Friday 80s Flashback for February 27, 2026

[Rhythm and New Wave] -- It has been some months since I offered up a two-fer of 80s goodness. So, why not close out the shortest month of the year with a bit of extra music? Forty years ago, the end of this short month was long on new music. Of the two albums I have chosen to highlight, one is an R&B debut and the other features a collection of various new wave artists.   

Shirley Murdock! – This exclamatory eponymous album was the studio debut release by American soul singer, Shirley Murdock. She was initially a gospel singer, but then she got the opportunity to record background vocals for Roger Troutman before beginning a solo career in 1985/1986. All told, she has 154 credits spanning 1984 through 2025. Shirley Murdock!, which came out February 24, 1986, was certified gold and it peaked at #44 on the US Billboard 200. It also reached #9 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Her debut launched three singles: "Be Free", "As We Lay" and "Go on Without You". "As We Lay" peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100. The other two singles charted on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Vocal-wise, Murdock has a kind of timeless quality. However, I should warn you, or remind you, that R&B was something else in the 1980s, so the instrumentation might not be what you expect when you think of Rhythm and Blues. And that might be a get-up-and-dance good thing. You tell me. 

Pretty In Pink (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Premiering on February 28, 1986, and earning over six million dollars during its opening weekend, Pretty In Pink was John Hughes' third contribution to the growing canon of "Brat Pack" movies. And, like his previous coming-of-age films, it featured an incredible soundtrack, which also came out on February 28, 1986. The soundtrack album featured four knockout singles: "Shellshock" by New Order, "If You Leave" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, "Left of Center" by Suzanne Vega, and "Pretty in Pink" by The Psychedelic Furs. Interestingly, only one of these songs was written specifically for the film, and it was not the title track (though the Furs' song was something of an inspiration for the film). OMD was tapped to write an original song for the film, but their initial offering no longer worked once the plot changed (with Andie ending up with Blane instead of her BFF Duckie). But with adrenalin and inspiration, OMD went into the recording studio and quickly cooked up "If You Leave", an early soundtrack single and a huge hit for the band, hitting #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. There have been multiple releases of the Pretty In Pink soundtrack, but this post uses the original 10-track release from the end of February 1986. That's the soundtrack that reached the top 10 of several charts around the world, including a stint at #5 on the US Billboard 200.

Now, on to the music. 🎶

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Flashback #1: "Shirley Murdock! – February 24, 1986

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Flashback #2: "Pretty In Pink (OST) – February 28, 1986

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And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.

See you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for February 20, 2026

[Still In That Balance] -- Forty years ago this week, singer-songwriter Jackson Browne released Lives In The Balance. It was his eighth studio album, but his first record with overtly political themes. He questions cultural imperialism, denounces US foreign policy, laments rampant poverty, and wonders about the fragile state of the so-called American Dream. 

In "For America", the album's first track and first single, Browne admits his previous indifference to social issues, singing "I went on speaking of the future, While other people fought and bled." This anti-war track, begging for the country to wake up in time, peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the US Billboard Top Rock Tracks charts. Turns out, this would be Browne's last Top 40 hit in the US, but at least he went out with a salient message. 

Although the album was heavy on politics and social commentary, Browne didn't forget human bonds and feelings. His second single, "In The Shape Of A Heart", addressed how death ends a relationship, but not the love shared in it. This song was for and about Phyllis Major, Browne's first wife, who died in March 1976 of a drug overdose. Browne must have emotionally connected with his fans because "In The Shape Of A Heart" reached #70 on US Billboard Hot 100 while also peaking at #10 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary and #15 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock charts. 

The album's title track was released as the album's third single, and it peaked at #33 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. The message of this song was dark and starkly political: A country lying to its people for the business of war. The song focused on "the wrongheadedness of US foreign policy," particularly in regards to Central America [Jimmy Gutterman in Rolling Stone]. 

Lives In The Balance peaked at #23 on the US Billboard 200 and #36 on the UK Albums chart. It also reached into the top 50 of several other charts around the globe. And although the album received positive reviews, many of which focused favorably on its political direction, Lives In The Balance was not as commercially successful as Browne's previous releases. 

