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Post by Panda on Jun 10, 2020 23:43:50 GMT 1
Onto 1983 now. Same premise as last time. Songs score points for each week they appeared in the UK Top 40 singles chart across the calendar year. No.40 = 1 point, 39 = 2, etc up to 37 points for no.4. No.3 scores 40, no.2 scores 45 and no.1 scores 50 points.
Position in the end-of-year sales chart is shown in brackets.
The countdown will begin shortly but first, here are a few songs that missed the top 40:
41(42) SPANDAU BALLET - Gold (237 points)
Spandau Ballet do appear in the top 40 but this song misses out by one point.
43(17) DURAN DURAN - Is There Something I Should Know? (236 points)
And a point further back is this no.1 - the only one to miss out (other than Renee & Renato's carry-over from 1982). It entered the chart at no.1 but only spent 7 weeks inside the top 40.
44(34) EDDY GRANT - Electric Avenue (235 points)
And another big hit that just misses out.
47(38) TOTO - Africa (230 points)
A corny but enduring classic that also falls just short of the 40.
51(40) HUMAN LEAGUE - (Keep Feeling) Fascination (226 points)
Had to include this as it's my favourite Human League song by some way. Not many actual bands can pull off four people sharing lead vocals on one song.
68(62) SIOUXIE & THE BANSHEES - Dear Prudence (200 points)
This Beatles cover was their biggest hit, reaching no.3. Cure frontman Robert Smith was filling in as a temporary guitarist and with the band wanting to record a song from "The White Album", they chose this as it was the only one Smith knew.
75(88) THE CURE - The Lovecats (196 points)
Which brings us nicely to this. The band's first top 10 hit, reaching no.7 - one of only two they'd have during the 1980s, despite many of their best remembered tracks being from that era.
84(84) HERBIE HANCOCK - Rockit (186 points)
One of the most terrifying videos of all time...
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Post by Panda on Jun 11, 2020 0:07:00 GMT 1
Part 1 (40-36):
40(45) ELTON JOHN - I'm Still Standing (238 points) Top 40 run: 24-9-5-4-5-8-15-23-38
One of two top 10 hits he had during 1983, with "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" coming in at 60 on this list. Despite being one of the most successful British artists of all-time, he was still struggling to find any consistency in terms of having big hits but if any song sums up 1980s Elton, this is surely it.
39(28) HOWARD JONES - New Song (238 points) Top 40 run: 22-13-5-3-5-7-14-26-38
His debut hit and arguably his most famous, though "What Is Love?" would reach no.2 early in 1984.
38(49) YAZOO - Nobody's Diary (239 points) Top 40 run: 20-8-4-3-5-9-20-28-35
The duo's last hit before they stopped speaking to each other.
37(65) SLADE - My Oh My (242 points) Top 40 run: 36-15-5-3-2-2-2
With their 70s heyday well and truly behind them, Slade spent several years in the wilderness until this Queen-style power ballad thrust them back into the spotlight. It was Christmas no.2 and even reached the top 40 in the US.
36(53) EURYTHMICS - Who's That Girl? (244 points) Top 40 run: 29-9-4-3-4-7-13-24-34
This was well and truly their breakthrough year and this was the third of four top 10 hits they would have in 1983.
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Post by Panda on Jun 11, 2020 0:55:38 GMT 1
Part 2 (35-31):
35(30) BELLE STARS - Sign Of The Times (247 points) Top 40 run: 19-5-4-4-3-5-16-27
Formed from the ashes of The Bodysnatchers, this group could've been a lot bigger than they were. This was their first original single after several years p***ing around with covers but they would only reach the top 40 once more after this. Their version of "Iko Iko" later became a big hit in the States after featuring on the Rain Man soundtrack.
