# In 1985, Frankie Goes to Hollywood were revolutionising pop, but Mick Jagger thought they were “total garbage”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1985-frankie-goes-to-hollywood-were-revolutionising-pop-but-mick-jagger-thought-they-were-total-garbage/
- Published: 2026-11-15T10:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-15T10:18:59+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/frankie-goes-to-hollywood-mick-jagger-1985-thought-they-were-garbage/
- Topics: Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Jagger dismissed Frankie Goes to Hollywood after seeing them live.
- He criticised Holly Johnson’s singing and their backing tracks.
- The band had three number-one hits and a controversial album.

## Summary

In 1985, Mick Jagger called Frankie Goes to Hollywood “total garbage” after seeing the Liverpool band perform at the Ritz. His remarks reflected both his dislike of their live show and his objection to their use of pre-recorded backing tracks, at a time when electronic pop was challenging traditional ideas of rock performance.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood had become one of the defining acts of 1984, scoring three number-one singles and releasing the controversial album *Welcome to the Pleasuredome*. Jagger said the band’s singer, Holly Johnson, sang out of tune and complained that concertgoers had paid $15 to hear backing tracks. The article places his criticism alongside earlier attacks on younger groups, including The Clash, The Specials and The Selecter.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.