Record of the Year Revisited: 1986

Original Record of the Year: Farley Jackmaster Funk - Love Can't Turn Around

There have been a number of key records in helping shape the future of music over the years and my pick for 1986 was one of those. This was the first UK Top 40 hit you can confidently classify as being house music.

The routes of many, if not all dance music genres can be traced back to house music. There were obviously a lot of house records from 1986 that didn't chart but this brought it to the mainstream. 

As someone who got into rave in the 90s I've always liked and appreciated the house music that got the ball rolling. At the same time I always considered what the music evolved into in the early 90s to be better than the music which came before.

I think its a given that this is the most important record of 1986 for the future rave scene but is it the best?

Yes I think so. What helps is that it's competition was other records of 1986 and not the ones of the early 90s. Nothing else in 1986 comes close to this.

Record of the Year Revisited: 1985

Original Record of the Year: Rah Band - Clouds Across The Moon

I originally said I'd known for a long time what my 1985 choice would be because it's one of my all time favourites. I also said I was surprised it was as early as 1985 as it sounded ahead of its time.

I would say calling it one of my all time favourites was a bit of an exaggeration. Don't get me wrong its a brilliant record and I was listening to it a lot, but these days I'm not listening to it so much. 

My view at the time was that the more chilled out records stood more of a chance because they couldn't rely on the beats to carry them and therefore needed to have more depth to be any good. Nowadays I'm more drawn towards music with a harder edge like I was when I was much younger.

Have I found a harder edged Top 40 hit of 1985 that's better?

No, I honestly can't say any of the other Top 40 hits from 1985 are better than this. Furthermore despite being what I'd consider a chill out record the beat does play an important part in it. Good depth, good beat what more do you want.

Record of the Year Revisited: 1984

Original Record of the Year: Phil Fearon & Galaxy - What Do I Do

The Top of the Pops reruns from 1984 helped with my decision to pick this record. By my calculations they were happening around the same time I made this pick so I was sort of reliving 1984 at the time.

Another factor was what Phil Fearon did next. He started Production House records which was part of the rave scene and his wife Dee Fearon was the singer of Baby D.

However my favourite records in the moment aren't always my favourite records when looking back

New Record of the Year: The Alarm - Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke

In the last year or so I've listened to this record a fair bit but don't think I've listened to the Phil Fearon record at all. On that basis I must like The Alarm record more these days.

In a decade that gave us lots of electronic music I was reluctant to pick a guitar record as my record of the year. I definitely knew this record at the time which means I don't remember if it appeared on Top of the Pops or not.

What I like about this record is that it has a good pace to it but is also a good singalong record to backing vocals in the chorus.

Record of the Year Revisited: 1983

Original Record of the Year: Depeche Mode - Everything Counts

I do recall being a little reluctant to pick this as my record of the year at the time because it seemed to obvious. We're talking about one of the better known records of a group who are huge and if anything they've got even more popular since then given when I went to see them it was at The O2 and now they play stadiums.

Take nothing away from the record though. It's a fantastic record and my reluctancy speaks volumes about how good it is. I couldn't think of a single Top 40 hit from 1983 that was better.

Have I found a better record now?

New Record of the Year: Lotus Eaters - The First Picture Of You

Yes I have. I can't remember when I first heard "The First Picture Of You" but it was a song I'd known for some time before I acknowledged just how good it was. 

I've listened to this a lot in recent years and this time round it's been a no brainer to pick. Although I was alive in 1983 I'm too young to remember it but this record does make me feel nostalgic.

I watch the video and think those were much better days than the modern era and too much damage has been done to get them back. 

Record of the Year Revisited: 1982

Original Record of the Year: PHD - I Won't Let You Down

My choice for 1982 was influenced by an 80s love songs compilation I bought many years ago. It was one of the standout tracks on it but I couldn't remember whether I'd heard it previously or not. 

Is there a better Top 40 hit of 1982?

I don't think so. It was the only Top 40 hit for PHD and the only song of theirs that I know. I don't really want to hear another record of theirs though because they got it so right with this. 

Record of the Year Revisited: 1981

Original Record of the Year: Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood

One of my all time favourite DJ mixes is Fabriclive 9 by Jacques Lu Cont and this influenced my pick for 1981. "Wordy Rappinghood" is on the mix and blends in well with the mostly house tunes in it. 

Another Top 40 hits which appeared on the mix was "Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics but that wasn't even a contender for the 1983 record of the year so the mix doesn't entirely sway my decision.

However if we forget the mix existed can I honestly say this was the best record of 1981?

New Record of the Year: Kool & The Gang - Summer Madness

No I can't, but there's a logical reason for that. When I was making my choice I'd never heard "Summer Madness". The way I came across it was when I was listening to double a-sides of the 80s as a way of brushing up on my music knowledge.

This was a double a-side with "Jones v Jones". Kool & The Gang are a funny one, I think of them as being from the 70s but most of their hits came in the 80s and they had a lot more hits than you'd think. They did form in the late 60s though and I've heard people say that they did some interesting funky music in the 70s but when they went mainstream they went a bit too pop.

I don't know their earlier material but their well known hits at least aren't bad but are music for the masses without any wow factor. With "Summer Madness" though it's an interesting funky number and is also an instrumental.

Record of the Year Revisited: 1980

Original Record of the Year: New Musik - This World Of Water

1980 was a pretty strong year for chart music and there was tough competition for the record of the year but I went for an obscure New Musik record. I said they were early pioneers of synth pop but not as well remembered as the likes of Gary Numan, Ultravox and OMD.

Is it good enough to still be the record of the year though?

I'd say so. We're in a time when synth pop was still in its infancy which made the records more varied and interesting. There was no formula to follow yet and this record certainly sounds different to your formulaic synth pop record of say 1984.