#78. "Bring on the Dancing Horses" - Echo & The Bunnymen (1985)

The soaring intro on "Bring on the Dancing Horses" is an easy sell. Ian McCulloch's smooth vocals seal the deal. 

This is one of those songs where I prefer the verses to the chorus; the bass just so effortlessly glides along. It shimmers.

Often compared to U2, Echo and the Bunnymen didn't sell nearly as many albums to match their critical acclaim. Influenced by Bowie and Iggy Pop, Echo & the Bunnymen were still a popular UK post-punk band that didn't quite reach the same level of popularity of groups like Depeche Mode and The Cure.

Before "Bring on the Dancing Horses" appeared on the Pretty in Pink soundtrack (1 of 3 on this countdown), Echo & co. had success with "The Killing Moon" in '84 and later in '87 with a cover of the Doors' "People Are Strange" on The Lost Boys soundtrack. 

My second fave Echo tune is a toss up between the rocker "Lips Like Sugar" and "Bedbugs & Ballyhoo". Since I still can't decide, here are both of them:

#79. "Johnny Come Home" - Fine Young Cannibals (1986)

Members from Birmingham UK's The Beat dissolved and formed two new groups: The Fine Young Cannibals and General Public.

Before the Fine Young Cannibals ruled the charts in 1988 with “She Drives Me Crazy” and “Good Thing” they kicked off their career with a catchy groove showing off their ska roots called "Johnny Come Home". 

A breath of fresh air, this infectious tune with boss vocals, great arrangements and cool horns sounded like nothing else at the time. 

The single only reached #16 on the Canadian charts which is sheer lunacy. I'm pleased to report I fixed the error as it climbed to #3 on my own chart from May 1986 (see photo below from binder salvaged from parent's attic). 

But the question still remains: why did Johnny leave home?

In 1984, General Public churned out the infinitely catchy "Tenderness" on radio and video channels, later featured on the soundtrack of the nerd Weird Science film.

Bonus 20: the songs that just missed

Full disclosure: Picking 100 favourite songs from the 80s is not an easy task! 

After compiling the original list of over 200 awesome tracks over the Christmas holidays, the whittling process began. Following descents into neverending YouTube rabbit holes and gleaning over paper hard-copies, I unearthed several forgotten gems that barged their way onto the countdown, usurping a few classics. A reminder of my selection criteria: song had to be a single and or have a video. No deep album tracks. 

Although the order of the rest of the countdown is still changing, the next 80 songs are now entrenched. This brief interlude in the countdown is a good time to reveal these tunes since there is a noticeable gap in affection for the next batch of tunes to come.

Note that any of these 20 tunes could have easily replaced the first 20 songs already revealed in slots 80 to 100. 

The "bubbling under 100" are revealed below and ordered by year of release:

Whip It – Devo (1980)
Nerdy new wave tomfoolery

Ride Like The Wind – Christopher Cross (1980)
Epic classic from one of first albums I ever owned

Eye In the Sky – Alan Parsons Project (1982)
70s sound brings back childhood nostalgia

I Ran – A Flock Of Seagulls (1982)
A classic and one of the last to be cut.

Subdivisions – Rush (1982)
Brooding synths accompany lyrics of soulless suburbs

It’s A Mistake – Men At Work (1983)
A cold war classic, simple yet catchy chorus

Jeopardy - Greg Kiln Band (1983)
Infectious bass line

Modern Love – David Bowie (1983)

Rip-roaring and brash 

Photograph – Def Leppard (1983)
Big chorus hints at a new wave vibe 

Forever Young – Alphaville (1984)

Sweeping synths and a message of living in the moment

Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat (1984)

Melancholic synths and haunting vocals

Smooth Operator - Sade (1984)

Soulful jazz-pop, but as a geographer I always winced at the "Coast to coast, LA to Chicago" lyric...

The Ghost In You - Psychedelic Furs (1984)
Shimmering and cerebral

Welcome To The Pleasure Dome – Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1984)

Shameless glam excess and supernovas and an ace bass line

Summer of ‘69 – Bryan Adams (1985)
I think everyone loved this one

Cities in Dust – Siouxsie and the Banshees (1986)
Punk group nails new wave 

La Isla Bonita - Madonna (1987)

Timeless Latin and pop fusion

Little Lies – Fleetwood Mac (1987)
Fave song from the Tango In the Night album with vocals by Christine, Lindsay and Stevie; "Everywhere" a close second...

Monkey - George Michael (1988)
Intense and funky groove

Suedehead - Morrissey (1988)
First solo effort with Marr-esque jangle guitar still better than most of The Smiths catalogue

#80. "Round & Round" - New Order (1989)

By the end of the decade, New Order had shed its Joy Division punk rock roots to become an iconic pioneer of electronic music made for the dance floor.

In 1989 the band went on a working holiday to Ibiza to record Technique, arguably their greatest album. 

Lyrically, the songs are stormy, stemming from lead guitarist/singer Bernard Sumner's divorce and the souring relationship with their record label Factory.

Musically, most of Technique is reflective of the emerging acid house scene of Manchester's Haçienda and the dance floors of Ibiza clubs. 

The result: an excellent blend of dance and rock and New Order at its creative peak.

The disco / techno inferno "Round & Round" was the second single released, stirred by Peter Hook's driving bass. Combined with the sunny synth and guitar melodies, the music act as a foil to Bernard's subdued vocals and biting lyrics.  

Fave lyrics: "The picture you see is no portrait of me. It's too real to be shown to someone I don't know."

#81. "Everything Counts" - Depeche Mode (1983)

I'd only 'discovered' Depeche Mode when the "People are People" single charted in summer 1985. So I had some catching up to do with the back catalogue. 

Even early in their career, Depeche had produced a plethora of moody ear worms ranging from the light and poppy "Just Can't Get Enough" to the darker synth of "Lie to Me".

Then there's "Everything Counts", with its pulsating synths, powerful chorus and political lyrics "Grabbing hands, grab all they can" about the state of corporate greed in 80s England. 

The tune also provides musical hints for the future "People are People" single that paved their way for even more success during the mid and late 80s. 

And yes, there will be more from DM in the upcoming weeks...

    

Also from 1983, "Get The Balance Right" showcases a similar sound with a video taking place in an arcade.