My 80s Playlist: TalkTV’s Mike Graham picks his top 80s tunes from Michael Jackson to Madonna

Virgin Radio

4 Sep 2023, 13:29

talkRADIO and TalkTV’s Mike Graham reminisced about rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in music during his time on My 80s Playlist. 

The Fleet Street journalist worked for a number of major newspapers in the era, and was based in New York in the latter half of the decade.

Mike, currently the host of The Independent Republic of Mike Graham on TalkTV, stopped by Virgin Radio 80s Plus to run through his favourite 80s tracks with host Steve Denyer, and recalled his favourite moments with the likes of George Michael, Billy Joel and Duran Duran. 

Watch Mike Graham’s full My 80s Playlist below: 

Thriller - Michael Jackson 

Michael Jackson moon-walked his way into music history with his legendary Thriller video. 

From the impeccable choreography to the infamous red jacket, there are plenty of memorable moments within the nearly 14-minute music video, and it’s certainly a favourite for Mike.

“In the 80s, [Jackson] was just the biggest star there was,” Mike explained. “You could not imagine a bigger star. Everything that he did, people were writing about it. He would appear at movie premieres with Elizabeth Taylor. We wrote so many stories about him. Thriller was a real, for me anyway, a real watershed moment for music videos because it was so well choreographed. The dance scene was amazing. The album itself was incredible and so I couldn't have an 80s experience without Michael Jackson.”

Uptown Girl - Billy Joel

Billy Joel hit the lofty climes of number one in the UK with this massive 1983 hit, Uptown Girl. 

His only UK number one, Joel's 80s earworm portrayed a working class man and his love for a wealthy uptown woman. 

For Mike, Uptown Girl comes with some very special memories involving some big-name supermodels. 

He explained: “Billy Joel was kind of one of those quintessential 80s guys and the song that made my time in New York very memorable was Uptown Girl. It was recorded in New York City. There was a garage there where they'd filmed it and the great thing about New York in the 80s was that you kept seeing all these supermodels just walking around. I remember the first time I saw somebody with a bottle of Evian water… I saw this beautiful woman walking down Fifth Avenue with a little bottle of Evian water. I realised it was Christy Turlington. From that point on, suddenly water was a thing.”

Like A Prayer - Madonna 

Controversial at the time, Madonna’s Like A Prayer helped to solidify her status as the most successful solo act of the decade. 

Filled with religious symbolism with a nod to gospel music, Like A Prayer stands out as one of Madonna’s biggest hits, and marked her turning point from pop starlet to acclaimed artist. 

Mike spent many years in New York following Madonna’s career in the 80s, and recalled how he would often wait outside of her house hoping to grab an interview. 

He said: “It was just a constant presence of me sometimes doing it, other people doing it, and you’d just be waiting outside the house to see when she was going to come out. She was actually great with the press. I've never interviewed her as such but she used to quite enjoy the attention I think at that time.”

Faith - George Michael 

The infectious beat of Faith by George Michael took the charts by storm in 1987. 

It was number one in the US for four weeks and number two in the UK, but has remained one of the late singer’s most beloved hits, and not just because of the tight denim jeans and leather jacket combo!

Remembering his time with George in the decade, Mike told host Steve about another mission to get a scoop from the pop star himself. 

He said: “I went up to [Michael] and I just said, ‘hi, George. I'm Mike Graham from The News of the World in London…give us a quick interview.’ He went ‘no’, I said, ‘if I don't talk to you, I'm gonna have to follow you around the whole time.’

“So we spent the next four days basically, everywhere they went, we were behind them. We would sometimes go into the same restaurant, and send a bottle of champagne and they would refuse to accept. It was all that kind of game of cat and mouse. Every day, they tried to get a better car. They started in a stretch limo and by the end of it, they were in like a Pontiac Firebird going high speed.”

The Reflex - Duran Duran 

Duran Duran scored their second chart-topping single in 1984 with The Reflex. 

Taken from third album Seven and the Ragged Tiger, The Reflex landed at number one in the US too, which matched their James Bond theme, A View to a Kill. 

Reminiscing about seeing Duran Duran live during the single’s release, Mike explained: “It was Duran Duran's first comeback tour, I suppose you might say. They were playing, not a massive venue, in sort of midtown Manhattan. I happened to know that the manager at the time was a guy called Pete Rudge, who had been a manager of the Rolling Stones, but had a bit of a tax problem and had to pay the IRS a million dollars. Apparently he said to Mick Jagger, ‘can you help me out,’ and he went ‘no’.”

You can listen to Virgin Radio 80 Plus HERE. You can also listen on DAB+ in London and Central Scotland and on smart speakers across the UK, as well as via the Virgin Radio UK app.