1985 Points Chart

[Panda]

Onto 1985 and this was the first year I started paying attention to music. I was only 4 but it seemed like the charts were a big deal back then. Obviously they featured heavily on Top of the Pops, but you'd also see rundowns on TV-AM and Saturday Superstore. Whilst I didn't really follow the charts yet I was already starting to become aware of many of the bigger hits that I'd see on TV and hear on my mam's radio.

I'm back at work now, meaning I have far less free time to do these lists, so I'll be scaling back the commentary a fair bit to try and keep things moving along. But I'll still throw my thoughts in where I see fit.

After Frankie Goes To Hollywood dominated 1984, finishing at 1 and 3 on the list, there was no one act that dominated in '85. Madonna's star had rapidly risen and she had an amazing eight singles appear in the top 10 during the year. However, only two make the top 40 of this list.

Before I start counting down the 1985 list, here are some of the songs that missed out:

(as ever, position in the end-of-year sales chart are in brackets)

43(30) PRINCE - 1999/Little Red Corvette (256 points)



Like Madonna, Prince was becoming a regular visitor at the top end of the charts but was still waiting for that truly massive single. This double A-side with two of his most famous tracks would've made the list in most other years.


44(58) BILLY IDOL - White Wedding (250 points)



A no.6 hit that spent 12 weeks in the top 40. Idol enjoyed success on both sides of the Atlantic, later venturing into acting and was cast to play the T-1000 in Terminator 2 but a serious motorcycle accident almost caused him to lose a leg and it effectively cut short his career as a major star.


51(45) DEE C LEE - See The Day (240 points)



The biggest solo hit for a member of the Style Council wasn't by Paul Weller, but the woman he later married, Dee C Lee. She was also one of the original backing singers for Wham! and after she left to join the Style Council, was replaced by Helen "Pepsi" DeMacque. This song was in the top 10 at the end of the year and would've made this list if it had been released a bit sooner.


56(79) TALKING HEADS - Road To Nowhere (232 points)



Surprisingly, the group's only top 10 hit. Should've been absolutely massive.


76(65) SIMPLE MINDS - Don't You (Forget About Me) (208 points)



Another era-defining song that wasn't as big as it should've been at the time. This was the first of four top 10 hits in a row for Simple Minds but the 1989 no.1 "Belfast Child" was their only top 5 hit.


84(91) KIRSTY MACCOLL - A New England (191 points)



Two years after Tracey Ullman had a big hit with a cover of one of her songs, Kirsty's biggest solo hit was a Billy Bragg cover. She added extra lyrics as she thought the song was too short and since her tragic death in 2000, Bragg includes the additional lyrics as a tribute whenever he performs the song live.


100(68) PET SHOP BOYS - West End Girls (164 points)



Low on the list because its chart life straddled '85 and '86, not picking up enough points to make either year's top 40 but it could well feature in the top 40 of the decade. This was the launchpad for a hugely successful career that is now into its fifth decade.

[Whitneyfan]

Every single one of those songs you posted that missed out is a bonafide classic!

[Panda]

Part 1 (40-36):

40(49) BILLY OCEAN - Suddenly (261 points)
Top 40 run: 37-19-9-4-5-6-7-11-20-31



After "Caribbean Queen" revived his career, this gave him another big hit. And even bigger would follow in 1986.


39(36) RED BOX - Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo) (262 points)
Top 40 run: 30-18-6-4-3-4-10-14-25-36



The music video was really a huge deal by the mid 80s. This one was somewhat ahead of its time thanks to the lyrics appearing in sign language.


38(43) TINA TURNER - We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) (264 points)
Top 40 run: 37-11-3-3-4-7-10-18-25-32



Tina's big comeback was complete with this hit, taken from Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, in which she also starred.


37(41) COMMODORES - Nightshift (269 points)
Top 40 run: 32-19-17-9-6-3-5-11-17-30-35



This tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson was their first and last top 40 hit without Lionel Richie.


