Haven Combi Retro-Chart of the Year 1989

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U2 released two singles from Rattle and Hum in 1989. When Love Comes To Town narrowly missed out on the Top Ten in April, but their next single, All I Want Is You, fared much better, peaking at number three in June.

The second of Soul II Soul’s chart-toppers. Get A Life, recently deposed from number one and still charting, is the first of three appearances on the countdown for the London dance collective.

Deacon Blue hit the top of the chart twice last year with Dignity and Real Gone Kid, both of which made the Top 30 in the year end countdown for 1988. With three singles pulled from When The World Knows Your Name in 1989, only Fergus Sings The Blues makes this year’s countdown, having peaked at number 4 in May.

Sonia came from nowhere to storm the top of the Official UK chart in the summer. Another S/A/W protégé, You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You, could only climb to number nine on here. Two further Top 20 singles have followed, with Listen To Your Heart currently Top Ten on the weekly chart.

Kylie Minogue has never quite achieved the stellar level of success she’s seen on the Official UK chart - with four Top Five singles in 1989, including two chart-toppers - Kylie came close to her first number one on here with Hand On Your Heart in May, peaking at number two, providing her with her only appearance on this countdown.

R.E.M’s second appearance on the countdown comes from Stand, peaking at number eight in February.

De La Soul also re-appear with Say No Go, a song that only made number 17 in July but a 15 week stint at number one on Darkstar’s chart has helped to improve its final placing on the countdown!

A big number one last year with Sweet Child O’ Mine earned Guns n’ Roses the eighteenth biggest song of 1988. Three further singles were released this year, but only Paradise City went Top Ten (number six in March) and is the only one to feature on this countdown.

S-Express had the fourth biggest song of 1988 with their number one, Theme from S-Express. Hey Music Lover narrowly missed out on the top, spending three weeks at number two, however a short six week chart-run means that this record places relatively low on the countdown.

The Living Years was a big song on the Official UK chart for Mike and The Mechanics, spending three weeks at number two. Only a number four hit on here, with subsequent release, Nobody Knows, missing the chart.

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Electric Youth is the title track of Debbie Gibson’s second album and her first appearance (of two) on the countdown. Both hits reached number two on the weekly chart, with subsequent releases, We Could Be Together peaking at number five in September and US release, No More Rhyme, reaching number 21.

A first appearance (also of two) for Donna Summer. A big comeback year for the queen of disco, with a bit of help from S/A/W, I Don’t Wanna Get Hurt peaked at number 3 in June.

And here’s that number one by Dusty Springfield. Another collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys, In Private reached the top earlier this month (with one of the lowest scores ever posted for a number one single) and is still charting now.

It’s the first appearance of two for another female singer. This cover of the Carole King classic, I Feel The Earth Move, made number five for Martika in October.

And here’s the second and final appearance from Fuzzbox. Their first hit in over two years since Love Is The Slug reached number 25 in 1986, International Rescue kicked off a bumper year for the girls, going Top Five in March.

Another ‘veteran’ female singer who enjoyed a resurgence in success in 1989 thanks to teaming up with the Pet Shop Boys was Liza Minnelli. Losing My Mind spent two weeks at number two in August but dropped off very quickly, spending only six weeks in total on the chart, hence its relatively low placing on the countdown. Follow-ups have failed to capitalise on the performance of this single: Don’t Drop Bombs reached number 23 and So Sorry I Said failed to chart.

Richard Marx has been having hits on the Retro-Chart since 1987. Three singles from his self-titled debut album made the Top 40 in 1988, none of which managed to breach the equivalent Official UK chart (our loss, it’s a fantastic album!) The debut single from his Repeat Offender album, Satisfied, reached number 24 in June, but it was next single that really brought him wider success. Right Here Waiting gave him his third (and final) US number one and peaking at number two in the UK. Unfortunately we only took it to number eight on the Retro-Chart, with subsequent single, Angelia, reverting back to form and peaking at number 28.

Second appearance for Madonna with the current Retro-Chart number one, Dear Jessie. Madonna’s ninth number one single has so far spent two weeks at the chart summit as we move into 1990.

Gladys Knight’s Licence To Kill was the theme tune from the latest James Bond film. The last two Bond songs have performed really well – A View To A Kill gave Duran Duran their (currently) last number one in 1985 and The Living Daylights went Top Three for A-Ha in 1987. Licence To Kill gave a good account of itself, reaching number four in June.

