Great obscure 80s songs

I’m not sure if this is considered obscure, but it’s 1980s “forgotten”.

Dancing with Tears in My Eyes, Ultravox.

Holiday, The Other Ones.

Her lisp is something else.

I Go Crazy, Flesh for Lulu

Stone Cold Yesterday, The Connells

^ Shit, that was 1990. Never mind.

Cute boys, impeccable New Wave vibe, catchy lyrics- The Thrashing Doves could have had it all. Then Margaret Thatcher made an off handed comment that she liked this song and basically end their career in one fell swoop.

World Shut Your Mouth, Julian Cope.

This is a largely forgotten Madonna bop written for a movie called Vision Quest. Never appeared on any Madonna album. Wasn't released as a single. Apparently Madonna was in the midst of so many hits and getting so much airplay her record company asked the movie's record company not to release it. (i know we're supposed to be listing more obscure shit but this is an obscure home run).

Is it a bop? Is she queen?

The Affordable Floors were a Pittsburgh based band that flourished in the New Wave Punk tinged music scene and were local celebrities. They got signed to MCA at the end of the 80s, getting representation just as the genre collapsed in on itself and got buried in the refuse. But they had a hell of a sound and did that melancholy, but upbeat New Wave sense of yearning so perfectly, best captured in their song Wedding Ring.

Live it Up, Mental as Anything. (Fun fact, it’s the song playing in Crocodile Dundee when they arrive at the swanky New York party.)

Clouds Across the Moon:

Indigo Eyes, Peter Murphy.

R3 and R10 - wow, great songs, I had forgotten about those.

Klaus Nomi was a pioneer - great music, strange and short life.

Whistle Down the Wind, Nick Heyward

R10 holy shit that sounds like trash. Great call by the record label not to release it. Incredibly cheesy and horrific weak vocals worse than her usual subpar standard

The Plimsouls never seemed to make much of an impact beyond Southern California despite being the band in the background at the club in the movie Valley Girl. Even by the mid 90s when I hung out with a fiend for work who grew up in California, he was amazed that I knew who they were and many of their songs.

One of the greatest!

Rubber Rodeo The Hardest Thing

From the group that only became known for "Funkytown"

this should have been big

Dee Tour:

Music was so much fun then.

a banger

R20 They should have had a much bigger career.

So much great music from UK artists at that time.

The Cloud Nine band had 2 more songs that I'm aware of on this mini album = Poison (at 8:36) & Wordporridge (at 20:11).

Shortly after this album was made a band member died moving the band equipment & they broke up.

The lead singer Petra died in 2019 so no reunion for this talented bunch.

If this doesn’t make you wanna clean your room and shake your booty and then use it to close your underwear drawer, then something is wrong with you.

Holy shit, r29-33! That band is amazing! So sad they had such limited output and are pretty obscure. Thanks so much for introducing me to their music. I love threads like this!

Cabo Frio featuring Eugene Wilde (1987)

France Joli had some disco hits in the 70s but this track seems like it should have been an instant 80s classic.

This is my favorite SE song but no one that I know has ever heard it =

Musclebound ('80)...

DL fave Kelly's obscure hit =

Uptown's cover of I'm Losing You

An early 1980s Bizarro song by a 1970s Supergirl...

Party Professionals - The Motels

Some Breakwater...

Snowblind - Styx

"See You on the Other Side" by Brian Briggs, which is a pseudonym (and famous British rugby player). His real name is John Holbrook, a well-respected mixer & sound engineer who'd worked with the likes of Todd Rundgren, The Who & Jimi Hendrix.

More, MORE!

this should have been a hit in 1984

I don't know what you all consider obscure, so here goes... I'm still so fond of these guys. Strummy acoustic guitar sound, with alto sax prominence and familiar influences. Depressing, slo-mo rural hometown footage, and a child for no reason. Henry V haircuts. This one has a J. Crew barn jacket, too.

Trent Reznor playing keyboards in Slam Bamboo

Shine Up! by Doris D. and the (slim) Pins

Gary Myrick "When Angels Kiss"

American Girls, Androgynous. One-album wonders. Loved them.

