She bop - Cyndi Lauper

'She bop' was, for some, a controversial song as the lyric was full of allusions to masturbation, such as 'They say I better stop / or I'll go blind'. Lauper said she wanted little kids to think the song was about dancing, and to understand the real meaning as they got older. This is probably why the lyric is quite oblique.

The single was a top 10 hit in most countries where it was released, although there were exceptions: in the UK it only reached number 46 and in the Dutch Top 40 it only got to number 34.

My collection: 7" single no. 469
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, October 20, 1986
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'She bop' / 'Witness'

That was yesterday - Foreigner

'That was yesterday' was the second single from Foreigner's album 'Agent provocateur'. The song was written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones and was remixed for the single release.

The single reached number 12 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 28 in the UK singles chart and the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 277
Found: LP Top 100, Den Haag, 1985
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'That was yesterday' / 'Two different worlds'

A better love - London Beat

'A better love' was the second single taken from London Beat's second album 'In the blood'.

The previous single 'I've been thinking about you' was a number 1 hit in the US and the Netherlands, but this single was not as successful: it peaked at number 18 in the US and number 14 in the Netherlands. In the UK, this single stalled at number 52.

My collection: 7" single no. 1359
Found: Den Haag, December 5, 1990
Cost: - (present)
Tracks: 'A better love' / 'K.I.S.S.'

L.A. Woman - Billy Idol

It was quite a brave move for Billy Idol to record a cover version of the Doors' famous track 'L.A. Woman', the title track of the band's last album before Jim Morrison died. But his version turns out surprisingly well, adding a lot of power to the track that was already fast paced to begin with.

It was released as the second single from Billy Idol's fifth album 'Charmed life'. It reached number 70 in the UK singles chart and number 52 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. I bought the album not so long after I bought the single, because an edit is always too short.

My collection: 7" single no. 1281
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, August 23, 1990
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'L.A. Woman (edit)' / 'License to thrill'

Who is wrong and who's right - Kirsten and Søren

Kirsten Siggard (born September 7, 1954) and Søren Bundgaard (born March 4, 1956) were no strangers to the Eurovision Song Contest when they represented Denmark in 1988: they first entered in 1984 as Hot Eyes with the song 'Det' lige det'. They returned in 1985 with the song 'Sku' du spørg' fra no'en?'. They reached 4th and 11th place respectively.

In 1988 they got another shot at Eurovision fame with the song 'Ka' du se, hva' jeg sa'?'. No longer named Hot Eyes but simply Kirsten & Søren, they had their best result, reaching third place in the Contest. This single, featuring the English and French versions of the song, was released in various European countries, but did not chart outside Denmark.

My collection: 7" single no. 4395
Found: Second Life Music, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Who is wrong and who's right' / 'Ecoute moi mon amie'

Follow you follow me - Genesis

I didn't hear 'Follow you follow me' until the second half of the Eighties, and I couldn't believe this was a song from 1978. The track was taken from Genesis's ninth studio album 'And then there were three...', a title to reflect the departure of band member Steve Hackett, reducing the band to a trio. This lineup would last until 1996, and give them their biggest mainstream successes.

The slow, sentimental ballad was composed by the band with lyrics by Mike Rutherford. The band had concluded that their music was attracting mainly male audiences, and this song was a deliberate attempt to attract female audiences as well. The strategy worked: they had their first top 10 hit in the UK (peaking at number 7) and their first top 40 hit in America (peaking at number 23). It was also their first single hit in the Netherlands, where it peaked at number 17 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 816
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, May 13, 1989
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Follow you follow me' / 'Ballad of big'

Blue Monday - New Order

'Blue Monday' has often been named as the best selling 12" single of all times. It was never released as a single (although a 1988 remix of the track was) and sold over one million copies when it was released. In an interview the band claimed to have written the song in response to crowd disappointment at the fact that they never played encores. This song, they say, allowed them to return to the stage, press play on a synthesiser and leave the stage again.

The 12" single's die-cut sleeve, which looks like a floppy disk, was designed by Peter Saville. A popular story about the sleeve is that it cost so much to produce it that the record company lost money on each copy sold. Although this seems very unlikely, it is probably true that New Order saw little profit from the single's success, since an investment in the Haçienda nightclub swallowed much of the money they made from their hit.

My collection: 12" single no. 157
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1993
Cost: 2,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Blue Monday' / 'On the beach'