Welcome to Lil Rawkers Radio

Join our community to access exclusive content, participate in discussions, and connect with like-minded individuals. We offer resources, products, and dedicated support to help you succeed.

Social Feed

BrooklynVegan Staff
· posted in 🕺 Music RSS Feeds
Kelela‘s third album, New Avatar, is out next month via Warp, and she’s given us another early taste with “point blank.” “I first outline the baseline dynamic, which is that we’re expected to endure men’s inability to self-regulate,” she says. “The fantasy many of us are invested in is one where we do such a good job of holding space that it starts to rub off on our partner over time, eventually inducing some sort of revelation and building their emotional maturity. Yet the more we pour into men, the more entitled they become.”

Kelela has also announced a fall tour, with shows in North America in September and October, followed by Europe in October and November. The North American leg begins on September 8 in Seattle and wraps up at Miami’s III Points Festival, and you can see all dates below.

The NYC shows are at Brooklyn Paramount on October 9 and 10. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 5 at 10 AM local, with various presales starting today (6/1) at 2 PM local.


Kelela 2026 tour


KELELA: 2026 TOUR DATES
Sep 8 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
Sep 9 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
Sep 13 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre
Sep 15 – Austin, TX – Emo’s
Sep 16 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues
Sep 17 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
Sep 21 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
Sep 23 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park
Sep 24 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
Sep 27 – San Francisco, CA – Portola Music Festival
Oct 5 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
Oct 6 – Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre
Oct 7 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall
Oct 9 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
Oct 10 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
Oct 11 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts
Oct 13 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore Silver Spring
Oct 14 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground
Oct 15 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre
Oct 16–17 – Miami, FL – III Points
Oct 21 – Lisbon, PT – LAV
Oct 22 – Madrid, SP – Sala Lab/Wagon
Oct 23 – Barcelona, SP – La Paloma
Oct 27 – Paris, FR – Élysée Montmartre
Oct 28 – Cologne, DE – Stollwerk
Oct 29 – Berlin, DE – Huxleys Neue Welt
Oct 31 – Turin, IT – C2C Festival*
Nov 2 – Brussels, BE – La Madeleine
Nov 3 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso
Nov 4 – London, UK – O2 Academy Brixton

Continue reading...
0 Replies · 16 views
S
Last reply · posted in 🖥️ PC & Hardware
rainy days are cozy but what do you actually do?? i always end up trying to do too many things at once and getting distracted by random articles about dwarf planets or some obscure 2000s band no one remembers lol. vote!!
What’s the best way to spend a rainy day?
5 votes total
3 Replies · 1 views
Ali Shutler
· posted in 🕺 Music RSS Feeds
Nintendo Switch 2


Gaming fans have been reflecting on the first year of the Nintendo Switch 2, which was released on June 5, 2026.


The Nintendo Switch 2 launched last year with Mario Kart World, the biggest and most ambitious entry in the long-running racing series. Over the past 12 months, other exclusive games such as 3D platformer Donkey Kong Bananza, Kirby Air Riders, Pokemon Pokopia and Yoshi And The Mysterious Book have been released, while the Nintendo Switch Online Classics Library includes GameCube, N64 and other vintage Nintendo titles.

In its first year, more than 20million Nintendo Switch 2 consoles have been sold and it’s the second fastest-selling Nintendo console in the UK after the Wii.

“I’ve loved absolutely every single minute of the Switch 2. It’s gone cross country with me a few times now, gets played allllll the time, just an excellent experience top to bottom,” wrote one fan on Reddit. “Easily the most incredible first year of any Nintendo system in history,” said another.

However other fans have complained about a “lacklustre” selection of games, with no new 3D Mario or The Legend Of Zelda titles on the horizon.

It's been a year, and Switch 2 has like maybe 5 games.

What the fuck is Nintendo even doing?

Cool to see they learned absolutely nothing from the 3DS launch.

