200 Greatest Sophisti-Pop Songs

Sade, Bryan Ferry, Swing Out Sister, Wet Wet Wet
Description: Polished Upscale Pop. Sophisticated Pop music arose in the United Kingdom of the mid 1980s as an offshoot of the New Wave movement. Combining New Wave pop with elements of smooth jazz, soul, and world music, resulting in an elegant listening style.

Criteria: These Sophisti-Pop Songs were chosen and ranked considering their initial and lasting popularity, musical impact, influence, and originality. This list highlights the best examples of songs that exemplify Sophisti-Pop, not necessarily their greatest hits.

Last Updated: 2022-12-12
Greatest Sophisti-Pop Songs
1. Smooth Operator - Sade
2. More Than This - Roxy Music
3. Careless Whisper - Wham! featuring George Michael
4. Holding Back the Years - Simply Red
5. Breakout - Swing Out Sister
6. True - Spandau Ballet
7. When Love Breaks Down - Prefab Sprout
8. Shattered Dreams - Johnny Hates Jazz
9. My Ever Changing Moods - The Style Council
10. The Downtown Lights - The Blue Nile
11. Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin) - Scritti Politti
12. Slave to Love - Bryan Ferry
13. Digging Your Scene - The Blow Monkeys
14. The Sweetest Taboo - Sade
15. Something About You - Level 42
16. Steppin' Out - Joe Jackson
17. Time (Clock of the Heart) - Culture Club
18. Mary's Prayer - Danny Wilson
19. It's My Life - Talk Talk
20. Perfect Way - Scritti Politti
21. Everybody Knows - Leonard Cohen
22. Appetite - Prefab Sprout
23. Tinseltown in the Rain - The Blue Nile
24. IGY (What a Beautiful World) - Donald Fagen
25. Human - The Human League
26. Walking On Broken Glass - Annie Lennox
27. Cruising for Bruising - Basia
28. Living in a Box - Living in a Box
29. Englishman in New York - Sting
30. Being Boring - Pet Shop Boys
31. No Ordinary Love - Sade
32. Misfit - Curiosity Killed the Cat
33. Long Hot Summer - The Style Council
34. The Captain of Her Heart - Double
35. Driving - Everything But the Girl
36. Black Man Ray - China Crisis
37. Avalon - Roxy Music
38. Gold - Spandau Ballet
39. Breaking Us in Two - Joe Jackson
40. Somewhere In My Heart - Aztec Camera
41. Our Lips Are Sealed - Fun Boy Three
42. How Can I Fall? - Breathe
43. Stay - The Blue Nile
44. Somebody Else - The 1975
45. Fullgas - Marina Lima
46. Get Out of Your Lazy Bed - Matt Bianco
47. Loving the Alien - David Bowie
48. Come Back and Stay - Paul Young
49. Why - Annie Lennox
50. The Story of the Blues - Wah!
51. (Feels Like) Heaven - Fiction Factory
52. Message to My Girl - Split Enz
53. The Sun and the Rain - Madness
54. First We Take Manhattan - Leonard Cohen
55. Fortress Around Your Heart - Sting
56. Don't Give Up - Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush
57. Real Gone Kid - Deacon Blue
58. Twist in My Sobriety - Tanita Takaram
59. The King of Rock 'n' Roll - Prefab Sprout
60. Song for Whoever - The Beautiful South
61. The "Sweetest Girl" - Scritti Politti
62. Wonderful Life - Black
63. The First Picture of You - The Lotus Eaters
64. Money's Too Tight (To Mention) - Simply Red
65. Give It Up - Talk Talk
66. Your Love is King - Sade
67. Wishing I Was Lucky - Wet Wet Wet
68. Twilight World - Swing Out Sister
69. Build - The Housemartins
70. Hot Water - Level 42
71. When Smokey Sings - ABC
72. Dignity - Deacon Blue
73. Christian - China Crisis
74. I'll Sail This Ship Alone - The Beautiful South
75. Labour of Love - Hue and Cry
76. Love It If We Made It - The 1975
77. Boom! There She Was - Scritti Politti
78. I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango) - Grace Jones
79. Driving Away From Home (Jim's Tune) - It's Immaterial
80. Don't Sing - Prefab Sprout
81. This is Not America - David Bowie and the Pat Metheny Group
82. Each and Every One - Everything But the Girl
83. You're the Best Thing - The Style Council
84. Hang On to Your Love - Sade
85. Crying in Public - Chairlift
86. Kiss and Tell - Bryan Ferry
87. Headlights on the Parade - The Blue Nile
88. I'll Fly for You - Spandau Ballet
89. Short Court Style - Natalie Prass
90. Jocelyn Square - Love and Money
91. Words - The Christians
92. Wishful Thinking - China Crisis
93. You're Not Good Enough - Blood Orange
94. The Honeythief - Hipsway
95. Down to Earth - Curiosity Killed the Cat
96. Surrender - Swing Out Sister
97. Little Bird - Annie Lennox
98. Goodbye Lucille #1 (Johnny Johnny) - Prefab Sprout
99. Night and Day - Everything but the Girl
100. Time and Tide - Basia

