Chartography - ABC

Interesting how many (if not most) of the big successes of the "New Wave" era fall on debut albums. And usually the bands and artists were unable to built on those foundations, spending their whole carriers trying to recapture the spirit of their first full-format outing. One of the bands to whom this applies the most is ABC. They really did a perfect pop album with "The Lexicon of love" - and were rewarded with worldwide success almost instantly. But they didn't want to repeat themselves and strayed from this style - with immediate (and disastrous) commercial results. So on many of their later albums they tried to write "The lexicon of love part II", to bridge the gap and recapture the audience. And predictably failed. Still, along the way they did manage some notable successes, especially building a fan base in the USA - which many of their contemporaries failed to do. They actually did write "The lexicon of love part II", though of course it wasn't a patch on "part I". Anyway, let's check their way through the world charts.

ABC

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Chartography - Dead or Alive

If there's a band whose overall output is completely dwarfed by the one hit song it surely must be Dead or Alive. "You spin me round" has such longevity and popularity it rivals "Take on me" and "Sweet dreams" as the ultimate 1980s song in the eyes (ears) of millions. So far it had been a hit in three successive decades (1980s, 1990s and 2000s - twice!), while in 2010s it's inescapable in video mash-ups and so on. It really is a part of a cultural landscape - which is a great achievement. But while it's a good song, not only it's by no means the only one the band recorded, in some countries it's not even their biggest hit (chart-wise). Actually they had quite a protracted carrier, spanning the 1980s and, to lesser extent, 1990s, having success all over the world - USA, Japan, Australia all guaranteed them audiences for years. I personally never could quite warm to them - too one-dimensional musically and the vocals are an acquired taste, - but plenty of people have found them very much their cup of tea. It all came to a halt eventually, and in a new century DOA's front-man Pete Burns became more famous for his non-musical exploits and problems, while music too a very distant second place. Now both mainstays of the band - Burns and his trusty sidekick Steve Coy - are no longer with us, but the legacy of that one song lives on. So let's check what they achieved commercially.

Dead or Alive

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Chartography - Bronski Beat

The early 1980s were a truly peculiar time in pop when everything seemed possible. Just to imagine a pop band singing openly about gay issues and having widespread, worldwide success - it was unbelievable before that and seldom happened since. Yet here we are with such a band simply owning the charts between 1984 and 1986, having hit after hit with very sharp statements. Of course it didn't boil down to only "gay stuff" - they wrote about the variety of sociopolitical topics, setting them to uptemto synthpop with sometimes very catchy melodies. "Smalltown boy" is the obvious masterpiece, of course - a complete package of song and presentation (video, first of all). Their time in the spotlight proved to be limited, though - a classic case of the band struggling almost as soon as their distinctive member (a singer in this - and so many other cases, some of which we'll meet along the way) leaves. BB practically serves as a springboard for Jimmy Somerville's carrier - and yet they managed to find their own sound and leave their own mark. So here they are:

Bronski Beat

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Chartography - Nik Kershaw

So, finally, another installment - a chartography of Nik Kershaw. One of the biggest teen sensations of 1984, and not just in his homeland - all of Europe and most of the countries abroad fell to his appeal. And yet, very little appreciation in the USA, something even his record label couldn't comprehend. A bit too Stevie Wonder-y in the vocal department, maybe. Anyway, massive hits for year and a half, ones that are pop classics to this day - "Wouldn't it be good?", "I won't let the sun go down on me", "The riddle". All of this - with songs of substance and unusual subjects, barely a straight love song among them all. "Only in the 1980s". Unfortunately the plug was pulled rather harshly: having started in early 1984, by the end of 1985 Nik started faltering and then disappeared as a commercial force in the space of a year. Another mystery, though he never felt comfortable as a teen pop star and perhaps started to write less catchy, more grown-up songs in no small part to escape the image and adulation. In the 1990s he had another carrier as a pop hit writer, quite successful at that, but then started to perform again, of course on a much smaller scale, but still writing, releasing and playing live. Still, he's an important part of the 1980s culture (especially mid-decade), and had his fair share of hits to warrant a list.

Nik Kershaw

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Stop-gap

Hello! First of all, let me wish anyone who visits here a Happy New Year, let's hope 2020 will be nice and encouraging to all of us!

Next, I feel I owe an explanation for the prolonged silence. Of course there was work to do, and demands such as this are quite hard to ignore. But the main thing is the recent (thankfully ongoing) attempt to recreate the weekly charts of France - here it is, and let me say I'm most impressed with the amount of work put in it and recommend paying attention to it! I could, of course, use the existing chart info for a time, but I became so fascinated with that chart that I decided to use its info exclusively. Hopefully the updates will be as pacey as they are now, so quite soon we'll see the rest of it online.

However, not all of the performers I'm going to feature need to wait until the conclusion of the aforesaid project. So there'll be updates very soon and things will hopefully get in their stride henceforth ☺

And, of course, each and any contribution to this blog is most welcome!