— Syd Lexia (@Syd_Lexia) June 8, 2026


“I wish there were more releases and exclusives to play,” wrote one Reddit user. “I love the console, however I’d say we need some stronger first party titles. A big 3D Mario, Zelda or new Smash Bros would have been nice to have closer to launch,” said another. “Definitely my favourite console I’ve ever owned. First party exclusives are kinda lacking but it’s looking like we’ll have a good year coming up,” offered one fan.

“I’d say it can only get better. People are starting to understand how powerful the Switch 2 can be. Better and better games are coming up and some are being released the same day as other consoles,” explained one optimistic Reddit user, with Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis coming to the Switch 2 early next year, following other big third party titles such as Hogwarts Legacy, Borderlands 4 and Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition.

It’s rumoured a remake of The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time is currently in the works, while a new 3D Mario adventure reportedly won’t launch until 2027.

In other news, Snoop Dogg has confirmed that Tupac Shakur’s likeness will be used in Stranger Than Heaven, a new game from the creators of the Like A Dragon series.

The post Nintendo Switch 2 is one year old and fans are still waiting for new Mario and Zelda games appeared first on NME.

Continue reading...
0 Replies · 0 views
Sam Warner
· posted in 🕺 Music RSS Feeds
Catwoman actress Julie Newmar


Original Catwoman actress Julie Newmar has been hit with backlash after suggesting that men should run Hollywood.


The star famously played the DC character in the 1960s Batman series, and in a new interview, reflected on playing sexualised roles during her career and the male attention it has attracted.

“Luckily, I liked it,” she told The Guardian. “It was good. I’m… not the first in line in the #MeToo class.”

Newmar then elaborated: “I love men too much. I understand them. And the heads of studios, yes, they break a door down, and they do this or they do that. That’s how they act. You think you’re gonna change things? Not a whole lot… And you know what? It works. It works beautifully because men are very good to women.”

When asked about the entertainment industry being run by men, the actress then responded: “It should be. They do it best.”


The #MeToo movement gained prominence in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct against producer Harvey Weinstein, with many survivors coming forward with accusations of abuse in the entertainment industry.

The former head of Miramax Films was one of the most prominent names exposed by the movement, with more than 80 accusations of misconduct levelled against him. Weinstein has denied any and all wrongdoing, but is currently in Rikers Island prison following a rape conviction.

In 2020, he was found guilty of first-degree and third-degree rape and sentenced to 23 years in prison. The New York Court of Appeals later overturned the 2020 conviction, deeming that the judge at the trial gave improper rulings. This included the decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.

However, Weinstein remains imprisoned, serving a 16-year sentence following a 2022 California rape conviction.

Last month, Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett reflected on the progress of #MeToo, arguing since then it had been “killed very quickly”.

“There are a lot of people with platforms who are able to speak up with relative safety and say, ‘This has happened to me,’ and the so-called average woman on the street is saying #MeToo. Why does that get shut down?” she said at the Cannes Film Festival.

“What [the movement] revealed is a systemic layer of abuse, not only in this industry but in all industries, and if you don’t identify a problem, you can’t solve the problem.”

She admitted that she is still on film sets that have a minority of women, adding: “I love men, but what happens is the jokes become the same.

“You just have to brace yourself slightly, and I’m used to that, but it just gets boring for everybody when you walk into a homogeneous workplace. I think it has an effect on the work.”


For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.


The post Original Catwoman Julie Newmar faces backlash for saying men should run Hollywood: “They do it better” appeared first on NME.

Continue reading...
0 Replies · 0 views
Liberty Dunworth
· posted in 🕺 Music RSS Feeds
Talay Riley (L) and Chipmunk in 2012


Tributes have been paid from across the music world after singer-songwriter Talay Riley was stabbed to death in London.

The artist was aged just 35, and was found in the garden of a property in Silvertown, Newham. Police were called to the scene after reports were phoned in, claiming that a stabbing had taken place at around 9am on Friday.

Police confirmed that the songwriter, real name Mark Orabiyi, died at the scene, and a second man also suffered stab wounds. The latter remains in hospital at the time of writing, and his condition is not believed to be life-threatening.

Officers revealed that three people were arrested on suspicion of murder. A 24-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman were released with no further action after questioning, and a 27-year-old man has been released on bail pending further inquiries, as per Sky News.

