Right! Here’s what it’s sounded like in my head or in my car this year. I’m hopeless at finding out new stuff, so mostly this is just old music I’ve either discovered or re-discovered and nearly worn through. That said, not everything here is ‘80s or ‘90s stuff, as a couple newer artists have managed to pierce the near impenetrable wall of “things I liked at 20-25 so will enjoy forever”. I’m terrible at listening to anything that other people recommend to me, so mostly I’ll just put this out there to get it out.
1. Bat For Lashes – The Hunger (from Lost Girls, 2019)
If I have to recommend one thing this year, it’s this. Bat for Lashes combines the kind of cinematic ‘80s inspired synth sound with breathy vocals, thumping bass and well timed drums that I cannot be anything but transfixed by her. Especially The Hunger manages to sound most like an early-90s car advert and at 1:45 there’s the best bassline I’ve heard all year. But the entire album is all killer no filler, and her back catalogue is very much recommended.
2. Simple Minds – Promised You a Miracle (Live) (from Live in the City of Light, 1987)
I’m a huge fan of the classic Simple Minds albums. Granted, the newer their output the more stadion rock it is, and sometimes Jim Kerr sounds more Bono-ish than would strictly be preferred. However, I really like this live version of Promised You a Miracle as it’s given a refresh compared to the (itself very good) original from New Gold Dream. It’s been such a shit year that the optimism that permeates the entirety of that album is more than welcome, and the live version shows how good the band was live in their absolute heyday. Also, East at Easter from the same live album is superbly Bono.
3. Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior (from Romantic Warrior, 1976)
I listen to quite a bit of jazz fusion at home and apparently this is the top track I’ve played all year. Return to Forever was one of Chick Corea’s all star outfits and Romantic Warrior is a superficially silly concept album about knights and sorcerers. However, as piano-led, scientological ‘70s fusion jazz comes, this is some of the very best. The album is dedicated to L. Ron Hubbard, but don’t let that put you off. Really great classical guitar here by Al di Meola, too.
4. Jukka Linkola Octet – Athmos (from Protofunk, 1979)
More fusion jazz, this time from Finland. I heard Protofunk in a record shop earlier this year (there’s a recently opened one in a nearby town and I want to support it a lot), and really got into it. This is the final track on the album and it’s probably the tightest one with some really sharp horns.
5. Pat Metheny Group – San Lorenzo (from Pat Metheny Group, 1978)
The opening track of the famous jazz fusion band’s self titled debut. Not exactly an unheard great, but I’ve come to love it and I'd highly recommend it to anyone seeking to get into jazz fusion. Seems like I pick up on new things every time I listen to it.
(Impossible to find a YouTube clip of the album version)
6. Steely Dan – Jack of Speed (from Two Against Nature, 2000)
I listen to a lot of Steely Dan, or at least I say I do when someone asks what I like. One of my lasting memories from the past summer was mowing the grass while listening to the band’s 2000 comeback album. The highlights of the album are this and West of Hollywood, which is the last track. I picked this one for the list as it’s a little funkier.
7. Toshiki Kadomatsu – 52nd Street (from Sea is a Lady, 1987)
I keep this album in the CD changer all the time. It’s basically Gran Turismo level City Pop, but with a bit more electric guitar. It makes you want to live on a city island in Japan in the late ‘80s, above a garage with tons of rare metal parked in there.
8. Kassu Halonen – Trans Sahara (from Trans Sahara, 1982)
For some inexplicable reason there’s a City Pop inspired album recorded by Finnish session musicians. The title track is probably the best one off the album, and there’s a publicity photo of the singer with a Saab 900 in the dusk. Cool stuff.
9. Gang of Four – Is It Love? (from Hard, 1983)
Gang of Four has done some great driving music even if the post-punk band mustn’t have set out to accomplish exactly that. The otherwise patchy fourth album has some excellent driving tracks, such as the opener. Good for long sweeping bends.
10. Heikki Silvennoinen – I Will Wait for You (from Mature & Cool, 1992)
This album was a flea market find for pocket change, but turns out it’s probably the best Clapton pastiche album recorded by a Finnish comedian in 1992. Ridiculously good driving music when you drive a Volvo with a beige interior across the country. Mature and cool.
11. Gregg Allman – I’ll be Holding On (from Black Rain OST, 1989)
The main title track from Ridley Scott’s 1989 film. Epic driving music with the sort of lyrics that allude to “I’ve done a lot of dumb shit but at least it was on-brand”. Best listened to behind the wheel when driving in the rain on the highway and blowing past trucks on the passing lane with effortless turbodiesel thrust.
12. Herbert Grönemeyer – Jetzt oder nie (from 4630 Bochum, 1984)
FinalGear find! The album found its way to me from a stack of records that was distributed at Ringmeet, and Dr_Grip brought it over when visiting. I instantly became hooked to a bunch of tracks here, especially this particular one as it has the kind of melancholy driving ballad qualities that I enjoy, complete with early ‘80s synth backing. Makes me want to buy an Ascona C. You might also know Grönemeyer from Das Boot, the movie.
(Again, difficult to find the album version on YouTube and live cuts seem sub-par)
13. John Cale – Dying on the Vine (from Artificial Intelligence, 1985)
I’ve been a huge fan of John Cale for ages. I think he’s the biggest genius to whom Velvet Underground gave a platform. Artificial Intelligence isn’t his strongest work, but hey – ‘80s synths and general decadence and cinematic feel again. Probably works for anyone who likes mid-‘80s Leonard Cohen as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMJvAAlB15M
14. Robert Palmer – The Silver Gun (from Pride, 1983)
Probably one of the strangest works by Palmer. If you like My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Eno & Byrne, this leans towards that direction. It’s sung in Urdu, there are evocative strings and a dynamic bassline, the lyrics are apparently about horses as well as guns. I’ve gotten stuck with this and kept playing it on repeat for extended periods.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31gnJxnKmYg
15. R.E.M. – Low Desert (from New Adventures in Hi-Fi, 1996)
This year I decided that ...Hi-Fi is my favorite R.E.M album. I also spent a lot of time imagining myself as a fresh graduate driving a new-ish Neon through American urban sprawl to my first real job while listening to ‘90s college rock on the car’s OEM stereo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-DXNxIlU1I
16. DAF – Brothers (single, 1986)
Gabi Delgado-Lopez passed away earlier this year, and out of the electro duo’s entire output I’d like to lift this as a sample.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W7yUFhR_fQ
17. Annie – American Cars (single, 2020)
Textbook synthwave. Only add Corvette.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HqTDoScPI4
18. Patrick Leonard – Main Title (from At Close Range OST, 1986)
Basically the entire film score is an extended edit of Madonna’s Live to Tell (also written by Leonard). I haven’t even seen the film, but the score and especially the main title make my hairs stand up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyf2pyGXjwo
19. Jürgen Knieper – You’re Dead Without a Story (from The State of Things, 1982)
Creepy soundtrack stuff from a Wim Wenders movie. I think this one is played over the ending credits and there’s great sax to be had. The album I got features the Knieper soundtracks to three films: The State of Things, The American Friend and River’s Edge.
https://soundcloud.com/camp-zama/jurgen-knieper-youre-dead-without-a-story-from-the-state-of-things
20. Will Ferrell & My Marianne – Volcano Man (from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, 2020)
There was no Eurovision Song Contest this year which sucks, and in addition to local contests all we got was a pretty dumb Will Ferrell movie. The theme song is great, though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdW6BBF22AY
There it is, the complete list! In actuality I probably listened to several tracks off the same albums a lot more, but I wanted to stretch it out so that there's only one nomination per artist. You can do whatever you like.