Various Artists - 80s Pop (2017)

UK import

I like these kind of multi-disc compilations because 1) they're cheap, and 2) it's an import, so there's a lot of tunes I don't know or don't remember because they either weren't released, didn't chart or charted low here in the US. In other words, I dig the mix of familiar and unfamiliar.

The sequencing is puzzling, but that's a minor quibble. Also, because there's 20 tracks on each CD, the versions here are single edits at best, early fades/K-Tel hacks at worst. For example, the Billy Ocean track that opens CD3 fades out during the sax solo and clocks in at just under 3 minutes. But, at about 8¢ per track, I'm not too worried about it. Overall, this compilation is a lot more hit than miss. I mean, where else are you gonna find Nick Heyward sandwiched between two Barry Gibb tracks? And just check out the killer ending to disc 3! Leaves me singing that Vandross tune for the rest of the day.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks:

CD1
Artist	Song	Year	UK	US
Bonnie Tyler	Holding Out For A Hero	1984	2	34	✘
Kenny Loggins	Footloose	1984	6	1	✔
Pointer Sisters	I'm So Excited	1984	11	9	✔
Belinda Carlisle	Leave A Light On	1989	4	11
Cyndi Lauper	I Drove All Night	1989	7	6	✘
KC & The Sunshine Band	Give It Up	1982	1	18
Fairground Attraction	Perfect	1988	1	80	✔
Bangles	Manic Monday	1986	2	2
The Jacksons	Can You Feel It	1981	6	77	✔
Boy Meets Girl	Waiting For A Star To Fall	1988	9	5
The Nolans	Don't Make Waves	1980	12	-
Tight Fit	Fantasy Island	1982	5	-
Sinitta	So Macho	1985	2	-
The Four Tops	Loco In Acapulco	1988	7	-	✔
Miami Sound Machine	Conga	1985	79	10
Average White Band	Let's Go Round Again	1980	12	53	✔
Cherell & Alexander O'Neal	Saturday Love	1985	6	26
Dionne Warwick	Heartbreaker	1982	2	10	✔
Nick Heyward	Blue Hat For A Blue Day	1983	11	-	✔
Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers	Islands In The Stream	1983	7	1	✔

CD2
Artist	Song	Year	UK	US
Paul Young	Come Back And Stay	1983	4	22	✘
Aneka	Japanese Boy	1981	1	-	✘
Spandau Ballet	Fight For Ourselves	1986	15	-
Bros	I Owe You Nothing	1988	1	-	✔
Daryl Hall & John Oates	Out Of Touch	1989	48	1	✔
Dee C. Lee	See The Day	1985	3	-
Donna Summer	I Don't Wanna Get Hurt	1989	7	-	✔
Milli Vanilli	Girl I'm Gonna Miss You	1989	2	1
Martika	More Than You Know	1988	15	18
Five Star	Stay Out Of My Life	1987	9	-	✔
Haysi Fantayzee	John Wayne Is Big Leggy	1982	11	-	✘
Adam & The Ants	Antmusic	1980	2	-	✔
Toyah	Don't Fall In Love (I Said)	1985	22	-	✘
Altered Images	Happy Birthday	1981	2	-
Haircut 100	Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)	1981	4	-	✔
King	Love & Pride	1984	2	55
Cock Robin	The Promise You Made	1985	28	-
Bow Wow Wow	Go Wild In The Country	1982	7	-	✔
Matthew Wilder	Break My Stride	1983	4	5
Bill Wyman	(Si Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star	1981	14	-	✘

CD3
Artist	Song	Year	UK	US
Billy Ocean	When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going	1985	1	2
New Kids On The Block	You Got It (The Right Stuff)	1988	1	3
Dead Or Alive	You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)	1984	1	11	✘
S'Express	Theme From S'Express	1988	1	91	✔
Modern Talking	Brother Louie	1986	4	-
Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk Feat. Darryl Pandy	Love Can't Turn Around	1986	10	-
Landscape	Einstein A Go-Go	1981	5	-
Bomb The Bass	Beat Dis	1987	2	-	✔
Rob'n'Raz	Got To Get	1989	8	48
Malcolm McLaren & The Bootzilla Orchestra	Waltz Darling	1989	31	-
Eighth Wonder	Cross My Heart	1988	13	56
Big Fun	Blame It On The Boogie	1989	4	-	✔
Pseudo Echo	Funkytown	1986	8	6	✘
Wax	Bridge To Your Heart	1987	12	-	✔
Alexander O'Neal	Fake	1986	33	25	✔
The S.O.S. Band	The Finest	1986	17	44
Terence Trent D'Arby	If You Let Me Stay	1987	7	68	✔
Odyssey	Inside Out	1982	3	-	✔
The Pasadenas	Tribute (Right On)	1988	5	52	✔
Luther Vandross	Stop To Love	1986	24	15	✔

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: There are rare times when I'm discovering previously unfamiliar music from my high school years where my mind finds its way back to a cheap turntable next to my twin bed covered with Batman comics sitting underneath an Asia poster. My selective memory has fortunately erased all the anxiety and dread of being a geeky teenager and I'm back to being totally obsessed with absorbing as much new music as possible as quickly as possible. Well, that feeling returned somewhere in the middle of listening to CD1 of this set and that brief flashback alone was worth the $5 I spent on this set.