NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL THE 80S (3LP)

Opening with one of Queen’s signature anthems ‘I Want To Break Free’, and followed by the incredible ‘Every Breath You Take’ from The Police and Eurythmics with ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)’ you know from the start that this is a massive collection. A huge #1 for The Human League with ‘Don’t You Want Me’ is up next and the side finishes with three of the decades’ biggest bands, a-ha with ‘Take On Me’, Duran Duran with ‘Rio’ and Spandau Ballet with ‘Gold’. Flip the LP over for sing-along #1s from Culture Club with ‘Karma Chameleon’ and ‘Come On Eileen’ from Dexys Midnight Runners. Bananarama, Adam & The Ants and Nena all produced pop classics whilst Kim Wilde with ‘You Came’, and two mega-hits from the songwriting and production team of Stock, Aitken and Waterman – debut hits for Kylie Minogue and Rick Astley were chart smashes in the latter part of the decade and bring the first disc to a close.

LP2 features back-to-back legends including, on the first side, Bruce Springsteen, Cher, Bon Jovi and the #1 collaboration between Philip Bailey and Phil Collins, ‘Easy Lover’. Tears For Fears complete the side with their worldwide smash ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’. Over on the other side, the dancefloor beckons with #1s from Whitney Houston with ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody…’, ‘I Feel For You’ from Chaka Khan and The Communards with Sarah Jane Morris on their superb cover of ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’. Some reggae influenced pop next from Blondie and UB40. Madness and The Jam enjoyed #1s with ‘House Of Fun’ and ‘Town Called Malice’, whilst closing the LP is the first new chart topper of the decade from the Pretenders with ‘Brass In Pocket’.

The third LP kicks off with signature songs from Elton John with ‘I’m Still Standing’ and Billy Joel’s ‘Uptown Girl’. 80s movie songs are up next with ‘Footloose’, ‘Take My Breath Away’ and ‘Ghostbusters’, ahead of the stunning ‘Back To Life’ from Soul II Soul & Caron Wheeler. The side winds down with two of the decade’s biggest ballads ‘Ebony & Ivory’ from Paul McCartney and ‘Hello’, the first solo #1 for Lionel Richie. The final side presents a stellar line up of electronic pop, opening with the peerless ‘Blue Monday’ from New Order, and followed by #1s from Pet Shop Boys with ‘Heart’, and the massive ‘Relax’ from Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Dead Or Alive, Soft Cell and Heaven 17 all feature with true classics and the collection signs off with the iconic ‘Vienna’ from Ultravox. 

45 Essential tracks for every vinyl collection – NOW That’s What I Call The 80s.