What's the common thread in these songs?

Cafe Society
1

OK music experts, I like the sound of the following songs, but I cannot put into words what it is I like about them. I am looking for a common thread, style, tone, whatever. I have no musical background whatsoever. Maybe they all use an echo effect?

I already know some commonalities:

1980s
Synth rock/pop - New Romantic
Some kind of hollow haunting sound / trance-like

However, there are many 80s syth pop songs that DON’T sound like these (e.g., Duran Duran - Rio). I am trying to figure out what gives these songs that hollow, haunting, trace-like feeling.

You might say the common thread is they are all crap. That’s fine.

Don Henley - Sunset Grill & Boys of Summer

Icehouse - Crazy & No Promises

Roxy Music - More Than This

The Fixx - Secret Separation & Red Skies

Alphaville - Forever Young

Tine Turner - We Don’t Need Another Hero

Tears for Fears - Woman in Chains

Tanita Tikaram - Twist in my Sobriety

Terence Trent D’Arby - Wishing Well (sort of)

Robert Plant - Heaven Knows

Mr. Mister - Kyrie & Broken Wings

The Call - I Still Believe

The Stranglers - Skin Deep & Always the Sun

Godley and Creme - Cry

OMD - Forever Live & Die

ABC - All of my Heart

Spandau Ballet - True

Duran Duran - The Chauffeur - NSFW

Duran Duran - The Chauffeur - NSFW

2

They all have the high echoing synth flourish, maybe? It sounds like a panflute, but an octave higher. It’s usually an answer to a lyric, like:

“So take” da dee dee deeeee “Those Broken Wings” da dee dee deeeee “And lean to fly away” da dee dee da dee deeee

3

One comment on the Sunset Grill video says, “Excellent use of diminished chords to create a sense of alienation and desparation of people who are down on their luck. Song has fantastic texture.”

I don’t know what that means or if that helps.

4

I’m listening and thinking it may have to do with the holding of a single keyboard note or chord for an length of time with an echo or fade effect on either end or both ends.

5

I wouldn’t expect that to generalize. Quite a few pop songs stick with major, minor, and seventh chords.