Choose one from '81!

[Diamond Dog]

[Darkness_Fish]

"Reward" for me. Easily the greatest thing that Teardrop Explodes ever recorded, and just a huge burst of energy of a pop song. "Ghost Town" is hte obvious runner up.

[naughty boy]

"Reward" for me. Easily the greatest thing that Teardrop Explodes ever recorded, and just a huge burst of energy of a pop song.

Yep.

And Blondie in second place. The Specials never did a damned thing for me.

[Brickyard Jack]

O superman, of course, and of these ghost town is second. I do have a soft spot for talk of thw town.

But i would suggest joan of arc as the cracker of 81.

[Ranking Ted]

Rapture sashays just ahead of Reward. Flash is fast, flash is cool. Both 9/10. Ghost Town leers menacingly just behind. TOTT effortlessly fizzing at 8/10. Spandau lagging awkwardly in their kilt. 7/10. O Superman, a load of old cack. 3/10.

[The Modernist]

"Reward" for me. Easily the greatest thing that Teardrop Explodes ever recorded, and just a huge burst of energy of a pop song.

Yep.

And Blondie in second place. The Specials never did a damned thing for me.

I said on another thread that one day DF would write a music opinion on BCB I agreed with and that happy day has come at last!
I'd also agree that Blondie is the second best (and in my case close enough to 'Reward' to give me serious pause for thought).
One thing I disagree with is that I do think "Ghost Town" is a great record. But it's so successful at creating a bleak mood that I don't want to revisit it too often.

As for "Reward", it struck me a few years ago that essentially it's a Northern Soul record. Just think about it - a relentless 4/4 beat, exciting bursts of triumphant brass, an emphatic, peaking chorus. Okay Cope doesn't much sound like a black American soul singer, but the ingredients and appeal are much the same.

[naughty boy]

Yes, I think so!

It might be based around the bassline, actually. I've got a version that starts with it. It's busy and frantic and the drums clatter in behind it. It doesn't make a particularly pleasing sound but then the horns and his vocal crash in and kick things up several notches.

I've always thought 'Passionate Friend' and 'Treason' were every bit as good - sometimes I think they're a bit better - but I'm probably on my own there. But the Teardrops really had some magnificent moments - the highest Merseyside musical peaks since the Fabs.

[The Modernist]

I loved "Passionate Friend", but it doesn't get talked about ever does it?
I don't remember them releasing a bad single actually, they were all good.

[Belle Lettre]

"Reward" for me. Easily the greatest thing that Teardrop Explodes ever recorded, and just a huge burst of energy of a pop song.

Yep.

And Blondie in second place. The Specials never did a damned thing for me.

Just as well you had one art O-level

[Belle Lettre]

Oh, Ghost Town, then Reward

[naughty boy]

I loved "Passionate Friend", but it doesn't get talked about ever does it?
I don't remember them releasing a bad single actually, they were all good.

They really were. And when you read his book he makes it all sound like they were clueless; all their successes were happy accidents.

"Reward" for me. Easily the greatest thing that Teardrop Explodes ever recorded, and just a huge burst of energy of a pop song.

Yep.

And Blondie in second place. The Specials never did a damned thing for me.

Just as well you had one art O-level

[toomanyhatz]

Nothing too offensive here though I always thought that was the lamest of Blondie singles, and Laurie Anderson has not dated well for me. My favorite is probably the Pretenders, followed by a tossup between tTE and "Ghost Town," both of which are marvelous.

[ChrisB]

Reward for me, too. Specials close second, the rest a distant joint third, except for Spandau who shouldn't be on the list in the first place. What a pompous, pretentious group of knobs. If we resurrected the poll for worst ever front man, Tony Hadley would win hands down.

[fange]

Of this lot, 'Reward' wins pretty easily. I'm with Hatzy, i thought 'Rapture' was one of the least of Blondie's singles at the time, and re-listening now hasn't changed my mind. I've always liked 'Ghost Town' and 'Talk of the Town' fine without them being personal faves. The Spandau tune i have a real soft spot for as it brings back great memories, but i have no illusions as to its greatness. Still, i could dance badly to it quite happily at an 80s night.

[The Write Profile]

Man, I love all of these (barring Spandau Balet), this is a tough one.

"O Superman" is a precious, haunting thing that actually (for me, anyway) gets better and more mysterious on repeat listens. In particular, there's something chilling about the casually intoned "smoking or no non-smoking" after line about airplanes. I guess the song is about our dependency on technology and how it dehumanises us. Or something. Whatever it's a dark wonder.

"Rapture" is a track I'm in two-minds about. On the one hand, I love the sinuous groove it builds up, and Debbie's rap works because she namechecks the right acts and doesn't take herself seriously, but I don't think it's quite at the top drawer for Blondie, "Atomic" for instance beats it for groove, although this has more swagger.

"Talk of the Town" is such a gently heartbreaking track, Chrissie Hynde was such a good singer at this stage, able to sound tough yet heartbroken, and James Honeyman-Scott's guitar just glides. It's pop classicism of the best kind.

"Ghost Town" still sounds like nothing else. The creeping menace of the organ-led intro, the pure skank of the verses, and the whole sense that something is just waiting to explode with just a click of the fingers or the flick of a match. It also somehow manages to sound confident yet utterly downbeat. People getting angry.

"Reward" has one of my favourite opening lines in all pop music ("bless my cotton socks, I'm in the news") and it gets even better from there. Cope's barked vocal is perfectly ebullient, the rest of the band play up a storm, and it's all as bold, as well, brass.

Throw a dart at the board and it will land on a good 'un.

[Diamond Dog]

I voted for "Reward" - an exceptional single from a great year. As TRP says, the opening line is one of the absolute greats, and it flows naturally from the cascading intro and magnificent horns. Wouldn't change a single second.

Second is joint for me between The Specials & The Pretenders. Few songs evoke a time and place quite as brilliantly as "Ghost Town"... the Brixton (and other) riots. It expressed the frustration and anger in such a powerful manner. "Talk Of The Town" is a beautiful tune - full of angst, delivered with such a bittersweet feel. And, man, that video (and Chrissie) is glorious from start to finish.

I still like "Rapture". It may not have the import it did then, but it was a huge step for a white band to 'crossover' with rap - no matter how dumb the actual rap maybe. "O Superman" still sounds great too - a darkly sweet tune.

And, yesh, I get a kick from the Spandau too. Again, it's the horns.

[fange]

And, yesh, I get a kick from the Spandau too. Again, it's the horns.

That's largely what i like too, though the bass is also fine. It would have been a lot better without the rap part near the end, don't you think, DD? It's always kinda bugged me.

[Diamond Dog]

And, yesh, I get a kick from the Spandau too. Again, it's the horns.

That's largely what i like too, though the bass is also fine. It would have been a lot better without the rap part near the end, don't you think, DD? It's always kinda bugged me.

It would probably have been better as an instrumental....

[naughty boy]

This one's better:

[Footy]

Meant to vote last night when it would have been for the Pretenders but upon revisiting this morning, I've gone for the Specials.