36(40) GO WEST - We Close Our Eyes (275 points)
Top 40 run: 31-16-9-8-6-5-6-9-18-27



So... about what I was saying regarding mid-80s videos... Really not sure what the director was trying to achieve here. Peter Cox was never going to match some of the other stars of the time in the sweaty teen heartthrob stakes.

[Panda]

Part 2 (35-31):

35(47) BRONSKI BEAT & MARC ALMOND - I Feel Love (Medley) (283 points)
Top 40 run: 24-7-5-3-3-5-7-15-27-35



This could've been awful but there was enough talent involved to pull it off and it matched the chart position of "Smalltown Boy".


34(17) WHITNEY HOUSTON - Saving All My Love For You (285 points)
Top 40 run: 23-9-2-1-1-2-2



Her first UK top 40 hit and the first of four no.1 singles. This was the Christmas no.2 and released just in time to accumulate enough points to make the top 40 on this list.


33(37) STEVIE WONDER - Part Time Lover (289 points)
Top 40 run: 20-5-3-3-5-5-11-16-24-33



To date his last top 10 hit in the UK, though he's had a couple of duet appearances since then.


32(33) WHAM! - Last Christmas/Everything She Wants (289 points)
Top 40 run: 2-3-8-11-21-33-38 / 32-10-6-6



Released too late to make the 1984 list, it would've missed out in 1985 as well had it not returned to the top 10 at Christmas, as did the song that had kept it off the top 12 months earlier.


31(28) ELTON JOHN - Nikita (290 points)
Top 40 run: 19-9-4-3-4-6-15-11-18-33



Amazingly, the live version of "Candle In The Wind" would be the only top 10 hit he'd have for the rest of the decade after this as his very hit/miss chart record continued. At the end of the decade both "Healing Hands" and "Sacrfice" would miss the top 40. They were packaged together as a double A-side in 1990 and gave Elton his first no.1 since 1976.

[Panda]

Part 3 (30-26):

30(21) WHAM! - I'm Your Man (293 points)
Top 40 run: 2-1-1-2-4-8-8



The first single from their final album after a year touring the world and it gave them their third no.1 late in the year.


29(39) UB40 - Don't Break My Heart (294 points)
Top 40 run: 35-19-7-5-3-3-6-12-20-27-24



The group's biggest hit that they actually wrote themselves. It was originally an instrumental and appeared as the b-side to "I Got You Babe" but was released as a single with added vocals to promote their "Baggariddim" album.


28(27) MIDGE URE - If I Was (301 points)
Top 40 run: 29-8-4-1-2-2-8-16-24-37



The Ultravox frontman finally got the no.1 single he was cruelly denied with his band four years earlier.


27(38) DIRE STRAITS - Money For Nothing (302 points)
Top 40 run: 39-15-8-4-5-6-8-9-14-21-27-34



This was the second single from the "Brothers In Arms" album, which remains one of the 10 best-selling albums of all-time in the UK. It is often censored when played these days due to the lyrics containing repeated use of a homophobic slur (the above video features the uncensored version), which are sung from the perspective of an ignorant delivery guy in an electrical store complaining about the acts he sees on MTV. Sting sings backing vocals and received a songwriting credit, even though his only writing contribution was the "I Want My MTV" line. The video was pretty groundbreaking for 1985.

26(34) DURAN DURAN - A View To A Kill (305 points)
Top 40 run: 7-2-2-2-6-11-15-23-29-33-34



Duran Duran were chosen to perform this James Bond theme when they were at their peak popularity but it would actually be their last really big hit. They would have further top 10 hits but this was the last to reach the top 3. For 30 years, it was the highest charting Bond theme in the UK (matched by Adele in 2012), until Sam Smith's abomination for Spectre came along. In the US, it remains the only Bond theme to top the chart.

[Earl Purple]

until Sam Smith's abomination for Spectre came along.

you won't be giving it a good score if it comes up in Haven Factor then.

