1984 Points Chart

[Panda]

We move onto 1984 and if you know your chart history you can probably guess what is at no.1 on this list. But there are plenty of good singles in the 40 and some interesting stories to be told so here we go.

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.


As ever, before I begin the countdown, here's a selection of songs that didn't make the top 40:


46(16) FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD - The Power Of Love (235 points)



The band's third no.1 of the year, this hit the top just before Christmas and the record-breaking Band Aid and Wham singles came along. With people buying Band Aid in their millions, it seemingly had a knock-on effect on the rest of the singles in the chart. Wham's "Last Christmas" remains the biggest-selling no.2 single of all-time and the entire Christmas top 6 was in the end-of-year sales top 40. However, none were released in time to reach the top 40 on this list. Some of them would return to the chart in 1985, though. The Christmas no.7 was also one of the year's biggest sellers but had already been out for months and appears on this list.


49(62) WEATHER GIRLS - It's Raining Men (221 points)



A spring no.2 hit for the duo of Martha Wash and Izora Armstead. This would be their only UK hit though Wash went on to become a highly successful house music vocalist, providing vocals on tracks by Black Box, C+C Music Factory and Todd Terry. She also won a court case to force the former two to give her credits on the tracks in question, leading to a change in Billboard chart rules in terms of how artists are credited. Armstead would later resurrect the Weather Girls with her daughter Dynelle Rhodes but died in 2004, aged 62.


50(69) BANANARAMA - Robert De Niro's Waiting (220 points)



After their breakthrough hits alongside Fun Boy Three, the trio of Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin were enjoying regular chart appearances but were still waiting for that really huge hit.


52(60) ALISON MOYET - All Cried Out (218 points)



Her second single after the break-up of Yazoo, this narrowly missed out on a place in the top 40 despite only reaching no.8 in the charts.


64(56) CARS - Drive (204 points)



A no.5 hit when first released in 1984. The following year, in the lead up to Live Aid, it was used in a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation news report on the Ethiopian famine. David Bowie saw the report and urged organisers to use it during the concert. Bowie himself ended up introducing the video and it's regarded as a major factor in terms of the money donated on the day. It was re-released with proceeds going to the Band Aid Trust and reached no.4. It didn't accumulate enough points to be in the top 40 for either year but its combined total could see it in the top 40 for the decade when I compile it.

[Whitneyfan]

I can probably guess the top 3, but I won't give anything away. 1984 is my favourite year ever for chart music, there were so many absolute classics released.

[Earl Purple]

I thought Gary Glitter was Christmas #7 this year but no way that would have made the list... Nor was it out for ages. Nellie The Elephant won't be in there either. And given their late charting I doubt the Frog Song will be here either.

Quite obvious what many of the big ones will be.

[Panda]

Part 1 (40-36):

40(29) THOMPSON TWINS - Doctor! Doctor! (246 points)
Top 40 run: 18-5-3-3-5-9-19-26-39



The group's fourth top 10 hit, reaching no.3. The follow-up "You Take Me Up" reached no.2 and comes in at no.41 on this list, a point behind this track.


39(35) HOWARD JONES - Like To Get To Know You Well (247 points)
Top 40 run: 33-10-4-4-4-5-12-20-31-40



A track that maintained his early momentum. Jones had six top appearances from his first seven singles but didn't trouble the top 40 again after 1986.


38(46) MIAMI SOUND MACHINE - Dr. Beat (249 points)
Top 40 run: 28-16-7-7-7-6-11-18-26-35



The group had been around since the late 70s but they didn't make their chart breakthrough until this track which led to them placing singer Gloria Estefan (who was married to the band leader Emilio) at the forefront in terms of both the music and the way the group was marketed. Gloria later went solo but suffered a broken back when her tour bus crashed in 1990. She had to learn to walk again but was able to release a new album just a year later and continued to enjoy hits throughout the 1990s.


