Pompous 80s pop songs

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Why was it that every lame act in the 80s had to have a token "political" song? This subject came up in the pub the other night while reminiscing about the late, unlamented Red Box's political tune (I forget what it was called). Suddenly, we started naming hundreds by the least likely acts. Things like...

Through The Barricades - Spandau Ballet
Cambodia - Kim Wilde
The War Song - Culture Club
Radio Africa - Latin Quarter
Belfast Child - Simple Minds
Lebanon - The Human League
Enola Gay - OMD

Would make a great compilation: 'The troubles in Ireland, the middle east and Africa as dealt with by bew romantic clothes horses Spandau Ballet and their wedge haircutted contemporaries'

― persecution smith (laticsmon), Friday, 7 November 2003 13:16 (twenty-two years ago)

"W* *r* th* w*rld"

― dave q, Friday, 7 November 2003 13:36 (twenty-two years ago)

invisible sun

― joni, Friday, 7 November 2003 13:38 (twenty-two years ago)

What, no U2?

― Miggie (Miggie), Friday, 7 November 2003 14:26 (twenty-two years ago)

"Russians" by Sting

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 7 November 2003 17:41 (twenty-two years ago)

"Guns in the Sky", INXS

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Friday, 7 November 2003 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Can one really compose a "political" song without sounding pompous though?

Where does Billy Bragg fall into this equation? He writes skads of these songs, yet I don't think "pompous" is really a suitable adjective for him.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 7 November 2003 17:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmmm. I guess I just answered my own question.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 7 November 2003 17:53 (twenty-two years ago)

"Do You Believe in Shame?" / "Skin Trade", Duran Duran

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Friday, 7 November 2003 17:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Cambodia and Enola Gay are both terrific songs, and neither of them are pompous

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 7 November 2003 18:10 (twenty-two years ago)

The Red Box one was called "For America".

Would "Dancing With Tears in Our Eyes" by Ultravox count?

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 7 November 2003 21:35 (twenty-two years ago)

And surely "Wind of Change" by the Scorpions owns this thread?

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 7 November 2003 21:36 (twenty-two years ago)

"We Are The World", anyone? That is sort of the ultimate example of this kind of song, I mean, with such constructive meaningful lyrics about "we all need to help each other to create a better world, and if we are all friends and we don't fight and we love each other then there will be no more wars and poverty and the world will be like a paradise"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 7 November 2003 21:43 (twenty-two years ago)

"W* *r* th* w*rld"
-- dave q (scrape10...), November 7th, 2003 1:36 PM. (later)

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 7 November 2003 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Would "Dancing With Tears in Our Eyes" by Ultravox count?

as a general principle, any midge ure-ultravox song would count. but "vienna" would be the best choice.

another one ... "the cutter," EATB. i luv it to death, but it is pompous as all hell.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 7 November 2003 21:56 (twenty-two years ago)

hell, throw in "how soon is now?," "shout" and "i can't live w/t my radio" while we're at it!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 7 November 2003 21:57 (twenty-two years ago)

"Fight", The Cure (for Ned)

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:01 (twenty-two years ago)

depeche mode had their fair share

― Felcher (Felcher), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Opus, "Life Is Life" -- somehow manages to be both pompous *and* meaningless (though maybe that's just the translation)

― Sean Thomas (sgthomas), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Midge Ure's solo "If I Was" surely takes some beating, especially in the context of its video

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, fuck on a crust... Mike + The Mechanics "The Living Years"

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:30 (twenty-two years ago)

As much as it pains for me to say it...

XTC "Dear God"

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:32 (twenty-two years ago)

another one ... "the cutter," EATB. i luv it to death, but it is pompous as all hell.......hell, throw in "how soon is now?," "shout" and "i can't live w/t my radio" while we're at it!

Say whaaaaa?????? How are "the Cutter" and "How Soon Is Now?" pretentious? For a start, if you can tell me what "The Cutter" is even about, maybe then we can get a dialogue about it going. Secondly, "How Soon Is Now" is SELF-EFFACING fer pete's sake! It is the absolute inverse of being pretentious!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:58 (twenty-two years ago)

"Shout" is pompous? What's it even about?