I posted this in another thread last week but here's 'At Last You're Mine', performed by Cheryl Lynn and written by a pre-fame Michael Bolton. A good Adult Contemporary ballad from the flop 1984 movie "Heavenly Bodies". In a decade when sappy Adult Contemporary ballads ruled the charts & airwaves, this should have been a hit.

R52 thank you for that post. I love this group! This song makes me long for the 80s.

R26, I assume that you're reading the room and taking into account that you're here on Datalounge, but Meli'sa Morgan's 'Fool's Paradise' and pretty much her entire brilliant first LP ("Do Me Baby") were huge with Black audiences at the time of it's release. Nothing obscure about it.

R2 not obscure

Not sure how obscure this is, but this band was really big in the US. Great album!

R24 that’s one of my fave songs evah

Sorry, meant to say was never really big in the US.

Airhead by Thomas Dolby. I guess this is obscure.

Roommate by Lizzy Mercier Desclous

Hang Your Heart On Ne by Fiona

the answer being out of our hands Through the fog this we can't understand Tossing coin of a scene how we learned it's out of our hands

Shouldn’t Do That by Kaja

R61 Those in the know, knew Prefab Sorout.

Telepathy by Deborah Allen (written by Prince)

R69 I loved the Two Wheels Good album. Still a favorite, although the original cassette is long gone!

Vikki Love with Nuance - Stop Playing On Me

Robert Brookins "Come To Me" (1987)

and yes Lawrence Fishburne is playing a very bad bf in the video

Sentimental Love by Regina

Beat of Love by Regina

5th of July by Louise Goffin

5th of July by Louise Goffin

(1987) Chad "Luv's Passion & You" featuring Garcelle Beauvais as the love interest in the red dress

Hot Summer Nights by Helen Schneider and the Kicks

I’m Gonna Get Over You by Sweet Obsession

Call Me by Spanga

(1987) Sybil "My Love Is Guaranteed"

Fool’s Paradise - Rosie Vela

I like it…

Set Me Free by Jaki Graham

Julia Fordham squeaked in at the end of the ‘80s and had one of the most singular voices, a sonorous low register range. Happy Ever After got some good play, but Comfort of Strangers to me was the standout song on her first album. She released quite a few albums in the 90s, but never really caught on in the US.

"I Like It" by Dino was a top 10 pop hit, which kinda means it's not obscure, but whatevs.

Dance Dance Dance by Spagna

Thigh Ride by Tawatha

Down to You - Jennifer Rush

Can’t Slow Down by Angela Bofill

Nightline by Ellen Foley

OK, so being on the Pretty In Pink soundtrack doesn’t quite make it obscure, but I loved this song and always wanted more from this band.

Kissing With Confidence by Will Powers feat. Carly Simon

White Horse by Laid Back

(1983) Ozone "Strut My Thang"

Pennye Ford (younger sister of Dance Diva & former Harlette, Sharon Redd) released an outstanding R&B/Funk/Dance LP in 1984. R&B Brilliance with very little filler. A few of the cuts made a little noise on the R&B charts but the project didn't get the recognition it deserved.

Miss Ford went on to join Chaka Khan's band and become the lead singer of the Dance Music project, Snap.

'I Feel The Music' was a good Freestyle number on the LP and could have made some noise on the Pop Charts.

Donnez Moi by Dusty Springfield

Over My Head by Toni Basil

R89, (session vocalist legend & lead singer of the group Mtume) Tawatha Agee's entire 1987 LP was very good with almost no filler. 'Thigh Ride' was the single but I'd argue that the (Telling-My-Man-Off Ballad) 'No More Tears' was the best cut on the project.

R91, I've always felt that Angela Bofill's 1984, "The System" produced LP "Let Me Be The One" was a missed opportunity. IMHO, the tracks go overboard with the electronics and sound so busynthat it crosses the line from music to noise. The only thing I could ever stand to listen to was the slinky, Electro-Sleaze title cut.

“No one speaks of pavilions anymore…” maybe not the most obscure, but definitely a niche band unknown to many.

Not an obscure song or an obscure artist but Samantha Fox's 'Touch Me (Blue Mix)' was only released on the vinyl 12" single. It has a totally different feel than the version we all know. The Euro Pop-Rock was ditched in favor of a sleazy R&B groove and I love it!