[Panda]

Part 4 (25-21):

25(19) DEAD OR ALIVE - You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) (305 points)
Top 40 run: 40-19-5-2-1-1-6-12-20-30-36



This had an incredible 18-week climb to no.1, the first 13 weeks of which was spent outside the top 40. It was also the first no.1 for Stock, Aitken & Waterman. The group never had another top 10 hit, though this song did return to the top 10 after Pete Burns' appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.


24(31) BONNIE TYLER - Holding Out For A Hero (310 points)
Top 40 run: 34-10-2-2-2-7-9-12-18-28-35



This track returned Bonnie to the top 40 two years after the success of "Total Eclipse Of The Heart". It was also used as the theme tune for Channel 4's NFL coverage.


23(29) BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - Dancing In The Dark (316 points)
Top 40 run: 36-20-10-6-4-4-5-9-13-13-27-33-37



This was The Boss's first big UK hit. First released in the spring of 1984, it peaked it no.28 but re-entered the chart early in 1985, reaching no.4. The video features a young Courtney Cox being plucked from the crowd to dance badly with Bruce.


22(11) FOREIGNER - I Want To Know What Love Is (323 points)
Top 40 run: 4-1-1-1-3-5-12-21-30



The song that knocked Band Aid off the top spot. This mix of rock and gospel charted in December and had climbed to no.10 by the end of 1984 before topping the chart in the second week of 1985. Its combined points total across both years would have put it at no.8 on this list.


21(18) ASHFORD & SIMPSON - Solid (324 points)
Top 40 run: 27-13-6-4-3-3-4-6-12-21-32



The only UK top 40 hit for the husband-wife duo of Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, who enjoyed greater success writing songs for other artists. Among the songs they wrote were "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "You're All I Need To Get By" and "I'm Every Woman". The pair married in 1974 and remained together until Ashford died of cancer in 2011.

[Panda]

Part 5 (20-16):

20(6) DAVID BOWIE & MICK JAGGER - Dancing In The Street (333 points)
Top 40 run: 1-1-1-1-3-7-13-21-30



A charity release to coincide with Live Aid, it features one of the most unintentionally hilarious videos ever made. David and Mick were clearly having fun, camping it up to the max and were, quite possibly, absolutely coked off their tits, leading to this end product. Possibly even more hilarious is this "silent" version: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHkhIjG0DKc&


19(20) EURYTHMICS - There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) (334 points)
Top 40 run: 37-10-3-1-2-2-6-9-14-25-32



"Sweet Dreams" probably remains their best-known and most defining song but for me, this slice of pop perfection was their finest moment and gave them a deserved no.1 hit. For the second year in a row, Stevie Wonder makes an uncredited cameo appearance doing a harmonica solo.


18(14) BAND AID - Do They Know It's Christmas? (338 points)
Top 40 run: 1-2-9-17-30-38-37 / 24-6-3-3-4



After setting records in 1984, Band Aid returned to the chart the following Christmas, reaching no.3. That run, combined with the end of its initial run, earns it a place on the 1985 points list. Its combined points total will see it make a significant impression on the decade list. The single's success led to the godawful "We Are The World", which reached no.1 in the UK but didn't make the top 40 on this list.


17(10) KING - Love & Pride (341 points)
Top 40 run: 21-6-4-2-2-2-3-8-17-24



A flop on first release in 1984, this spent three weeks at no.2 second time around. They would never be able to continue that momentum, and split the following year. Lead singer Paul King later enjoyed a successful career as an MTV VJ (back when MTV actually showed music).


16(32) MARILLION - Kayleigh (345 points)
Top 40 run: 15-7-4-3-2-4-7-10-13-21-28



If you have a friend called Kayleigh who's in her mid 30s, it's very possible this song is the reason she got that name. This was the first top 10 hit for the prog rockers, led by Fish during their most successful chart spell during the 80s. They proved it was no fluke, with the follow-up "Lavender" also going top 5. Fish quit the band in 1989 and was replaced by Steve Hogarth, with whom they continued to have regular top 40 hits and he remains the band's front man to this day.

