About this Event
Since the very first MM in 2017, a huge part of each set list has been around 1981, the year that clubs discovered the synth and even Record Mirror ran a Futurist chart with input from DJs across the UK including Marten Read who first played The Human League at The Precinct in 1978 and built the Leeds scene whilst at Leeds Warehouse.
This is a 7 hour event and as ever with MM sets, it will start off with more underground tracks so if that's not your bag or you can't last 7 hours, you can be sure to be there for the climax if you come a little later!
Here's how followers voted in two polls of alternative & mainstream to find the best tracks of 1981...
1 Heaven 17 - (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
2 Human League - Sound Of The Crowd
3 Visage - Fade To Grey
4 Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime
5 Siouxsie And The Banshees - Spellbound
6 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay
7 Kraftwerk - The Model
8 Japan - Quiet Life
9 Soft Cell - Bedsitter
10 Duran Duran - Planet Earth
11 Depeche Mode - New Life
12 Human League - Love Action (I Believe In Love)
13 Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough
14 Pete Shelley - Homosapien
15 Teardrop Explodes - Reward
16 Soft Cell - Memorabilia
17 Spandau Ballet - To Cut A Long Story Short
18 Simple Minds - Love Song
19 Soft Cell - Sex Dwarf
20 Duran Duran - Girls On Film
21 ABC - Tears Are Not Enough
22 Cure - Charlotte Sometimes
23 Devo - Whip It
24 New Order - Ceremony
25 Siouxsie And The Banshees - Israel
26 Soft Cell - Say Hello Wave Goodbye
27 Soft Cell - Tainted Love
28 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Joan Of Arc
29 Psychedelic Furs - Pretty In Pink
30 Bauhaus - Kick In The Eye
31 Cramps - Goo Goo Muck
32 David Bowie - Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
33 Spandau Ballet - Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)
34 Visage - Visage
35 Heaven 17 - Penthouse And Pavement
36 Siouxsie And The Banshees - Arabian Knights
37 Human League - Don't You Want Me
38 Duran Duran - Careless Memories
39 Ultravox - All Stood Still
40 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Maid Of Orleans
41 Human League - Open Your Heart
42 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Souvenir
43 Bauhaus - Passion Of Lovers
44 D.A.F. - Der Mussolini
45 Kim Wilde - Kids In America
46 Specials - Ghost Town
47 Visage - Mind Of A Toy
48 Ten Pole Tudor - Swords Of A Thousand Men
49 Japan - Visions Of China
50 Landscape - Einstein A Go-Go
51 Simple Minds - American
52 Ultravox - The Voice
53 Ultravox - Vienna
54 New Order - Everything's Gone Green
55 Killing Joke - Follow The Leaders
56 Kraftwerk - Computer Love
57 Jam - That's Entertainment
58 Stranglers - Golden Brown
59 Adam & The Ants - Stand And Deliver
60 Human League - The Things That Dreams Are Made Of
61 Heaven 17 - Play To Win
62 Depeche Mode - Dreaming Of Me
63 Duran Duran - My Own Way
64 Motorhead - Ace Of Spades
65 Japan - Art Of Parties
66 Teardrop Explodes - Treason (It's Just A Story)
67 Department S - Is Vic There?
68 Soft Cell - Chips On My Shoulder
69 Human League - Seconds
70 Haircut 100 - Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)
71 Fun Boy Three - The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)
72 Ultravox - The Thin Wall
73 Altered Images - Happy Birthday
74 Pigbag - Papa’s Got A Brand New Pig Bag
75 Simple Minds - Sweat In Bullet
76 Queen And David Bowie - Under Pressure
77 Clash - The Magnificent Seven
78 B-Movie - Remembrance Day
79 Public Image Ltd - Flowers Of Romance
80 Soft Cell - Entertain Me
