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Record Sleeves

In the second part of this 80s retrospective I want to take a closer look at three quintessential 80s Pop sub genres. The selection of these genres may seem quiet random and some may consider some or even all of them more or less irrelevant. But then, to quote another well-known 80s hit: "It's my party and I cry if I want to".

NDW (Neue Deutsche Welle)

German music after the war was non existent in the 50s and 60s, reached its creative peak in the 70s with Kraftwerk and Krautrock and slit back into insignificance in the 90s and 00s (bar some weird electronic stuff). But before that fall-back came the NDW, the German answer to both New Wave and Synthipop.

Highlights: In additon to the songs already mentioned on the previous page there is Trio's global hit 'Da da da ..", Hubert KaH's idiosyncratic 'Rosemarie' and Markus hedonistic 'Ich will Spaß' containing the prophetic line 'und kost's Benzin auch 3 Mark 10, scheißegal es wird schon gehen'.
Lowpoint: UKW's rhyming disaster 'Sommersprossen'
Record Sleeves Of NDW Singles
   NDW Top 10 Hits   (1982-83) High. Top 10  
   Spider Murphy Gang Skandal im Sperrbezirk 1 18  
   Falco Der Kommissar 1 16  
   Markus Ich will Spaß 1 15  
   Peter Schilling Major Tom 1 14  
   Nena 99 Luftballons 1 13  
   Geier Sturflug Bruttosozialprodukt 1 13  
   DÖF Codo 1 10  
   Trio Da da da - ich lieb dich nicht .. 2 18  
   Nena Nur geträumt 2 13  
   Joachim Witt Goldener Reiter 2 12  
   Hubert KaH Sternenhimmel 2 12  
   Nena Leuchtturm 2 8  
   Hubert KaH Rosemarie 3 15  
   Trio Anna - laßmichrein .. 3 9  
   KIZ Die Sennerin vom Königssee 3 9  
   Spider Murphy Gang Wo bist du? 4 9  
   UKW Sommersprossen 5 10  
   Spliff Das Blech 5 6  
   Spliff Carbonara 5 5  
   Spider Murphy Gang Ich schau' dich an 5 4  
   Markus Kleine Taschenlampe brenn 5 4  
   Nickerbocker & Biene Hallo Klaus 6 5  
   Trio Bum Bum 7 6  
   Peter Schilling Die Wüste lebt 7 3  
   ZaZa Zauberstab 8 3  
   Ixi Der Knutschfleck 8 1  
   Frl. Menke Hohe Berge 10 1  
   Falco Maschine brennt 10 1  
   Italo Disco Top 10 Hits   (1983-87) High. Top 10  
   Gazebo I Like Chopin 1 14  
   Sabrina Boys 2 9  
   Raff Self Control 2 7  
   Baltimora Tarzan Boy 3 15  
   Scotch Disco Band 3 11  
   Ryan Paris Dolce vita 3 10  
   Raggio di Luna Comanchero 3 9  
   Righeira Vamos a la playa 3 8  
   Den Harrow Don't Break My Heart 4 7  
   Gazebo Lunatic 4 6  
   Valerie Dore The Night 5 9  
   My Mine Hypnotic Tango 5 8  
   Scotch Delirio Mind 6 6  
   Martinelli Cenerentola 8 6  
   Lee Marrow Shanghai 8 4  
   Silver Pozzoli Around My Dream 9 1  
   Ivan Fotonovela 9 1  
   Hypnosis Pulstar 10 2  
   Spagna Call Me 10 2  
   Kano Another Life 10 1  
   Sandy Marton People From Ibiza 10 1  
Italo Disco

This is a now completely forgotten genre. It was characterised by a kind of wilfully dilettante approach to music making, an endless string of one hit wonders and songs that were rarely sung in Italian, but mostly in English (or even in Spanish) and which had a keen sense of simple but memorable melodies.

Highlights: Scotch inventing cough'n'bass with 'Disco Band' and the sugar coated melodies of 'Comanchero' and 'Cenerentola'.
Lowpoint: The Schlager like 'Dolce vita'
Record Sleeves Of Italo Disco Singles
SAW (Stock Aitken Waterman)

This production team was responsible for an almost endless line of hits in the UK and the rest of Europe duly followed. If any of their songs had something resembling a proper tune chances were high it was a cover. And unsurprisingly the songs all sounded the same. "Of course they do" chief producer Pete Waterman responded to such accusations, "they all sound like hit records".

Highlights: The hughely danceable 'You Spin Me Round' and the sparky 'Showing Out'
Lowpoint: All the Rick Astley stuff
Record Sleeves Of SAW Singles
   SAW Top 10 Hits   (1985-89) High. Top 10  
   Rick Astley Never Gonna Give You Up 1 9  
   Mel & Kim Showing Out 1 9  
   Rick Astley Whenever You Need Somebody 1 9  
   Kylie Minogue I Should Be So Lucky 1 9  
   Mel & Kim Respectable 1 8  
   Bananarama Venus 2 11  
   Dead Or Alive You Spin Me Round 2 8  
   Princess Say I'm Your Number One 2 7  
   Kylie Minogue The Loco-Motion 3 7  
   Ferry Aid Let It Be 3 7  
   Jason Donovan Sealed With A Kiss 4 7  
   Rick Astley Together Forever 5 6  
   Various Ferry 'cross The Mersey 5 5  
   Samantha Fox Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now 6 8  
   Rick Astley When I Fall In Love 6 4  
   Kylie Minogue Got To Be Certain 6 3  
   Pepsi & Shirley Heartache 8 5  
   Sinitta Toy Boy 9 1  
   Rick Astley She Wants To Dance With Me 10 2  
   K.Minogue & J.Donovan   Especially For You 10 2  
   Rick Astley Take Me To Your Heart 10 1  

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