The big music story of 1984, and really the one that would reverberate around pop for a while to come, didn't start until October 23rd, and even then we didn't know about the effect Michael Buerk's words would have until 31 days later when Bob Geldof booked Sarm Studios for a coming together in the name of charitable festive awareness. Up until then it was the year of Frankie, a combination of Mike Reid prudishness, a million remix 12"s and gnomic Paul Morley-penned statements and T-shirt designs giving them a remarkable cultural heft. Madonna was fast reaching a similar level, her veil and suspenders act at the VMAs being her first of her own many major statements through garments. Michael Jackson burnt his scalp for Pepsi and broke the Grammys record, Marvin Gaye was killed by his father, Bucks Fizz and Vince Neil both had life changing road accidents in very different circumstances, George Michael covered both ends of the everyone-on-the-floor spectrum with Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go and Careless Whisper, the Police split, and Stevie Wonder ruined everything with I Just Called to Say I Love You. Our 40 convey a curious, colourful, kaleidoscopic time when pop's shiny mavens, arty auteurs and brainbox idealists could rub shoulders, while underneath the underground roughed itself up good and proper.
Prince - Let's Go Crazy
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax
Strawberry Switchblade - Since Yesterday
Madonna - Material Girl
The Redskins - Keep On Keeping On
The Special AKA - Nelson Mandela
Linton Kwesi Johnson - Making History
Scritti Politti - Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)
Art Of Noise - Beat Box (Diversion One)
Cabaret Voltaire - Sensoria
23 Skidoo - Coup
Man Parrish - Boogie Down Bronx
The Nails - 88 Lines About 44 Women
Killing Joke - Eighties
R.E.M. - Pretty Persuasion
Hüsker Dü - Pink Turns To Blue
Sonic Youth feat. Lydia Lunch - Death Valley '69 (single version)
Echo & the Bunnymen - Crystal Days
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions - Perfect Skin
The Smiths - Reel Around The Fountain
The Chills - Pink Frost
The Blue Nile - Tinseltown In The Rain
The Go-Betweens - Bachelor Kisses
The Colourfield - Thinking of You
Talk Talk - It's My Life
Madness - Michael Caine
Prefab Sprout - When Love Breaks Down
Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy
Run-DMC - Hard Times
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Saint Huck
Minutemen - Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing
The Replacements - I Will Dare
Orange Juice - What Presence?!
Meat Puppets - Plateau
Cocteau Twins - Ivo
Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumours
David Sylvian - Nostalgia
Robyn Hitchcock - Trams Of Old London
Billy Bragg - The Saturday Boy
Leonard Cohen - Dance Me To The End Of Love
Previously on 40 From 40: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009
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