Chartography - Art of Noise

A very interesting project, pioneering for its time. In truth, I had a hard time getting into most of their stuff - too experimental and not very musical for my tastes. But the idea and execution have to be applauded. What interested me the most, though, is that they managed to have a very fair share of success worldwide, becoming rather reliable hit-makers during the mid and late 1980s (as the chartography proves) - which is remarkable in an era that embraced commercialism and looked upon experimentation. And, of course, they did "Moments in love" - one of the most gorgeous melodies of the electronic era! So they merited an inclusion - and here they are:

Art of Noise

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Chartography - The Cars

The visionaries of New Wave keep passing away. Earlier this year we lost Mark Hollis of Talk Talk, now - Ric Ocasek of The Cars. Not the way I'd chose to continue this blog, but here we are.

The Cars are a strange case. Very unconventional for the US music scene of the time, they debuted - and almost immediately broke through, going almost from strength to strength from then on for years and years. Quite why did they do so good is somewhat puzzling - probably because for all their technological sheen and strange lyrics Ric wrote irresistible melodies and hooks, - but the fact is they became the first US "New Wave" bands to succeed and therefore opened the gates for compatriots and wavers from abroad. But they also managed not to get trampled by successors and, having made on of the biggest-selling debut albums of the time, went on to make a couple blockbusters more ("Heartbeat City" and "Greatest Hits"). But strangeness continued - having conquered North America and Australasia (that had lots in common music tastes-wise), they had a hard time planting elsewhere, only really hitting the big time with their deathless ballad "Drive", one of the biggest all-electronic hits of the decade. They needn't have worried, of course - being big in America is a position of immense strength, but still on the outside they weren't nearly as famous as their peers Blondie. Peculiar time for the darlings of the US FM radio stations - most of them sold millions at home but managed only a hit or two internationally. Styx, REO Speedwagon, Survivor, Foreigner - the list continues. Probably there was something particularly "American" about them that prevented the world domination.

Still, thanks to Ric's vision, The Cars were able to appeal both to radio, usually reticent about that whole "New Wave" thing (especially home-grown, for some reason), and forward-looking circles, and moved with the times unscathed until 1987, when even the giants started to lose grip. Carrier-wise and commercially both the band and Ric himself never recovered, but they remained dearly loved by both fans and public, and induction in the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame became the final ... of their achievements. Final, as it happens, in more ways than one.

So rest in peace, Ric, and thank you (and The Cars) for the music!

The Cars

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Chartography - A Flock of Seagulls

This may be an unexpected inclusion as the band has for quite a long time been at an unenviable position - one of the most ridiculed of the genre (in the US) or barely remembered at all (in the UK and elsewhere). Still, that's some consistency - they were never a critics' favourites from day one. Yet if one digs deeper, a distinctive entity is found. Maybe not pioneering and overly creative (like it's necessary), but very musical, entertaining and talented. I personally most fond of their instrumental work which is one of the best of the decade at the very least (and which I recommend without reservations), but for all their shortcomings they had a sound of their own, being at their best with up-tempo, energetic songs, but rarely missing out with slower ones. They had an interesting overall atmosphere that is quite addictive and memorable. So it's actually little surprise that they had success at the time when this style of spacey, sci-fi-informed music was in vogue. Unfortunately they couldn't really adapt to swift changes and vanished commercially almost as quickly as they appeared. Still, their success has been rather solid to warrant a chart file of their own.

A Flock of Seagulls

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Chartography - Alphaville

Here I won't post only music grands - the lesser-known performers will also get attention. Like Alphaville, for instance - major stars and probably the biggest European débutantes of 1984. There was literally no country on the continent that escaped their charms - and these also extended far outside (to much lesser extent, though). And thankfully such phenomenal success has been for a reason - their initial hits are pure gold, pop evergreens fondly remembered and oft-covered to this day. So it's a small wonder that they were unable to prolong their success and by 1987 it was practically over. Changing music trends played a big part, no doubt, and frankly even their debut album was eneven, and the later ones were quite spotty too. But still they declined too swiftly, even losing ground in their homeland of (West) Germany. Surprisingly they had a short comeback in German-speaking territories in 2010 (!). Still, they are active as a live band and are well-loved by audiences. And their widespread success warranted this compendium (which looks impressive for any band - on first pages, at least😏).

Alphaville

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Chartography - Yazoo

So now another revue of a performer's achievements chartwise. Yazoo were big news for a couple of years, seemingly had a long and successful carrier ahead of them - judging by the early successes. The combination of catchy synth motives and bluesy vocals was truly ahead of its time - and a formula seldom repeated since. Still, they helped make synth music acceptable in the mainstream, showed its flexibility and wide reach. Their albums are a bit inconsistent, but generally are strong and enjoyable. So it was quite a shock to see them disband at the height of their popularity. Hard to judge if they had more to offer - well-covered internal tensions aside, did they have anywhere to go with their established style? Even Eurythmics - the band they paved the way for (and one that's going to be featured here in time) - all but put electronics aside after a couple of albums' worth of experimenting. Perhaps they just gave all they could - and decided not to waste everybody's time. One way or the other, they still left their mark on the development of electronic and pop music - and for that should be praised and respected.

Remarkably successful chart carrier, by the way - one you don't generally expect from an "indee" band: worldwide successes on a big scale, both with singles and albums! So the file is uncharacteristically long for a band with a couple of long players and a handful of singles☺ Also I included The Assembly single - because why not. Enjoy!

Yazoo

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