Loved "Waiting for a Star to Fall"

E.G. Daily - One Way Love

Samantha Fox was severely under appreciated as a vocalist.

R100 I know I’ve loved Tawatha Agee forever it seems. When my best friend saw my Tawatha CD for the first time he said who the fuck is Twatta? I still laugh 35 yrs later.

I like that song r97. Thx!

This is all I got…

Melts my underpants.

Great voice

Bates Motel by The Hitmen. A great, eerie song. I always include it in my Halloween music mixes.

Still love this song.

This bad boy...

Stabilizers - "One Simple Thing"

Mary Wells - Gigolo

This song got tons of airplay on my local R&B station. So much so that I was very surprised to learn, many decades later, that it only reached #69 on the R&B charts, and #13 on the dance charts. I would have sworn it was one of the year's biggest hits.

Bourgeois Tagg - "I Don't Mind At All"

Ocean Deep by Cliff Richard

"Cccan't You See" by Vicious Pink (1985)

Skyy "Here's To You" (1980)

Cock Robin - "When Your Heart Is Weak"

David & David - "Welcome to the Boomtown"

THE BLOW MONKEYS

Digging your scene

R111, I'm not sure I'd call 'til Tuesday's "Voices Carry" obscure. It was their one Top 10 hit and the one song of theirs that everyone knows. But they had much better songs that were more obscure, like this one, which only went to #59.

Kon Kan. Never promised you a rose garden. Dance 80s fun song.

Underworld, Underneath The Radar, 1988

KTP (Kissing The Pink), Certain Things Are Likely, 1987

Possessive Love by Marilyn Martin

Atlantic Starr - "Circles"(1982)

Dionne Warwick - Heartbreaker (1982--I think. This is before my time)

The Nails

88 Lines about 44 Women

R132 To me was always, weirdly, a companion song to this one. Again maybe not obscure, but at this point in time maybe not we’ll known anymore.

I like how Aimee Mann looks like an albino vampire, no wonder they put the band on an episode of Buffy.

This song was big in the Twin Cities, and maybe some other cities, but it seems to be forgotten.

Run For Cover - QR

Vacation I mean Inflation...

Wish You Were Here...

Should've been a single =

R131 that shitty Dionne song WAS NOT OBSCURE BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION!

Big Pig - Breakaway

When I heard this song on the radio for some stupid reason I thought the singer would be a heavy girl. Probobly because it reminded me of Romeo Void Never Say Never. I loved that 80d bass drum beat.

Kenny G - Hi, How Ya Doin?

Before he figured out he was destined to be the king of smooth jazz, he was doing stuff like this.

Love In A Vacuum. More obscure than VOICES CARRY but they made a music video for it so they were trying to get it on the charts.

Love the twangy bass in the opening.

The Whole of the Moon - The Waterboys

Call Me Mr Telephone.

If the song sounds like it has early Madonna DNA, it's probably because this was produced by Mark Kamins RIP who produced EVERYBODY.

One Dream...

Work Hard...

Dream Baby...

Where We Can Go - Jane Wiedlin

(1985) Lushus Daim & The Pretty Vain "The One You Love"

Motown attempted to have an electro-r&b pop star but the album received little attention. Several nice tracks on it though

"More Than You Can Handle"

"Attention Addict"

"For You" even got sampled a few years ago by rapper Jeezy

War Of The Hearts - Sade

Haunting Me...

Who Said I Would? - Phil Collins

In the US they were definitely obscure, and the low budget art direction of this video I’m sure didn’t help, I swear those dresses at the start were made out of black garbage bags.

Say What You Will...

Nobody Home - Heart

Someone For Me...

Break His Spell..

bump

For R171

I’m only 34 but I’m assuming this is an obscure song from the 80’s I discovered on the radio shuffle on Spotify and I love this song.

It’s everything wonderful about the 80’s to me.

R171 What about 25 postings in the last hour is too slow for you?

I speak a strange language, sometimes even I don’t understand.

