Saturday, September 30, 2017

Number 29: Ultravox - Hiroshima Mon Amour


Ultravox's 1977 album Ha!Ha!Ha! could be called "experimental punk", with frontman John Foxx toying with musical conventions throughout the LP. The last song on the record, "Hiroshima Mon Amour", was his masterpiece. It's been called the first synthpop song, the archetype that defined an entire genre. Ultravox would go on to release Systems of Romance one year later, their Foxx-era magnum opus, but it was "Hiroshima" that made it all possible. At least three or four years ahead of its time, the track went on to inspire Gary Numan and countless others to tinker with sythesizers and drum machines. With it's haunting, incrutible lyrics, futuristic sound, and sparse, cold synths, "Hiroshima Mon Amour" was a shining beacon on the stagnant musical landscape of late-70s pop. Although it didn't make the charts back then, "Hiroshima Mon Amour" has stood the test of time and gets my #29 spot. It also marks Ultravox's fourth and final appearance on my Top 200.

Live performance below.

Friday, September 29, 2017

Number 30: The Human League: The Things That Dreams Are Made Of

Okay, here's where things get serious. The remaining 30 songs are, in my opinion, the best of the best when it comes to the New Wave/Synthpop era.
Songs 30-16 are ones I listen to again and again, and never get tired of hearing. Let's go through this group, starting with #30. 

My favorite Human League song is "The Things That Dreams Are Made Of", an album cut from 1981's Dare that for some reason was not released as a single. Once again the infinite wisdom of the record label A&R man is proven! Anyway, I love everything about this song. The drum machines, the analog synths, the vocals, everything. Phil Oakey is in top form here, and the track epitomizes the early Human League sound. The last of four League songs on my Top 200, "The Things That Dreams Are Made Of" gets the #30 spot.

...and they still rock! As evidence, here's "Sky" from 2011's Credo.


Thursday, September 28, 2017

Number 31: Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids

My favorite Japan song of all time, "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" was the lead-off single from the 1980 album of the same name. Although it only reached #60 on the UK charts, many later New Wave bands - including Duran Duran - have stated that the song (and Japan in general) influenced them greatly. I have "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" in the #31 spot, the last of four Japan tracks on my Top 200.

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Number 32: Animotion - Obsession

Bill Wadhams and Astrid Plane of Animotion hit the big time with "Obsession", the lead-off single from their self-titled debut album. Reaching #5 in the USA and #6 in the UK in early 1985, the song featured a killer synth hook and enthusiastic vocals by Wadhams & Plane. The video, involving the pair undergoing multiple costume changes at some sort of 80s fever-dream pool party, was played nonstop on MTV and other music video channels, further fuelling the song's chart ascension. Despite its cheesiness, I've always liked the video and love the song's in-your-face synthpop style. If you're going to make this kind of music, go all-in! "Obsession" gets the #32 spot here, the second of two appearances by Animotion on my list.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Number 33: Dalek I - Dalek I Love You (Destiny)

In early 1980 Alan Gill's three-year old experimental band, Dalek I Love You (shortened to just "Dalek I" by their record company), finally got label backing and released their first album, Compass Kumpas. Sadly, none of the singles from the LP made the charts in their native England or anywhere else. "Dalek I Love You (Destiny)" is my favorite song from the group, a great minimalist synthpop tune that's somehow been overlooked in the decades since. It gets the #33 spot here in Dalek I's only appearance on my list. 

Monday, September 25, 2017

Number 34: Alphaville - Jerusalem

In mid 1986, Alphaville released Afternoons in Utopia, their second full-length album. The third single off the record was "Jerusalem", a song which remains a staple of their live show. While not making much of a splash on the singles charts (except in their native Germany), "Jerusalem" has always been my favorite Alphaville tune. It takes the #34 position on my Top 200 and marks Alphaville's third and final appearance here.

...and they still rock! This is "I Die For You Today" from 2010's Catching Rays On Giant LP.


Sunday, September 24, 2017

Number 35: Spoons - Nova Heart

The Spoons basically defined New Wave music in Canada in the early 80s. "Nova Heart" announced their arrival on the Top 40 in the frigid January of 1982. With its icy synth arrangements combined with haunting vocals by Gordon Deppe, the song hinted at the dawn of a new era in pop. The video blew up big-time, and the Spoons were off and running (full disclosure: I had a huge crush on Sandy Horne). "Nova Heart" is at #35 on my Top 200.

Here's a great live performance of the song.


Saturday, September 23, 2017

Number 36: The The - This Is The Day

Late 1983 saw the release of The The's Soul Mining LP, the highest charting single from which was "This Is The Day" (#71 UK). Matt Johnson and crew had a bona fide hit on their hands.The song has stood the test of time and still sounds fresh today. "This Is The Day" gets #36 on this list and marks The The's second and final apprearance here.

