Def Leppard changed the landscape of music with Pyromania, little did us young USA Listeners know they had two previous albums that also rocked out. Over here it was just a little different, listeners didn't know where they fit in, I first heard them on college radio with alternative format. One of my favorites from High and Dry, I still have the 2nd release of the cassette from around 83. Like one of the comments says, you can't turn it up loud enough, next time in the UK I'm heading over to Radio's and TooCool's places and auditioning this song.
Meanwhile, from literally the same city as Def Leppard (Sheffield) the Human League had their first chart success with their third album, produced after the musical talent left (to form Heaven 17 who after success of their own revived Tina Turner's career). Heres one of the first singles to be released from the third League album. You can see they had no intention of doing things traditionally. They were big fans of Gary Numan but somewhat miffed when he had chart success before them. This is the first time I have seen the gorgeous Susan with dark hair. I have seen them live at least six times and always position myself to the left as that is where she sings and dances.
You cold do a entire thread of all of the great music that came out 81-84, and it was every genre, I think that's why I like just about everything, once you got a bored you changed the station to a different format and there was dozens of them.
You can do an entire thread about 1990s music as well - some say that 1990s saw even more variety than 1980s. In particular, I LOVE EuroDance. This is a very slick mix, one of the many (the one I used to listen to has been blocked). Too bad the creator had to cut out the very first song because of copyright issues. Nevertheless, a banging mix! EDIT: full audio, including the first minute and a half that were cut out of the video, can be listened here: https://www.mixcloud.com/Podcastextra/90s-megamix-dance-hits-of-the-90s-epic-2-hour-by-dj-alex-k/ 2 Hour 90’s Dance Megamix! by Alex K
For completeness here is the fourth Sheffield band who made it big in that period I wonder if it was due to the availability of new equipment leading to new production techniques. Despite the orchestra in the video this is mainly Fairlight, a sampler / synthesizer released in 1979 like of of which had never been seen or heard before. Contrast the methods of production in the 1980s with that in the 1960s. I have read that The Troggs "Wild Thing" was recorded in twenty minutes. The band was told to go to a recording studio at the end of a recording session of a classical recording, and if that finished early they could use the remaining time. They certainly made good use of it.
That's cool about the Troggs, there's some many great stories of bands that needed to record "one more song" and that became their big one. Anthrax with the new singer showing heavy metal wasn't dead in 1993! I ONLY have this on cassette, and I still have the tape!
A track for playing in a Saba Journey personal stereo What a great live performance. One of the few that sounds as good as the single.
Who knew that Sophie Ellis-Bextor had a trip-hoppy number? I did not. I Believe And here is the latest: While You’re Still Young
There was some good stuff in the noughties as well. See what you think of this Almighty did a whole series of Dance covers of popular noughties songs sung by the mysterious Belle Lawrence. I say that because it is difficult to find a photo of her let alone a video of her performing. However, if you like this there are loads of other tracks featuring her other vocals on Youtube.
To tell you the truth, it is pretty run of the mill for 1990s. Not bad, but does not stand out. Ok to be used in a megamix. I prefer something like this, it is a short MTV version: Grace - Not Over Yet