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

1984 was unquestionably one of the most momentous and important years in popular music since the Second World War. But while 1984 was the bigger year in music, for my money 1985 was cooler. With the New Wave in its full maturity, established artists like Kate Bush and the members of Genesis surprisingly embracing pop without rejecting their odder sensibilities, and the emergence of the legend Whitney Houston, it was a year like no other.

Top 10 Albums

1. No Jacket Required (Phil Collins): I wasn’t sure how this album would fare when I started this project, since I had an older cousin and brother who were huge Phil Collins fans in the late ‘80s and so in some ways I grew up on this album. But revisiting it now, what it may lack in top hits for me (only “Take Me Home” was in the top 25 songs), it more than makes up for in its depth. And, as always, Collins’ musical production does a lot more interesting things than your typical top-40 artist, which adds a flair of the unexpected.
2. The Dream Academy (self-titled): How good was this lightning-in-a-bottle year for The Dream Academy? Even taking away top-5 (for me) non-album cover of “Please Please Please, Let Me Get What I Want,” they still had the second highest album of the year for me.
3. Rock a Little (Stevie Nicks): It says a lot about just how great an artist Stevie Nicks was and is that this album which is arguably the most poorly rated of her career placed third overall for me in an absolutely stacked year for music. While die-hard fans may clutch their pearls at my choices here, for me the standouts are “I Sing for Things,” “Talk to Me,” and “If I Were You.”
4. Once Upon a Time, deluxe edition (Simple Minds): The deluxe version of this album, which includes “Don’t You Forget About Me,” which was originally released on the Breakfast Club soundtrack, has three of my top eight songs of the year. Enough said.
5. Hounds of Love (Kate Bush): There are few things I enjoy more than when an intentionally weird and wonderful artist decides to make a more pop-friendly and accessible album and shows the world just what they’re capable of doing when they want to do it. And no album does this for me more than this one, which features not only the classic “Running Up That Hill,” but also a handful of fascinating tracks that are my favourites of her discography (apologies to “Wuthering Heights”).
6. Listen Like Thieves (INXS): I generally find with my ‘80s music deep dive project that the songs I remember loving from my childhood are still the songs I love. This album is a huge exception to that rule. I remember having an irrational hatred for INXS as a kid and teeanger, but revisiting this album, it’s pretty incredible. Even beyond the deserved hits like “What You Need,” there’s a lot here. (My favourite song on the album, “Red Red Sun,” is the least-streamed overall.)
7. Songs from the Big Chair (Tears for Fears): 1985 was so strong in pop that this album, which features three absolute decade-defining classics, couldn’t place higher than seventh for me. The album stands out for not only the depth of its production, but also its intentionality. The way the oft-forgotten but gorgeous “Broken” anticipates and flows into “Head Over Hills” is just not something we see anymore in the streaming age.
8. Heart (self-titled): Heart had a lot of ups and downs in their career, but this has to be their highest peak. My best friend was furious this wasn’t number 1, and he may have a point.
9. Whitney Houston (self-titled): In a decade best known for its heavy production, Whitney Houston broke out simply on the strength of her once-in-a-generation voice. There will only ever be one Whitney and this is where it all began.
10. Katrina & the Waves (self-titled): I could be forgiven for thinking Katrina & the Waves were a one-hit wonder. And while, yes, “Walking on Sunshine” was their only true hit and the only song from the album to crack my end-of-year playlist, the album is surprisingly deep. It feels like a pop version of the Pretenders and I’ll definitely be revisiting it as a whole.

Other Albums of Note

• The Head on the Door (The Cure): I’m not sure how The Cure just always seem so effortlessly cool, but here we are.
• Back Into Blue (Quarterflash): Led by the ablum’s title track, this is a great piece of ‘80s pop that deserved and deserves more attention than it’s gotten
• Low-Life (New Order): If I had to pick one band to show someone what the ‘80s sounded like, it would be New Order.

Top 10 Songs

What a murderers’ row! Most years have a strong top 10 but also have a couple clear stand-out songs. For 1985, I could make a case for any of the top eleven being my very favourite. But I think I’m as satisfied with this ranking as I’m going to get:

1. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” (Simple Minds): The 1980s excelled in memorable soundtracks, and this song that perfectly captured the clash between connection and coolness made the Breakfast Club’s soundtrack among the most iconic of all. (Favourite lyric: “As you walk on by / Will you call my name?”)
2. “Take On Me” (a-ha): Best-known for its legendary music video that still impresses over forty years later, this song is far more about its hook and soaring production than the lyrics. It was my favourite song when I was five, and it still hits. (Favourite lyric: “You’re shyin’ away / I’ll be comin’ for you anyway”)
3. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (Tears For Fears): If the ‘80s were all about pop music with a conscience, few artists made that resistance to capitalist excess sound as good as Tears For Fears. (Favourite lyric: “Help me make the most of freedom and of pleasure / Nothing ever lasts forever”)
4. “The Edge of Forever” (The Dream Academy): Another song forever linked to a classic ‘80s teen movie, this sounds just like the coming-of-age story it tells. (Favourite lyric: “There’s a million hearts / That break too soon / Everytime you go away.”)
5. “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” (The Dream Academy): Covers don’t generally fare well in my rankings, but where The Smiths’ original feels like half a song, this production gives it the space to breathe. (Favourite lyric: “Haven’t had a dream in a long time”)
6. “Alive and Kicking” (Simple Minds): If you’re ever in need of a pick-me-up song, you could do far worse than this. (Favourite lyric: “You lift me up / Like the sweetest cup I’d share with you”)
7. “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)” (John Parr): While this David Foster-written track is another teen movie soundrack song, as a Canadian, my first reference for it will always be Rick Hansen’s inspirational “Man in Motion” tour of the world, which inspired the song. (Favourite lyric: “I can see a new horizon underneath the blazin’ sky / I’ll be where the eagle’s flying higher and higher”)
8. “Sanctify Yourself” (Simple Minds): Beyond its hopeful lyrics, this New Wave classic stands out for its Gospel-infused production. (Favourite lyric: “You can’t stop the world for a boy or a girl / Sweet victims of poor circumstances / But you can pour back the love, sweeping down from above / Giving hope and making more chances”)
9. “Shout” (Tears For Fears): The album version of this song is six-and-a-half minutes long, which is surprising for such a simple song. But the soaring instrumental breaks make every second count. (Favourite lyric: n/a: The instrumental break that starts at 4:40 is the best part.)
10. “How Will I Know” (Whitney Houston): With her voice being HER VOICE, Whitney Houston always sounded mature and wise (as we see in other songs from this album, like “Saving All My Love” and “The Greatest Love of All). But this song has a youthful innocence we rarely got to see from her. (Favourite lyric: “How will I know if he really loves me? / I say a prayer with every heartbeat”)

Other Songs of Note

• “What About Love” (Heart): Perhaps the soaringest soaring rock anthem to ever soar.
• “And She Was” (Talking Heads): A fantastically quirky song by the always interesting Talking Heads.
• “Strange Animal” (Gowan): I love how weird rock was able to be in the mid-80s

Most Surprising Inclusion

• “Cracking” (Suzanne Vega): A mostly spoken-word text gently layered over backing music isn’t the sort of thing that gets my attention. But from the opening words, “It’s just a one-time thing / It just happens / A lot,” it hooks me every time.

Notable Song that Missed the Cut

• “Money for Nothing” (Dire Straits): When I started my 1985 deep dive, I fully expected this song not only to make the cut but to end up pretty high in the rankings. But when judged against the rest of the competition, it just didn’t keep up for me. Its musical references to MTV will always be iconic though!

[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.]