Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1981.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

So 1981, the year that Prince Charles married Diana Spencer (and I won a fancy dress competition dressed as Diana in her wedding dress), Peter Sutcliffe is charged with being the Yorkshire Ripper, Dynasty debuts on TV, Pope John Paul II is shot, but not killed, John McEnroe throws a paddy at Wimbledon and shouts “You cannot be serious” at the umpire for the first time (and my brother won the boys section of the same fancy dress competition dressed as McEnroe with a large plaster over his mouth. The Beasleys were on FIRE in 1981), race riots spread across the UK, Bucks Fizz won the Eurovision Song Contest (best UK entry ever) and Raiders of the Lost Ark was released. I turned 5 years old.

Oh so this is when things get deliciously 80s. There may be some credible tunes here, but yes there is Adam Ant, yes there’s Kim Wilde and yes there’s Bucks Fizz and I’m not apologising for any of it. Enjoy!

1. Just Can’t Get Enough by Depeche Mode

2. Reward by Teardrop Explodes

3. Kings of the Wild Frontier by Adam and the Ants

4. Can You Feel It by the Jacksons

5. Tainted Love by Soft Cell

6. Pretty in Pink by Psychedelic Furs

7. Kids in America by Kim Wilde

8. One in Ten by UB40

9. Making Your Mind Up by Bucks Fizz (If you need cheering up then I implore you to watch this. It’s their Eurovision performance and it evens features our Tel*)

10. Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie

Whilst this has been one of my favourite years so far (I think I say that every week), choosing my favourite was easy. It’s Queen and Bowie. Obvs. Which one is your favourite?

I’ll be taking a break from Top Ten Tunes next week as I’ll be posting my 10 most popular blog posts from this year instead. So see you on Friday 5th January for 1982.

*Famous Irish TV/radio personality Terry Wogan who was hugely popular and bit of legend in the UK and Ireland and who we sadly lost last year.