Listen along for the optimal experience.
1. Queen - Radio Ga Ga
Sadly, this song is best known nowadays as being the song that, for some reason, Lady Gaga decided to name herself after. Lady FatBottomedGirls...Lady Flash...Lady BicycleRace. So many possibilities she had, Lady Flash is really good. I bet she had gone with that. Gaga sounds cool in 2007 while you're in a coke haze but I bet now she's like "Man, I coulda been Lady KillerQueen" Oh, the song itself. I like it. I used to like it a lot more, idk if the aforementioned ties to current pop singer have negated it, I'd like to think not. I'd like to think that I have no standards because I watched Big Brother UK and Big Brother US back-to-back last night. I'm shameless. 3 out of 5
2. Nik Kershaw - Wouldn't It Be Good
I'm gonna be Lady Kershaw. Book it. I recently started to really appreciate this song. Look, I'll level with you. I play Song Pop on Facebook and this song comes up A BUNCH. Like I'll be playing East Coast Rap and somehow this song will appear. I like this song is my point. 3 out of 5
3. Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now
I fucking love this song. Every time I think of the Thompson Twins (more often than you think) I think of the time Madonna sang with them at Live Aid. I looked it up for a larf and man a TON of people from this NTWICM compiliation were at Live Aid. INCLUDING NIK KERSHAW. Anyways, I like the 80s when Madonna was just a simple pop star and had to mingle with other plebians. Like the Thompson Twins (I wish they were actual twins, don't wish they were Thompsons though). Again, I fucking love this song. I only do the high parts when I sing along. OOOOOOHOOOOOHHH STAY WITH ME 4 out of 5
4. Matt Bianco - Get Out Of Your Lazy Bed
Yuck. If you've never heard this song, it's basically the theme for an early 90s UK breakfast show. Wikipedia says it was sampled in SUPER MARIO BROTHERS. Fucking prove it you assholes! SHOW ME THE RECIEPTS. Citation required, huh? Yeah, that's what I thought. OH also, Matt Bianco isn't a guy it's a band. Whatever, get over yourselves. You weren't even at Live Aid and they let anybody on. 0 out of 5
5. Carmel - More, More, More
This is terrible. For the first minute I thought it was a cover of disco classic "More, More, More" but thank god it wasn't because I was ready to go on a tirade about that. I just don't get why these horn-y faux jazz overwrought songs were so big around this time. They're awful. I wanted to skip this as much as "Red Red Wine". 0 out of 5
6. Madness - Michael Caine
I'm generally not a big Madness fan, but this is one of their better ones. 2 out of 5
7. The Flying Pickets - Only You
Well, the Yazoo version is better. The UK was suuuuper obsessed with 50s culture in the 80s, straight through all that Jive Bunny crap (god I hope I don't end up having to listen to a ton of Jive Bunny....*deletes blog*) I don't get super into this doo-wop-y version of the song but it's not terrible either. 1 out of 5
On to Side two
1. Nena - 99 Red Balloons
It's always a fun song. I don't think you hear it as much as you once did in places. I like the English version better. I'm such a simpleton. 3 out of 5
2. Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
I don't care what anyone says. 1) I love Cyndi Lauper...love, love, love. 2) I love this song...love, love, etc. It reminds me of Wrestlemania I and that's enough for me. No, wait Wrestlemania I was terrible. HOWEVER, this was the best part of Wrestlemania I so I'm back on board. 4 out of 5
3. Tracey Ullman - My Guy's Mad At Me
I've actually never heard this song. It's pretty cool. 3 out of 5
4. Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride
Welp, now I'll have "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" stuck in my head all night. Thanks a lot Wilder. I guess he went on to produce Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt so....well done? 3 out of 5
5. Julia & Company - Breaking Down
All this breaking. 1984 was so violent. 2 out of 5
6. Joe Fagin - That's Livin Alright
Interestingly, this was a double A-side with a song called BREAKIN Down! Seriously, is this Candid Camera? Also, this was just the theme of a UK TV show so I'm assuming it never got released in America. No big loss. If you've never heard this song, imagine an 80s radio commercial for chewing gum. That's this song. 1 out of 5
7. Hot Chocolate - I Gave You My Heart (Didn't I)
Great, now I'm gonna want some hot chocolate. I won't ever want to hear this song again though. There are elements of it that are cool (the guitar) but most of it is crap (everything else). 1 out of 5
8. Snowy White - Bird of Paradise
Really bland, nothing to say about it. 1 out of 5
Switch to the album number 2
1. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax
I talked a bit about them in my 1983 pop idol thing. The song itself is pretty good. I'm not tired of it and I've probably heard it like 8 billion times so that's a plus I suppose. 3 out of 5
2. Eurythmics - Here Comes The Rain Again
Yessssss, I love this shit. If I sounded like Annie Lennox I'd sing EVERYTHING. You don't really hear much from her nowadays. But Bono is everywhere. What is wrong with this life???? 4 out of 5
3. Howard Jones - What Is Love
Howard Jones does have some hits. But still, if you asked me to name some I'd be all "Uh...that one about looking at the menu but not being able to eat???" This is a good little jam though. 3 out of 5
4. The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make
I LOVE THAT THE SMITHS ARE ON A NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC COMPILATION. This isn't my favourite song of theirs yet I still sang along with it like my life depended on it. 5 out of 5 No More Apologies perfection
5. Fiction Factory - (Feels Like) Heaven
I didn't recognise the title, but I've definitely heard this song a bunch of times. It's a pretty underrated tune, you don't see it get a ton of attention and it's a perfectly delightful little song. 3 out of 5
6. Re-Flex - The Politics of Dancing
I wonder why they put the hypen in their name. That's all I thought about during this song. 2 out of 5
7. Thomas Dolby - Hyperactive!
Sad that in America he's really only remembered for "She Blinded Me With Science". This song is much better. I like the lady part at the end. Heh..."lady part" 3 out of 5
8. China Crisis - Wishful Thinking
There's nothing to say about this song. Good or bad. It's suuuuuper plain. 2 out of 5
Turn record over.
1. David Bowie - Modern Love
Yaaaaay! I love this song! The best song to sing along to, I believe. Buuuut I tryyyy. 5 out of 5 Church On Time perfection
2. Culture Club - It's A Miracle
I like this song a lot too. Man side four is off to a fantastic start. They're already using the big, brash female vocals. 4 out of 5
3. Rolling Stones - Undercover Of The Night
Another great song. Best Stones song from 80s - present? For me, it is. 3 out of 5
4. Big Country - Wonderland
I just can't get into Big Country. It's not a terrible song though, just not my taste. 2 out of 5
5. Slade - Run Runaway
If they ain't singing about Christmas, what's the point? I wonder if, in concert, they do the Xmas song every night? I mean...they have to. This isn't a bad song, all sad, but it isn't about fucking Christmas either. 2 out of 5
6. Duran Duran - New Moon On Monday
Pretty good song. Not my favourite Duran Duran but still fun and catchy. 3 out of 5
7. Paul McCartney - Pipes Of Peace
I just feel like 90% of McCartney's solo stuff is soooooo cheesy and this is no exception. 1 out of 5
Overall: Not as good as Volume 1. Not as many great songs. Not as many bad songs either though so maybe it's a trade-off. 3 out of 5
Inductees into the Now That's What I Call a Hall of Fame:
The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make
David Bowie - Modern Love
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