This list consists of compilations that have fewer than 3 CD's reviewed for a series. Compilations can be discs that are marketed as strictly eighties songs or compilations that came out during the eighties that consist of popular music at the time. Please no country/rap/classical or other non-mainstream compilations.
Title : ... Just Can't Get Enough - Original Hits Frome the 80's Label : EMI-Medley 2CD - EMI 8328532 c1995 EMI-Medley, Denmark TTime : CD-1: 75:38 CD-2: 69:28 Notes : Excellent notes and photos. Reviewer: James M. Miller KCWU 88.1 FM Paid : $6.85 Used, Mint Condition! Rank : 5 out of 5 Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- CD-1: Living In Another World Talk Talk Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go (12") Soft Cell Feels Like Heaven Fiction Factory Shout Tears For Fears Gold Spandau Ballet The Look Of Love ABC Wham Rap Wham Temptation Heaven 17 Fade To Grey Visage You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) Dead Or Alive Maria Magdalena Sandra She Drives Me Crazy Fine Young Cannibals The Model Kraftwerk The Sound Of The Crowd Human League Blue Monday (12") New Order Why Bronski Beat -=-=- CD-2: Situation Yazoo Kids In America Kim Wilde Stand And Deliver Adam And The Ants 99 Luftballons Nena Our House Madness I Don't Like Mondays Boomtown Rats Come On Eileen Dexy's Midnight Runners Visions Of China Japan Living On Video (12") Trans X Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of These) Eurythmics Maid Of Orleans O.M.D. Vienna Ultravox Do You Really Want To Hurt Me Culture Club Too Shy Kajagoogoo Doctor Doctor Thompson Twins Puttin'On The Ritz Taco Comments: -=-=-=-=- NOT to be confused with the US 'Just Can't Get Enough' Series!!! Thirty-two great tracks from the eighties. Remember the 'Wham Rap'? My favorite all-time group, Kraftwerk is included in this totally-awesome CD. A nice blend of pop and wave songs make this CD great for parties. The booklet is crammed with lots of pictures of staple 80's nostalgia such as: unisex dance shoes (Fluevog's &Creepers), posing, badges, lip gloss, heavy gel, and fishnet tanktops. There's even instructions for make-up which can transport you 'back to the future' with a look that's right out of 1984. If you can locate this CD, do not hesitate to pick it up.
Title : The No. 1 Eighties Album Label : Polygram (Set No. 525 683-2) Medium : CD TTime : Disk 1 - 78:30 Disk 2 - 77:00 Notes : Lists artists, songwriter, date of release and original label for each song Reviewer: Michael Elliot Paid : $31.95CDN (Import from the UK) Rank : 4.5 of 5 TRACK LISTING -=-=-=-=-=-=- DISK 1 -=-=-=- TITLE ARTIST -=-=- -=-=-=- Pride (In The Name Of Love) U2 Wishing I Was Lucky Wet Wet Wet Let's Dance David Bowie Don't You (Forget About Me) Simple Minds Money For Nothing Dire Straits Rio Duran Duran Everybody Wants To Rule The World Tears For Fears Life's What You Make It Talk Talk I'm Still Standing Elton John Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go Wham! Relax Frankie Goes To Hollywood Mirror Man The Human League Call Me Blondie Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) Eurythmics Dancing With Tears In My Eyes Ultravox Only You Yazoo Souvenir Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark Sometimes Erasure Wouldn't It Be Good Nik Kershaw True Faith New Order DISK 2 -=-=-=- TITLE ARTIST -=-=- -=-=-=- Take On Me A-HA Road To Nowhere Talking Heads Beat Surrender The Jam Rebel Yell Billy Idol Fields Of Fire Big Country Let My People Go-Go The Rainmakers Living In A Box Living In A Box The Killing Moon Echo And The Bunnymen She Drives Me Crazy Fine Young Cannibals Oblivious Aztec Camera This Charming Man The Smiths Tainted Love Soft Cell Kiss Me Steven "Tin Tin" Duffy The Model Kraftwerk Walk Like An Egyptian Bangles Centrefold J. Geils Band Time (Clock Of The Heart) Culture Club Slave To Love Bryan Ferry (I Just) Died In Your Arms Cutting Crew Little Lies Fleetwood Mac True Spandau Ballet COMMENTS: The two discs in this set provide an excellent overview of pop music in the '80's. From technopop (Yazoo) to the new romantics (Spandau Ballet), from one hit wonders (Living In A Box) to artists who are still putting out hits today (U2), its all here. It gets a special mention for using more obscure songs from bands whose biggest hits already turn up on other compilation discs. For example, they feature Big Country's hard to find Fields of Fire rather than In A Big Country. I was especially glad to find Nik Kershaw's "Wouldn't It Be Good" and the song I feel is most definitive of the sounds of the Eighties, Soft Cell's "Tainted Love", in this set. If these discs had featured 3 more songs (Howard Jones' "New Song", The Psychedelic Furs' "Heaven" and The Smiths "How Soon Is Now" I would have rated it 5 out of 5, and declared it to be the best compilation album yet.
