Smash Hits, March 1981

9-18-08 Smash Hits – March 5 – 18, 1981

I was buying “Smash Hits” magazine from England in the early 80’s rather a lot, by now $1.75 per issue. It seemed to focus on the style of new wave music that I was interested in – and it had color photos, unlike Melody Maker or the N.M.E. I kept quite a stack of these magazines. Today I will generate a Playlist from the issue from March 5 – 18, 1981; Vol. 3 #5.

In no particular order:

VISAGE – Mind Of A Toy

ELVIS COSTELLO – From A Whisper To A Scream

HUMAN LEAGUE – Boys and Girls

DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS – Plan B

MOTORHEAD / GIRLSCHOOL – Please Don’t Touch

FREEEZ – Southern Freeez

DURAN DURAN – Planet Earth

SIMPLE MINDS – Celebrate

LENE LOVICH – New Toy

THE SPIZZLES – Risk

THE WHO – You Better You Bet

HEAVEN 17 – (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang

BOW WOW WOW – W.O.R.K.

DEPARTMENT S – Is Vic There?

DAVE STEWART & COLIN BLUNSTONE – What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?

ORANGE JUICE – Simply Thrilled Honey

ROBERT WYATT – Stalin Wasn’t Stalling

THE PLASTICS – Diamond Head

MADNESS – E.R.N.I.E.

KIM WILDE – Kids In America

Again, I’ll have to ask my GF for the Elvis Costello track! At the time, I bought Visage, Motorhead / Girlschool, Freeez, Duran Duran, Simple Minds, Spizzles, The Who, Heaven 17, Department S, Dave Stewart & Colin Blunstone, Robert Wyatt, Madness and Kim Wilde as new releases. The songs in this playlist were all featured in one way or another in this issue of Smash Hits, the British magazine.