In a statement confirming his passing, Orabiyi’s family said: “Mark was a beloved son, brother, uncle and friend. He brought love, light and joy to our family and to all who knew him.

“We will always cherish his kindness, beautiful spirit and remarkable talent. His presence touched many lives, and his memory will remain in our hearts forever. May his soul rest in perfect peace.”



View this post on Instagram


His brother, artist Scribz Riley, also shared a tribute saying that his “heart is shattered” by the news.

“Just before he went to sleep we spoke about the future, staying positive and about everything we still had left to do. I never imagined that would be our last conversation,” he added, describing his sibling as a “friend to many, a mentor, an inspiration, and a light in so many people’s lives”.

“He loved deeply, gave freely, and touched countless people through his talent, kindness, and spirit,” he added.

Talay Riley was a solo artist who toured alongside artists including Usher, and also a renowned songwriter – previously working with huge names like Britney Spears, Ellie Goulding, Zendaya and Dua Lipa.

Tributes have also come in from fellow artists, with Craig David – who worked with Talay on his 2018 album ‘The Time Is Now’ – sending “so much love to you & the family” and recalling the late artist having a “beautiful energy”.

Stormzy took to social media to say he was “sorry” for the loss, while Kehlani wrote “big hugs scribz I’m so sorry”.

Khalid shared a similar message, saying that he was “so sorry” and “sending so much love” to Riley’s family, while longtime collaborator Chip shared his sadness at the news.

“You ain’t deserve to go out like that fam. Fly high bro. your pen will live forever. What a day man. What a life. RIP Talay Riley. I’ll cherish the memories forever fam. Prayers and thoughts go out to your family,” Chip wrote.

Le talentueux parolier Talay Riley, de son vrai nom Mark Olayinka Orabiyi, nous a quittés à l’âge de 35 ans.

Il a écrit pour Khalid, Dua Lipa, Chris Brown, Ella Mai, FLO, Kehlani, Ariana Grande, H.E.R., ZAYN, Nick Jonas, Britney Spears etc…

RIP
🕊
pic.twitter.com/ltFIFWq8q2

— R&B Home
🎶
(@RnBHomeMusics) June 6, 2026




View this post on Instagram


Record label Position Music described Riley as “an extraordinary songwriter, artist, and creative whose impact on music will be felt for generations”, and said that he will “be remembered for his creativity, passion, and the lasting impact he had on everyone fortunate enough to work with him.”

Rapper Wretch 32 shared a message too, writing on Scribz’s Instagram post: “Sending love to you & your family bro. Your brother was a gem & will be missed & never forgotten, Never! RIP.”

Sasha Keable also commented, writing: “Sending you so much love babe, he was such an inspiration for me and so many others. rest in paradise,” while Sugababes’ Keisha Buchanan added: “Sending my condolences and prayers”.

Hit songs he helped pen include The Chainsmokers’ ‘Who Do You Love’, Khalid’s ‘Young Dumb & Broke’, ‘Kehlani’s Out The Window’ and FLO’s ‘Walk Like This’. He also co-wrote the H.E.R. song ‘Lights On’, which appeared on her 2017 Grammy Award-winning self-titled album.

The post Stormzy, Craig David and Kehlani and more lead tributes after singer-songwriter Talay Riley stabbed to death in London appeared first on NME.

Continue reading...
0 Replies · 0 views
R
Last reply · posted in 📻 Listener Requests
There are many people who always listen to radio all the time. They are kind of addicted to listening to radio. Having said that, I am not at all a huge fan of listening to radio. So, do you listen to radio very often?
7 Replies · 11 views
T
· posted in 🎹 Pop Music
ok so i was listening to one of those playlists and noticed how many pop songs throw in random mentions of food or drinks and im like ??? why is this a thing?? like, like Taylor’s “lavender haze” has that ketchup and soy sauce line and dont even get me started on lizzo’s juice 🤣 is it just for vibes or to sound quirky?? some of them are fun but others feel so forced i cant help but roll my eyes 🙄 like sure i love a good pumpkin spice shoutout but do we really need it in every fall song now 😂 what do yall think — is this just a lazy way to be relatable or is it actually creative?? curious if anyone else has noticed this or am i overthinking snacks in music 🤷‍♀️
0 Replies · 0 views
Max Pilley
Last reply · posted in 🕺 Music RSS Feeds
jessiej_2026.jpg


Jessie J has announced she is cancer-free, saying she “exhaled for the first time in a year” after receiving the news.

