The 80s Mixtaper

I Completed 80s Music

Music EN ↓ 92 episodes

In 2016 I started listening to every single UK chart entry from January 1st 1980 to December 31st 1989. This is the story of that journey, the bands, the music and how 80s music unfolded through lots of lovely playlists. If you’re new to 80s music, consider this a great entry point. If you’re here for nostalgia, you’re in for a treat! Wham! Duran Duran, Billy Ocean, Bros, The Smiths - you name it, I have you covered. As midlife crises go, it could be worse! Cover art by Florian Schmetz. Go check him out at Unsplash!

Author

The 80s Mixtaper

Category

Music

Podcast website

completed80s.podbean.com

Latest episode

Jul 10, 2026

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Episodes

Ep46 Aug 82 Chicago, Frida, Judas Priest, Haircut 100, Duran Duran, Afrika Bambaataa, Simple Minds 10.07.2026

This week you hold a glittering prize in your hand and we save a prayer for all the good 80s Music! In the second half of playlist 46 Chicago enter the fray while Frida breaks from ABBA. Judas Priest make a roaring return while Duran Duran prove their ballad chops. Afrika Bambaataa drops a cornerstone of rap, Simple Minds are in their pomp and we say goodbye to Haircut 100.    Please help fund the...

Ep45.5 Aug 82 Psychedelic Furs, Toto Coelo, David Sylvian, Rockers Revenge, Thomas Dolby, Carly Simon 03.07.2026

You'll be walking on sunshine with this week's pod. Why? Well as we delve deep into August 1982 we find in the record bins, Rockers Revenge, the Psychedelic Furs brining the film soundtracks, Carly Simon (that was the Why? link), David Sylvian breaking from Japan, Thomas Dolby and Toto Coelo being hungry for more than fame!   Please help fund the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/80smixtaper Links to...

Ep 45 Jul 82 Stranglers, Kid Creole, Madness, McRarys, Boys Town Gang, Blancmange, Survivor 26.06.2026

This week the pod gets the eye of the tiger as we step into late July 1982. The Stranglers play a trick on their record label, Kid Creole tells the tale of a crook turned informant, Madness release possibly the best car-related song ever and the McRarys bring a little gospel to proceedings. In the latter half we meet the Boys Town Gang and learn of their impact on the High NRG scene, are Blancmang...

Ep44.5 Jul 82 Hot Chocolate, Chas & Dave, Belle Stars, Yazoo, Haysi Fantayzee, Talk Talk 19.06.2026

3 6 9, the goose drank wine, the monkey played a podcast which was sublime! Yes folks, this week we continue deeper into July 1982 and the Belle Stars get us all tangled up with the clapping song, Chas & Dave take us on a "proppa" British holiday, Hot Chocolate bring the school romance and Yazoo release the next evolution in the clubbing genre amongst others.  Please help fund the show: https:...

Ep44 Jul 82 Irene Cara, Bananarama, AC/DC, Postman Pat, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Brat, Damned 12.06.2026

Fame! I wanna podcast forever! Or at least until the 80s Music runs out. We finally slip into July 1982 and hit Irene Cara's big moment that sent mums and their kids into a spin buying leotards and legwarmers. Bananarama strike out on their own and AC/DC strike the cannon fuse. Postman pat takes us on a nostalgia delivery, the Tygers of Pan Tang take us on a rendezvous. John McEnroe throws a music...

Ep 43.5 Jun 82 David Essex, Captain Sensible, Asia, Dennis Brown, Dexys, Trio 05.06.2026

Ready for some happy talk? Well you've come to the right place! As we crawl into July 1982 Captain Sensible releases on of the most surprising number 1s of the decade. Asia get caught up in the heat of the moment, David Essex takes us nightclubbing, Dennis Brown is the crown prince of reggae, Dexys drop the biggest seller of 1982 and Trio bring the Casio organ to the fore! Hear all this and more a...

Ep43 Jun 82 Bucks Fizz, Dollar, Steve Miller Band, Roxy Music, Gary Numan, Clash, Four Tops 29.05.2026

Abracadabra, this pod will reach out and grab ya! Today we dive back into June 1982. But first the Mixtaper goes on a (minor) rant about AI and the platforms so desperate to get into bed with it all in the name of "revenue streams" and reveals his complicated history with one of them. We then get back into the music proper with Bucks Fizz bringing some vocal harmonies. Dollar reach the Trevor Horn...