Still, Browne didn't fret about popularity or commercial appeal. He had achieved his goal of linking the personal with the political. 40 years later, we see Jackson Browne was both a poet and something of a prophet with this record. Lives are still in the balance, as is the very soul of our nation.

"Browne didn't place an image of the Statue of Liberty on the cover of his album just so he could jump on the Rambo express. He implies throughout the album that, like the statue, we're all weather-beaten and in need of some reconstruction" [Jimmy Gutterman, Rolling Stone, April 1986]. 

Flashback: Lives In The Balance (February 18, 1986)

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And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.

See you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for February 13, 2026

[Shining Shrine] -- 40 years ago this week, British soul vocalist Dee C. Lee released her debut album, Shrine. Prior to embarking on her solo career, Lee she had been a backing singer for Wham!, appearing in the band's videos for "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" and "Young Guns (Go for It)". She left Wham! in 1984 to pursue a solo career while also working with The Style Council. [See her highlight reel discussion with Steve Blame]. Shrine's first single, "See the Day", was released in advance of the album and became a hit, peaking at #3 in the UK in December 1985. Her follow-up singles – "Come Hell or Waters High" and "Hold On" – failed to chart in the UK Top 40. Likewise, Shrine did not chart in the US or the UK, though it did chart in Australia. 

Despite not breaking into stardom, Ms. Lee has continued to work and sell records. Her most recent solo album came out in 2024, and she has over 50 vocal credits to date. Her full slate of credits – vocals, writing, producing, etc. – is just under 200. She also has the rather unique distinction of being the only artist to appear on the same episode of the British TV Show Top of the Pops with two different bands: Wham! and The Style Council.

Flashback: Shrine (February 11, 1986)

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And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.

See you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for February 6, 2026

[Still in Control] -- On February 4, 2026, Janet Jackson posted “Happy 40th Control!” on her Instagram. So, let's join Janet – Miss Jackson if you're nasty – in celebrating the 40th anniversary of her third studio album, Control.  

This album peaked at #1 on both the US Billboard 200 and the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) charts. And it reached the #8 spot in the UK while also climbing into the top 40, or better, in many countries around the world. It achieved platinum certification in Canada, the Netherlands, the UK and the US. In fact, it went platinum a total of five times in the US! Among the album's many accolades are Grammy nominations for Album of the Year and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, winning the latter of those two noms.

Control launched seven singles: "What Have You Done for Me Lately", "Nasty", "When I Think of You", and the title track "Control" in 1986; "Let's Wait Awhile", "The Pleasure Principle", and "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)" were all released in 1987. All four of the 1986 singles, and "Let's Wait Awhile" in 1987, peaked within the top five of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. "When I Think of You", the third single released in 1986, was Janet Jackson's first single to be a #1 hit on the Billboard 100. 

Beyond its undeniable commercial and critical success, Control established Janet Jackson as a star in her own right and set the tone for her next several records. And due to her collab with songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, in which they leaned fully into instrumentation featuring funk-based synthesizers, drum machines, and breakbeats, Control was an early paving stone on the road to new jack swing. 

Flashback: Control (February 4, 1986)

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And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.

See you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for January 30, 2026

[Blog Post] -- 40 years ago this week, Public Image Ltd. (aka PiL) released their fifth studio album. This release was generically known as Album, Compact Disc, Cassette, or mp3 (all depending on the purchased format, hence the animated image for this post). This naming convention was also used for "Rise," first single from this album: the 7" single was called "Single", the 12" single was called "12-inch Single", and the music video had the title card "Video".* For the remainder of this post, we'll refer to the release as Album.

