Every nation has various eras of music that coincide with events, politics, and cultural changes of its time. For those in Great Britain, the era of government under Margaret Thatcher made for good music. Though, that music often resulted from cultural divisiveness, political turmoil, and pain. Let\u2019s take a look at a few songs from Thatcher-era England and Ireland that showcased just what life was like at the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThink For A Minute\u201d by The Housemartins (1986)<\/p>\n
The northern part of the nation suffered for a number of reasons. And little in the way of help was offered by the government. As such, there was a significant class divide between the North and the South. The Housemartins\u2019 1986 indie rock record London 0 Hull 4 explored this division quite well. Several songs drag the era through the mud, and rightfully so.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, \u201cThink For A Minute\u201d is particularly powerful, as it served as an anthem of class consciousness. The album is very rooted in punk, but The Housemartins did something very unique with this indie rock record during an era when that genre was fairly self-indulgent. \u201cThink For A Minute\u201d was a Top 20 hit in both the UK and Ireland.<\/p>\n
\u201cGhost Town\u201d by The Specials (1981)<\/p>\n
The Specials\u2019 self-titled debut album had a profound effect on the ska revival movement that took place in early Thatcherite Britain. This record was released just months into Thatcher\u2019s \u201creign.\u201d And the album explores everything from racial tensions to politics to hate groups to very well-versed social commentary. However, few songs by this ska outfit are as direct about the politics of the era as the non-album single, \u201cGhost Town\u201d, from 1981.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This song is loaded with themes of urban breakdowns, suffering from unemployment, and violence. Which was fitting, considering the song came to charting prominence while British cities were full of riots.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlack Boys On Mopeds\u201d by Sin\u00e9ad O\u2019Connor (1990)<\/p>\n
While most people know this record from Sin\u00e9ad O\u2019Connor<\/a>\u2019s megahit, \u201cNothing Compares 2 U\u201d, it was the first album I thought of when curating this list. The whole of I Do Not Want What I Haven\u2019t Got is a gorgeous piece of work written by someone who lived through the conflicts of Thatcher-era Great Britain in Ireland.\u00a0<\/p>\n