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PODCAST

I Completed 80s Music

The 80s Mixtaper

In 2016 I started listening to every single UK chart entry from January 1st 1980 to December 31st 1989. This is the story of that journey, the bands, the music and how 80s music unfolded through lots of lovely playlists. If you’re new to 80s music, consider this a great entry point. If you’re here for nostalgia, you’re in for a treat! Wham! Duran Duran, Billy Ocean, Bros, The Smiths - you name it, I have you covered. As midlife crises go, it could be worse! Cover art by Florian Schmetz. Go check

music music history

All Episodes

36:49

Ep 40 Apr 82 Paul McCartney, Hot Chocolate, Yazoo,...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/04/17

All we wanna do is TalkTalk on this podcast and this week we natter about April 1982 and a slew of incredible hits on playlist 40. Macca and Stevie Wonder duet on a song about racial harmony, Hot Chocolate go girl crazy while the Fixx bring the cold war paranoia. Meanwhile Vince Clarke leaves Depeche Mode to form Yazoo with Alison Moyet. Patrice Rushen drops a club classic which becomes a staple of a 90s film franchise. Junior gets some motherly advice and all TalkTalk wanna do is talk talk! Please

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31:33

Ep39.5 Apr 82 David Bowie, Bardo, J Geils Band,...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/04/10

Hopefully we're really saying something (bop bop shooby do wah) with this episode of the pod as we tackle the back 6 songs of playlist 39 and April 1982. Bowie kicks us off as he teaches us to put out fires with gasoline. Bardo then attempt to replicate Bucks Fizz Eurovision success (nerves ensue). The J Geils band have one last hurrah. Banarama return the favour to Fun Boy Three. The English World Cup Squad demonstrate our love for badly sung team songs and we end with Haircut 100's Fantastic Day,

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37:38

Ep 39 April 82 Bucks Fizz, PhD, Monsoon, Pigbag,...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/04/03

This podcast wont let you down but the copies of the singles might! Yes folks, as we get into April 1982 we have our first divergence of song choice on Spotify and Apple Music. Jim Diamond and PhD go in different directions leading to different versions on the music platforms. Roxy Music get a little saucy and increase the population of West London. Also in this episode Pigbag and Shakatak, drop their highpoints, Monsoon releases a song which opened doors and Simple Minds enter their imperious

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30:41

Ep38.5 Mar 82 Visage, Japan, Flock Of Seagulls, Elton...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/03/27

This podcast can make you feel good, or at least Shalamar can! Yes folks, as we continue our sojourn through the 80s, we have reached the introduction of Shalamar, Flock of Seagulls and Elton John to the mix as March 1982 continues. We also have Visage proving they were not one hit wonders and Japan's swansong before it all fell apart. Just when they thought they could not be stopped!Links to Playlist 38: Spotify Apple Music In case the hyperlinks don't work, the tracks are: 8. Visage - The

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36:38

Ep 38 Mar 82 Goombay Dance Band, Pluto, Imagination,...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/03/20

Whether your donning your grass skirt, imaginary bass guitar or gold lined harem pants, playlist 38 promises to be a colourful one! This week we cover the first 7 songs and what an episode! We introduce the one hit wonder Goombay Dance Band, follow up with some humorous reggae courtesy of Pluto before sliding into the peak of Imagination's discography (or is it just an illusion?!). Gary Numan brings the music for chameleons (or Alan Partridge), Chas and Dave bring the old joanna, Classix Nouveaux

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29:55

Ep 37.5 Feb 82 ABBA, Kraftwerk, Iron Maiden, Madness,...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/03/13

Just a small town pod, living in a world of pods....it took the midnight train going anyyyyywhere... Anyway. Don't stop believin in this episode description, not matter how corny it gets as this week's episode reaches the latter half of playlist 37 and the end of February 1982. Naturally, Journey have their glee moment, but Iron Maiden make us run to the hills, Madness give us heart problems and ABBA go head over heels and possibly off the railes. We also hear from Kraftwerk and end up in the herb