Title: Now Hear This Label: Cema Special Markets TTime: 36:03 Notes: None at all. Paid : $7 Rank : 1 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- We Have The Technology Pere Ubu From This World East of Eden Turning Of The Tide Richard Thompson Streets Of Your Town The Go-Betweens Pictures Of Matchstick Men Camper Van Beethoven Deep Blue Fetchin' Bones Knock Me Down The Red Hot Chili Peppers Downtown Lloyd Cole Alice Hugh Harris You're Still Beautiful The Church Comments: Not truly an 80's compilation since it contains two songs from 1990 on it, but close enough for government work. It contains one redeeming song, the remake of "Pictures of Matchstick Men" but otherwise a basically boring compilation of the most bland "alternative" releases of the end of the eighties. If you like the Camper Van Beethoven song, it's the only compilation I know of currently with it, I'd buy their album instead, since the artists will see more money, and the other losers on this disc don't deserve squat.
Title: The Obscurity File Label: OGLIO TTime: 50:06 Notes: A few paragraphs on each song/group. Paid : $11 Rank : 4 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Kinko The Clown Ogden Edsl Teenage Enema Nurses In Bondage Killer Pussy Funky Poodle Wild Horses Pajama Party Unit 3 With Venus The Earthquake File Little Girls Dwarf Tossin' Bouquet Of Veal Buffy Come Back Angel &The Reruns Time Is A Ticky Talk Klondike Karl See You On The Other Side Brian Briggs Harley David Bollock Brothers Ronnies Song LAX Urban Struggle Vandals Cowpunk Scott Goddard The Rodeo Song Bird &Mac Donald Kinko Returns Ogden Edsl Comments: The opening paragraph of the liner notes mentions that it was the author's intent to find the most politically backward tunes for this compilation. He succeeded. "Kinko the Clown," a Dr. Demento staple of the eighties opens the disc, and closes the disc with the follow up sequel. Only the eighties could give us a song about a pedophile clown, and then he follows it up with tunes like "Teenage Enema Nurses in Bondage", "Dwarf Tossing", "Harley David (Son of A Bitch)", and other songs I'd never play in front of my pastor. In other words, a great disc. I was a little disappointed "Gidget Goes to Hell" didn't make the cut, especially since "Buffy Come Back" is on here, it would seem to be a perfect match. This is of course more of a novelty album than a dance album, but all this music saw airplay on the radio stations (in addition to Dr. Demento) and it's pretty K001 to own, glad I bought it.
Title : Only Rock and Roll! 1980-1984 Label : JCI, A Division of Essex Entertainment,Inc. by Warner Special Products Medium : CD TTime : 76:49 Notes : Just songwriting credits and label information Reviewer: R.T. Jackson Paid : $9 Rank : 2 out of 5 Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Shake It Up The Cars Owner Of A Lonely Heart Yes Celebration Kool &The Gang Harden My Heart Quarterflash Bette Davis Eyes Kim Carnes Do You Really Want To Hurt Me Culture Club I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) Hall and Oates Gloria Laura Branigan Centerfold J. Geils Band Electric Avenue Eddy Grant Heartbreaker Pat Benatar Call Me Blondie I Can Dream About You Dan Hartman Funkytown Lipps, Inc. Take It On The Run REO Speedwagon The Glamorous Life Sheila E. Christopher Cross Ride Like The Wind Jump (For My Love) The Pointer Sisters Comments: This is one of the longest single record compilations I've ever bought. This particular CD is part of a set which spans four decades. The only word that comes to mind as I listen to it is "weak". We have good, decent songs like "Harden my Heart", and "I Can Dream About You" (one of my favorites) intertwined with pure crap like "Celebration", one of the songs that gives the Eighties a bad name, and the Hall and Oates. JCI apparently wanted to make an album covering all the bases (R & B, Pop, Dance, Rock, New Wave, et. al.); and ended up with seventy-five minutes of mediocrity.