Ep 42.5 Jun 82 Bow Wow Wow, Flock Of Seagulls, Queen, Odyssey, Shalamar, Leo Sayer 22.05.2026

If you have a sweet tooth, this episode will fix your sugar cravings! We continue into the summer of 1982 and Bow Wow Wow release their confectionary hit. A Flock of Seagulls take us into space, Queen go spanish, Odyssey release their last top 10 hit, Shalamar bring the party and also drop one of the most iconic dance moves of the era and Leo Sayer stops our heart as we finish Playlist 42.    Plea...

Ep42 Jun 82 Siouxie, Echo & The Bunnymen, Soft Cell, Belle Stars, Natasha, Cars, Stevie Wonder 15.05.2026

My podboy said to your podboy I'm gonna set your pod on fire. And while that does seem a little harsh, it does set up our episode today as we continue in June 1982. As you may have guessed, we have our Iko Iko playoff between the Belle Stars and Natasha. Siouxie brings the strings and fireworks (beautiful song alert), Soft Cell reinvent the torch song, the Bunnymen find their sound and we end with...

Ep41.5 Jun 82 ABC, Gang of Four, Toyah, New Order, Madness, Adam Ant 08.05.2026

Don't drink don't smoke, what do you do? Listen to podcasts, namely I Completed 80s Music! It's June 1982 and this week we tackle the back end of playlist 41. ABC give us the look of love, the Gang of Four show us their uniforms, Toyah shows us a brave new world, New Order start to sound like New Order and we end with two big hits of the 80s. Madness take us "party hat" shopping at the House of Fu...

Ep 41 May 82, Nicole, Kid Creole, Charlene, Go-Gos, Fun Boy Three, Duran Duran, Iron Maiden 01.05.2026

Hopefully you're hungry like the wolf for this next episode as we dive headlong into May 1982 and playlist 41. The first half gives us a little peace courtesy of a German Eurovision winner, Kid Creole gives us a wonderful thing (himself) before Charlene visits (herself). The Go Gos and Funboy three seal their lips but in different ways before Duran Duran go global and Iron Maiden create global fur...

Ep40.5 May 82 Joan Jett, RAH Band, Tight Fit, D Train, Blondie, Associates 24.04.2026

We love rock n roll! But we also love pop, new wave, synthpop, you get the picture. It's now May 1982 and Joan Jett explodes onto the UK scene. The RAH band show us their perfumed garden (ooh er missus) and Tight Fit swing out of the charts. D Train walks in a brilliant cover, Blondie walk off until 1997 and the Associates make fun of the entire circus. It's quite the episode!   Please support the...

Ep 40 Apr 82 Paul McCartney, Hot Chocolate, Yazoo, The Fixx, Patrice Rushen, Junior, Talk Talk 17.04.2026

All we wanna do is TalkTalk on this podcast and this week we natter about April 1982 and a slew of incredible hits on playlist 40. Macca and Stevie Wonder duet on a song about racial harmony, Hot Chocolate go girl crazy while the Fixx bring the cold war paranoia. Meanwhile Vince Clarke leaves Depeche Mode to form Yazoo with Alison Moyet. Patrice Rushen drops a club classic which becomes a staple o...

Ep 39.5 Apr 82 David Bowie, Bardo, J Geils Band, Bananarama, England WC Squad, Haircut 100 10.04.2026

Hopefully we're really saying something (bop bop shooby do wah) with this episode of the pod as we tackle the back 6 songs of playlist 39 and April 1982. Bowie kicks us off as he teaches us to put out fires with gasoline. Bardo then attempt to replicate Bucks Fizz Eurovision success (nerves ensue). The J Geils band have one last hurrah. Banarama return the favour to Fun Boy Three. The English Worl...

Ep 39 April 82 Bucks Fizz, PhD, Monsoon, Pigbag, Shakatak, Roxy Music, Simple Minds 03.04.2026

This podcast wont let you down but the copies of the singles might! Yes folks, as we get into April 1982 we have our first divergence of song choice on Spotify and Apple Music. Jim Diamond and PhD go in different directions leading to different versions on the music platforms. Roxy Music get a little saucy and increase the population of West London. Also in this episode Pigbag and Shakatak, drop t...

Ep38.5 Mar 82 Visage, Japan, Flock Of Seagulls, Elton John, Shalamar, Dollar 27.03.2026

This podcast can make you feel good, or at least Shalamar can! Yes folks, as we continue our sojourn through the 80s, we have reached the introduction of Shalamar, Flock of Seagulls and Elton John to the mix as March 1982 continues. We also have Visage proving they were not one hit wonders and Japan's swansong before it all fell apart. Just when they thought they could not be stopped! Links to Pla...