Beds Are Burning by Midnight Oil has been a hit on two separate occasions over the last two years. Its first lease of life in 1988 saw it reach number seven in 1988 to become the 49th biggest song of that year. Almost a year later it went one better, climbing to number six, helped by a big score from Andy, representing over a third of its total points score. If its points total across the two years were combined into a single total, Beds Are Burning would have been the eighth biggest song of the year.

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Countdown from 50 to the Top 10 coming up tomorrow!

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Into the Top 50 and 1989 saw the return of Living In A Box. Their single of the same name reached number three in 1987 to become the 39th biggest song of that year. After a two year absence, they returned with Blow The House Down in February, peaking at number 12. Their next single, Gatecrashing, flopped, but Room In Your Heart sent them back into the Top Ten, reaching number six in October on a nine week chart run.

UK rapper Monie Love made her chart debut this year with Grandpa’s Party, following the flop of her debut single, I Can Do This. Despite only reaching number 26 and with points awarded from just five charts, its long fifteen week chart run was helped enormously by high points awards from both Mark and Darkstar.

Danny Wilson’s biggest hit is Mary’s Prayer, which finally reached number four in 1988 after three separate chart-runs, to become the 37th biggest song of that year. The Second Summer of Love took a more direct route to achieving the same peak, hitting number four in July on a nine week chart run and helped by a decent score from Thorney. Subsequent singles, Never Gonna Be The Same and I Can’t Wait, have both failed to chart.

And here’s the first number one single to fall (whose chart run has ended, unlike the three active number ones we’ve already seen whose points totals are still being added to) I Don’t Want A Lover by Texas spent two weeks at number one in February, with both weeks registering pretty dismal scores. The first week total of I Don’t Want A Lover (119) was the lowest score awarded to a number one record in almost four years (Crazy For You by Madonna) Three subsequent singles have followed, with only Everyday Now scraping into the Top 40 at number 36.

Chris Rea’s previous biggest single was Let’s Dance in 1987, which reached number 9. The Road To Hell has done much better than that, spending two weeks at number three in October. Unfortunately his next single, That’s What They Always Say, has so far failed to chart.

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1988 was a good year for Natalie Cole with four Top 40 singles from her Everlasting album, including the number eight hit, Pink Cadillac. 1989 got off to a good start for Natalie with the debut hit from her Good To Be Back album, Miss You Like Crazy, reaching number six on a ten week chart-run, having got to number two on the Official UK chart. Almost one third of the entire points for Miss You Like Crazy came from CoolChristie. Unfortunately subsequent singles, Rest of the Night and Starting over Again both failed to chart.

Siobhan Fahey achieved considerable success throughout the 80s as one third of Bananarama, including two number one singles, Shy Boy and Robert DeNiro’s Waiting. Having left the group last year, Siobhan teamed up with American singer songwriter Marcella Detroit and formed Shakespear’s Sister. Their first single to chart, You’re History, is a departure from the current sound of Bananarama, but it must have appealed to us as we took it to number three in August. Unfortunately, the next single from the Sacred Heart album, Run Silent, failed to chart. You’re History picked up points from twelve charts but nobody awarded more than 100 points in total. So, most of us liked this song, but nobody really loved it!

The second song from the Stone Roses, and their biggest to date, is the number five hit from August, She Bangs The Drums and another big score from Darkstar.

Like Siobhan Fahey, Holly Johnson achieved fame as part of a group that earned two number one singles, Relax and Two Tribes. Frankie Goes To Hollywood were indeed the biggest act of 1984. Five years later and Holly Johnson’s first solo single, Love Train, spent two weeks at number three in January. Three further singles were released from his number one Blast album, however only Americanos charted, giving Holly another Top Ten hit in April when it peaked at number seven. He also featured on the charity ensemble single Ferry Cross the Mersey, which, although number one on the Official UK chart, only managed a number 21 placing on the weekly chart here.

Last up before we get to the Top 40 of the hit is the first single from the newly ‘solo’ Gloria Estefan. The lead single from her massive album, Cuts Both Ways, was Don’t Wanna Lose You, which made it to number two on the Retro-Chart in July, buoyed by a big score from Popchartfreak. It’s been a hectic year for Gloria with four other singles spanning two albums all cracking the Top Twenty, ensuring a high position on the Acts of the Year chart later.