So, although Album was the fifth studio work released under the Public Image Ltd. name, it might be better considered a John Lydon solo album under direction of producer Bill Laswell: The recording personnel were pretty much a rotating list of session musicians who often worked with Laswell (who also supplied bass for first six tracks). Luminaries like Steve Vai (guitar), Ginger Baker (drums), Bernie Worrell (keyboards), Tony Williams (drums), Ryuichi Sakamoto (digital synths), Shankar (electric violin) and others all contributed. This eclectic selection of top studio musicians propelled "Rise" to be one of PiL's highest charting singles, peaking at #11 in the UK. The album itself reached #14 in the UK and #115 on the US Billboard 200, while also climbing into the top 100 of a few other countries. 

The first track I heard from Album was the raucous "F.F.F.", which also happens to be the very first track of the album itself. "F.F.F." stood for "Farewell my fair-weather friend." We all know one, we've all told one off. And back in 1986, no song was more definitive for me as I transitioned from high school to college. Today, maybe, the "anger is an energy" line from "Rise" better suits my mood. The other standout tracks on a record rife with crunchy guitar, driving rhythms, and lively production, in my opinion, are "Fishing", "Bags", and "Home".   

 

While I still rank Album among my fave albums from the 1980s, I fully understand that John Lydon (formerly Johnny Rotten) is a polarizing and difficult character. And, yes, I tend to think of him more as a character than a person. And that is because I honestly do not know how much of what Lydon says and does genuinely comes from his heart and how much of it is just for drama ... or simply because he can. Also, I agree with Paul Weller when he points out that ...Lydon became the antithesis of punk. So, maybe, if you decide you want this album, maybe just stream it or buy a used copy (and then purchase albums featuring the other musicians so you can support them). 

Flashback: Album (January 27, 1986)

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* Possibly of interest: Another punk band, Flipper, had previously gone the generic title and labeling route in 1982 with Album Generic Flipper. Later in 1986, Flipper put out a live album titled Public Flipper Limited Live 1980–1985, either in honor of, or in retaliation against, PiL. 

Anyway, that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.

See you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for January 23, 2026

[Broken] -- Forty years ago this month, Soul Asylum, a Minneapolis based punk/alternative band, released their second full-length album, Made to Be Broken. This record was the first of three they released in 1986.

As far as I can tell, neither the album nor its three singles – "Never Really Been", "Tied to the Tracks", and "Made to Be Broken" – charted. At least not on Billboard. Not that charting is the be all and end all of determining a record or song's worth. Made to Be Broken is an absolute gem with "raging dual vocals," crunchy guitars, and pure energy. For examples of that rock n' roll energy, check out "Another World Another Day" and "Whoa". They would showcase that energy later in 1986 by touring with fellow Twin Cities rockers Hüsker Dü. The two bands would tie for Best Garage Band at the 1986 Minnesota Music Awards. 

Also of note is the fact that the title track has the line And where will you be in 1993?" Well, in 1993, Soul Asylum found themselves with a top ten song, "Runaway Train", and performing it on MTV Unplugged. 

But that event was yet to come. At this point, with Made to Be Broken, Soul Asylum was just another ragged rock band that had not yet made their mark. 

Oh, and the people of Minnesota will not be broken! Ice out now! 

Flashback: Made to Be Broken (January 18, 1986)

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And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.

See you in seven!

Friday 80s Flashback for January 16, 2026

[Manic Memories] -- 40 years ago this week, the Bangles released their second studio album, Different Light. As a follow-up to their commercially and critically successful 1984 debut, Different Light exchanged the band's initial 1960s style for a more Top 40 sound. And did so quite successfully. 

Different Light peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the UK charts, as well as the top 40 of several charts around the globe. The album also featured five singles, all of which charted. The first three singles were Billboard Hot 100 hits and received the music video treatment: "Manic Monday" climbed to a peak position of #4, "If She Knew What She Wants" peaked at #29, and "Walk Like An Egyptian" raced up to the #1 slot. Of the other two singles, "Walking Down Your Street" peaked at #11 in the US while "Following" charted only in the UK and Ireland. 

While some critics complained of the slicker production, others said this record showed the band finding a better balance. In hindsight, I think the latter were correct. And I even agree with Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani in saying that this record "sounds surprisingly fresh in hindsight" [Slant, September 2003]. 

Flashback: Different Light (January 13, 1986)

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And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.

See you in seven!