Anthems: Electronic '80s

Various Artists

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Anthems: Electronic '80s Review

by James Christopher Monger

The Ministry of Sound label's Anthems: Electronic '80s collects 60 U.K.-centric new wave/electro-pop nuggets over the span of three discs. Compilations of this sort (generic title, budget artwork) rarely deliver on such a grand scale, but Anthems’ compilers have shown their love for the genre by cherry-picking the cream of the crop from the era. Ultravox, Tubeway Army, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Joy Division, Paul Hardcastle, Giorgio Moroder, A Flock of Seagulls, and Blondie may have shared airtime on underground radio, but their appearance on anything other than a 90-minute mixtape handcrafted in the bedroom of an angst-filled, wavy-haired teen is a joy to behold.

Track Listing - Disc 1

Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
1 Ultravox 04:38 SpotifyAmazon
2 Gary Numan 03:34 SpotifyAmazon
3 Soft Cell 09:05 SpotifyAmazon
4 Visage 03:24 SpotifyAmazon
5 Yazoo 02:49 SpotifyAmazon
6 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark 03:29 SpotifyAmazon
7 Joy Division 03:21 SpotifyAmazon
8 Japan 04:48 SpotifyAmazon
9 Duran Duran 03:54 SpotifyAmazon
10 The Human League 03:39 SpotifyAmazon
11 Heaven 17 03:38 SpotifyAmazon
12 Simple Minds 03:37 SpotifyAmazon
13 Kim Wilde 03:09 SpotifyAmazon
14 Altered Images 03:47 SpotifyAmazon
15 Fiction Factory 03:29 SpotifyAmazon
16 The Art of Noise 03:38 SpotifyAmazon
17 M 03:53 SpotifyAmazon
18 Jona Lewie 03:00 SpotifyAmazon
19 Tubeway Army 04:15 SpotifyAmazon
20 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark 03:55 SpotifyAmazon

Track Listing - Disc 2

Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
1 The Human League 04:37 SpotifyAmazon
2 Heaven 17 03:24 SpotifyAmazon
3 Spandau Ballet 03:19 SpotifyAmazon
4 Scritti Politti 04:06 SpotifyAmazon
5 Blancmange 03:45 SpotifyAmazon
6 Thompson Twins 03:29 SpotifyAmazon
7 A Flock of Seagulls 05:30 SpotifyAmazon
8 China Crisis 03:27 SpotifyAmazon
9 Thomas Dolby 04:46 SpotifyAmazon
10 Landscape 02:59 SpotifyAmazon
11 Simple Minds 05:16 SpotifyAmazon
12 B.E.F. / British Electric Foundation 04:06 SpotifyAmazon
13 The Lotus Eaters 03:38 SpotifyAmazon
14 Stephen Duffy 03:26 SpotifyAmazon
15 Go West 03:40 SpotifyAmazon
16 Kajagoogoo 03:42 SpotifyAmazon
17 Furniture 03:41 SpotifyAmazon
18 Belouis Some 03:34 SpotifyAmazon
19 It's Immaterial 03:49 SpotifyAmazon
20 The Art of Noise 04:38 SpotifyAmazon

Track Listing - Disc 3

Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
1 Tears for Fears 03:31 SpotifyAmazon
2 Pet Shop Boys 03:58 SpotifyAmazon
3 New Order 04:59 SpotifyAmazon
4 Duran Duran 04:21 SpotifyAmazon
5 Bronski Beat 04:28 SpotifyAmazon
6 Yazoo 03:40 SpotifyAmazon
7 Erasure 03:35 SpotifyAmazon
8 David Bowie 04:08 SpotifyAmazon
9 Blondie 03:34 SpotifyAmazon
10 Giorgio Moroder / Philip Oakey 03:49 SpotifyAmazon
11 Johnny Hates Jazz 03:27 SpotifyAmazon
12 Debbie Harry 04:10 SpotifyAmazon
13 Classix Nouveaux 03:36 SpotifyAmazon
14 Sigue Sigue Sputnik 03:43 SpotifyAmazon
15 Devo 02:38 SpotifyAmazon
16 John Foxx 03:17 SpotifyAmazon
17 Sparks 04:22 SpotifyAmazon
18 Propaganda 04:14 SpotifyAmazon
19
19
Paul Hardcastle 03:31 SpotifyAmazon
20 M/A/R/R/S 04:00 SpotifyAmazon
blue highlight denotes track pick