JOHN PEEL’s FESTIVE FIFTY – 1983
The video here is HAND IN GLOVE by THE SMITHS at #9 on the Festive Fifty of 1983.
In what was the first Festive Fifty chart to feature session tracks voted for in sufficient numbers to be placed, this was a list dominated by New Order, Cocteau Twins, The Smiths and The Fall.
“As punk and new wave now faded decently into happy and inspirational memories, their influence thankfully didn't wane and the mid-eighties "indie" scene was now being born with apparently innumerable creative pathways opening up,” wrote Mark Whitby in his brilliant book ‘The Festive Fifty’.
“Indicative of this are the first stirrings of the Smiths and Billy Bragg, the emergence of the Cocteau Twins as a genuinely musical force and generally a great year for Ivo Watt-Russell's 4AD label.”
“While Factory had listed eleven tracks in the 1982 all-time charts, these had all been Joy Division/New Order recordings. 4AD placed ten spread spread across four different acts...Xmal Deutschland became the first band from a non-English speaking nation ever to feature in the Festive Fifty.”
1. New Order - Blue Monday
2. Smiths - This Charming Man
3. New Order - Age Of Consent
4. This Mortal Coil - Song To The Siren
5. Cocteau Twins - Musette and Drums
6. Smiths - Reel Around The Fountain
7. Billy Bragg - A New England
8. The Fall - Eat Y'self Fitter
9. Smiths - Hand In Glove
10. Naturalites and the Mystics - Picture On The Wall
11. Red Guitars - Good Technology
12. P.I.L - This Is Not A Lovesong
13. X-Mal Deutchland - Incubus Succubus
14. Cocteau Twins - Sugar Hiccup
15. Cure - Lovecats
16. Cocteau Twins - From the Flagstones
17. Echo and the Bunnymen - Never Stop
18. New Order - Your Silent Face
19. Sisters of Mercy - Temple of Love
20. Siouxie and the Banshees - Dear Prudence
21. The Fall - The Man Whose Head Expanded
22. Echo and the Bunnymen - The Cutter
23. The Assembly - Never Never
24. The Imposter - Pills and Soap
25. New Order - Leave Me Alone
26. 10000 Maniacs - My Mother The War
27. Sisters of Mercy - Alice
28. Cocteau Twins - Peppermint Pig
29. Aztec Camera - Oblivious
30. Redskins - Lean on Me
31. Chameleons - Second Skin
32. X-Mal Deutchland - Qual
33. Smiths - Handsome Devil
34. Tools You Can Trust - Working and Shopping
35. The Fall - Kicker Conspiracy
36. Luddites - Doppleganger
37. Sophie and Peter Johnson - Television
38. Cocteau Twins - Hithertoo
39. S.P.K - Metal Dance
40. The Fall - Wings
41. U2 - New Years Day
42. Danse Society - Somewhere
43. Birthday Party - Deep in the Woods
44. Caberet Voltaire - Fascination
45. New Order - The Village
46. Birthday Party - Sonny's Burning
47. Strawberry Switchblade - Trees and Flowers
48. Elvis Costello - Shipbuilding
49. Cure - The Walk
50. Tom Robinson - War Baby
3 in Peel's festive 50 - not bad.
Give or take a few tracks, that's a good playlist.
Regards,
FWD.