[Panda]

Part 6 (15-11):

15(24) TEARS FOR FEARS - Everybody Wants To Rule The World (347 points)
Top 40 run: 16-5-3-2-2-3-4-9-15-25-36



The second big hit from their second album "Songs From The Big Chair", this reached no.2 in the UK and no.1 in the States. "Shout" was also a US no.1 but misses out on this list due to its chart run straddling 1984 and 1985. Its combined total would've seen it in the top 20. This song was re-recorded in 1986 as the official Sport Aid single, with "rule" replaced with "run".


14(22) COLONEL ABRAMS - Trapped (357 points)
Top 40 run: 34-28-16-10-4-3-3-3-5-7-13-20-36



Another of those often-forgotten hits that appear fairly high up in these lists. This was the first UK hit for the house music pioneer, spending 13 weeks inside the top 40. He would have a second top 40 hit in 1986 with "I'm Not Gonna Let You". He was more successful in the US with this track the first of four no.1s on the US Dance Chart. He died in 2016, having suffered with diabetes in later life.


13(15) UB40 & CHRISSIE HYNDE - I Got You Babe (357 points)
Top 40 run: 22-7-3-2-1-2-3-6-14-25-35



The band's second of three number ones (all covers) with this one seeing them team up with the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde. They would join forces again in 1988 for the no.6 hit "Breakfast In Bed".


12(12) PHILIP BAILEY & PHIL COLLINS - Easy Lover (363 points)
Top 40 run: 20-2-1-1-1-1-3-13-19-34



This duet came about when Collins was producing the debut solo album for Earth, Wind & Fire singer Bailey. Bailey asked if they could write a song together and this what they came up with. It topped the UK chart and reached no.2 in the US. Bailey's follow-up single "Walking On The Chinese Wall" also reached the top 40 in the UK. This was also used as the theme music for the first ever Wrestlemania event staged by what is now WWE, which featured guest appearances (in a non-wrestling capacity) from Cyndi Lauper and Liberace, among others.


11(8) FEARGAL SHARKEY - A Good Heart (366 points)
Top 40 run: 32-12-4-1-1-2-4-7-13-18-17



The transition from angry young punk to mainstream pop isn't out of the ordinary though it tends to span decades rather than the four years it took Feargal Sharkey. This song was written by Maria McKee when she was just 19 about her relationship with Tom Petty's keyboard player Benmont Tench. The track was produced by Dave Stewart (the Eurythmics one) so it had all the ingredients to succeed. Sharkey's follow-up single "You Little Thief" was written by Tench (supposedly about McKee, though he denies this). Certainly better than the Eamon/Frankie crock of s*** that hoodwinked gullible idiots in their thousands.

[Panda]

Part 7 (10-6):

10(9) A-HA - Take On Me (372 points)
Top 40 run: 36-14-5-2-2-2-3-5-12-14-23-34-37-33



Not quite held in the same regard as Ultravox's "Vienna", maybe because it wasn't kept off the top by a stupid novelty record, but this is one of those songs that feels like it should've been a no.1. Kept off the top by a song we're yet to see on this list, this was the debut hit (having previously failed to chart twice) for the trio that would go on to become Norway's most successful pop act ahead of fierce competition from the likes of Bobbysocks and Donkeyboy.


9(13) HAROLD FALTERMEYER - Axel F (383 points)
Top 40 run: 30-10-4-2-2-2-3-5-12-16-23-25-36



Taken from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, this was the only top 40 hit for the German composer, whose work was heard in numerous films throughout the 80s and 90s.


8(16) MADONNA - Crazy For You (388 points)
Top 40 run: 25-9-3-2-3-3-5-6-12-15-19-24-31



Madonna had rapidly become the biggest female pop star on the planet and this was her biggest UK hit at the time but would be surpassed by another in just a matter of weeks. This track reached no.2 for a second time when re-released in 1991. As seems to be an annual occurrence with these 80s lists, this track was produced by Jellybean Benitez.


