Best of the '80s Redux, Poll — January 8, 2018 at 6:55 am

Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s Redux: Vote for your favorite songs of 1982

It’s taken nearly three years, but we’re finally ready to resume the Best of the ’80s Redux, the series of polls of Slicing Up Eyeballs readers to determine the best songs of each year of the 1980s that followed up our wildly popular best-albums-of-the-’80s series.

The Best of the ’80s Redux polls covered 1980 and 1981 before fizzling out (the whole site ultimately went on hiatus for almost two years). But unfinished business is unfinished business, and it’s time to pick up where we left off, which means you now get to vote for your 25 favorite songs from the year 1982.

VOTING: For the album polls (and our more recent artist discography polls), we presented you with a list, sometimes hundreds of titles long, to choose from, plus the ability to offer write-ins. We inevitably missed titles, and some argued this skewed the results. So this time, it’s a (mostly) free-for-all. You may vote for any songs you’d like — singles, B-sides, album cuts, etc. It’s all fill-in-the-blanks this time, not multiple choice.

A few important things to note:

  • To be eligible, songs must have been released in some format — whether it be on an album, EP or a single — for the first time during the year 1982. That means, for example, that a song that’s released as a single in 1983 will be eligible for the 1982 poll if it first appeared on an album released in 1982. Splitting hairs? Sure, but we have to draw the line somewhere.
  • With the album polls, acknowledging the theme of this website, we limited voting to artists that fall under the very loose and ill-defined “alternative” banner, generally acts from the punk, post-punk, goth, college rock, indie, synthpop, industrial, New Wave and related genres. Not the case anymore — although that’s still likely how the results will skew. For the song polls, vote for whatever you want. 
  • Well, there is one limit. To prevent one-note fans from, say, simply listing every track off Thriller, you may only vote for a maximum of two songs by the same artist when filling out your Top 25. Any ballots submitted with more than two songs by the same artist will be disqualified.

DEADLINE: Voting will be open through 5 p.m. ET Friday, Jan. 26, and results will be posted within a week or two — after which we’ll launch the 1983 poll and take it from there.

Sound good? Then vote away via the survey widget posted below.

And because there’s not a pre-set list to choose from, we encourage you to lobby for your picks, and maybe sway some votes, in the comments below.

Finally, if you’re drawing a blank on what came out that year, take a look back at our Top 100 albums of 1982 poll results, or check out these other resources:

 

 

PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS

 

73 Comments

  1. So many to squeeze into 25!! I could easily fill 75.

  2. My list:
    25. Bananarama “Shy Boy”
    24. Bauhaus “Third Uncle”
    23. Pigbag “Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag”
    22. Marvin Gaye “Sexual Healing”
    21. Gang Of Four “I Love A Man In A Uniform”
    20. The Cure “Let’s Go To Bed”
    19. Yazoo “Only You”
    18. Prince “1999”
    17. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five “The Message”
    16. Eddy Grant “Electric Avenue”
    15. Indeep “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life”
    14. Tears For Fears “Mad World”
    13. Duran Duran “Save A Prayer”
    12. Roxy Music “Avalon”
    11. The Alan Parsons Project “Eye In The Sky”
    10. Shriekback “My Spine Is The Bassline”
    09. The Gap Band “You Dropped A Bomb On Me”
    08. Modern English “I Melt With You”
    07. Culture Club “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me”
    06. Roxy Music “More Than This”
    05. Michael Jackson “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'”
    04. Romeo Void “Never Say Never”
    03. Duran Duran “The Chauffeur”
    02. INXS “Don’t Change”
    01. New Order “Temptation”

  3. In no particular order:
    The Cure – 100 Years
    The Cure – Figurehead
    XTC – Senses Working Overtime
    New Order – Temptation
    Elvis Costello – Man Out Of Time
    The Clash – Should I Stay Or Should I Go
    Tears For Fears – Mad World
    Culture Club – Do You Really Want to Hurt Me
    Lou Reed – The Blue Mask
    Modern English – Melt With You
    Roxy Music – More Than This
    Duran Duran – Save a Prayer
    Yazoo – Only You
    Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five – The Message
    Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Come On Eileen
    Joan Jett – I Love Rock & Roll
    Echo & The Bunnymen – Back Of Love
    Peter Gabriel – Shock The Monkey
    A Flock Of Seagulls – I Ran (So Far Away)
    Talk Talk – Talk Talk
    The Jam – Town Called Malice
    Men At Work – Down Under
    Prince – 1999
    Psychadelic Furs – Love My Way
    David Bowie & Bing Crosby – Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy

  4. Very difficult to complete without repeating a song by an artist. Good fun though!

  5. So just to be clear, a song that came out as a single in 1982 but was already on an album in 1981 is NOT eligible right?

  6. This was fun, keep up the surveys!

  7. My list, in alphabetical order:
    ABC – Poison Arrow
    The B-52’s – Mesopotamia
    Bauhaus – Spirit
    Bow Wow Wow – I Want Candy
    Cocteau Twins – Wax And Wane
    Culture Club – Time (Clock Of The Heart)
    The Cure – A Strange Day
    The Cure – Just One Kiss
    Divine – Native Love
    Duran Duran – Save A Prayer
    Eurythmics – Love Is A Stranger
    A Flock Of Seagulls – Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)
    Heaven 17 – Let Me Go
    Men Without Hats – The Safety Dance
    Modern English – Melt With You
    Nina Hagen – Smack Jack
    Prince – 1999
    The Psychedelic Furs – Love My Way
    Talk Talk – Talk Talk
    Tears For Fears – Pale Shelter
    Vanity 6 – Nasty Girl
    Virgin Prunes – Pagan Lovesong
    X-Mal Deutschland – Incubus Succubus
    Yazoo – Only You
    Yazoo – Situation

