[Music] 1980's Best Number 1 Single World Cup; THE FINAL

[Triggaaar]

2 from 1980, 3 from 1981, 1 from 1982, 2 from 1984. My impression that pop wasn't so great in the second half of the 80s is obviously shared by the great and good of NSC.

Nostalgia.

 

[El Presidente]

Top two out in front, but only four votes between them. Could be a nailbiting 48 hours.

 

[Hiney]

As the great philosopher [MENTION=448]Scotty Mac[/MENTION] once said, "choosing one of those is like picking which one of your bollocks you are going to hack off with a rusty saw"

I've gone for the two that mean the most to me and my crazy life at that time

 

[Trufflehound]

Nostalgia.

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

 

[Napier]

Really surprised Ashes to Ashes got through and not Let's Dance. Anyway, Bowie still gets my vote, followed by Soft Cell - nowadays I prefer the Jam tracks, but back then Tainted Love was fantastic and encapsulated the 80s.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Narrowing 8 down to 4 (or 2) would have been too painful

The 80's were too painful PERIOD. As borne out by your poll results. Utterly shitty decade for music. In fact if it wasn't for the glorious inclusion of Frankie Goes To Hollywood (twice), anyone might be mistaken for thinking that the Eighties was all over by the start of 1982.

 

[jakarta]

Quite ridiculous that there is no Manchester stuff there - what about New Order and Blue Monday from 1983 and then practically the whole of the debut album from the Stone Roses in 1989.

#soft shandy drinking southerners....

 

[El Presidente]

Quite ridiculous that there is no Manchester stuff there - what about New Order and Blue Monday from 1983 and then practically the whole of the debut album from the Stone Roses in 1989.

#soft shandy drinking southerners....

It's not the best song of the 80's though, that's a completely separate poll!

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Can't you make this a public poll, so we can all see what terrible taste everyone has got?

 

[jakarta]

It's not the best song of the 80's though, that's a completely separate poll!

OK - don't think I bought any singles in the 1980's - wasn't really interested in the charts - too busy sorting out my Krautrock Albums - now there is a poll!

 

[portlock seagull]

Why isn't Break my stride by Matthew wilder in this poll? I challenge anyone to come up with a better world beater than that (with a small nod acknowledging Rat Rapping)

 

[BadFish]

Town Called Malice has everything. Political bite. Dance. Anger. Joy. It has to be the winner.

IS the right answer although at present it is lagging behind Going UNderground which surprises me

 

[Trufflehound]

Town Called Malice has everything. Political bite. Dance. Anger. Joy. It has to be the winner.

IS the right answer although at present it is lagging behind Going UNderground which surprises me

A winning formula doesn't need to have 'everything', it just needs to be good, which is why Going Underground is winning.

If 'having everything' were a measure of musical greatness, that would make MacArthur Park by Richard Harris the best song of all time.

 

[OzMike]

Bowie again for me, love long intros and outros and is a class song.

 

[El Presidente]

With an hour to go it looks as if we have a clear winner

 

[happypig]

I don’t like to say I told you so but…

https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showt...-Cup-Round-5&p=7948898&viewfull=1#post7948898

If this tournament isn't won by the Jam then you lot need a collective kick up the arse

 

[Eeyore]

Ashes to Ashes: Wonky eyed half rice half chips Thin White Duke's second number 1 single. Amazingly only got to number 101 in the US charts

Going Underground: Weller at his bitter best

Tainted Love: Serial spongle swallower Marc Almond, along with David Ball, reinvented a 1964 Northern Soul floorfiller.

Don't You Want Me: The uncool part of BEF went on to dominate the world with this single.

A Town Called Malice: Another effortless classic from the miserable **** from Woking

Ghost Town: As cities in the UK went up in flames in the summer of 1981 with riots spreading from city to city, this song encapsulated the anger and violence of the times.

Relax: Originally only made it to number 4, but after serial bankrupt UKIP song writer Radio 1 deejay Mike Read banned the song for suggestive lyrics and handlebar moustaches, it zoomed to number 1

Two Tribes: Follow up to Relax. Came out in about a dozen different versions. Video had Reagan and Gorby in a wrestling match.

Some of us managed to get hold of it too. After it was also banned. It felt really naughty- like when we first saw the video to Duran Duran's 'Girls On Film'.