The pop music of the Eighties was bright, bouncy and shiny – and the biweekly magazine Smash Hits displayed the same qualities while providing the perfect handbook for teenagers throughout the British Isles and beyond to follow the latest bands and trends. A mainstay of the much-loved publication throughout the first half of the Eighties, the photographer Eric Watson shot many of its iconic covers, including those featuring Madonna, Madness and Morrissey, and helped define the "heroic" look of many of the acts from the period.

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Dave Stewart: 'I like to make sure I'm surrounded by radiators'

When Annie [lennox] and I meet up now, we no longer talk about the old days [with the Eurythmics]. We've been through so much, what are we going to say? "Remember that crazy time in Oklahoma?" We've both had kids, and now there are all these other experiences to talk about.

Ghost – the Musical, Piccadilly Theatre, London

When special effects can't lift the spirit

How I put a new spin on a movie classic

Forget writing a No 1 hit – composing Ghost: The Musical is the toughest gig in town, says Eurythmics star Dave Stewart

Jagger's Urdu song for 'global' group

Mick Jagger makes his Urdu singing debut on a new album by a "global supergroup" also featuring the soundtrack composer A R Rahman and Jamaican reggae singer Damian Marley.

Annie Lennox: 'Women need to wake up. There's so much to do'

Pop's 56-year-old Diva sings less and less these days, but she's eager to take to the stage for a rash of feminist activities this week. Susie Mesure meets Annie Lennox

Pop goes the musical

Theatre, ballet and opera are embracing some unexpected talents

Gok Wan: 'Miserable youth fuelled my secret illness'

TV stylist says he spends Sundays planning his outfits for the week ahead

How We Met: Siobhan Fahey & Marco Pirroni

‘He had to lie down with his head onmyknee, being stroked, before he could go on stage’

Party Of The Week: Who's That Girl? Annie holds court

The Old Vic's artistic director, Kevin Spacey, sneaked into a star-studded musical tribute to Annie Lennox at London's Guildhall to surprise the Eurythmics singer straight after his nightly turn in Inherit the Wind.

The Plight of the Bumblebee, Radio 4<br/>Ken Bruce, Radio 2

Bumblebees and Beatle widows, two species on the brink

Gary Kurfirst: Manager of the Ramones, Talking Heads, Blondie, Eurythmics and Black Grape

It's not easy being in a rock'n'roll band," Dee Dee Ramone said in End of the Century: the story of the Ramones (2003), the warts-and-all documentary about the punk group's two-decade career. Gary Kurfirst, their longstanding manager, was one of the people who made things that little bit easier for the notoriously moody quartet whose contribution to popular music was finally recognised when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

Vote for a new world order in The Hospital Club 100

Think you know who the real stars are in Britain's creative industries?

Starr of Liverpool sets the rhythm for year of culture

Perched atop Liverpool's St George's Hall, the former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr last night drew back the curtain on a party that will last a year. Capital of Culture year, for the people of Liverpool, was officially underway with an opening ceremony that was as equally wonderful as it was bizarre.

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Day In a Page

Grotty no more: How Lanzarote upgraded its appeal

How Lanzarote upgraded its appeal

Lanzarote has been quietly changing its fly-and-flop holiday image, discovers Andrew Eames.
Traveller's Guide: Montenegro

Traveller's Guide: Montenegro

It's one of Europe's smallest countries, but it packs in spectacular landscapes and glittering beach resorts.
48 Hours In: Verona

48 Hours In: Verona

Summer opera returns to the Roman arena, says Charles Hebbert.
Ten things we’re looking out for at E3 2012

Ten things to look out for at E3 2012

From Wii U to The Last of Us we consider this year's show
Come dine (online) with me

Come dine (online) with me

Move over TV chefs, hello YouTube stars
Next in line – but public just can't warm to idea of Charles in charge

Next in line – but public just can't warm to idea of Charles in charge

'Independent' poll finds less that half want him to take throne as ministers moan of interference
Nothing's sacred: the illegal trade in India's holy cows

Nothing's sacred: the illegal trade in India's holy cows

Andrew Buncombe reports from Kaharpara on a bloody war between rustlers and border guards
Mogul grounded: Desmond gives up his jet deal

Mogul grounded: Desmond gives up his jet deal

Media tycoon's company pays £1m to cancel his order for a £36m private jet after drop in profits
How Ai Weiwei built a pavilion in London – by remote control

How Ai Weiwei built a pavilion in London – by remote control

The artist tells Clifford Coonan how he used Skype to escape confinement in Beijing
Nature, nurture... or neither? The new twist in an age-old argument

Nature, nurture... or neither?

The new twist in an age-old argument
Radio 4 to shed its cosy image with a 'sexy' Ulysses drama

Radio 4 to shed its cosy image with a 'sexy' Ulysses drama

New station controller wants to reflect the current period of 'turmoil and uncertainity'
Alcohol: I drink therefore I am

Alcohol: I drink therefore I am

New guidelines warn Britons to drastically reduce their boozing. But is a life without liquor worth living? Hell no, says John Walsh
The Cable News Nightmare: CNN (and Piers Morgan) in audience crisis

The Cable News Nightmare

CNN (and Piers Morgan) in audience crisis
Like a barbie, but better: The Big Green Egg can griddle, roast, and smoke food - and even make pizza

The Big Green Egg: Like a barbie, but better

It can griddle, roast, and smoke food - and even make pizza...
The 10 Best chopping boards

The 10 Best chopping boards

Whether you want to dice veg, chop meat, or just slice up a salad, there’s a surface here to suit every culinary need.