  8. In alphabetic order:

    ABC – Poison Arrow
    Bauhaus – All We Ever Wanted Was Everything
    Bauhaus – Spirit
    Cabaret Voltaire – Tyashar
    Icehouse – Hey Little Girl
    Icehouse Street Café –
    INXS – Don’t Change
    Joe Jackson – Steppin’ Out
    New Order – Temptation
    Peter Gabriel – Wallflower
    Prince – 1999
    REM – Gardening At Night
    Roxy Music – Avalon
    Simple Minds – Hunter and the Hunted
    Simple Minds – Promised You a Miracle
    Siouxsie and the Banshees – Fireworks
    Split Enz – Six Months in a Leaky Boat
    Tears For Fears – Mad World
    The Church – Almost With You
    The Clash – Rock The Casbah
    The Cure – Cold
    The Cure – The Figurehead
    The Fixx – Stand Of Fall
    The Psychedelic Furs – Love My Way
    XTC – Senses Working Overtime

  9. Man I completely missed ‘All We Ever Wanted Was Everything’ by Bauhaus. Would’ve totally voted for it instead of ‘Spirit’. For some reason, when I checked Wikipedia I misread that The Sky’s Gone Out came out in 1983.

  10. 25. Talk Talk “Talk Talk”
    24. The Damned: “Ignite”
    23. Bauhaus: “Third Uncle”
    22. A Flock of Seagulls: “Telecommunication”
    21. T.S.O.L.: “Walk Alone”
    20. Missing Persons: “Destination Unknown”
    19. Duran Duran: “Rio”
    18. ABC: “Look of Love – Pt. 1”
    17. Play: “Deeper Than Blue”
    16. Duran Duran: “Save a Prayer”
    15. Strange Advance: “Love Games”
    14. Yaz: “Only You”
    13. Paul Young: “Love of the Common People”
    12. Billy Idol: “White Wedding – Pt. 1”
    11. Prince: “Little Red Corvette”
    10. Depeche Mode: “See You”
    9. Cheap Trick: “She’s Tight”
    8. Eddie Money: “Think I’m in Love”
    7. A Flock of Seagulls: “Space Age Love Song”
    6. Christian Death: “Romeo’s Distress”
    5. INXS: “Don’t Change”
    4. Bauhaus: “Ziggy Stardust”
    3. Depeche Mode: “The Sun and the Rainfall”
    2. Modern English: “I Melt with You”
    1. New Order: “Temptation”

  11. Ain Rodendau

    X

  12. Thomas, Norway

    As i am not that fond of the pornography album, my list has suprisingly no The cure nor New Order songs;
    Roxy Music – More Than This
    Imagination – Just An Illusion
    Tom Tom Club – Genius Of Love
    The Psychedelic Furs – Love My Way
    Laura Branigan – Gloria
    Eddy Grant – Electric Avenue
    Roxy Music – Avalon
    Duran Duran -Hungry Like The Wolf
    Simple MInds – NeW Gold Dream
    Billy Idol -White Wedding
    Stevie Nicks – Egde Of Seventeen
    Tommy Tutone – Jenny
    Toto -Africa
    Judas Priest -You’ve Got Another Thing Coming
    Frida -I Know there’s Soemthing Going On
    Tears For Fears – Pale Shelter
    ABC -All Of My Heart
    Mike Oldfield – Five Miles Out
    Ultravox -Hymn
    Heaven 17 – Let Me Go
    The Clash – Rock The CAsbah
    Kim Wilde – Kids In America
    Joe Jackson – Steppin Out
    ABBA – The Day Before You Came

  13. The cure

  14. First, just a reminder that Bowie/Crosby “peace on earth/little drummer boy” came out in 1982 and is vastly superior to Cat People.

    I chose a lot of tracks that will probably rank way down the list, as I can forgo a hit single over a strong album track any day (looking at YOU, Siouxsie)…

    Pretenders, back on the chain gang
    Michael Jackson, Billie Jean (had to)
    Malcolm McLaren, Buffalo Gals
    Yazoo, Don’t Go
    REM, Wolves, Lower
    Kate Bush, Sat In Your Lap
    Modern English, I Melt With You
    THEcURE, Just One Kiss
    Psychedelic furs, love my way
    New Order, Hurt
    Siouxsie & the Banshees, Green Fingers
    Culture Club, White Boy
    Laurie Anderson, O Superman
    Grace Jones, My Jamaican Guy
    Joan Jett, Oh Woe Is Me
    Tears For Fears, Pale Shelter
    Depeche Mode, Leave In Silence
    Bauhaus, Third Uncle
    Bowie/Crosby, Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy
    Eurythmics, Love Is A Stranger
    Echo & the Bunnymen, The Back Of Love
    INXS, Don’t Change
    Cocteau Twins, Wax and Wane
    Altered Images, Pinky Blue
    The English Beat, Save It For Later

    and the one I left off….Vanity 6, Nasty Girl, was also tempted to choose Valley Girl just for fun…

  15. Cribbed from the Facebook thread:

    Ted Hawkins -Sorry You’re Sick
    The Fleshtones – The Dreg
    Roxy Music – To Turn You On
    Thomas Dolby – One Of Our Submarines
    Sparks -I Predict
    The Damned – Bad Time For Bonzo
    INXS – Don’t Change
    The Clash – Straight To Hell
    The Toy Dolls – Nellie The Elephant
    Bauhaus – Swing The Heartache
    The Fixx – Stand Or Fall
    Wall Of Voodoo – Lost Weekend
    Cheap Trick – She’s Tight
    The B-52’s – Mesopotamia
    The Higsons – Touchdown
    The Orange Juice – Rip It Up
    The Who – Emminence Front
    Robyn Hitchcock – The Cars She Used To Drive
    The Monochrome Set – The Jet Set Junta
    Motorhead – Din’t Need Religion
    Psychedelic Furs – Love My Way
    Les Hoodoo Gurus – Leilani
    Translator – Everywhere That I’m Not
    Haircut 100 – Love Plus One
    Donnie Iris – The High And The Mighty