81 Altered Images - I Could Be Happy
82 Sisters Of Mercy - Floorshow (Demo)
83 Haircut 100 - Love Plus One
84 Cramps - The Crusher
85 Cure - Primary
86 Japan - Cantonese Boy
87 Birthday Party - Release The Bats
88 Soft Cell - Frustration
89 Echo And The Bunnyman - A Promise
90 Adam & The Ants - Prince Charming
91 Grace Jones - Pull Up To The Bumper
92 U2 - Gloria
93 New Order - Procession
94 Cramps - New Kind Of Kick
95 Simple Minds - Celebrate
96 Toyah - It's A Mystery
97 Blondie - Rapture
98 Passions - I'm In Love With A German Film Star
99 Gina X Performance - No G.D.M. (Dedicated To Quentin Crisp)
100 Joy Division - Dead Souls
101 Go-Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed
102 Dead Kennedys - Too Drunk To Fuck
103 Simple Minds - Theme For Great Cities
104 B-52's - Planet Claire Instrumental
105 A Flock Of Seagulls - Talking
106 Echo And The Bunnyman - Crocodiles
107 Depeche Mode - Shout!
108 Stray Cats - Rock This Town
109 J. Geils Band - Centerfold
110 Gary Numan - She's Got Claws
111 John Foxx - Europe (After The Rain)
112 Fad Gadget - Coitus Interruptus
113 Teardrop Explodes - Passionate Friend
114 Kraftwerk - Numbers
115 Toyah - I Want To Be Free
116 Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood
117 Spandau Ballet - Freeze
118 Men At Work - Down Under
119 Human League - Hard Times
120 Heaven 17 - Let's All Make A Bomb
121 Creatures - Mad Eyed Screamer
122 Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
123 Stray Cats - Stray Cat Strut
124 Clash - This Is Radio Clash
125 Heaven 17 - Geisha Boys And Temple Girls
126 Duran Duran - Anyone Out There
127 Gun Club - Sex Beat
128 Visage - We Move
129 Heaven 17 - I’m Your Money
130 Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight
131 Heaven 17 - The Height Of The Fighting
132 A Flock Of Seagulls - Telecommunication
133 Hazel O'Connor - D-Days
134 Kim Wilde - Chequered Love
135 Specials - Do Nothing
136 Our Daugter's Wedding - Lawnchairs
137 Laurie Anderson - O Superman
138 Ramones - The KKK Took My Baby Away
139 ABBA - Lay All Your Love On Me
140 Undertones - It's Going To Happen
141 Scritti Politti - The Sweetest Girl
142 Adam & The Ants - Ant Rap
143 Tom Tom Club - Genius Of Love
144 XTC - Sgt Rock (Is Going To Help Me)
145 Police - Invisible Sun
146 Human League - Boys And Girls
147 Headgirl (Motorhead & Girlschool) - Please Don't Touch
148 Daryl Hall And John Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
149 Odyssey - Going Back To My Roots
150 UB40 - One In Ten
151 Thomas Dolby - Europa And The Pirate Twins
152 Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - I Love Rock 'N' Roll
153 Journey - Don't Stop Believing
154 Police - Spirits In The Material World
155 Mobiles - Drowning In Berlin
156 Cabaret Voltaire - Seconds Too Late
157 Bauhaus - Hollow Hills
158 U2 - Fire
159 Toni Basil - Mickey
160 Jam - Funeral Pyre
161 Shakatak - Easier Said Than Done
162 Earth Wind & Fire - Let's Groove
163 Imagination - Flashback
164 Aneka - Japanese Boy
165 Toyah - Thunder In The Mountains
166 Dollar - Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)
167 Kid Creole And The Coconuts - I'm A Wonderful Thing (Baby)
168 Rainbow - I Surrender
169 Imagination - Body Talk
170 Classix Nouveaux - Guilty
171 Siouxsie And The Banshees - Monitor
172 Coast To Coast - (Do) The Hucklebuck
173 Godley And Crème - Under Your Thumb
174 New Order - In A Lonely Place
175 Yello - Bostich
176 Sisters Of Mercy - Adrenochrome (Demo)
177 Liaisons Dangereuses - Los Niños Del Parque
178 Jam - Absolute Beginners
179 Kirsty MacColl - There's A Guy Works Down The Chipshop Swears He's Elvis
