23 November 1985 Maria McKee wrote 'A Good Heart' when she was only 19 - coincidentally, the same age as John O'Neill when he wrote 'Teenage Kicks'. Both those songs were sung to fame by Feargal Sharkey, and that's where the spooky similarities end, or any similarities at all. Another in my continuing series of … Continue reading Feargal Sharkey – ‘A Good Heart’ →

16 November 1985 Trivia nerdvana alert: Backing vocals by George Michael! Guitar by Nik Kershaw! Video directed by controversial auteur Ken Russell! Video starring the same model who was in Ridley Scott's famous Apple 1984 TV commercial, and also featuring a future Bond villain henchman! All this trivia can help distract us from the terrible … Continue reading Elton John – ‘Nikita’ →

19 October 1985 The nuclear power ballad arms race takes a sinister turn. At least with 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' you get the impression that Jim Steinman and Bonnie Tyler had the functioning sense of humour and self-awareness required to deliver such OTT theatrics and striking lyrics. But Jennifer Rush's 'The Power Of Love' … Continue reading Jennifer Rush – ‘The Power Of Love’ →

12 October 1985 It would be inaccurate to put this Midge Ure solo number one (in Ireland and the UK) down to a Band Aid dividend. For one thing, Bob Geldof didn't have any chart-topping hits after this or Live Aid. Also, Geldof was the public face of Band Aid, with Ure very much in … Continue reading Midge Ure – ‘If I Was’ →

5 October 1985 This sounds like it's a Hall and Oates single; that's how bad Stevie Wonder's 'Part-Time Lover' is. It's bland '80s synth-pop with no soul, no personality, and no distinctive features, made purely to cash in on name recognition and the market for cocktail-bar sonic wallpaper. We can state as fact that it's … Continue reading Stevie Wonder – ‘Part-Time Lover’ →

28 September 1985 I knew this song as the theme to a mid-'80s US action TV show called Cover Up which was about—I'm not making this up—a CIA agent and a Special Forces operative who masquerade as a fashion photographer and a model to travel around the world and help American citizens in trouble. Oh, … Continue reading Bonnie Tyler – ‘Holding Out For A Hero’ →

14 September 1985 The intention here was quite sweet: a transatlantic duet during Live Aid, with Bowie at Wembley and Jagger in Philadelphia. Alas, the best of 1985 technology couldn't help the organisers get around the satellite delay to make this work, so on the big day the video (below) was shown instead and became … Continue reading David Bowie and Mick Jagger – ‘Dancing In The Street’ →

31 August 1985 Sonny and Cher's 'I Got You Babe' is a charming '60s classic and certainly the best record ever made by someone called Bono. This UB40 and Chrissie Hynde reggae rendition engages with the original the way a knife-wielding maniac might break into your home and engage with your puppy dog's throat. It's … Continue reading UB40 with Chrissie Hynde – ‘I Got You Babe’ →

10 August 1985 Madonna's first number one single in the UK and Ireland feels a little anachronistic for its time. 'Into The Groove' followed up Like A Virgin's string of next-level hits and the epic power ballad 'Crazy For You', but it sounds more of a piece with her pre-Virgin dancefloor bops like 'Holiday', which … Continue reading Madonna – ‘Into The Groove’ →

3 August 1985 Where I am normally quite indulgent towards all '80s chart pop, I make an exception for the Eurythmics, who were irredeemably awful and on seemingly constant airplay throughout my otherwise happy childhood. 'There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)' is yet another of their contrived, mannered, soulless hits. If the … Continue reading Eurythmics – ‘There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)’ →