  16. Paul Carpenter

    Here’s my 25 in alphabetical order.
    I’d already done the groundwork as I’ve put yearly playlists together on iTunes
    I had to painstakingly remove some and I checked on release dates to make sure all were first released in 1982

    Top 25 1982

    ABBA, The Day Before You Came
    ABC, All Of My Heart
    Associates, Party Fears Two
    The Clash, Rock The Casbah
    The Clash, Straight to Hell
    The Cure, The Hanging Garden
    David Sylvian, Bamboo Houses
    Depeche Mode, Leave in Silence
    Dexys Midnight Runners, Lets Make This Precious
    Duran Duran, Save a Prayer
    Duran Duran, The Chauffeur
    Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Man Out Of Time
    Eurythmics, Love is a Stranger
    Flock of Seagulls, I Ran (So Far Away)
    Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, The Message
    The Human League, Mirror Man
    The Jam, Town Called Malice
    The Pretenders, Back on the Chain Gang
    Prince, Little Red Corvette
    Simple Minds, Promised You a Miracle
    Simple Minds, Glittering Prize
    Talk Talk, Today
    Tears For Fears, Mad World
    XTC, Senses Working Overtime
    Yazoo, Don’t Go

  17. My mixtape:

    R.E.M. – Wolves, Lower
    Echo & the Bunnymen – Back of Love
    X – Blue Spark
    The Clash – Rock The Casbah
    Theatre Of Hate – Do You Believe in the Westworld
    Bauhaus – Third Uncle
    The Cure – A Strange Day
    The Stranglers – Strange Little Girl
    INXS – Don’t Change
    Split Enz – Six Months In A Leaky Boat
    Modern English – I Melt With You
    Talk Talk – Talk Talk
    Icehouse – Hey Little Girl
    Tears For Fears – Mad World
    Midnight Oil – Power and the Passion
    Gang of Four – I Love A Man In A Uniform
    The Members – Working Girl
    The Jam – A Town Called Malice
    XTC – Senses Working Overtime
    The Psychedelic Furs – Love My Way
    Duran Duran – Save a Prayer
    Thomas Dolby – Europa and the Pirate Twins
    New Order – Temptation
    The The – Uncertain Smile
    Roxy Music – Take A Chance With Me

  18. I went through my discogs collection year 1982 and found the following songs that are not yet in your tops 25:

    Captain Sensible, Wot
    A Flock of Seagull, Wishing
    Kid Creole, Stool Pigeon
    Warren Zevon, Looking for the next big thing
    Bashung, C’est comment qu’on freine ?
    The Gun Club, Fire of Love
    Bruce Springsteen, Atlantic City
    The Lord of the new Church, Russian Roulette
    Tom Waits, jersey Girl
    Daniel Johnston, The story of an artist
    London Cowboys, Animal Pleasure
    The Jam, Ghost

  19. This was so difficult and by no means definitive! 1982 was so rich in classics that picking 25 is near impossible:

    China Crisis – No More Blue Horizons
    Level 42 – Eyes Waterfalling
    Killing Joke – Empire Song
    Peter Gabriel – I Have The Touch
    The Fixx – Stand Or Fall
    Roxy Music – More Than This
    Duran Duran – Hold Back The Rain
    Culture Club – Time (Clock Of The Heart)
    Heaven 17 – Let Me Go
    Shriekback – My Spine Is The Bassline
    Simple Minds – Promised You A Miracle
    INXS – Don’t Change
    Psychedelic Furs – Goodbye
    Psychedelic Furs – Love My Way
    A Flock Of Seagulls – I Ran (So Far Away)
    Ultravox – Reap The Wild Wind
    Soft Cell – It’s A Mugs Game
    Donald Fagen – New Frontier
    New Order – Temptation
    Modern English – I Melt With You
    Joe Jackson – Steppin’ Out
    Icehouse – Great Southern Land
    XTC – Senses Working Overtime
    Visage – Night Train
    Tears For Fears – Pale Shelter (You Don’t Give Me Love)

    Hon Mention:
    Blancmange – Living On The Ceiling
    Rush – Subdivisions
    Madness – Our House
    Bad Manners – Got No Brains
    Simple Minds – New Gold Dream
    The Fixx – Red Skies
    Duran Duran – Save A Prayer
    Prince – 1999
    REM – Wolves Lower
    INXS – The One Thing
    Fleetwood Mac – Hold Me
    Michael Jackson – Human Nature
    Toto – Africa
    Men Without Hats – The Safety Dance
    Icehouse – Hey Little Girl
    Thomas Dolby – Europa And The Pirate Twins
    The Motels – Only The Lonely
    Bananarama – Shy Boy
    Missing Persons – Words
    Devo – Peek A Boo!
    The Chameleons – In Shreds
    Sad Lovers And Giants – Cloud 9
    The Comsat Angels – Birdman
    The Sound – Party Of The Mind
    Orange Juice – Rip It Up
    Monochrome Set – Fun For All the Family
    Thompson Twins – Lies
    The Associates – Party Fears Two
    Human League – Mirror Man
    Killing Joke – Birds Of A Feather
    Talk Talk – Talk Talk
    ABC – Poison Arrow

    Too many to pick!