180 Electric Light Orchestra - Hold On Tight
181 Stevie Nicks - Edge Of Seventeen
182 Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes
183 Meatloaf - Dead Ringer For Love
184 Jacksons - Can You Feel It
185 Freeez - Southern Freeez
186 Dave Stewart With Barbara Gaskin - It's My Party
187 Daryl Hall And John Oates - Private Eyes
188 Gary Numan - The Wreckage
189 Psychedelic Furs - Dumb Waiters
190 Spandau Ballet - Paint Me Down
191 Linx - Intuition
192 Kim Wilde - Water On Glass
193 Boys Town Gang - Can't Take My Eyes Off You
194 Boomtown Rats - Banana Republic
195 Stray Cats - Runaway Boys
196 REO Speedwagon - Keep On Loving You
197 Roxy Music - Jealous Guy
198 Chameleons - Here Today
199 R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe
200 Fad Gadget - Swallow It
201 Kate Bush - Sat In Your Lap
202 Whispers - It's A Love Thing
203 Klaus Nomi - You Don't Own Me
204 Depeche Mode - I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead
205 Lene Lovich - New Toy
206 Madness - It Must Be Love
207 Jon And Vangelis - I'll Find My Way Home
208 AC/DC - For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
209 Bow Wow Wow - W.O.R.K. (N.O. Nah No! No! My Daddy Don't)
210 Dexy's Midnight Runners - Show Me
211 Sugarhill Gang - Apache
212 Bucks Fizz - The Land Of Make Believe
213 Birthday Party - Zoo-Music Girl
214 Animal Magnet - Welcome To The Monkey House
215 Cramps - Green Fuz
216 Magazine - About The Weather
217 Rod Stewart - Young Turks
218 Bad Manners - Just A Feeling
219 Junior Giscombe - Mama Used To Say
220 Squeeze - Is That Love
221 Phil Lynott - Yellow Pearl
222 Birthday Party - Nick The Stripper
223 B-Movie - Marilyn Dreams
224 Danse Society - Clock
225 Dead Or Alive - Number Eleven
226 Fashion - Mutant Move
227 Eurythmics - Never Gonna Cry Again
228 Ronny - If You Want Me To Stay
229 Phil Collins - I Missed Again
230 Sheena Easton - For Your Eyes Only
231 Police - De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
232 Rolling Stones - Start Me Up
233 Luther Vandross - Never Too Much
234 Associates - Kitchen Person
235 Grandmaster Flash - Adventures On The Wheels Of Steel
236 Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up
237 Ottawan - Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)
238 Prince - Controversy
239 D Train - You're The One For Me
240 Madness - Shut Up
241 Dexy's Midnight Runners - Plan B
242 Brian Eno & David Byrne - The Jezebel Spirit
243 Yellow Magic Orchestra - Nice Age
244 Nash The Slash - Dead Man’s Curve
245 Exploited - Dead Cities
246 Nolans - Attention To Me
247 Cliff Richard - Wired For Sound
248 Olivia Newton-John - Physical
249 Smokey Robinson - Being With You
250 Gun Club - For The Love Of Ivy
251 D.A.F. - Sex Under Water
252 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - It's Nasty (Genius Of Love)
253 Bad Manners - Walking In The Sunshine
254 Kool And The Gang - Get Down On It
255 Fall - Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul
256 Bow Wow Wow - Chihuahua
257 Shock - Angel Face
258 Gang Of Four - To Hell With Poverty
259 Xmal Deutschalnd - Schwarze Welt
260 Orange Juice - L.O.V.E... Love
261 Godley And Crème - Wedding Bells
262 Susan Fassbender - Twilight Café
263 Genesis - Abacab
264 Rhoda with The Special A.K.A. - The Boiler
265 Sugar Minott - Good Thing Going (We've Got A Good Thing Going)
266 Landscape - European Man
267 Kid Creole And The Coconuts - Me No Pop I
268 Blue Rondo A La Turk - Me And Mr Sanchez
269 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - Freedom
270 Modern Romance - Tonight
271 Pretenders - Message Of Love
272 Dave Stewart And Colin Bluntstone - What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted
273 Linx - So This Is Romance
274 Classix Nouveaux - The Robots Dance
275 Vapors - Jimmie Jones
276 Church - The Unguarded Moment
277 Meteors - Rockabilly Psychosis
278 Iggy Pop - Pumpin' For Jill
279 Au Pairs - Headache For Michelle
280 Gap Band - Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)
281 Quincy Jones - Ai No Corrida (I-No-Ko-Ree-Da)
282 Dire Straits - Tunnel Of Love
283 Racey - Runaround Sue
284 Level 42 - Love Games
285 Dollar - Hand Held In Black And White
286 Yarborough And Peoples - Don't Stop The Music
287 Vangelis - Chariots Of Fire - Titles
288 Polecats - John I'm Only Dancing
289 Shakin' Stevens - Green Door
290 Cars - Since You're Gone
291 Pete Shelley - Witness The Change
292 Alan Vega - Jukebox Babe
293 A Certain Ratio - Flight
294 Modern English - 16 Days
295 Peter Godwin - Torch Songs For The Heroine (Dance Mix)
296 Blue Zoo - Love Moves In Strange Ways
297 Misfits - Halloween
298 Thompson Twins - Animal Laugh (Oumma Aularesso)
299 Undertones - When Saturday Comes
300 Sharon Redd - Can You Handle It
301 Pat Benatar - We Live For Love
302 Robert Palmer - Looking For Clues
303 Modern Romance - Everybody Salsa
304 Yoko Ono - Walking On Thin Ice
305 Was (Not Was) - Out Come The Freaks
306 Beat - Drowning
307 Third World - Dancing On The Floor (Hooked On Love)
308 Afrika Bambaataa & The Jazzy 5 - Jazzy Sensation (Bronx Version)
309 Wah!-Nah=Poo - Seven Minutes To Midnight
310 Spandau Ballet - Glow
311 Theatre Of Hate - Rebel Without A Brain
312 Comsat Angels - Our Secret
313 Fire Engines - Candyskin
314 Burundi Black - Burundi Black
315 Divine - Born To Be Cheap
316 Look - I Am The Beat
317 INXS - Stay Young
318 Evelyn 'Champagne' King - I'm In Love
319 Grace Jones - Demolition Man
320 Dennis Waterman - I Could Be So Good For You
321 Starsound - Stars On 45
322 Whitesnake - Don't Break My Heart Again
323 Beat - Doors Of Your Heart
324 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Birthday Party
325 Barry Manilow - Bermuda Triangle
326 ESG - Moody
327 Bill Nelson - Living In My Limousine
328 Berlin Blondes - Framework
329 Virgin Prunes - Seven Bastard Suck
330 Shock - R.E.R.B.
331 Chris & Cosey - Put Yourself In Los Angeles
332 Artery - Into The Garden
333 Modern Eon - Euthenics
334 Telex - Brainwash
335 General Saint & Clint Eastwood - Another One Bites The Dust
336 Beggar And Co - (Somebody) Help Me Out
337 Shalamar - Make That Move
338 Oingo Boingo - Little Girls
339 Iron Maiden - Wrathchild
340 Tight Fit - Back To The Sixties
341 Change - The End
342 Shakin' Stevens - This Ole House
343 Coast To Coast - Let's Jump The Broomstick
344 Higsons - I Don't Want To Live With Monkeys
345 Matt Johnson - Song Without An Ending
346 Sound - Sense Of Purpose (What Are We Going To Do)
347 News - A World Without Love
348 Front 242 - Principles
349 Music For Pleasure - Debris
350 Mood - Is There A Reason
Doors 3pm on Saturday 24th October 2026 at The Backroom, Leeds
A handful of Early Bird tickets are available at only £7.50 as it goes on sale well ahead of the date, I'd like to thank everyone who takes up these offers, it allows me to plan ahead and if an event is not selling, I can shelve it for a later date as I did for the B-sides & album tracks event, turning out to be a great success once it was moved.
In the event of this gig being rescheduled or cancelled, the choice of keeping tickets for a future date or a refund would be offered. Age restriction strictly over 18s, refunds will not be issued for tickets bought in error.
Event Venue
The Backroom, 50a Call Lane, Leeds, United Kingdom
GBP 5.40 to GBP 10.78