Friday, September 22, 2017

Number 37: Gary Numan - Stormtrooper In Drag

Between Gary Numan's 1980 masterpiece Telekon (his best album, in my opinon) and 1981's Dance, he released the single "Stormtrooper In Drag" in collaboration with Paul Gardiner. The song was included on later CD pressings of Dance, and was released as a single, reaching #49 in the UK. "Stormtrooper in Drag" has always been my favorite Numan track, and I have it in the #37 position here. The song also marks Gary Numan's third and final appearance on this list.

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Number 38: Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence

How can this be? My favorite Depeche Mode song is from the post-Vince Clarke era? Strange but true. "Enjoy The Silence" (from their 1990 LP Violator) reached #6 in the UK and #8 in the USA, making the single their biggest hit of all time. It takes the #38 spot on my Top 200, marking Depeche Mode's second and final appearance on this list.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Number 39: Platinum Blonde - Doesn't Really Matter

"You don't really want to know...your concern is just for show." The year is 1983, and Platinum Blonde's Standing In The Dark LP is tearing up the canuck charts. Some have taken to calling Mark Holmes and crew "the Canadian Duran Duran". Then "Doesn't Really Matter" is released as a single. The video above is in heavy rotation on Much Music all summer. The tune is inescapable on the radio. New Wave is ascendant in the Great White North, and Platinum Blonde are its avatars. Good times! Oh, and #39 on my Top 200 in the band's fourth and last appearance here.

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Number 40: Duran Duran - I Don't Want Your Love

Duran Duran has many awesome songs. "Planet Earth", "Union Of The Snake", "New Moon On Monday", "The Chauffeur", "Notorious", etc. But my favorite has always been 1988's "I Don't Want Your Love", from the Big Thing album. The song hit #14 in the UK and a stellar #4 on the US chart. It gets the #40 spot on my Top 200. "I Don't Want Your Love" also marks the third - and final - entry from the Fab Five on this list.

...and they still rock, as evidence I present this from 2010:

Monday, September 18, 2017

Number 41: Camouflage - That Smiling Face

German New Wavers Camouflage struck gold with the fourth single from their debut album, Voices & Images in late 1988. "That Smiling Face" rocketed up the European charts with its driving, relentless beat and sharp vocals by Marcus Meyn. Despite not really having a chorus, "That Smiling Face" has always been my favorite Camouflage tune of the 80s. It gets the #41 spot on my Top 200 list in the band's second and final appearance.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Number 42: Bone Symphony - Dome Of Spheres

"Dome Of Spheres" is the second and final entry by Bone Symphony on my Top 200. Great vocals, great lyrics, cosmic-sounding synths, there's really not much to say about this song except it's right up my alley. If this band had continued to make music together, who knows what amazing stuff they would have come up with? As it is, "Dome Of Spheres" (from the 1983 EP Bone Symphony) gets my #42 spot.

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Number 43: Mi-Sex - Blue Day

At #43 we find the second and final song by Kiwi band Mi-Sex. From their fourth album, 1983's Where Do They Go?, "Blue Day" cracked both the New Zealand and Australian top 40. Although the song didn't chart internationally, it has always been my favorite Mi-Sex tune. Steve Gilpin, Murray Burns, and crew made some great music during the 80s, and I think this track is their greatest.

Video below.

Friday, September 15, 2017

Number 44: Cee Farrow - Lost And Memorized

The enigmatic Cee Farrow emerged from the Frankfurt synthpop scene in 1983, snagging a record deal and producing Red And Blue, his only full-length LP. The lone hit from the record was "Should I Love You?", which managed to get to #82 on the Billboard Hot 100 despite not charting at all in most of Europe. My favorite song by the German New Waver, however, is the languid "Lost And Memorized", with its awesome vocal stylings and great synths. I have it at #44 in Cee Farrow's only appearance on my list.

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Number 45: Erasure - Who Needs Love Like That

My favorite Erasure song of the 80s, "Who Needs Love Like That" was the band's first single released from their debut album, 1986's Wonderland. It reached #55 on the British charts and got Vince Clarke's latest venture off to a flying start. Erasure gets the #45 spot on my Top 200 in their second and final appearace here. Cheesy video included above.

Bonus below! My favorite Erasure song of all time is "Always", from 1994's masterpiece I Say I Say I Say.

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Number 46: Ultravox - We Came To Dance

"We Came To Dance" was the final release from Ultravox's 1982 LP Quartet. It hit #18 in Britain and continued the string of hits that included "Reap The Wild Wind", "Hymn", and "Vision In Blue". With the success of Quartet, Midge Ure and crew solidified the position of the second incarnation of Ultravox in the New Wave pantheon. "We Came To Dance" gets the #46 spot on my Top 200.

Bonus: Live performance below.



Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Number 47: The Buggles - Kid Dynamo

Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes released their seminal album The Age Of Plastic in 1980. It went on to sell six million copies and boost the entire New Wave movement into the stratosphere. "Kid Dynamo" is not a track from the album that was released as a single, but it's always been my favorite Buggles tune. I have it at #47, and it marks the second and final appearance of the group on this list.

