Madonna, Marillion, Midge Ure, and Mick Jagger? The UK charts of September 27, 1985, were overflowing with bold pairings, power ballads, and synth-powered bangers. This week’s Gen X 80s Top 20 Countdown UK takes you from the pulsing defiance of “Trapped” to the neon melancholy of “Drive,” with side-trips through Italo disco, orchestral soul, and pop theatre. It’s Bowie and Jagger colliding, Bonnie Tyler howling for a hero, and a second helping of Madonna just because the world demanded it. The eyeliner was thick, the grooves were bold, and the hooks came with keytars. This was autumn ’85, and we were all in.

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Intro music by Roman Orekhov from Pixabay