7(4) PAUL HARDCASTLE - 19 (411 points)
Top 40 run: 4-1-1-1-1-1-3-14-16-24-31-36



Part electro-pop classic, part anti-war anthem, this would've been higher on this list had it not been for its rapid fall down the chart after it was dethroned from the top spot following a five week run. He enjoyed several more top 40 hits - most notably "The Wizard", which reached no.15 in 1986, months after becoming the new theme tune for Top Of The Pops.


6(23) KOOL & THE GANG - Cherish (419 points)
Top 40 run: 37-22-13-7-5-4-4-4-5-7-8-14-18-20-30-39



A bit of a surprise in the top 10 as this no.4 hit scores big thanks to its 16-week run in the top 40 (eight of which were in the top 10). This would be the last of Kool & The Gang's seven top 10 hits in the space of six years. In something of a change from previous years, this is the highest-placed song on the list by a male act.

[Panda]

Part 8 (5-1):

5(3) MADONNA - Into The Groove (419 points)
Top 40 run: 4-1-1-1-1-2-4-7-12-20-29-37



So our all-female top 5 starts with Madonna's first no.1 single. She's had 12 more in the 35 years since and starting with "Like A Virgin", released towards the end of 1984, she went over a decade without a single failing to reach the top 10.


4(7) PHYLLIS NELSON - Move Closer (438 points)
Top 40 run: 28-19-14-8-4-3-1-2-2-4-6-17-25-29-39



Now we go from the start of decades of success to a one-hit wonder (though this did reach the top 40 twice). This self-penned track was ignored in the US but became a huge hit in the UK for the American singer, whose previous material was more dance and disco-oriented. Her son Marc was a founder member of Boyz II Men but left the group before they recorded their debut album.


3(5) SISTER SLEDGE - Frankie (453 points)
Top 40 run: 29-11-2-1-1-1-1-2-4-10-17-21-32



The disco legends went all pop in the 80s with this track, produced by Nile Rodgers. This would actually be their last original top 40 hit, though three of their classic singles all charted when re-released in 1993.


2(2) ELAINE PAIGE & BARBARA DICKSON - I Know Him So Well (456 points)
Top 40 run: 34-6-3-2-1-1-1-1-2-8-10-28-34



A huge hit early in the year, this led the points table until the start of December, when its total was overhauled. Written by Benny and Bjorn from Abba, and Tim Rice, it was taken from the Cold War concept album "Chess", which later became a Broadway and West End musical. Paige and Dickson are better known for their stage careers but both had previously had top 10 hits on their own. Neither would appear in the top 40 of the singles chart again (bar a re-issue of Paige's "Memory"), though between them, they've released over 50 albums.


1(1) JENNIFER RUSH - The Power Of Love
Top 40 run: 36-15-2-1-1-1-1-1-2-4-5-10-27-21-22-35



The year's biggest seller also tops the points list. This power ballad, co-written by Rush herself was a hit across Europe, as well as Australia and Canada, but wasn't released in the US until early in 1986, where it failed to reach the top 50. The follow-up "Ring Of Ice" also reached the top 20 in the UK and Rush continued to enjoy David Hasselhoff-like popularity in Germany well into the 90s. At the time, this was the biggest-selling single in the UK by a female solo artist - a record it held for seven years...

[Panda]

Top 100:

1(1) Jennifer Rush - The Power Of Love
2(2) Elaine Paige & Barbara Dickson - I Know Him So Well
3(5) Sister Sledge - Frankie
4(7) Phyllis Nelson - Move Closer
5(3) Madonna - Into The Groove
6(23) Kool & The Gang - Cherish
7(4) Paul Hardcastle - 19
8(16) Madonna - Crazy For You
9(13) Harold Faltermeyer - Axel F
10(9) A-ha - Take On Me
11(8) Feargal Sharkey - A Good Heart
12(12) Philip Bailey & Phil Collins - Easy Lover
13(15) UB40 & Chrissie Hynde - I Got You Babe
14(22) Colonel Abrams - Trapped
15(24) Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World
16(32) Marillion - Kayleigh
17(10) King - Love & Pride
18(14) Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas?
19(20) Eurythmics - There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)
20(6) David Bowie & Mick Jagger - Dancing In The Street
21(18) Ashford & Simpson - Solid
22(11) Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is
23(29) Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark
24(31) Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out For A Hero
25(19) Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)
26(34) Duran Duran - A View To A Kill
27(38) Dire Straits - Money For Nothing
28(27) Midge Ure - If I Was
29(39) UB40 - Don't Break My Heart
30(21) Wham! - I'm Your Man
31(28) Elton John - Nikita
32(33) Wham! - Last Christmas/Everything She Wants
33(37) Stevie Wonder - Part-Time Lover
34(17) Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love For You
35(47) Bronski Beat & Marc Almond - I Feel Love (Medley)
36(40) Go West - We Close Our Eyes
37(41) Commodores - Nightshift
38(43) Tina Turner - We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)
39(36) Red Box - Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo)
40(49) Billy Ocean - Suddenly
41(44) Baltimora - Tarzan Boy
42(71) Opus - Live Is Life
43(30) Prince - 1999/Little Red Corvette
44(58) Billy Idol - White Wedding
45(66) Bruce Springsteen - I'm On Fire/Born In The USA
46(35) USA For Africa - We Are The World
47(52) Level 42 - Something About You
48(53) Cars - Drive
49(26) The Crowd - You'll Never Walk Alone
50(42) Alison Moyet - That Ole Devil Called Love
51(45) Dee C Lee - See The Day
52(54) Paul Young - Every Time You Go Away
53(63) Debarge - Rhythm Of The Night
54(46) Stephen 'Tin Tin' Duffy - Kiss Me
55(51) Madonna - Material Girl
56(79) Talking Heads - Road To Nowhere
57(50) Tears For Fears - Shout
58(75) Fine Young Cannibals - Johnny Come Home
59(56) Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
60(69) Mai Tai - History
61(67) John Parr - St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)
62(95) Doug E Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew - The Show
63(82) Princess - Say I'm Your Number One
64(74) Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
65(60) Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin - Separate Lives
66(73) Animotion - Obsession
67(55) Madonna - Holiday
68(76) David Grant & Jaki Graham - Could It Be I'm Falling In Love?
69(84) Steve Arrington - Feel So Real
70(64) Jermaine Jackson - Do What You Do
71(70) Scritti Politti - The World Girl
72(99) Lionel Richie - Say You Say Me
73(48) Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome To The Pleasuredome
74(62) Madonna - Gambler
75(72) Jimmy Nail - Love Don't Live Here Anymore
76(65) Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me)
77(61) Russ Abbot - Atmosphere
78(78) Marti Webb - Ben
79(57) Madonna - Like A Virgin
80(88) Bryan Adams - Run To You
81(86) Denise Lasalle - My Toot Toot
82(59) Sarah Brightman & Paul Miles-Kingston - Pie Jesu
83(93) Mai Tai - Body And Soul
84(91) Kirsty MacColl - A New England
85(83) Howard Jones - Things Can Only Get Better
86(89) Gary Moore & Phil Lynott - Out In The Fields
87(85) Art Of Noise - Close (To The Edit)
88(87) Simple Minds - Alive And Kicking
89(90) Marillion - Lavender
90(96) Rah Band - Clouds Across The Moon
91(-) Nik Kershaw - Wide Boy
92(80) Phil Collins - One More Night
93(81) Strawberry Switchblade - Since Yesterday
94(97) Amii Stewart - Knock On Wood
95(25) Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone
96(77) Madonna - Angel
97(-) Jaki Graham - Round And Round
98(98) Jan Hammer - Miami Vice Theme
99(96) David Cassidy - The Last Kiss
100(68) Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls

[Panda]

Lists for 1986 and 1987 now compiled. Will start posting the 1986 list tomorrow night!

[Earl Purple]

so the 1986 list won't be the "final" countdown....

[Good Old Days]

From all Madonna's 1985 singles my least favourite became the most successful in charts.

[o]

Some classics at the top end of that list, but also some turds that I hated at the time, and still do!