Ep 38 Mar 82 Goombay Dance Band, Pluto, Imagination, Gary Numan, Chas & Dave, Classix Nouveaux, Genesis 20.03.2026

Whether your donning your grass skirt, imaginary bass guitar or gold lined harem pants, playlist 38 promises to be a colourful one! This week we cover the first 7 songs and what an episode! We introduce the one hit wonder Goombay Dance Band, follow up with some humorous reggae courtesy of Pluto before sliding into the peak of Imagination's discography (or is it just an illusion?!). Gary Numan brin...

Ep 37.5 Feb 82 ABBA, Kraftwerk, Iron Maiden, Madness, Journey, Foster and Allen 13.03.2026

Just a small town pod, living in a world of pods....it took the midnight train going anyyyyywhere...  Anyway. Don't stop believin in this episode description, not matter how corny it gets as this week's episode reaches the latter half of playlist 37 and the end of February 1982. Naturally, Journey have their glee moment, but Iron Maiden make us run to the hills, Madness give us heart problems and...

Ep37 Feb 82 Black Sabbath, J Geils Band, Jam, Kiss, Nolans, Associates, ABC 06.03.2026

How have we reached 1982 and not met Black Sabbath or Kiss yet?! Well in this episode, all that changes. February 1982 and playlist 37 promises pivot point for both bands as Sabbath contemplate a world without Ozzy and Kiss consider a world without heroes. The J Geils Band drop the greatest "Na Na" chorus of the decade, the Jam bring Woking to the fore (and not in a good way) and the Nolans bring...

Ep 36.5 Feb 82 Bohannon, Vice Squad, Robert Palmer, UB40, Fun Boy Three Bananarama, Depeche Mode 27.02.2026

If there's one thing that we can take from this week's pod it's that in 1982 and even now perhaps, it's not what you do, it's the way that you do it! Indeed in this weeks eclectic mix, we see funk, hardcore, electro and reggae all represented as we plunge into the second half of playlist 36 and February 1982. Naturally with that opening line, we'll be meeting Bananarama as they team up with Fun Bo...

Ep 36, Feb 82 Adrian Gurvitz, Diana Ross, Toni Basil, D Train, EWF, Soft Cell 20.02.2026

Do you want the best chant of the 80s? Or how about Soft Cell's best song? Well you're in the right place. Whether it's "Hey Mickey" or "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" and everything inbetween, this episode has it all as we slip into February 1982 and playlist 36. We kick off with Adrian Gurvitz putting aside his rock roots to write a Classic. Diana Ross gets introspective and funky with her post Motown...

Ep35.5 Jan 82 Tight Fit, Hall and Oates, Theatre Of Hate, XTC, OMD, Bow Wow Wow 19.02.2026

Whether you want to sleep in the jungle with a lion (bit weird) or go wild in the country, we have you covered as we complete January 1982! Its the second half of playlist 35 and we kick off with the aforementioned childhood memory by Tight Fit but explore the deeper darker history of the track. Next up Hall & Oates bring their A-Game and drop I Can't Go For That which it turns out, isnt a lov...

Ep 35 Jan 82 Stranglers, Mobiles, Lindsey Buckingham, Mike Post, Elkie Brooks, Shakin Stevens, Stevie Wonder 06.02.2026

If you're looking for a pod describing the rhyming scheme of "truly" and "Julie", look no further! Yes as we begin our ascent of the 1982 charts, the 80s Mixtaper acts as our musical sherpa. We'll be stopping along the way to muse on the Stranglers' multi-meaning Golden Brown, feeling the chill of the cold war with Mobiles' Drowning in Berlin before Lindsey Buckingham gets us into trouble, amongst...

Ep 34 Dec 1981, Kool and the Gang and the End of 1981 Review 30.01.2026

Get down on this podcast! Today, we reach the end of 1981! Can you believe that we're a fifth of the way through this journey already?! And as such, we feature but one song, the only remaining song to mention for 1981 and playlist 34 (the one that stupid here should have just tacked on to episode 33.5). Yes folks, we get cool with Kool and the Gang and their classic hit Get Down On It. Then, a lit...

Ep33.5 Dec 81 Rolling Stones, Foreigner, Altered Images, Jon & Vangelis, Rod Stewart, ABBA 23.01.2026

Step right up as we complete the last full playlist of 1981 and the back end of playlist 33. What an episode we have. Are the Rolling Stones going to break up? Do Foreigner know they have one of the most iconic ballads of the 80s? Are Altered Images happy? Will Jon & Vangelis find their way home? Does Rod Stewart want to be a young turk and do ABBA simply want to go their separate ways? We'll...

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