Top 9 Psychedelic Furs Songs of the '80s

With this hypnotic tune from its self-titled debut, the Psychedelic Furs helped set an early template not only for all alternative rock and modern rock of the future but for the Goth-tinged sounds exemplified by fellow British bands like the Cure and Sisters of Mercy. However, that arpeggiated, dirge-like approach would turn out to be only one of many strains in the Furs' repertoire. Richard Butler would always be one of the most memorable British singers to pioneer and perfect the slightly sinister, raspy growl common in U.K. rock of the period. But there's a richness in the performance of both singer and band that few contemporary bands could muster, making this a spotlight early track for one of the top English post-punk outfits.

Despite its ubiquitous status on '80s flashback playlists and no shortage of mainstream exposure stemming from its connection to John Hughes' wildly popular film of the same name, this tune remains a vital anthem of the Furs' catalogue and the entire decade for good reason. Displaying an elegance that draws heavily from the edgier, punk-inspired work of Roxy Music, the track has always drawn heavily from the versatility of the composition and, of course, the band itself. Even in its 1981 original version (if perhaps more so in the 1986 re-recording associated with Pretty in Pink the movie), this song exemplifies the Furs' impressive ability to tap into mainstream pop without losing the uniqueness of their sound.

In terms of the band's third album, Forever Now, the heavily textured "Love My Way" certainly gets all the attention, but there's something about that well-known track that has always left me a bit cold. All the proper musical ingredients are there, and Butler's vocals are as hauntingly smooth as ever, but I really think the closing track to that record better demonstrates the continuing development of the Furs sound, from the slightly jarring but welcome strains of saxophone (which was an early, important staple of the band's palette) to the emergence of tasteful keyboards to the reliable expansion of Butler's melodic sense and Ashton's deceptively powerful guitars. This one justifies the omission of some other perfectly deserving tunes.

The Furs may have landed squarely in pop territory by 1984's Mirror Moves, but the group's songwriting had simultaneously moved forward to render this development completely palatable. Therefore, the heavy synthesizer veneer that serves throughout as skeletal framework doesn't require apology, instead merely transforming the band into a defining '80s artist. Of course, the chorus provides the all-important payoff here, as pop music generally requires, but the hooks found there would not work nearly as well without the lilting verses that set the stage for the layered, sing-along vocals at the song's core. This is all-around pleasing stuff, buoyed by the rich atmosphere created in both the arrangement and Butler's vocal performance.