12”/80S NEW WAVE + 12”/80S CHILLED

Whether it was politics, pop culture, fashion, film or TV, the eighties was a decade you either loved or loved to hate. But nothing quite defines the 80s as does its music. When it came to music during the decade, nothing was understated, not the sound or fashion.

This autumn, Universal Music Catalogue is pleased to announce two new releases focussing on the best of that period. Released 3rd November, ‘12”/80s New Wave’ and 12”/80s Chilled’ feature a mix of iconic big hitters and cult club classics of the movement, both across 3 x CDs, all in their original 12” extended glory.

At the beginning of the 80s, out of the explosive sounds of 70s Punk, evolved a phenomenal era of revolutionary bands and artists that came to be known as “New Wave”. It encapsulated many different genres and sub-genres of music and youth culture, from New Romantic (Duran Duran, Japan, Human League) to Ska (The Specials, The Beat) to Reggae (UB40) to Alternative (Simple Minds, Echo & The Bunnymen, Altered Images, Aztec Camera) all of which are represented on ‘12”/80s New Wave’.

‘12”/80s Chilled’ is the first compilation of its kind to focus on the more laidback, down-tempo tracks of the decade. Featuring 80s Electronic classics (Heaven 17, Japan, OMD, It’s Immaterial), cool Dub/Instrumental remixes (Soft Cell, Tears for Fears, Hall & Oates), mellow jazz & sophisti-pop (Bryan Ferry, Swing Out Sister, Matt Bianco), New Romantic anthems (Duran Duran, Simple Minds, Human League) and chilled 80s club beats (Blondie, New Order, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Chris Rea), ‘12”/80s Chilled’ is the perfect introduction to some of the great artists from the era.

Across two releases, these songs set the gold standard for what pop music should be. Thirty years on, they are still the standard that today’s artists get compared to.