# Long Shot - Identify this band from the 80s who was not Alphaville? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 16, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719 "2012-08-16T22:22:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/1 "2012-08-16T22:22:26Z")
I feel kind of foolish even posting this question, because I have so few details to share. Backstory - I am putting together a playlist of songs for an upcoming weekend - all the songs are going to be ones loved by my sister who passed away 5 years ago. The upcoming (September) weekend is the 5-year anniversary of her death and some of her (and my) friends are visiting and I have a set of activities planned that were her favorite things to do. So of course we need a playlist, right? Any way… my sister went away to college in 1986, and discovered a band that I can’t remember the name of. It would have been a band currently putting out music in 1986, but I don’t know if 1986 was near the beginning, middle or end of their career. I used the get them mixed up with Alphaville, which annoyed my sister. I am almost 100% sure their name also began with A. They were probably kind of synth-poppy and soft. Maybe some variety of Scandinavian? If I think of more details I will share them. Anyone have any ideas? Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/2 "2012-08-16T22:24:18Z")
Abba! ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/3 "2012-08-16T22:25:43Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Abba! (actual) LOL no! But she did like Abba. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/4 "2012-08-16T22:33:51Z")
A-ha? ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/5 "2012-08-16T22:39:11Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > A-ha? Sadly, no. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/6 "2012-08-16T22:40:46Z")
Animotion? ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/7 "2012-08-16T22:42:05Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > Animotion? You’re just going through the list alphabetically now! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/8 "2012-08-16T22:47:22Z")
Am not! How about Ace of Base? ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/9 "2012-08-16T22:48:43Z")
Or ABC? ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/10 "2012-08-16T22:49:55Z")
Arcadia? Art of noise? ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/11 "2012-08-16T22:51:55Z")
None of those so far. I do like the rapid-fire suggestions. It feels like a game of Outburst. ---
**Author:** ![conway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@conway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conway)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/12 "2012-08-16T22:57:23Z")
Adam Ant? ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/13 "2012-08-16T22:58:10Z")
After the Fire? ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/14 "2012-08-16T23:02:06Z")
There are kind of a lot. Any ideas as to one song and try to figure it out from that direction? Well, there is the one called ABC? Since you mixed them up with Alphaville, and the name is the beginning of the alphabet… Softer synth-pop starting with a vowel around then, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), or not a vowel, Spandau Ballet. There’s a lot to slog through, without maybe a particular song to find. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/15 "2012-08-16T23:03:28Z")
How about Ultravox? I know it’s not an A, but I could see confusing the names. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/16 "2012-08-16T23:04:20Z")
I know. It’s an annoying and possibly impossible question. I really do appreciate you all racking your brains over it though. Based on your vowel idea, going off to look for bands starting with E… (who are not Erasure) ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/17 "2012-08-16T23:06:44Z")
Asia? ---
**Author:** ![conway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@conway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conway)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/18 "2012-08-16T23:13:03Z")
English Beat? Eurythmics? INXS? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/19 "2012-08-16T23:17:35Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > I know. It’s an annoying and possibly impossible question. I really do appreciate you all racking your brains over it though. > > Based on your vowel idea, going off to look for bands starting with E… (who are not Erasure) Eurythmics? OMD? I’m struggling here to think of anything with an “A” that hasn’t been mentioned already. ---
**Author:** ![baka420](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@baka420](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baka420)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/20 "2012-08-16T23:31:24Z")
Duran Duran? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719.md?page=2)