Eurythmics are one of many 80s acts who dominated the decade (particularly the mid-80s) but whose legacy seems to have been distilled into one touchstone song 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)', with a couple of other singles (probably 'Here Comes The Rain Again' and 'Would I Lie To You?') trailing quite far behind it. This surprises me, as I always thought Eurythmics' distinctive sound, striking image and the overall quality of their catalogue would see them celebrated by future generations — that they would have an enduring legacy like Fleetwood Mac, for example. I'm not suggesting Eurythmics have been forgotten, but I do believe they are neglected. It's telling that this is the first appreciation thread for them on this forum. So... what are your thoughts about Eurythmics? What are your favourite songs? Which albums do you recommend? What are your memories of them in the 80s? Do you believe they're under-appreciated today?
They were great, they are under-appreciated, and I think they somehow ended up suffering from the rapid tonal and generic shifts in their sound. They went from the synth pop of Sweet Dreams and Touch to the blue-eyed soul of Be Yourself Tonight, to the retro-pop (sort of) of Revenge, and finally to a more dance influenced sound on Savage. I think they lost segments of their audience along the way - Revenge and Savage in particular I think failed to reproduce the level of sales, hits, and buzz of the prior three albums.
Love The Eurythmics! I have a couple of their albums and their greatest hits. My favorite songs are "Love Is A Stranger", "Would I Lie To You?", "Thorn In My Side" and "The Last Time". Unfortunately they seem to get overlooked nowadays with classic 80s rock radio only playing their 2 biggest hits. (You know the ones). But, yeah, terrific 80s band. Perfect sound for that decade and yet still sounds timeless.
81-89 I can find gems from each album I love Belinda! If it weren't for Dave, I wouldn't have Toni Halliday/Curve so it worked out great
Oh yeah! The Eurythmics really display the early to mid 1980's sound. Solid, creative band who has a slew of mega hits and huge albums. Lennox and Stewart really worked together and their efforts really showed in their musical output. The Eurythmics are underappreciated and should be held in higher esteem. The early to mid 1980's great times BIG fun & the Eurythmics.
I think you’ve hit on something interesting here. They certainly did make some dramatic shifts in style, which makes them tricky to define. Are they a synth duo? A rock act? Perhaps I was wrong in stating they have a distinctive sound. Maybe it’s just Annie’s voice that is so distinctive. Their career did nosedive with Savage, which is a shame as I think it’s their strongest album. It does have pop songs on it (‘You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart’) but it’s a much more adventurous and challenging record than Revenge, which is pure pop. Revenge was a massive success here in Australia, becoming the 13th biggest-selling album of the decade, so I actually think of it as their commercial peak. But it didn’t do very well in the US, surprisingly.
Who's that Girl and There Must be an Angel are nice songs I would not say they were under-appreciated, in fact I think they're probably one of the more known bands from the 80's
I dig 'em. My favourite album is, Be Yourself Tonight, partly because it's more rock and organic sounding than the previous titles, which I still like regardless. I enjoy nearly their entire catalogue, apart from In The Garden & Peace (though, hopefully one day these titles will grow on me?). Savage, is an interesting album, in that they were getting more experimental again, ala, 1984 (For The Love Of Big Brother), though just not as much. And of course, that meant lower charting singles and less sales. However, I've heard that Savage is Dave & Annie's favourite Eurythmics album. We Too Are One, is a great album too, despite its glossy production. And they always made great music videos - very creative stuff. A proper reunion tour is needed. The Peace tour in 1999-2000 was too short and only played a handful of markets. I believe it would do big business, especially since they haven't properly toured since the '80s. Their Canadian sales were always far higher per capita than their US sales. Considering this, I think they would be able to headline arenas here but only in bigger markets in the US... For any newcomers, Greatest Hits, is a good place to start...
