Written by BBC R2
Format: MP3

1986 (8 Dec 2011)
Radio 2's audio journey moves into 1986, as Jeremy Vine introduces the year of Westland, Wapping and Red Wedge.

Everybody wants to Run The World, TV ads are urging us to "Tell Sid," there's "Panic on the streets of Carlisle", and there's a new four letter word - AIDS.

Music played:
Europe — The Final Countdown
Mr. Mister — Broken Wings
Billy Ocean — When The Going Gets Tough
Berlin — Take My Breath Away
The Smiths — Panic
Cameo — Word Up
Public Image Ltd. — Rise
Run Dmc & Aerosmith — Walk This Way
Peter Gabriel — Sledgehammer
Prince — Kiss
Tears for Fears — Everybody Wants To Run The World
Spitting Image — The Chicken Song
Falco — Amadeus
James Brown — Living In America
Robert Palmer — Addicted To Love
Cliff Richard & The Young Ones — Livin' Doll
a-ha — The Sun Always Shines On TV
Chris de Burgh — Lady In Red
Billy Bragg — Days Like These
Madonna — Papa Don't Preach
The Communards — Don't Leave Me This Way
Queen — Who Wants To Live Forever

1987 (15 Dec 2011)
Radio 2's audio journey arrives in 1987. Hurricane winds batter southern England, tragedy strikes the market town of Hungerford, while the Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes just outside the Belgian port of Zeebrugge.

There are big wins for Pat Cash, Seve Ballesteros and Mrs Thatcher. And, in the clubs, it's time to Jack Your Body and Pump Up The Volume.

Music played:
The Beatles — Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
R.E.M. — It's The End Of The World As We Know It
Pet Shop Boys — It's A Sin
Mel & Kim — Respectable
U2 — Mothers Of The Disappeared
Ferry Aid — Let It Be
U2 — I Still Haven't Found What I'M Looking For
Bee Gees — You Win Again
New Order — True Faith
MARRS — Pump Up The Volume
Beastie Boys — You Gotta Fight For Your Right To Party
The Smiths — Shoplifters Of The World Unite
Rick Astley — Never Gonna Give You Up
Starship — Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
Belinda Carlisle — Heaven Is A Place On Earth
Steve "Silk" Hurley — Jack Your Body
Aretha Franklin & George Michael — I Knew You Were Waiting For Me
Los Lobos — La Bamba
George Harrison — Got My Mind Set On You
Fleetwood Mac — Little Lies
The Proclaimers — Letter From America
Labi Siffre — Something Inside So Strong
Black — Wonderful Life
Julian Cope — World Shut Your Mouth
Pogues & Kirsty Maccoll — Fairytale Of New York

1988 (29 Dec 2011)
Jeremy Vine introduces 1988, the year acid house raves arrived from Chicago sparking the "Second Summer of Love" with DJs like Danny Rampling and Paul Oakenfold curating large-scale events across the UK.

In the charts, boy band Bros continue their commercial success with four Top 10 hits including the re-released I Owe You Nothing; and in the news, the Lockerbie bombing dominates the headlines.
Music played

Harry Enfield — Loadsamoney, Doin' Up The House
Eric B. & Rakim Eric B. & Rakim — I Know You Got Soul
Yazz — The Only Way Is Up
Barry Crocker — Neighbours
Kylie Minogue — I Should Be So Lucky
Bros — When Will I Be Famous
Liverpool F.C. — The Anfield Rap
Public Enemy — Don't Believe The Hype
Aztec Camera — Somewhere In My Heart
The Proclaimers — I'm Gonna Be 500 Miles
D Mob featuring Gary Haisman — We Call It Acieed
The Beatmasters — Rok Da House
Starlight Musical Express — Theme From the Starlight Express
The Timelords — Doctoring The Tardis
Bobby McFerrin — Don't Worry Be Happy
Fleetwood Mac — Everywhere
George Michael — Father Figure
Yello — The Race
Michael Jackson — Man In The Mirror
Tracy Chapman — Fast Car
Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan — Especially For You
Art of Noise featuring Tom Jones — Kiss
U2 — All I Want Is You
Cliff Richard — Mistletoe & Wine

1989 (5 Jan 2011)
Jeremy Vine introduces an audio collage of 1989 featuring the music, news and trivia that defined the end of a decade.

It's a tumultuous year in Europe, with the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the so-called "velvet revolution" across the former soviet bloc. Further afield there are protests in Tiananmen Square against the Chinese government whilst, at home, it's the year of the Hillsborough disaster and the Exxon Valdez.

In the charts Stock, Aitken & Waterman dominate, with number one singles by Kylie, Jason Donovan, Donna Summer, Sonia and more.
Music played

Billy Joel — We Didn't Start The Fire
Chris Rea — The Road To Hell
Madonna — Like A Prayer
Reynolds Girls — I'd Rather Jack
Simple Minds — Belfast Child
The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock Aitken Waterman — Ferry Cross The Mersey
Tina Turner — The Best
The Lightning Seeds — Pure & Simple
Soul II Soul — Back To Life
R.E.M. — Orange Crush
The Bangles — Eternal Flame
The Stone Roses — She Bangs The Drum
Queen — I Want It All
Phil Collins — Another Day In Paradise
Johnny Clegg and Savuka — One Man One Vote
Electronic — Getting Away With It
Roy Orbison — You Got It
Shakespears Sister — You're History
Black Box — Ride On Time
808 State — Pacific
The Beautiful South — Song For Whoever
Tears for Fears — Sowing The Seeds Of Love
Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville — Don't Know Much

1990 (12 Jan 2012)
Radio 2's audio journey through five decades of triumph, tragedy and trivia reaches a new decade, as Jeremy Vine introduces 1990.

England make it to the World Cup Semi Final to meet West Germany, but lose on penalties, Paul Gascoigne sheds those famous tears and Pavarotti's Nessun Dorma hits the pop charts worldwide.

There are celebrations in an officially re-unified Germany and in South Africa for the release of Nelson Mandela, but elsewhere in the world there's despair in Kuwait, as Iraqi forces invade following accusations of "slant drilling".

In the UK the country is gripped by Mad Cow disease and Margaret Thatcher stands down as prime minister in a tearful farewell speech. And, at the cinema, we're all gripped by the tale of a Pretty Woman.
Music played

Beats International — Beats Be Good To Me
Del Amitri — Nothing Ever Happens
Happy Mondays — Step On
Elton John — Sacrifice
MC Hammer — U Can't Touch This
Sinéad O’Connor — Nothing Compares 2 U
Roxette — It Must Have Been Love
New Order — World In Motion
Luciano Pavarotti — Nessun Dorma
DNA Feat Suzanne Vega — Tom's Diner
EMF — Unbelievable
Madonna — Vogue
Adamski — Killer
They Might Be Giants — Birdhouse In Your Soul
Betty Boo — Doin The Do
New Kids on the Block — Hangin' Tough
Primal Scream — Loaded
Kylie Minogue — Better The Devil You Know
The B-52s — Love Shack
Adventures of Stevie V — Dirty Cash
The La's — There She Goes
Snap! — The Power
Del Amitri — Nothing Ever Happens