Culture Club =

The Motels =

Some Starship =

Moon Over Bourbon Street - Sting

he'll always be known for "Just Got Paid" but this is a really catchy song. It only had moderate success

Johnny Kemp "Just Another Lover" (1986)

his tone was beautiful

Some Bangles =

The DL's official theme song =

1 of our own =

Tomorrow - Double

Water From The Moon - Corey Hart

Sunny Places Shady People - Corey Hart

June Millington was a member of the 70s, all-female Rock group, Fanny. By the Early 80s she was recording solo for Olivia Records, a label that not only specialized in Women's Music but also used all female musicians, engineers, staff, etc.

I love this 1981 single by June, 'When Wrong Is Right'.

Ballad In 4/4 - The Dream Academy

Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime - The Dream Academy

System - Mel & Kim

From A Whisper To A Scream - Mel & Kim

Danger On The Track - Europe

Ninja - Europe

Doris D And The Pins remind me of the Euro dance girl trio LUV from the late 70s who were on their way out in 1980. I think that was the last year when they released an original album. All the rest were best ofs.

Lisa's best tune =

I prefer the 2 unreleased Madonna songs

on this album over the 2 she released to radio =

The other 1 =

Some Janet =

Suzanne Vegas is a magic bean.

I don't know how obscure this is but shockingly didn't do well on the charts

See what you can find on a girls' night out.

R173 thanks for that - I listened to it and was sure I'd heard it before, so I went googling. It's in the soundtrack for Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Playlist at the link.

Lick the Tins cover of "Can't Help Falling in Love" from the soundtrack to Some Kind of Wonderful

Played to death on MTV then totally forgotten.

Soap star Al Corley having short-lived singing career. I quite like his second album, The Big Picture.

Sorry, having a short-lived singing career.

The acting career didn’t last long either.

[quote] The single had not appeared on any album and was not included on any greatest hits collections until 2002's The Best of Siouxsie and the Banshees, albeit only on the bonus disc of the limited edition of the album, and in its 12-inch "Columbus Mix" version. The original 7" version made its CD debut as a bonus track on the 2014 reissue of Through The Looking Glass.

[quote] Siouxsie Sioux later explained that she wasn't satisfied with the work of producer Mike Thorne during the recording sessions, which was one of the main reasons the band decided not to include this one-off single on their 1992 Twice Upon a Time - The Singles compilation.

I discovered this on on MTV’s 120 Minutes back in 88. The whole album is excellent.

Should've been a single in '86/'87 =

Great song

Savage Moon - T. Twins

This would've been a better single than some that they released from this album =

A Little Of You -

Marilyn did slow songs better than fast ones =

There's another cover of this song out there but I think MM did it better =

I never understood the dance trend to take the vocals from slow songs & put them over a high energy beat & expecting it to be a top dance hit.

I feel that they should just release more dance songs as singles to begin with =

Curiosity was better known for “Misfit” but I like this one a lot better. A good example of late-80s sophisti-pop. Very good-looking band members too.

Maybe I should've used my R221 for the Rant thread here on the DL lol.

I liked this 1 over "Staying Together" which got a single release =

"Play The Field" would've made another great single for her too =

With Aretha's duet with GM being a big hit, I was

puzzled that this 1 wasn't made a priority for these 2 =

This tune seemed more radio friendly than "Still A Thrill"

(which I liked) but I never hear on any radio show =

This song would've been blasted on many car radios if released as a single =

"Push Push" is fun fun =

The very gay...

I'm hoping this post will give you guys a chuckle. Those who don't know who Hollywood's billboard queen is will not get the hilarity of this song and music video. Anyone that lives in the Hollywood area most likely have encountered her in person more than once. Other than her crazy boob job she obviously can't afford any type of facial aging procedures from any lifting or face lift etc and she now covers her face from below her eyes with an enormous feathered fan but never explains why she has been behind this ridiculous fan in 7-11 stores and Mc Donalds and her own video posts marketing her sale of autograph photos and such also tourist or local interested people that video a train wreck. I wonder has this woman been about 80 years old and counting since the 1980s

Angelyne "MY LIST"

