Sigue Sigue Sputnik arrived in an explosion of silly hair and sci-fi costumes as a postmodern pastiche of the ultimate Eighties band.

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The Fall – Smile

14th July 2026 · 1980s, 1983, Music, Punk

The Fall made their national TV debut on The Tube thanks to John Peel – five years after I first saw them play in London.

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Song of the Day

A Certain Ratio’s 1982 single Knife Slits Water gets an updated remix from Andy Meecham, aka The Emperor Machine.

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The Weather Prophets were Pete Astor’s second attempt to find success after the collapse of The Loft, and this slice of jangle pop was their debut single in 1986.

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Do we like to funk on a sunny summer’s day? Yes we do. And we very much do when the soundtrack is Big Time by Rick James.

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Bill Callahan turned away from his lo-fi smog persona on his 1998 album Knock Knock, and this heartbreaking tune.

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The Gun Club were one of the most interesting bands to emerge after the first wave of punk began to fragment and roots music began to infect the LA punk scene.

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This must rank as one of the unlikeliest musical collaborations ever – soul brother Jermaine Jackson and jerky New Wave weirdoes Devo.

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The legendary jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins dipped his toe in the waters of rock’n’roll when he agreed to record with The Rolling Stones.

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Scottish funkster Jesse Rae might not have made a name for himself but he did write the huge hit Inside Out for Odyssey.

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