#37. "Don’t You Forget (About Me)" - Simple Minds (1985)

"Don’t You Forget (About Me)" is one of the key anthems for those of us in Generation X.

Surprisingly, The Fixx, Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol all refused to perform the song for The Breakfast Club before Jim Kerr and The Simple Minds were approached. Their loss. The soundtracks of John Hughes' movies are the stuff of legends. 

The track oozes that slightly cheesy, seriously catchy synth-pop new wave vibe that dominated the charts the middle part of the decade. That part from the bridge to the end is the best and I can't help myself playing air drums.

#96. "All The Things She Said" - Simple Minds (1986)

Riding on the coattails of the international smash single "Don't You Forget (About Me)" the year before, Simple Minds churned out three singles in North America from Once Upon A Time, one of my favourite albums from the mid-80s. 

Superb from cover to cover, this great road trip album features the epic "Alive and Kicking", the high tempo "Sanctify Yourself", and the big stadium sound on tracks like "Ghost Dancing" and "Oh Jungleland". All of these would make my top 500 80s playlist.

The third single "All The Things She Said" is my fave track from the album. The track has a brilliant arrangement: it opens with a slice of psychedelia before the soaring verses take over. An overblown, beautiful bridge is followed by a stirring ending. 

Fave lyrics: "Tell me 'bout the ocean moving in slow motion"

The video is among the cooler of the decade with the neat duplicating effect, owl and falcon clips and Jim Kerr dance moves reminiscent of Michael Scott from the The Office's classic 'Booze Cruise' episode.

The first song from Once Upon A Time, "Oh Jungleland" is one powerful album opener: