Picture the scene – you’re all dressed up in your best outfit, hair styled to one of the fashions of the time (whether that was feathering or back combing), ready to hit the town with your friends.
You get onto the dance floor and the DJ drops some of the biggest hits that have you dancing around your hand bag, or slow dancing at the end of the night.
Our nights out wouldn’t have been complete without the music that has become the soundtrack to our lives throughout the decades.
Here we look back on some of the iconic albums celebrating anniversaries in October – from synth-pop classics to albums featuring power ballads that stayed at number one for weeks.
Dare – The Human League
Everyone has had at least one moment on a night out or at a wedding, when they’ve duetted on the eighties classic Don’t you want me.
Yes, the chart topping hit which went on to become the Christmas number one in the same year, is 40 years old in October.
Featuring on The Human League’s 1981 Dare album, it was actually the last song to be released from the album, following the success of Love Action, The Sound of the Crowd and Open your Heart.
(Image: Redferns)
It was by far their biggest though, remaining at number one for five weeks and in the charts for 13.
Don’t you want me was also crowned the seventh best selling Christmas number one of all time, outselling the Spice Girl’s 2 become 1 and even Christmas legends Slade.
Fans wanting to celebrate the album can also see The Human League’s Dare tour this December 2021, performing the synth-pop classic in its entirety.
Ghost in the machine – The Police
By the time the eighties arrived, The Police were already huge stars across the world, with hits such as Roxanne and Don’t stand so close to me becoming karaoke classics the world over.
In 1981, they released another career defining album Ghost in the Machine, best known for the single Everything little thing she does is magic, which has become one of the band’s biggest hits.
Ghost in the Machine debuted at number 1 on October 10 1981, staying in the top spot for three weeks and in the album charts for half of the year.
Their biggest hit was still to come though on one of their future albums, when two years later they released Every breath you take from 1983’s Synchronicity.
Simply the best – Tina Turner
You only have to see the title and already, you’re singing the rock ballad Simply the best at the top of your voice.
1991 saw the release of a compilation of hits by icon Tina Turner, whose career defining hits have cemented her status as one of the greatest singers of all time, with her trademark vocals and fabulous dance moves.
The album covered her entire career to that point, from River Deep – Mountain High, to movie soundtrack We don’t need another hero and What’s love got to do with it.
To generations of fans, Tina Turner will always be Simply The Best, and this compilation certainly shows why.
Stars – Simply Red
(Image: chuff media)
Simply Red emerged in the 80s with their soulful hits and ballads including Holding back the years, but in 1991, they released what would become one of their signature albums – Stars.
Its title track saw Hucknall walking through the desert while singing the smooth hit record, while Something got me started became a dancefloor classic.
The album reached number one and stayed there for a huge 12 weeks, remaining in the UK music charts for more than two years – a total 158 weeks.
With singer Mick Hucknall posing on the cover with his long flowing curls on the backdrop of a night sky, and the album’s chart topping songs which even spawned a VHS tape of the videos, Stars became an instant classic.
Diamonds and Pearls – Prince and the New Power Generation
The late music icon Prince released Diamonds and Pearls in 1991, with band the New Power Generation.
Diamonds and Pearls was a mix of jazz, R&B and funk, combining to create some of his most memorable singles including the title track of the same name, and the raunchy songs Cream and Gett Off.
Like Purple Rain and 1999 before it, it was another collection of tracks that would become some of Prince’s signature records.
Prince died in 2016, but The New Power Generation have continued his legacy, touring the music of Prince across the world, including a series of performances in the UK in late 2019.
Waking up the neighbours – Bryan Adams
1991 was a memorable year in music, not only for the albums released, but for one particular song – Everything I do, I do it for you.
No one can forget the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves soundtrack song that took the music charts by storm, holding onto the number one spot for over 16 weeks.
Bryan Adams followed up this success with his 1991 album, Waking up the Neighbours, which not only featured Everything I do, but also a series of rock power ballads including Thought I’d died and gone to heaven and All I want is you.
Lets get to it – Kylie Minogue
Pop starlet Kylie Minogue led the charts in the late eighties, with a series of Stock, Aitken and Waterman produced hits including I should be so lucky, The locomotion and Better the devil you know.
1991 saw the singer continue to collaborate with them on her fourth album with the pop powerhouse with Lets get to it.
With singles like the titular Lets get to it and Finer Feelings, Kylie’s second album of the 90s, the album entered the top 20 at number 15 and stayed in the album charts for three months, with Kylie continuing her reign as one of pop’s biggest artists into the noughties and beyond.
Emotions – Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey’s Emotions album showed off her signature flair for big ballads and soulful hits, in the follow up to her 1990 debut, cementing the star as one of the queens of pop.
Emotions charted slightly higher than her debut album, entering at number four and staying there for over 40 weeks.
From the disco of Make it happen, to balled If its over, which she wrote with song writing legend Carole King, Emotions was another instant classic and one of many for the singer whose next album would see her going straight to the number one spot and becoming a global sensation.
October – U2
Since emerging onto the music scene in 1980 with their chart topping album Boy, U2 fast grew to be one of the biggest bands in the world by the time by the time October was released.
October number 11 and stayed in the music charts for nearly one year, but two years later would see the band finally reach number one in the album charts with their 1983 album War.
(Image: Redferns)
It is also thirty years since U2’s Achtung Baby album was released, and although a hit album in itself for songs including One, it was also famous for another reason.
It featured the song that ended Bryan Adam’s reign at number one, The Fly, ending the reign of one of the world’s most well known power ballads after 16 weeks in the chart.
Live your life, be free – Belinda Carlisle
Former The Go Go’s singer Belinda Carlisle launched a successful solo career that began in the eighties, dominating the charts with the pop classics including Heaven is a place on earth and Circles in the sand.
In 1991, she followed up that success of her previous two albums with Live your life, be free, which entered the top 10, and also produced a top 20 hit for the titular track of the same name.
Like her previous two albums, Live your life, Be Free again combined her powerful vocals and pop-rock mix to create catchy songs that delighted fans all over the world.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
