Wild Nothing's 50 Favorite Songs of the '80s

Wild NothingJack TatumGeminibest

ComplexThe SmithsNew OrderWild Nothing's 50 Favorite Songs of the '80s

Jack says: "This is a great song from a great record. Can't really hate on The Clash."

Jack says: "I really dig this kind of stuff. Bands like X and The Gun Club. Saw this record recently but didn't pick it up. Too broke!"

Jack says: "This band is awesome. I think they were one of the first synth-punk bands. Nothing mindblowing, but really fun."

Jack says: "I found this B-52's cassette for my car and man, they are really goofy. But this song rules. I'm a sucker for this kind of music."

Jack says: "Love The Shop Assistants but their songs can blur together a bit, so I picked one of their chill songs. This comes across as very Velvet Underground to me."

Jack says: "I like Comforts of Madness a lot and this might be my favorite song. Pale Saints might seem a bit dull on first listen, but I think they surprise you. The breakdown in this song is killer."

Jack says: "Finally found this record for my collection in Italy so I am pumped. This is a great band."

Jack says: "One of the better songs on Psychocandy. Feel like this also has a very Velvet Underground vibe."

Jack says: "My girlfriend and I have played this song out in her car. Perfect driving music. I've heard this song a million times. I don't even really like Sonic Youth though."

Jack says: "I don't remember how I came across this song. I think it's just an older EP or something, but I really like it. It takes its time."

Jack says: "Usually, I go for the more pumping Orange Juice songs, but this a good one. Plus Jens Lekman has sampled it, which I think is cool."

Jack says: "Yeah, I don't know. I just like this song. I like the simple chords."

Jack says: "One of the prettiest songs ever. Really great instrumental track."

Jack says: "I wish all Bjork songs sounded like this."

Jack says: "This and 'Black And White' are my favorite dB's songs. I love his voice in this song. Super weird and whiny, kind of."

Jack says: "One of the things I love about My Bloody Valentine is how they aren't afraid to let a good idea keep rolling. They sort of gave me the courage to do that with some of my own songs. This song doesn't change much throughout, but I still love it."

Jack says: "Another one of Kate's great songs. One of the best examples of melodrama working well, I think. She has a very theatrical feel to a lot of her songs. Should be weird, instead it rules."

Jack says: "Early French synth-pop. Don't really know or care what is being said. I just love it for the great chorus."

Jack says: "I love these guys. This is from one of their later albums, which is slightly slipping into cheesy territory, but it's still brilliant songwriting."

Jack says: "This is just a really pretty song. Even my mom likes it."

Jack says: "Another great song from one of the best albums of the '80s. It's one of my favorites on the album and rivals some of their best singles."

Jack says: "You might hate her voice or you might not, but when it comes to unabashed '80s pop, Altered Images wrote some of the best. 'I Could Be Happy' is the sort of obvious winner, I think, but this song is my personal favorite."

Jack says: "So yeah, The Cure have so many good pop songs that you could make an entire list for just them, but personally, I love this song. The silly panning on his vocals and the way it starts off super creepy and then busts into this sickenly sweet hook. Really great."

Jack says: "You can't beat Morrissey. I love the album Kill Uncle the most, but this song from Viva Hate is undeniably good. His vocal delivery is entirely unique."

Jack says: "This song from The Wake is another super strong pop jam. I had a hard time deciding between this and 'Plastic Flowers' but I chose this."

Jack says: "I often make the mistake of judging bands off of one song, especially in the case of bands like Modern English that are known for a few massive hits. Anyway, turns out they are actually a really good band and this song proves it."

Jack says: "This whole album is pretty raw. Real simple songwriting. There are several really good songs, and this one really sticks out. Just a few chords and a great hook."

Jack says: "I mean, I love The Smiths. This is my favorite song on Meat Is Murder."

Jack says: "This song has a really good pace. It's fairly danceable, but also really chill. Really good guitar lines."

Jack says: "Yeah, to be honest, I kind of think a lot of The Jesus and Mary Chain songs are fairly unlistenable, and I guess this song is a bit obvious, but there is a reason why so many people like it. It's a perfect fuzz-pop song."

Jack says: "I really like how unassuming this song is. I sort of feel like a lot of my album has a similar feel, the vocals aren't terribly phenomenal. Everything is just kind of subdued. I like that."

