1980s
Full audio of Genesis single from 1981, featuring classic keyboard riffs. Named according to it's original A-B-A-C-A-B structure, however this is not the structure of the final recording!
Official classification: Song, 1980s, Audio, Rock, Curriculum support, Unit 3. Soundscapes, Unit 10. Hooks and riffs
Full audio from 1987, features classic opening guitar riff.
Official classification: Song, 1980s, Audio, Rock, Curriculum support, Unit 10. Hooks and riffs, Unit 15. Song
from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Aspects of Love.
Official classification: Musical, Song, 1980s, 1990s, Audio, Unit 20 Stars, hide your fires, Curriculum support, Unit 15. Song
From Phantom of the Opera. Suggested listening from QCA Unit 20 (KS2) Reinforce the way music creates a mood by
listening to the descending scale and lyrics.
Official classification: Musical, Song, 1980s, 1990s, Audio, Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Unit 20 Stars, hide your fires, Curriculum support, Naxos
Video footage from 1980 hit featuring distinctive guitar riff which has been sampled many times since, Eminem also uses the bassline on his track 'My Name Is'
Official classification: Riffs, 1980s, Video, Curriculum support, Unit 10. Hooks and riffs, Heavy Metal
Full audio of song from Billy Idol's self titled album. Released in 1982.
Official classification: Song, 1980s, Audio, Rock, Curriculum support
From Brian Eno's Apollo: Atmospheres 1983, suggested listening in QCA Unit 19 for KS2 Journey into Space - "Ask the children to describe how the sounds create different moods and atmospheres"
Official classification: Space, 1980s, Audio, Electronica, England, Unit 18 Journey Into Space, Curriculum support
Darth Vader's Theme music, composed by John Williams for 'Episode V The Empire Strikes Back' released in 1980 with video footage from Episodes IV-VI. A good example of leitmotif, a recurrent theme associated with characters or events. References to the theme can also be heard in other pieces from the soundtrack to the prequel trilogy. Also interesting to listen and hear the similarities in Mars from Holst's Planet Suite.
Official classification: Theme & Variation, Space, 1980s, Film & Animation, Video, Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Curriculum support, Williams, John, leitmotif
1980s disco hit and 'one-hit wonder' this song has appeared many times since, featuring in films such as Shrek 2 and History of the World, Part 1 also covered by Pseudo Echo in '86 and Alvin & the Chipmunks in 2007.
Official classification: 1980s, Audio, United States, Curriculum support, Funky, Disco
Released in September 1988, this became the first a cappella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The "instruments" are entirely overdubbed voice parts and other sounds made by McFerrin, using no instruments at all.
Official classification: 1980s, Jazz, Popular Songs, Audio, Jazz, Vocal Percussion, Vocalising, United States, Curriculum support, reggae, A Capella
Hard rock original single by the British band, first released as a single in June 1970, reissued in 1980 and again in 1995. To this day it remains Deep Purple's highest charting UK single. Features riff played by electric guitar, bass and keyboard.
Official classification: Riffs, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, Popular Songs, Audio, Rock, United Kingdom, Curriculum support, Unit 10. Hooks and riffs, Heavy Metal
Released on the Motown label and the first single taken from 1980 album 'diana', hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100 September 1980.
A good example of disco/funk music and an ideal accompaniment for dance at key stages 1-3.
Official classification: 1980s, Dance, Popular Songs, Audio, United States, Curriculum support, Funky, Disco
1989 number 1 single in the UK for US rock band B52s. A popular song that has appeared in movie and game soundtracks regularly since.
Official classification: 1980s, Popular Songs, Audio, Rock, United States, Curriculum support
1st single from the Swedish group's Super Trouper album on July 21, 1980. Will be familiar to many pupils from Meryl Streep's rendition in the 2008 film Mamma Mia.
Official classification: Musical, 1980s, 2000s, Audio, Pop, Sweden, Curriculum support
1980 hit for the Swedish pop group from their album of the same name. Pupils will no doubt be familiar with it from 2008 Musical film Mamma Mia.
Official classification: Musical, 1980s, 2000s, Audio, Pop, Sweden, Curriculum support
1990 cover of 1970 single, by post-punk, new wave scots The Associates, perhaps best known for 80s hit single Party Fears Two.
Official classification: 1980s, Audio, Electronica, Scotland, Curriculum support
Third single from the 1979 album Eat to the Beat by Blondie, hitting no.1 in 1980, this is a mixture of new wave rock and disco which had proven to be so successful in their #1 hit from earlier in 1979, "Heart of Glass".
Official classification: 1970s, 1980s, Audio, Rock, Curriculum support, Disco
Bowie's 1980 revisit of his Major Tom from a Space Oddity.
KS3 idea: may be interesting to compare the two songs and notice the difference between the two in instrumentation, specifically the use in this song of synthesisers and funk or 'slap' bass, some characteristic sounds from pop music developed during the 70s decade.
Official classification: Space, 1980s, Popular Songs, Audio, Rock, Pop, United Kingdom, Curriculum support
Top 10 hit from the summer of 1980 and written by the Bee Gees, features what was the longest sung note at the time (just over half way through, the word "all" held for 12 seconds) until Whitney Houston later beat this record with her hit "I will always love you". Good example of female solo pop song.
Official classification: 1980s, Audio, Pop, Female, Curriculum support
In 1983 the children's story 'The Snowman' by Raymond Briggs was made into an animated film with music by Howard Blake. 'Walking in the Air' is perhaps the most enduring item from the soundtrack. The treble solo was originally recorded by Peter Auty, but later became Aled Jones' first widely-acclaimed hit.
Official classification: 1980s, Christmas, Film & Animation, Popular Songs, Audio, Curriculum support