KROQ Top 50 1985

I thought this was a some dude production but by doing this I see that it was balls. What ever happened to him, can anyone spill the beans?

The one in a thousand polls where I vote for the Cure, so I must not let the opportunity pass by. (And I don't like "Opportunities.")

I associate KROQ with Rodney Bingenheimer and west-coast punk. This is more reflective of what they actually played?

Man, scanning this list succinctly reminds me exactly why I stopped listening to new wave.

Also boggling at how excellent that Rodney's comps in the years preceding this were so incredibly excellent in spite of *gesticulates wildly* all of this.

What a weird station.

The #2 (Felony - "Vigilante") is such instantly forgettable campy garbage... all the requisite gated drums, synth stabs, whammy dives, metal wailing, wanky solos. Truly the ROQ of the 80s.

https://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/OCR-L-RAMONDO-0106-1-1.jpg

voting for the #1

Between perfect kiss, head over heels, running up that hill

i cast my vote to Bryan Ferry

why I stopped listening to new wave

Harsher assessment than I would make, but yeah. Lots of artists on this list I bought earlier stuff by (Heads, Depeche, Duran, Cure, New Order, Ferry) but wasn't as into their 1985 output.

If you weeded out the obvious junk (I had never heard of Felony, that track is truly wretched) this would be a pleasantly nostalgic playlist in a coffeeshop or somewhere, but there's not much here I truly love. Voted "Running Up That Hill."

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/50DfngyYqlcR8tEsIkLcIx?si=32Ruq42ST4y1-V7mKF073A

There are about eight of these I know that I would actually call good rather than OK. I'm going for "Alive and Kicking" but "A View to a Kill" is very special to me on account of the thrilling key changes, maybe supplied by John Barry.

i feel like i know all of these except never even heard of #2 which is wtf. this is like a list of the death an era, and it is a massive death. it's many bands i hoped would be good doing absolute shit. i don't think any songs are good, by recall. gold rusted. everything failed.

and jeez coming into 85 as a simple minds fan but a little nervous of where big music was going, alive and kicking makes me want to commit violence.

i think i'm voting world destruction because yeah.

mmm i kinda like the intitative on b.a.d. bottom line i guess

bear near me was kinda true to abc, tho not amazing.

lol be near

this is like a list of the death an era, and it is a massive death. it's many bands i hoped would be good doing absolute shit. i don't think any songs are good, by recall. gold rusted. everything failed.

wtf. I could not disagree more strongly. These Cure, PSB, Depeche, a-ha, Ferry, Tears For Fears, and Scritti singles, to pick seven, represent failure?!

Like Clemenza I’m surprised to find myself voting for The Cure. This is my favorite single by them.

There was a time I would have ticked "The Perfect Kiss" without hesitation. It's still the front runner, but "Running Up That Hill" is a contender.

I've always loved "Kosciusko," but it kind of stands out on this list like a sore thumb.

I get the death of an era thing though, something definitely went very wrong in 1985. Overblown production would be my best guess.

"Stay Up Late" still makes me laugh.

So what ever happened to balls?

Echo & the Bunnymen - Bring on the Dancing Horses

sometimes this is my favorite echo song. one of the greatest videos ever as well (a good fight with perfect kiss in that sense, video and song both)

I associate KROQ with Rodney Bingenheimer and west-coast punk. This is more reflective of what they actually played?

― clemenza, Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Yes, they were a New Wave station around this time and they hitched their wagon up with these type of bands along with MTV. Rodney was a huge influence as well, Jane Weidlin/the Go Go's were one of his very favorites for example.

when an all-time dismisses me, i know must respond, regardless of any of my hyperbole. i’ll try, after some relistens i think.

Surprised at some of the hostility towards this list, especially if you compare it to almost any other commercial radio station in America at the time. There are about 20 all time classic singles here. Also, while MTV embraced some of these artists, most of my favorites were never played until 120 Minutes debuted the next year.

I genuinely love at least 10 of these but In Between Days is my favorite song by my favorite band so it wins.

Also - I have heard One Night in Bangkok on the radio at least once every time I've been in Germany in the last 5 years. I have no explanation for this but in the year 2023 it delights me.

when an all-time dismisses me, i know must respond, regardless of any of my hyperbole. i’ll try, after some relistens i think.

― rick james, critical moralist (Hunt3r),

:)

3 Pet Shop Boys Opportunities
9 Tears for Fears Everybody Wants to Rule the World
14 Simple Minds Don't You Forget About Me
21 Tears for Fears Head Over Heels
27 Phil Collins Sussudio
32 Scritti Politti - The Perfect Way
37 Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
46 Oingo Boingo - Just Another Day

This station always had issues with playing female artists, didn’t they? In the 90’s, all they allowed on the air was No Doubt. God, I remember hating those two idiots in the morning, Kevin and Bean. Sluggo was awful, too

Were Oingo Boingo big? Three entires on this suggests they were. They had zero presence in the uk, no radio play that I ever heard, nothing in the charts. I don't think I'd ever heard of them at all until a few weeks ago.

