Best of 80s synth pop
 

Recently I've been seriously hung up on The Human League (thanks to the best pop albums thread I think), specifically Darkness, Love action and Don't you love me. Don't really care for the rest of the album, but these songs are pretty addictive.

Here's Love action:


Post some quality 80s synth tunes please...(:

I always liked Devo's "Whip It" (1980) and, of course, one of my favorite songs of all time, Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" :love: (released 1989). Do you think "Pesonal Jesus" still counts as synth pop, adidasss? It seems to use less synthesizer than their other songs.

Before I watched the "Personal Jesus" video, I always thought it was simply a great song that opposes religion in an appealingly sacrilegious way. Then, after watching the video, I thought it was about prostitutes. (I was disappointed, because I love atheist songs.) But today I learned something new about the intended meaning behind "Personal Jesus":

So...thinking back to the "Personal Jesus" video, if prostitutes are like Jesus, then I guess paying for sex is just a variation of a religious tithe! How convenient!

Devo - "Whip It" (1980):



Depeche Mode - "Personal Jesus" (1989):

I would say anything before Music for the Masses was sync pop for DM. After that they really evolved. Violator was the fist album to introduce their use of guitar and pull away from the sync stuff.

Both good choices veg...:)

Pet Shop Boys-Heart

ABC-The Look Of Love

^good call on Pet Shop Boys. I love the whole 'actually' album.

I'll submit an obvious one: Blue Monday by New Order


edit for some more New Order:
Bizarre Love Triangle


Touched by the Hand of God

Party Fears Two-The Associates

When Loves Breaks Down-Prefab Sprout

Wood Beez-Scritti Politti

That's what I thought, Vancouver..."Personal Jesus" isn't like their earlier synth stuff...but I like the song so much I wanted to post it anyway, hoping it would pass! :)

Thanks adidasss! I don't know much about music genres, so I don't want to post something completely wrong!

My NEXT synth pop song for your thread IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS OF ALL TIME!!!! Peter Schilling's "Major Tom." Since Peter Schilling is supposed to be a synthpop musician, I hope this song counts!

I like both the German and English versions of "Major Tom." I could listen to this song again and again. I remember being in a high-rise hotel in Kenya in Nairobi when this song came on a radio station. I was ecstatic! It seemed very surreal to hear the song there.

Why do I love this song? I love the hard driving beat and the synth sounds, the story, the gritty rhythm guitar, the bursts of guitar chords, the feeling of suspense, the smooth, silky vocals, and the angelic-feeling chorus that sweeps me away.

When I listen to this song, I always feel like an astronaut looking down on my beloved earth, feeling the distance from my human family (all you folks) growing, growing, growing...ending in the apparent final isolation of a single human life. I don't get how the protagonist can end up alive, though. Where does he come home to in space? What does this mean? I ponder...

Peter Schilling - "Major Tom" (1983) (English):



Peter Schilling - "Major Tom (Völlig losgelöst)" (1983) (German):

My personal taste go for the Belgians of Front 242.

^I wouldn't regard Front 242 as synth pop though!

Since I'm norwegian, I should of course mention A-Ha. Take on Me from their album "Hunting High and Low", while not as good as the title track, might just be the definitive synth pop song for me.




I also think Tears for Fears deserves mention here :) I don't listen to a lot of synth pop, but I like quite a few of their songs. Of couse I remember them from when I was a kid.




And then, just to squeeze in a curiosity, here's Klaus Nomi :



He's not in his traditional get-up here, but the song is so brilliant :D