Favourite underrated/overlooked 80s songs

[Floogal]

Love these songs, even though you can't find them on 80s compilation CDs or they get very rarely played on radio. Mine are:
'chocolate girl ' and 'ship called dignity' by Deacon Blue. I still dont entirely get what they're about though.
'beds are burning ' by midnight oil.
'sign of the times' by Belle stars. Prince version is great too
Sowing the seeds of love

I'm sure I'll remember more 😂

YES! YES! YES!

Scritti Politti, how could you not love them? Totally underrated, Oh Patti is another stunner.

And as per OP, Deacon Blue: I have to say I agree with others that Dignity is played a lot but Chocolate Girl is one of my all time favourite songs, very underrated.

I think Angel Eyes by Wet Wet Wet is often overlooked too.

Agree with lots of the lesser known songs already mentioned. Many are still sitting in my box of 7" vinyls!

@anonwith123

Borderline - yes! I'm not a Madonna fan, but love this.

For many years I thought Ultra Vox were singing about a piano.

This means nothing to me oh piano!

Couldn't work out why a piano was worth a song when it meant nothing to him. Was years later when I found out it was Vienna!

A few of my faves have been mentioned, but not any of these:
Orange Juice - Felicity
Yargo - The Other Side of Midnight
Hipsway - The Honeythief
The Bible - Graceland
The Icicle Works - Love is a Wonderful Colour
The Beat - Too Nice to Talk To
The Colourfield - Castles in the Air
10,000 Maniacs - Hey Jack Kerouac
Mick Karn - Sensitive
The Christians - Forgotten Town
The Kane Gang - Closest Thing to Heaven
Michelle Shocked - Anchorage
Martin Stephenson & The Daintees - Wholly Humble Heart

I Melt with You Modern English
Too Much Kissing Senseless Things
Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream) The Icicle Works

I've found my tribe! 😁

So many good ones have already been mentioned.

Also, Shattered Dreams by Johnny Hates Jazz

Pale Shelter - Tears for Fears

Word Up - Cameo

Trapped - Colonel Abrams

The Riddle - Nik Kershaw (crazy lyrics)

Oh the memories! Wish I could go back in time...

And...

Old & Wise - Alan Parsons Project

Will You? - Hazel O'Connor

Strawberry fields forever by candy flip. Heard it again on radio 6 the other day and I can't stop playing it

Are you me? Three of my favourites 😍

And YY to Japan, @Appalonia . Ghosts is still one of the most mesmerising and unique songs ever to appear on TOTP.

Also anything by Hazel O'Connor - I did love the Breaking Glass soundtrack

And anything post punk from around 1980. Definite YY to the earlier stuff by the likes of The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, Siouxsie and the Banshees et al. The wonderfully gloomy musical era before the hairspray and crimpers were adapted (especially by the latter), and resulted in the goth many of us know and love 😊

It was great around 1987 to see the likes of the Sisters of Mercy on TOTP - they left an impression on 11 year old me!

One of my favourite songs of all time!

@Chuffles oh I forgot the Kane Gang. Wonderful!
We need an app that collects song titles from threads like this and makes them into a playlist.

Forgot debut by The Sundays - Can't Be Sure (1989 so just squeezes in). Loved Harriet Wheeler's amazing voice.

This should have been a big hit

Talk talk life’s what you make it
scritti politti Sweetest girl
prefab sprout I remember that

I spill me tea, oh silly me!

Oh Patti is so lovely, I had it on 7” and used to play it over and over. All my records had the middle punched out because my uncle worked with jukeboxes and would give me old records, so lining them up was a task!

I love Rush Hour by Jane Wiedlin. Should definitely by played on the radio more often.

You Came by Kim Wilde. Heard an interview with her and she said it was about the birth of her first niece. Beautiful lyrics and she absolutely rocks the white trouser suit in the video. Gorgeous!!!

The sound-party of my mind

The Who - You better you bet
The Kinks - Come dancing

Free Nelson Mandela was a brilliant song, but very much of its time and so sadly never gets played any more.

I've got so many of these! Was Not Was, Tell me that I'm Dreaming

Was Not Was, Woodwork Squeaks and out come the Freaks.

Gina X No GDM