The singer revealed in June last year that she had been diagnosed with early breast cancer and she successfully underwent surgery shortly afterwards. Three months later, however, she cancelled a tour as she was scheduled for a further surgical procedure.

Last month, she posted a video on Instagram that showed her going for her annual health checkup after a breast MRI, and she captioned the post with the jubilant news: “RESULTS ARE IN AND I AM CANCER FREE!!”

“I sobbed for hours and then exhaled for the first time in a year,” she added.



View this post on Instagram


Jessie also brought the positive energy to her return to the Chinese singing competition Singer, the show that she won back in 2018. The hugely popular series is watched by over 100million viewers and Jessie gave passionate performances of Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’ and her own song ‘California’, from her recent album ‘Don’t Tease Me With A Good Time’.

Watch those performances here:



At the end of last year, Jessie shared a personal and emotional reflection on her challenging 2025, describing it as “one of the hardest but most magical years”.

“This year has been heavy and hard in many ways for all of us, for me personally one of the hardest but most magical years of my life,” she said at the time. “Personally and professionally. But all the sadness has come up this week, it’s the first time I’ve stopped (working and being in public in months) So I’m crying a lot. Writing shit down feeling really low tbh. The lowest I have felt in a while.”

Last September, Jessie made an emotional return to the stage alongside her two-year-old son at BBC Radio 2 in the Park, just 11 weeks after undergoing surgery. “I’m still very much in the recovery process,” she said at the time. “But I’m just so grateful to be here.”

Her sixth studio album ‘Don’t Tease Me With A Good Time’ was released in November, including the singles ‘No Secrets’, ‘Living My Best Life’, ‘H.A.P.P.Y.’ and ‘I’l Never Know Why’.

She also played at the Mighty Hoopla in London last month, and is set to take the stage at Victorious Festival in Portsmouth later this summer.

The post Jessie J is now cancer-free, returns to stage for ‘Singer’ in China: “I exhaled for the first time in a year” appeared first on NME.

Continue reading...
3 Replies · 0 views
S
Last reply · posted in 🤘 Rock & Alternative
like i used to skip them all the time on albums cuz they felt like time wasters but now i’m in my mid-30s and some of those instrumentals are legit my favorite parts of the record. like this one album i revisited recently had this weird 2-minute guitar solo thing i always hated as a teen and now i cant stop replaying it. feels like i was too dumb to get it back then. anyone else have that experience or am i just late to the party on appreciating the quiet stuff?
4 Replies · 26 views
Paul Sexton
· posted in 🕺 Music RSS Feeds
Three Dog Night - Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Three Dog Night had a big role in the sound of American pop-rock of the first half of the 1970s. The Los Angeles trio (as they originally were) became the talk of the industry soon after their 1967 formation, initially under the name Redwood. After signing to ABC/Dunhill and releasing their self-titled debut LP in late 1968, there was no stopping them.

Named, famously, after the phrase describing the coldest night of the year in the Australian outback, Three Dog Night were among the most important song interpreters of the rock era. Their covers were the oxygen of publicity for countless emerging writers from across the musical map, such as Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman, Hoyt Axton, Paul Williams, Russ Ballard, Laura Nyro, and even a young Elton John.

Featuring founders Danny Hutton, Cory Wells, and Chuck Negron, Three Dog Night’s scorecard during their first years together was, and remains, spectacular: two platinum and 12 gold albums, seven gold singles, three No.1s and 21 chart 45s in a little over six years, until 1975. The three bandmates were all present again when the group reformed in 1981; Negron stayed until 1985 and Wells until his death in 2015, with Hutton the constant north star in every one of the group’s incarnations.

Listen to the best songs by Three on Dog Night on Spotify or Apple Music.

