Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - joan of arc maid of orleans, 1981

"Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)" is a song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released in 1982 as the third single from their third studio album, Architecture & Morality. To prevent confusion with the group's previous single "Joan of Arc", the song was retitled "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)" for its single release. Both songs are about the French heroine Joan of Arc and both reached the Top 5 of the UK Singles Chart — although this release was more successful internationally, topping the charts in several countries including Germany, where it was the biggest - selling single of 1982. "Maid of Orleans" has sold four million copies worldwide."

Phil Collins - in the air tonight, 1981

"In the Air Tonight" remains one of Collins' best-known hits, often cited as his signature song, and is especially famous for its drum break towards the end, which has been described as "the sleekest, most melodramatic drum break in history" and one of the "101 Greatest Drumming Moments".

Barclay James Harvest - in memory of the martyrs, 1981

"Philip John Ireland, to whom the song is dedicated, was John’s cousin, who was tragically killed in a road accident in Germany."

Elton John - elton's song, 1981

"Elton's Song" is a song written by Elton John (music) and Tom Robinson (lyrics). Recorded between August 1979 and March 1980 and produced by John and Clive Franks, the song first appeared much later on the 1981 album The Fox."

The Durutti Column - never known, 1981

"The Durutti Column, led by Vini Reilly, never quite fit in with any punk or rock movement. His life to this very day has always been a constant struggle. In the old days, in the time of 1981’s masterpiece LC, his fragile-sounding music held together by the tender fingerpicked sound of his electric guitar displayed a strength through opposition. In real life, constant struggles with anorexia nervosa and depression had always taken a toll on his body and mind. Running against the current of the powerful and powerfully abrasive music of his time, somehow Vini’s introspective electric folk music found common experience in dedications to characters some real (or imagined), environments, and questions left unanswered. Something, bracing and serene in his music belied a feeling he needed to hold in order to appreciate living his day to day life. Its as if he knew his whole life was going to be a struggle and rather than fight back with venom and anger, or succumb to it, he did the most punk thing ever, he presented he stepped back and saw the bigger picture."

The Durutti Column - detail for paul, 1981

"LC, or Lotta Continua (Italian for Continuous Struggle) is the group’s masterpiece. Recorded on a four track in chief songwriter Vini Reilly’s home in 1981, the album could be considered the first ever “bedroom lo-fi” record to be released in the professional sphere. Despite the intentional limitations put in place by Reilly’s decision to record with a four track, the album itself is a sonic triumph. Cosmically cascading Latin guitars echo from the inside of some distant black hole, saturated by copious amounts of reverb and tape delay manipulation. Keir Stewart’s basslines politely bounce around in the back of the mix, not to take away from the brilliance of Reilly’s guitar work, while Bruce Mitchell’s tribal-jazz fusion rhythms keep everything somewhat grounded to Earth."

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - joan of arc, 1981

"I mean it's not hard to overdo the hyperbole, but it's a perfect album, so cohesive, and every song perfectly speaks to the other song, the unapologetic emotional quality of it is really inspiring. Even the artwork by Peter Saville, everything about it is perfectly crafted."

Simon And Garfunkel - america live, 1981

"The concert took place on Saturday, September 19, 1981, on the Great Lawn, the central open space of Central Park. The first spectators, many carrying chairs or picnic blankets, arrived at daybreak to secure a good spot. The Parks Department originally expected about 300,000 attendees. Although rain fell throughout the day and continued until the start of the concert, an estimated 500,000 audience members made this the seventh-largest concert attendance in United States history."

Elton John - just like belgium, 1981

"Just Like Belgium" is a more pop-based track which lyrics have been described as "wistful" and as a "breezy travelogue", centered on "memory and travel", while themes of nostalgia have also been noted. Colette Bertrand, credited in the liner notes as the "French Girl", provides a spoken part on the track."

Soft Cell - say hello wave goodbye, 1981

"Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" is a song from the album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell that was released as a single in January 1982 and reached number three on the UK Singles Chart."

Soft Cell - bedsitter, 1981

"Bedsitter" is a song by British synth-pop duo Soft Cell, from the album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. Released as a single in early 2 November 1981, it reached No. 4 in the UK. A song that explored the underbelly of the London club scene of the time, it has been described by critic Jon Savage as one of the greatest songs of the 1980s. Pet Shop Boys singer Neil Tennant included the track in a 2006 edition of the Guardian's "Soundtrack of My Life" series."

Art Garfunkel - a heart in new york, 1981

"Paul's poetic style was so advanced, with its shades of dark grey. He had an unusually sophisticated poetic gift."

Soft Cell - torch, 1981

"Torch" is a song by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell. It was released as a single in 1982, and in mid-June peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, ranking 45 for the year. It also reached number 31 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, number 12 in the Netherlands and number 6 in the Flemish Ultratop 50. Singer Marc Almond duets towards the end of the song with Cindy Ecstasy, an American clubgoer the band had met at the after-hours bar Club Berlin in New York the year previously. The single was originally intended to be double A-sided, coupled with the eventual B-side song "Insecure Me"; as such, both songs were included in the band's 2018 singles compilation Keychains & Snowstorms: The Singles. "Torch" ranked 49 in the New Musical Express critics' list of the year's 50 best singles."

Art Garfunkel - scissors cut, 1981

"Laurie was the greatest thing I ever knew in my life, now I've lost it."

Elton John - the fox, 1981

"I can sit through this whole album without flinching once - there's some really nice material here, and whilst it's a far cry from classic Elton John, it's decent enough. The thundering opener "Breaking Down Barriers" is excellent, making the album seem rather promising when I first put it on. And I'm also pretty fond of "Just Like Belgium", which has perhaps the album's best pop hooks, although the nothing-instrumentation doesn't do it any favors. Then there's "Elton's Song", a complex but pleasant ballad that seems to be just the right length."

Neil Young - southern pacific, 1981

"Southern Pacific" launches an album side largely devoted to lyrics about transportation. "Southern Pacific" finds Young imagining life as a train conductor nearing retirement. In the 1980s, Young enjoyed sharing a model trainset with his son, and would later acquire a share in Lionel, and help invent a remote control model train operating system. "Southern Pacific" would feature prominently in Young's country setlists in 1984 and 1985 during his tour with the International Harvesters, and again during Young's 1999 solo acoustic tour."

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - extended souvenir, 1981

"An extended version of Souvenir (with an additional verse) was released as a 10" single and was later included as a bonus on the digitally remastered copies of Architecture & Morality. It was the second time the group had used this unusual release format, the first being the 10" single for "Messages" in May 1980."

The Durutti Column - the missing boy, 1981

"The song "The Missing Boy" is a tribute to songwriter Vini Reilly's friend and label-mate Ian Curtis of Joy Division, who committed suicide in the previous year."

The Moody Blues - the voice, 1981

"With "The Voice" this whole period of my life was quite a difficult one, I suppose. I was sort of searching and seeking. It was a very insecure time. I think it was for all of us, and it reflected in the album as well. I was trying to relearn a lot of things in my life and set some kind of standard. I didn't feel I had a lot of things in common with a lot of things that were going on around me. I felt apart from it. I was kind of expressing those insecurities, really."

The Durutti Column - jacqueline, 1981

"I think once a week I just throw on Durutti Column for the entire evening and every time a different track stands out for me. I’d say my most played songs are The Missing Boy, Sleep Will Come, Jacqueline, and Bordeaux."