Classic Pop

Classic Pop magazine is the ultimate celebration of great pop and chart music with star interviews, features, news and reviews. From pop to electronic and new wave, dance and indie – it's all here…

WELCOME

CLASSIC POP WHO’S WHO

KARL WALLINGER • 19 OCTOBER 1957 – 10 MARCH 2024

ALMOND’S GOT IT COVERED ON DIVERSE NEW SOLO LP

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT • ROD THOMAS TAKES US THROUGH THE STARRY COLLABORATIONS AND INSPIRATIONS BEHIND HIS EBULLIENT FIFTH ALBUM ENJOY LIFE

PERFECT TIMING FOR FAIRGROUND ATTRACTION REUNION

My POP life • THE GIMME GIMME GIMME AND NOTTING HILL ACTOR ON HIS LOVE OF HAZEL O’CONNOR AND JOAN ARMATRADING AND A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH ELVIS COSTELLO...

SHAZNAY LEWIS • 20 YEARS ON FROM HER SOLO DEBUT, SHAZNAY LEWIS IS BACK WITH BELATED SOPHOMORE ALBUM PAGES. WE SPOKE TO HER ABOUT GOING IT ALONE AND WHETHER ALL SAINTS REALLY ARE NO MORE...

HEROIC EFFORT FOR CANCER CHARITY

Ian Peel’s A to Z of POP • WHILE THE WORLD CAREERED TOWARDS THE BIGGEST NEW YEAR’S EVE IN HISTORY, AND PRE-MILLENNIUM TENSION TOOK HOLD, DID ANYONE NOTICE HOW 1999’s POP MUSIC RAPIDLY UPPED ITS TEMPO?

This month in POP • DEXYS DEBUT AT NO.1 IN THE UK, MACCA’S QUIRKY SOLO RETURN, JOE STRUMMER ARRESTED – AND THE TRAGIC DEATH OF IAN CURTIS

BLITZ FELT LIKE A DUTY. • LONG SEEN AS THE CLUB THAT INVENTED BRITAIN, S CULTURAL LIFE IN THE 80S,BLITZ WAS THE EPICENTRE OF BOTH MUSIC AND FASHION. SO WHY WAS IT CREATED AT A DODGY WORLD WAR II−THEMED WINE BAR? BLITZ DJ RUSTY EGAN, BOY GEORGE,GARY KEMP, MIDGE URE, PHILIP SALLON AND SUE SCADDING DELVE INTO THE MADNESSOF THE ICONIC CLUB THAT SPAWNED THE NEW ROMANTIC MOVEMENT.

COAT CHECK BOY

FUTURIST FISTICUFFS

ULTIMATE PLAYLIST

TOUCH EURYTHMICS • ANNIE LENNOX AND DAVE STEWART’S THIRD ALBUM PROVED THEY WERE NO FLASH IN THE PAN. TOUCH WAS A RICH AND EXPANSIVE COLLECTION OF TRACKS, AT VARIOUS POINTS MAJESTIC OR DOWNRIGHT FUNKY, THAT HELPED TO CEMENT THEIR PLACE IN POP HISTORY.

THE SONGS

THE PL AYERS

THE VIDEOS

DEFYING GRAVITY • CROWDED HOUSE’S NEW ALBUM, GRAVITY STAIRS, IS A L ATE- CAREER TRIUMPH. BUT MAKING MUSIC SOUND SO EFFORTLESS REQUIRES AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF EFFORT NEIL FINN AND NICK SEYMOUR TELL CLASSIC POP.

INXS • FRONTED BY THE HUGELY CHARISMATIC MICHAEL HUTCHENCE, AUSTRALIAN SIX-PIECE INXS ROSE TO WORLD DOMINATION WITH A PUNCHY BLEND OF NEW WAVE, FUNK AND DANCE-ROCK THAT WAS TAILOR-MADE FOR STADIUMS

“I’M GOING TO GRAB YOUR BALLS AND TAKE THEM FOR A SQUEEZE!” • Over 20 years since he last played in the UK, Sananda Maitreya is making his live return to the country where he rose to fame 37 years ago. It coincides with his primary-coloured 13th album. The singer-songwriter reveals why Britain is an emotionally troubled place to visit, how kids’ TV has influenced his own work and why he’s repulsed by trumpet players...

NEITHER FISH NOR FLESH TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY • TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY DECLARED 1987’S INTRODUCING THE HARDLINE... “THE GREATEST ALBUM SINCE SGT. PEPPER’S”, BUT HIS 1989 FOLLOW-UP, NEITHER FISH NOR FLESH, FARED LESS WELL, PROMPTING LEGENDARY CRITIC CHARLES SHAAR MURRAY TO SUGGEST “TERENCE IS THE WALRUS”. HIS BIZARRELY FLAMBOYANT SECOND LP NONETHELESS REWARDS REINVESTIGATION.

POPARAZZI • READERS SHARE THEIR FAVOURITE PHOTOS AS THEY GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN PLANET POP 

TOP TEN • A GALLIC ONE-HIT WONDER, THE GO-GO'S MEET FUN BOY THREE, THE HUMAN LEAGUE FACE OFF WITH HEAVEN 17 AND SPANDAU'S SECRET LOVE SONG! 

BANDS WON’T PLAY NO MORE • IN THIS EXTRACT FROM HIS BOOK TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG – THE 2 TONE RECORDS STORY, DANIEL RACHEL TRACES THE STORY OF THE SPECIALS’ SEMINAL NO.1 SINGLE GHOST TOWN

New Jack Swing • THE URBAN SOUND THAT FUSED FUNK AND...