37(40) JOE FAGIN - That's Livin' Alright (250 points)
Top 40 run: 18-4-3-3-6-7-17-24



For the second year in a row, the theme tune to a popular ITV show sneaks into the top 40. This time, it's Joe Fagin's theme from Auf Wiedershen Pet, which reached no.3 early in the year. Only two series of the show were made for ITV but it was revived 15 years later by the BBC, with a completely different theme tune, this time by Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler. This was Fagin's only solo top 40 hit, though he was part of The Crowd charity ensemble that reached no.1 in 1985.


36(37) U2 - Pride (In The Name Of Love) (253 points)
Top 40 run: 8-4-3-4-8-13-19-25-34



The Irish band's second top 10 hit but very much their big breakthrough single, reaching no.3 in September. The group's rapidly increasing popularity and Bono's distinctive voice would see them be part of the Band Aid line-up, with Bono getting to deliver the line "Well tonight thank God it's them, instead of you" in memorable fashion. The band would go on to have huge success over future decades, notching up seven UK no.1 singles and their 1987 album "The Joshua Tree" would make them global stars. Their popularity was also helped by their appearance at Live Aid in 1985 and this song was initially supposed to end their set but ended up being dropped due to their performance of "Bad" going on for 12 minutes.

[Panda]

Jun 14, 2020 16:11:57 GMT 1 Earl Purple said:

I thought Gary Glitter was Christmas #7 this year but no way that would have made the list... Nor was it out for ages. Nellie The Elephant won't be in there either. And given their late charting I doubt the Frog Song will be here either.

Quite obvious what many of the big ones will be.

He was no.7 in the chart before Christmas but then dropped to no.8.

I already stated none of the Christmas top 6 are on the list.

[Earl Purple]

oh yeah I remember what Christmas #7 is...

[Panda]

Part 2 (35-31):

35(24) NEIL - Hole In My Shoe (255 points)
Top 40 run: 5-2-2-2-7-13-25-35



When you think of other novelty records performed in character, this could have been a lot worse. It was a cover of Traffic's 1967 no.2 hit and saw a return to the charts for Dave Stewart (not the Eurythmics one), who produced the track, and Barbara Gaskin, who sang backing vocals. This version's success can also be attributed to the popularity of The Young Ones, with its release timed to coincide with the end of the show's second series. The Young Ones regularly featured musical interludes from well-known bands, which meant it was treated as a variety show by the BBC, rather than simply a sitcom, enabling it to receive a larger budget. Nigel Planer, who played Neil, turned up (uninvited) in character to the recording of the Band Aid single but was eventually shown the door when the patience of those present wore thin. Marilyn also turned up uninvited but was allowed to stay and featured as part of the ensemble.


34(44) MATTHEW WILDER - Break My Stride (256 points)
Top 40 run: 31-14-5-4-5-6-12-18-25-34



A top 5 hit in the UK and the US, this would be his only chart appearance over here though he had a couple more minor hits in the States. The track has seen a renewed popularity recently due to its frequent use in TikTok videos (apparently).


33(27) GIORGIO MORODER & PHIL OAKEY - Together In Electric Dreams (257 points)
Top 40 run: 39-21-9-5-3-4-5-15-21-33



This electro-pop anthem saw the Human League singer team up with Italian composer Moroder and was taken from the soundtrack of the film "Electric Dreams". It would be Moroder's only top 40 hit in the UK, while it would become part of the Human League's live set and has been included on their greatest hits compilations. It returned to the singles chart in 2012 after being used on a TV ad for EDF Energy.


32(54) SHAKIN' STEVENS - A Love Worth Waiting For (260 points)
Top 40 run: 22-7-2-2-3-6-15-27-39



No early 80s list would be complete without an appearance from Shaky and he's back again with this forgettable track. Later in the year, he was preparing for an all-out assault on the Christmas no.1 spot when Band Aid came along and so he delayed "Merry Christmas Everyone" by a whole year, instead releasing "Teardrops", which reached no.5 in early December.


