The 10 Best Flock of Seagulls Songs of All-Time

A Flock of Seagulls is an English new wave band formed in 1979. Its members include Ali Score, Mike Score, Paul Reynolds, and Frank Maudsley. In their early years, the band’s musical style heavily borrowed from the new Romantic Movement. Once they outgrew the movement, they began to embrace textured guitars, lush synths, and sleek dance-pop in their songs. According to All Music, their new music style landed them on the U.S. Hot 100 four times. The band has erroneously been classified as one-hit wonders, despite charting several times in the U.S. and U.K. between 1981 and 1985. People likely heard other songs of theirs and did not know it was them. A lot can be said about the band, but we will leave it that. Instead, we are going to identify ten of their best songs. Without further ado, here are ten Flock of Seagulls songs ranked from good to best.

10. Telecommunication (1981)

Although the song neither charted on the U.S nor U.K. charts, it managed to receive considerable time on the dance charts. This song has an up-tempo beat that utilizes power chords and a heavy synth. Another reason to like this song is the creative use of futuristic lyrics to describe being in love. Some of the futuristic lyrics reference concepts like wireless communication and nuclear energy.

9. Space Age Love Song (1982)

 

Initially, the band had a rough time coming up with this song’s title. Paul ultimately suggested the above title in the header because he felt the love song sounded like it was recorded in space. The feeling of space is probably due to the echo effect caused by the synths in the song. The best part of the song is Mike’s minimalist voice which synchronizes perfectly with the guitar riffs. Additionally, the lyrics are exceptional as they detail the process of slowly falling in love by staring at someone.

8. I Ran (So Far Away) (1982)

 

This new wave song was their third single, which instantly did well on the charts. The song reached number 9 on the Billboard 100, peaked at number 3 on the Top Tracks chart, and became number 8 on the Hot Dance Club Party chart. Once again, the band creates echoes at the beginning of this song by using short guitar riffs. The song focuses on a man who is too shy to admit his feelings for an attractive woman he notices.

7. Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You) (1983)

 

This is a song that creatively uses space to describe the state of loneliness. That idea is emphasized in the song’s music video since the song takes place in space. The loneliness has been brought on by a man being far apart from his lady. Since they are far apart, he has difficulty picturing how she looks. That explains why he wishes he had a photograph of her, to remind him what she looks like. This song also did well on the charts.

6. Transfer Affection (1983)

 

The song is a slight departure from most of their songs. Unlike most of their energetic songs, this one is slow and somber. The reduced pace of the song may have to do with the song’s subject matter. In this song, a man tries to reconnect with a woman no longer interested in him. The woman urges him to move on, but the man tries his hardest to forget about her with little success.

5. Don’t Ask Me (1982)

 

This is another song that is slow and relaxing. Like the previous song, it is somber because of the subject matter. The song is about a man who laments how depressing life has been since he was separated from his lover. Suddenly, he notices that the trees, buildings, and sun no longer look the same. However, he forgets about all that when he sees his lover later on.

4. Rainfall (1995)

 

It starts with a beautiful melodic tune from the keyboard, which is immediately followed by bass and drums. Mike plays the keyboard in retro fashion, a callback to their popular style of the 1980s. Fortunately, the band managed not to depart from their style in this decade. The lyrics are also exceptional since the band uses rainfall to illustrate sadness.

3. Nightmares (1982)

 

Paul, usually the band’s guitarist, is now the main vocalist in this song, while Mike sings the chorus. When Mike sings, he conveys the feeling that he is in a dream. In fact, the guitar manages to convey a nightmarish feeling in the song. This song challenges its listener to face their problems since their mother will not always be there to help them out.

2. Remember David (1984)

 

This is an underrated song that encapsulates how we emote when we are experiencing grief. Mike’s vocals manage to sell the idea that he is confused about the concept of grief. He tries to emote the way people would when in grief, but he is unable to do so. The song, therefore, helps us to understand that sometimes people express their emotions differently.

1. The More You Live, the More You Love (1984)

 

This song is very energetic, yet it still manages to sound polished. The best part of the song is Ali’s, who plays his 1980s electronic drums, which instantly evoke a nostalgic feeling of the 1980s. Additionally, Frank manages not to disappoint with his bass work in this song. The song warns people not to trust people too much.

Conclusion

When you think of rock songs from the 1980s, you will have a rough time finding those with a message. Interestingly, a Flock of Seagulls produced conscious songs while maintaining the energetic aspect associated with rock. The new wave genre may be obsolete now, but this band’s songs will make you long for the return of this genre. Currently, the band still remains active. In fact, they have begun releasing orchestra renditions of their previous songs.

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