Smash Hits. Was it really any good in the 80s?

look-in i remember as terrible, but that's from ten years before: did it even exist in the 80s still?

Liz [dissing The Smiths]: 'I could go out tonight/but I haven't got a pair of trousers.'

'Stitch to wear,' corrects Robin.

(And I dig Jeffffrey's 'Round The Bend' reference. What the fuck happened to that show? It used to kill me...)

In 1980ish, my next door neighbour, a 15 year girl, had a letter printed and I was so jealous I have hated everybody who has had any of their writing printed in the music press ever, even if they haven't used a classy byline like 'Numanoid for Space'.

Speaking of the letters page, how come nobody has put a sarky Black Type comment at the bottom of their message pretending to be from the editor? (cause they aren't that tacky - ed.)

http://www.likepunkneverhappened.blogspot.co.uk/
^ a smash hits archive

also lol at whoever J was

Crikey and Help ma Boab. Look In. Now that takes me back. Last time i saw that was about 1985.

― J, Sunday, August 11, 2002

calling affectian

Yeah, I've been aware of that blog and have been following it on and off for the last couple of years - they've made for some interesting reading, not just the singles and album reviews but the interviews as well. He's putting the issues up on his blog 30 years from the day they were released rather than putting them up all in one go, so he's only up to 1983 so far... can't wait to read what they thought of Dazzle Ships when that issue comes around. Gary Numan's Dance and the early Simple Minds albums got good reviews from Smash Hits... David Bowie's Lodger didn't.

Anything covered in the ones so far that have made you go wtf? like non mainstream stuff or lemmy talking about his fave colour?

There's been a couple of real "wtf?" moments, actually! The Cure's Pornography getting 4/10 while Are You Ready by Bucks Fizz gets 10/10 in the same issue springs immediately to mind.

Im not sure that surprises me from Smash Hits tbh

infact, it doesn't. At all.

It surprises me a lot from this particular era of Smash Hits actually. They gave Japan's Tin Drum 8/10, Fad Gadget's Incontinent 9/10 (!), Gary Numan's Dance 9/10 (although Neil Tennant later gave I, Assassin 4/10), The Comsat Angels Sleep No More 8/10, Simple Minds Sons And Fascination/Sister Feelings Call 8/10, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark's Architecture & Morality 9/10 and Joy Division's Closer 8.5/10. So, The Cure's 4/10 rating does surprise me.

Having said that, they hated Bauhaus' Mask (4/10), weren't keen on From The Lion's Mouth by The Sound (5/10), and they really really had a dislike for Rush (Exit Stage Left getting a scathing review and a 2/10 rating). They also rated Ultravox's Quartet higher than Rage In Eden and gave Journeys To Glory by Spandau Ballet 7/10!

how could they give Rush 2/10? it should only be a 1 because they dont give 0

2/10 is a ridiculous rating for Exit Stage Left, given that it's as good a live 'best-of' as Rush could have possibly put out at the time! The review is absolutely priceless, though:

"Rush are refreshing. They bring back neglected words like piffle, balderdash, twaddle and codswallop. This is a live double album and it sums them up perfectly. Guitar and drums are remarkably pale for power-pomp and I can't stand Geddy Lee's squeaky voice. But then is the key to their massive popularity his genuinely propulsive bass playing? Me no understand. Honestly, I would close with the standard attack on their interest in dodgy philosopher Ayn Rand if only I knew who the hell he was." (2/10 - Mike Stand).

No, just no!!!

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7351/13515169185_4287a3ea65_b.jpg

why is 'just a lad from High Wycombe' in inverted commas?

https://sites.google.com/site/flashbackmusiclightsofthe80s2/_/rsrc/1364998110544/imagination/general-stuff/smash-hits-readers-poll-results/Page%2030%20-%20Smash%20Hits%20-%2023rd%20December%201982%20-%205th%20January%201983%20-%20Tears%20For%20Fears%2C%20Culture%20Club%2C%20Madness%2C%20Bucks%20Fizz%2C%20David%20Bowie%2C%20The%20Jam%2C%20Abba%2C%20Shalamar.jpg

I'm down with Cyd Hayman as most fanciable human being

http://40.media.tumblr.com/616b17dc8a58e9233da428024d6472ca/tumblr_mxnjouwkxT1steyklo1_500.jpg

not so sure about Dave's pick

http://i1007.photobucket.com/albums/af193/Dz0_album/24102_105551146141794_1000006072843.jpg

Jona Lewie,number ten in 1980.

Keeping up with these old issues of Smash Hits over the last couple of years has been great, especially seeing how it got from Tubeway Army's Replicas and Orchestral Manoeuves In The Dark's Architecture & Morality to Spandau Ballet/Duran Duran in all of their coked-up excess.

Man, all of these bands circa 1984 really fucking hated each other, didn't they? The recording of that Live Aid single must have been something to witness!

Numan was a lot more popular and for far longer than i realised according to those polls.

That was largely down to having a particularly dedicated fanbase, though. Numan was, I've always thought, the first act whose singles tended to enter the charts high on the first week, drop sharply and leave quickly.

Telekon came out in 1980, which was a UK #1. He played Wembley Arena in April '81, which were meant to be his "farewell" shows and put out Dance later that year, which didn't make it to #1 although it was well received by Smash Hits so it doesn't surprise me to see Numan in the readers polls for those years.

I, Assassin was '82 (an album Numan himself still rates), which probably sold the least of all of his "solo" releases at that point but the hardcore would no doubt have helped to get him a place in the readers poll, as mike t-diva says.

By '83 (Warriors) it was the real hardcore that were carrying him, and would do so for years.