  20. Jim Turoczy

    At the last minute I decided to remove Simple Minds, Promised You a Miracle with Crispy Ambulance

    Blancmange, Living On The Ceiling
    Depeche Mode, See You
    Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft, Kebab-Träume
    Devo, Peek-A-Boo
    Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Come On Eileen
    Heaven 17, Let Me Go
    Icehouse, Hey Little Girl
    Lene Lovich, Blue Hotel
    Mari Wilson, Just What I Always Wanted
    Midnight Oil, Power And The Passion
    New Order, Temptation
    Oingo Boingo, Private Life
    Psychadelic Furs, Love My Way
    Q, Sushi
    Roxy Music, Avalon
    Soft Cell, What!
    Spandau Ballet, Instinction
    The Cure, Let’s Go To Bed
    The Jam, Town Called Malice
    The Motels, Take the L
    Thomas Dolby, She Blinded Me With Science
    Trio, Da Da Da
    Ultravox, Reap The Wild Wind
    XTC, Senses Working Overtime
    Crispy Ambulance, Force And The Wisdom

  21. How about The Police? Wikipedia shows Ghost in the Machine was released in 1981 but the singles were released in 1982. So the *first time* the songs were released in some format would be in 1981 on an LP.

    So this seems as if it would disqualify the songs on that album. Would that be correct?

  22. My list:

    Adam Ant – Desperate But Not Serious
    Adam Ant – Made of Money
    The B-52’s – Mesopotamia
    Kate Bush – There Goes a Tenner
    Cocteau Twins – Garlands
    Combo Audio – Romanticide
    The Cure – Cold
    The Cure – A Strange Day
    Depeche Mode – The Sun and the Rainfall
    Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Come on Eileen
    Duran Duran – The Chauffeur
    Duran Duran – Hold Back the Rain
    Eurythmics – Love Is a Stranger
    Peter Gabriel – Biko
    Peter Godwin – Images of Heaven
    The Motels – Take the L
    Peter Schilling – Major Tom
    Siouxsie and the Banshees – Melt!
    Siouxsie and the Banshees – Obsession
    Soft Cell – Insecure Me
    Soft Cell – Torch
    Sparks – Angst in My Pants
    Ultravox – Hymn
    Yazoo – Don’t Go
    Yazoo – Goodbye Seventies

  23. Paul Carpenter

    How about The Police? Wikipedia shows Ghost in the Machine was released in 1981 but the singles were released in 1982. So the *first time* the songs were released in some format would be in 1981 on an LP.
    So this seems as if it would disqualify the songs on that album. Would that be correct?

    Yeah I guess so, Spirits was included in the 1981 poll

  24. Laurie Anderson’s “O Superman” was released in 1981, correct?

  25. My list. Includes a few guilty pleasures:

    Bauhaus – Ziggy Stardust
    Berlin – The Metro
    Elvis Costello – Man Out Of Time
    Devo – That’s Good
    Dream Sundicate – Halloween
    English Beat – Save It For Later
    Flipper – Sex Bomb
    Gang of Four – I Love A Man In Uniform
    G.B.H. – City Baby Attacked By Rats
    Haysi Fantayzee – John Wayne Is Big Leggy
    Iron Maiden – Run To The Hills
    The Jam – Town Called Malice
    Missing Persons – Walking In L.A.
    The Monroes – What Do All The People Know?
    Juice Newton – Love’s Been A Little Bit Hard On Me
    Rank & File – Amanda Ruth
    R.E.M. – Gardening At Night
    Patrice Rushen – Forget Me Nots
    Siouxsie & The Banshees – Painted Bird
    Sisters of Mercy – Alice
    Sonic Youth – The Burning Spear
    Sparks – Eaten By The Monster Of Love
    The Waitresses – Square Pegs
    Wall Of Voodoo – Mexican Radio
    XTC – Senses Working Overtime

    • Great call on ‘Alice’ by Sisters Of Mercy. It would’ve definitely made my list over many of the others if it hadn’t slipped my mind.

  26. Damn it… I forgot Pagan Lovesong.

  27. I included Pat Benatar- Shadows of the Night from Anxiety on my list.

  28. 1. Words, Missing Persons
    2. She’s Tight, Cheap Trick
    3. Der Kommissar, After the Fire
    4. Senses Working Overtime, XTC
    5. Back on the Chain Gang, The Pretenders
    6. Psycedelic Furs, Love My Way
    7. A Town Called Malice, The Jam
    8. Steppin Out, Joe Jackson
    9. Never Say Never, Romeo Void
    10. Save it for Later, English Beat
    11. Love is a Stranger, Eurymithics
    12. Major Tom, Peter Schilling
    13. She Blinded me with Science, Thomas Dolby
    14. Beyond Belief – Elvis Costello
    15. Desperate but not Serious – Adam Ant
    16. One Step Beyond – Madness
    17. I Ran – A Flock of Seagulls
    18. Six Months in Leaky Boat, Split Enz
    19. Only the Lonely, The Motels
    20. Duran Duran, Save a Prayer
    21. Genuis of Love, Tom Tom Club
    22. The One thing, INXS
    23. Safety Dance, Men without Hats
    24. Sexual Healing, Marvin Gaye
    26. Maneater, Hall and Oates

  29. I started with about 40 songs, got it down to 25, questioned myself repeatedly, added another half dozen after reading the comments, questioned myself some more, got it back down to 25, still questioning myself.

    Alphabetically:

    A Flock of Seagulls – Wishing
    ABC – The Look of Love
    Adam Ant – Desperate But Not Serious
    The Clash – Rock The Casbah
    Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me
    The Cure – The Hanging Garden
    Duran Duran – Hold Back The Rain
    English Beat – Save It For Later
    The Fixx – Stand Or Fall
    Peter Gabriel – Shock The Monkey
    Human League – Don’t You Want Me
    INXS – Don’t Change
    The Jam – That’s Entertainment
    Joe Jackson – Steppin’ Out
    Madness – Our House
    Modern English – I Melt With You
    The Pretenders – Back On The Chain Gang
    Psychedelic Furs – Love My Way
    Romeo Void – Never Say Never
    Simple Minds – Promised You A Miracle
    Squeeze – Black Coffee In Bed
    Tears For Fears – Mad World
    Thompson Twins – In The Name Of Love
    Yaz – Don’t Go
    Yaz – Bring Your Love Down

    Can’t wait to see the results! Once published I’ll recap them on my little Saturday night radio show, New Wave Rewind.

