Al Jarreau "High Crime" (WEA ©1984)

"After All" (Track 5)/Introduction + first verse:

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Chicago "17" (Warner Bros ©1984)

"Hard Habit To Break" (Track 3)/Introduction + first verse:

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Luther Vandross "The Best Of Love" (Epic ©1989)

"Here And Now" (Track 20)/Introduction + first verse:

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Billy Ocean "Love Zone" (Jive ©1986)

"There'll Be Sad Songs" (Track 4)/Introduction + first verse:
 

"It's Never Too Late " (Track 8)/Introduction (also contains other additional FM sounds and a Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer):
 

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Glenn Medeiros (Amherst Records ©1988)

"Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You" (Track 1)/Introduction + first verse:

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Phil Collins "No Jacket Required" (WEA ©1985)

"One More Night" (Track 5)/Introduction + first verse:

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Simply Red "Picture Book" (Elektra Records ©1985)

"Jericho" (Track 5)/Whole song chords comping:

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Alexander O'Neal "Hearsay" (Tabu ©1986)

"Never Knew Love Like This" (Track 8)/Introduction:

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FM BASSES
DX7 was also used a lot during the 80's for his digital metallic, punchy or slappy bass sounds. Here are a few examples:

A-Ha "Hunting High And Low" (Warner Bros ©1985)

Magne Furuholmen - who played keyboards in this norvegian pop group - largely used the DX7 (jointly with a Prophet 5 if I remember well) on this album.  One of the most known example is the factory patch 15 "BASS 1"  that appears during the introduction (bar #9/0:11) of "Take On Me" (Track 1) top hit. A slight chorus FX seems to have been added:

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Michael Jackson "Bad" (Epic ©1987)

I already mentioned this Michael's album on Roland D-50 examples page. They also used a DX7. Here is an example with the groovy punchy digital bass used during the whole "Another Part Of Me" song (Track6):

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Tears For Fears "Songs From The Big Chair" (Mercury ©1985)

Another great example of DX7 digital bass is in the TFF new wave/pop top hit "Shout" (Track 1):

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Depeche Mode "Some Great Reward" (Mute Records ©1984)

First DM international top hit "People Are People" (Track 3) contains a DX7 bass line. I may suppose that the metallic sound used for the melodic response during the introduction is an FM synthesis sound too:

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Jean-Jacques Goldman "Non Homologué" (Avrep ©1985)

This very popular french singer/composer used a lot the DX7 in studio and on stage during the 80's. Here's a great punchy slappy bass sound on the "Je Marche Seul" (Track 10) song:

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Samantha Fox "Touch Me" (Jive ©1987)

Another example extracted from the "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now" (Track 6) top dance hit from Samantha Fox and combining two different DX7 bass sounds:

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Philippe Cataldo "Les Divas du Dancing" (Flamophone ©1986)

This "one top hit only" french singer used the DX7 slappy bass sound as an interesting rythmic comping line:

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Madonna "True Blue" (Warner Bros ©1986)

The famous "Live To Tell" (Track 4) ballad includes a DX7 bass patch during the whole song:

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S.O.S. Band "Sands Of Time" (Tabu ©1986)

The "Even When You Sleep" (Track 1) song from this american Urban Funk group includes a typical DX7 bass patch:

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Berlin "Count Three And Pray" (Columbia Records ©1986)

The "Take My Breath Away" (Track 5 - from the "Top Gun" soundtrack) bass sound is a DX7 Fretless patch:

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 PERCUSSIVE KEYS
Here are a few examples using the famous DX7 percussive keys (clavinet, marimba, celesta,...):

Level 42 "Running In The Family" (Polydor ©1987)

Mike Lindup (Level 42's synth player) used a lot the DX7 (jointly with a Prophet 5 and E-MU Emulators) during the mid 80's. Here is the "To Be With You Again" (Track 5) introduction where you can recognize a typical chorused rich FM metallic synclav :

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Janet Jackson "Control" (A&M ©1986)

Here is a use of the famous "vibe/marimba" DX7 sound as rythmic background during the "When I Think Of You" (Track 6) introduction (bass line was also played by a DX7):

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Jermaine Stewart "Frantic Romantic" (Arista ©1986)

Here is a use of a belly piano DX7 sound as melodic background during the "Whe Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off" (Track 1) introduction:

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Niagara "Encore Un Dernier Baiser" (Polydor ©1986)

Here is another DX7 "marimba/xylo" use during the "Tchiki Boum" (Track 5) introduction from pop french group Niagara. I also think that short brass hits you can hear are FM sounds:
 

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Michel Polnareff "Kâmâ Sutrâ" (Epic ©1990)

One of the most terrific DX7 synth sound is a sort of hybrid clavinet/electric guitar with bright metallic character and punchy attack (it seems to me that it was originally named "PLUCK 13" or something like that). You can hear a good demonstration of this groovy sound during the introduction (bar #9/0:10) of french singer Michel Polnareff "Toi Et Moi"(Track 3) song:
 

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Michel Jonasz "En Concert Au Palais des Sports de Paris" (EMI France ©1985)

This Michel Jonasz live album contains a variation of the famous punchy digital synclav I mentioned just above. Jean-Yves d'Angelo (Michel's keyboard player on stage) used it for the "Y'A Rien Qui Dure Toujours" (Track 1) introduction:

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Serge Gainsbourg "You're Under Arrest" (Phonogram ©1987)

Serge Gainsbourg used a lot the DX7 on this electro-funk album dedicated to a young lady named Samantha. The best example is during the "Mon Légionnaire" beginning (Track 10) where you can hear a bass sound (introduction) and an electric piano (verse - listen well to the subtle harmonic progression!):
 

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Tina Turner "Private Dancer" (Capitol ©1984)

The "What's Love Got To Do With It" (Track 2) song is a veritable DX7 sounds demonstration. You can for example recognize the flute sounds just before the chorus, the harmonica solo sound and the subtle electric piano background:

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"Running Scared" soundtrack by Rudi Harpaz & Rod Temperton (RCA Records ©1986)

 

DX7 Synthesis Description

DX7 Soundbanks Listing

DX7 All The Web Patches

DX7 Video Demos

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