Despite popular belief, the 1980s didn’t just give us synth-pop and flashy arena rock; it created a sprawling ecosystem where some of the most interesting music often lived in the shadows. Beneath the gloss, a thriving undercurrent of alternative artists that may have flirted with major success but remained, at heart, a little too unconventional, too earnest, or too genre-fluid to be fully absorbed by the machine.
Recently, Cherry Red Records has unearthed and celebrated four such acts with expansive, thoughtfully curated box sets: Hot House Flowers, Nik Kershaw, After the Fire, and Danny Wilson. Though stylistically diverse, these UK and European artists share a common thread: each occupied a space just to the left of center, operating within the pop ecosystem but never quite part of it. They were “alternative” not in genre-label terms, but in spirit, offering something a little different than their flashier peers.
These newly released box sets serve as more than nostalgia trips. They are reassessments and affirmations that these artists not only mattered, but were in many ways ahead of their time.
Hot House Flowers – The Older We Get: The London Years
Formed in Dublin in the mid-1980s, Hot House Flowers were a total anomaly in the MTV era: a band that blended Irish folk, gospel, and rock with unapologetic sincerity. Their 1988 debut People topped charts in Ireland and reached the UK top 10, yet their sound felt almost defiant of the moment. While others chased drum machines and cold, gothy synths, Hothouse offered warmth, spirit, and a unique, earthy feel.
The Older We Get captures their output on London Records, spanning four albums and dozens of B-sides, live tracks, and rarities across eight CDs. Songs like “Don’t Go” and “Give It Up” shimmer with passion and intensity, thanks to Liam Ó Maonlaí’s commanding vocals and the band’s textural arrangements. The band’s sound and style had more in common with college radio stalwarts REM, Big Country, and The Waterboys than the omnipresent new wave scene of the decade, which ultimately may have detracted from its breakthrough on a major level.
Nonetheless, Hot House Flowers were part of a quiet countercurrent in late-’80s bands that chose roots over artifice, depth over style. This box set reinforces their status not just as outliers, but as visionaries who refused to conform to pop’s dominant language.
Nik Kershaw – The MCA Years
It’s tempting to see Nik Kershaw as a quintessential ’80s pop star as he had the hits, the hair, and a few semi-major MTV moments, especially with his slightly off-kilter global hit, “The Riddle.” But dig a little deeper, and it’s clear he was never quite at home in the superficial world he briefly conquered. A virtuoso songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Kershaw’s best work had a complexity and introspection that set him apart from his synth-pop peers.
The MCA Years compiles all four of his studio albums for the label, from the chart-topping Human Racing to the sonically rich Radio Musicola. Alongside remixes and instrumentals are demos and rarities that showcase Kershaw’s creative and increasingly offbeat leanings, especially as his commercial visibility waned. By the late 1980s, his music had grown more experimental, positioning him further away from the chart-chasing mentality of many of his peers.
He was, in effect, an alternative artist hiding in plain sight, using pop’s toolkit to tell deeper, more idiosyncratic stories. This mammoth 10-CD box set includes a booklet and DVD with promo videos and a live set from 1984.
After the Fire – Bright Lights: 1974–1983
After the Fire embodied several aspects that would later be packaged as alternative music, long before the term existed. But for whatever reason, the band never quite cut through with the masses on a major level, in spite of a couple close calls. After the Fire began life in the 1970s as a progressive rock outfit with some pop leanings, before reinventing itself for the ’80s as a new wave band. This transformation was not just about fashion; it reflected a willingness and desire to fit in more with the times and apply its already established musical pedigree to a brand-new scene.
Bright Lights is a 6-CD journey through their shifting identity, from the proggy grandeur of early albums like Signs of Change to the synth-driven urgency of “Laser Love” and “1980-F.” Though best known in the U.S. for their English-language cover of Falco’s “Der Kommissar,” a top-5 hit, the band’s real identity was rooted in genre fluidity and subtle religious themes, making them outsiders even as they flirted with commercial success.
Their music was too intellectual for mainstream radio, too melodic for punk purists, and too edgy for the Christian rock scene. In that sense, After the Fire were the epitome of the 1980s alternative dilemma: how to be original in a market that was increasingly demanding familiarity. This new set showcases the breadth and depth of this unique band’s catalog.
Danny Wilson – The Complete Danny Wilson
Perhaps the most mysterious of this bunch was Scottish band Danny Wilson. Named after the Frank Sinatra film, Meet Danny Wilson, the band crafted an unlikely US hit in the form of the wistful, spiritually tinged pop goodie, “Mary’s Prayer.” A strange, haunting valentine to unrequited love and missed opportunities, the quirky anti-hit was seemingly everywhere. While a staple on soft-rock and elevator-music playlists the world over, there was nothing generic about this band. Infused with jazz, soul, and an evident literary wit, the trio’s music stood at odds with much of the decade’s stylistic excesses. Lead songwriter Gary Clark had a knack for svelte hooks, clever lyrics, and seamless arrangements, but for whatever reason, it may have been too much for the masses, leaving his band forever seen as one-hit wonders.
The Complete Danny Wilson includes both of the band’s studio albums (Meet Danny Wilson and Bebop Moptop), alongside rarities, B-sides, alternative mixes and a full live show, all of which highlight the band’s range and versatility.
Danny Wilson’s alternative status came not from a conscious rejection of the trends, but from how out of step it often was with prevailing scenes of the day. The band’s music was sophisticated and book-smart. Although that may have cost it longevity in the pop market, it ultimately earned it a devoted cult following, which will appreciate this long-overdue retrospective.
Each of these acts existed in the orbit of the pop mainstream without ever fully being absorbed by it. In different ways, they were “alternative” artists not by branding, but by instinct, pursuing musical paths that defied easy categorization, even as they courted success. These new box sets don’t just collect music; they restore context. They invite listeners to reconsider the ‘80s not just as a neon-lit flash culture, but as a dynamic landscape filled with artists who made their own rules, even if it meant being misunderstood or underappreciated at the time.
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