My Top 13 from 1984

Two things I remember from this year: firstly Frankie Goes to Hollywood dominated the charts, with The Power of Love, the awesome Two Tribes and their single Relax was banned, so of course it made #1. And there were two songs in the chart called Jump, by Van Halen and the Pointer Sisters (which I can never hear without seeing Hugh Grant's dad dancing scene in Love Actually).

1. Billy Joel - An Innocent Man - 03-1984
2. Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun - 02-1984
3. George Michael - Careless Whisper - 07-1984
4. Sister Sledge - Lost In Music - 09-1984
5. Jim Diamond - I Should Have Known Better - 11-1984
6. Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is - 12-1984
7. Van Halen - Jump - 03-1984
8. Queen - I Want To Break Free - 04-1984
9. Lionel Richie - Hello - 03-1984
10. Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark - 05-1984
11. Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It - 06-1984
12. John Waite - Missing You - 09-1984
13. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax - 01-1984

And the bubbling unders:
The Pointer Sisters - Jump (For My Love) - 06-1984
Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time - 06-1984
Kenny Loggins - Footloose - 05-1984
The Cars - Drive - 09-1984
Chicago - Hard Habit To Break - 10-1984
Tears For Fears - Shout - 12-1984
Deniece Williams - Let's Hear It For The Boy - 05-1984
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power Of Love - 12-1984
U2 - Pride (In The Name Of Love) - 09-1984
Phil Collins - Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) - 04-1984
Wham! - Last Christmas/Everything She Wants - 12-1984
Michael Jackson - P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) - 04-1984
Kool & The Gang - Joanna/Tonight - 03-1984
Stevie Wonder - I Just Called To Say I Love You - 08-1984
Chaka Khan - I Feel For You - 10-1984
The Bluebells - Young At Heart - 07-1984
Madonna - Like A Virgin - 11-1984
Alison Moyet - All Cried Out - 10-1984
Nena - 99 Red Balloons - 02-1984
Billy Ocean - Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run) - 10-1984
Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters - 08-1984
Prince & The Revolution - Purple Rain - 09-1984
The Thompson Twins - Doctor Doctor - 02-1984
Nik Kershaw - The Riddle - 11-1984
Ultravox - Dancing With Tears In My Eyes - 06-1984
The Weather Girls - It's Raining Men - 03-1984
Joe Fagin - That's Living (Alright) - 01-1984
Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride - 02-1984
Murray Head - One Night In Bangkok - 11-1984

1980s Movies

Some of the most iconic movies - by no means a comprehensive list.

1980

Friday the 13th
Caddyshack
The Blues Brothers
Airplane!
The Shining
Raging Bull
9 To 5
Superman II
The Fog
American Gigolo
Any Which Way You Can
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

1981

Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Time Bandits
Das Boot
Escape From New York
Excalibur
An American Werewolf In London
The Cannonball Run
Escape To Victory
Arthur
On Golden Pond

1982

Poltergeist
Tootsie
Blade Runner
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Tron
Conan The Barbarian
Deathtrap
Star Trek II – Wrath Of Khan
48 Hours
Sophie’s Choice
Annie
An Officer And A Gentleman
Deathwish II
Victor/Victoria

1983

Flashdance
Terms Of Endearment
Scarface
Trading Places
National Lampoon's Vacation
Splash
Never Say Never Again
War Games
Christine
Superman III
Staying Alive
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi

1984

A Nightmare On Elm Street
Ghostbusters
Dune
Amadeus
The Karate Kid
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
Gremlins
This Is Spinal Tap
The Terminator
Footloose
Beverly Hills Cop
Purple Rain
Police Academy
Star Trek III – Search For Spock
Romancing The Stone

1985

Desperately Seeking Susan
The Goonies
Back To The Future
The Breakfast Club
St. Elmo's Fire
Silverado
Mask
Cocoon

1986

Highlander
Labyrinth
Little Shop Of Horrors
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Stand By Me
The Transformers: The Movie
Top Gun
The Fly
9½ Weeks
Three Amigos
Peggy Sue Got Married
Star Trek II – Voyage Home
The Karate Kid II

1987

Dirty Dancing
The Lost Boys
Wall Street
Moonstruck
Lethal Weapon
Full Metal Jacket
Robocop
Predator
The Princess Bride
Raising Arizona
The Running Man
Beverly Hills Cop II
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
The Untouchables
Fatal Attraction
Mannequin
3 Men And A Baby
Overboard

1988

The Naked Gun
Die Hard
A Fish Called Wanda
Big
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Rain Man
Working Girl
The Land Before Time
Willow
Beetlejuice
Coming To America
Young Guns
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Cocktail
Scrooged
Twins

1989

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Field Of Dreams
When Harry Met Sally...
The Little Mermaid
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
Dead Poets Society
Road House
Batman
Back To The Future Part II
Steel Magnolias
Honey I Shrunk The Kids
Licence To Kill
Ghostbusters II

My Top 13 from 1983

This has never happened before - I just couldn't pick between 2 songs for the number 1 slot. I would be up dancing to both of these for many hours in 1983 - probably days if you consider the ensuing 4 decades ... The fact they're both by MJ allows me to squeeze an extra one in.

1. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean - 02-1983
1. Michael Jackson - Beat It - 04-1983
2. Billy Joel - Uptown Girl - 11-1983
3. Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out - 01-1983
4. Lionel Richie - All Night Long (All Night) - 10-1983
5. David Bowie - Modern Love - 09-1983
6. Elton John - I'm Still Standing - 08-1983
7. Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse Of The Heart - 03-1983
8. Irene Cara - Flashdance (What A Feeling) - 06-1983
9. Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes - Up Where We Belong - 02-1983
10. The Maisonettes - Heartache Avenue - 01-1983
11. Men At Work - Down Under - 01-1983
12. Toto - Africa - 02-1983
13. Culture Club - Church Of The Poison Mind - 04-1983

For those of you who don't remember no 10, this was a band formed by the fabulous Lol Mason from City Boy - my favourite British band (tying with Queen), both second to my #1 fave band, Journey.
And, as usual, a whole bunch of also-rans.

Beat - Can't Get Used To Losing You - 05-1983
David Bowie - Let's Dance - 03-1983
Rod Stewart - Baby Jane - 06-1983
Laura Branigan - Gloria - 02-1983
Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack - Tonight I Celebrate My Love - 09-1983
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Dear Prudence - 10-1983
Slade - My Oh My - 12-1983
Billy Joel - Tell Her About It - 12-1983
Wham! - Club Tropicana - 08-1983
Paul Young - Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) - 07-1983
Tears For Fears - Change - 02-1983
The Thompson Twins - We Are Detective - 05-1983
Tina Turner - Let's Stay Together - 12-1983
Indeep - Last Night A D.J. Saved My Life - 02-1983
U2 - New Year's Day - 02-1983
The Mighty Wah - The Story Of The Blues - 01-1983
Dionne Warwick - All The Love In The World - 01-1983
UB40 - Red Red Wine - 09-1983
Spandau Ballet - True - 04-1983
The Style Council - Long Hot Summer - 08-1983
Tracey Ullman - They Don't Know - 10-1983
The Belle Stars - Sign Of The Times - 02-1983
George Benson - In Your Eyes - 10-1983
Phil Everly & Cliff Richard - She Means Nothing To Me - 03-1983
Level 42 - The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up) - 09-1983
Duran Duran - Union Of The Snake - 11-1983
Mike Oldfield - Moonlight Shadow - 07-1983
Iron Maiden- The Trooper - 07-1983
Orange Juice - Rip It Up - 03-1983
New Order - Blue Monday - 04-1983
The Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) - 03-1983
Culture Club - Karma Chameleon - 09-1983
Joboxers - Just Got Lucky - 06-1983
Spandau Ballet - Gold - 08-1983
Elton John - I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues - 06-1983
Howard Jones - What Is Love - 12-1983
Kajagoogoo - Too Shy - 02-1983

1980s Women’s fashions

My memory of 80s centred around business suits - but I always cut out the shoulder pads *shudders*. I really hated those pencil skirts, so I tended to go for flared ones - my two were in navy and red tartan, and I only chucked them out this decade. I still wear a black-and white batwing-sleeved jumper, and my daughter borrowed a roll neck polar-bear jumper which she still wears. And I kept one pair of sparkly blue legwarmers for those wintry evenings when my knees need a little help.

The 80s were the decade for designer denim, with Gloria Vanderbilt, Jordache, Calvin Klein, and Guess leading the pack. Designer jeans came in lots of colours and styles: wide leg, stretch pull-on and coloured jeans — especially pink, khaki, and white. They had a high waistline and a snug fit through the hips in the early 80s and a pleated waist and fuller hip in the mid to late 80s. Acid wash or stonewash jeans, previously only worn by subcultures like punks, entered mainstream 1980s fashion in the middle years. The marbled effect could be found on light, dark and black washed denim jeans.

Most people, if asked about the 80s will think of bright/pastel colours and some manner of leisure wear, whether it’s tracksuits (or their close relation, shell suits), leotards or dolphin shorts paired with crop tops. Inevitably accompanied by Lycra leggings, legwarmers and sweatbands.
At the other end of the spectrum were power-dressing suits, pencil skirts and the ubiquitous shoulder pads. And in-between were a stack of large, sloppy jumpers and 40s inspired stylings from practical shirtwaist dresses to farm-girl dungarees (in candy-stripe pink rather than khaki).

Here’s a summary of some of the most popular 80s fashions:
• High waist denim jeans especially in pastel colours and acid wash finishes
• Baggy oversize blouses with shoulder pads, held in by a wide belt
• Ugly sweaters: loose knit sweaters wild patterns and colours
• Off-the-shoulder tops/dresses and especially jumpers
• Rollnecks (aka turtle-necks), polka dots and batwing sleeves all played a part
• Denim jackets, leather jackets, blazer jackets with big buttons layered over shirts and sweaters
• Padded shoulder dresses- metallic fabrics, Victorian lace, satin party dresses
• Track suits, leotards, running shorts were worn all day. Add a terry cloth headband for Jazzercize class
• Power suits: Peplum skirt suits, padded dresses, silky blouses, dressy slacks and heels
• Leggings- Colourful leggings worn under oversize tops. Add leg warmers and white high top sneakers
• Flat shoes with all outfits. White or neo sneakers for sporty looks. Slouch boots for winter
• Tassels and fringes on everything: clothes, boots and handbags
• Huge glasses/sunglasses with bright, primary-coloured frames. Gloves esp lace/elbow-length