CAN YOU BELIEVE YOUR EARS?

WELCOME TO CLASSIC POP

WHEN IT COMES TO GENERATIONAL ICONS, YOU DON’T GET

POP-UP

An infamous competition to win a date with Prince is

1 HIT WONDER

‘Danceable jazz’ was the raison d’être of the group

LOST & FOUND

Paul Young’s tail was up in 1986. Now aged 30, engaged

GODFATHERS of POP

In a bizarre encounter that takes in drawer slamming

GODFATHERS of POP

The now-defunct Sounds magazine marked out Martin Stephenson

IAN PEEL’S A TO Z of POP

THE GOLDEN AGE OF POP JUST HAPPENED TO COINCIDE WITH

THIS MONTH IN… POP

IN OUR ROUND-UP OF OCTOBER POP-HISTORY MOMENTS, MADONNA AND MUSICAL YOUTH DEBUT, FRANKIE RELAX AND MICHAEL JACKSON CHANGES THE COURSE OF MUSIC VIDEO

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 8 OCTOBER 1988

U2 CHANNEL THE STOOGES FOR THEIR FIRST UK NO.1 SINGLE

SUPER FAN

Q When did you first become a Superfan of your favourite

CLASSIC POP MOMENT

In 1992, Madonna was wearing her Queen Of Pop crown

LIFE Lessons

PIONEERS OF RACIAL AND LGBTQ+ EQUALITY, ENDLESSLY QUOTABLE, CREATORS OF WONDROUS SOUL-POP – CULTURE CLUB WERE POSSIBLY THE DEFINITIVE 80s BAND. INTERNALLY, OF COURSE, THEY WERE A TOTAL MESS. BACK WITH THEIR FIRST ALBUM IN NEARLY 20 YEARS, HOW ARE FOUR OF THE MOST VOLATILE PERSONALITIES IN POP FINALLY MANAGING TO GET ALONG HAPPILY? WE MEET THE CALMER CHAMELEONS TO LISTEN TO THEIR GROUP THERAPY…

CLASSIC ALBUM COLOUR BY NUMBERS

THEY WERE ONE OF THE MOST COLOURFUL ACTS OF THE DECADE, YET THE VIBRANCY AND MELODIES OF CULTURE CLUB’S SECOND OPUS BELIED THE HEARTACHE AND TENSIONS THAT INSPIRED IT – WITH THEIR FLAMBOYANT FRONTMAN’S SPOTLIGHT SHINING A LITTLE TOO BRIGHTLY FOR HIS BANDMATES…

AFTER THE RAIN

WITH THE RELEASE OF THE STRIPPED-BACK POSTHUMOUS ALBUM PIANO & A MICRO PHONE 1983, PRINCE STILL REMAINS VERY MUCH IN OUR THOUGHTS. CLASSIC POP MEETS THE STAR’S ARCHIVIST MICHAEL HOWE TO FIND OUT MORE SECRETS FROM THE PAISLEY PARK VAULT AND HEARS FROM THE REVOLUTION’S LISA COLEMAN ABOUT WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE IN THE WORLD’S HOTTEST BACKING BAND…

POP ART MAT MAITLAND

MAT MAITLAND IS A CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND COLLAGE ARTIST WITH A MUSIC-DESIGN CAREER STRETCHING BACK TO THE 90S. HIS UNIQUE STYLE HAS BEEN COMMISSIONED BY MANY GLOBAL LUXURY BRANDS, AND HE WORKS WITH THE BIGGEST NAMES IN POP AT CREATIVE CONSULTANCY BIG ACTIVE. WE CATCH UP WITH HIM TO EXPLORE HIS EYECATCHING AND SURREAL PORTFOLIO…

PET SHOP BOYS

A FORMER SMASH HITS JOURNALIST AND AN ARCHITECTURE STUDENT WHO NEVER GRADUATED, PET SHOP BOYS WENT ON TO BECOME THE MOST SUCCESSFUL UK DUO EVER, SELLING MORE THAN 50 MILLION RECORDS WORLDWIDE AND BEING HONOURED WITH A BRIT AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC

Reader’s Digest

AS SHE PREPARES TO RELEASE AN ALBUM MADE UP OF BOTH NEW SONGS AND ANCIENT BALLADS, SADENIA ‘EDDI’ READER TALKS FAMILY HISTORY, BUSKING, THE RISE AND FALL OF FAIRGROUND ATTRACTION, HOW TO BE FEARLESS ON STAGE… AND WHELKS. CLASSIC POP GETS THE ODD WORD IN.

FOREVER FAMILY

WITH LASTING SUCCESS SEEMINGLY OUT OF REACH, SISTER SLEDGE WERE ON THE VERGE OF SPLITTING UP. KIM SLEDGE TELLS CLASSIC POP HOW A CHANCE MEETING CHANGED THEIR LIVES.

LET’S GO ROUND AGAIN

POP – AND POPULAR CULTURE – HAVE A HABIT OF RECYCLING THEMSELVES EVERY 30 YEARS OR SO. TAKE A LOOK AROUND AND IT’S CLEAR THAT THE TASTEMAKERS AND INFLUENCERS CREATING MUSIC AND FILM IN OUR ERA ARE STILL HAUNTED BY THE GHOSTS OF THE 1980s…

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MATTHEW RUDD

THE HOST OF FORGOTTEN 80s ON ABSOLUTE 80s RADIO SELECTS THE CREAM OF THIS MONTH’S CROP OF LATEST SINGLES: FEATURING MICHAEL JACKSON, NENEH CHERRY, SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR, RICK ASTLEY AND MORE

BEST NEW RELEASE OCTOBER 2018

COSTELLO AGAIN PROVES HE’S A MASTER OF DISGUISE, ADOPTING

BEST REISSUE

A DELUXE REISSUE CAPTURES THE BIRTH OF A BAND WHOSE

BOOKS

The rise of Ed Sheeran is testament to hard work, talent

BEST LIVE SHOW

WHAM, BAM… IT’S GRANDSLAM, AS TWO MUCH-LOVED SCOTTISH