My UK Top 40 singles Rates [August 1985]

[Good Old Days]

In this thread I will compile monthly lists with all non-instrumental new entries from UK Top 40.

My rate system :
7 - Masterpiece
6 - Wonderful
5 - Very Good
4 - Good
3 - Average
2 - Weak
1 - Bad
0 - Awful

Winners :
[1962] (October) : Del Shannon - The Swiss Maid
[1974] (April) : ABBA - Waterloo
[1977] (July) : Brotherhood of Man - Angelo
[1980] (March) : Barbara Dickson - January February
[1985] (August) : Rebecca Storm - The Show

[Good Old Days]

For the first experiment October 1962 was selected. In the next month the Beatles got their first hit in UK with "Love Me Do" and changed the world of popular music.

October 1962 :

Good :
1. Del Shannon - The Swiss Maid (UK # 2) - 4
2. Mark Wynter - Venus In Blue Jeans (UK # 4) - 4
3. Frank Ifield - Lovesick Blues (UK # 1) - 4
4. Bobby Darin - If A Man Answers (UK # 24) - 4

Average :
5. Marty Robbins - Devil Woman (UK # 5) - 3
6. Johnny Tillotson - Send Me The Pillow You Dream On (UK # 21) - 3
7. Craig Douglas - Oh Lonesome Me (UK # 15) - 3
8. Susan Maughan - Bobby's Girl (UK # 3) - 3
9. Billy Fury - Because Of Love (UK # 18) - 3
10. Everly Brothers - No One Can Make My Sunshine Smile (UK # 11) - 3

Weak :
11. Four Seasons - Sherry (UK # 8) - 2
12. Little Richard - He Got What He Wanted (But He Lost What He Head) (UK # 38) - 2
13. Chris Montez - Let's Dance (UK # 2) - 2
14. Helen Shapiro - Keep Away From Other Girls (UK # 40) - 2

Without rate : Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen - The Pay Off (UK # 23)

Winner : Del Shannon - The Swiss Maid

[Earl Purple]

What's wrong with instrumentals?

Do you have any favourite instrumentals?

[Earl Purple]

My chart on the week the Beatles first entered was:

1 ( 2 ) Do You Love Me - Contours < 1st #1 >
2 ( 1 ) Green Onions - Booker T & The MGs (#1[4])
3 ( 3 ) It Might As Well Rain Until September - Carole King
4 ( 6 ) Monster Mash - Bobby Boris Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers
5 ( 9 ) He's A Rebel - Crystals
6 ( 7 ) Lonely - Mr Acker Bilk
7 ( -- ) Love Me Do - Beatles
8 ( 4 ) Let's Dance - Chris Montez (#3)
9 ( -- ) All Alone Am I - Brenda Lee
10 ( 5 ) Telstar - Tornados (#2[3])

11 ( 11 ) Hercules - Frankie Vaughan
12 ( 16 ) If A Man Answers - Bobby Darin
13 ( 8 ) Make It Easy On Yourself - Jerry Butler (#1[2])
14 ( 10 ) Surfin' Safari - Beach Boys (#9)
15 ( 15 ) The Breeze And I - Fentones
16 ( -- ) Swiss Maid - Del Shannon
17 ( 13 ) Beechwood 4-5789 - Marvelettes (#11)
18 ( 25 ) Out Of This World - Tony Hatch
19 ( 26 ) Popeye (The Hitchhiker) - Chubby Checker
20 ( 12 ) Sherry - Four Seasons (#3)

21 ( 22 ) Punish Her - Bobby Vee
22 ( 20 ) What Kind Of Love Is This - Joey Dee & The Starliters (#20)
23 ( 29 ) Baubles Bangles And Beads - George Shearing
24 ( 14 ) It'll Be Me - Cliff Richard (#5)
25 ( -- ) Pretty Jenny - Jess Conrad
26 ( 18 ) Your Tender Look - Joe Brown (#14)
27 ( 23 ) If I Had A Hammer - Peter Paul & Mary (#23)
28 ( 21 ) Lie To Me - Brook Benton (#19)
29 ( 17 ) Venus In Blue Jeans - Jimmy Clanton (#6)
30 ( 27 ) A Forever Kind Of Love - Bobby Vee (#27)

---

-- ( 19 ) Rocket Man - Spotnicks (#7)
-- ( 24 ) Silver Threads And Golden Needles - Springfields (#14)
-- ( 28 ) Point Of No Return - Gene McDaniels (#9)
-- ( 30 ) You Beat Me To The Punch - Mary Wells (#19)

---

-- ( -- ) He Got What He Wanted - Little Richard
-- ( -- ) Torture - Kris Jensen

---

Many of those came from the US chart. A few weeks earlier there were instrumentals at both #1 and #2, with "Green Onions" keeping "Telstar" off number one, two of the classic instrumentals of all time, a shame they couldn't both be number one really. Joe Meek made many vocal hits too, of course.

[Good Old Days]

Aug 12, 2021 16:22:47 GMT 1 Earl Purple said:

What's wrong with instrumentals?

Do you have any favourite instrumentals?