101. Hands to Heaven - Breathe
102. You Keep It All In - The Beautiful South
103. Michael Caine - Madness
104. Shout to the Top! - The Style Council
105. I Scare Myself - Thomas Dolby
106. Clouds Across the Moon - The RAH Band
107. Love is the Seventh Wave - Sting
108. I Confess - The (English) Beat
109. All That - Carly Rae Jepsen
110. Cars and Girls - Prefab Sprout
111. Oh Patti (Don't Feel Sorry for Loverboy) - Scritti Politti
112. Am I the Same Girl? - Swing Out Sister
113. Whistle Down the Wind - Nick Heyward
114. Graceland - The Bible
115. Lessons in Love - Level 42
116. When Am I Going to Make a Living - Sade
117. The Nightfly - Donald Fagen
118. Cry - Waterfront
119. King in a Catholic Style (Wake Up) - China Crisis
120. The Love Parade - The Dream Academy
121. C'est la ouate - Caroline Loeb
122. Chinatown - Destroyer
123. Come Back - Wah!
124. Your Party - Ween
125. Confirmation - Westerman
126. Thinking of You - The Colourfield
127. Lanca Perfume - Rita Lee
128. Hooverville (And They Promised Us the World) - The Christians
129. Brilliant Mind - Furniture
130. Johnny and Mary - Todd Terje
131. The Maker - Daniel Lanois
132. Life of Surprises - Prefab Sprout
133. Mine - Everything but the Girl
134. It Doesn't Have to Be This Way - The Blow Monkeys
135. Lauren - Men I Trust
136. When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring) - Deacon Blue
137. Working in a Goldmine - Aztec Camera
138. A Little Time - The Beautiful South
139. Sweet Talk - Jessie Ware
140. Paradise - Sade
141. Laying On the Sofa - Isabelle Antena
142. Take That Situation - Nick Heyward
143. Saturday Night - The Blue Nile
144. My Girl and Me - Gangway
145. Victor Should Have Been a Jazz Musician - Grace Jones
146. All Cried Out - Alison Moyet
147. Only When You Leave - Spandau Ballet
148. Looking for Atlantis - Prefab Sprout
149. Heartache Avenue - The Maisonettes
150. New Day for You - Basia
151. Big Area - Then Jerico
152. Cloud 8 - Frazier Chorus
153. Amorous in Your Absence - Ice Choir
154. If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know) - The 1975
155. Open Up the Red Box - Simply Red
156. A Walk Across the Rooftops - The Blue Nile
157. The Motive - Then Jerico
158. I Don't Want to Be a Hero - Johnny Hates Jazz
159. The Word Girl - Scritti Politti
160. Nothing Can Come Between Us - Sade
161. Palm of My Hand - The Pale Fountains
162. Old Red Eyes is Back - The Beautiful South
163. A Solid Bond in Your Heart - The Style Council
164. Bonny - Prefab Sprout
165. Bye/Gone - Roman a Clef
166. Chocolate Girl - Deacon Blue
167. More Than I Can Bear - Matt Bianco
168. Letting Go - Wild Nothing
169. Take a Chance with Me - Roxy Music
170. Kiss of Life - Sade
171. Show Me - Dislocation Dance
172. Birds - Aztec Camera
173. Stars - Simply Red
174. Ed's Funky Diner - It's Immaterial
175. Airwaves - Thomas Dolby
176. Sweetest Smile - Black
177. Arizona Sky - China Crisis
178. Wildest Moments - Jessie Ware
179. After the Storm - Kali Uchis
180. Heatwave - The Blue Nile
181. Absolute - Scritti Politti
182. Bell Bottomed Tear - The Beautiful South
183. Going Home (Is a Lonely Travel) - Rebekka Bakken
184. Faron Young - Prefab Sprout
185. Shape of My Heart - Sting
186. Woman - Neneh Cherry
187. So the Story Goes - Living in a Box
188. You On My Mind - Swing Out Sister
189. The Right Stuff - Bryan Ferry
190. You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) - Joe Jackson
191. Hard Drive - Cassandra Jenkins
192. Safe Passage - Laura Mvula
193. Businessman - Josh Rouse
194. Tides - Men I Trust
195. Atlantic - The Weather Station
196. To Be With You Again - Level 42
197. The Second Summer of Love - Danny Wilson
198. Heart of Gold - Johnny Hates Jazz
199. Kaputt - Destroyer
200. Is It a Crime? - Sade
Sade
Sade

Swing Out Sister
Swing Out Sister

Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry

Rebekka Bakken
Rebekka Bakken

Living in a Box
Living in a Box

Altered Images


Wet Wet Wet


The Blow Monkeys
The Blow Monkeys








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"Smooth Operator" by Sade








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