Bud Scoppa’s words in Rolling Stone in late 1971 described the gulf between the media’s general attitude to the band and their incredible popularity. “For three years now,” he wrote, “the critics have been laying into Three Dog Night for a variety of mostly hard-to-fathom reasons.

“But nobody, evidently, has been paying much attention to the tastemakers in this case, because Three Dog Night’s records have been selling in greater quantities altogether than anybody else’s. Biggest doesn’t necessarily mean best, but the spectacular success of this group seems entirely justified; Three Dog Night is a terrifically good band.” Our selection of their most significant and enduring recordings dips chronologically into their halcyon first generation.

One (1969)

YouTube Video
Click to load video

After a Top 30 US pop chart entry with a version of the time-honored song “Try A Little Tenderness,” Three Dog Night hit paydirt in mid-1969 with this tune by the up-and-coming Harry Nilsson. His version had come out the year before on his third LP, Aerial Ballet, and the trio’s rendition hit No.5 in the US to become the first of a dozen Top 10 singles there. It also featured on a self-titled first album that underscored the group’s versatility with songs written by Traffic, The Beatles, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Randy Newman, Tim Hardin, and Neil Young, as well as Whitten’s own “Let Me Go.”

Lady Samantha (1969)

YouTube Video
Click to load video

This cover of Elton John’s second UK single appeared on Three Dog Night’s sophomore album Suitable For Framing in June 1969, well over a year before the young Englishman’s American breakthrough. He’s always remained grateful for the early recognition, as he was of Three Dog Night’s cover of “Your Song” from their next studio set It Ain’t Easy, by then with Richard Podolor as producer, in 1970.

Dreaming Isn’t Good For You (1969)

YouTube Video
Click to load video

Again from Suitable For Framing, and included as an example of Three Dog Night’s own writing. This song showcased frontman Hutton’s compositional skills on an uptempo piece of late-period rock psychedelia, also featuring Jimmy Greenspoon’s nimble keyboards and Mike Allsup’s guitar. Production, as on their previous LP, was by Gabriel Mekler, who also oversaw Steppenwolf and other Dunhill signings.

Eli’s Coming (1969)

YouTube Video
Click to load video

Three Dog Night’s banner year of 1969 continued with another Top 5 hit from the rock musical Hair, “Easy To Be Hard,” and then with their next Top 10 single. Plucked with great imagination, as was becoming their norm, from the songbook of another emerging writer-artist, this originated on Laura Nyro’s second album, 1968’s Eli and the Thirteenth Confession.

Mama Told Me Not To Come (1970)

YouTube Video
Click to load video

The one Three Dog Night song to make a significant Atlantic crossing, when it made No.3 in the UK in 1970. In the States, it went all the way to the top, bringing a new pop audience to the superior songcraft of Randy Newman. Again, they weren’t the first to it: Newman had written “Mama Told Me…,” when he was just 22 years old in 1966, for the first solo album by Eric Burdon of the Animals.

Joy To The World (1971)

YouTube Video
Click to load video

This was the singalong tune with the opening line “Jeremiah was a bullfrog,” a typical piece of whimsy by country songwriter Hoyt Axton. Three Dog Night’s version, from the Naturally album, topped the Hot 100 for no fewer than six weeks in the spring of 1971, in between the Temptations’ “Just My Imagination” and the Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar.”

Liar (1971)

YouTube Video
Click to load video

The group were soon back in the Top 10, yet again, with this number written by the British songwriter-performer Russ Ballard, who was emerging as a member of progressive rock band Argent. Their original was a non-charting single from their first, eponymous LP in 1970. In Three Dog Night’s hands, “Liar” cruised to No.7 in the US and No.4 in Canada, where the band were just as huge.

An Old Fashioned Love Song (1971)

YouTube Video
Click to load video

The first single from Three Dog Night’s sixth album Harmony, late in 1971, was written by Paul Williams, then rising as one of the most notable new pop composers of the time, especially with Roger Nichols for the Carpenters (“We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” and others).

