My favourite pieces of 1970/80's synth!

Since the Late 70's to the mid 80's there was a style of music that swept the world. That music was called, 'Synthesiser'. It became the dominating sound, and there where some exponents who became megastars, some, in fact, still are. Below is a selection of some of my favourite tracks and Artists. I have to say that my 2 personal favourites are Jean Michel Jarre, and Vangelis (Full Name: Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou). From about the age of 11 ish I bcame a huge fan of this kind of music it was at secondary school that I bought my first Jean Michel Jarre Tape, Revolutions. It changed my life. Soon I was introduced to the work of Vangelis, perhaps most famous for Chariots of fire, which I have not included as it's more a piano piece than Synth. My favourite album, released by Vangelis was the 1992, Conquest of Paradise 1492, when a rash of columbus films were released to tie in with the 500th Anniversary of his discovery (No one accepted the Viking theory back then!). If you have not seen the film, I recommend it as it was the best of the bunch. The soundtrack was a mesh of Synth sounds and a blending of North African sounds to replicate the moorish influence in the Spain of Columbus. So here you have, I would say, a rather fine collection of the best exponents and styles that came from this almost extinct, certainly specialist music, now. It is a shame that such good music has become almost forced from the mainstream conscious. Done well it will always be the sound of future classical music. I still believe that if Mozart was alive today he would have created the first electronic opera.



AXEL F
An all time classic. It was used as a theme for Beverly Hills Cop.



Jon
Famous for his collaborations with Vangelis, below. Though perhaps not as famous.




Vangelis
conquest of paradise
Written for the eponymous film, 1492, conquest of Paradise. The story of Christopher Columbus. I find this piece, and the album, is best listened to in a hot bath, with a glass (large) of red wine and you are instantly transported to Moorish Spain!



Bladerunner


Vangelis (hypnosis cover) Pulstar
Now this, is a very song, and long associated instinctively with Vangelis. Yet this is not true, it was a cover Vangelis did, from an Italian Synthesiser band, Hypgnosis. Little fact there for you.



Jean Michel Jarre

Industrial Revolutions


Go on, just listen to this tune and tell me that Synthesiser movement can't move the soul (especially the change from 1.14-2min). Only the eighties could have produced this. Listening to this just brings back the smile the 12 year old boy had, all innocent and starry eyed and eared.


oxygen 1
Arguably, with Vangelis, the lead exponent of Synthesiser music. The 'Moog' of the synthezier artists (Ha, a little keyboard in-joke there). Anyway I became a massive fan of the 'Jarre' in late primary school when our music teacher played one of his laser concerts to us in his lesson. And the trouble is boys love lasers.



magnetic fields 2
One of his most famous works. It is instantly recognisable.



Chronologies 4


Jan Hammer
Last, but by no means least, Crocketts Theme, made famous by being the Miami Vice Theme tune. An all time music Classic, not just Synthesiser. I adore this track and looking at the acompanying video realise just how cool it would have been in the mid-80's when released. It is just here to be enjoyed as a great piece of music.