All Things 80s!
About synth pop
Today’s tune is one of my favorites from the 1980s. It’s Frazier Chorus “Cloud 8” from their sophomore album, Ray (1990). Their debut album, Sue, contained a plethora of great synth pop goodness and their second album continues in that tradition. It’s downbeat, droll, and dreamy!
PS – You can read more about another track from the album “All the Air” at this nifty blog here. Not affiliated, it’s just a cool blog. Enjoy!
Here is a song that gets stuck in my head from time to time and today’s my lucky day again! The legendary German synth group Kraftwerk strike “gold” with their industrial/tech anthem “The Robots” (1978). Granted, their stuff isn’t for everyone, but this is one of the most highly influential tracks for so many other synth and industrial bands of that time forward. Required listening!
So, this morning I woke up with this song in my head. It’s “Wishful Thinking” by China Crisis off their Working with Fire and Steel: Possible Pop Songs Volume 2 album (1983). Dreamy and melancholy, this song didn’t have much impact in the US, although I understand it was a good size hit in the UK and elsewhere. Plus, it features an oboe, so what’s not to love? What song is on your mind today?
For all the youth who read this, there was a time when Germany was divided in to two countries: East Germany, which was part of the Eastern Bloc and West Germany, which was part of NATO. Many of the iconic German bands of the 80s were from West Berlin (the line between the countries ran through the center of the city) or other parts of West Germany. Here are five of my favorite songs by 80s German bands. Enjoy!
A band that became known for the international mega-hit “Forever Young”, Alphaville has a very strong early catalog of material from the 80s (and the band is still active today)! This upbeat number is from their sublime second album, Afternoons in Utopia. If you get a chance, give the whole album a listen. It’s a masterpiece! Anyway, here is the track:
Claudia Brucken and company came to prominence with this catchy and quirky song about a relationship gone very wrong. Synthesizers, syncopation, and sorrow. What could possibly be better? This one is required listening for fans of 80s music.
Best known for his international hit “Major Tom (Coming Home)”, this lesser-known synth pop masterpiece is from the album The Different Story (World of Lust and Crime) from 1988. Great song + strange video = 80s magic!
Sisters Annette and Inga Humpe released this glossy, dreamy piece of pop perfection in 1987 under the name Swimming with Sharks. The arrangement is amazing and the sisters’ voices are spot-on for the material. Very hard record to find these days, but very worth tracking down. There are several other good songs on the album, as well.
No list of 80s music acts would be complete without mentioning Nena from the album Nena. Released in 1983 in both German and English versions, this song was a massive chart hit on both sides of the Atlantic and around the world. Great energy and groove for a song about the end of the world. Just a little ahead of its time?
If you like these songs and want to support the artists and this channel, consider purchasing their works via the links below (just click on the album titles). Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you on the flip side!
Propaganda Secret Wish
Peter Schilling The Different Story (World of Lust and Crime)
Swimming with Sharks Swimming with Sharks (out of print)
Nena Nena
From 1982, here is the song “Get Set” by Yazoo. It’s a fun, catchy, and danceable synth pop ditty that would be right at home on an Erasure album. This archival footage features Alison “Alf” Moyet on vocals and the amazing Vince Clark on keys. Oddly, this was never released as a single nor was it featured on their albums. An essential for anyone who is into 80s music. Enjoy and happy Monday!
