Matt's Books and Music

[This post is part of a large project in which I am going through the popular music released in each year. Please see the note at the bottom of the post re: omissions and limitations.]

Introduction

There are certain years whose musical output simply becomes legendary. 1984 is one of those years and is often said to be the greatest year in popular music ever, or at least in the top two or three. It features massive, era-defining albums from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Wham!, Tina Turner, Prince, and Madonna. Chances are, if you think of a quintessentially ‘80s song, it will be from 1984. So let’s take a look at what rose to the top for me in this absolutely stacked year.

Top 10 Albums

1. Reckless (Bryan Adams): With at least four bona fide hits, Bryan Adams hit his stride as a rocker with this album.
2. Born in the USA (Bruce Springsteen): It’s hard to think of a more iconic album than this one, which provoked a lot of discourse about the battle for American identity that remains as relevant today as it was forty-two years ago.
3. Learning to Crawl (Pretenders): This album doesn’t have the massive reputation of a lot of 1984 albums, but it has four songs that got huge air play through at least the end of the century in “Middle of the Road,” “Back on the Chain Gang,” “Show Me,” and “2000 Miles.”
4. Alf (Alison Moyet): Following the breakup of the late, great Yazoo, Alison Moyet made a huge statement with this solo project. Five songs made my end-of-year playlist, with three placing in the top 18.
5. Welcome to the Pleasuredome (Frankie Goes to Hollywood): While “Relax” gets all the attention, and deservedly so, it’s far from the only sterling song on this great album. “Born to Run” particularly stands out for its more traditional rock production.
6. The Unforgettable Fire (U2): Overshadowed by U2’s release three years later, The Unforgettable Fire deserves more attention than it gets. The tensions of earlier in the decade feel like they’ve receded, leaving the band at the peak of their powers.
7. The Age of Consent (The Bronski Beat): While dealing with difficult themes, this album still feels buoyant because of its uplifting production. With the success of both this album and the Frankie Goes to Hollywood album, 1984 was a great year for unashamedly queer music at a time when the AIDS crisis was ravaging the gay community.
8. Bananarama (self-titled): While only “Cruel Summer” made my end-of-year playlist, this is a surprisingly deep album that is highly listenable.
9. Warrior (Scandal, featuring Patty Smyth): Scandal was crumbling even as this album was being made, but led by the title track, it remains a classic of mid-’80s rock.
10. Make It Big (Wham!): Like with Scandal, Wham! was another band that found its greatest success just as they were coming apart at the seams (it says a lot that “Careless Whisper” was credited to George Michael alone even though it’s on this Wham! album).

Other Albums of Note

• Like a Virgin (Madonna): Even though I’m in the minority that doesn’t love this album (the title track is the only song to make my playlist), there’s no doubt that it’s iconic.
• Purple Rain (Prince): Prince doesn’t hit as hard for me as he does for many, but this album is absolutely something special. I could listen to the title track’s guitar solo on repeat.
• Civilized Man (Joe Cocker): No songs from this blues rock made my playlist, but quite a few were in the running. It’s a deep album that highlights the decade’s fascination with traditional blues sounds.

Top 10 Songs

It’s interesting looking back at the mid-80s, because while there was a lot of energy in music belonging to younger generations, the Baby Boomer generation still loomed large — a fact that can be seen in the fact that my top three songs of the year all share themes of nostalgia and lost youth:

1. “The Boys of Summer” (Don Henley): This is perhaps my favourite nostalgia-themed song ever. (Favourite lyric: “Out on the road today I saw a deadhead sticker on a Cadillac / A little voice inside my head said: “Don’t look back, you can never look back”)
2. “Dancing in the Dark” (Bruce Springsteen): Favourite lyric: “I ain’t nothing but tired / Man, I’m just tired and bored with myself”
3. ”Summer of ’69” (Bryan Adams): Favourite lyric: “Oh, when I look back now / That summer seemed to last forever / And if I had the choice / Yeah, I’d always wanna be there”
4. “Missing You” (John Waite): The first more love song on my ‘84 list is this soft rock classic; for my money Waite’s more stripped back vocals and production work a lot better for this than the more raucous cover by Tina Turner. (Favourite lyric: “Oh, there’s a message in the wire / And I’m sending you this signal tonight, baby”)
5. “Run to You” (Bryan Adams): It’s hard to make a song about infidelity work, but the love versus passion tension really comes through in Adams’ vocals here. (Favourite lyric: “I know her love is true / But it’s so damn easy makin’ love to you”
6. “Not in Love” (Platinum Blonde): I first encountered this song in a 2010 cover by Canadian electro-dance group Crystal Castles and Robert Smith. Imagine my surprise when I enjoyed the original even more. (Favourite lyric: “I found your picture hangin’ on the back of my door / Won’t give you my heart / No one lives there anymore”)
7. “Relax” (Frankie Goes to Hollywood): The overt sexual content of this song made it shocking in 1984 and still elicits an “oh my” even today. (Favourite lyric: “But shoot in the right direction / We’re making it your intention.”)
8. “Sound of Truth” (54.40): This politically-conscious anthem by Canadian indie rockers 54.40 has some of the most unique production you’ll find in the mid-80s. (Favourite lyric: “You and I will always be chasing / A carrot with bloody feet”)
9. “Bad” (U2): As much as U2 is known for its rousing anthems, I’ve always been partial to their quieter songs, like this one. (Favourite lyric: “If I could through myself / Set your spirit free, I’d lead your heart away”)
10. “Love Resurrection” (Alison Moyet): I love a smart bop. (Favourite lyric: “What seed must I sow to replenish this barren land”)

Other Songs of Note

• “Just a Dream” (Nena): One of the things I love most of this deep-dive project is finding ‘other’ great songs by so-called one-hit-wonders.
• “The Hero Takes a Fall” (The Bangles): The first big song by late-’80s stalwarts The Bangles
• “2000 Miles” (The Pretenders): Who doesn’t love a depressing Christmas song?

Most Surprising Inclusion

• “Lovers in a Dangerous Time” (Bruce Cockburn)

Notable Song that Missed the Cut

Tie:

• “What’s Love Got to Do With It” (Tina Turner)
• “Material Girl” (Madonna)

[Note: It’s of course impossible to listen to everything, so while I’ve tried to be as comprehensive as possible, omissions are inevitable. For consistency’s sake, I’ve gone with the year music was released, rather than when it became popular. Any ratings or rankings are my own and entirely subjective. This has nothing to do with objective quality but is simply reflective of my personal taste.]