WELCOME

Pop landmarks don’t come much bigger than Band

GARY KEMP GETS PERSONAL ON NEW SOLO LP

Spandau Ballet songwriter Gary Kemp follows 2021’s INSOLO

STOP PRESS

DESPITE MIKE SCORE BEING THE ONLY ORIGINAL MEMBER ON THE RECORD, A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS’ NEW ALBUM RETURNS TO THEIR VINTAGE SOUND

QUINCY JONES

14 M ARCH 1933 – 3 NOVEMBER 2024

Q&A HOTHOUSE FLOWERS

THE DUBLIN SOUL BAND WILL BE BRINGING THE UNIQUE MAGIC OF THEIR LIVE SHOWS – AND THEIR FIRST TWO ALBUMS – TO THE UK NEXT SUMMER

ANNIE LENNOX SET TO HEADLINE ROYAL ALBERT HALL CHARITY SHOW

Annie Lennox’s first headline show since 2019 will

Q&A CHESNE Y HAWKES

THIRTY-THREE YEARS ON FROM THE ONE AND ONLY, CHESNEY HAWKES IS BACK WITH A NEW ALBUM AND A VERY BOLD MUSIC VIDEO...

Ian Peel’s A to Z of POP

B IS FOR… BETWEEN-SONG BANTER

This month in POP JANUARY 1981

BLONDIE SECURE THEIR THIRD BILLBOARD NO.1 SINGLE, SHEENA EASTON UNVEILS HER DEBUT ALBUM, BOWIE ENDS HIS RUN ON BROADWAY AND POSTHUMOUS JOHN LENNON RELEASES MAKE THEIR WAY UP THE CHARTS

TOP 5 UK ALBUMS CHART

11 JANUARY 1981

CLASSIC POP TOP TEN

WEEK ENDING 13 JANUARY 1979

POPARAZZI

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

FRAZIER CHORUS SUE

“WE’RE NOT HERE TO BE SOME CULTISH BAND THAT YOU COULD OVERLOOK,” FRAZIER CHORUS’ FRONTMAN TIM FREEMAN ONCE SAID, BUT THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM. ALL THE SAME, 1989’S SUE IS OVERDUE WIDER RECOGNITION FOR ITS SOFTLY SPOKEN BUT CAUSTIC SYNTH-POP.

“EVERYONE RECOGNISED THERE WAS A HIGHER CAUSE – AND YOU DON’T OFTEN GET THAT IN POP MUSIC”

AS THE FIFTH BAND AID RECORDING CELEBRATES PREVIOUS INCARNATIONS OF DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS?, ITS CREATOR TREVOR HORN EXPLAINS THE THRILL OF MERGING SO MANY GREAT ARTISTS TOGETHER. MEANWHILE, MIDGE URE TELLS US THE FULL STORY OF HOW THE ORIGINAL SONG CAME TO BE – INCLUDING HIS SHOCK AT HOW LITTLE HE REALLY KNEW WHEN ITS LONG-LOST DEMO WAS UNEARTHED.

PRETENDERS THE PRETENDERS

CHRISSIE HYNDE’S QUARTET ARRIVED STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BLOCKS WITH A COMPELLING DEBUT ALBUM, COMBINING SPIKY PUNK ATTITUDE, JANGLE-POP AND STREETWISE LYRICISM. IT’S ONE OF THOSE VERY RARE FIRST RECORDS THAT’S AN INSTANT CLASSIC...

FANTASTIC DAYS

HAIRCUT ONE HUNDRED’S LATEST REUNION IS “A GIFT FROM THE UNIVERSE”, FRONTMAN NICK HEYWARD AND BASSIST LES NEMES TELL CLASSIC POP – AND THEY’RE LOVING EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF IT...

TERRY HALL

ONE OF BRITISH POP’S FINEST, TERRY HALL HELPED PIONEER A WHOLE NEW MOVEMENT WITH THE SPECIALS BEFORE UTILISING HIS FAMOUSLY DEADPAN TALENTS IN NUMEROUS EQUALLY INTRIGUING BANDS, SIDE PROJECTS, SUPERGROUPS AND SOLO RELEASES

2025 The year ahead

WE TAKE A LOOK INTO OUR CRYSTAL BALL TO SERVE UP MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS ACROSS THE NEXT 12 MONTHS FROM CLASSIC POP’S FAVOURITE ARTISTS

“WE’RE A STRONG GANG ON A QUEST”

IN THE TWO DECADES SINCE HOOVERING UP BRITS AND THE MERCURY PRIZE WITH THEIR DEBUT LP, FRANZ FERDINAND HAVE REMAINED ENERGETIC AND EXCITABLE, IN LOVE WITH THE POSSIBILITIES OF WHAT A BAND SHOULD BE. ALEX KAPRANOS AND BOB HARDY JOIN US IN MONTERREY TO EXPLAIN POP’S HOLY GRAIL, TRYING TO EMULATE BLACK SABBATH AND FEELING FELINE. JUST DON’T MENTION SNAKES...