34(31) NEW EDITION - Candy Girl (247 points) Top 40 run: 30-7-3-1-3-5-17-31-39
A no.1 for five kids from Boston. The group enjoyed more success in the US, though this wasn't a particularly big hit. New Edition featured a young Bobby Brown who would later leave (or be fired from) the group, depending on who you believe, and go on to have a successful solo career, marry Whitney Houston and have a huge amount of personal problems. Three of the members would go on to form Bell Biv DeVoe while the other original member and lead singer, Ralph Tresvant, would embark on a somewhat lacklustre solo career. The group reformed in the mid 90s (including Johnny Gill, who had originally replaced Brown) and returned to the UK charts with two top 20 hits.
33(60) HEAVEN 17 - Come Live With Me (248 points) Top 40 run: 33-16-7-6-6-5-9-19-27-34
Their second top 10 hit of the year and very much the less remembered of the two.
32(54) THOMPSON TWINS - Hold Me Now (249 points) Top 40 run: 31-14-5-4-5-6-6-8
A hit at the end of the year, which prevents it from being higher on this list. They would enjoy further top 10 hits in 1984.
31(22) TRACEY ULLMAN - They Don't Know (252 points) Top 40 run: 31-9-2-2-3-5-13-27-39
This rather excellent Kirsty MacColl cover (on which MacColl herself provided backing vocals and Paul McCartney made a cameo appearance in the video) was the second of three top 10 hits the comedian/actor-turned singer-turned comedian/actor would have during 1983. She would later move to the States and earn squillions with numerous TV projects, including The Tracey Ullman Show, which would also be where The Simpsons made their TV debut. She continues to earn royalties from The Simpsons, despite losing a 1992 court case in which she claimed she was entitled to 5% of Fox's earnings from the show.
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Post by o on Jun 11, 2020 11:54:28 GMT 1
The 80s were so varied weren't they!
I too love this, that synth hook!
51(40) HUMAN LEAGUE - (Keep Feeling) Fascination (226 points)
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Post by Earl Purple on Jun 11, 2020 13:25:08 GMT 1
I know charity ensembles are not an actual band but "Starmaker" by Kids From Fame had a lot of different singers sing a line. Do they qualify as a "real group"? I think that song did feature in your 1982 countdown.
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Post by Panda on Jun 11, 2020 13:53:10 GMT 1
I know charity ensembles are not an actual band but "Starmaker" by Kids From Fame had a lot of different singers sing a line. Do they qualify as a "real group"? I think that song did feature in your 1982 countdown. No.
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Post by Whitneyfan on Jun 11, 2020 14:53:35 GMT 1
There are some absolute classics missing the top 40 this year.
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Post by Panda on Jun 11, 2020 15:00:43 GMT 1
The 80s were so varied weren't they! As were the 90s, perhaps even more so. That's what makes the current charts so annoying - almost heartbreaking when you think back to what they were once like - there's so little variety.
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Post by Panda on Jun 11, 2020 16:33:13 GMT 1
Part 3 (30-26):
30(39) WHAM! - Club Tropicana (258 points) Top 40 run: 27-10-5-4-5-6-11-18-25
Like some other acts on this list, this wasn't their biggest hit of the year but it's the one most people remember.
29(32) HEAVEN 17 - Temptation (276 points) Top 40 run: 31-14-8-3-2-4-9-14-25-32
Their most popular song and first top 40 hit after several near misses (including the BBC-banned "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thing"). It was remixed in 1992 and returned to the chart, reaching no.4. Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware were founding members of the Human League and Glenn Gregory was their original choice for lead singer. He was unavailable, so they recruited Phil Oakey instead. Disagreements with Oakey led them to leave the group with Oakey keeping the Human League name. They then finally got to work with Gregory and Heaven 17 was born. Despite success during the 80s, they wouldn't perform their first live show until 1997.
28(41) SHAKIN' STEVENS - Cry Just A Little Bit (277 points) Top 40 run: 19-4-3-3-8-13-17-24-24-22
Although his star was fading, Shaky was still squeezing out hits, including this no.3, which had a more contemporary pop style than his usual rockabilly stuff.
