Published inThree Imaginary Girls42 Years Ago: New Order invents the future with “Blue Monday”How a song originally meant as a live stunt became the best-selling 12-inch single everMar 1678517Mar 1678517
Published inThree Imaginary GirlsR.I.P. Soul Legend Jerry Butler, 1939–2025The Ice Man was the king of Chicago soul in the ’60s and ‘70sFeb 263892Feb 263892
Published inThree Imaginary Girls1985: The Year In Top 40 Hits (Week 7: February 16, 1985)Classics from Dead Or Alive, The Smiths, and, oddly, Soft Cell, plus The Associates and The BluebellsFeb 1849515Feb 1849515
Published inThree Imaginary Girls1985: The Week In Top 40 Hits (Week 6: February 9, 1985)The Commodores, Kool and the Gang, Bronski Beat, Heaven 17, and David Bowie’s last good single of the ‘80sFeb 132279Feb 132279
Published inThree Imaginary Girls1985: The Year In Top 40 Hits (Week 5: February 2, 1985)King, Phil Collins, The Art Of Noise, Terry Hall and the Colour Field, and Kirsty MacColl makes a Billy Bragg tune a classicFeb 640025Feb 640025
Published inThree Imaginary Girls34 Years Ago: Teenage Fanclub’s BandwagonesqueHow Nirvana’s new labelmates made Spin’s best album of 1991Feb 23206Feb 23206
Published inThree Imaginary Girls1985: The Year In Top 40 Hits (Week 4: 26 January 1985)Strawberry Switchblade, Alison Moyet, the last good Thompson Twins single, and a mild mashup of The Skids and MagazineJan 272228Jan 272228
Published inThree Imaginary Girls1985: The Year In Top 40 Hits (Week 3: 19 January 1985)Tears For Fears, somebody called This Island Earth, Stevie Wonder, plus The Style Council and guests do their part for the striking minersJan 2139911Jan 2139911
Published inThree Imaginary Girls1985: My Year In The British Top 75 (Week 2: 12 January 1985)Easing out the holidays with Toy Dolls, Ian McCulloch without the Bunnymen, Limahl without Kajagoogoo, and The StranglersJan 1339911Jan 1339911
Published inThree Imaginary GirlsRemembering The Suburbs’ Beej Chaney, 1957–2025An underappreciated figure in American new wave is goneJan 123965Jan 123965
Published inThree Imaginary Girls1985: My Year In The British Top 75 (Week 1: 5 January 1985)New year, new city, new chart, now with Wham!, Matt Bianco, Nick Heyward, and Melle MelJan 618Jan 618
Published inThree Imaginary Girls1984: The Year In Top 40 Hits (Week 52: My Own Top 40)My favorites from the charts, plus the rest of what I was listening to that yearDec 30, 202416Dec 30, 202416
Published inThree Imaginary Girls1984: The Year In Top 40 Hits (Week 51: December 22, 1984)The year wraps up with Cyndi, Sheena, Band Aid, New Edition, and Bronski BeatDec 23, 202420Dec 23, 202420
Published inThree Imaginary GirlsWhy Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” Is AwesomeCelebrate a song the haters have been getting wrong for 45 yearsDec 18, 202419Dec 18, 202419
Published inThree Imaginary Girls1984: The Week In Top 40 Hits (Week 50: December 15, 1984)Wham! (sorta), Prince, Hall and Oates, Culture Club, and what Glenn Frey has to do with the role of the saxophone in ’80s popDec 16, 202411Dec 16, 202411
Published inThree Imaginary Girls1984: The Tear In Top 40 Hits (Week 49: December 8, 1984)Billy Ocean goes sci-fi, The Pointers, .38 Special, and Eurythmics go to the movies, and Diana Ross says goodbyeDec 9, 202418Dec 9, 202418
Published inThree Imaginary Girls41 Years Ago: The Cure play a round of Japanese WhispersGiving American teens the completely wrong idea for 41 yearsDec 8, 202414Dec 8, 202414
Published inThree Imaginary Girls1984: The Year In Top 40 Hits (Week 48: December 1, 1984)Phil Collins overshadows Philip Bailey, plus Ashford and Simpson, General Public, Alphaville, and The Dazz Band getting weirdDec 2, 202416Dec 2, 202416
Published inThree Imaginary Girls1984: The Year In Top 40 Hits (Week 47: November 24, 1984)Jermaine Jackson gets weird, Madonna becomes a superstar, Don Henley does something good, Thompson Twins, and Apollonia 6Nov 25, 202413Nov 25, 202413
Published inThree Imaginary Girls50 Years Ago: Roxy Music Enjoy a Bit of Country LifeThe British art rockers’ pivot point is their best and most notorious album.Nov 23, 202414Nov 23, 202414