  30. Jim Foreman

    In no particular order:
    1. Leave in Silence – Depeche Mode
    2. See You – Depeche Mode
    3. Hungry Like the Wolf – Duran Duran
    4. Rio – Duran Duran
    5. Avalon – Roxy Music
    6. Rock the Casbah – The Clash
    7. Situation – Yazoo
    8. Don’t go – Yazoo
    9. Don’t Change – INXS
    10. Poison Arrow – ABC
    11. Slowdive! – Siouxsie and the Banshees
    12. Walking in L.A. – Missing Persons
    13. Never Say Never – Romeo Void
    14. Primary – The Cure
    15. Destination Unknown – Missing Persons
    16. Tainted Love – Soft Cell
    17. Down Under – Men at Work
    18. Under Pressure – David Bowie/Queen
    19. Goodbye Goodbye – Oingo Boingo
    20. Spaceage Love Song – A Flock of Seaguls
    21. White Wedding – Billy Idol
    22. Favourite Shirt – Haircut 100
    23. Love Plus one – Haircut 100
    24. Only the Lonely – The Motels
    25. Kids in America – Kim Wilde

  31. In no particular order
    1. If You Want My Love – Cheap Trick
    2. Let’s Go To Bed – The Cure
    3. Love Over Gold – Dire Straits
    4. Town Called Malice – The Jam
    5. Only You – Yaz
    6. Avalon – Roxy Music
    7. Temptation – New Order
    8. I Love a Man in a Uniform – Gang of Four
    9. Cat People – David Bowie
    10. Black Coffee in Bed – Squeeze
    11. Almost Blue – Elvis Costello
    12. Space Age Love Song – Flock Of Seagulls
    13. Destination Unknown – Missing Persons
    14. Sex – Berlin
    15. Everywhere That I’m Not – Translator
    16. Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash
    17. Goodie Two Shoes – Adam Ant
    18. Since You’re Gone – The Cars
    19. Whenever Your on My Mind – Marshall Crenshaw
    20. The Chauffeur – Duran Duran
    21. Life During Wartime – The Talking Heads
    22. Don’t Change – INXS
    23. Don’t Pay the Ferryman – Chris DeBurgh
    24. Atomic Dog – George Clinton
    25. Heartbeat – King Crimson

  32. So many to choose from!

  33. Kensterberg

    I give up. I’m trying to reconcile what 17 year old me listened to with what 53 year old me still loves, and there just isn’t enough space. Why couldn’t this have been a top fifty?

    One per artist, alphabetical order by song title:

    1. Atlantic City — Bruce Springsteen
    2. Beat Surrender — The Jam
    3. Cat People (Putting Out Fire) — David Bowie
    4. Come On Eileen — Dexy’s Midnight Runners
    5. Dancing With Myself — Billy Idol
    6. Dirty Laundry — Don Henley
    7. Don’t Go — Yaz
    8. Don’t Change — INXS
    9. Electric Avenue — Eddie Grant
    10. Eminence Front — The Who
    11. Everywhere That I’m Not — Translator
    12. The Have Nots — X
    13. Let’s Go to Bed — The Cure
    14. Little Red Corvette — Prince
    15. Love My Way — The Psychedelic Furs
    16. Man Out Of Time — Elvis Costello & The Attractions
    17. Melt With You — Modern English
    18. Save It For Later — The English Beat
    19. Senses Working Overtime — XTC
    20. Shock The Monkey — Peter Gabriel
    21. Slit Skirts — Pete Townshend
    22. Someone Somewhere (In Summertime) — Simple Minds
    23. Straight to Hell — The Clash
    24. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) — Eurythmics
    25. Vacation — The Go-Go’s

  34. “To be eligible, songs must have been released in some format — whether it be on an album, EP or a single — for the first time during the year 1982. That means, for example, that a song that’s released as a single in 1983 will be eligible for the 1982 poll if it first appeared on an album released in 1982. Splitting hairs? Sure, but we have to draw the line somewhere.”

    Where? Many songs were released in the UK in 1982, but not released in the US until 1983. Do they qualify? Since I presume that the bulk (but by no means all) of the participants here are in the US I wanted to get some clarification as I don’t want to waste any votes that will be discarded due to the song being ineligible.

    Thanks.

  35. My top 25

    1. Simple Minds – New Gold Dream
    2. Psychedelic Furs – Love My Way
    3. Joe Jackson – Stepping Out
    4. English Beat – Save It For Later
    5. Roxy Music – Avalon
    6. XTC- Senses Working Overtime
    7. Midnight Oil – Read About It
    8. Haircut 100 – Love Plus Ine
    9. David Bowie – Cat People
    10. Lords of the New Church – Open Your Eyes
    11. Duran Duran – Hungry Like The Wolf
    12. Simple Minds – Someone Somewhere in Summertime
    13. The Jam – A Town Called Malice
    14. Midnight Oil – Power and The Passion
    15. Peter Gabriel – Shock the Monkey
    16. The Clash – Should I Stay or Should I Go
    17. Payolas – Eyes of a Stranger
    18. Wall of Voodoo – Mexican Radio
    19. Romeo Void – Never Say Never
    20. The Spoons – Nova Heart
    21. Psychedelic Furs – Forever Now
    22. Men Without Hats – Safety Dance
    23. John Mellencamp – Jack and Diane
    24. Bruce Springsteen – Atlantic City
    25. Yaz – Don’t Go

  36. In no real order…
    1. XTC – Senses Working Overtime
    2. XTC – No Thugs In Our House
    3. Pete Townshend – Slit Skirts
    4. R.E.M – Wolves, Lower
    5. Thomas Dolby – One Of Our Submarines
    6. Thomas Dolby – Radio Silence
    7. Peter Gabriel – Shock The Monkey
    8. Rush – Subdivisions
    9. Clash – Straight To Hell
    10. King Crimson – Neal And Jack And Me
    11. Elvis Costello – Beyond Belief
    12. The dB’s – Amplifier
    13. The Fixx – Lost Planes
    14. Mission Of Burma – Secrets
    15. Ultravox – Hymn
    16. Dire Straits – Telegraph Road
    17. Missing Persons – Windows
    18. The Who – I’ve Known No War
    19. Genesis – Paperlate
    20. Utopia – Swing To The Right
    21. Psychedelic Furs – Only You And I
    22. Marshall Crenshaw – Mary Anne
    23. Donald Fagan – I.G.Y
    24. Roxy Music – More Than This
    25. Billy Joel – Allentown

  37. 1 Avalon – Roxy Music
    2 Love Action – Human League
    3 All of My Heart – ABC
    4 Shadow of The Night – Rachel Sweet
    5 Steppin Out – Joe Jackson
    6 Passion – The Flirts
    7 She Looks A Lot Like You – The Clocks
    8 What Do People Know – The Monroes
    9 Space Age Love Song – Flock of Seagulls
    10 Take The L – The Motels
    11 Destination Unknown – Missing Persons
    12 Shock the Monkey – Peter Gabriel
    13 The Visitors – ABBA
    14 More Than This – Roxy Music
    15 Seconds – Human League
    16 Stand or Fall – The Fixx
    17 Only The Lonely – The Motels
    18 The Look of Love – ABC
    19 Since You’re Gone – The Cars
    20 Love Plus One – Haircut 100
    21 Let Me Tickle Your Tickle Your Fancy – Jermaine Jackson and Devo
    22 I Know There’s Something Going On – Frida
    23 That’s Good – Devo
    24 What! – Soft Cell
    25 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye – Soft Cell

    Honorable Mentions

    Voyeur – Kim Carnes
    Dirty Laundry – Don Henley
    Be Good Johnny – Men at Work
    Don’t Go – Yaz
    Don’t You Want Me – Human League
    Annie I’m Not Your Daddy – Kid Creole
    Babe We’re Gonna Love Tonight – Lime
    Give Me Back My Man (mix) – B 52s

  38. Chris Fuller

    My list, made up of stuff that I played regularly that year at WUAG, in no particular order . . .
    The dB’s, Amplifier
    REM, Carnival of Sorts
    Wall of Voodoo, Mexican Radio
    Squeeze, Black Coffee in Bed
    Yaz, Situation
    Elvis Costello, Man Out of Time
    XTC, No Thugs In Our House
    B-52’s, Mesopotamia
    The Jam, A Town Called Malice
    Psychedelic Furs, Forever Now
    Captain Sensible, Wot
    Haircut 100, Love Plus One
    Gang of Four, I Love A Man in a Uniform
    Marshall Crenshaw, Rockin’ Around in NYC
    Thomas Dolby, She Blinded Me with Science
    English Beat, Save It for Later
    Men At Work, Who Can It Be Now?
    Translator, Everywhere That I’m Not
    Soft Cell, Tainted Love
    Adam Ant, Desperate But Not Serious
    Fun Boy Three, It Ain’t What You Do, It’s the Way That You Do It
    Human League, Don’t You Want Me
    Fear, Let’s Have A War
    Bauhaus, Third Uncle
    The Who, Eminence Front

  39. No Joe “King” Carrasco and the Crowns yet? “Person Person” was all over MTV back then. (Shameless plug/lobbying.)

    RIc Ocasek – Something to Grab For (Ditto and ditto.)

    A few others that didn’t make my top 25 but I haven’t seen mentioned yet:

    Reducers – Out of Step
    Surf Punks – Locals Only (and a few others from that album)
    Shoes – Curiosity (and a few others)
    The Kind – Loved by You (Chicago one-hit wonders)
    Tom Petty – Change of Heart
    Frank Zappa – Valley Girl

  40. There’s a lot of research involved with finalizing the results – thanks for taking on the task Matt. For example, “The Back of Love” by EATB appeared on the 1983 album, “Porcupine,” but it was first released as a single in 1982. In other cases, as you pointed out, an album may have been released in 1981, but the singles from the album may have been released and made popular in 1982. Again, I appreciate your hard work.

  41. OK. After countless revisions here is the list, posted in countdown style, that I submitted:

    25) You Little Fool – Elvis Costello
    24) Six Months In A Leaky Boat – Split Enz
    23) I Know There’s Something Going On – Frida
    22) Change – Tears For Fears
    21) Africa – Toto
    20) Don’t You Want Me – The Human League
    19) The Day Before You Came – ABBA
    18) Harvest Home – Big Country
    17) Ghetto Defendant – The Clash
    16) Steppin’ Out – Joe Jackson
    15) Human Hands – Elvis Costello
    14) Wallflower – Peter Gabriel
    13) Mad World – Tears For Fears
    12) Power And The Passion – Midnight Oil
    11) Town Called Malice – The Jam
    10) I Melt With You – Modern English
    9) Atlantic City – Bruce Springsteen
    8) Save It For Later – The (English) Beat
    7) Back On The Chain Gang – The Pretenders
    6) Love Is A Stranger – Eurythmics
    5) I Have The Touch – Peter Gabriel
    4) Down Under – Men At Work
    3) Read About It – Midnight Oil
    2) Only You – Yazoo
    1) Carnival Of Sorts (Boxcars) – R.E.M.