Jack says: "The guitar tone on this song is spot-on. Not much else to say though, great song."

Jack says: "When I first heard Script of the Bridge, I was immediately inspired by how vast and open it feels. The only word I can really think of to describe it is moody. 'Second Skin' was a grower for me. It's not particularly exciting or catchy, but the mood of the song is what pulls you in eventually."

Jack says: "This is a really short song. Sweet and simple works best sometimes."

Jack says: "I was definitely one of those kids that got introduced to Echo & The Bunnymen through Killing Moon, so I was pretty surprised to realize how dark some of their stuff is when I finally decided to explore their discography. Heaven Up Here is my favorite album of theirs and this song in particular is just really pulsing and intense."

Jack says: "I'm really surprised this song hasn't been sampled yet. The synth bass line is insanely catchy. There are quite a few Orange Juice songs that I hold dear, this one just takes the prize for being so accessible. It's a really good dance song."

Jack says: "This song is a really solid, guitar-driven pop song. It's got a great chorus. I don't really know, I don't have a lot to say about this song. It's kind of like The Go-Betweens in that it's just really simple, no frills."

Jack says: "The sound of this song is so perfect that it kind of makes me mad. The guitar tones are spot-on, the keyboard melody is killer, the vocals are stupid catchy. I kind of feel like everything in this song sums up indie pop perfectly."

Jack says: "Section 25 might not be a band that a ton of people know about, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not completely sold on everything they've ever done, but I really believe in the power of individual songs. The worst band in the world could write a good song and it would still be a good song, regardless of who they are. Section 25 are far from the worst band in the world though, and this eight minute song is what I consider to be the best synth-pop song ever written."

Jack says: "The Go-Betweens have really become a band that I respect so much. They have a really great discography and they never seemed to get caught up in any trends of the '80s. To me, they're a band that never needed tricks and never really played with a lot in terms of structures. They just wrote really fucking solid guitar-pop songs. More than any other band, I think they give me something to aim for as a live band: simple, straightforward and honest. 'Part Company' is my favorite song of theirs."

Jack says: "Like with Kate Bush, this is a band that has a lot to offer and even though this is definitely one of their better known songs I think 'Lorelei' is their best. This song alone played a pretty ridiculous role in how I wanted my record to sound, especially a song like 'Drifter.'"

Jack says: "A lot of people care more about Loveless, which is completely understandable for pretty obvious reasons. That record is amazing, but if you go back more into their discography, there are so many of these hidden pop songs that are retarded good. Distortion aside, a song like 'Thorn' is a classic pop song. Great hooks, verses and choruses that play off of each other in a very traditional, catchy way. I just love structured songwriting like that."

Jack says: "While I'm not a diehard Cure fan myself, I'm getting there, and I couldn't not include something off this album because it's just undeniably classic, I think. I figured I would pick the title track because, to me, it's the real focal point. It's a seriously epic song that builds wonderfully."

Jack says: "Okay, so I'm a big Kate Bush fan and I really love everything she does, but coming from a purely unbiased standpoint, Hounds Of Love is her masterpiece. It's one of the songs most people might know her for, I guess, and there is definitely a reason for it. It's got one of my favorite vocal melodies of any song, and the lyrics just kill me. She's just so creative, and this song has a serious fucking momentum to it."

Jack says: "This probably seems obvious, but you just can't really deny how good this song is. It's a song I've heard more times than I really even want to, but it's really representative of what I try to do and what '80's indie pop, or whatever you want to call it, means to me. The repetition is completely welcome and while this song never goes anywhere, I could really care less."

Jack says: "Yeah, this is everyone's favorite Talking Heads song, I feel like, but this is one of the best songs ever written. Definitely David Byrne's finest work if I had to judge. Lyrically it's perfect. It says a whole lot without really even saying anything. Debatably the best bass line ever too. Shit, this song rules."

Jack says: "This is my favorite song from my favorite band, so I guess it just made sense for me to put this first. The Smiths are one of those universally appealling bands, in my opinion. You very rarely meet someone who doesn't like The Smiths at least a little bit. This song just sums up so much about how I feel when listening to music. It's hopeful, sad, funny, honest, not to mention just a great pop song. It gives me something to aspire to. Enough said."