31(43) BRONSKI BEAT - Smalltown Boy (261 points)
Top 40 run: 35-13-4-3-4-7-12-19-26-31-38



The debut single from the trio, which came at a time when there still weren't many openly gay acts. Their lyrics often centered around gay rights and anti-gay prejudice at a time when the subject was rarely covered by chart acts. The track reached no.3 in June and was followed by the no.6 hit "Why?". Singer Jimmy Somverville would later leave and form the Communards with Richard Coles (who was briefly Bronski Beat's saxophonist), before enjoying a solo career. John Foster replaced Somerville and sang on the no.3 hit "Hit That Perfect Beat". Founder member Larry Steinbachek died of cancer in 2016, while the other founder Steve Bronski would later reform the group with a new line-up and released a new album "The Age Of Reason" in 2017. This track has been sampled several times, most recently by Killers singer Brandon Flowers on his solo track "I Can Change".

[Earl Purple]

Matthew Wilder made a comeback in my chart in 2016 with a #3 hit, the same peak as Break My Stride in my chart

[Earl Purple]

A Love Worth Waiting For isn't a forgettable track, it's one of the best songs he released.

[Panda]

Jun 14, 2020 18:20:20 GMT 1 Earl Purple said:

Matthew Wilder made a comeback in my chart in 2016 with a #3 hit, the same peak as Break My Stride in my chart

[Panda]

Part 3 (30-26):

30(33) DURAN DURAN - The Wild Boys (261 points)
Top 40 run: 5-3-2-3-9-19-29-32-31-26



By 1984, Duran Duran were reaching their peak in terms of popularity. They had three top 10 hits during the year and two are on this list, including this single which reached no.2 in November and was still in the top 40 at the end of the year.


29(47) DENIECE WILLIAMS - Let's Hear It For The Boy (261 points)
Top 40 run: 18-8-3-2-2-9-16-26-38



Best known as a soul singer who had a UK no.1 with "Free" in 1977, her move into mainstream pop gave her career a new lease of life with this worldwide hit taken from the soundtrack to Footloose. While Kenny Loggins' title track was a US no.1, it only reached no.6 in the UK and just scrapes into the top 100 on this list.


28(45) NIK KERSHAW - The Riddle (262 points)
Top 40 run: 17-5-4-3-8-8-12-11



Another act who was enjoying consistent success during 1984, this is the first of three appearances on this list. This was a hit at the end of the year, holding its own well against some tough competition.


27(32) CYNDI LAUPER - Girls Just Want To Have Fun (262 points)
Top 40 run: 23-10-2-3-4-8-13-20-32



Her breakthrough solo hit having previously been singer in rockabilly band Blue Angel, and one that probably remains her signature song. This shot to no.2 early in the year and paved the way for another big hit in the spring.


26(41) NIK KERSHAW - Wouldn't It Be Good (269 points)
Top 40 run: 38-32-24-9-4-4-4-6-12-21-38



Kershaw's second appearance, this only finishes above "The Riddle" due to that song being released late in the year. This was his first top 40 hit, leading to a short period of success. After the hits dried up, he focused on writing for other acts and wrote the Chesney Hawkes no.1 "The One And Only".

[Panda]

Part 4 (25-21):

25(25) CYNDI LAUPER - Time After Time (274 points)
Top 40 run: 36-10-4-3-4-6-8-16-21-30



Her second big hit of the year but she wasn't able to maintain that level of success, with her only top 10 appearances after this year being "I Drove All Night" in 1989 and a re-worked version of "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" in 1994. More recently, this song was ruined in a Plusnet advert.


24(30) LAURA BRANIGAN - Self Control (277 points)
Top 40 run: 34-25-13-6-6-5-8-10-14-24-33-37



This was her second UK top 10 after the 1983 no.6 "Gloria" (a US no.1). These two songs would be her only UK top 40 hits, though she continued to have minor hits in the States for the rest of the 80s. She later recorded the duet "I Believe" with David Hasselhoff, which was played at the end of the fifth season of Baywatch. She died from a brain aneurysm in 2004, aged just 52.


