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Post by Panda on Jul 1, 2020 22:38:46 GMT 1
1986-me-do! Even though I was only 5, this year was possibly the most important of my life as it was the year in which I really started to get interested in the things I've enjoyed throughout my life - music and sport. By now, I started to actively, rather than passively, listen to music. My sister and I would listen to Now 8 a lot though I seem to remember I preferred cassette one over two.
Looking back, the standard of number one singles was pretty poor but there were still good songs finding their way into the upper reaches of the chart.
For anyone tuning in the for the first time, these lists are compiled by allocating points for each song's chart position inside the top 40 each week. A song gets 1 point for being at 40, 2 points for 39, up to 37 points for no.4. Then it's 40 for no.3, 45 for 2 and 50 points for no.1.
Before I start the top 40, here's a selection of songs that didn't make it in.
(position in the end-of-year sales chart in brackets)
43(36) CAMEO - Word Up (248 points)
The song that made codpieces cool again. Kind of. It returned to the top 10 in 1994 when covered by Scottish rock band Gun.
51(72) BANANARAMA - Venus (237 points)
This cover of a song by Dutch band Shocking Blue topped the US chart but somehow only reached no.8 in the UK, though it did spend 11 weeks inside the top 40. This track saw the beginning of the group's successful spell working with Stock, Aitken and Waterman. The video was choreographed by Bruno Tonioli.
61(60) JANET JACKSON - What Have You Done For Me Lately? (218 points)
The first of many UK chart appearances for the youngest of the 10 Jackson siblings and she was just 19 at the time.
69(62) THE DAMNED - Eloise (200 points)
After years of scratching around for hits, the punk band-turned-goth rockers had a sudden upturn in fortunes with this non-album single, which reached no.3.
78(70) RUN-DMC & AEROSMITH - Walk This Way (187 points)
This cover of Aerosmith's 1975 song was a major crossover track that helped bring hip hop into the mainstream and also revitalised Aerosmith's career. They'd firmly established themselves in the US in the 70s but had been in the wilderness in the 80s and had never made any impression in the UK. This was taken from Run-DMC's third album "Raising Hell" and they would go on to have a highly successful career that would see them become the second hip hop act inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, after Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five. "Walk This Way" would later be the subject of a rather poor cover to raise money for Comic Relief, something of a recurring theme in this particular list.
84(84) HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS - Power Of Love (182 points)
A no.9 hit in 1986, having reached no.11 the previous year. The main theme from Back To The Future, I would assume its second chart run coincided with the film being released on video.
85(67) SIGUE SIGUE SPUTNIK - Love Missile F1-11 (179 points)
A band that tried to follow Frankie Goes To Hollywood's hype blueprint. The difference was, they didn't have the tunes to back up the hype. Although this track, produced by Giorgio Moroder reached no.3, they never had a sniff of the top 10 afterwards and not even a later collaboration with Stock, Aitken and Waterman could turn their fortunes around.
92(17) JACKIE WILSON - Reet Petite (173 points)
Another example of a Christmas no.1 being released too late to pick up enough points to make this list. Its combined points total across '86 and '87 exceeds 400. The Housemartins' Christmas no.2 "Caravan Of Love" also misses out though we may still see them soon...
110(-) MATCHROOM MOB & CHAS AND DAVE - Snooker Loopy (153 points)
Yes, it's a novelty record but one with a bit of thought and effort put into it. It came when snooker's popularity had exploded and made stars of its top players, including Willie Thorne, who recently passed away.
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Post by Earl Purple on Jul 1, 2020 23:24:15 GMT 1
Don't forget to add 1957-58 into the points total of Reet Petite too. In my chart a #1 in 1957 and a #2 in 1986. In 1957 in my chart its run was 3-1-1-1-2-3-4 to the end of the year, and it was replaced at the top by "Great Balls Of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis. A far more classic song than "Jack Your Body".
