The Soundtrack of 1983, Music Behind The Alpha Flame

The year is 1983. Radios blare from open windows; cassette tapes rattle in glove compartments; vinyl spins in smoky bedrooms. For Maggie, Beth, and the world they navigate, music is more than a backdrop, it’s a lifeline, a pulse, a mirror.

When writing The Alpha Flame: Discovery, I found myself reaching again and again for the sounds of that era. Some were chart-toppers, others more obscure. But each one helped shape the atmosphere, the emotion, and the authenticity of the scenes. Here are just a few of the tracks that worked their way into the soul of the story.

“True”, Spandau Ballet

This wasn’t just a love song in 1983, it was the love song. Smooth, aching, and full of longing, it slips in beneath the surface of Maggie’s softer moments, especially when her defences begin to falter around Rob. It plays faintly from a car stereo in one scene, almost unnoticed… but it lingers.

“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”, Eurythmics

There’s something about the cold determination of this track that matches the guarded, gritty drive in both Beth and Maggie. It doesn’t comfort; it challenges. Like the sisters themselves, the beat is sharp, the lyrics honest, the emotion complex.

“Total Eclipse of the Heart”, Bonnie Tyler

A storm of a song. Raw, dramatic, and broken in all the right places. It mirrors Beth’s inner chaos and Maggie’s struggle to understand her. There's a quiet moment where this song echoes through a flat, the words “there’s nothing I can do” sitting heavy in the air.

“Karma Chameleon”, Culture Club

It might seem light and playful, but under the surface it’s a song about identity and hiding your true self. I loved weaving that subtle thread into the way Maggie presents herself to the world. On the surface: bold, bright, unshakable. Underneath: far more complicated.

“Is There Something I Should Know?”, Duran Duran

The title says it all, really. It speaks to Maggie’s search for answers, to Beth’s guarded silence, and to the secrets that pull at both of them. It plays in the background during a memory scene, quiet, nearly lost beneath dialogue, but deliberate.

A Personal Playlist

I kept a running playlist while writing, often looping the same few songs for hours as I revised key scenes. Music has a way of cutting through noise and landing right in the gut, much like trauma, healing, and love do in the book.

If you're curious, here's a quick sample of what was on repeat:

• “Blue Monday”, New Order
• “Let’s Dance”, David Bowie
• “Only You”, Yazoo
• “Hold Me Now”, Thompson Twins (technically ’84 but it snuck in)

More Than Nostalgia

The Alpha Flame isn’t a story about music, but music helps tell the story. In 1983, the soundtrack wasn’t optional; it was the air they breathed. For Beth and Maggie, it’s a comfort and a curse, a memory and a moment of escape.

Maybe you’ll hear one of these songs today and suddenly, just for a second, find yourself walking in their world.