    Honorable Mention:

    Come Dancing – The Kinks
    Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
    Short Memory – Midnight Oil
    Pale Shelter – Tears For Fears
    Gardening At Night – R.E.M.
    Wolves, Lower – R.E.M.
    And In Every Home – Elvis Costello
    Man Out Of Time – Elvis Costello
    Southern Cross – Crosby, Still, and Nash
    Black Coffee In Bed – Squeeze

  42. Paul Carpenter

    Cheers for starting this back up Matt,
    I put together playlists of the 80/81 lists a few years back and they’ve been my most played lists ever……….back then there were quite a few tracks I’d never listened to but have now grown to love alongside my favourites.
    I’ve worked out an early poll with selections from here,Twitter and Facebook and already there’s a couple of tracks that are new to me that I’m sure will be Top 10……….quite a few I notice that are not 1982……I found that once I got my list together i Wikipedia them to check exact date first released…..had to remove a couple and replace them

  43. I can’t believe how many classic songs didn’t make the top 25. I worked all week on this! Note: I did not include singles from other genres — I know I could have, but I didn’t want to. Here’s the final 25, in no particular order:

    Yazoo – Only You
    Modern English – I Melt With You
    Culture Club – Do You Really Want to Hurt Me
    Jam – Town Called Malice
    Bow Wow Wow – I Want Candy
    Heaven 17 – Let Me Go
    Psych Furs – Love My Way
    Joe Jackson – Breaking Us in Two
    The Beat – Save It for Later
    Clash – Rock the Casbah
    Clash – Should I Stay or Should I Go
    ABC – The Look of Love
    Soft Cell – Tainted Love
    Go-Go’s – Vacation
    Pretenders – Back on the Chain Gang
    Waitresses – I Know What Boys Like
    Stray Cats – Stray Cat Strut
    Adam Ant – Goody Two Shoes
    Haircut 100 – Love Plus One
    Eurythmics – Love Is a Stranger
    Thomas Dolby – She Blinded Me with Science
    Madness – Our House
    Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Come On Eileen
    Billy Idol – White Wedding

    And all these songs tied for #26:

    Flock of Seagulls – I Ran
    Yazoo – Don’t Go
    Duran Duran – Hungry Like the Wolf
    Squeeze – Black Coffee in Bed
    Berlin – Sex (I’m A)
    Romeo Void – Never Say Never
    Tears for Fears – Mad World
    Peter Gabriel – Shock the Money
    Thompson Twins – Lies
    Thompson Twins – In The Name of Love
    Elvis Costello – Man Out of Time
    Men at Work – Down Under
    Stray Cats – Rock This Town
    INXS – The One Thing
    Talk Talk – Talk Talk
    Joan Jett – I Love Rock & Roll
    After the Fire – Der Kommisar
    Devo – Peek-A-Boo!
    The Cure – Let’s Go to Bed
    Duran Duran – Save a Prayer
    Roxy Music – Avalon
    INXS – Don’t Change
    New Order – Temptation
    Wall of Voodoo – Mexican Radio
    ABC – Poison Arrow
    Flock of Seagulls – Wishing
    Yazoo – Situation
    Thomas Dolby – Europa & the Pirate Twins
    Simple Minds – Promised You a Miracle
    Kim Wilde – Kids in America

  44. 01. Modern English – I Melt With You
    02. Modern English – Someone’s Calling
    03. Colin Newman – We Means We Start
    04. Cocteau Twins – Feather Oar Blades
    05. Cocteau Twins – Wax And Wane
    06. Colourbox – Tarantula (first version)
    07. Visage – The Damned Don’t Cry
    08. Xmal Deutschland – Incubus Succubus (first version)
    09. Tears For Fears – Mad World
    10. The Cure – The Hanging Garden
    11. THe Associates – Party Fears Two
    12. Yazoo – In My Room
    13. Siouxsie and the Banshees – Obsession
    14. Siouxsie and the Banshees – Cascade
    15. Ultravox – Visions in Blue
    16. Gary Numan – White Boys and Heroes
    17. Japan – Ghosts
    18. Soft Cell – Say Hellow Wave Goodbye
    19. Kate Bush – The Dreaming
    20. XTC – Senses Working Overtime
    21. The The – Uncertain Smile
    22. Bauhaus – Exquisite Corpse
    23. Blancmange – Living On The Ceiling
    24. Toyah – Brave New World
    25. Blancmange – Feel Me

  45. Billy Casper

    1. The Fall – The Classical
    2. The Cure – The Figurehead
    3. Tears For Fears – Mad World
    4. The Cure – One Hundred Years
    5. The Fall – Winter
    6. Echo & The Bunnymen – The Back of Love
    7. The Chameleons – In Shreds
    8. New Order – Temptation
    9. XTC – Senses Working Overtime
    10. Tears For Fears – Pale Shelter
    11. The Sisters of Mercy – Alice
    12. The Psychedelic Furs – Love My Way
    13. The Clash – Straight to Hell
    14. Robert Wyatt – Shipbuilding
    15. The Clash – Rock The Casbah
    16. The Jam – Town Called Malice
    17. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Message
    18. Mission of Burma – Trem Two
    19. REM – Wolves Lower
    20. Orange Juice – Felicity
    21. Cocteau Twins – Wax and Wane
    22. Theatre of Hate – Do You Believe in the Westworld
    23. Bauhaus – Third Uncle
    24. Depeche Mode – Leave in Silence
    25. The The – Uncertain Smile

  46. This was fun!

  47. Michael Bowen

    I hit enter accidentally after only plugging in about half the songs that belonged here. Is there any way I can get my ballot back?

  48. This was more difficult than I expected. I had to move several songs into the Extras after compiling the list. Then I see a few songs others have posted that I could have easily added. But I’ll leave it as is, in no real order.