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40) DEBBIE GIBSON - LOST IN YOUR EYES (663 points)

Retro-Chart run: 15-13-10-2-5-9-20-24-32

UK peak: 34
US peak: 1



The first single to be lifted from Debbie’s second album, Electric Youth, was her biggest song of 1989, peaking at number two in February. It reached a shockingly low number 34 on the Official UK chart but was number one for three weeks in the US.

Unfortunately it’s unlikely that Debbie will have much more success in the 90s but this has wrapped up a short but sweet couple of years, including her 1988 chart-topper Foolish Beat.

Points

Andy 0

Cool Christie 94

Darkstar 0

Earl Purple 148

Kingpin 161

Mark 116

Pop Chart Freak 0

Raliverpool 76

Rubcale 0

Shireblogger 0

Smokeyb 0

Smurfie 56

Thorney 0

Whitneyfan 12

TOTAL POINTS 663

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39) MADONNA - CHERISH (667 points)

Retro-Chart run: 38-23-6-3-3-8-19 

UK peak: 3
US peak: 2




A third appearance for Madonna on the countdown, with Cherish getting to number three for two weeks in June.

Points

Andy 50

Cool Christie 23

Darkstar 0

Earl Purple 99

Kingpin 42

Mark 90

Pop Chart Freak 126

Raliverpool 85

Rubcale 0

Shireblogger 23

Smokeyb 27

Smurfie 42

Thorney 26

Whitneyfan 34

TOTAL POINTS 667

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38) FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS - SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY (669 points)

Retro-Chart run: 31-11-3-4-3-6-27 

UK Peak: 5
US peak: 1




The biggest year in the career of the Fine Young Cannibals, with three Top Ten hits. She Drives Me Crazy (the first of their two US number ones) is their only hit on the year-end countdown, but Good Thing (#7 April and their second US number one) and I’m Not The Man I Used To Be (#7, December) ensure a decent placing on the Top 100 Acts countdown of the year.


Points

Andy 47

Cool Christie 27

Darkstar 0

Earl Purple 70

Kingpin 10

Mark 0

Pop Chart Freak 50

Raliverpool 52

Rubcale 76

Shireblogger 71

Smokeyb 72

Smurfie 33

Thorney 96

Whitneyfan 65

TOTAL POINTS 669

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37) DEBORAH HARRY - I WANT THAT MAN (670 points)

Retro-Chart run: 10-3-2-2-6-12 

UK peak: 13
US peak: -



We didn’t start the 80s Retro-Chart until part-way through 1982 so we missed 1980 when it’s likely that Blondie would have really cleaned up with Call Me, Atomic and The Tide Is High. Instead, Debbie Harry has had success with two solo singles later on in the 80s.

I Want That Man performed really well on the Retro-Chart, spending two weeks in the runner-up position, eclipsing the number 13 peak on the Official Chart. There have been follow-ups but none picked up a single point here.

Points

Andy 36

Cool Christie 108

Darkstar 0

Earl Purple 73

Kingpin 18

Mark 23

Pop Chart Freak 4

Raliverpool 82

Rubcale 75

Shireblogger 0

Smokeyb 123

Smurfie 57

Thorney 0

Whitneyfan 71

TOTAL POINTS 670

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36) ALICE COOPER - POISON (677 points)

Retro-Chart run: 23-6-4-3-4-7-38 

UK peak: 2
US peak: 7



Another ‘veteran’ rocker, Alice Cooper came back in style, getting a big number three hit on the Retro-Chart, narrowly missing out on matching the number two peak on the Official Chart.

Like Debbie Harry, there have been follow-up songs released but none have troubled the Top 40.

Points

Andy 88

Cool Christie 75

Darkstar 0

Earl Purple 97

Kingpin 35

Mark 4

Pop Chart Freak 27

Raliverpool 94

Rubcale 47

Shireblogger 0

Smokeyb 97

Smurfie 0

Thorney 33

Whitneyfan 80

TOTAL POINTS 677

[Earl Purple]

"Lost In Your Eyes" was #1 for 5 weeks in my chart, more than any other single in 1989. Its run 8-1-1-1-1-1-3-8-17-28.

Compared to 1988 when 4 singles topped my chart for 6 weeks, including "Foolish Beat".

