ABC - Essential ABC (2020)

There are some acts that seem to forever be associated with a period in time and for ABC it’s without doubt the 80s. Lead by original front man and chief songwriter Martin Fry, ABC continue to perform to sell-out crowds and produce great records yet it’s that first album, The Lexicon of Love, which reached the UK No.1 spot in the summer of 1982 that seems to define them.

Hailing from Sheffield, they came into view just as the autumn of 1981 was giving way to winter. Fully formed, bright, confident and with a peerless debut album up their sleeves, together with Trevor Horn’s blossoming production talents they’d arguably forged the perfect debut pop album. Over the next 10 years they’d score no less than 10 UK top 40 single hits, 5 of which would chart across the pond, where alongside fellow Sheffield band The Human League, the US would refer to them as part of The Second British Invasion!

It’s the first 10 years, between 1981 and 1990 of the band’s history which this 3CD set celebrates and it features all 10 of those aforementioned hit singles together with key tracks from their 6 studio albums from the same period, 5 of which graced the UK album chart top 30. So prepare for a listening experience that takes you from the instantly memorable Poison Arrow (UK No.6), to the perfect pop of The Look of Love (UK No.4) and the fairy tale All of My Heart (UK no. 5) to the infectious blue-eyed soul of 1987’s When Smokey Sings (UK No. 11), the 80s electro of How To Be A Millionaire (UK No. 49), the jazz funk of Tears Are Not Enough (UK No. 19) and the uplifting house sounds of One Better World (UK No. 32).

More than just a best of, the Essential ABC casts the spotlight on the first decade of one of the UK’s most enduring bands.