The LP saw the group exploring their soulful side and in particular mining lesser-known Motown copyrights for covers of Marvin Gaye’s 1968 hit “You” and Stevie Wonder’s then-new ballad “Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer.” Other selections included Joni Mitchell’s early “Night in the City” and another Williams co-write, the No.12 hit “The Family of Man,” with Jack Conrad.

Never Been To Spain (1971)

YouTube Video
Click to load video

The second Harmony single had Cory Wells taking the lead vocal as the band again opened the Hoyt Axton songbook. The artist from Comanche, Oklahoma released a 1971 album named for the Three Dog Night hit he penned, Joy To The World, which also included this memorable narrative. Their cover arrived just a few months later, after which “Never Been To Spain” became part of Elvis Presley’s live set, featured on the 1972 album As Recorded At Madison Square Garden. That year, it was also cut by Cher and Waylon Jennings.

Black & White (1972)

YouTube Video
Click to load video

Three Dog Night’s eighth studio album Seven Separate Fools (1972) was later listed by Brian Wilson among his all-time favorite LPs. Its lead single was this song recorded in the 1950s by both Pete Seeger and, with different lyrics, by Sammy Davis Jr. It was almost reggae in feel, as was played up on a UK hit rendition by British reggae band Greyhound. In September 1972, Three Dog Night’s version became their third and final US No.1 smash.

Shambala (1973)

YouTube Video
Click to load video

This song by American musician Daniel Moore painted a picture of a mystical kingdom inspired by a real-life temple in Peru. The airy, feel-good tune, again with lead vocals by Wells, became the first single from Three Dog Night’s 1973 album Cyan, and climbed to No.3 in the US.

The Show Must Go On (1974)

YouTube Video
Click to load video

Three Dog Night’s aptitude for finding songs with untapped potential surfaced yet again on their final Top 10 single. “The Show Must Go On” was the breakthrough UK hit by singer-songwriter Leo Sayer, who co-wrote it with David Courtney and saw it climb to No.2 there. The song was also a big success in Australia, but didn’t make the grade in the States, prompting the cover that appeared on Three Dog Night’s Hard Labor.

The album also shone a light on songs by Allen Toussaint, a young John Hiatt, and two further Daniel Moore compositions. The show did go on a little while longer, until Three Dog called it a night in 1976, before a reunion from 1981 onwards that only emphasized the strength of their hit catalog.

Browse our classic rock collection featuring limited edition vinyl and CDs here.

Continue reading...
0 Replies · 0 views
Mark Elliott
· posted in 🕺 Music RSS Feeds
Marc Almond of Soft Cell

The 80s was the era when the world woke up again to British pop. Since the Beatlemania boom of the mid-60s, the overseas market for UK acts had gradually declined, but, 20 years later, Britain was back and once again dominating the Billboard charts in the States. On July 16, 1983, seven of the Top 10 singles in the US were by British acts. Across a five-month run in the middle of 1985, UK acts scored a sensational nine US No.1 hits. The decade has been unfairly maligned in the past, but these days it’s clear: 80s pop music ruled the world.


The birth of 80s pop music: the Second British Invasion​


The seeds of this extraordinary success had been sown in the dying days of the punk phenomenon. The creative energy of that youth cult was being channeled towards a more style-oriented approach, fuelled by the dawn of the video age. Punk had always been as much about the exploitation of an opportunity as it was reckless abandon, and a new generation of musicians saw the potential of pairing a strong visual identity with songwriting. Nightlife, film, and fashion collided with this entrepreneurial spirit, and record companies, enjoying a boom in sales, had enough cash to support the experimentation in 80s pop music.

Bands across Britain seized on the falling cost of synthesizers to produce music from the dozens of small studios springing up to support this booming cottage industry. A few years into their career, Sheffield’s The Human League paired icy electro melodies with pop vocals from a pair of newly recruited teenage girls and broke through during 1981 with a string of classy, commercial singles promoted with strong videos. Within six months of its release, the UK Christmas No.1 “Don’t You Want Me,” had hit the top of the US Billboard charts, spearheading what was to be known as the Second British Invasion.

