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

I started my deep-dive into 1980s music with one big question: When did the ‘80s fall off the cliff? I knew the middle years of the decade were lauded as some of the best ever in popular music, but am old enough to remember that by the end of the decade pop music was in something of a hair-band and adult contemporary purgatory. So entered the project deeply curious. And while I wouldn’t say that pop music fell off a cliff in 1986, I will say that I think I have an understanding of what happened.

Basically, you can chart the through lines between the music of 1980–81 and that of 1986 more easily than you can the music of 1985 and ‘86. The start of the decade was dominated by arena rock, R&B and disco, 1950s nostalgia, and the singer-songwriters of the 1980s. Here in 1986 we also see a lot of arena rock — traditional rock, heavy metal, hair-bands, and the curious mid-80s “pop-forward-prog-rock” sensibility of Genesis and its side projects. ‘86 also saw a lot of new energy in R&B; even in ‘85 it still largely seemed like it was coasting on the fumes of funk and disco, but suddenly in ‘86 it has a freshness and life to it. (Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, Billy Ocean, Prince, and Janet Jackson all had songs in my top 60 playlist.) And that singer-songwriterly space was being filled in by the emergence of what I associate with the ‘college radio’ sound that would become the indie/alternative scene in the ‘90s, combined with more mature music from ‘70s musical stalwarts. We even have a lot ‘50s nostalgia again!

All this to say it seems that roughly 1982 to ‘85 were the aberration in the decade, thanks to the New Wave. And, well, every wave crashes eventually. What’s new and cool quickly becomes the normal and just as quickly, uncool. It’s not that the New Wave sound disappears in ‘86 — as you’ll see below, it still fares very well in my rankings — but that it feels like it was metabolized by the rest of the music industry by ‘86. It left its indelible and lasting mark on pop music (such that ‘pop’ now exists as a genre rather than a descriptor), influenced more traditional rock sounds (see such emerging bands as Cutting Crew and Crowded House), and a third prong of the New Wave phenomenon evolved into electronic dance music as we know and love it to this day.

This has been by far my longest introduction, but this was an absolutely fascinating year in music, even if for me, it wasn’t nearly as strong as the previous three.

Top 10 Albums

1. Thin Red Line (Glass Tiger): I always love it when a band emerges with the exact right sound at the exact right moment. For me at least, Glass Tiger hit that exact sweet spot with their New-Wave-meets-pop major label debut. They may be a one-album wonder, but a one-hit-wonder they are not.
2. Brotherhood (New Order): While this album features my top song of the year, I was surprised and impressed by its depth. Four songs made it onto my year-end playlist. If you’re not convinced, I dare you not to delight in the lengthy instrumental break in “All Day Long.”
3. Invisible Touch (Genesis): The massive success of Genesis and its members’ solo projects in the mid-’80s is one of the strangest phenomena in the history of popular music. The fact that these prog-rock weirdos turned toward pop and dominated music over a three-year period, without abandoning their musical sensibilities is incredible. I went into this year’s deep dive expecting the title track to be high in my rankings but that’s it. But three other songs just kept climbing and climbing and here we are, with the album finishing at number 3.
4. Pearls of Passion (Roxette): I was only familiar with Roxette’s later work before this project, and was really impressed by how fully formed this early album is. The highlights for me are “Secrets That She Keeps,” “I Call Your Name,” and “Like Lovers Do,” all of which made it into my top 60.
5. Revenge (Eurythmics): I have to say this album took me by surprise. It lacks the instantly recognizable hits of their earlier albums, but impressed me with its sonic cohesion and two songs still made it onto my list, “The Last Time,” and “A Little of You.”
6. So (Peter Gabriel): This is probably the second most iconic album of the year in musical lore (second only to Paul Simon’s Graceland (see below)). It hadn’t really resonated with me historically, but on my listen this time around, it hit and hit hard. “Sledgehammer,” “In Your Eyes,” and “Red Rain” are simply undeniable.
7. True Blue (Madonna): Not only is this album full of great songs (”Papa Don’t Preach,” “Open Your Heart,” and the title track to name three), but Madonna also sounds great on it — which I couldn’t really say earlier in the decade
8. Different Light (The Bangles): While this band seemed constantly rocked by in-fighting, they did great, fun work. I’m a sucker for an all-female rock band, and few have done it better than The Bangles at their full power.
9. Crowded House (self-titled)

AND

10. Broadcast (Cutting Crew)

I decided to tackle these two albums together because I have the same thoughts about both of them. When I talked in the introduction about how music seemed to have metabolized the New Wave, these are the two best examples. They’re definitely sonically influenced by the New Wave trends, but sound like they’d be more at home on a college radio station than in a nightclub. Both albums had one huge hit, “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and “(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight” respectively, but for me both work better as full albums.