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Post by Panda on Jul 1, 2020 23:44:10 GMT 1
Part 1 (40-36):
40(61) ROBERT PALMER - Addicted To Love (258 points) Top 40 run: 34-16-10-8-5-6-10-16-21-29-40-39
Another iconic 80s video and one that was so simple. Bunch of models pretending to play the song, Palmer sharply-dressed, record distant and close-up versions and bosh, everyone can go home. This was the first video played on the first edition of The Chart Show (then broadcast on Channel 4 on a Friday evening before ITV saw its potential and gave it the plum Saturday morning slot it occupied for almost a decade).
39(42) ERASURE - Sometimes (258 points) Top 40 run: 33-16-7-3-2-5-5-7
After Depeche Mode, Yazoo and The Assembly, this was the next project for Vince Clarke. It saw him team up with singer Andy Bell, who had responded to Clarke's ad in Melody Maker. It proved to be Clarke's most successful musical guise by some distance as he and Bell have enjoyed a stack of hits and a multi-decade career that continues today. This was the duo's first top 40 hit, reaching no.2 towards the end of the year. Its combined points total across '86 and '87 would have seen it at no.11 on this list.
38(51) SWING OUT SISTER - Breakout (262 points) Top 40 run: 36-17-5-4-5-6-12-19-23-21
Another debut hit and another that came towards the end of the year. The Christmas slowdown of new entries helped it pick up enough points to make the list. The group would have six top 40 hits in total but this was the biggest of them all. The video was in keeping with singer Corrine Drewery's second career as a fashion designer.
37(46) HOUSEMARTINS - Happy Hour (262 points) Top 40 run: 30-12-3-3-4-7-10-20-27-36
Another debut top 40 hit and one that followed the trend for clay-mation videos. This one features a cameo from a young Phill Jupitus. The group split amicably in 1988 after just two albums, with Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway (who had joined in between albums) going on to form the Beautiful South, Norman Cook enjoying success as a DJ and artist in multiple guises, most notably Fatboy Slim, while Stan Cullimore went on to play for Nottingham Forest and Liverpool (or became a children's author and journalist. I forget which.)
36(37) BANGLES - Manic Monday (263 points) Top 40 run: 24-10-4-2-3-8-12-20-31
One of many songs written by Prince that other acts had a hit with. In this case he was dating singer Susanna Hoffs at the time. After very minor success with their early releases, this single put the Bangles on the map in both the UK and US. They appear again on this list with another song written by someone else...
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Post by Panda on Jul 1, 2020 23:44:44 GMT 1
Don't forget to add 1957-58 into the points total of Reet Petite too. *blah* *blah* my chart *blah* blah* But I'm not doing the 1950s.
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Post by Panda on Jul 2, 2020 0:37:51 GMT 1
Part 2 (35-31):
35(26) PETER CETERA - Glory Of Love (264 points) Top 40 run: 38-18-9-5-5-3-6-10-23-31
An absolute snooze-fest of a ballad from the former Chicago singer, taken from the Karate Kid Part II soundtrack.
34(43) MEL AND KIM - Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend) (264 points) Top 40 run: 38-24-8-4-3-4-9-18-24-30-27
Who knows how far the Appleby sisters could have gone together with their mix of bright dance-pop tunes (back when SAW still came up with some interesting ideas, rather than the copy and paste tripe they'd subsequently churn out) and sophisticated fashion? Having battled cancer prior to their success, Mel started to suffer from back problems when they made it big, with tests later revealing her cancer had returned in her spine. She died in 1990, aged just 23, after contracting pneumonia. Mel and Kim only released four singles but all of them reached the top 10, including "Respectable" which topped the chart in 1987. Kim released a solo album after her sister's death, comprised mainly of songs intended for the second Mel And Kim album, with "Don't Worry" reaching no.2.