Because I don't know how to compare instrumental tracks with songs.
No, I don't have.

[Good Old Days]

Latvian singer Linda Amantova (Anmary) was born in March 1980, thirty two years after she recorded my all-time # 1 single "Beautiful Song".

"January February", "Love Patrol" and Toyah's cover version of "Echo Beach" were # 1s in "Gražios Dainos" hitlist.

March 1980 :

Very good :
1. Barbara Dickson - January February (UK # 11) - 5
2. Dooleys - Love Patrol (UK # 29) - 5

Good :
3. Squeeze - Another Nail In My Heart (UK # 17) - 4
4. BA Robertson - Kool In The Kaftan (UK # 17) - 4
5. Secret Affair - My World (UK # 16) - 4
6. Rush - Spirit Of Radio (UK # 13) - 4

Average :
7. Beat - Hands Off - She's Mine (UK # 9) - 3
8. Lambrettas - Poison Ivy (UK # 7) - 3
9. Shakin' Stevens - Hot Dog (UK # 24) - 3
10. John Foxx - No-One Driving (UK # 32) - 3
11. Genesis - Turn It On Again (UK # 8) - 3
12. Martha and the Muffins - Echo Beach (UK # 10) - 3
13. Sad Cafe - My Oh My (UK # 14) - 3
14. Judas Priest - Living After Midnight (UK # 12) - 3
15. Jam - Going Underground (UK # 1) - 3
16. Jon Pertwee - Worzel's Song (UK # 33) - 3
17. Iron Maiden - Running Free (UK # 34) - 3
18. Tony Rallo and the Midnight Band - Holdin' On (UK # 34) - 3
19. Leon Haywood - Don't Push It Don't Force It (UK # 12) - 3
20. Detroit Spinners - Working My Way Back To You (UK # 1) - 3
21. Vapors - Turning Japanese (UK # 3) - 3
22. Dr Hook - Sexy Eyes (UK # 4) - 3
23. Brothers Johnson - Stomp (UK # 6) - 3

Weak :
24. Narada Michael Walden - Tonight I'm Alright (UK # 34) - 2
25. David Bowie - Alabama Song (UK # 23) - 2
26. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Geno (UK # 1) - 2
27. Liquid Gold - Dance Yourself Dizzy (UK # 2) - 2
28. Stranglers - Bear Cage (UK # 36) - 2
29. UB40 - King (UK # 4) - 2

Bad :
30. UK Subs - Warhead (UK # 30) - 1
31. Gibson Brothers - Cuba (UK # 12) - 1
32. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Happy House (UK # 17) - 1
33. Bodysnatchers - Let's Do Rock Steady (UK # 22) - 1

Without rate : Bad Manners - Ne-Ne-Na-Na-Na-Na-Nu-Nu (UK # 28)

Winner : Barbara Dickson - January February

[Earl Purple]

Going Underground and Spirit Of Radio are both classic songs for me. I agree with you that "Alabama Song" is weak. Originally done by Kurt Weill, and covered also by the Doors among others.
Little did I know at the time that David Bowie would follow that up with "Ashes To Ashes", one of his greatest songs of all time.

[Good Old Days]

I strongly dislike "I Feel Love", it's the one from the worst 70s hits.

"Angelo" was # 1 in "Gražios Dainos".

July 1977 :
Very good :
1. Brotherhood of Man - Angelo (UK # 1) - 5
2. Fleetwood Mac - Dreams (UK # 24) - 5

Good :
3. Dave Edmunds - I Knew The Bride (UK # 26) - 4
4. Jonathan Richman - Roadrunner (UK # 11) - 4
5. Showaddywaddy - You Got What It Takes (UK # 2) - 4
6. Wurzels - Farmer Bill's Cowman (UK # 32) - 4
7. Tom Petty and Heartbreakers - Anything That's Rock And Roll (# 36) - 4

Average :
8. Television - Prove It (UK # 25) - 3
9. Barry Biggs - Three Ring Circus (UK # 22) - 3
10. Gary Glitter - A Little Boogie Woogie In The Back Of My Mind (UK # 31) - 3
11. Smokie - It's Your Life (UK # 5) - 3
12. Supertramp - Give A Little Bit (UK # 29) - 3
13. Commodores - Easy (UK # 9) - 3
14. Rita Coolidge - We're All Alone (UK # 6) - 3
15. Jam - All Around The World (UK # 13) - 3
16. Floaters - Float On (UK # 1) - 3
17. Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter 23 (UK # 35) - 3
18. Andy Gibb - I Just Wanna Be Your Everything (UK # 26) - 3
19. Fat Larry's Band - Centre City (UK # 31) - 3
20. Joe Walsh - Rocky Mountain Way (UK # 39) - 3

Weak :
21. Stranglers - Something Better Change (UK # 9) - 2
22. Paul Nicholas - Heaven On The 7th Floor (UK # 40) - 2
23. Tavares - One Step Away (UK # 16) - 2
24. Saints - This Perfect Day (UK # 34) - 2
25. Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant (UK # 6) - 2
26. Bob Marley and the Wailers - Exodus (UK # 14) - 2

Bad :
27. Candi Staton - Nights On Broadway (UK # 6) - 1

Awful :
28. Donna Summer - I Feel Love (UK # 1) - 0

Without rate : Rah Band - The Crunch (UK # 6)

Winner : Brotherhood of Man - Angelo

[Earl Purple]

Dreams would have been a worthy winner. Float On is rather bad. Not sure what you have against Candi Staton's cover of the Bee Gees "Nights On Broadway".

