Liam Lusk

Oh Julie was a number one hit on the UK singles chart for one week for Stevens in January 1982 it was his third number-one single and his first as a writer. The B-side, “I’m Knockin’”, was also written by Stevens.

The upbeat rockabilly style paid homage to the 1950s while fitting perfectly into the ’80s pop landscape.

The single cemented Stevens’ run as the UK’s top-selling singles artist of the decade.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight was originally written and composed by Solomon Linda in 1939, it was first published as “Mbube“. In 1961, the Tokens, a doo-wop group, adapted the melody and added English lyrics to produce “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. 

A number of covers have been made since including the Tight Fit version which we just heard.

Their polished pop version brought the familiar tune to a new generation. Though often remembered as kitsch, it became one of 1982’s most memorable novelty hits.

This version reached number 1 here in the UK.

I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll was originally released by the Arrows in 1975.

Joan Jett saw the band perform the song in 1976, and brought it to her band at the time, the Runaways, who passed on it. After the Runaways split, Jett covered the song with her band, the Blackhearts, for her album of the same title.

Jett’s gritty take on the track dominated the US Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks and became a rallying cry for women in rock. Its iconic riff and sing-along chorus made it a lasting anthem of rebellion.

Do You Really Want to Hurt Me by Culture Club was eleased as a single in September of my chosen year from the group’s platinum-selling debut album, Kissing to Be Clever.

The soulful ballad introduced the band to the world and highlighted Boy George’s distinctive voice and style. Blending pop with reggae influences, it hit number 1 in the UK and broke the band internationally, in the US it peaked at number 2.

The single helped usher in the New Romantic movement’s mainstream success.

Ebony and Ivory by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder was released in March as the lead single from McCartney’s third solo album, Tug of War.

This release paired two musical legends for a pop anthem about racial harmony. Symbolizing unity through piano keys, the track topped both the US and UK charts. Despite mixed critical reception, it became one of the year’s most commercially successful collaborations.

Some critics have derided the song as “saccharine”, marking as “the beginning of the end of [McCartney’s] artistic credibility”. They added that while the song appealed to listeners who would never usually have bought a McCartney record, it “wore out its welcome quickly” and came to be seen as him attempting to stay musically relevant in middle age, particularly as he soon went on to record duets with Michael Jackson.

Don’t You Want Me by the Human League was released in November as the fourth single from their third studio album, Dare.

While released in the UK late the previous year, “Don’t You Want Me” hit US airwaves in my chosen year and quickly rose to number 1. Its synth-heavy production and duet structure embodied the New Wave sound.

The song remains one of the most iconic tracks of the 1980s. In 2015, the song was voted by the British public as the nation’s seventh-favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV. And in 2022, Rolling Stone ranked it as one of the “200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time”.

Eye of the Tiger by Survivor was written as the theme song for the film Rocky III and released as a single from Survivor’s third album of the same name.

It became one of the decade’s most enduring motivational anthems. Its aggressive guitar riff and lyrics about determination pushed it to number 1 in the US and UK. The song earned Survivor a Grammy nomination and cemented their legacy in time.

By February 2015, It had sold more than 4.1 million in downloads in the US.

Abracadabra by the Steve Miller Band was released as the first single from their twelfth  album of the same name.

The track showed the band embracing a slicker, synth-infused sound. The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached number 1 in several other countries. Here in the UK it reached number 2.

Its hypnotic chorus made it a surprise late-career smash for the band.On it’s release Billboard said the song “mixes sly lyric, soulful vocal, and Miller’s guitar wizardry.

Hard to Say I’m Sorry by Chicago was released in May as the lead single from the band’s thirteenth album Chicago 16.

This ballad marked the band’s shift from jazz-rock to softer pop sounds in the ’80s. Reaching number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 4 in the UK, it showcased the group’s ability to adapt to changing trends.

Its lush production and heartfelt lyrics made it a wedding and radio staple.Billboard called it a “stately pop ballad” with “even more of an orchestral sweep than usual.”

Pass the Dutchie by Musical Youth was taken from their debut studio album, The Youth of Today.

The band who were just teenagers at the time brought reggae into the UK pop mainstream. The track hit number 1 in the UK and charted internationally, thanks to its irresistible rhythm and chorus.

Its playful reworking of a reggae standard gave it wide appeal.After the song was featured in the series Stranger Things in 2022, it experienced a resurgence of popularity, re-entering a number of international charts.

Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners (credited to Dexys Midnight Runners was released in the UK in June of my chosen year as a single from their second studio album Too-Rye-Ay. 

It blended Celtic folk with pop in one of the most distinctive hits of the year. It soared to number 1 in both the UK and US, becoming the band’s defining song. Its fiddle-driven hook and exuberant chorus keep it a party favorite.

It won Best British Single at the Brit Awards the year after release, and in 2015 the song was voted by the British public as the nation’s sixth favourite 1980s number one single in a poll for ITV. It also was ranked number 18 on VH1’s “100 Greatest Songs of the ’80s” and was Britain’s best-selling single of the year.

Maneater by Hall & Oates is from their eleventh studio album, H₂O released in my chosen year.

The track fused pop, rock, and R&B into one of Hall & Oates’ darkest and catchiest tracks. The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, reached number 6 here in the UK and became a defining song of their career.

Its theme of a destructive femme fatale added depth to its polished sound.Billboard called it a “moody midtempo piece which has the percolating bass line of a mid-60’s Supremes record and the atmospheric sweep of a Giorgio Moroder film score” and Cash Box said that the opening bassline resembles that of the Supremes’ song “You Can’t Hurry Love.”

Taken from his eighth album The Nylon Curtain it was released as the album’s first single and reached at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Cash Box said that “the bass, drums and keyboards at times poke and pound like an annoying headache (appropriately, considering the theme) while sliding into briefly melodic calm at others” and Billboard said that it shows Joel “learned lessons from new music acts while keeping his melodic instincts intact” and specifically commented on the drumming and vocal performance.