1) Nowhere Fast by The Smiths (Rough Trade)
The Smiths released their four studio albums at a rate of one a year between 1984-87. Given most of their later singles were not included on their albums this demonstrates a remarkable work rate. They burned bright and fast before they burned each other and split up. Nowhere Fast is taken from their second album Meat Is Murder and is a great example of the often overlooked humour of Morrissey, the ferocious melodic riffs of Johnny Marr and the tightness of the rhythm section comprised of Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce.
2) Inbetween Days by The Cure (Fiction)
A single from the excellent Head On The Door album where the Cure mixed darkness and light with songs of despair, joy, pop and rock. This track and fellow single Close To Me were both huge hits accompanied by memorable videos on heavy rotation on MTV that completed the progression of the band from cult wonders to a worldwide pop phenomenon.
3) Just Like Honey by The Jesus And Mary Chain (Blanco y Negro)
Taken from debut album Psychocandy, the JAMC emerged from Glasgow in a swirl of melodies and feedback that would influence a generation of shoegaze bands. Their drummer Bobby Gillespie left shortly afterwards to form the equally important genre-hopping Primal Scream.
4) Love Vigilantes by New Order (Factory)
Great song from Bernard Sumner about a soldier fighting in an overseas war always gives me the shivers. Ambiguous lyrics can be understood in one of two ways. Either the soldier returns home to find his wife had mistakenly been informed of his death or there was no mistake and it hasn’t sunk in yet.
5) Dirty Old Town by The Pogues (Stiff)
Excellent folk song from the Irish band taken from the album Rum, Sodomy and the Lash. The song was originally written by Ewan MacColl in 1949 and was based on Salford, Manchester. It was a hit for The Dubliners in 1968 and has been covered many times over the last seventy years.
7) Walls Come Tumbling Down by The Style Council (Polydor)
9) Downtown Train by Tom Waits (Island)
Great song from gravely voiced Tom Waits that later became a hit for Rod Stewart when he covered it in 1989. This original version was taken from the Rain Dogs album selected as NME’s 1985 Album of the Year. Rain Dogs tells gritty tales of the New York underclass.
10) Tell Me by The Stone Roses (Thin Line)
Years before they became famous, the Roses were putting out singles on tiny labels and growing a local fan base in the North of England. Their early material is interesting to see how they developed from a gothic punk band into the legendary band that delivered their debut album four years later. The Stone Roses actually recorded an album in 1985 with several songs that would later emerge on the 1989 eponymous album. However they weren't happy enough with the results and decided to can it and go back to the rehearsal rooms.
11) Tupelo by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Mute)
18) Welcome To The Pleasuredome by Frankie Goes To Hollywood (ZTT)
The Smiths released their four studio albums at a rate of one a year between 1984-87. Given most of their later singles were not included on their albums this demonstrates a remarkable work rate. They burned bright and fast before they burned each other and split up. Nowhere Fast is taken from their second album Meat Is Murder and is a great example of the often overlooked humour of Morrissey, the ferocious melodic riffs of Johnny Marr and the tightness of the rhythm section comprised of Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce.
2) Inbetween Days by The Cure (Fiction)
A single from the excellent Head On The Door album where the Cure mixed darkness and light with songs of despair, joy, pop and rock. This track and fellow single Close To Me were both huge hits accompanied by memorable videos on heavy rotation on MTV that completed the progression of the band from cult wonders to a worldwide pop phenomenon.
3) Just Like Honey by The Jesus And Mary Chain (Blanco y Negro)
Taken from debut album Psychocandy, the JAMC emerged from Glasgow in a swirl of melodies and feedback that would influence a generation of shoegaze bands. Their drummer Bobby Gillespie left shortly afterwards to form the equally important genre-hopping Primal Scream.
4) Love Vigilantes by New Order (Factory)
Great song from Bernard Sumner about a soldier fighting in an overseas war always gives me the shivers. Ambiguous lyrics can be understood in one of two ways. Either the soldier returns home to find his wife had mistakenly been informed of his death or there was no mistake and it hasn’t sunk in yet.
5) Dirty Old Town by The Pogues (Stiff)
Excellent folk song from the Irish band taken from the album Rum, Sodomy and the Lash. The song was originally written by Ewan MacColl in 1949 and was based on Salford, Manchester. It was a hit for The Dubliners in 1968 and has been covered many times over the last seventy years.
6) A New England by Kirsty MacColl (Stiff)
A cover of Billy Bragg’s original. Bragg wrote an extra verse for this version. Aside from her own releases Kirsty provided vocals to many groups including Talking Heads, Happy Mondays, The Smiths, The Wonder Stuff and Simple Minds over the years.
