A bumper crop of hits from the TOTP archive showcasing an exciting year on the pop charts. 1981 embraced disco and ska, new wave punk, the burgeoning New Romantic scene and the rise of synthpop, with some prog quirkiness and good old rock 'n' roll thrown in.
Performances from big-hitter soloists Phil Collins, Shakin' Stevens and Kim Wilde are featured alongside the exuberant chaos of groups like Tenpole Tudor, Adam and the Ants and the Teardrop Explodes. It's party time as Odyssey fill the dancefloor with the infectious Going Back to My Roots and Clare Grogan adopts some unorthodox shapes for Altered Images' Happy Birthday. And the Specials' 2 Tone social commentary classic Ghost Town vies with Ultravox's Vienna and the Human League's Don't You Want Me for song of the year.
Playlist:
Adam & The Ants – Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Ultravox – Vienna
The Teardrop Explodes – Reward
Kim Wilde – Kids In America
Duran Duran – Planet Earth
Sugar Minott – Good Thing Going
Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight
Linx – Intuition
Tenpole Tudor – Swords Of A Thousand Men
Odyssey – Going Back To My Roots
The Specials – Ghost Town
Shakin' Stevens – Green Door
Soft Cell – Tainted Love
Spandau Ballet – Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Souvenir
Depeche Mode – Just Can't Get Enough
Altered Images – Happy Birthday (with Legs & Co)
Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin – It's My Party
The Human League – Don't You Want Me