Title : Only Rock and Roll! 1985-1989 Label : JCI, A Division of Essex Entertainment,Inc. by Warner Special Products Medium : CD TTime : 77:03 Notes : Just songwriting credits and label information Reviewer: R.T. Jackson Paid : $9 Rank : 3 out of 5 Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Freeway Of Love Aretha Franklin California Girls David Lee Roth Broken Wings Mr. Mister Walk Like An Egyptian The Bangles St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion) John Parr Head to Toe Lisa Lisa &Cult Jam When The Children Cry White Lion Keep Your Hands To Yourself Georgia Satellites Wild, Wild West The Escape Club Tonight She Comes The Cars My Perogative Bobby Brown Obsession Animotion I Want To Know What Love Is Foreigner Life In A Northern Town Dream Academy Sea Of Love The Honeydrippers When Smokey Sings ABC La Bamba Los Lobos Lean On Me Club Noveau With Every Beat Of My Heart Taylor Dane Little Lies Fleetwood Mac Comments: You don't get much longer than this. This CD is better than the previous one, but suffers from the same problem which doomed the previous one: Poor song selection. There are only a few bad songs on this one, in my opinion. "Head To Toe" is one of those songs which you can't remember hearing, but once you listen to it, you see why you forgot it in the first place. "Freeway Of Love" is forgettable. "My Prerogative"...uh, no. Songs 16, 17, 18, and 19 are just plain nauseating; 16 perhaps more than the others. A long, painful slide from "Poison Arrow"; that's for sure. Put the White Lion song on at a party, and watch the guests run for their cars. From Greg: JCI/Warner's first entry in the compilation category. Pulling from a good sized library of eighties hits this one shows strong collectability. Strong cuts include: Los Lobos "La Bamba", David Lee Roth "Calif. Girls", Escape Club "Wild Wild West". Rating: 4.75
Title : #1 Radio Hits, Only Rock and Roll! 1985-1989 Label : JCI, A Division of Essex Entertainment,Inc. by Warner Special Products Medium : CD TTime : 76:00 Notes : Just songwriting credits and label information Reviewer: Greg Paid : $9 Rank : 5 out of 5 Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Need You Tonight INXS Midnight Blue Lou Gramm Mad About You Belinda Carlisle Rock On Michael Damian Point Of No Return Expose Only In My Dreams Debbie Gibson Axel F Harold Faltermeyer Looking For A New Love Jody Watley Tell It To My Heart Taylor Dayne At This Moment Billy Vera And The Beaters Miami Vice Theme Jan Hammer Talk To Me Stevie Nicks Say You Will Foreigner Move Away Culture Club Lost In Emotion Lisa Lisa &Cult Jam I Think We're Alone Now Tiffany Loverboy Billy Ocean Kyrie Mr. Mister Can't Fight This Feeling REO Speedwagon Everytime You Go Away Paul Young Comments: -=-=-=-=- Very rarely do I find a compilation that I consider a "must buy" This is JCI/Warner's second compilation series (see next) As a eighties nut this one hits just about all the mainstream you can handle. Bonus points for including not one, but two instrumentals: Axel F &Miami Vice Themes. Very surprising after the 1980-1984 disk showed a very poor playlist (Not revued)
Title : Our Friends Electric: The Sound of the '80s Label : Telstar (London, 1996) #tcd2814 (also available on mc-stac2814) TTime : 72:55 (Disc 1), 67:49 (Disc 2) Notes : Short production details (copyright/licensing, etc) Highest (British) chart positions denoted. Paid : around $25 at Media Play Rank : 4.5 out of 5. Track Listing (1) -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Planet Earth Duran Duran Love Action (I Believe in Love) The Human League Blue Monday New Order Chant No. 1 Spandau Ballet Enola Gay Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Tainted Love Soft Cell (We Don't Need This) Fascist Heaven 17 Groove Thing Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) Eurythmics The Model Kraftwerk Don't Go Yazoo Tears Are Not Enough ABC Living on the Ceiling Blancmange Quiet Life Japan Fade to Grey Visage Are "Friends" Electric? Tubeway Army Hyperactive Thomas Dolby It's My Life Talk Talk Wood Beez (Pray Like Arethra Franklin) Scritti Politti Comments: -=-=-=-=- A good portion of standard fare mixed up with some real gems ("Love Action," "The Model," "Living On The Ceiling"). I'm not particularly thrilled with the sequence, but the inclusion of "It's My Life" makes my day. Track Listing (1) -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Reward The Teardrop Explodes Sometimes Erasure Time (Clock of the Heart) Culture Club Smalltown Boy Bronski Beat King in a Catholic Style (Wake Up) China Crisis Making Plans for Nigel XTC Together in Electric Dreams Philip Oakey/Giorgio Moroder Love on Your Side Thompson Twins Einstein A Go-Go Landscape Planet Claire The B-52's Party Fears Two The Associates Video Killed the Radio Star Buggles Is It A Dream Classix Nouveau Wishing (If I Had A Photograph of You) A Flock of Seagulls Imagination Belouis Some Brilliant Mind Furniture Driving Away From Home (Jim's Tune) It's Immaterial Vienna Ultravox Comments: -=-=-=-=- Another even mix of romantic, synth, and more hard-driving songs, with its strongest points in the romantic/synth category. For me the CD doesn't really get into its element til "Smalltown Boy," but the 4 to 10 sequence is simply perfect. "Vienna" is a most excellent ending to this worthy 2-cd set.