23(38) POINTER SISTERS - Automatic (277 points)
Top 40 run: 38-20-5-4-2-2-4-14-24-32



The second of three top 10 hits the group had during the 1980s, though the no.6 hit "Jump (For My Love" is perhaps more remembered today. This track found a new audience at the start of this century after being featured on the soundtrack for the 80s-set video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The group continues today but is now a mother-daughter-granddaughter setup.


22(42) BREAK MACHINE - Street Dance (280 points)
Top 40 run: 36-27-16-11-5-3-3-8-13-19-34



One of several hits that capitalised on the new break dancing and body popping crazes that were prevalent at the time. Break Machine were rapper/singer Keith Rodgers, musician Fred Zarr and French producers Morali and Belolo. This track was a hit across Europe, particularly in Scandinavia. The follow-up, "Break Dance Party" also reached the top 10 in the UK.


21(22) PAUL McCARTNEY - No More Lonely Nights (282 points)
Top 40 run: 28-6-4-2-3-4-13-22-29-28-38



This was the lead track from the soundtrack to McCartney's film "Give My Regards To Broad Street". It featured Pink Floyd's David Gilmour on guitar and was a big hit on both sides of the Atlantic. At the same time, McCartney recorded "We All Stand Together" for an animated short featuring Rupert Bear, which was shown before Give My Regards To Broad Street in cinemas. It reached no.3 on the Christmas chart, behind Band Aid and Wham!

[Panda]

Part 5 (20-16):

20(39) KOOL & THE GANG - Joanna/Tonight (286 points)
Top 40 run: 16-10-3-2-2-4-10-17-33



The group's fifth top 10 hit in the UK and they would go on to have two more. They are sometimes regarded as a surprising inclusion in the Band Aid line-up but their chart record, which includes six further top 20 hits, more than stands up to any scrutiny.


19(34) NIK KERSHAW - I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me (297 points)
Top 40 run: 18-4-2-3-4-7-9-17-27-33-38



The third and final appearance for Nik Kershaw. It's a bit of mystery why he didn't go on to bigger and better things. Music can be very fickle (especially so in the 80s) but his decline in fortunes was still somewhat surprising.


18(28) PRINCE - When Doves Cry (307 points)
Top 40 run: 21-8-5-4-4-5-8-14-19-24-32



The first of many top 10 hits for Prince Rogers Nelson, the classic "Purple Rain" would also reach the top 10 later in the year. Surprisingly, he would only have one UK no.1 single, 1994's "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World". "When Doves Cry" would later be sampled on MC Hammer's 1990 hit "Pray".


17(21) JIM DIAMOND - I Should Have Known Better (310 points)
Top 40 run: 40-13-3-2-1-2-6-18-20-19



A big hit at the end of the year for the former PhD singer. It would've been even higher on this list had it been released a few weeks earlier. His only other solo top 40 appearance would be "Hi Ho Silver", which reached no.5 in 1986 and was used as the theme tune to Boon.


16(15) NENA - 99 Red Balloons (333 points)
Top 40 run: 31-11-2-1-1-1-2-11-20-39



This was the only UK top 40 hit for what was, at the time, a band but was also the nickname of its lead singer, Gabriele Kerner, who would later go solo. The band had already enjoyed success across Europe when this song became a huge hit in both the UK and US (where, perhaps surprisingly, it was the German-language version that reached no.2). That success would be short-lived though they continued to have hits in Germany for a couple more years. After a slow start, Nena has just enjoyed great success as a solo artist in Germany and Austria during this century, including a big hit with a re-working of her 1984 song "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime", a duet with Kim Wilde which was also used as an entry in an early Havenvision, finishing 5th.