"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" sounds like 1985 radio but also has the energy of some really good musicians playing together in the same room.

Just looked at the Wikipedia page for The Dream of the Blue Turtles and saw this:

Sting initially worked on tracks for his debut solo album with producers Torch Song: William Orbit, Laurie Mayer and Grant Gilbert. These sessions were more synth-driven and 'electrofunk' in nature than what eventually was recorded and released; Sting eventually decided against this direction, and instead decided to pursue more jazz-oriented music. The initial 1984 Torch Song sessions remain unreleased.

xpost - I think of Oingo Bongo as a "local" L.A. band.

Oingo Boingo were always superstars on KROQ, even into the '90s, long after mainstream radio forgot about them

Oingo Boingo were a big regional band in LA. They did a big Halloween show every year that was a can't-miss event. This year was also probably the highpoint of their popularity, having just done the Weird Science soundtrack.

I guess I can't be objective about this list. This is the music of my youth. I was in 8th grade living within the KROQ reception area (though sometimes faint and staticky) around this time and this was the music that largely defined my taste (as opposed to what was playing on the Top 40 stations - though obviously there was some overlap). Its hard to pick just one, but I guess I'd probably pick "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" which somehow has never worn out its welcome.

voting for "be near me" mostly b/c i feel it is more overlooked than it should be

Head Over Heels

This station always had issues with playing female artists, didn’t they? In the 90’s, all they allowed on the air was No Doubt.

I'm not gonna argue that KROQ was a bastion of feminism or couldn't use a lot of work in this regard back then, but No Doubt being the sole exception isn't even remotely close to being true. Alanis Morrisette, Hole, Sheryl Crow, Tori Amos, Jewel (who I feel like Jed the Fish played a role in breaking), Mazzy Star, Cowboy Junkies, and even one-hit wonders like Poe and Tracy Bonham all got lots of play on KROQ back in the 90s and that is just what I could come up with off the top of my head.

"Shake the Disease" has always been a personal fave Depeche Mode track, "A View to a Kill" is my favorite Duran Duran track. There are some other good tracks here but it's between those two for me.

had to lookup "Flexible" by Depeche Mode which I guess I heard before numerous times while going through the albums but really didn't remember. Why would this get any radio airplay?

WTF these songs are fucking awesome, you haters are insane.

Ha ha “worst year ever for music” my ass.

https://www.nme.com/news/music/nme-2369-1388485

"A View to a Kill" is the funnest Duran Duran track to dance to because of the "Dance... into the fire!" chorus.

I was 17/18 this year and this music captivated me. I still love most of this list unreservedly.

Voted "Bring On The Dancing Horses" over "World Destruction" which still sounds game-changing to me.

Shout made me life-long fan but Head Over Heels gets my vote.

voting for "be near me" mostly b/c i feel it is more overlooked than it should be

― dyl, Friday, July 14, 2023

sang it at karaoke last week

1985 was good, y'all.

I was just going to the store to buy food. On my way back, KRTH, KEarth is basically what KROQ was in the 80s. Anyways, they were playing "Take On Me" and when that ended they played "Rock Me Like a Hurricane." Since I'm not much of a metal fan I turned to JackFM and they were playing "Mystery Achievements" which is so much better than Rock Me.. and after that came "The Ghost in You." I feel like all these songs could be on this list and came out all about this time.

Take on Me - 1985 (on this list)
Hurricane - 1984
Mystery Achievement - 1979
Ghost - 1984

I was close on all these except The Pretenders.

Everybody Wants To Rule The World, one of those songs that always stops me in my tracks wherever I am, no stupid commercials can ruin it

Teara for Fears were big Steely Dan fans according to the Big Chair deluxe liner notes… “Everybody Wants to Rule The World” maybe shows a little bit of that in the oblique guitar soloing and the I.G.Y.-esque rhythm?

I have no memories of them playing Morrisette, Jewel, or Tori, but you’re probably right. They seemed to be mostly relegated to Star 98.7

I actually just recalled that I won a CD copy of Jagged Little Pill, One Hot Minute, Insomniac, Circus (Kravitz), and Lucy (Candlebox lol) plus a Discman from KROQ in 1995. I was 11 so my parents had to drive me down to the station to pick it up, which was very exciting for me at the time.