27(25) PEABO BRYSON & ROBERTA FLACK - Tonight I Celebrate My Love (277 points) Top 40 run: 36-26-7-2-3-4-7-14-22-30
Flack was already an established star having had a hit with "Killing Me Softly With His Song" in the 70s and her duet with Donny Hathaway, "Back Together Again", reached no.3 in 1980. Bryson, on the other hand, was unknown in the UK before this, although he'd had some success in the US. He became primarily known for his duets, working with Celine Dion ("Beauty And The Beast"), Regina Belle ("A Whole New World"), Chaka Khan, Minnie Riperton and Natalie Cole, to name just a few. He's now married to Tanya Boniface, formerly of British R&B group The 411.
26(9) FLYING PICKETS - Only You (282 points) Top 40 run: 9-1-1-1-1-1
An a cappella version of the Yazoo hit, this was Christmas no.1, spending 5 weeks at the top, though it rapidly fell down the chart in the new year. They had a second top 10 hit in 1984 with "When You're Young And In Love" but encountered issues with their record label due to their active support of the miners' strikes and never reached the top 40 again. The group continues today but without any of the original members.
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Post by Panda on Jun 11, 2020 18:23:53 GMT 1
Part 4 (25-21):
25(24) FR DAVID - Words (296 points) Top 40 run: 39-21-8-4-2-2-4-9-17-22-39
A somewhat-forgotten Europe-wide smash for the Tunisian-French singer. This was his only UK top 40 hit and he would later concentrate on writing for other acts.
24(37) MALCOLM McLAREN - Double Dutch (299 points) Top 40 run: 19-10-7-4-3-4-7-11-19-29
Having led the Sex Pistols (as well as other groups) to infamy as their manager, the often-controversial McLaren later pursued his own recording career, with a fair degree of acclaim and success, combining a number of different styles from across the world. This was his second top 10 hit of the year after "Buffalo Gals" and his later work would see him bring voguing into the mainstream, a year before Madonna's huge worldwide hit. He died of cancer in 2010, aged 64.
23(11) EURYTHMICS - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) (306 points) Top 40 run: 38-21-5-3-2-3-5-5-15-25-33
While the Anglo-Scottish duo had a string of hits during the first half of the decade, this track, their top 40 debut, remains their most iconic both for its musical style and Annie Lennox's memorable androgynous look in the famous video. The song was a huge seller with its position on this list suffering due it being prevented from reaching the top of the charts by a couple of other big sellers from the year.
22(12) PHIL COLLINS - You Can't Hurry Love (306 points) Top 40 run: 2-1-1-2-3-8-17-26-37
This cover of the Supremes' 1966 hit was the first new no.1 of the year, having initially entered the chart at the beginning of December. His previous top 10 hit had been "In The Air Tonight" and his next would be "Against All Odds". Say what you like about Phil Collins, he was certainly versatile.
21(15) PAUL YOUNG - Love Of The Common People (309 points) Top 40 run: 17-5-2-2-2-4-4-3
Having had very limited success with a number of groups, 1983 saw Paul Young make a breakthrough as a solo performer, and this cover was his third top 10 hit of the year (having failed to chart when it was first released), reaching no.2 in the lead-up to Christmas.
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Post by Panda on Jun 11, 2020 20:33:24 GMT 1
Part 5 (20-16):
20(29) MIKE OLDFIELD - Moonlight Shadow (314 points) Top 40 run: 27-19-4-4-4-5-7-12-16-18-29-35-39
Oldfield's third top 5 hit, coming over six years after his previous one. The vocals on the track came from Scottish singer and regular collaborator Maggie Reilly.
19(26) WHAM! - Bad Boys (314 points) Top 40 run: 37-12-5-2-2-3-5-9-16-24-36
Their second top 10 hit of the year after "Wham Rap" and the biggest single off their debut album "Fantastic" but "Club Tropicana" is the one most people remember. Despite this track's success, their early "hard man" image was soon discarded.
