Top 10 A Flock Of Seagulls Songs

Feature Photo: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 A Flock Of Seagulls Songs looks at a band that arrived on the music scene in 1980 straight out of Liverpool, England. 1980 was a very interesting year in music as new wave began infiltrating both radio and clubs. A mixture of punk, classic rock and disco resulted in a very interesting sound that was both loved and hated. A Flock Of Seagulls were the pallbearers of that sound and generated their own share of lovers and haters. Regardless of how you felt about the band, they made an instant impact with the release of their smash single “I Ran.” The group did not last long. New wave did not last that long. Nonetheless, the songs have basically stood the test of time.

A Flock Of Seagulls’ first release was a single entitled “Talking.” Shortly afterwards, the band was signed to Jive Records. After a few more single releases, the band released a 5-song EP containing the songs “Telecommunication, Tanglimara, You Can Run, Modern Love Is Automatic and Modern Love Is Automatic.”

The band’s first full-length LP was released in 1982. It contained many of the songs released on the earlier EP. The band’s breakout hit “I Ran,” was also issued on the first full length album entitled simply A Flock Of Seagulls. The band followed up their first LP with the album Listen. The band’s second album achieved tremendous commercial success, primarily driven by the success of the hit single “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You).”

The band’s early lineup released one album together in 1984 entitled The Story of a Young Heart. Some lineup changes occurred on the band’s fourth album, released in 1985, called Dream Come True. Ten years later in 1995, A Flock of Seagulls released the album The Light at the End of the World. However, Mike Score was the only original member of A Flock Of Seagulls to appear on the album. An album of orchestrated arrangements of classic A Flock Of Seagulls songs was released in 2018. The album entitled Ascension actually featured all the members of the original lineup.

# 10 – Transfer Affection

We open our top 10 A Flock Of Seagulls songs with the track “Transfer Affection.” The song was released on the band’s second album, Listen. “Transfer Affection” was the third single issued from the record. The sound of 80s drum machines by Roland and Korg is a defining mark of the music of the early 1980s.

# 9 – Messages

I love the way this one opens with a kicking drum fill and a very intense keyboard riff that sounds like it would be on the soundtrack of an 80s spy thriller. The song “Messages” was released on the band’s debut LP. The song’s great opening lick that blew out of the killer drum fill was to die for. The song “Messages” was never released as a single, but it was one of our favorite songs on that great first album.

# 8 – Nightmares

“Nightmares” was the second single released from the band’s second album, entitled Listen. As most of these songs on this A Flock Of Seagulls list stem from the band’s first two albums, it’s interesting to hear the differences in the sound of the band and the writing style between the two albums.

# 7 – It’s Not Me Talking

The song “It’s Not Me Talking,” was the band’s debut single before they had even secured a recording contract. The song was originally released in 1980. After the success of the band’s first album, the song “It’s Not Me Talking,” was released once again this time on the band’s second album. It was even issued as the fourth single from the record.

# 6 – D.N.A

The great A Flock Of Seagulls instrumental was released on the band first ep and their first album. The song ‘D.N.A.” won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1983.

# 5 – The More You Live, The More You Love

Continuing with our A Flock OF Seagulls songs list, we finally find our way to the band’s third album entitled The Story Of A Young Heart. The song “The More You Live, the More You Love” was the album first single release.

# 4 – Space Age Love Songs

Even if your not A Flock Of Seagulls fan, chances are that if your over the age of 40, at one time in your life you have heard each one of the last four songs on our Top 10 A Flock Of Seagulls songs list. “Space Age Love Songs” was the fourth single released from the band’s debut album. The song reached the number 30 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982

# 3 – Telecommunication

Now, even if you don’t like this band, you have to admit this is a really fun song. And for the record, we love A Flock Of Seagulls. They were great at what they did, and their sound was incredibly original and fresh in 1982.

# 2 – Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)

The band really did a great job of following up the success of their first album with the lead single from their second album, entitled “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You).” The song hit number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. The song did even better on the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks, reaching all the way to number 3.

# 1 – I Ran

There was no doubt about this one. The song “I Ran,” was the third single released from their debut album. The song hit number one in Australia. It was also the band’s highest charting song ever in the United States. The song reached number seven on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Surprisingly, it did not have much success in the U.K. as it peaked at number 43. Regardless of chart success or not, the song has become ingrained in music history culture.