A cover of Billy Bragg’s original. Bragg wrote an extra verse for this version. Aside from her own releases Kirsty provided vocals to many groups including Talking Heads, Happy Mondays, The Smiths, The Wonder Stuff and Simple Minds over the years.
Weller encourages the masses to unite and rise up to overthrow the Thatcher Government. The Style Council joined with other left-wing artists to form Red Wedge a political youth movement associated with the opposition Labour Party. Weller’s experience of this left him disillusioned and he stepped back from overtly political songs after this.
8) Death Valley '69 by Sonic Youth (Big Blast)
8) Death Valley '69 by Sonic Youth (Big Blast)
Words can’t do justice to this aural onslaught. This is both unnerving and addictive in equal measures.
9) Downtown Train by Tom Waits (Island)
Great song from gravely voiced Tom Waits that later became a hit for Rod Stewart when he covered it in 1989. This original version was taken from the Rain Dogs album selected as NME’s 1985 Album of the Year. Rain Dogs tells gritty tales of the New York underclass.
10) Tell Me by The Stone Roses (Thin Line)
Years before they became famous, the Roses were putting out singles on tiny labels and growing a local fan base in the North of England. Their early material is interesting to see how they developed from a gothic punk band into the legendary band that delivered their debut album four years later. The Stone Roses actually recorded an album in 1985 with several songs that would later emerge on the 1989 eponymous album. However they weren't happy enough with the results and decided to can it and go back to the rehearsal rooms.
11) Tupelo by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Mute)
A song about the birth of Elvis during a storm in Tupelo Mississippi.
12) Take The Skinheads Bowling by Camper Van Beethoven (I.R.S.)
I only know of this song because it was covered by the Manic Street Preachers as a B side over a decade later. Great song, great band name and goofy lyrics that were written to deliberately deny any coherent story or meaning.
13) She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult (Beggars Banquet)
The biggest and best song by The Cult - actually I can only name one other Cult song but if it’s not She Sells Sanctuary then I’m not interested.
14) Kerosene by Big Black (Blast First)
12) Take The Skinheads Bowling by Camper Van Beethoven (I.R.S.)
I only know of this song because it was covered by the Manic Street Preachers as a B side over a decade later. Great song, great band name and goofy lyrics that were written to deliberately deny any coherent story or meaning.
13) She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult (Beggars Banquet)
The biggest and best song by The Cult - actually I can only name one other Cult song but if it’s not She Sells Sanctuary then I’m not interested.
14) Kerosene by Big Black (Blast First)
US Punk band founded by Steve Albini who later became a recording engineer for many alternative artists and bands including Nirvana, Pixies, PJ Harvey, Jarvis Cocker and The Wedding Present.
Kerosene is a song about the escaping the boredom of rural America by screwing and blowing shit up.
15) Flag Day by The Housemartins (Go Disc!)
The debut single from The Housemartins formed by Paul Heaton. As a single it reached Number 124 in the UK charts. It was included on their debut album London 0, Hull 4.
16) Move Me by The Woodentops (Rough Trade)
16) Move Me by The Woodentops (Rough Trade)
A South London band who formed out of The Jazz Butcher.
17) The Unforgettable Fire by U2 (Island)
17) The Unforgettable Fire by U2 (Island)
Atmospheric rock track inspired by a photo exhibition of victims of the Atomic bombs dropped on Japan.
18) Welcome To The Pleasuredome by Frankie Goes To Hollywood (ZTT)
Following their trio of number one hits in ‘84 the Liverpool band just missed out on four straight number ones when this record stalled at number 2. (Bloody Phil Collins).
19) Like An Angel by The Mighty Lemon Drops (Dreamworks)
19) Like An Angel by The Mighty Lemon Drops (Dreamworks)
A psychedelic punk band from Wolverhampton whose debut single Like An Angel appeared on the NME compilation cassette C86 and helped secure a number one in the Independent charts.
20) This Is England by The Clash (CBS)
20) This Is England by The Clash (CBS)
The final single from the punk legends. With infighting leading to main songwriter Mick Jones and drummer Topper being fired and law suits flying around. Joe Strummer and manager Bernie Rhodes clashed over the musical direction, the use of drum machines, samples and new band members. The final album Cut The Crap was widely panned and Strummer dissolved the band in October’85.
Further Reading...
The Indie Years 1986
The Indie Years 1984
The Indie Years 1983
The Indie Years 1982
The Indie Years 1981
The Indie Years 1980
The Indie Years 1979
The Indie Years 1978
The Indie Years 1977
Further Reading...
The Indie Years 1986
The Indie Years 1984
The Indie Years 1983
The Indie Years 1982
The Indie Years 1981
The Indie Years 1980
The Indie Years 1979
The Indie Years 1978
The Indie Years 1977
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