33(20) SPITTING IMAGE - The Chicken Song (270 points) Top 40 run: 11-1-1-1-3-12-25-36
A novelty record that satirises novelty records. This was a hit after being featured heavily on Spitting Image that year when the show was at its peak in terms of popularity (playing the long game, perhaps?). The lyrics were written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who would go on to create Red Dwarf. The main vocals came from Michael Fenton Stevens, though Kate Robbins can also be heard quite prominently among the backing singers.
32(27) WHAM! - The Edge Of Heaven (276 points) Top 40 run: 2-1-1-2-5-12-28-33
The duo's final single, released ahead of their farewell concert at Wembley. It was timed to perfection with the song hitting the top spot the week of the show.
31(32) QUEEN - A Kind Of Magic (278 points) Top 40 run: 16-7-7-4-3-6-9-15-26
After the underperforming "One Vision", this track returned Queen to "big hit" status, with the subsequent album of the same name becoming their biggest seller (excluding compilations) until 1995's "Made In Heaven".
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Post by Panda on Jul 2, 2020 14:04:59 GMT 1
Part 3 (30-26):
30(35) SLY FOX - Let's Go All The Way (280 points) Top 40 run: 39-30-23-6-3-4-3-6-12-22-27
*bomp* *bomp* zi-ni-ni-ni! *bomp* *bomp* zi-ni-ni-ni!
29(11) MADONNA - True Blue (280 points) Top 40 run: 3-1-2-2-5-11-19-30-40
After achieving her first no.1 in 1985, Madonna's red hot streak continued in 1986 with two more no.1s and five top 10 singles. This was the third single from the album of the same name and the second of three that would reach no.1.
28(33) SIMPLY RED - Holding Back The Years (283 points) Top 40 run: 19-6-2-2-4-9-15-19-28-35
The second top 40 hit for Hucknall and co, this became a big hit at the second attempt after missing the top 40 in 1985 and also reached no.1 in the US. The video was shot in Whitby and on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, where someone we'll see later spent a lot of their career.
27(39) OWEN PAUL - My Favourite Waste Of Time (284 points) Top 40 run: 25-14-7-4-3-4-6-12-21-32
Owen Paul is best remembered by some for his appearance on the BBC's Pebble Mill show to promote this single. "Performing" outdoors, Paul was unable to hear the music and missed his cue, leaving him standing there while viewers at home heard the song playing. He never had another hit.
26(24) STATUS QUO - In The Army Now (284 points) Top 40 run: 29-9-5-4-2-3-6-17-24-36-40
A rare show of maturity and a rather drastic departure from their usual rock-by-numbers output that gave them their biggest hit for six years. However, it was actually a cover of a song by Dutch duo Bolland & Bolland, which had previously been a massive hit in Norway.
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Post by Panda on Jul 2, 2020 18:56:59 GMT 1
Part 4 (25-21):
25(18) FIVE STAR - Rain Or Shine (285 points) Top 40 run: 31-13-4-2-2-3-7-13-27-37
Five Star were the Pearson siblings Denise, Doris, Delroy, Stedman and Lorraine. Modelled as a British Jackson 5, the group had a string of hits during a three-year period with this track the biggest of them all. Like the Jackson 5, it was their father who was firmly in control of every aspect of their lives and was a big reason why things ultimately went wrong. Financial problems occurred when the hits dried up, some kid swore at them on Going Live, Stedman had a George Michael moment in a toilet long before George Michael did and ultimately the group split. There have been several revival attempts led by Denise but with her and Lorraine no longer on speaking terms, a full reunion seems unlikely.
24(25) LEVEL 42 - Lessons In Love (294 points) Top 40 run: 23-9-3-3-3-5-7-13-23-33
The band's biggest single and one that heralded the start of their most successful chart run, with them notching up four top 10 hits in a row.