Title : Punk Rock and New Wave Label : AILE Medium : CD TTime : 41:12 Notes : None Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $5 Rank : 3 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Anarchy in the U.K. Sex Pistols Clash City Rockers Clash In The City The Jam Welcome to the Working Week Elvis Costello Sheena is a Punk Rocker Ramones See No Evil ? Something Better Change ? Psycho Killer Talking Heads X Offender Blondie Hong Kong Garden Siouxsie and the Banshees Young Savage ? Showroom Dummies ? The Stranglers sing one of the ? songs Comments: This disc is labeled for the most part in Japanese, only the song titles are in English (like all the songs). I don't recognize all the songs on here, so there's a lot of question marks here. Overall, this is a fun disc, with a lot of punk standards ("Anarchy in the UK" and "Clash City Rocker") and this is the first disc I've bought with the classic new wave song "Pyscho Killer" by the Talking Heads. I recommend picking it up if you find it, which I doubt you will unless you're in Japan.
Title: Punk University Volume 1 Label: OGLIO TTime: 34:54 Notes: Song listing and copywrite dates. Paid : $11 Rank : 5 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Institutionalized Suicidal Tendencies Orgasm Addict Buzzcocks Homicide 999 Beat On The Brat The Ramones Ladykiller Vandals Amoeba Adolescents Wild In The Streets Circle Jerks Annette's Got The Hits Redd Kross Los Angeles X New York's Allright If You Like Sax. Fear Lust For Life Iggy Pop Eighties Killing Joke Comments: Beat on the brat, beat on the brat, beat on the brat, WITH A BASEBALL BAT! Ok, now you know why I bought this compilation, and it's the only non-eighties tune on here, but I'm willing to forgive them as it fits perfectly on here. The disc is kinda short, but let's face it, the Ramones never wrote a song over 3 minutes, and well, most punk groups tend not to generate 8 minute long ballads, so this is to be expected when there's 12 songs on the disc. This disc has all the classic groups on it, if you listened to any punk during the eighties, you'll be familar with the whole disc. I didn't listen to much punk myself, and even I recognize almost all these tunes. I highly recomend this to anyone, especially if they're big into today's punk groups like Green Day, now you'll know where they get their energy.
Title : Radio Daze: Pop Hits of the '80s, Volume One Label : Rhino Medium : CD TTime : 43:24 Notes : Excellent notes with a few pictures Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $10 Rank : 2 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Escape (The Pina Colada Song) Rupert Holmes You're Only Lonely J.D. Souther Heaven Must Have Sent You Bonnie Pointer This Night Won't Last Forever Michael Johnson Rolene Moon Martin An American Dream The Dirt Band Do That To Me One More Time Captain &Tennille Romeo's Tune Steve Forbert Set Me Free Utopia Pretty Girls Melissa Manchester Gee Whiz Bernadette Peters Please Don't Leave Lauren Wood Comments: Wow, this disc is truly bad. If you want the "Pina Colada Song" then I recomend buying the original disc, since the rest of the songs on here are enough to put even the biggest soft rock fans to sleep. Later discs in this series even go on to have remakes of the Dukes of Hazard theme song, which makes this a really poor series that just got off to bad start and progressed even further downhill.