NEW YORK NEW YORK-NINA HAGEN

Onw my favorite and fascinating artists from the 80s To me she epitomized what the 80s was all about. With many European bands starting to reach the USA market and the look was weird florescent colored clothing, strange and unique hair do's and new hair colors such as blue and pink. The exaggerated makeup that men and women wore and the huge following these trend setters reached also started the sale of clothes fashions similar to something you'd see on MTV like ripped fish net tights, high heeled brightly colored pumps and an array of wearing multiple bracelets and necklaces and other jewelry at once also this was the start of multiple ear piercings' and nose and lip piercing. Nina still amazes me because she was in a class all by herself. She was a powerful opera singer that had such an enormous range from alto to mezzo soprano to high soprano hitting such high notes as an A above a high C. This combined with her combination of vocals in the same song where some parts we sung in opera and were delivered in high pitched banshee like screams and then this shockingly deep mans voice which actually was more akin to Regan in the Exorcist when she was posseted by a demon.

The Wheel =

Beat The Time =

Now =

Wall of Voodoo- Far Side of Crazy

The Motels lead singer went solo in '87 =

The Missing Persons lead singer went solo in '88 =

With a ton of help from Prince =

Sam Brown's best =

Drive My Car...

R1, So good to hear that song again.

The Spandau Ballet's "Raw" remix...

Not obscure, but this does still sound so good.

The Boy, George Merrill of OP's link, was quite fetching when younger in a blondy sort of way.

X's "Wild Thing" remake...

Back & Forth =

Their Kruger tribute =

Madonna's Gambler actually made the Top Ten on many charts outside the US (Australia, Belgium, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, UK.)

I wish I could find a remix of this 1 =

Lover's Night - Jane Wiedlin

Homeboy - Jane Wiedlin

And finally "1 Heart 1 Way" =

Oh dear.

Is this one of those threads where one poster obsessively posts 90% of all the posts (sometimes dozens in a row?)

^Thinks there are 100 DLers posting at any given time.

R263 do you think it’s Muriel?

[quote] Is this one of those threads where one poster obsessively posts 90% of all the posts (sometimes dozens in a row?)

It's becoming a thread where people are just posting all the unreleased songs on their favorite artists' albums. An "obscure" song should be one that was released as a single but only had a cult following, didn't chart (or charted much lower than expected), or has been forgotten over time.

^ Miss Prissypants likes making her rules doesn't she?

Agree 266. Also nothing by Whitney Houston, Cyndi Lauper, Bananarama is obscure when it’s from their gold and platinum selling albums. Duh.

R266 most of that person’s music related posts are like that.

^ The other 7 billion people on the planet haven't bought all of their albums dear...

Oingo Boingo - Just Another Day

Body Rock - Maria Vidal

Romantic Voyage - Vanity

Valerie Dore - The Night (Italo-pop)

Caroline Loeb -C'est la Ouate (cult song from France)

Please stop 🛑

Thanks for the variety of musical choices R271 - R275.

Keep them coming!

This won't meet R266 's narrow definition of "obscure" since it hit #7 on the British singles chart, but I think that The Maisonette's retro 60's "Heartache Avenue" would be pretty obscure to most people here.

Tony LeMans seemed destined for stardom. He became an associate of Prince's and his first (and only released) album was through Paisley Park. He was a former coworker and frenemy of Lenny Kravitz. He was engaged to the younger sister of Vanity when he died in a motorcycle accident. He had been recording what was going to be his second album. He also co-wrote and produced songs for other artists including Donny Osmond.

his first album in 1989 had some slick catchy songs but it failed to take off.

"Higher Than Higher" was the lead single

"Forever More"

"Real Thing" which is my favorite but oddly wasn't a single

How are some of these obscure? Madonna’s Like A Virgin album sold 10 million copies, nothing on that album is obscure.

Same for Bruce Springsteen songs, I don’t get obscure.

For R172

Just so someone can call me a Tori Amos troll

Thanks 4 posting that R278. I've never heard that song or even the band's name

so this thread has made me aware of another new act to check out.

R266 thinks this thread should be all about her wants/needs. Forget that.

Some Robbie Dupree...

#2 =

Wasn’t a hit but

Fun video

A Freddie James remix =

How about a "Warm Ride"?

Delegation...

#2 =

[quote]Is this one of those threads where one poster obsessively posts 90% of all the posts (sometimes dozens in a row?)

Yes.

^ Idiots do need to tell each other how to proceed.

I'm Gonna Follow You - Pat Benatar

When He Shines...