[Panda]

Part 6 (15-11):

15(20) TINA TURNER - What's Love Got To Do With It? (337 points)
Top 40 run: 40-18-10-6-5-5-3-5-8-12-19-27-40



After two unsuccessful solo albums following her divorce from Ike Turner, Tina's musical fortunes started to change in 1982 when she worked with The British Electronic Foundation (effectively Heaven 17 without Glenn Gregory). Their collaboration led to BEF producing Tina's cover of the Al Green classic "Let's Stay Together", which was a top 10 hit in the UK and eventually became a hit in the US as well. Following on from that Tina released her "Private Dancer" album which was a global success as was this single. It's actually a cover, written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle. It was rejected by Cliff Richard and Donna Summer before eventually being recorded by Bucks Fizz and was due to be included on their "I Hear Talk" album. However, Tina ended up including it on "Private Dancer", which was recorded in just two weeks and the Bucks Fizz version didn't see the light of day until 2000.


14(23) QUEEN - I Want To Break Free (342 points)
Top 40 run: 18-5-3-3-3-4-5-9-15-22-28



The second single from the band's album "The Works" after "Radio Ga Ga", this is often seen as the moment that sparked a decline in their popularity in the US due to the ultra-conservatives balking at the sight of Freddie and co. in drag. The numbers seem to back this up with the band not having another top 40 hit in the US during Freddie's lifetime (Radio Ga Ga had peaked at no.16 in the US).


13(10) WHAM! - Freedom (354 points)
Top 40 run: 3-1-1-1-2-4-9-20-25-36



If 1983's debut album "Fantastic" was their breakthrough, 1984's "Make It Big" made Wham a global sensation. It produced three UK no.1 singles (including "Careless Whisper", which was credited to George Michael for its single release, except in the US), while "Everything She Wants" was a US no.1. Fun fact: their world tour which culminated in their much-publicised shows in China, began at Whitley Bay Ice Rink - for many years the north-east's prime venue for large music shows until the Newcastle Arena was built in the 90s.


12(19) PHIL COLLINS - Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) (356 points)
Top 40 run: 26-10-4-2-2-2-3-8-10-22-28-39



Another huge hit for the Genesis frontman, whose solo success was already outweighing that of his band. Whilst he was still a bit hit and miss in terms of top 40 appearances, he would feature consistently in the top 10 towards the end of the decade. At the end of the year, Collins played drums on the Band Aid single but only sang as part of the ensemble at the song's climax. For the second year in a row, one of the biggest hits on the list would later be murdered by Westlife, this time with Mariah Carey who had already covered the song herself and released it across Europe - Westlife just added their vocals to her version.


11(17) DURAN DURAN - The Reflex (356 points)
Top 40 run: 5-1-1-1-1-3-4-19-27-35-40



The seventh of ten top 10 hits in a row in the UK, this was effectively the band's commercial peak with the single topping the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. "The Wild Boys" would follow before the end of the year and 1985 would bring their Bond theme "A View To A Kill". The band would also feature heavily on the Band Aid single with Simon Le Bon's vocals and John Taylor and Andy Taylor playing on the song.

[Panda]

Part 7 (10-6):

10(11) WHAM! - Wake Me Up Before You Go Go (366 points)
Top 40 run: 4-1-1-2-2-5-9-18-22-28-30-36



The duo's first no.1, the video for which also saw the debut of the famous "Choose Life" t-shirts.


9(12) CHAKA KHAN - I Feel For You (413 points)
Top 40 run: 22-5-2-1-1-1-2-6-14-21-25-21



A huge solo hit for the former Rufus singer, dubbed "The Queen of Funk". Khan had had some solo success a few years earlier with "I'm Every Woman" but fortunes were mixed after that, particularly in the UK. A live version of "Ain't Nobody" with Rufus reached the top 10 in 1984 - the final release before the group split and then this became a UK no.1 in November, remaining inside the top 40 until the end of the year.


