Fianna Fail managed to keep the seaports and airports busier than ever this year while Stock, Aiken & Waterman continued to dominate the charts by recording the same song again and again, is anyone ready for a Rick Astley revival?).

It was also a year of the return of the living dead (warmed up) Dylan caught everyone unawares by releasing his best album in years and The Stones did likewise playing to millions of screaming Americans, some of them young enough to be their wives, while Lou reed and Neil Young bookended the year with two of their most vital albums ever, in ‘New York’ and ‘Freedom’. Whoever said ‘Long Live Rock’n’roll’ must be laughing now! …

My records of the year would include those by De La Soul, the Pixies, Van Morrison, Neneh Cherry, The Blue Nile, Soul 11 Soul, The Stones, Bob Mould, Digital Underground and a cast of thousands.

Reasons to be cheerful: all the above plus comics, Gasbag, Manchester, Mr. Abusing, The Baskerville Sisters and The Joshua Trio.