The Wurzels is rather awful, just repeating the Combine Harvester trick on a different song, this time I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman which was an instrumental hit for Whistling Jack Smith in 1967 but was in fact written by Greenaway and Cook among their many hits they wrote together.

"I knew The Bride" is pretty good, albeit it sounds a lot like Chuck Berry, in particular his minor 1964 hit "You Never Can Tell".

[Good Old Days]

Possibly "Volare" and "Euphoria" fans disagree with me, but "Waterloo" is the most well-known Eurovision song.

April 1974 :

Wonderful :
1. ABBA - Waterloo (UK # 1) - 6

Very good :
2. Peters and Lee - Don't Stay Away Too Long (UK # 3) - 5

Good :
3. Barbra Streisand - The Way We Were (UK # 31) - 4
4. David Bowie - Rock And Roll Suicide (UK # 22) - 4
5. Sunny - Doctors Orders (UK # 7) - 4
6. Charlie Rich - Behind Closed Doors (UK # 16) - 4

Average :
7. Wombles - Remember You're A Womble (UK # 3) - 3
8. Bay City Rollers - Shang-A-Lang (UK # 2) - 3
9. Stevie Wonder - He's Misstra Know-It-All (UK # 10) - 3
10. Mungo Jerry - Long Legged Woman Dressed In Black (UK # 13) - 3
11. Slade - Everyday (UK # 3) - 3
12. Mud - The Cat Crept In (UK # 2) - 3
13. Osmonds - I Can't Stop (UK # 12) - 3

Weak :
14. Wizzard - Rock And Roll Winter (UK # 6) - 2
15. Intruders - I'll Always Love My Mama (UK # 32) - 2
16. Harold Melvin and Bluenotes - Satisfaction Guaranteed (UK # 32) - 2
17. Genesis - I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) (UK # 21) - 2
18. Three Degrees - Year Of Decision (UK # 13) - 2

Bad :
19. Limmie and Family Cookin' - A Walkin' Miracle (UK # 6) - 1

Without rate :
Marvin Hamlisch - The Entertainer (UK # 25)
Ragtimers - The Sting (UK # 31)

Winner : ABBA - Waterloo

[Earl Purple]

A Walkin' Miracle is a cover of the Essex 1963 US hit. The act is called Limmie & Family Cookin' (no "The")

Waterloo is possibly my favourite Eurovision winner and at the same time not my favourite song from the 1974 contest.

[Good Old Days]

August 1985 :

Very good :
1. Rebecca Storm - The Show (UK # 22) - 5
2. Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out For A Hero (UK # 2) - 5

Good :
3. Marc Almond - Stories Of Johnny (UK # 23) - 4
4. Go West - Goodbye Girl (UK # 25) - 4

Average :
5. UB40 and Chrissie Hynde - I Got You Babe (UK # 1) - 3
6. Dan Hartman - I Can Dream About You (UK # 12) - 3
7. Bryan Ferry - Don't Stop The Dance (UK # 21) - 3
8. Baltimora - Tarzan Boy (UK # 3) - 3
9. Madness - Yesterday's Men (UK # 18) - 3
10. King - Alone Without You (UK # 8) - 3
11. Dio - Rock 'N' Roll Children (UK # 26) - 3
12. Nik Kershaw - Don Quixote (UK # 10) - 3
13. Phil Collins - Take Me Home (UK # 19) - 3
14. Bruce Springsteen - Glory Days (UK # 17) - 3
15. Total Contrast - Takes A Little Time (UK # 17) - 3

Weak :
16. Bananarama - Do Not Disturb (UK # 31) - 2
17. Thompson Twins - Don't Mess With Doctor Dream (UK # 15) - 2
18. Prince - Raspberry Beret (UK # 25) - 2
19. Lisa Lisa, Cult Jam, Full Force - I Wonder If I Take You Home (UK # 12) - 2
20. Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill - 2
21. Amazulu - Excitable (UK # 12) - 2

Bad :
22. Princess - Say I'm Your Number One (UK # 7) - 1
23. Mai Tai - Body And Soul (UK # 9) - 1

Winner : Rebecca Storm - The Show

[Good Old Days]

Earl Purple which song is your favourite ? RUTH ?

[Earl Purple]

Running up that hill peaked at #4 in my chart, I had Summmer of 69 and The Power of Love (Huey Lewis) that month not sure what the 3rd was. From that list Raspberry Beret but might have charted a bit earlier.

Hounds Of Love got one place higher in my chart.

You do know that Holding Out For A Hero was based heavily on an instrumental from the 1981 "Bad for Good" album?