Some early 80s S. Ballet =

Some sexy Paul Davis =

R282 There is lots of disagreement on what constitutes obscure. So without specific parameters, people will interpret as they want. But I offered Madonna's Gambler because its a fun, high tempo dance track that has never been released on any Madonna album. She hasnt performed it since 85. Until a few years ago, there were no high quality versions on Youtube either, they would get flagged. This is also a board with a wide age spectrum, so for any young gays who like Madonna, this is a nice offering since its as good as her #1 songs but hasnt been played to death.

Any track not released as a single could be considered obscure. A non-album B-side could be considered obscure. A track from a foreign artist from a different country could be considered obscure.

I think the most obvious would be single releases that didn't chart very well or at all.

"Never Say Never Again" recorded by the late, great unappreciated Phyllis Hyman in 1983 for the James Bond movie. It ultimately was rejected by idiotic composer Michel Legrand in favor of the far inferior version by Lani Hall

this could have been a breakout moment in Phyllis' career but alas it didn't happen.

This is pretty great. Malcolm McLaren was kind of genius. Some poor guy had an epileptic seizure while this was playing in the university dining hall, so I always think of that when I hear this unfortunately.

There were several different incarnations of Seventh Avenue, each one gayer than the last. Two of the members from one of the last versions of the group would be signed by SAW/PWL and become part of Big Fun.

R282 R304 Obscure is different things to different people (like "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" & so is porn because "I know porn when I see it" is a rather famous quote here in the states).

My mom went into a record/music store store back around 2007 (in a 50,000 to 100,000 populated area mind you) to get me Belinda Carlisle's French cd "Viola" as a birthday gift. The guy who was at the cash register didn't know who she was or even The Go-Go's. The album wasn't available yet so she asked him if they had any new Cyndi Lauper or Madonna CDs to get me instead for the gift. The guy also didn't know who either of them were. She left & told me laughing up a storm how the music guy had never heard of those 4 80s (mainly) music acts. "Even I know of all 4 of them & I only listen to country music." she told me with a big grin on her face.

She thought it was so funny how she was more "pop/rock hip" then he was at the time. The moral of this story is that not everyone listens to the same type of music as you do or even buys the same albums/cds as you do. 90s dance artist Cathy Dennis had her 3rd album shelved here in the states by her record label but it was released in other nations around the globe where she was still a seller. Many eldergays on here thinks every new/old DLer has Madonna, Cher, Barbra or Liza stuff in their homes or on their devices & that simply might not be the case as the music store worker in the above encounter proves.

I posted the above Madonna "hits" above like "Can't Stop" & "Over & Over" knowing that some crazy bitch on here would be squealing how they're not obscure by any means. I also posted a song from Bruce S.'s "Born In The USA" album (which I had just got around to listen to in the past 3 years so the other album cuts were obscure to me) which also triggered the bitchy queen.

Growing up mainly in the 80s, I hated most music because my older siblings blasted their favorite musicians from their stereos & they shook my bedroom walls with me not being able to understand the words to the songs (to my young self it was just noise that interrupted my action figure time, comic book reading, video game playing, candy consumption, studying or sleep. I never even wanted a stereo, 8 track player or boom box like my siblings did (I had a hearing issue which was part of the reason too). With this being an international site what is obscure in 1 nation might not be obscure in another. Some artists release different album cuts in different markets. Lots of acts release more upbeat/dance music cuts in Europe because that style is more popular there then other places.

You can't post what others MIGHT think is obscure unless you're some type of international telepath.

R309 But that means all music is obscure. So what’s the point? Lol You can post Michael Jackson songs in here by that logic.

When I heard obscure 80’s thread, I imagined obscure. Like second or third singles from one hit wonders that didn’t take off or good songs by forgotten artists that didn’t become hits. I wasn’t expecting the thread to be about some of biggest selling artists of all time.

The biggest Madonna, MJ & Springsteen albums might've been big (which is a relative term anyway) here in the states but to many 3rd world nations they could've been a mystery in the 80s or even today.

Millions of people around the globe didn't have electricity, "cable", a tv, radio or even an entertainment budget back then to gain access to their music releases in any way. Most of Bruce S.'s 1970s albums (which even I wasn't aware of when he released "Born In The USA" - only his 80s stuff) just weren't available to the folks in Cuba (for example) who might've still owned a record player from before Castro took over.

