Matt Bianco – Whose Side Are You On?
In which we ask the question: why did nobody admit to liking Matt Bianco at the time, when they were in fact dead good?
Paul Simon – Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War
Paul Simon - probably the first artist who made me sit up and think "this music lark is definitely for me".
Chaka Khan – Love of a Lifetime
Chaka plays pop.
Daryl Hall & John Oates – Out of Touch
Sort of a discussion about how versions are very important to die-hard pop fans, but mainly about how brilliant "Out of Touch" is.
Linda Ronstadt featuring Aaron Neville – All My Life
Why do some pop stars only ever seem to have hits here with duets or movie themes? It's all so unfair.
Jane Wiedlin – Inside a Dream
1988 is a long time ago now, but I'm still driving in the rush hour.
Colors – Never Mind
This time last week I'd never heard of Colors. Now "Never Mind" is one of my favourite records and I'm busy inserting it into all my memories of 1985.
Bucks Fizz – Heart of Stone
The final (proper) single from Bucks Fizz, and if you ask me they saved the best for last.
Icehouse – Great Southern Land
Australia: REALLY good at pop. We shall be spending more time there...
Leigh Jaeger – Johnny & Mary
A straight to the bargain bin bomb from the end of an era. Shouldn't be fabulous but is.
Olivia Newton John – Tied Up
The curse of the single from the greatest hits album strikes again! It's the incomparable Olivia Newton John, not singing about bondage despite what the title would have you believe.
London Boys – My Love
They sold more albums than Kate Bush or Tears for Fears in 1989, but will anybody these days admit to buying a London Boys record? I will, obviously.
Thomas Leer – No 1
Two years prior to "Snobbery & Decay", Thomas Leer was out-blowing the Blow Monkeys with the string and saxophone drenched "No 1".
Tears for Fears – Famous Last Words
Everybody loves a happy ending, but for the longest time it looked like Tears for Fears weren't going to get one.
Tyka Nelson – Marc Anthony’s Tune
It's hard being the sibling of a superstar. And it's even harder when that superstar is Prince. But that didn't stop Tyka Nelson having a go in 1988.
Jill Jones – Mia Bocca
Jill Jones - she's bilingual but not single. It's 1987 and all over the world the completely amazing Prince-helmed "Mia Bocca" fails to be a smash hit. Tut.
The Human League – Love is All That Matters
When we last bumped into the Human League, they were on the verge of great things. We now rejoin them on the brink of disaster. Hooray!
The Blue Nile – Headlights on the Parade
Niall on the 'Nile. It had to happen eventually.
Liza Minnelli – So Sorry, I Said
It's 1989 and Liza Minnelli issues an apology.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Don’t Come Around Here No More
Pop stars: leading more interesting lives than you and I since, well, forever.
Into the Popvoid 