Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1985.

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 1981 1982 1983 1984 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 in 1985, the Sinclair C5 is launched, TV soap opera Eastenders debuts, a fire breaks out at Bradford football stadium during a match killing 56 people, the Football Association bans all English football clubs from playing in Europe due to football riots and hooliganism, the Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior is sunk after French agents plant a bomb, Live Aid concerts in both London and Philadelphia raise over £50,000,000 for famine relief in Ethiopia, the wreck of RMS Titanic is located by an expedition team, rioting as a result of racial tension take place in both Birmingham and Brixton, 55 people are killed in the Manchester Airport disaster when a plane bursts into flames, the first British mobile phone call is made and the films The Breakfast Club, The Goonies and Back to the Future are released. I turned 9 years old.

There’s quite a few repeat appearances here. There’s only two acts here that you haven’t seen before in previous weeks, but it does not make this week’s playlist any weaker. Also, please note how the hair has definitely got a lot BIGGER in 1985.

1.How Soon is Now? by The Smiths

2. Shout by Tears for Fears

3. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) by Dead or Alive

4. Take on Me by A-Ha

5. I’m Your Man by Wham!

6. Inbetween Days by the Cure

7. Raspberry Beret by Prince

8. Running up That Hill by Kate Bush

9. Crazy for You by Madonna

10. Road to Nowhere by Talking Heads

Whilst Dead or Alive are a close second, it’s Kate that wins again for me this week. One of the best songs ever written and those lyrics are phenomenal “And if I only could, I’d make a deal with God, And I’d get him to swap our places”. So, which one is your favourite?

See you next week for 1986!