"You can't play it if you ain't got it."

R316 But like I said, that applies to everything. There’s countries where Adele isn’t known or popular.

Yes R317 & like I said Adele (who isn't an 80s act LOL) might pop up on a post 2000 great obscure song thread in that regard.

As long as this is an international site, you just can't expect a US or even 1st world mentality on every thread (besides the OP didn't suggest "US acts only" in the thread description).

The OP didn't care if the songs posted were radio hits anywhere in the world & simply stated "underrated", "pretty great" & "pop glory" (whatever the Hell those mean) as the only other defining terms to go with "obscure" & "80s".

"Turnaround" by the Australian group Turnaround, 1982.

While the single didn't become a hit the band was featured in the Australian New Wave musical "Starstruck" and a fuller mix of the song was on the soundtrack.

The only way you can fuck up in such a thread is when you post an 80s musical number in this thread (or a song from a different decade). Dlers know musicals by heart from any decade. Nothing can be obscure when it comes to musicals.

Stay the Night by Benjamin Orr from the Cars.

Do It For Love hit #29 on the Pop Chart, so it's not totally obscure, but I think it's as good as many of Sheena's Top Ten hits.

[quote]When I heard obscure 80’s thread, I imagined obscure. Like second or third singles from one hit wonders that didn’t take off or good songs by forgotten artists that didn’t become hits. I wasn’t expecting the thread to be about some of biggest selling artists of all time.

You haven't been on these DL music posting threads much, eh?

These bitches post always whatever the fuck they want.

There will be a thread about, say, 70's music, and some cunts will post something from the 2000's. "This isn't technically from the 70's, but it kind of has a 70's vibe, and I love it!".

Obscure? I'm surprised somebody hasn't posted "Bette Davis Eyes" or "Careless Whisper". "These aren't technically obscure, but they're from the 80's and they're great!"

Johnny Mathis had a minor R&B hit with this. I think it was around 1983.

Very different from what we'd come to expect of him, but it actually suits his voice very well.

Never Should've Started by Black Rose (1980)

Some Martika but 8th Wonder did it better...

Go-Go's '88 spin off House Of Schock =

They were bigger in Europe but this 1 largely went unnoticed...

Some Go West...

Some Rick James...

Some black relatives singing together...

I Touch Roses by Book of Love

Not sure if it counts as obscure because they did include it on Substance, but the New Order b-side "Cries and Whispers" is my favorite song by them.

The way I love this song I can't even explain.

The way I love this song I can't even explain.

Belinda Carlisle's "Valentine" may have climbed a European chart or 2

but went largely unnoticed here in North America...

This song makes me so nostalgic for NYC in the 80s. What a great creative time!

Here is the last no for I Touch Roses

Some late 80s Jody Watley...

While Jody is pro gay & lesbian, I think a couple of her songs are anti -bi like this 1 =

Here is Eighth Wonder during their version of R326 =

Here is a Eighth Wonder late 80s mini album with 3 tracks =

Haircut 100, Love Plus One. Maybe more popular in the UK than the US. Good song: forgotten!

I hate how all the DL artist stans post every song of their favorite artist that wasn’t released as a single. I think someone has posted every Belinda Carlisle song released in the 80s.

No I haven't R346. I forgot she was a member of this group =

She co-wrote this tune back in '81 =

She took CA surf beach vibes & added "The Lloyd Thaxton Show" for this baby she co-wrote =

She co wrote this tune which is a good follow up to

its companion song on this album "We Don't Get Along" =

Belinda was pro gay in her school years & had gay pals then.

She sings the group's lyrics with that mentally such as "their sins are innocent" in this '84 song =

This version has more bass than the original from '84 =

Not at all forgotten, R345. That song was on a bunch of best of 80s compilations.

The Clash:

Lost in the Supermarket

Straight to Hell

Winds of Change

Beautiful duet

Not sure how obscure it is, but from 1983...

