Step inside the sonic time machine as this episode of In the Mix dives headfirst into the spectacular, high-contrast landscape of 1986. Globally, the year was defined by a sense of high-stakes drama and profound transition. The world watched in awe and heartbreak through major historical milestones like the tragic Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and the chilling wake of the Chernobyl nuclear crisis. It was a time of ideological friction, the rise of the digital dawn marked by the birth of Pixar, and a thriving counter-culture movement pushing back against the slick, polished surface of mainstream society. This exact tension bled heavily into the art of the era, creating an underground and overground world that felt simultaneously volatile, romantic, and fiercely experimental. Musically, 1986 was a fascinating crossroads where the glossy, heavily synthesized pop machine of the mid-80s clashed with a raw, brilliant explosion of indie culture and art-rock reinvention. While mainstream charts were ruled by powerhouse icons like Madonna and the stadium-sized synth-rock of a reborn Van Halen, an underground revolution was taking place just under the surface. It was the definitive year college rock, post-punk, and dark wave found their teeth; artists like The Smiths, R.E.M., and Depeche Mode were busy redefining the boundaries of alternative music by injecting pure emotion and sonic grit back into the landscape. From the pastoral studio battles of XTC to the pioneering Latin rock of Soda Stereo, this set celebrates the staggering depth of a year where pop, goth, indie, and arena anthems all shared the dial. Broadcast 29 June 2026

Songs in this episode:

0:15 XTC – Ballet For A Rainy Day (Remastered 2001)
3:16 Prince – Sometimes It Snows in April
4:20 The Smiths – There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
5:24 Elvis Costello – Uncomplicated
8:36 Nanci Griffith – The Wing & The Wheel
9:40 Pet Shop Boys – Tonight Is Forever
10:44 The Bangles, Susanna Hoffs – Walking Down Your Street
13:16 It's Immaterial – Driving Away From Home (Jim's Tune)
14:20 Van Halen – Love Walks In
15:24 Depeche Mode – Fly On the Windscreen
17:53 Cheap Trick – It's Only Love
18:57 R.E.M. – Fall On Me
20:01 David Sylvian – River Man
22:48 Crime & The City Solution – Six Bells Chime
23:52 Madonna – Live to Tell
26:29 Soda Stereo – Persiana Americana
27:33 Felt – September Lady
28:37 Cocteau Twins – Fluffy Tufts
31:40 Boston – Amanda
32:44 Redskins – Lean On Me!
33:48 New Order – Broken Promise
36:50 Killing Joke – Wintergardens
37:54 Talk Talk – Time It's Time
39:43 Ultravox – Same Old Story
40:47 Elvis Costello – I'll Wear It Proudly