What a year. I was 15 years old, and the world would never be the same for me. Everything would change beyond recognition. Why?
It was January. 1984. And I heard these three songs. Feels like Heaven by Fiction Factory, What Difference Does It Make by The Smiths and The Killing Moon by Echo and the Bunnymen.
It’s the year that I discovered music. Music. MUSIC!!! A journey that would take me along many twists and turns over the next couple of decades. But that’s another blog on another day.
This was a year that featured great music by The Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen, David Sylvian, U2, Howard Jones and others. A year that started with Relax and ended with Band Aid at number 1.
What other year can boast greats such as Holiday by Madonna, 99 Red Balloons by Nena, I feel for you by Chaka Khan,New Song by Howard Jones, Together in Electric Dreams by Giorgio Moroder with Philip Oakey, or When doves Cry by Prince? The list goes on… Wouldn’t it be good by Nik Kershaw. Nelson Mandela by the Special AKA. Wood Beez by Scritti Politti. The Reflex by Duran Duran. Master & Servant by Depeche Mode. Madam Butterfly by Malcolm Mclaren.
And that’s just the throwaway singles. What about the albums?
Sparkle in the rain, Simple Minds
The Smiths, The Smiths
The Works, Queen
It’s my life, Talk Talk
Human’s Lib, Howard Jones
Cafe Blue , the Style Council
Junk Culture, OMD
Ocean Rain, Echo & The Bunnymen
Born in the USA, Bruce Springsteen
Purple Rain, Prince
Briliant Trees, David Sylvian
Some Great Reward, Depeche Mode
Rattlesnakes, Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
Alf, Alison Moyet
Treasure, The Cocteau Twins
What a year. It was also the year that Torvill & Dean won gold at the Winter Olympics, Liverpool won the League Championship (hurray!), Michael Jackson burned his hair filming a Pepsi ad, the Soviet Union boycotted the Olympics, the top grossing movie was Ghostbusters, and it was the year of the Miners’ strikes.
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of other great years in music. 1967, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. 1987, The Joshua Tree. 1997, OK Computer. 1965, Otis Blue. Too many to mention. But 1984 is the year that does it for me.
And you know what? I’m actually being serious. Next time you see me walking around town with my headphones in, you know what I’ll be listening to!