40 memorable songs: 1976-1990, 4am in the morning

I recently turned 40 and as someone obsessed with the good old hit parade growing up, it seemed rude not to take a nostalgic trip along the road to nowhere to Rotterdam, eat a vegemite sandwich, then dance naked in the rain. Ah, I see where you’re going with this, you’re thinking; you’re marking this landmark birthday with your 40 favourite songs ever and you’ve sneaked in a few clues about the list. 

Well, you’re wrong. Actually, you’re not far off. Compiling a top 40 of all time would be stupid as I’d be 50 by the time I’d come to any reasonable conclusion. So basically I’ve chosen 40 ‘memorable’ songs from my life so far, a list that to be honest is still far from definitive; indeed, I don't care for some of the songs but if they provoke significant memories I think they are worth including. 

This blog is split into three chunks: childhood, teenage years and manhood for a sense of authenticity. I only imposed one rule: no artist would feature more than once – unless they were a featured artist on another song. So basically I broke it. Just one other thing: no-one is mentioned within a negative context so don’t worry and mostly it’s all about me, me, me.

1 Kate Bush – Babooshka (1980)



My parents were huge Kate Bush fans and apparently so was I. As a toddler I would run into the run yelling ‘Kate Boooooo!’. Allegedly.

2 Ian Dury and the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick (1978)

Apparently I used the shout the title in the school playground when I was at infant school and scare some of my classmates.

3 Depeche Mode – I just can’t get enough (1981)

I used to play the infectious synthesiser riff on the sofa, so I've been told. I think I used to do it in 80s clubs as well, so not a lot has changed really. If I’m listening to a synth-orientated song on my way back from work on my iPhone you might see me play a riff on the escalator. Living in Cricklewood, northwest London, was a nightmare because the Co-op there used to play extremely good music and that left the fruit and veg extremely vulnerable when choosing food for lunch or dinner. It also left me humming along to the song and on one occasion me and this lady found ourselves softly singing the last few seconds of Weather with you by Crowded House as we passed one another in one of the aisles. We laughed and just carried on.

4 Human League – Open your heart (1981) 

In terms of authentic 80s synthpop, Human League were my early favourites so good job my parents owned their debut album, Dare. I could have been boring and chosen Don’t you want me but it’s become tediously strangled over the years. It was a three-way battle between Keep feeling fascination, Mirror man, and Open your heart. I went for the latter because, like I just can’t get enough, it has a cool synth riff. What a twat, etc.

5 Dire Straits – Private investigations (1982)

Dire Straits? Dire bloody Straits?! Yes. This is a genuine memory. It’s a really haunting record with Mark Knopfler almost whispering his way through it. Then there is a quiet bit with just a softish bass in heartbeat mode for a good 30 seconds, perhaps, longer, before a sudden electric guitar burst belts its way to the front. Me and my sister would run and hide behind the sofa.

6 A Flock of Seagulls – Wishing (If I had a photograph of you) (1982)

Sometimes it’s difficult to explain why you like a song so much but I’ve always been addicted to the main synth hook, so much so that when I had a Nokia mobile a decade ago that allowed you to compose a very basic ringtone (not quite as sophisticated as it sounds) I chose to use it. Nowadays when I get my hair cut short and spiky my fringe still flops forwards a little like singer Mike Score. Only unintentionally.

7 Mike Oldfield featuring Maggie Reilly – Moonlight shadow (1983)

Tubular Bells was played a lot in the house and I remember my dad saying Mike Oldfield was incredibly clever because he could play all the instruments. “All at the same time?” I asked. Oh come on, I was on only six or something. This track wasn’t on the album but I remember that for quite a while I was disturbed by the moonlight shadow. Why had it kidnapped the poor singer?

8 New Order – Blue Monday (1983)

This isn’t actually a million miles away from the scenario above in the sense that initially I found it a very scary record from beginning to end, from the robotic drum machine intro to the outro, which grows and grows. The difference is, even back then I was intrigued by it. I didn’t run away, I listened. Bernard Sumner at his rawest, the synth loop, the menacing bass, the male chorus sound. It doesn’t matter how many times the track gets diluted by horrible remixes, the original seven-minute version remains an amazing record.

9 Pet Shop Boys - West End girls (1985-86)

  

Neil Tennant has continually cited Blue Monday as the song Pet Shop Boys wished they had written. Likewise, Bernard Sumner has admitted the same about West End girls. So it’s hardly surprising that: a) the pair of them later collaborated; and b) my reaction to hearing this song for the first time was very similar to that of Blue Monday. The chord change sounded weird but brilliant, as did the menacing synth strings themselves. Most intriguingly, though, although I knew what rap music was, I’d never heard it spoken rhythmically before so I was fascinated. And I still am, to be honest, because over 30 years later West End girls remains PSB’s most off-the-wall single. Even people who openly don’t like the duo often still have a soft spot for this song. It’s incredible.             

10 Suzanne Vega – Luka (1987)

I’ve always absolutely loved Suzanne Vega’s voice and my parents owned Solitude Standing, the album that featured this song, so I was exposed to it early on. It’s a very disturbing song, of course, but disturbing songs are sometimes the most moving, especially when they have a vocal and a melody as beautiful as this one.

11 Gloria Estefan – Don’t wanna lose you (1989) 

   

I played Gloria Estefan's album Cuts both ways, which I bought on the back of this song, to death. I truly loved it, which seems weird looking back as it didn’t really tie in with my taste in music at the time, but I listened again recently and I still totally love the song. In terms of memories it coincided with my first crush at school in Peterborough; a girl called Lisa Ellis. Dark hair, brown eyes, very good at hockey. “Why do you fancy her? She looks foreign,” said a footballing teammate. Mmmmm. I bet she’s broken a lot of hearts. Thankfully I was too young and there wasn’t enough time for her to break mine.

12 Neneh Cherry – Manchild (1989)

Er, anyway. By the time this came out Lisa was gone, Peterborough was gone and I was now in Northampton. No real special memory attached, I just found it an amazing song that brought the best out of Cherry's talents as both a singer and rapper. The chord changes were weird but worked and the outro to this day remains one of my favourites. I’ve always also loved the line, “You’d sell your soul for a tacky song like the ones you hear on the radio” for some reason.

13 Rebel MC and Double Trouble – Street tuff (1989)  

 

One of the catchiest ever pop/rap crossover hits and it was impossible not to love it regardless of age. Also a record you had to learn the lyrics to so you could join in with everyone else. "Hear the music and you wonder,‘Is he a Yankee?' No, I’m a Londoner." Brilliant stuff. Rap music was so innocent back then; all about being the king of the dancefloor rather dodging bullets.



Part two, 1991-1997: 'By the fountain down the road'