Landscape – Einstein A Go Go
Einstein A Go Go was Landscape's only hit that I remember, but back in 1981 it was played all the time in the UK.
Loved it back then!
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1981
Duran Duran – Planet Earth
Planet Earth was Duran Duran's debut single and what a single it was!
The New Romantics had arrived,
Duran Duran went on to dominate the UK charts for the next few years - they were massive - and their music still sounds great over 30 years later.
I o...
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Kim Wilde – Kids In America
The gorgeous Kim Wilde had some fantastic hits in the 80s and none better than Kids In America.
Pure pop, the way it should be!
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Roxy Music – Jealous Guy
Roxy Music's stunning tribute to John Lennon after his tragic death got to number 1 in the UK charts in 1981.
Lennon did the original version of course, but this is just as good (and in my opinion, even better!)
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The Jam – That’s Entertainment
That's Entertainment was another great The Jam hit in 1981. Simple, effective and full of emotion, as a great song should be.
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Blondie – Rapture
Blondie followed up her great 1980 hits with Rapture in 1981. Very different in style to her earlier Call Me and Atomic, it still captured the zeitgeist of the day.
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Ultravox – Vienna
I remember first hearing Vienna and immediately stopping and listening - it was something wonderful that I'd never heard anything like before.
I became an instant fan of Ultravox and even though they never reached those heights again, I still love this song...
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Dire Straits – Romeo and Juliet
I'm a huge Dire Straits fan now, but had never heard of them before listening to Romeo and Juliet for the first time and then getting into their wonderful music.
I actually discovered this song in school as our English Literature teacher, who was a great mu...
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John Lennon – Imagine
One of the first number ones of 1981 and re-released following John Lennon's tragic death, Imagine is one of the all time classics.
I could write more but best to just watch the video and listen.
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Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight
Phil Collins' first breakthrough single, both in the UK and the USA was a smash hit. Watch out for it in a key scene in the 1983 movie Risky Business with Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay!
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