Various Artists: Ministry Of Sound 'Anthems - Electronic 80's'

To celebrate some of the finest electronic music from the 1980's, this Ministry Of Sound compilation, released in 2009, features some of the biggest names in the bygone synthpop era, including Ultravox, Soft Cell, Orchestral Manouvers In The Dark (OMD), and many more.

Various Artists: Ministry Of Sound 'Anthems Electronic 80's'

The compilation, which contains a total of 60 tracks running 16 seconds shy of a four hour runtime, begins with 'Vienna' by Ultravox. Some of the most favourable output of the era soon follows, including 'Cars,' 'Tainted Love,' 'Fade To Grey' and 'Don't Go' all within the first five tracks.

Among the highlights are some of the lesser known works, such as Thomas Dolby's 'Hyperactive' and The Human League's rendition of 'Being Boiled.' As such, the compilation does well to document some of the most successful releases of the 80s alongside lesser known works equally worthy of praise. Unfortunately there remains some tracks which would be expected on such a compilation. Thankfully, a second volume followed later to include a further number of tracks.

Through the inclusion of such varied works, this compilation is given far greater depth than the typical synthpop compilations which draw from largely the same material. For any children of the 80's, this compilation serves as a charming retrospective of the era where synthesisers got sexy. For volume 2, released in 2010, click here.

Save on Delicious