23(29) CLIFF RICHARD & SARAH BRIGHTMAN - All I Ask Of You (299 points) Top 40 run: 19-7-3-3-5-10-15-20-31-33-33-29-30
Songs from musicals were regularly appearing in the chart during this time and this was the latest - a duet between Cliff and Sarah Brightman (who looks younger now than she did in 1986). This was from The Phantom Of The Opera, though Steve Barton performed as Raoul on stage, rather than Cliff. Brightman had already reached the top 10 with the show's title song, performed with Steve Harley. The show's lead Michael Crawford would have a top 10 hit in 1987 with "Music Of The Night".
22(2) NICK BERRY - Every Loser Wins (299 points) Top 40 run: 4-1-1-1-2-7-21-28
Pffft... where to start with this? It became a massive hit, ending up as the 2nd-biggest seller of the year, thanks mainly to it getting a month's worth of free publicity on the nation's most watched TV show EastEnders, where Berry was seen performing the song in character as Simon "Wicksy" Wicks. So it's no surprise it shot to no.1 with huge sales figures. And it's absolutely f***ing awful. Its chart run was mercifully short (hence it being much lower on this list), as was Berry's music career, though he did return to the charts in 1992 with a cover of Buddy Holly's "Heartbeat", taken from the show of the same name, set in 1960s North Yorkshire, in which he starred.
21(34) KIM WILDE - You Keep Me Hangin' On (303 points) Top 40 run: 36-15-6-2-2-3-7-15-22-28-26
Covers were rampant in the charts around this time and here's another one, giving Kim Wilde and second no.2 hit, five years after "Kids In America".
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Post by Earl Purple on Jul 2, 2020 19:08:11 GMT 1
22(2) NICK BERRY - Every Loser Wins (299 points) Top 40 run: 4-1-1-1-2-7-21-28 Pffft... where to start with this? It became a massive hit, ending up as the 2nd-biggest seller of the year, thanks mainly to it getting a month's worth of free publicity on the nation's most watched TV show EastEnders, where Berry was seen performing the song in character as Simon "Wicksy" Wicks. So it's no surprise it shot to no.1 with huge sales figures. And it's absolutely f***ing awful. Its chart run was mercifully short (hence it being much lower on this list), as was Berry's music career, though he did return to the charts in 1992 with a cover of Buddy Holly's "Heartbeat", taken from the show of the same name, set in 1960s North Yorkshire, in which he starred. Yes, one of two acting "Berry"s who also graced the charts a couple of times. Although I always considered Mike Berry to be an actor, he actually had some 60s hits before becoming better known as an actor. And his hits were not related to this TV character. The thing about "Every Loser Wins" is that it was intended in the series to be a song written by Wicksy who is a wannabe pop star, so in theory it shouldn't be very good. Perhaps it is too good to be written by someone who is a barman with a little bit of piano-playing talent, a moderate voice but probably can't write very good songs. I think "Something Outta Nothing" is worse and more of the type of thing a wannabe band might write. "Every Loser Wins" was then played by Lofty after he'd been stood up by Michelle at their wedding. We know what TV can do to promote songs. Regarding Heartbeat it's faithful to the original, unlike Showaddywaddy's cover of it, even though Showaddywaddy usually did faithful covers. And it's a good song - not sure if you like his version. (I can't remember what kept it off #1 but it was either KWS or Erasure's EP, either way, also covers).
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Post by Whitneyfan on Jul 3, 2020 10:51:36 GMT 1
Every Loser Wins is one of those songs I occasionally find myself singing to myself for absolutely no reason whatsoever! It's just completely random and I can't find any explanation for it.
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Good Old Days
Member
Sielos grožio niekas nepavogs, kol širdy jaunystė gros.
Posts: 2,942
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Post by Good Old Days on Jul 3, 2020 11:13:54 GMT 1
1986-me-do! Even though I was only 5, this year was possibly the most important of my life as it was the year in which I really started to get interested in the things I've enjoyed throughout my life - music and sport.
I started to listen music only in 16 years old. MTV Russia was launched in the end of 1997, but became available in my house only in 1999.