18(10) LIONEL RICHIE - All Night Long (All Night) (328 points) Top 40 run: 31-16-4-2-2-2-4-6-16-24-34
While "Truly" had reached the top 10 a year earlier and was a US no.1, this was really the breakthrough solo success in the UK for the former Commodores singer. He continued to have hits through the rest of the decade, including the no.1 "Hello" in 1984 and his continued popularity saw him play the coveted "legend's slot" at Glastonbury in 2015.
17(13) KAJAGOOGOO - Too Shy (334 points) Top 40 run: 33-10-5-2-1-1-3-6-14-29
Look up the 1980s in an encyclopedia and there may well be a photo of Limahl. This Nick Rhodes-produced track was their debut hit though they'd been already been around for a few years, starting life as an avant garde group called Art Nouveau who received airplay from John Peel, among others. After recruiting Limahl as singer in 1981, they changed their name and musical direction, leading to a run of four top 20 singles. Limahl was later fired as the band tried to regain some credibility and he enjoyed an international hit with the main theme from the film "The Neverending Story".
16(5) BONNIE TYLER - Total Eclipse Of The Heart (336 points) Top 40 run: 14-2-1-1-2-3-8-16-27-34
After a few quiet years following the success of "It's A Heartache" in 1977, the Welsh singer scored big in 1983 with this track, written by Meat Loaf's long-time writer Jim Steinman. It was a global hit, selling over 6 million copies worldwide.
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Post by Panda on Jun 11, 2020 23:27:37 GMT 1
Part 6 (15-11):
15(7) MEN AT WORK - Down Under (340 points) Top 40 run: 38-7-2-1-1-1-2-6-22-32
The first top 40 hit and only top 10 hit in the UK for a band who'd already had success back home in Australia. They would split in 1984 but founders Colin Hay and Greg Ham would reform in the 90s. In 2010, the group lost a court case against Larrikin Music, who owned the publishing rights for a 1930s nursery rhyme called "Kookaburra". They alleged the flute line in "Down Under" was copied from "Kookaburra" and demanded 40-60% of the song's royalties, backdated to 1981. A judge found in Larrikin's favour in terms of breach of copyright but only awarded them 5% of the royalties, backdated to 2002, though it's estimated this still equated to a six-figure sum in Australian dollars. The case badly affected Ham, who performed the flute line, which wasn't initially part of the song and he died of a heart attack in 2012, aged 58. In 2019, Hay revived the Men At Work name, touring with a group of backing musicians.
14(27) IRENE CARA - Flashdance... What A Feeling (346 points) Top 40 run: 30-9-4-4-3-2-5-8-13-17-25-34
The second big hit from a film soundtrack for Irene Cara after "Fame". They would be her only UK top 40 hits.
13(16) THE POLICE - Every Breath You Take (346 points) Top 40 run: 7-1-1-1-1-2-9-20-28-40
Often misunderstood as a simple love song, the song is written from the point of view of a man obsessed with an ex-lover. While the Police had many hits, this is arguably their most famous, coming from their most successful album "Synchronicity". It is the most-played song in US radio history and topped an ITV poll in 2015 to find the nation's favourite no.1 single of the 1980s. This was their last big hit before they went on hiatus as Sting pursued a solo career. They reunited in 1986 for some live shows and to record a new album but Stewart Copeland broke his collarbone the day before recording was due to start. The recording sessions were abandoned and the group effectively split. They would later reunite in 2007 for a hugely successful world tour.
12(4) DAVID BOWIE - Let's Dance (347 points) Top 40 run: 5-2-1-1-1-6-9-13-24-37
The master of re-invention, Bowie had already achieved a hall of fame calibre career before the release of this track and the album of the same name, co-produced by Nile Rodgers. Two no.2 singles, "Modern Love" and "China Girl" were also taken from the album. It was Bowie's biggest-selling album, selling over 10 million copies worldwide.