Title : Read the Hits/Best of the 80s Label : Risky Business Medium : CD TTime(1): 52:51 TTime(2): 51:43 Notes : Song listing with copywrite info. Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $12 Rank : 3 out of 5. Track Listing(1) -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- And We Danced Hooters Voices Carry 'Til Tuesday Love My Way Psychedelic Furs Burnin' For You Blue Oyster Cult Total Eclipse of the Heart Bonnie Tyler Goodbye to You Scandal Cum on Feel the Noize Quiet Riot (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party) Beastie Boys Walk On Water Eddie Money The Flame Cheap Trick Talking In Your Sleep The Romantics Keep On Loving You R.E.O. Speedwagon Track Listing(2) -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Rosanna Toto 99 Luftbaloons Nena 867-5309/Jenny Tommy Tutone You're a Friend of Mine Clarence Clemons and Jackson Browne Goody Two Shoes Adam Ant When I See You Smile Bad English Walk Like An Egyptian Bangles Your Love The Outfield Let's Groove Earth, Wind, and Fire Slipping Away Dave Edmunds Hot Girls In Love Loverboy Run Runaway Slade Comments: Not bad, it's got a lot of songs on it that others compilations already have. The inclusions of the Cheap Trick song was good, the version of 99 Luftbaloons is the English version, I would have probably left the Earth, Wind and Fire tune off this disc though. It's basically an ok compilation, not bad, not great.
Title : Rock of the 80's Label : CBS Medium : Cassette TTime : 40 minutes apprx. Notes : Track Listing Reviewer: Charles R. Grosvenor Jr. Paid : $5 Rank : 4 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Open Arms Journey Talking In Your Sleep The Romantics Rosanna Toto Let's Groove Earth Wind &Fire I'm Alright (Theme From Caddy Shack) Kenny Loggins Goody Two Shoes Adam Ant Total Eclipse of the Heart Bonnie Tyler Eye Of The Tiger Survivor Hold On Kansas Working For the Weekend Loverboy Keep On Loving You REO Speedwagon Cum On Feel The Noise Quiet Riot Comments: One of the first compilation I ever bought, in a truck stop in the middle of nowhere, this has a lot of top 40 songs you just can't find elsewhere. If you liked arena rock of the seventies, you probably liked these songs too. The biggest reason to own this tape is for the themesong from Caddy Shack by Kenny Logins, which is one of those great feel good songs of the early eighties. What's really nice about this collection is that all the songs are big hits and most people will instantly recognize the artists as well as the songs presented. If you can find it, grab it.
Title: Rock Of the 80s, Volume One Label: Cema Special Products TTime: 44:21 Notes: None Paid : $6 Rank : 4 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Tenderness General Public A Girl Like You The Smithereens Always Something There To Remind Me Naked Eyes True Spandau Ballet Rapture Blondie Too Shy Kajagoogoo Let's Go All The Way Sly Fox Suddenly Last Summer The Motels She's A Beauty The Tubes Missing You John Waite Comments: Not a bad disc, certainly worth the six dollars I paid for it, the inclusion of Sly Fox was certainly appreciated. The selections are primarily based more on what's fashonable to look back on now (like most compilations actually), my only complaint is the length of the CD, though for six dollars, I'm not complaining much.
Title: Rock Of The 80s Volume Two Label: Cema Special Products TTime: 42:20 Notes: None Paid : $6 Rank : 2 out of 5. Track Listing -=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Artist(s) -=-=- -=-=-=-=- Destination Unknown Missing Persons Really Saying Something Fun Boy Three Turning Japanese The Vapors The Politics Of Dancing Re-Flex I'm Not Perfect Grace Jones (What) In The Name Of Love Naked Eyes Let's Go All The Way Sly Fox The Mexican Jellybean Bette Davis Eyes Kim Carnes Walk The Dinosaur Was (Not Was) Comments: A lot of crap fills out this disc. The biggest insult is the inclusion of Sly Fox after they already had it on the first disc, which had I realized at the time, I wouldn't have purchased this disc. The songs by the recognizable groups on here weren't really popular (and for a reason). The only bright light on here is the song "Walk The Dinosaur" which hardly, if ever, appears on compilations (why I don't know).
Compilation Review Listings:
[A-D]
[E-I]
[J-R]
[S-Z]
[Rhino's]
[Rock 80's]
[Soundtracks]
[Videos]
[Oblivion]
[Flashback]
[Sedated]
[Time Life]
[Rolling Stone's]
[Christmas]
[Vendors]