8(13) GRANDMASTER & MELLE MEL - White Lines (Don't Do It) (414 points)
Top 40 run: 36-21-12-10-9-8-7-7-10-9-10-13-18-20-23-31-39



The second year in a row in which a song that didn't make the top 5 in the singles chart finishes in the top 10 on the end-of-year points list. This time it's this summer hit that spent eight weeks in the top 10 and a total of 17 weeks in the top 40. By now, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five had split into two separate groups amid a royalties row. Flash rarely appeared on their records but he was a crucial element of their live sound and was one of the first DJs to master the technique of scratching and looping beats using two turntables. Despite the split the Grandmaster name was included in the credit for this track, possibly to fool people into thinking he was involved. In 2007, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five became the first hip-hop act to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.


7(8) BLACK LACE - Agadoo (429 points)
Top 40 run: 38-19-4-2-2-3-3-4-5-8-16-25-24-31-35-33 / 32



Regarded by some as one of the worst songs of all-time, this was released when Black Lace were finding their niche having transformed from Eurovision also-rans into novelty act. Their big break almost came in 1981 when they recorded a version of "The Chicken Dance", aka "The Birdie Song" but the Tweets version managed to hit the shops first. They got their first top 40 hit in 1983 with "Superman" before their version of "Agadoo", an old Moroccan song from the 1970s became a summer hit.


6(7) LIONEL RICHIE - Hello (460 points)
Top 40 run: 25-5-1-1-1-1-1-1-4-10-15-29-39



The biggest hit of his career, topping the UK chart for six weeks and the US chart for two. More than 35 years later, the video remains hilariously awful.

[Panda]

Part 8 (5-1):

5(9) RAY PARKER JR. - Ghostbusters (478 points)
Top 40 run: 18-6-3-2-2-2-4-8-14-19-27-32 / 33-15-7-6



A mega hit from one of the most popular films of the decade. This spent three weeks at no.2 during an initial 12-week run in the top 40 between August and November. It then returned in December and climbed back into the top 10 for Christmas, ending the year at no.5. The single's success was helped (in America at least) by a number of celebrity cameos in the video. Huey Lewis later sued, claiming the song plagiarised his own song "I Want A New Drug" and an out-of-court settlement was reached. Parker Jr had previously been part of the group Raydio, who had a no.11 hit in 1978 with "Jack And Jill". His only other solo top 40 hit in the UK was "I Don't Think That Man Should Sleep Alone" in 1987. "Ghostbusters" was nominated for the Best Original Song Oscar but lost out to another track we're yet to see...


4(5) GEORGE MICHAEL - Careless Whisper (489 points)
Top 40 run: 12-2-1-1-1-2-2-3-5-11-18-20-26-34-38



The most famous sax riff in pop history? It's certainly in the top 2. Whilst it was on Wham's second album, it was credited to George Michael for the single release as the record label prepared for his inevitable solo career. He would go on to have six further UK no.1 singles and become one of the most successful British artists of his generation.


3(4) FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD - Two Tribes (629 points)
Top 40 run: 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-3-5-9-13-17-29-34



The year's longest-running no.1 only comes in at 3 on this list. The second of three no.1s the Liverpool band would have in 1984, this entered the chart at the top and stayed there for nine weeks, the first single to achieve the feat since 1978. As with their previous no.1, producer Trevor Horn was major factor in terms of the finished product, though this time it did actually feature the rest of the band other than Holly Johnson. A certain group of 80s sports fans will always associate this track with Channel 4's American football coverage, as it was played as the background music for the weekly highlights round-up.