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 7 November 2003 23:00 (twenty-two years ago)

"pompous" != ("bombastic" | "overblown" | "grandiose")

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 7 November 2003 23:01 (twenty-two years ago)

alex, i said pompous not pretentious. shit, even you said in some EATB thread that they were pompous!

dan -- a song with those big, clanging beats (that sounds like elephants stomping) is pretty pompous-sounding to my ears.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 7 November 2003 23:05 (twenty-two years ago)

"Shout" doesn't sound self-important to me (the main characteristic I think of when I hear the word "pompous"). It sounds anthemic. Which means yeah, I can see your point now that I think about it.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 7 November 2003 23:11 (twenty-two years ago)

alex, i said pompous not pretentious. shit, even you said in some EATB thread that they were pompous!

My bad (although the two terms are sort've synonyms, no?) I still wouldn't call the songs "The Cutter" and "How Soon Is Now" pompous. Histrionic? Yes, but not pompous.

Are Echo & the Bunnymen pompous as a band? Certainly. But they've earned it.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 7 November 2003 23:33 (twenty-two years ago)

"Dear God" is brilliant, and not at all pompous.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 8 November 2003 03:09 (twenty-two years ago)

The Sisters of Mercy - "Mother Russia"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 8 November 2003 03:13 (twenty-two years ago)

WHAAAAAATTTT?

http://www.the-sisters-of-mercy.com/showcase/stills/gigs/gig20010623/gig20010623ae1521.jpg

― Von (vassifer), Saturday, 8 November 2003 03:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Here's to Felcher!

Depeche Mode released albums of pompous political fare. I won’t bore the thread with listings but take “The Landscape is Changing” off of ‘Construction Time Again’ as a prime example. Their self-rightious environmental bluster was even more audacious considering their taste for leather et al.

That kind of carry-on went on until ‘Music for the Masses’ when they belatedly switched to their homo-erotic raunch flavour.

Great band, though.
I love ’em.

― Stephen Stockwell (Stephen Stockwell), Saturday, 8 November 2003 09:46 (twenty-two years ago)

"Dear God" is brilliant, and not at all pompous.

Dear God.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Saturday, 8 November 2003 11:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"The Landscape is Changing", while the lyrics are somewhat naff, is still the best song they have ever done, in terms of melodic qualities and production qualities :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 9 November 2003 00:49 (twenty-two years ago)

"The Final Countdown" by Europe, great cheese.

― sucka (sucka), Sunday, 9 November 2003 02:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh yeah, how about Gods of War, Def Leppard. too.

― sucka (sucka), Sunday, 9 November 2003 02:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Is White Lion's "When the Children Cry" pompous?

― Phantom Power, Sunday, 9 November 2003 02:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh yes.

Jesus Jones, people?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 9 November 2003 13:24 (twenty-two years ago)

"we are the world" is pompous

― george gosset (gegoss), Sunday, 9 November 2003 13:59 (twenty-two years ago)

"You're The Voice" by John Farnham

deffo.

― P.Penn, Sunday, 9 November 2003 15:05 (twenty-two years ago)

eric clapton~"It's In the Way that You Use It"

― thomas de'aguirre (biteylove), Sunday, 9 November 2003 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Stone Roses 'I Am The Resurrection' (ringtones)

― Momus (Momus), Sunday, 9 November 2003 16:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Like "Wind Of Change", it isn't from the 80s, but, again like "Wind Of Change", Michael Jackson's "Heal The World" fits perfectly into this category more than most.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 9 November 2003 16:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Gah! How did we not cite "Winds of Change" sooner! But, was that the 80's? `89?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 9 November 2003 16:49 (twenty-two years ago)

'91.

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Sunday, 9 November 2003 18:59 (twenty-two years ago)

D'oh! It sounded so 80s and just reminded me of that whole Final Countdown era.

Can I redeem myself by touting Nicole's Eurovision heart-render "A Little Peace"?

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 9 November 2003 23:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Songs like 'A little peace', 'We are the world' and 'Where is the love?' are a bit different, being generic lamely humanistic songs. Persecution Smith's original list was more interesting because they were addressing issues in a specific way. Something to do with the self-penned poncepop fad that existed in the early 80s Britain before SAW came along and stars as uncontroversial groomed performers became the norm again.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 10 November 2003 00:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Geir, you know that "Waiting For The Night", "Shake The Disease", and "A Question Of Lust" both stomp all ovevr "The Landscape Is Changing" in terms of melody/harmonization (not that I don't love it, but DUDE COME ON)!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 November 2003 14:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Agreed, Dan.

