It's 1985 and you've been dumped... what music?

[thekumquat]

Welcome back to little_details!
I'd actually tried to post this in May 2017, but the Dreamwidth version wasn't yet open. As it happens, while I finished the story in question (only really of interest to Antonia Forest fans), I'd still appreciate answers:

"I'm writing a story which for various reasons is between April and June 1985, in England. A 17-year-old boy who generally takes himself way too seriously and has just been dumped, wants to put on some loud music to express his feelings. Rock, punk, not disco - any song that would be available via reasonably mainstream means at that time.

If the timeframe were more flexible, the obvious song would be Joan Jett & the Blackhearts "I hate myself for Loving You", but that came out in 1988. Queen's "Friends will be Friends" would do, but again that's 1986. Ideas?

If anyone happens to know *when* in 1985 that Jimmy Somerville left Bronski Beat to join the Communards, that would also be helpful.

Hoping the DW version of this community takes off!"

Comments

[thekumquat]

Yes, would be an album (cassette or vinyl) or a mixtape that he'd recorded off the radio.

I spent a long time churning through the online singles and album charts for the period, but as I only got into music later I don't actually know 90% of the songs!

Good observation that leaving a band who weren't doing much at the time could be a gradual process - I'm too used to modern bands announcing their splits. In the end I decided 'Communards' sounded better in the sentence, and referred to them despite it being a probable anachronism (nothing online goes beyond 'they were formed in 1985'.

[melannen]

There might have been an announcement! But even when modern bands do a press release, the de facto split is often much earlier and gradual. So I guess it depends exactly how you're using the info.

If what you want to know is if you can name drop the Communards, looks like their first single was October '85, so probably even if they theoretically existed nobody except real fans would know who they are till then. But you're probably in range that nobody would care in a story.

And yeah, I feel you, I've learned entire genres of pop just to find one so g to mention. Luckily YouTube makes it super easy, you can find whole TotP playlists even.