Amazing But Forgotten Hits of the 80's

10 AMAZING BUT FORGOTTEN HITS OF THE 1980'S

When ever you listen to your local radio, you will always have the stations that provide hits from yesteryear. The classic years as they call them or hits of a certain decade. You know the ones. Well its just so boring that you always hear the same old tired out songs. The hits we all know instantly, which is great in one respect, but the 80's always seem to be limited to a certain set of songs from the pop charts., and those which were fleeting dont get a great deal of recognition, even though they are excellent in terms of their lyrical and arrangement skills.

So this misconception makes people who were perhaps not old enough to have been there, simply believe that the era was all about Michael Jackson, Madonna and long hair. Well it wasn't and it most certainly needs to be stated that some amazing pop music came out during this period in musical history. 

Well MuzeBitez have selected a list of songs that are absolute classics but have long since been forgotten by the radio stations and the general public.. Be sure to go ahead and find out about these artists as they had some other good work but is mostly hidden away by today's music radio. But for now check out their finest hit singles below. Please follow our Spotify playlist at the bottom for all of these great songs. 

DOUBLE. THE CAPTAIN OF HER HEART. 1985

Written by Kurt Maloo and performed with his band called "Double" These were a Swedish act that had this hit in late 1985. Its a perfectly produced mellow soulful pop record with the main theme about a woman dreaming of her lover coming back to her, but he doesn't and therefore she has to let go. It is rich in lush pads and carries a pretty cool piano riff. A perfect Summer time song to chill to, and one that should be on radio today.

THE RAH BAND. CLOUD'S ACROSS THE MOON. 1985

An unusual band which was put together by Richard Harris in the late 1970's. They had some minor underground club hit success in the early part of the decade, but in 1985 they delivered a very slick electronic disco hit called Clouds Across the Moon. Which tells the story of a woman who has lost her lover to some kid of out of space journey and hes lost in another galaxy somewhere and shes unable to make contact with him. Its a fine slice of crossover dance music intertwined with a great catchy pop chorus that works well and has some brilliantly programmed synths and drums in the production. Get this classic hit back on the radio.

MATT BIANCO. MORE THAN I CAN BEAR. 1984

Around 1984 there was a slight trend in pop which was Jazz influenced and had a Bossa Nova vibe going off in there also. A few bands took to this and produced a few singles from it. Matt Bianco were one such act that succeeded within this Genre of Sophisticated Pop/Jazz with their hit called More Than I can Bear. A love song that tells the tale of a man who struggles to get over his love. Complete with an upright bass and some cool Brass against the backdrop to subtle synths and a stunning female acapella intro. This song still sounds fresh today and carries a contemporary feel to it over 34 years later.

THE STYLE COUNCIL. LONG HOT SUMMER, 1983

We all know who Paul Weller is, but somehow his most creative works from the 1980's always seem to be overlooked. If you are a Weller fan then you are probably torn between the Jam and the Council era's. I myself love all his work, but none more so than his 1983 classic The Long Hot Summer. A beautifully produced Soul/Pop track that has such a warm melancholic feel to it, but also a perfect track to cruise along to in the Summer haze. Needs to be in everyone's 1980's Pop classics playlist.

EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL. EACH AND EVERY ONE. 1984.

Although this only reached number 28 in the charts, it is without a doubt one of their finest tracks ever. Following on from that Jazz styled Pop vibe, here is a group that have evolved throughout the years with many different styles of music. Tracey Thorn has a wonderful and unique voice which suits her style of music perfectly. This track was their first single and first hit. It would take just over another decade for them to have a massive revival in the 90's. But this track itself deserves a revival on the air waves too.

THE BLOW MONKEYS. DIGGING YOUR SCENE. 1986

The Blow Monkeys were one of those bands that had that perfect Soul/Pop blend down to the knuckle. This hit of theirs in 1986 is one of those soulful grooves that hits you right in the heart. It has a great chorus and with the vocal talents of Dr Robert, you cant go wrong. Should be on the air waves everyday. Also worth checking out their other hits such as "Out With Her" and It Doesn't Have To Be This Way" amongst others.

JOE JACKSON. STEPPIN OUT. 1982

A fast paced uptempo beat mixed with a pulsating synthesizer bass line and some great piano licks make this record without a doubt one of the finest records during the 1980's. It has it all. A great tale with its lyrics about escapism, the sweeping pads and the colourful sounds it projects give this the power to take you to a kaleidoscopic musical landscape. A heavenly track that requires so much more airplay.

GODLEY AND CREME. CRY. 1985

Two former members of the huge 1970's act 10cc had a few singles in the 80's which were quite good, but none as great as this. Cry was released in 1985 and came with a very radical cutting edge video for the era, with its face changing effect. This track is one of those warm productions which has producer Trevor Horn stamped all over it. A record that didn't even break the top ten in the U.K and yet it is such a beautiful piece of music. Well it certainly belongs out there on the radio alot more. 

PREFAB SPROUT. WHEN LOVE BREAKS DOWN. 1985

The Newcastle band which were lead by Paddy McAloon have written some of the most intellectual Pop/Rock songs in British music History. However many only remember Prefabs biggest hit in 1988 which was the king of rock n roll. That was a top ten hit for them, but a few years earlier they recorded an album called "Steve Mcqueen" A mid 1980's Indie/Rock crossover album that is revered as a classic to this day. This track taken from that album is rich in lyrical prowess  whereas it tells the brutal tale of when relationships go bad and the aftermath with which one has to deal with. A great track and one which was once covered by Lisa Stansfield some years later. This track amongst many other Prefab Sprout songs should be on the airwaves far more than they get.

ROBBIE ROBERTSON. SOMEWHERE DOWN THE CRAZY RIVER. 1987

Former member of the 1960's & 70's Folk Rock group "The Band" Robbie Robertson pulled off a brilliant soulful slick groove here with this track. A totally different feel to his days in "The Band" This was released in 1987 and was his biggest U.K hit.Whats great about this record is the spoken word verses that give off that feeling of being lost in paradise, or wandering your way through an exotic jungle..Stunning lyrics and a great backing track. Somebody get this more airplay.

There you go. Ten forgotten hits of the 1980's. A decade that wasn't all dodgy hair cuts and should pads. A decade where sophistication had a place in the Pop charts and songs with deep lyrical meaning could be heard by the masse

MUZEBITEZ SPOTIFY PLAYLIST OF FORGOTTEN 80'S HITS