And I would have nominated most, if not all of "A Broken Frame" as being DM's finest hour in terms of production. It was that point when they were just getting a feel for the awesome dancefloor possibilities of their equipment before they started to become reflexive and think of themselves as influential, responsible popstars. I've always loved how much more tough and steely those electro rhythmns sounded, and the sparsity and crispness of melody running through the rest of the mix. And then it gets topped off with David's 1950s playgroup lyrics about photographs and the like.

"The Landscape is Changing" is no contest.

― Stephen Stockwell (Stephen Stockwell), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 23:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Both Alphaville videos I've seen, "Big In Japan" and "Forever Young" were HELLA pompous. Didn't they also have 88 members at one time or something?

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 23:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Another Ultravox one: "We all Fall Down" I think it was called? Dreaful anti-coldwar faux-irish folk wank. Horrible.

Also, anything ever by the Alarm. I can't fathom the fact I actually LIKED them as a teenager. I think someone stole my brain.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 13 November 2003 00:46 (twenty-two years ago)

"Do they know it's Christmas" anyone? (sorry it it's been mentioned already...)

― Rudolf (Rudolf), Friday, 14 November 2003 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Martika "Toy soldiers"

― Rudolf (Rudolf), Friday, 14 November 2003 15:21 (twenty-two years ago)

From "Gone to Pieces" by Nik Kershaw

"Im tired of going to the wall
When i had nothing but the best intentions
I'm sick of answering the call
Of alexander graham bell's inventions"

worst lyric ever?

― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

... it's all prog of course, everything is, apparently

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:07 (twenty-two years ago)

bruce cockburn -- "if i had a rocket launcher"

― rainman, Friday, 14 November 2003 17:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Aww Trayce I was just listening to "Strength" last night and I loved it.

― sucka (sucka), Friday, 14 November 2003 18:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Black Eyed Peas to thread.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 16 November 2003 19:06 (twenty-two years ago)

sixteen years pass...

i totally forgot about this...it's a "bop" as the kids don't say

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzQKECQgjW8

― Lover of Nixon (or LON for short) (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 10 November 2020 03:02 (five years ago)

^ Thank you for that. I just showed it to a woman of my age and it triggered a memory, so now she's forwarding it to a bunch of her friends

― Josefa, Tuesday, 10 November 2020 04:14 (five years ago)

that's cool! it literally just popped into my head tonight and I didn't know who did it, just remembered the chorus. thanks google!

― Lover of Nixon (or LON for short) (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 10 November 2020 04:16 (five years ago)

it's kind of a deeply submerged memory of mine too, would never have remembered the name of the group

― Josefa, Tuesday, 10 November 2020 04:17 (five years ago)

oh god - Australian group, and it was number 1 in Australia for a month or so, it triggered 12-year-old rage in me at the time and still does.

― assert (MatthewK), Tuesday, 10 November 2020 04:32 (five years ago)

as a young kid who had irrational fear about death and dying at a young age (my anxiety started from birth), the lyric "I wanna live" spoke to me even though it had nothing to do with what the song was about

― Lover of Nixon (or LON for short) (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 10 November 2020 04:37 (five years ago)

had no idea they were Australian.

― Lover of Nixon (or LON for short) (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 10 November 2020 04:38 (five years ago)

Here's to Felcher!
Depeche Mode released albums of pompous political fare. I won’t bore the thread with listings but take “The Landscape is Changing” off of ‘Construction Time Again’ as a prime example. Their self-rightious environmental bluster was even more audacious considering their taste for leather et al.
That kind of carry-on went on until ‘Music for the Masses’ when they belatedly switched to their homo-erotic raunch flavour.
Great band, though.
I love ’em.
― Stephen Stockwell (Stephen Stockwell), Saturday, November 8, 2003 bookmarkflaglink

Thanks for bumping this thread, if only because I had a great misread of “homo-erotic ranch flavor.”

― john shopkins (naus), Tuesday, 10 November 2020 06:21 (five years ago)

for a second I read that post and wondered how I'd never heard of seminal Depeche Mode release "Felcher"

― Lover of Nixon (or LON for short) (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 10 November 2020 06:24 (five years ago)

We were simultaneously more-polite and more-depraved back then.

― john shopkins (naus), Tuesday, 10 November 2020 06:38 (five years ago)

tempted to adopt "homo-erotic ranch flavor felcher" as new DN, but I'd have to look at it every time I posted

― assert (MatthewK), Tuesday, 10 November 2020 06:50 (five years ago)

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