2(2) STEVIE WONDER - I Just Called To Say I Love You (635 points)
Top 40 run: 3-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-4-9-14-19-25-28-34-35-34-21-23



With its backing track that sounds like what happens if you pressed the demo button on an 1980s Yamaha keyboard, this is the song that beat "Ghostbusters" to the Oscar. Taken from the soundtrack to "The Woman In Red", it spent six weeks at no.1, and remained on the chart until the end of the year, with its festive climb taking past "Two Tribes" right at the death. Some may disagree, but for me, Stevie Wonder's amazing voice is the one saving grace of this song. The fact my nanna loved it speaks volumes (plus she was bat-sh*t crazy). I find it kind of sad that this is the biggest hit for someone who produced such amazing work earlier in his career. Nevertheless, it ended up as the second biggest seller of the year, headed only by the record-breaking Band Aid.


1(3) FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD - Relax (1136 points)
Top 40 run: 6-2-1-1-1-1-1-2-3-6-16-21-23-21-29-29-31-26-24-21-15-16-11-5-3-2-2-3-3-3-6-7-12-20-22-29



A truly iconic track that had a mammoth run on the chart. Released towards the end of 1983, it entered the top 40 in the final chart of the year and started to climb after being played on TOTP in early January. Mike Read's on-air prude-fit soon followed and 11 days later, the single had reached no.1, remaining there for five weeks, with the BBC's ban only increasing the single's popularity. It then enjoyed a slow fall down the charts before gradually picking up momentum again with the release of "Two Tribes", climbing all the way back up to no.2 for two weeks. The single remained in the top 40 until mid-September, completing a 37-week run, with 19 of those spent inside the top 10. As I previously alluded to, the track's sound was almost entirely down to Trevor Horn, with the version we know and love effectively a complete re-recording of the song Mark O'Toole and Pete Gill had written, other than Holly Johnson's vocals, with no other member of the band playing on the track (other than the sound of them jumping into a swimming pool). Horn was also co-founder of the group's label ZTT, along with wife Jill Sinclair and journalist Paul Morley, who masterminded the band's marketing campaign, focusing on the themes of the band's first three singles: sex, war and religion. Ultimately, everything worked to perfection. The marketing and shock tactics got people interested but the music was good enough to back it up. "Relax", "Two Tribes" and "The Power Of Love" were all no.1 hits, making Frankie Goes To Hollywood the first band since Gerry & The Pacemakers to have their first three singles top the chart. Their debut album's title track "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" narrowly missed out on making it four in a row, kept off the top by "Easy Lover" in 1985. Following all this up was always going to be tall order and the band would split after their poorly-received second album. Singer Holly Johnson, who was previously a member of Big In Japan (who would have three members go on to have no.1 singles with other acts), would have a modest solo career in the late 80s after winning a bitter legal wrangle with ZTT. He retreated from public life in 1991 after learning he was HIV positive but later re-emerged as both a singer and painter and continues to release and perform.

[Panda]

Top 100:

1(3) Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax
2(2) Stevie Wonder - I Just Called To Say I Love You
3(4) Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Two Tribes
4(5) George Michael - Careless Whisper
5(9) Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters
6(7) Lionel Richie - Hello
7(8) Black Lace - Agadoo
8(13) Grandmaster & Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Do It)
9(12) Chaka Khan - I Feel For You
10(11) Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go Go
11(17) Duran Duran - The Reflex
12(19) Phil Collins - Against All Odds
13(10) Wham! - Freedom
14(23) Queen - I Want To Break Free
15(20) Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It?
16(15) Nena - 99 Red Balloons
17(21) Jim Diamonds - I Should Have Known Better
18(28) Prince - When Doves Cry
19(34) Nik Kershaw - I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
20(39) Kool & The Gang - Joanna/Tonight
21(22) Paul McCartney - No More Lonely Nights
22(42) Break Machine - Street Dance
23(38) Pointer Sisters - Automatic
24(30) Laura Branigan - Self Control
25(25) Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time
26(41) Nik Kershaw - Wouldn't It Be Good
27(32) Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun
28(45) Nik Kershaw - The Riddle
29(47) Deniece Williams - Let's Hear It For The Boy
30(33) Duran Duran - The Wild Boys
31(43) Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy
32(54) Shakin' Stevens - A Love Worth Waiting For
33(27) Giorgio Moroder & Phil Oakey - Together In Electric Dreams
34(44) Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride
35(24) Neil - Hole In My Shoe
36(37) U2 - Pride (In The Name Of Love)
37(40) Joe Fagin - That's Livin' Alright
38(46) Miami Sound Machine - Dr. Beat
39(35) Howard Jones - Like To Get To Know You Well
40(29) Thompson Twins - Doctor Doctor
41(57) Thompson Twins - You Take Me Up
42(50) Hazell Dean - Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)
43(26) Queen - Radio Ga Ga
44(48) Limahl - Never Ending Story
45(63) Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Locomotion
46(16) Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power Of Love
47(51) Sister Sledge - Lost In Music
48(58) Eurythmics - Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)
49(62) Weather Girls - It's Raining Men
50(69) Bananarama - Robert De Niro's Waiting
51(65) Pointer Sisters - Jump (For My Love)
52(60) Alison Moyet - All Cried Out
53(64) Billy Joel - An Innocent Man
54(52) Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me
55(61) Bob Marley & The Wailers - One Love/People Get Ready
56(59) Evelyn Thomas - High Energy
57(49) Billy Ocean - Caribbean Queen
58(31) Culture Club - The War Song
59(80) Depeche Mode - People Are People
60(78) Elton John - Sad Songs (Say So Much)
61(81) Sister Sledge - Thinking Of You
62(55) Elton John - Passengers
63(96) Blancmange - Don't Tell Me
64(56) Cars - Drive
65(66) Alphaville - Big In Japan
66(74) Michael Jackson - Farewell My Summer Love
67(53) Paul McCartney - Pipes Of Peace
68(67) Bronski Beat - Why?
69(1) Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas?
70(71) Ultravox - Dancing With Tears In My Eyes
71(18) Madonna - Like A Virgin
72(84) Bluebells - Young At Heart
73(72) Shakin' Stevens - Teardrops
74(79) Phil Fearon & Galaxy - What Do I Do?
75(83) Alvin Stardust - I Won't Run Away
76(14) Paul McCartney & The Frog Chorus - We All Stand Together
77(70) Hazell Dean - Searchin' (I Gotta Find A Man)
78(75) Ollie & Jerry - Breakin'... There's No Stopping Us Now
79(85) Chicago - Hard Habit To Break
80(98) Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody
81(95) Alison Moyet - Love Resurrection
82(73) Status Quo - The Wanderer
83(93) Richard Hartley & The Michael Reed Orchestra - The Music Of Torvill & Dean EP
84(68) Madonna - Holiday
85(6) Wham! - Last Christmas
86(99) Phil Fearon & Galaxy - Everybody's Laughing
87(86) John Waite - Missing You
88(87) Van Halen - Jump
89(-) Captain Sensible - Glad It's All Over/Damned On 45
90(77) Julian Lennon - Too Late For Goodbyes
91(-) Culture Club - It's A Miracle
92(82) Kenny Loggins - Footloose
93(89) Howard Jones - Hide And Seek
94(-) Howard Jones - Pearl In The Shell
95(91) Jeffrey Osborne - On The Wings Of Love
96(90) Shannon - Let The Music Play
97(-) Flying Pickets - When You're Young And In Love
98(76) Howard Jones - What Is Love?
99(-) Shaky & Bonnie - A Rockin' Good Way
100(92) Style Council - You're The Best Thing/The Big Boss Groove

[Earl Purple]

Stevie Wonder's great moment of 1984 was not through his vocal performance but as an uncredited harmonica player on the song at number 9 on your list

[Panda]

Jun 17, 2020 13:11:48 GMT 1 Earl Purple said:

Stevie Wonder's great moment of 1984 was not through his vocal performance but as an uncredited harmonica player on the song at number 9 on your list

He had an even better one in 1985...