For me it was a golden era of UK chart, when almost every single had a potential to be a chart hit.
Sadly those days are gone somewhere in 2004-2005. Streaming is only a final nail in coffin of the music diversity in charts.
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Post by Panda on Jul 4, 2020 2:39:45 GMT 1
Part 5 (20-16):
20(41) BON JOVI - Livin' On A Prayer (305 points) Top 40 run: 40-27-15-11-7-6-4-7-9-10-10
The first top 10 hit for the New Jersey rockers. It took them six years to get another one but they came fairly regularly in the years that followed. This classic enjoyed a steady climb to the top 10 and managed to remain there for the final seven weeks of the year. The song's characters Tommy and Gina also got a mention in the band's 2000 hit "It's My Life".
19(28) PETER GABRIEL - Sledgehammer (305 points) Top 40 run: 30-15-7-4-4-4-4-8-18-22-33-38
A groundbreaking and influential video, directed by Stephen R Johnson, who'd directed Talking Heads' "Road To Nowhere" a year earlier. Animation came from Aardman, who would go on to be world-renowned thanks to their feature films and shorts. The song itself was Gabriel's second top 10 hit and the follow-up, "Don't Give Up", a duet with Kate Bush, would also reach the top 10.
18(21) A-HA - The Sun Always Shines On TV (305 points) Top 40 run: 5-2-1-1-2-6-16-22
After narrowly missing the top spot with "Take On Me", the Norwegian trio finally got their no.1 when this track shot up the charts in the New Year, having entered the top 30 at Christmas.
17(38) NU SHOOZ - I Can't Wait (306 points) Top 40 run: 35-21-10-3-3-2-5-7-13-22-34
Here's the latest edition of "Big Hits You'd Totally Forgotten About". This was the only top 40 appearance for the husband and wife duo of John Smith and Valerie Day. This track climbed to no.2 in the summer but was kept off the top by Wham's farewell single.
16(22) PATTI LaBELLE & MICHAEL McDONALD - On My Own (309 points) Top 40 run: 19-4-2-2-2-6-9-20-25-32-39
A huge international hit but Patti LaBelle never enjoyed the same kind of success here as she did in the US. She'd only have one top 40 hit in the UK after this (and had only enjoyed one with her former group, with "Lady Marmalade" reaching no.17 in 1975). The distinctive-voiced McDonald has enjoyed slightly more success in the UK as a solo artist and has also been a member of the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan.
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Post by Panda on Jul 4, 2020 22:03:56 GMT 1
Part 6 (15-11):
15(23) BANGLES - Walk Like An Egyptian (315 points) Top 40 run: 26-20-9-6-4-4-3-8-14-22-31-39-37-38
The second appearance for the Bangles, and again, a song they didn't write themselves. It was written by Liam Sternberg whose other career accomplishments include writing the theme tune for "21 Jump Street". He recorded a demo with singer Marti Jones and the song was then offered to Toni Basil, who turned it down. It was then recorded by Lene Lovich but went unreleased and the demo then fell into the hands of David Kahne, who was producing the Bangles' album "Different Light" and they agreed to record it. All four members recorded lead vocals for the track but drummer Debbie Peterson's were left off the end product. To make matters worse, she didn't play drums on the track either. I don't think they'd get away with the video (and possibly even the song) today. The band's biggest hit, "Eternal Flame", would come in 1989 and that one was co-written by Susanna Hoffs.
14(12) GEORGE MICHAEL - A Different Corner (321 points) Top 40 run: 4-2-1-1-1-6-12-21-36
The equivalent of a pre-season friendly for George as he released this solo effort shortly before Wham's big goodbye and setting out on his own for good and would go on to produce some stellar work as a solo artist.
