost every song a winner)
Ebony & Ivory - Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney
Nasty Girl - Vanity 6
When I'm With You - Sheriff
There It Is - Shalamar
Night to Remember - Shalamar
You Can't Hurry Love - Phil Collins
Sexual Healing - Marvin Gaye
Madonna - Everybody
You Are - Lionel Richie
Heart to Heart - Kenny Loggins
Swear Your Love - Kenny Loggins
Anyone Can See - Irene Cara
Whad'ya Want - Irene Cara
Heartbreaker - Dionne Warwick
Love Come Down - Evelyn King
I'll Tumble 4 Ya - Culture Club
My Camera Never Lies - Bucks Fizz
If You Can't Stand the Heat - Bucks Fizz
Ribbon In The Sky - Stevie Wonder

2Ir0fratuG0

I echo #Infinity's sentiment about 1982-1985 being a musical Golden Age. 

By the way, Tainted Love is from 1981. 

Anyway, since Thriller came out in November 1982, even though almost all of the singles from it came out in 1983, I guess I'm assuming that all of the sings from it are fair game.
So, based on that...

1 Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf
2 Dexys Midnight Runners & The Emerald Express - Come On Eileen
3 Go-Go's – Vacation
4 Modern English - I Melt With You
5 New Order – Temptation
6 Heaven 17 - Let Me Go!
7 Michael Jackson - Human Nature
8 Yazoo – Situation
9 Yazoo - Don't Go
10 Michael Jackson - PYT


11 Bill Nelson - Flaming Desire
12 Yazoo - Only You
13 Tears for Fears - Pale Shelter
14 Roxy Music - More Than This
15 Tears for Fears - Mad World
16 Duran Duran - Save a Prayer
17 Simple Minds - Someone Somewhere (In Summertime)
18 Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
19 ABC - The Look of Love
20 Michael Jackson-Billy Jean
21 ABC - Poison Arrow
22 Adam Ant - Goody Two Shoes
23 B-Movie - Nowhere Girl
24 Culture Club - Do You Really Want to Hurt Me
25 Michael Jackson - Beat It
26 Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science
27 Duran Duran – Rio
28 A Flock of Seagulls - Space Age Love Song
29 Joe Jackson - Breaking Us in Two
30 A Flock of Seagulls - I Ran (So Far Away)
31 A Flock of Seagulls - Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)
32 Frida - I Know There's Something Going On
33 Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out
34 The Kinks - Come Dancing
35 Naked Eyes - Always Something There to Remind Me
36 Prince – 1999
37 Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots
38 Peter Schilling - Major Tom
39 Simple Minds - Promised You a Miracle
40 Michael Jackson-Thriller
41 Q-Feel - Dancing in Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop)
42 The Human League - Mirror Man

"Solisbury Hill" !? That song came out in 1977! Are you sure you're not thinking about "Games Without Frontiers" or "No Self-Control" for PG?
Incidentally, while "Do You Believe In Love?" made the original Top 10, we seem to be forgetting that Huey & The News had two other hits in 1982: "Hope You Love Me" and the classic show-closer, "Workin'For A Livin'"!

Your Pal,
Doc
8)

"Solisbury Hill" !? That song came out in 1977! Are you sure you're not thinking about "Games Without Frontiers" or "No Self-Control" for PG?

Wrong again, those two songs are from Melt, which came out in 1980. Gabriel's 1982 album, aka Security, contained "I Have the Touch" and "Shock the Monkey."

"Solisbury Hill" !? That song came out in 1977! Are you sure you're not thinking about "Games Without Frontiers" or "No Self-Control" for PG?
Incidentally, while "Do You Believe In Love?" made the original Top 10, we seem to be forgetting that Huey & The News had two other hits in 1982: "Hope You Love Me" and the classic show-closer, "Workin'For A Livin'"!

Your Pal,
Doc
8)


You're right, of course. However, Solisbury Hill did get re-released as a single (with Games without Frontiers as the B side) in 1982, so when I pulled up my list of 1982 ratings, Solisbury Hill appeared.  However, it's not appropriate to have that on a list of 1982 songs nonetheless, so I will edit my list.

"Solisbury Hill" !? That song came out in 1977! Are you sure you're not thinking about "Games Without Frontiers" or "No Self-Control" for PG?
Incidentally, while "Do You Believe In Love?" made the original Top 10, we seem to be forgetting that Huey & The News had two other hits in 1982: "Hope You Love Me" and the classic show-closer, "Workin'For A Livin'"!

Your Pal,
Doc
8)


That song came out in 1982.