These are all top tier songs on this list:

3 Pet Shop Boys Opportunities
4 The Cure In Between Days
5 Tears for Fears Shout
6 Dead or Alive You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
7 A-ha Take On Me
8 INXS This Time
9 Tears for Fears Everybody Wants to Rule the World
12 New Order The Perfect Kiss
21 Tears for Fears Head Over Heels
29 Talking Heads Stay Up Late
32 Scritti Politti - The Perfect Way
33 ABC - Be Near Me
34 Echo & the Bunnymen - Bring on the Dancing Horses
37 Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
41 Talking Heads - Road to Nowhere
42 Power Station - Some Like it Hot
44 New Order - Sub-Culture
50 Brian Ferry - Slave to Love

“Road to Nowhere” is really good, I’m glad someone mentioned that. It was different from what you expected from Talking Heads at the time but it sounds great today. Weirdly I have a memory of getting lost trying to drive to a screening of ‘Stop Making Sense’ when that song came on the radio and the lyrics felt all too accurate.

So much good stuff here, I must vote for Power Station because I am obsessed with that record and every other Tony Thompson + Robert Palmer collab, just so nasty and tight and loud wtf

Feel the heat, pushing you to decide

The Cure, Echo, OMD (“So in Love”) and New Order songs here are sometimes my favorites of theirs. Also want to point out that “World Destruction”, “Love and Pride” and “Vienna Calling” are all amazing.

Some Like it Hot reminds me European vacation and that is 100% a ok.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF_OdUF8lzo

“Road to Nowhere” is really good, I’m glad someone mentioned that. It was different from what you expected from Talking Heads at the time but it sounds great today. Weirdly I have a memory of getting lost trying to drive to a screening of ‘Stop Making Sense’ when that song came on the radio and the lyrics felt all too accurate.

― Josefa

My first Heads song, played during my AT40 station's "post-modern music" slot in fall '90.

I was living in your radio market in '85 so I'm wondering what station I heard it on... 103-SHE..? Y-100...?

Interesting there's no Smiths on the list. Did KROQ not embrace them?

Y-100!

oh sorry, I misunderstood: 103 SHE played AOR and well into the '90s played a lot of mid '80s Heads.

31 Artists United Against Apartheid - Sun City

do people still like this song? it won p&j that year

Nope, never did. The video's a better statement.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Interesting there's no Smiths on the list. Did KROQ not embrace them?

― Josefa, Sunday, July 16, 2023

You're right it's strange that they don't make the list this year as Meat is Murder was released. The next few years they do make up for it along with some solo stuff.

Men are not supposed to be this beautiful and actually I do remember this song after all:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dra86K502gQ

xp, is it really so strange?

lol

Since methanietanner shared his story, I have a story from this year as well that I'm going to share as it has to do with two bands on here.

There are about 20 all time classic singles here

otm! ... even though I didn't vote for it, I actually had a dream last night where me & chaki were in an Oingo Boingo cover band doing a duet on Dead Man's Party ...

I'm one of those posters that tends _not_ to like things but I like almost every song on this list (there are probably about 5 I either haven't heard or don't remember), including:

1 Depeche Mode Shake the Disease
3 Pet Shop Boys Opportunities
4 The Cure In Between Days
5 Tears for Fears Shout
6 Dead or Alive You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
7 A-ha Take On Me
9 Tears for Fears Everybody Wants to Rule the World
10 Oingo Boingo Dead Man's Party
11 Simple Minds Alive and Kicking
12 New Order The Perfect Kiss
13 Adam Ant Vive Le Rock
14 Simple Minds Don't You Forget About Me
18 Time Zone World Destruction
21 Tears for Fears Head Over Heels
22 Mick Jagger & David Bowie Dancing in the Streets
24 Murray Head One Night in Bangkok
32 Scritti Politti - The Perfect Way
33 ABC - Be Near Me
34 Echo & the Bunnymen - Bring on the Dancing Horses
35 UB40/Chrissie Hynde - I Got You Babe
37 Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
38 Duran Duran - A View to a Kill
39 Oingo Boingo - Weird Science
41 Talking Heads - Road to Nowhere
44 New Order - Sub-Culture
46 Oingo Boingo - Just Another Day
49 Falco - Vienna Calling
50 Brian Ferry - Slave to Love

I mean ... a poll of 50 songs that aren't just by a band/artist I like where there's only one I avidly dislike ... this is very rare.

Depeche Mode was having an instore at Camel Records in Huntington Beach, California. During this time I had a little boombox as I used to play catch outside quite a bit with my friends from the neighborhood. I drove to Camel Records and had this boombox in the car. Of course there were a lot of people there, even in 1985. So I decided to get that boombox and I happened to have a copay of Songs from the Big Chair. When "Shout" come on everyone in line started to sing, so you have thousands of kids singing Tears for Fears while waiting in line to have DM sign something for them. It really was a magical moment and something I will never forget. When we got inside to meet the band and get something signed David was singing his own songs at the top of his lungs, he must have been on some good drugs.

Here is the more famous in store that happened a few years later:
https://www.rhino.com/article/march-1990-depeche-mode-fans-riot-in-los-angeles

that is adorable!

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

1985 was good, y'all.

Hell yes, it was.

35 UB40/Chrissie Hynde - I Got You Babe 1

o_O