TOP 20 STANDALONE SINGLES OF THE 80s

Singles have traditionally been used to preview and promote new studio albums but, as our latest countdown reveals, many hit records in the 80s were self-contained pieces of art

STILL CLIMBING

MORE THAN 20 YEARS SINCE THE SUCCESS OF WHITE LADDER, DAVID GRAY HAS RECAPTURED ITS COMBINATION OF HEARTACHE AND HOPE ON NEW ALBUM DEAR LIFE. “SONGS SPRANG FROM NOWHERE,” HE SAYS...

TH E BEST OF 2024

CLASSIC POP’S PICK OF THE FINEST NEW ALBUMS, REISSUES, COMPILATIONS AND BOOKS FROM ACROSS THE PAST 12 MONTHS

COMPILATIONS

NEW ROMANTICISM, NOW GEMS, YACHT ROCK AND BRYAN FERRY...

REISSUES

BRONSKI BEAT’S POLITICAL POP, A LOST RAVE CLASSIC, PLUS BOXING CLEVER WITH ULTRAVOX, BOWIE AND OASIS

BOOKS

2024’S MUST-READS IN AUTOBIOGRAPHIES, BIOGRAPHIES AND NON-FICTION

EDITOR’S CHOICE

LONG-AWAITED RETURNS, THE MODFATHER’S HOT STREAK CONTINUES AND REVELATORY BOXSETS – CLASSIC POP’S SENIOR EDITOR STEVE HARNELL PICKS OUT HIS PERSONAL 2024 HIGHLIGHTS

REVIEWS

THE HOT LIST 78 Orbital, A Girl

THE HOTLIST

NEW RELEASES THAT NEED TO BE ON YOUR CULTUR AL RADAR

KIM WILDE CLOSER

THE POP LEGEND’S FIRST STUDIO LP IN SEVEN YEARS SEES HER RETURN TO A VERY SPECIFIC TIME, TO SHOWCASE WHAT SHE’S BEEN UP TO SINCE

THE COWARD BROTHERS

THE COWARD BROTHERS

HIFI SEAN & DAVID MCALMONT

TWILIGHT

FRANZ FERDINAND

THE HUMAN FEAR

WILLIAM ORBIT

WFO

LAUREN MAYBERRY

VICIOUS CREATURE

DAVID GRAY

DEAR LIFE

CYMANDE

RENASCENCE

JOAN ARMATRADING

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN AND WHAT DOES IT NOW MEAN

SAINT ETIENNE

THE NIGHT

NATALIE IMBRUGLIA

LONDON – LIVE

MOONCHILD SANELLY

FULL MOON

BROOKE COMBE

DANCING AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

YOUNG KNIVES

LANDFILL

WEST 11

ATLANTIC COAST HIGHWAY

MATT BERRY

HEARD NOISES

KELE

THE SINGING WINDS PT. 3

CDUNCAN

IT’S ONLY A LOVE SONG

CIRCA WAVES

DEATH & LOVE PT. 1

HELEN GANYA

SHARE YOUR CARE

THE VEILS

ASPHODELS

NICK HEYWARD

NORTH OF A MIRACLE

ERASURE

TOMORROW’S WORLD / SNOW GLOBE / THE VIOLET FLAME

TALKING HEADS

77

VARIOUS ARTISTS

NOW YEARBOOK ’77 EXTRA/ NOW 12" 80s VOLUME 1/ NOW 12" 80s: 1984 PART 1/ NOW 80s DANCEFLOOR: SYNTH

SIMPLE MINDS

SPARKLE IN THE RAIN

ELVIS COSTELLO

KING OF AMERICA & OTHER REALMS

THE LILAC TIME

ASTRONAUTS

THE GO-BETWEENS

G STANDS FOR GO-BETWEENS VOLUME 3: 2000-2006

LUTHER VANDROSS

NEVER TOO MUCH: GREATEST HITS

THE CHARLATANS

UP TO OUR HIPS

THE LEMONHEADS

CAR BUTTON CLOTH

THE BEATMASTERS

ANYWAYAWANNA: THE BEST OF

LYKKE LI

I NEVER LEARN

CINERAMA

VA VA VOOM 25

HOZIER

UNREAL UNEARTH

PLASTIKMAN

MUSIK

VARIOUS ARTISTS

ONE DAY

THE ASSOCIATES

THE AFFECTIONATE PUNCH

BUFFALO TOM

BIRDBRAIN/LET ME COME OVER/BIG RED LETTER DAY

VARIOUS ARTISTS

TOMORROW’S FASHIONS: LIBRARY ELECTRONICA 1972-87

I’M WITH PULP, ARE YOU?

MARK WEBBER

33/3: KATE BUSH – HOUNDS OF LOVE

LEAH KARDOS

FROM WHAM! TO WOO: A LIFE ON THE MIC

JANEY LEE GRACE

THERE AND BLACK AGAIN

DON LETTS

JANET JACKSON

UTILITA ARENA, BIRMINGHAM

ALTERED IMAGES

02 ACADEMY BIRMINGHAM

BABYLON ZOO TEMPOR ARILY GO INTO ORBIT

27 JANUARY 1996