IT was the era of soft rock, New Wave and pure pop, with power ballads and powerful rock songs riding high in the charts, and it seems you just can’t keep 1980s’ music down.
Oh…don’t you just love a bit of 80s music!
You are not alone if this is your train of thought as some of the biggest bands and singers of the era are back in the limelight - and in the charts.
Which acts?
From Tears For Fears to Spandau Ballet’s frontman Tony Hadley and from Simple Minds to Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue, the airwaves and charts of late have been sprinkled with plenty of stars and bands who became superstars in the era.
Tears for Fears?
English rockers Tears For Fears, who were 1980s headliners with iconic tracks such as Shout and Everybody Wants to rule the World, are back with a new album, The Tipping Point, with its first two singles, the album namesake The Tipping Point and No Small Thing, all over Radio 2, before the duo of Roland Orzabel and Curt Smith tour the world from May.
Hadley?
Former Spandau Ballet singer Tony, who famously sang “Always believe in your soul, gold!” - announced in 2017 that he was no longer a member of the iconic band. He now has a new radio-friendly single Because of You and in Mach, is embarking on a 40th anniversary tour that will take him across the UK, including dates in Perth, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Jason and Kylie too?
The Australian pop stars found themselves back in the top 10 earlier this month when their classic 1989 track Especially For You rocketed back up the charts, as part of a campaign by ardent fans not only of their music but of Neighbours - the Australian soap opera that propelled them to fame. The soap is at risk of coming to an end and a coordinated social media effort to relentlessly stream the duet met with chart success.
Who else?
Simple Minds began in the 1970s in Glasgow, of course, but Don’t You Forget About Me - the anthem from the hit 1985 movie The Breakfast Club - rocketed the Scots stars to global stardom and frontman Jim Kerr and guitar supremo Charlie Burchill are both 62 now but still going strong. Just like aforementioned acts, Tears For Fears, they too performed in Radio 2's Piano Room on Ken Bruce's morning show in recent days, serenading listeners with the help of the BBC Concert Orchestra, and are also heading out on tour. New music is also afoot as Kerr told listeners songs were “coming soon."
And?
Rick Astley's 1987 Never Gonna Give You Up track is still all over the internet, with 'rickrolling' a continuing viral trend - where the video for the song appears unexpectedly in online links.
What’s up with Le Bon?
Simon Le Bon and his band Duran Duran - whose new album Future Past peaked at three in the UK album chart - are in the running for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for 2022 in the United States. The prestigious honour is being prepared via an online poll, with the top five artists - as selected by the public - going into a fan's ballot and at last count, Duran Duran were in pole position with more than 468,000 votes - 20,000 ahead of Eminem. Le Bon said: “Just to make it onto the nominations list is an honour that I never expected to experience... But for sure, this distinction is due in large part to the fact that we have an army of fans around the world who have unwaveringly supported us for the past four decades”.
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