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34:46

Ep37 Feb 82 Black Sabbath, J Geils Band, Jam, Kiss,...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/03/06

How have we reached 1982 and not met Black Sabbath or Kiss yet?! Well in this episode, all that changes. February 1982 and playlist 37 promises pivot point for both bands as Sabbath contemplate a world without Ozzy and Kiss consider a world without heroes. The J Geils Band drop the greatest "Na Na" chorus of the decade, the Jam bring Woking to the fore (and not in a good way) and the Nolans bring the contraception. We also meet the Associates and ABC shoot their poison arrow! Links to Playlist

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32:37

Ep 36.5 Feb 82 Bohannon, Vice Squad, Robert Palmer,...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/02/27

If there's one thing that we can take from this week's pod it's that in 1982 and even now perhaps, it's not what you do, it's the way that you do it! Indeed in this weeks eclectic mix, we see funk, hardcore, electro and reggae all represented as we plunge into the second half of playlist 36 and February 1982. Naturally with that opening line, we'll be meeting Bananarama as they team up with Fun Boy Three but we also meet Bohannon, the funkiest drummer around, Vice Squad representing UK82 punk and we

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31:49

Ep 36, Feb 82 Adrian Gurvitz, Diana Ross, Toni Basil,...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/02/20

Do you want the best chant of the 80s? Or how about Soft Cell's best song? Well you're in the right place. Whether it's "Hey Mickey" or "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" and everything inbetween, this episode has it all as we slip into February 1982 and playlist 36. We kick off with Adrian Gurvitz putting aside his rock roots to write a Classic. Diana Ross gets introspective and funky with her post Motown catalogue before Nick Heyward becomes a hearthrob with Haircut 100. Toni Basil drops one of the standout

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32:48

Ep35.5 Jan 81 Tight Fit, Hall and Oates, Theatre Of...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/02/13

Whether you want to sleep in the jungle with a lion (bit weird) or go wild in the country, we have you covered as we complete January 1982! Its the second half of playlist 35 and we kick off with the aforementioned childhood memory by Tight Fit but explore the deeper darker history of the track. Next up Hall & Oates bring their A-Game and drop I Can't Go For That which it turns out, isnt a love song. Theatre of Hate take us to the Westworld, watch out for dodgy Yul Brynner looking characters

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39:44

Ep 35 Jan 82 Stranglers, Mobiles, Lindsey...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/02/06

If you're looking for a pod describing the rhyming scheme of "truly" and "Julie", look no further! Yes as we begin our ascent of the 1982 charts, the 80s Mixtaper acts as our musical sherpa. We'll be stopping along the way to muse on the Stranglers' multi-meaning Golden Brown, feeling the chill of the cold war with Mobiles' Drowning in Berlin before Lindsey Buckingham gets us into trouble, amongst others (including Shakin Stevens' Julie and it's rhyming scheme). 1982 starts with a bang, join the

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26:01

Ep 34 Dec 1981, Kool and the Gang and the End of 1981...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/01/30

Get down on this podcast! Today, we reach the end of 1981! Can you believe that we're a fifth of the way through this journey already?! And as such, we feature but one song, the only remaining song to mention for 1981 and playlist 34 (the one that stupid here should have just tacked on to episode 33.5). Yes folks, we get cool with Kool and the Gang and their classic hit Get Down On It. Then, a little revue of 1981 and what it meant in the pop zeitgeist, before we hand out some metaphorical awards to

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28:20

Ep33.5 Dec 81 Rolling Stones, Foreigner, Altered...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/01/23

Step right up as we complete the last full playlist of 1981 and the back end of playlist 33. What an episode we have. Are the Rolling Stones going to break up? Do Foreigner know they have one of the most iconic ballads of the 80s? Are Altered Images happy?Will Jon & Vangelis find their way home? Does Rod Stewart want to be a young turk and do ABBA simply want to go their separate ways? We'll probably answer none of this but have a bloody good go at speculating based on the facts, opinions and