    Bangles – The Real World
    Bill Nelson – October Man
    the Blasters – Roll ‘Em Pete (Live)
    the Clash – Straight to Hell
    the Damned – Stranger on the Town
    the dB’s – Neverland
    the Dream Syndicate – Definitely Clean
    Elvis Costello & the Attractions – Town Cryer
    English Beat – Sole Survivor
    Gang of Four – We Live As We Dream, Alone
    the Jame – Beat Surrender
    Madness – House of Fun
    Marshall Crenshaw – Rockin’ Around in NYC
    Mission of Burma – Trem Two
    the Monochrome Set – The Jet Set Junta
    Neats – Red and Grey
    Paul Collins Bet – The Kids are The Same
    Rank and File – The Conductor Wore Black
    Simple Minds – Someone Somewhere in Summertime
    Split Enz – Never Ceases to Amaze Me
    T-Bone Burnett – I Wish You Could Have Seen Her Dance
    Translator – Everywhere That I’m Not
    X – Motel Room in My Bed
    XTC – Sense Working Overtime

    EXTRAS
    the Bongos – Certain Harbours
    Del Fuegos – I Always Call Her Back
    Dire Straits – Twisting By the Pool
    Flipper – Sex Bomb
    Modern English – Someone’s Calling
    the Morell’s – Red’s
    Psychedelic Furs – Run and Run
    REM – Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)
    Replacements – Kid’s Don’t Follow
    Roxy Music – Take a Chance with Me
    The Sound – All Fall Down
    Thomas Dolby – Airwaves
    Wall of Voodoo – Lost Weekend
    XTC – No Thugs in Our House

    • Michael Bowen

      I wanted to get T-Bone Burnett’s “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” in my list, but there just wasn’t room.

  49. Michael Bowen

    Only in alphabetical order, only one per artist, and I can’t believe how many I had to leave out.

    The Bangles, The Real World
    The Beat, Save It For Later
    The Bongos, Mambo Sun
    Kate Bush, The Dreaming
    The Call, The Walls Came Down
    George Clinton, Atomic Dog
    Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Man Out Of Time
    Marshall Crenshaw, Someday, Someway
    Peter Gabriel, Shock The Monkey
    Gang Of Four, I Love A Man In Uniform
    Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, The Message
    The Individuals, My Three Sons (Revolve Around The Earth)
    The Jam, A Town Called Malice
    Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Annie, I’m Not Your Daddy
    New Order, Temptation
    Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, You Got Lucky
    The Plimsouls, A Million Miles Away

  50. Michael Bowen

    Jeez, I’m being a spaz tonight.

    The Psychedelic Furs, Forever Now
    R.E.M., Carnival Of Sorts (Box Cars)
    Roxy Music, More Than This
    Split Enz, Six Months In A Leaky Boat
    Bruce Springsteen, Atlantic City
    Richard & Linda Thompson, Wall Of Death
    XTC, Senses Working Overtime

  51. Ugh! I had it in my mind that Richard and Linda Thompson’s album “Shoot Out The Lights” was from late 1981 but it was from early 1982. I would have had at least the song “Wall of Death” on my list but have already submitted it.

    Damn!

  52. 1 Modern English I Melt With You
    2 The Church An Interlude
    3 Psychedelic Furs Run and Run
    4 New Order Temptation
    5 The Church Almost With You
    6 A Flock of Seagulls Space Age Love Song
    7 The Cure The Hanging Garden
    8 Wall of Voodoo Mexican Radio
    9 Adam Ant Desperate But Not Serious
    10 INXS Don’t Change
    11 Chameleons In Shreds
    12 Psychedelic Furs Forever Now
    13 The Clash Should I Stay Or Should I Go
    14 The English Beat Save It For Later
    15 Echo and the Bunnymen The Back of Love
    16 Modern English Dawn Chorus
    17 Sparks Angst In My Pants
    18 Plimsouls A Million Miles Away
    19 Bauhaus All We Ever Wanted Was Everything
    20 The Cure The Figurehead

  53. This might be my favorite year of music of all time. It was very difficult to pick only 25!
    Thank you to CFNY 102.1 (Toronto) for introducing me to many of these great songs. I grew up in a small town in between Buffalo & Rochester, NY. Hearing these songs being beamed in on my radio was an experience of pure joy and opened up the world to me.

    Shriekback, My Spine (Is The Bass Line)
    INXS, The One Thing
    Depeche Mode, Leave In Silence
    Culture Club, Time (Clock Of The Heart)
    Modern English, I Melt With You
    ABC, Poison Arrow
    Blancmange, Living On The Ceiling
    Thompson Twins, Lies
    Berlin, The Metro
    Berlin, Masquerade
    Yazoo, Situation
    Yazoo, Don’t Go
    Thomas Dolby, Europa And The Pirate Twins
    Thomas Dolby, One Of Our Submarines
    Frida, I Know There’s Something Going On
    Eurythmics, Love Is A Stranger
    Peter Gabriel, Shock The Monkey
    Pigbag, Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag
    INXS, Don’t Change
    The Cars, Shake It Up
    The Gap Band, You Dropped A Bomb On Me
    The English Beat, Save It For Later
    A Flock Of Seagulls, Space Age Love Song
    Tears For Fears, Pale Shelter
    The Cure, Let’s Go To Bed

  54. Some inspiration for last minute voters lol
    Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, The Message
    The The, Uncertain Smile
    New Order, Temptation
    The Cure, Let’s Go To Bed
    The Jam, Town Called Malice
    The Church, Almost With You
    The Clash, Straight To Hell
    Echo & The Bunnymen, The Back Of Love
    The Cure, The Hanging Garden
    Bauhaus. Ziggy Stardust
    The Clash, Should I Stay Or Should I Go
    Modern English, I Melt With You
    Wall Of Voodoo, Mexican Radio
    The Birthday Party, Dead Joe
    Madness, Driving In My Car
    Cocteau Twins. Wax And Wane
    Madness. Our House
    The Fall. Jawbone And The Air Rifle
    Rhoda with The Special A.K.A, The Boiler
    The Birthday Party, She’s Hit
    Bauhaus. Spirit
    The Fall. Hip Priest
    Dead Kennedys, Bleed For Me
    The Sisters Of Mercy, Alice
    David Bowie, Cat People (Putting Out Fire)

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