BBC Two is cranking up the way-back machine this Saturday, 14 June at 8:10 PM with 40 Hits of 1985 at the BBC. Get ready for a sonic trip back to a time when synthesizers ruled the airwaves, hair was big, and music videos were an explosion of neon and questionable fashion choices.
The two-hour special will count down 40 of the year’s top tracks, culled from the BBC’s extensive archives. Expect a playlist that’s as diverse as the decade itself, with appearances from Elton John, Duran Duran, Foreigner, Billy Ocean, and Marillion. The episode will also feature several team-ups—including Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson, Phil Collins and Philip Bailey, and Chrissie Hynde with UB40. And of course, no 1985 retrospective would be complete without a healthy dose of musical royalty: Queen, King, Prince, and Princess are all on tap.
Whether you’re a child of the 80s or just a fan of good music, this is one history lesson you won’t want to miss. Expect nostalgia by the bucketload and a reminder that some trends—leg warmers, anyone?—are best left in the past.
40 Hits of 1985 at the BBC airs Saturday at 8:10 PM on BBC Two.