13(4) CLIFF RICHARD & THE YOUNG ONES - Living Doll (327 points) Top 40 run: 4-1-1-1-2-4-13-21-31
The first ever single to raise money for Comic Relief. It was the norm in the early days to have some sort of pop/comedy combination like this until eventually they decided they would sell more records if they just managed to persuade the biggest pop act of the time to record a song for the charity or simply persuade them to donate the proceeds from their latest single at make it an "official" Comic Relief release. Some years they actually did both. This gave Cliff his first no.1 since 1979 and also saw him and Hank Marvin appear on a record together for the first time in over a decade.
12(16) EUROPE - The Final Countdown (334 points) Top 40 run: 35-14-5-2-1-1-3-3-3
The first UK hit and easily the biggest for the band, though they did manage six top 40 hits in total. It reached no.1 in December, before being knocked off by the Housemartins and ended up as the Christmas no.3. If its points from 1987 were added, it would be no.3 on this list. Surprisingly, their biggest US hit was another single from the "Final Countdown" album, "Carrie", which reached no.3. The group split in 1992 but later reformed and are still together today, remaining popular in their native Sweden, where they've had six top 5 albums this century.
11(14) JERMAINE STEWART - We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off (340 points) Top 40 run: 33-15-6-3-3-2-2-6-11-18-28
By far the biggest hit for Jermaine Stewart, who did well to forge a solo career after auditioning to be part of Shalamar but chosen only to be a backing dancer. His big break came when he recorded backing vocals for Culture Club, with record company bosses sufficiently impressed to hand him a contract. This track was an anthem of moderation in the wake of the mid-80s AIDS epidemic, as well as rising drug and alcohol use. Sadly, Stewart himself died of AIDS-related liver cancer in 1997, aged just 39.
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Post by Panda on Jul 5, 2020 22:17:52 GMT 1
Part 7 (10-6):
10(10) SINITTA - So Macho (366 points) Top 40 run: 33-16-5-2-3-3-2-7-9-14-21-32-36
The highest place song on this year's list that didn't reach no.1. It first hit the chart in March and spent 12 weeks inside the top 75 without reaching the top 40. It returned during the summer and soon climbed to no.2. Sinitta was born in the US but moved to the UK aged 9 when her mother was directing the musical "Hair" in London. After appearing in a number of productions herself, Sinitta became Simon Cowell's first signing at Fanfare Records. Several more hits followed over the next few years and she has been a regular guest during the "judges' houses" part of the X-Factor series.
9(15) DOCTOR AND THE MEDICS - Spirit In The Sky (368 points) Top 40 run: 40-17-5-3-1-1-1-4-10-15-26-34-40
Formed in 1981, the group hadn't made a chart appearance prior to this cover of Norman Greenbaum's 1970 no.1. (though did reach no.2 in the indie chart in 1985 with their EP "Happy But Twisted". They would only make one more top 40 appearance after this single's success. Gareth Gates would later team up with The Kumars to record the song as a Comic Relief single, taking it to no.1 for a third time.
8(13) FALCO - Rock Me Amadeus (372 points) Top 40 run: 27-10-5-3-2-2-1-4-7-15-27
Falco was Austrian musician Johann Holzel. He'd had some success across Europe but it was the track that became a worldwide hit, reaching no.1 in the UK and US. The follow-up "Vienna Calling" also reached the UK top 10 but that was his last top 40 appearance. He remained popular in Europe, despite spiralling drug and alchohol issues. He was planning a comeback when he was killed in a car crash in the Dominican Republic in 1998, aged 40.
7(6) CHRIS DE BURGH - The Lady In Red (385 points) Top 40 run: 40-10-2-1-1-1-2-3-9-19-25-38
I was generally worried this could top the list but had a rather swift slide down the chart after exiting the top 3. Regarded by some as one of the worst no.1 singles of all-time and it's hard to disagree. Despite making records since the mid-70s, this was his first top 40 hit. A re-release of his Christmas song "A Spaceman Came Travelling" gave him his second at the end of the year, peaking at no.40. He had a few other hits over the years that were generally pretty awful. The eagle-eared among you will recognise the sound of Pino Palladino on bass.
