The Great British Songbook Of The Eighties

Wednesday 30 December 2009, 1400-1700

You can listen to show for seven days, and get details of the music played, by visiting the episode page for this programme after broadcast

Join top DJ Chris Tarrant and Eighties' pop star Nik Kershaw as they take a look back at the Great British Songbook of the Eighties.

Chris and Nik will play the best British songs from the decade including hits from Spandau Ballet, Kim Wilde, the Smiths and George Michael. They'll also be joined by some very special guests who will share their memories of the Eighties.

In contrast to the previous decade, the Eighties heralded a brighter era in pop music.

Electropop groups such as Human League, Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, New Order and OMD came to prominence. Synthesisers replaced guitars, and electronic drum pads were used instead of the traditional drum kit.

The early eighties also saw the birth of the New Romantics. Music and fashion went hand in hand as artists including David Bowie, Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, ABC and Culture Club sung about the matters of the heart, dressed up in frilly, flamboyant clothes and make up.

But the music scene wasn’t all about escapism; there was a harder side to the eighties. The politics of the decade and in particular the premiership of Margaret Thatcher fuelled musicians including Elvis Costello, The Smiths and Paul Weller with The Jam, and later The Style Council, to write lyrics in response to the events of the time.

Pop music, however, continued to play a central role throughout the whole decade. Acts such as Wham, Kim Wilde and Pet Shop Boys enjoyed huge success and at the end of the decade, it was British producers Stock Aitken Waterman who dominated the pop charts with artists including girl band Bananarama and Rick Astley.

Please note we've now finished taking suggestions for songs to be used in this programme. Thank you to everyone who got in touch, we had a great response.

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