It's not very well remembered today, but I've always loved 'Right By Your Side'. It was such an unexpected departure from their string of synth-heavy hits and I just love its joyous calypso swing. One of Eurythmics' greatest strengths was that they liked to surprise their audience and I certainly never saw this one coming. It never fails to transport me straight back to the (Australian) summer of 1984. Great vocal from Annie and she looks glorious in the video.
I guess I have another album in my wishlist ! Always wanted to know more of their songs than the two big hits. I'm not surprised it didn't do well on the US. I think R&B and jack swing was on the rise.
I'm sure a reunion tour would go well here, too. Is Annie's voice up to touring these days? I wonder. I remember a couple of years ago there were some Instagram posts of Dave and Annie together that suggested they were recording again —although nothing has been mentioned since, so perhaps they were just reconnecting. It really is a fantastic compilation. One of the best "greatest hits" albums, I reckon.
1984 So .... after working in a record store during summer '85 (Be Yourself Tonight) and then another one during summer '86 (Revenge) ..... they were in my head enough that I actually bought a pair of tickets to see them in Costa Mesa (Orange County) CA .... Now, I took a friend with me to that concert, a person who normally would have no interest at all in Eurythmics .... actually picked him up at the airport and then went straight to that show. I know we were there but damn I can't remember a thing about it !? (except that one of the backing singers got to play the part of Aretha during "Sisters..." ) I wish that wasn't the case, it's kinda perturbing.... I wasn't in the best company, that's part of it.... probably beer too. There is a Live in Sydney '87 video release that I should look into, maybe that would shake some memories loose ? so ..... I do appreciate them but it seems I wasn't really a genuine fan. ha, okay -- here is the Sydney video. I like it ! is that Clem from Blondie on the drums ? Chucho Merchan on bass, I know him from Pete Townshend's Deep End (1985).
If you enjoy pop, you'll love Revenge — although Touch, Be Yourself Tonight and Savage are very strong albums, too. You're enough of a fan to have posted these fantastic pics, so don't be too hard on yourself! I also saw the Revenge tour (here in Melbourne) and it was a fantastic concert. The curtain at the start was a huge zipper and it was the tour where Annie famously stripped down to a red bra for 'Would I Lie To You?'. They also performed a wonderful acoustic version of 'Who's That Girl' — the highlight of the show for me. This is a studio version (it appeared on the 12" of 'The Miracle of Love'), but maybe it will trigger some memories. Apologies if the YouTube clip is blocked in your country.
I certainly hope so. I know they've performed at a few benefit concerts and award shows over the years. Though, they didn't play a full set. No doubt about it.
Fabulous. She's on fire in this clip. Again, this song was such a surprise at the time. The last thing I'd expected from them was this new rock sound. It was their biggest hit down here — number one for two weeks and the tenth biggest selling single of 1985.
AnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnieAnnie And Dave I think one should start with The Tourists They are both very artistic, evolving and can do anything, they where power pop starting out. But really they did do many different things, however Annie was such a trend setter. She could have even been an actress, her stage presence, and captivating looks made you watch everything they did. Add that mix to MTV with artistic videos and good music nothing could stop them. And end with Annie's solo albums, as they are just as good, better in ways
Along with Savage, a real fan favourite and probably the Eurythmics album I play most often. It has such a unique mood to it. It’s my all-time favourite film score, even though there were big disputes about it with the Director and I don’t think he used much of it in the original cut.
This is an interesting piece on the "messy history" of 1984: For the Love of Big Brother: The Messy History of the Eurythmics' '1984' Soundtrack They talk about it here, too (along with their other albums) in this great interview with SDE: Eurythmics talk to SDE about their back catalogue and the new vinyl reissues | superdeluxeedition
Well, none of the songs are in the film, IIRC, though Sex Crime may have been in the credits. It’s an impressive work, I think, and I like it as much as Vangelis’ work on Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner. There’s a lot of loop back vocals and sounds that don’t resolve normally, which fits perfectly with the whole theme of the book. I give it a double plus good rating!
I was happy to see you mention 'The Last Time' — it's always been one of my favourite songs on Revenge. I love 'A Little of You', as well.