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35) SOUL II SOUL FEATURING CARON WHEELER - KEEP ON MOVIN' (681 points)

Retro-Chart run: 12-4-4-5-13-22-32-X-33-32

UK peak: 5
US peak: 11



Here’s where things really got going for Soul II Soul. After a couple of flop singles in 1988, Keep On Movin’ achieved mainstream success for the London dance collective, reaching number four in March. Two further singles followed this year, both of which hit the top of the chart.

Points

Andy 0

Cool Christie 83

Darkstar 225

Earl Purple 45

Kingpin 80

Mark 31

Pop Chart Freak 11

Raliverpool 44

Rubcale 62

Shireblogger 39

Smokeyb 0

Smurfie 29

Thorney 0

Whitneyfan 32

TOTAL POINTS 681

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34) PET SHOP BOYS - IT'S ALRIGHT (682 points)

Retro-Chart run: 39-X-4-3-3-7-11-30

UK peak: 5
US peak: -



The song that ended the Pet Shop Boys 100% record on the Retro-Chart. Eleven consecutive number one singles but It’s Alright could ‘only’ manage a number three placing in July. Despite this, we all still love the Pet Shop Boys, it’s one of only two songs on the countdown that received points from all fourteen of us this year.

Points

Andy 41

Cool Christie 46

Darkstar 10

Earl Purple 1

Kingpin 10

Mark 92

Pop Chart Freak 129

Raliverpool 8

Rubcale 12

Shireblogger 105

Smokeyb 100

Smurfie 67

Thorney 15

Whitneyfan 46

TOTAL POINTS 682

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Dec 23, 2021 21:58:13 GMT 1 Earl Purple said:

"Lost In Your Eyes" was #1 for 5 weeks in my chart, more than any other single in 1989. Its run 8-1-1-1-1-1-3-8-17-28.

Compared to 1988 when 4 singles topped my chart for 6 weeks, including "Foolish Beat".

Lost in your Eyes is a gorgeous ballad.  I've always thought of it as her signature song although I think I prefer Foolish Beat nowadays.  I remember being shocked when it didn't climb past number 34, I didn't get it at all....

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33) TOM PETTY - I WON'T BACK DOWN (731 points)

Retro-Chart run: 30-8-5-5-3-7-9-22

UK peak: 28
US peak: 12



Following his success last year Travelling Wilburys, Tom Petty made a comeback in his own right with I Won’t Back Down. Peaking at a disappointing #28 on the Official Chart, we gave it much more appreciation on the Retro-Chart, with it hitting number 3 in May.

Follow-ups, Runnin’ Down a Dream and Free Fallin’, both of which peaked at number 8, have ensured him a high placing on the top acts of the year.

Points

Andy 140

Cool Christie 33

Darkstar 0

Earl Purple 61

Kingpin 3

Mark 23

Pop Chart Freak 4

Raliverpool 70

Rubcale 0

Shireblogger 103

Smokeyb 79

Smurfie 3

Thorney 108

Whitneyfan 104

TOTAL POINTS 731

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32) TRANSVISION VAMP - BABY I DON'T CARE (761 points)

Retro-Chart run: 25-9-3-2-1-3-11-30

UK Peak: 3

US Peak: -



Of all the number one singles that have completed their chart runs, this surprise one-week chart-topper for Transvision Vamp in April has registered the second lowest total this year.

1989 pretty much wraps up a nice couple of years on the chart for Wendy James and boys, with two Top Ten hits to go alongside their number two hit I Want Your Love from last year.

Points

Andy 123

Cool Christie 116

Darkstar 0

Earl Purple 65

Kingpin 60

Mark 39

Pop Chart Freak 40

Raliverpool 20

Rubcale 0

Shireblogger 5

Smokeyb 104

Smurfie 72

Thorney 31

Whitneyfan 86

TOTAL POINTS 761

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31) BEAUTIFUL SOUTH - YOU KEEP IT ALL IN (765 points)

Retro-Chart run: 12-4-1-3-5-11-25

UK Peak: 8
US Peak: -




The number one songs continue to fall as this one week chart-topper for the Beautiful South from October lands on the countdown.

A fantastic start for the band, 1989 gave them three Top Five hits. Despite getting to number one, You Keep It All In, isn’t the biggest hit for the group.

Points

Andy 119

Cool Christie 36

Darkstar 66

Earl Purple 100

Kingpin 20

Mark 11

Pop Chart Freak 0

Raliverpool 22

Rubcale 66

Shireblogger 77

Smokeyb 141

Smurfie 19

Thorney 28

Whitneyfan 60

TOTAL POINTS 765