Roberta Flack sang two or three of the greatest and most ubiquitous songs in what you might call the Easy Listening Soul genre. But there was much more to her than that. A fantastic afro, for one thing; and the middle name Cleopatra for another… and this tune.

(more…)

Neil Young sat on his epic 1988 recording of Ordinary People for two decades before it finally came out on Chrome Dreams II in 2007.

(more…)

World Domination Enterprises never managed to live up to their ambitious name, but have been posthumously recognised as postpunk pioneers.

(more…)

Frida is the brunette from ABBA and I See Red is a song from her solo album back in 1982, produced by Phil Collins.

(more…)

The Clean were pioneers of New Zealand’s so-called Dunedin Sound, blending a punk influence with a bucolic brand of jangly psychedelia.

(more…)

Is this classic late-period disco? Or is it prototype ’80s dance-pop? Frankly, who cares when it sounds like this?!

(more…)

In their heyday in the early 1980s, it was impossible to ignore pop-soul trio Imagination with their infectious dance hits and flamboyant front man Leee John.

(more…)

The New Romantics didn’t do much for me but like everyone else, some of the songs did. Especially Culture Club’s first hit in 1982.

(more…)

There are a handful of musical moments in my life where I’ve heard a song for the first time and felt: This changes everything. Never Understand is one.

(more…)

ABC fused the attitude of punk with the sophistication of disco – and great tunes – to create hits like Poison Arrow on The Lexicon Of Love.

(more…)