6(7) BILLY OCEAN - When The Going Gets Tough The Tough Get Going (388 points) Top 40 run: 28-6-1-1-1-1-2-5-14-23-30-38
A huge hit in the early part of the year, this continued the revival in Ocean's fortunes during the mid-80s. Born Leslie Charles in Trinidad, pre-independence, his family moved to England when he was 10. After two no.2 hits in the 70s, things went quiet for a years until "Caribbean Queen" thrust him back into the spotlight. This song was taken from the soundtrack to "Jewel Of The Nile", with its stars Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito appearing in the song's video as backing singers. This track would also be a future Comic Relief single, with Boyzone taking it back to the top in 1999. Ocean was made an MBE in this year's New Year's Honours list.
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Post by Earl Purple on Jul 5, 2020 23:23:16 GMT 1
You posted Sinitta's video twice instead of Doctor And The Medics
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Post by Panda on Jul 5, 2020 23:42:08 GMT 1
Part 8 (5-1):
5(8) MADONNA - Papa Don't Preach (390 points) Top 40 run: 13-2-1-1-1-2-3-7-13-22-40
Madonna's second no.1 after "Into The Groove" and second single from her "True Blue" album after "Live To Tell", which reached no.2 and comes in at no.60 on this list.
4(3) BORIS GARDINER - I Want To Wake Up With You (397 points) Top 40 run: 27-5-2-1-1-1-2-5-9-20-30-34
A surprise hit for the Jamaican singer, coming 16 years after his only previous top 40 appearance. The follow-up "You're Everything To Me" reached no.11.
3(9) BERLIN - Take My Breath Away (404 points) Top 40 run: 37-7-1-1-1-1-2-5-11-14-13
A November no.1 that made a late charge up this list but just ran out of time to claim the top spot. The Christmas/New Year slowdown helped it a bit but nevertheless, its combined points total would have seen it at no.1 on this list. This track was the "love theme" from Top Gun and was by far the biggest hit for the band, fronted by Terri Nunn. Berlin had had some minor success in the US prior to this but had never troubled the UK charts. The follow-up "You Don't Know" scraped into the top 40 but this track would later return to the top 3 in 1990 (possibly around the time Top Gun was getting its first showing on terrestrial TV...)
2(5) DIANA ROSS - Chain Reaction (407 points) Top 40 run: 31-14-4-2-1-1-1-2-6-12-18-35
The Motown legend has generally enjoyed consistent success throughout her career but in terms of UK hits, she was going through a bit of dry spell when this single came along. Her previous five singles had failed to reach the UK top 40, with her last appearance coming in 1982. This monster briefly changed all that, spending three weeks at no.1 in March, and spending most of the year at the top of this list until it was overhauled at the end of October, though she wouldn't reach the top 10 again until 1991. This track was written by the Bee Gees (who themselves hadn't had a top 40 hit since 1980), and they also provided backing vocals. Their fortunes would change in a big way in 1987...
1(1) COMMUNARDS - Don't Leave Me This Way (431 points) Top 40 run: 28-5-2-1-1-1-1-3-6-9-21-31
With so many covers doing well around this time, it's fitting that one topped both the points and sales list. It was actually a cover of a cover with this one much closer to Thelma Houston's version than the Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes original. The Communards were former Bronski Beat singer Jimmy Somerville and Richard (not yet Reverend) Coles, while many tracks, including this one, also featured vocals from jazz singer Sarah Jane Morris. After two top 30 hits, this single became a massive hit during the second half of the year, reaching no.1 in September and spending four weeks at the top. Somerville and Coles first worked together during the former's Bronski Beat days, when Coles joined for a short time as a saxophonist. As the Communards they would rack up nine top 40 hits (including "You Are My World" twice) in three years before Somerville went solo and Coles pursued other careers - first journalism, then broadcasting and the clergy.
