THE SPEED OF SOUND

WELCOME TO CLASSIC POP

AS WE CELEBRATE OUR HALF-CENTURY MILESTONE HERE AT

POP UP

Madness are marking their 40th anniversary with two

1-HIT WONDER

Toni Basil was pushing 40 when she dressed memorably

LOST & FOUND

The title track off In The Army Now was Status Quo’s

GODFATHERS OF POP

Born in London to a family that ran the Rossi’s Ice

GODFATHERS OF POP

It was 30 years ago, in the summers of 1988 and ‘89

IAN PEEL’S A TO Z OF POP

IS JAPAN – THE GROUP, THAT IS, AND ITS FOUR PIONEERING MEMBERS, DAVID SYLVIAN, STEVE JANSEN, RICHARD BARBIERI AND MICK KARN – AT THE ROOT OF ALL ART-POP? LET’S CONSIDER THE EVIDENCE…

THIS MONTH IN POP MARCH 1985

IN OUR ROUND-UP OF MARCH 1985’s BIGGEST MOMENTS IN POP, MORRISSEY GETS HIT BY A STRING OF SAUSAGES, FRANKIE GET INTO HOT WATER (AGAIN) AND SOUTH AFRICA BANS STEVIE…

POPARAZZI

READERS SHARE THEIR FAVOURITE PHOTOS AS THEY GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN PLANET POP

TOP 10: WEEK ENDING 3 MARCH 1983

MICHAEL JACKSON HITS BIG WITH BILLIE JEAN, TOTO SERVE

SUPER FAN

DEVOTED FANS SHOW US THEIR COLLECTIONS AND POP MEMORABILIA

CLASSIC POP MOMENTS

Having been unceremoniously dumped by EMI, the Sex

POLITICS & DANCING

WHEN THE SPECIALS’ STUNNING NEW ALBUM ENCORE DESERVEDLY ENTERED THE UK CHART AT NO.1 EARLIER THIS MONTH, IT CEMENTED ONE OF THE ALL-TIME GREAT COMEBACKS. THEY STILL HAVE A MESSAGE FOR YOU, RUDY – AND THEY’RE FINALLY UNITED IN HOW TO TELL IT. “WE COULD HAVE BEEN AS MEGA AS U2,” THEY TELL CLASSIC POP. “WHAT A CRAZY BAND WE WERE…”

TECHNIQUE NEW ORDER

CONCEIVED AMID A SUMMER OF HEDONISM DURING IBIZA’S INFANCY AS A PARTY CAPITAL, NEW ORDER RETURNED HOME TO THE TRANQUILLITY OF THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE TO PERFECT THEIR TECHNIQUE, RESULTING IN A GROUNDBREAKING RECORD THAT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE 30 YEARS ON

GLORIA in excelsis

AS A MUSICAL ABOUT HER LIFE AND CAREER HEADS TO THE UK, GLORIA ESTEFAN TALKS TO CLASSIC POP ABOUT HOW SHE BECAME A LATIN CROSSOVER SUPERSTAR ON HER OWN TERMS

POP ART

IN A CAREER THAT STRETCHES MORE THAN 40 YEARS, DESIGNER BILL SMITH HAS WORKED WITH SOME OF POP’S MIGHTIEST ACTS AND CREATED SOME OF MUSIC’S MOST RECOGNISABLE ALBUM COVERS. HERE, HE TALKS CLASSIC POP THROUGH HIS FAVOURITE COVER ART AND WHY HE’S WARY OF HAVING A ‘STYLE’…

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THE LOWDOWN: SIMPLY RED

SIMPLY RED EMERGED FROM THE POSTPUNK SCENE IN MANCHESTER TO BECOME A BRIT POP-SOUL SENSATION, CLOCKING UP NO.1 SINGLES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC, WINNING MULTIPLE BRIT AND GRAMMY AWARDS AND SHIFTING MORE THAN 55 MILLION UNITS WORLDWIDE.

THE SHAPE OF WATER

WET WET WET ARE NOW, AS CLASSIC POP LIKES TO CALL IT, ‘DOING A SPANDAU’ AND EMBRACING A BRAVE NEW WORLD WITH A FRESHLY-SCRUBBED FRONTMAN. WE MEET THE BAND TO FIND OUT WHAT LIFE IS LIKE WITHOUT MARTI PELLOW AND HEAR ABOUT THEIR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE…

STAR POWER

BONNIE TYLER IS ABOUT TO CELEBRATE 50 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS WITH A BRAND NEW ALBUM BETWEEN THE EARTH AND THE STARS THAT BOASTS THE TALENTS OF THREE KNIGHTS OF THE REALM, A QUO LEGEND AND ONE OF THE HOTTEST POP SONGWRITING TALENTS ON THE BLOCK

Lost in music

ONE OF THE MOST WELL-CONNECTED MEN IN THE MUSIC BIZ, GARY CROWLEY RAIDS HIS PHOTO ARCHIVE TO LOOK BACK ON SOME OF HIS PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 80s…

MATTHEW RUDD

THE HOST OF FORGOTTEN 80s ON ABSOLUTE 80s RADIO CHECKS OUT THE NEW RELEASES, INCLUDING BONNIE TYLER, SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR, THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS, ARIANA GRANDE, NINA NESBITT AND JESS GLYNNE…

NEW RELEASES

A DOZEN YEARS SINCE FUNK THIS, THE MIGHTY CHAKA KHAN’S

REISSUES

FORMED FROM THE ASHES OF THE HUMAN LEAGUE (VERSION

BOOKS

In an 11-year-long reign which spanned 1987-1998, Carter

LIVE & EVENTS

A DOUBLE DELIGHT AT ROCKAWAY BEACH AS GARY NUMAN AND