Bonus: "On TV", from their second album, Adventures In Modern Recording (fan-made video). Another great Buggles tune.

Monday, September 11, 2017

Number 48: A-ha - The Sun Always Shines On TV

A-ha makes their only appearance on this list with "The Sun Always Shines On TV", which has always been my favorite track of theirs. Hitting #20 in the US and #1 in Britain, it was a very successful third single release from their 1985 album Hunting High And Low. Morten Harket and crew take the #48 spot on my Top 200.

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Number 49: The Cure - Close To Me




Always my favorite Cure song, "Close To Me" takes the #49 spot on my Top 200 and is the third and final Cure track to make the list. Released in late 1985, "Close To Me" hit #24 on the UK charts and eventually made it to #97 in the USA. The video is not for anyone who is claustrophobic or afraid of drowning.

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Number 50: Idle Eyes - Tokyo Rose

Marking the three-quarter point of my Top 200 is "Tokyo Rose", the smash hit by Canadian New Wavers Idle Eyes. Tad Campbell formed the band in 1980, but it took years of touring before they got the attention of a major label. Their self-titled debut album produced two hits, including the song I have at #50 on this list, "Tokyo Rose". It peaked inside the Canadian top 20 during the steamy summer of 1986 and marks their only appearance here.

Friday, September 8, 2017

Number 51: Dear Enemy - Computer One


Ron Martini and Chris Langford formed Dear Enemy in Melbourne, Australia in mid 1980. A fixture on the sizzling New Wave scene in that city, the band eventually secured a record deal and released their debut LP Ransom Note in 1983 (the cover art for the record was one of the best designs of the 80s, in my opinion. I have included it below).


"Computer One", the first single off the album, rocketed to #15 in Australia and gained the band international attention. They released several more singles ("The Good Life" being the best) over the next few years, then quietly disbanded in 1988. I have "Computer One" at #51 on this list.

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Number 52: Men Without Hats - The Safety Dance

The second and final Men Without Hats entry on my Top 200, "The Safety Dance" (presented here in the great album/video/Canadian radio single version, not the God-awful US radio single version) was the band's biggest hit. It reached #3 in America, #11 in their native Canada, and #6 in the UK while receiving heavy international video airplay. Ivan Doroschuk and crew went on to release four more albums after Rhythm of Youth, the 1984 LP that includes "The Safety Dance", before Ivan went solo in 1995. "The Safety Dance" gets the #52 spot here.

Bonus: Here's "Superbadgirls" from Ivan's first solo LP, 1997's The Spell

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Number 53: The Fixx - Are We Ourselves

The third and final entry by The Fixx on my Top 200, "Are We Ourselves" has always been my favorite song of theirs. The first single off their 1984 Phantoms LP, "Are We Ourselves" hit #15 in the USA and #29 in Canada. Strangely, it didn't chart at all in their native UK. With an amazing bassline and great vocals by Cy Curnin, I have the track at #53 here.

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Number 54: OMD - Telegraph

"Telegraph" was the last single released from OMD's 1983 LP Dazzle Ships. It's the third and final song from the group on my Top 200 and has always been my favorite OMD tune (and I like a lot of OMD tunes). "Telegraph" had a relatively disappointing chart performance upon release, only hitting #42 in Britain and not charting at all in the USA. I have the track at #54 here.

...and they still rock! As evidence, here's "One More Time", from their 2017 LP The Punishment Of Luxury.

Monday, September 4, 2017

Number 55: Until December - Heaven

Adam Sherburne and Bryan Weisberg formed Until December in 1984 in San Fransisco. In early 1986 they released their self-titled LP, which achieved some regional success but failed to break through nationally. They disbanded in 1990. "Heaven" was the most successful single off their lone record, and takes the #55 spot on this list. 

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Number 56: Blue Peter - Falling

"Falling" was the first track on Blue Peter's 1983 album of the same name. It would prove to be their most successful LP, going platinum in Canada. Unfortunately the band broke up soon after and never released another record. I have "Falling" at #56 and we'll see these guys again before we get to the end of this list.

Saturday, September 2, 2017

Number 57: Berlin - Masquerade

The final single released from their 1983 Pleasure Victim LP, "Masquerade" is the second of three Berlin songs on my Top 200. The lyrics seem to tell an eerie tale of vampires giving up their humanity to join the ranks of the undead. At least, that's what I like to think the song is about. Who knows? It's a great track any way you slice it and takes the #57 spot on this list.

Here's a live performance of "Masquerade" from 1983.

 

Friday, September 1, 2017

Number 58: Celebrate The Nun - Unattainable Love

Celebrate The Nun was a German group formed in Berlin by Rick Johnson, Brittney Maxime, and H.P. Baxxter in 1985. They toured, performed, and recorded dance-influenced synthpop in relative obscurity until finally signing a record deal in early 1988. Their first full-length album, Meanwhile, was released the next year to moderate European success. "Unattainable Love", my favorite song of theirs, gets the #58 spot here.