YouTube Video
Click to load video

While Heaven 17, formed from a split with The Human League, would have to wait until 1983’s “Temptation,” to score a major hit, ABC had also helped Sheffield make its mark on the musical map a year earlier. The band created the era’s defining moment when Trevor Horn’s lush production wrapped their debut album in a richness that echoed the lavish orchestration of 60s pop. Lexicon Of Love was a British chart-topper and became so revered that it took lead singer Martin Fry 34 years to record a follow-up, Lexicon Of Love II.

YouTube Video
Click to load video

The north of the country proved a powerhouse for this new sound in 80s pop music. Liverpool’s Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) enjoyed huge European success with tracks such as “Joan Of Arc,” and “Souvenir.” Leeds Polytechnic was the meeting place for synth duo Soft Cell, who put out a cover of Northern soul classic “Tainted Love,” and landed 1981’s biggest UK single, following it with a series of gloriously subversive pop sensations. Scottish outfits The Associates and Simple Minds finally had hits, while Altered Images bounced up to UK No.2 with the perky “Happy Birthday.” While Manchester’s New Order maintained that trademark moodiness for a slot on the BBC’s weekly influential Top Of The Pops, everyone else looked liked they’d run riot in the costume department. Across the Atlantic, acts such as Flock Of Seagulls and Naked Eyes, who struggled to score a hit in their homeland, found success.

Listen to our 80s pop playlist on Spotify.

Embracing a new era​


The publishing boom of pop magazines targeted at teenagers embraced this new era. Early support for artists such as former punk Toyah began to soften when the editors of titles the likes of Smash Hits seized on the pin-up appeal of the new breed of bands adored by young girls. Adam And The Ants paired flamboyant theatricality with unashamed sex appeal and scored two consecutive UK No.1s. Haircut 100 enjoyed a year of hormonal hysteria with “Pelican West.” Spandau Ballet matured into soul-pop balladeers, culminating in the classic peak of “True.” Duran Duran became the biggest band in the world when their globe-trotting videos began airing across the States on MTV. Bananarama and Kim Wilde perfected a tomboy image that young girls could emulate. Depeche Mode’s Vince Clarke, who’d scored with Speak And Spell, quit the group and started up the equally successful Yazoo. Somehow, it all seemed so simple.

YouTube Video
Click to load video

Established acts began to take notice. Some, such as Olivia Newton-John, struggled to adapt to the new sound of 80s pop music, but others, among them David Bowie and Grace Jones, who had used it for her 1980 album Warm Leatherette, made it their own. By 1985, Grace was working with Trevor Horn on a new pop opus, Slave To The Rhythm. However, Trevor’s 1983 creation of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s “Relax,” a worldwide smash the following year, was to signal the start of a shift away from the family-friendly pop of bands such as Culture Club, driven by the charismatic Boy George. His colorful image had captivated the planet across two smash albums and scored a multi-million seller with “Karma Chameleon,” but “Relax,”’s pounding hi-NRG beat was an early warning that the dancefloor would soon start to dominate the charts.

Moving on: the end of an era​


There was still enough momentum to drive British mainstream pop a while longer, with bands such as Tears For Fears, Thompson Twins, Eurythmics, and George Michael’s Wham! still hailed as the emperors of the all-powerful MTV. Solo acts the likes of Billy Idol softened rougher edges for a string of new wave hits to capitalize, but July 1985’s Live Aid event proved a turning point. The old guard of Queen, Phil Collins, and U2 captivated the show’s global audience and re-energized their appeal.

The English experimentation of the first half of the decade had also waned. By the time Pet Shop Boys scored a transatlantic No.1 with “West End Girls,” in 1986, three US superstars, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince, had conquered the charts, and, back in the UK, Stock Aitken Waterman artists were starting to define domestic pop. MTV, which had proved so pivotal in breaking UK bands in the States, was also moving on to embrace domestic R&B and rock.

The chapter was closing on British pop’s proudest hour. It had been colorful – anarchically creative, at times – but the excitement of video’s golden age had generated a party the whole world had been invited to. Dressing up would never be as much fun again.

Browse our 80s collection featuring limited edition vinyl and CDs here.

Continue reading...
0 Replies · 0 views
Back
Top
Live activity
Just now · Social proof