Other Albums of Note

• Graceland (Paul Simon): As I said earlier, this is probably the most iconic album of the year, and among the most iconic of the decade. If you’re not familiar with it, do yourself a favour and listen from end to end.
• Slippery When Wet (Bon Jovi): You know an album is transcendent when you can love it despite it being in a genre you don’t like. Even as someone who never warmed to the hair-band sound or style, I love this album. (It finished just outside my top ten at number eleven.)
• Control (Janet Jackson): This album was a big part of the revitalization of R&B I noted in the introduction. It sounds completely fresh, completely new. Even if what it does isn’t exactly to my taste, it was a real moment and sign of big things to come, both for her and the genre.

Top 10 Songs

1. “Bizarre Love Triangle” (New Order): This song is so infectious, it makes me wish I’d been old enough to dance in a club to it back in the day. And I don’t even like clubs. (Favourite lyric: “”Every time I think of you / I feel shot right through with a bolt of blue”)
2. ”Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” (Glass Tiger): This was my favourite song when I was six and I can safely say that six-year-old me had excellent taste. (Shout out to Bryan Adams for his backup vocals) (Favourite lyric: “If you could see what I have seen / Broken hearts and broken dreams”)
3. “Invisible Touch” (Genesis): I have no idea why this song works so well, but it’s like crack to me. (Favourite lyric: “She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah / She reaches in, and grabs right hold of your heart”)
4. “True Blue” (Madonna): Apparently I’m in a small minority that loves the title track from this Madonna album, but I love the melody and retro sound, and Madonna sounds great on it. It’s also rare to get such an earnest love song from the queen of pop. (Favourite lyric: “I’ve had other lips / I’ve sailed a thousand ships”)
5. “Manic Monday” (The Bangles): If this doesn’t “sound like” a Bangles song, it’s because it’s a Prince song, one of two he offered the group. But one thing that does make it a Bangles song are its luscious harmonies, which elevate banal lyrics. Especially in the second verse. (Favourite lyric: “I was kissin’ Valentino by a crystal blue Italian stream”)
6. “Mad About You” (Belinda Carlisle): Former Go-Go’s singer Belinda Carlisle couldn’t have done better for her first solo single. The production is propulsive and the melody fits her voice perfectly. (Favourite lyric: “Something ’bout you / Right here beside me / Touches the touched part of me like I can’t believe”)
7. “Someday” (Glass Tiger): My favourite thing about this Juno-Award-winning (Single of the Year, 1987) song is Alan Frew’s vocal performance; every moment feels intentional. it’s a perfect match of singer and song. (Favourite lyric: “In the streets where lovers meet / I’m still waiting for you”)
8. “In Your Eyes” (Peter Gabriel): While generations of viewers will always associate this song with the climactic scene of Say Anything, this surprisingly earnest and World-Music inflected love song is fantastic beyond these associations. (Favourte lyric: “I see the doorway (in your eyes) / To a thousand churches (in your eyes)”)
9. “Thin Red Line” (Glass Tiger): I can guarantee that this will be the only song about the Crimean War to appear on one of my year-end lists. And the only to start with the sound of rifle-shots. (Favourite lyric: “The hands of time have spoken for the chosen ones / Cold steel glistens in the dawning sun”)
10. “I Go Blind” (54.40): Non-Canadians may remember this song more from its ‘90s cover by Hootie and the Blowfish, but the original was a huge college radio hit in its own right. In an era known for its glam, over-the-top aesthetics, this stripped down production is a glorious change of pace. (Favourite lyric: “Somewhere over there / There’s a purpose, there’s a care for free”)

Other Songs of Note

Because these lists are very personal, they reflect my own musical tastes rather than what was really notable. And because of this, in times like the 1980s that are pop-heavy, R&B artists don’t get the attention they deserve. But R&B had a big year in 1986, and here are some of my favourites:

• “Kiss” (Prince): This song is just so cool.
• “On My Own” (Patti LaBelle): I’m embarrassed to say I only knew this from the Reba McIntyre cover, but I”m very glad to have been introduced to the original.
• “When The Going Gets Tough” (Billy Ocean): Not only is this a classic single, it also features some sound effects that would become more common as the decade wore on and into the ‘90s.

Most Surprising Inclusion

N/A – Honestly nothing felt right to include here. There are definitely some lesser-known songs from big albums on my list, but nothing super out-of-pocket.

Notable Song that Missed the Cut

There was a bit of a mismatch between my tastes and some huge hits in 1986. Here are a handful that feel worth noting — huge songs that didn’t quite make the cut for me:

• “Papa Don’t Preach” (Madonna)
• “True Colors” (Cyndi Lauper)
• “(I Just) Died in Your Arms” (Cutting Crew)
• “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” (Wang Chung)
• “Is This Love” (Survivor)
• “The Next Time I Fall in Love” (Peter Cetera, feat. Amy Grant)

[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.]