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36:32

Ep 33 Dec 81 Bucks Fizz, Status Quo, Duran Duran,...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/01/16

This episode will transport you back to the land of make believe (or the 80s, same difference) as we hit December 1981. In playlist 33 we get a Christmas Number one which the band didnt even want to release but which becomes one of the legendary songs of the decade. Duran Duran fill time between their debut album and Rio with a disco throwback, Status Quo get all misty eyed about rock and roll and Madness write cover a love song which by 1994 has me crooning outside a balcony at 3am. Yes folks,

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28:41

Ep 32.5 Nov 81 Pretenders, Soft Cell, Queen,...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/01/09

Don't go to sleep on this episode! For one it ends with Meatloaf's Dead Ringer For Love, so you'll be wide awake again.In the second half of playlist 32, we transport you back to the end of November 1981. The Pretenders kick off proceedings with a desperate lament about love in a song which would take on sadder meaning in their future. Soft Cell then transport us to a lonely Bedsit after the party has ended, before Queen and David Bowie release one of the greatest almost accidental duets ever

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35:22

Ep 32 Nov 81, Fun Boy Three, Modern Romance, Diana...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2026/01/02

A lunatic has taken over the podcast! (Frankly he was never away). Or rather Fun Boy Three do, as we move forward into deepest November 1981 with Playlist 32. Messrs Hall, Staples and Golding become FB3 and launch their debut single as we explore the messy split from the Specials and what came next. Modern Romance then continue their formulaic party song rise through the charts and Diane Ross breaks from Motown. Earth Wind and Fire reinvent themselves for the new decade, Dollar with the help of

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34:43

Ep 31.5 Nov 81 Kool & the Gang, Saxon, ABC, Rush,...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2025/12/18

A modern day podcaster, mean mean stride, today's podcaster, mean, mean pride.Lets not Rush (geddit?) through this episode, as we explore the back half of playlist 31. Yes folks, we enter November 1981 with an eclectic mix of funk, synthpop wizardry and more 80s flavours. Kool and the Gang kick off our show continuing their stretch of great 80s tunes with Steppin Out. We then pivot into introducing Saxon to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal picture with their steam powered song Princess of the

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48:31

Ep 31, Oct 81, Laurie Anderson, Bob Seger, Julio...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2025/12/10

It may be Autumn 1981 but you won't need your duffle coat where we're going! Hot holidays, hot driving in the california hills, hot reggae and hot funk all feature in the first half of playlist 31.We start with perhaps one of the most polarising tracks of the decade, an art installation in its own right, O Superman by Laurie Anderson, raising questions about the purpose of the state and the superficial image of protection. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band then rev up the convertible and take us

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37:10

Ep 30.5 Oct 81Foreigner, Olivia Newton-John, Human...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2025/11/24

We're back with the back half of playlist 31 and stories of rock glory from the best decade in pop. In this episode we introduce arena rock giants Foreigner to the picture with their apocryphal tale of the fan who sees a concert and becomes a rock star in their single Jukebox Hero. We don our best spandex, head and wrist warmers and get Physical with Olivia Newton-John and send the 80 work out revolution into overdrive (who's mum went to a Jazz and Tap class?). We get one of the most

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42:07

Ep 30 Oct 81Police, Billy Squier, Elvis Costello,...

I Completed 80s Music ·

2025/11/11

Eclectic Much?Yup playlist 30 continues to demonstrate that even towards the end of 1981, the new decade is still embryonic in it's flavours. We kick off with The Police pivoting away from the reggae punk style as they focus on their next album Ghost in the Machine and break out the single Invisible Sun. Next we don our stripper heels and swing on the pole to Billy Squier's Stroke Me, which actually is a song more aligned with greasy politicians and magnates! Elvis Costello goes country with Good

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