Poptastic 80S: 18 Fantastic Hits From The Eighties CD

Music Club's Fantastic 80s compilation features 18 primarily English hits from the era, including standout cuts from Curiosity Killed the Cat ("Misift"), Kim Wilde ("You Keep Me Hanging On"), Rick Astley ("Never Gonna Give You Up"), and Haircut 100 ("Fantastic Day"). There's a great deal of filler here as well, focusing on late-'80s snoozers from Boyzone to Rick Astley, but all in all it's worth picking up if it lands at your feet. ~ James Christopher Monger

2008 release, a musical snapshot from the `feel-good' musical decade featuring some of the biggest and brightest names in Pop including Haircut 100, Rick Astley, Curiosity Killed The Cat, Timex Social Club and many more. Sometimes unkindly referred to as the decade that taste forgot, the '80s allowed a diverse range of styles and genres to share the higher echelons of the UK chart and the UK industry was even blessed with many of the artists crossing over into the U.S. Top 10. This collection really focuses on the `Pop' angle of the decade with a scintillating selection of some of the most successful artists to grace the chart during the '80s. 18 tracks. Music Club.

A title like Poptastic 80s: 18 Fantastic Hits from the Eighties promises a treasure trove of disposable favorites like Toni Basil's "Mickey" or something from a-ha or Kajagoogoo, and there's some of that here ("Sign of the Times" by the Belle Stars, "Misfit" by Curiosity Killed the Cat), but for the most part this U.K. compilation relies on the slick sounds of mid- to late-'80s stalwarts like Rick Astley and Kylie Minogue and delivers the manufactured pop. It's a shame, too, because there's some cool underrated stuff here like Level 42's "Lessons in Love" and Haircut 100's "Fantastic Day," but there's just not enough to compete with similarly themed, better-populated collections. ~ James Christopher Monger

A title like Poptastic 80s: 18 Fantastic Hits from the Eighties promises a treasure trove of disposable favorites like Toni Basil's "Mickey" or something from a-ha or Kajagoogoo, and there's some of that here ("Sign of the Times" by the Belle Stars, "Misfit" by Curiosity Killed the Cat), but for the most part this U.K. compilation relies on the slick sounds of mid- to late-'80s stalwarts like Rick Astley and Kylie Minogue and delivers the manufactured pop. There's some cool underrated stuff here like Level 42's "Lessons in Love" and Haircut 100's "Fantastic Day." ~ James Christopher Monger