11(6) SPANDAU BALLET - True (350 points) Top 40 run: 10-1-1-1-1-2-10-16-29-35
A song synonymous with both Spandau Ballet and the 80s, this gave the band their only no.1 single. It would later be sampled by PM Dawn for their 1993 no.3 hit "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss".
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Post by o on Jun 12, 2020 14:27:04 GMT 1
I love Moonlight Shadow, sure that bobbed around outside the charts for a bit as well. Funny I was thinking I dont remember Paul Young dropping out from #3 or the Flying Pickets from #1, but they were at the end of the chart year, doh!
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Jun 12, 2020 14:31:25 GMT 1
Flying Pickets were #1 on the day I was born, around Christmas time
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Post by Whitneyfan on Jun 12, 2020 14:54:58 GMT 1
Yeah, Moonlight Shadow is a masterpiece. It's one of those songs that feels like it could have been written at any point in history.
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Post by Panda on Jun 12, 2020 14:58:45 GMT 1
I love Moonlight Shadow, sure that bobbed around outside the charts for a bit as well. Funny I was thinking I dont remember Paul Young dropping out from #3 or the Flying Pickets from #1, but they were at the end of the chart year, doh! Yes, the top 40 runs shown are for the year in question only, though I think the Flying Pickets only lasted two weeks once we got to 1984.
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Post by Panda on Jun 12, 2020 17:30:10 GMT 1
Part 7 (10-6):
10(19) KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND - Give It Up (359 points) Top 40 run: 30-19-5-1-1-1-2-4-13-18-34
This band had regular hits throughout the 70s but as disco died, the hits dried up. That was until this song gave them a surprise summer hit in the UK, three and a half years after their previous chart appearance. It was their first and only UK no.1 and was also a hit in the US, albeit two years later.
9(21) ROD STEWART - Baby Jane (365 points) Top 40 run: 37-19-6-2-1-1-1-3-9-19-27-40
After a hugely successful decade in the 70s that brought him five no.1 singles, things had started a bit quieter in the 80s for Rod, with his only top 10 appearance being the 1981 no.8 "Tonight I'm Yours". That all changed with this track, the lead single from his "Body Wishes" album, that combined rock and synth pop. It remains his final no.1, though he's made sporadic returns to the top 10 since.
8(8) MICHAEL JACKSON - Billie Jean (366 points) Top 40 run: 20-17-5-2-1-2-3-8-11-20-25-36
The song that propelled Michael Jackson to megastardom. Released in January, it reached no.1 on both sides of the Atlantic (spending seven weeks at the top in the US) but it was his iconic performance of the song on NBC's special broadcast celebrating 25 years of Motown that would make him the most talked-about entertainer on the planet. That performance also him debut his signature moonwalk and saw a huge increase in sales of the already-popular "Thriller" album. It remains the biggest-selling album of all-time worldwide, having sold an estimated 66 million copies.
7(23) PAUL MCCARTNEY & MICHAEL JACKSON - Say Say Say (368 points) Top 40 run: 25-10-13-14-3-2-2-3-12-18-25-25-29
Despite all that success for Michael Jackson, the highest track on this list that appears on is this duet with Paul McCartney, which reached no.2 late in the year. This was the lead single from McCartney's "Pipes Of Peace" and was also a huge it in both the UK and US, though it took the release of the song's video to give it a second wind over here. A new version of the track, with McCartney's and Jackson's vocals switched, appeared on the 2015 re-release of "Pipes Of Peace".
6(14) PAUL YOUNG - Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) (388 points) Top 40 run: 30-12-3-2-1-1-1-2-9-20-31-36
Young's breakthrough hit that made him one of the UK's most recognisable voices. But this version of the Marvin Gaye song is just as recognisable for Pino Palladino's fretless bass playing, which made him one of the world's most sought-after session musicians. Young continued to enjoy regular success for a couple of years and had the honour of singing the opening line on the Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" but his only top 10 appearance after 1985 was his 1991 duet with Zucchero, "Senza Una Donna".
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Post by Earl Purple on Jun 12, 2020 17:58:10 GMT 1
Paul Young's breakthrough solo hit, but not his first hit, as he was lead singer of Streetband who got to #18 in 1978 with "Toast".
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Post by Panda on Jun 12, 2020 18:14:58 GMT 1
Paul Young's breakthrough solo hit, but not his first hit, as he was lead singer of Streetband who got to #18 in 1978 with "Toast". Already covered.
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Post by Panda on Jun 12, 2020 19:14:08 GMT 1
Part 8 (5-1):
5(20) FREEEZ - IOU (390 points) Top 40 run: 23-7-5-3-2-2-2-3-10-16-25-26
A bit of a surprise in the top 5 as this synth pop hit beats the likes of Bowie, McCartney and Michael Jackson. Co-written by Arthur Baker and remixed by Jellybean Benitez, it was a hit across Europe, as well as Australia and gave the group, led by John Rocca, their second top 10 hit in the UK, after 1981's "Southern Freeez".
4(3) UB40 - Red Red Wine (410 points) Top 40 run: 36-9-1-1-1-2-2-3-8-16-20-29-39
The biggest hit of the band's career (in the UK) and the first of three no.1s (all of which were covers) for the Birmingham reggae act. The track was taken from "Labour Of Love", an album of covers, the success of which led to subsequent volumes being released under the same name. Despite being a covers album, Rolling Stone magazine named it among their Top 100 Albums of the Decade. The band continues today with several members of the original line-up still involved, though singer Ali Campbell left in 2008 and would later form a Bucks Fizz-esque rival UB40 with former bandmate Mickey Virtue.
3(18) NEW ORDER - Blue Monday (441 points) Top 40 run: 37-24-17-14-14-12-13-17-18-26-32 / 37-20-12-10-9-12-15-18-29-38
A cultural phenomenon that remains the UK's biggest selling 12" single of all time. It comes in at 3 on this list, having spent 21 weeks inside the top 40 during 1983 across two separate runs, despite only peaking at no.9 Its initial run saw it reach no.12 but it returned to the top 40 later in the year, having been left off the group's second album "Power, Corruption & Lies". Despite the success of the single, Factory Records made no money from it as its expensive-to-produce sleeve caused the label to make a loss of 5p on every copy sold. It sold over 700,000 copies by the end of the year. Although they were now firmly established, it would be four years until the group returned to the top 10 with "True Faith", while an updated version of "Blue Monday" reached no.3 in 1988.
2(2) BILLY JOEL - Uptown Girl (452 points) Top 40 run: 25-7-1-1-1-1-1-3-10-14-14-14
While he enjoyed regular hits in the US, this was his first top 10 hit in the UK and spent five weeks at no.1 towards the end of the year, overtaking New Order's points total in the final chart of the year to finish 2nd on this list. He remained popular in the US well into the 90s but his chart performance over here continued to be hit and miss after the brief run of top 10 hits sparked by this single. The video featured model Christie Brinkley, who would later become Joel's second wife (of four). The song would later reach no.1 again when covered by Westlife in 2001.
1(1) CULTURE CLUB - Karma Chameleon (522 points) Top 40 run: 3-1-1-1-1-1-1-4-8-9-18-29-28-32-35-35-30
The biggest-selling hit of the year also tops the points chart. An absolute monster of a hit, it spent six weeks at no.1. The second single from the band's second album "Colour By Numbers", it was a global smash, selling more than 5 million copies worldwide, 1.5 million of those coming in the UK. As I've mentioned on a previous list, the group would later disintegrate due to internal differences and drug issues but for a while, Culture Club were on top of the world. They even got to perform this song in an episode of The A Team!
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