The System will always be known for "Don't Disturb This Groove" which I love but they had other catchy songs that didn't chart well

"You Are In My System" from 1982/3 is 1 of them

here's the extended

I haven't heard that song since I was a child, R357. I googled it and Wikipedia says:

[quote]According to Segato, the song was not written with any one individual group in mind, but as a universal anthem of freedom and equality;[2] Fernie described the song's lyrics as having been inspired in part by West Coast First Nations rituals in which young girls would "rise up" at dawn to adopt their adult names as a rite of passage.[3]It remains the band's most famous song, and has been adopted as an activist anthem for causes as diverse as gay rights, feminism, anti-racism and the New Democratic Party.[4] As well, the song's reggae and soca-influenced rhythms made it the first significant commercial breakthrough for Caribbean music in Canada.The song's first ever live public performance took place at the 1983 Toronto Pride parade.

Something very Canadian about the song and the video.

This thread is why I love Datalounge. Thank you guys for sharing some amazing tracks, like r357.

I’ve always been confused over this song but I love it.

For the lezzies =

Hands Tied - Scandal

The Wolf - Heart

I AM SHARED

thanks 368....love that freestyle

Mr. Sleaze didn't make the cut on their '87 WOW! album =

An 80s version of R302 =

Their biggest hit "Hanging On A Hear Attack" should've lead to others =

Fall Apart, Golden Heart - Device

Any finally =

Some Lionel Richie...

Destined to become the DL theme song.

Pat Wilson - Tacky

Get up and dance.

Malcolm X - No Sell Out

This late 80s album should've had more hits here in the US =

Put The Blame On Me =

Do You Want To Break Up?

This thread needs more Stevie Nicks...

My favorite song of hers...

The runner up...

Malcolm X sang from the grave?

How did they record him?

^ A ghost box perhaps?

We Move -

You're The One For Me -

Leaving This Time - Sandra Feva

Right In The Socket -

Lanca Perfume -

This wasn’t a big hit in the US, but it’s a fantastic song and band. This recent performance is outstanding.

A thousand Thank Yous to r94 who made me finally remember the artist who did "Smile." I have been racking my brain for years.

[quote]...I offered Madonna's Gambler because it's a fun, high tempo dance track that has never been released on any Madonna album.

Go to Spotify or your music streaming service, and search Madonna Gambler. You will find an album by a Madonna cover act called American Pie, "Madonna-Exotica." Most of the songs on that album are, in fact, faithful cover versions of the original songs. However, Gambler is included, and it sounds just like the Madonna track. I think it is.

Some Laura Branigan...

Foolish Lullaby...

Sanctuary...

Come Inside - Dead Or Alive (with soap actor daddy Sam from "Passions" as a stage dancer = 3:19 etc.)

Some James & Michael...

Show You My Love - Goldie Alexander

Hey Mr. Jones - Jane Child

It's beauty never tires on me =

A great dance-in-drag number...

Her best tune on her US debut album should've been a huge hit -

Like a boomerang babeeeee...

Probably obscure in the English speaking world, even though it was a decent hit in continental Europe.: "Ti Sento" by Matia Bazar (1985)

R.I.P. Baltimora

This tune was big in Europe but I've never even heard of it until recently =

Alphaville was a one hit wonder to me until I discovered this video -

R.I.P. Climie Fisher

R.I.P. Alan Parsons Project

R.I.P. Divine (who made it onto Night Flight!!!)

This is a totally obscure song form the 80s, it's by an American band from Seattle called The Young Fresh Fellowes, the song, AMY GRANT.

I LOVE the lyrics:

Amy, Amy Grant

Amy, Amy Grant

Amy, Amy Grant

She comes home from church, she takes off her pants

That's what I like about Amy Grant

When she comes home from church, she gotta take of her pants

That's what I like about Amy Grant

And those songs she writes, and, Lordy, the way she sings

Too bad her fans don't care about such little things

She don't spare the child, she don't spoil the rod

She just gets rich 'cause she works for God

Oh God, R405. I am SEIZED with nostalgia. That song was 60% of why I was obsessed with that movie.

She released this as a single but I never saw a video

or heard it on radio here in the states =

A better version than Celine's that appears to

have been forgotten by today's standards =

SAW couldn't give her a hit with this one =

Unit 3 & Venus - Pajama Party, 1982.

The lead singer, Venus, was 8 years old.