My favourite 80's love songs

Hi and sorry for not having written in an absolute age. I've been kinda busy with other things. But, no matter, I'm here now, so here goes with a few words on my favourite 80's love songs...

Now I think that the 80’s were a time when popular music was used perhaps more than ever before or since to make political statements. In the UK there was a reaction to Thatcherism and perhaps to a lesser extent to Reaganism in the US. However, this is not so say that love songs didn’t make a good showing in those 80's pop charts. Here’s three of my favourites:

Say Hello, Wave Goodbye was Soft Cell’s third UK hit single making number 3 in 1982. It's an awesome piece of British Synth Pop and loses nothing from following on from 1981’s two singles the towering Tainted Love and Bed Sitter, a number 4 effort. It's taken from the album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret and gives a nod to the Beatles Hello Goodbye. The singer tells us of a failed relationship - due so he says, to the inability of his girlfriend to remain faithful, ‘you were a sleep around, a lost and found…’. It’s a delicious, perfect piece.

If you’re only going to have just one big hit single, best make it a good one. That’s the creed by which Cutting Crew lived their short moment of fame in 1986. (I Just) Died In Your Arms was the group’s first single and made it to number 1 on the US Hot 100 and number 4 in the UK singles chart. The lyrics to the song are supposedly a reference to sexual fulfilment but I reckon that the words themselves seem to tell a tale of regret with two key phrases, ‘I should’ve walked away, I should’ve walked away’, and ‘I followed my hands, not my head, I know I was wrong’ giving me this idea.

And finally, Madness has got to be THE band of the 80’s. Don't argue, what I'm saying is so true! From 1979’s The Prince through to (Waiting For) The Ghost Train in 1986 Madness were seemingly never out of the UK charts. My favourite is their version of the Labi Siffre song It Must Be Love. It was released in 1981 and got to number 4 in the UK and even managed a number 33 placing in the US Hot 100 – one of only 3 Madness singles that did.

Love these 80's love songs? Or do you know better?