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Post by Panda on Jul 6, 2020 0:12:56 GMT 1
Top 100:
1(1) Communards - Don't Leave Me This Way 2(5) Diana Ross - Chain Reaction 3(9) Berlin - Take My Breath Away 4(3) Boris Gardiner - I Want To Wake Up With You 5(8) Madonna - Papa Don't Preach 6(7) Billy Ocean - When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going 7(6) Chris De Burgh - The Lady In Red 8(13) Falco - Rock Me Amadeus 9(15) Doctor And The Medics - Spirit In The Sky 10(10) Sinitta - So Macho 11(14) Jermaine Stewart - We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off 12(16) Europe - The Final Countdown 13(4) Cliff Richard & The Young Ones - Living Doll 14(12) George Michael - A Different Corner 15(23) Bangles - Walk Like An Egyptian 16(22) Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald - On My Own 17(38) Nu Shooz - I Can't Wait 18(21) A-ha - The Sun Always Shines On TV 19(28) Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer 20(41) Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer 21(34) Kim Wilde - You Keep Me Hangin' On 22(2) Nick Berry - Every Loser Wins 23(29) Cliff Richard & Sarah Brightman - All I Ask Of You 24(25) Level 42 - Lessons In Love 25(18) Five Star - Rain Or Shine 26(24) Status Quo - In The Army Now 27(39) Owen Paul - My Favourite Waste Of Time 28(33) Simply Red - Holding Back The Years 29(11) Madonna - True Blue 30(35) Sly Fox - Let's Go All The Way 31(32) Queen - A Kind Of Magic 32(27) Wham! - The Edge Of Heaven 33(20) Spitting Image - The Chicken Song 34(43) Mel And Kim - Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend) 35(26) Peter Cetera - Glory Of Love 36(37) Bangles - Manic Monday 37(46) Housemartins - Happy Hour 38(51) Swing Out Sister - Breakout 39(42) Erasure - Sometimes 40(61) Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love 41(49) Dire Straits - Walk Of Life 42(55) Amazulu - Too Good To Be Forgotten 43(36) Cameo - Word Up 44(31) Sam Cooke - Wonderful World 45(53) Five Star - System Addict 46(63) Gwen Guthrie - Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent 47(40) Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al 48(59) Whitney Houston - How Will I Know? 49(54) Nana Mouskouri - Only Love 50(44) Cutting Crew - (I Just) Died In Your Arms 51(72) Bananarama - Venus 52(48) Eurythmics - Thorn In My Side 53(30) Samantha Fox - Touch Me (I Want Your Body) 54(50) Madonna - Borderline 55(45) Real Thing - You To Me Are Everything (Decade Remix) 56(76) Real Thing - Can't Get By Without You (Second Decade Remix) 57(71) Five Star - Can't Wait Another Minute 58(66) Stan Ridgway - Camouflage 59(57) Rod Stewart - Every Beat Of My Heart 60(58) Madonna - Live To Tell 61(60) Janet Jackson - What Have You Done For Me Lately? 62(64) Jim Diamond - Hi Ho Silver 63(78) Nick Kamen - Each Time You Break My Heart 64(89) Debbie Harry - French Kissin' In The USA 65(68) Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk - Love Can't Turn Around 66(52) David Bowie - Absolute Beginners 67(75) Atlantic Starr - Secret Lovers 68(47) Su Pollard - Starting Together 69(62) The Damned - Eloise 70(56) Modern Talking - Brother Louie 71(19) Housemartins - Caravan Of Love 72(65) Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls 73(69) Survivor - Burning Heart 74(79) A-ha - Hunting High And Low 75(81) Red Box - For America 76(82) James Brown - Living In America 77(73) Oran 'Juice' Jones - The Rain 78(70) Run DMC & Aerosmith - Walk This Way 79(93) Bucks Fizz - New Beginning (Mamba Seyra) 80(83) Lionel Richie - Dancing On The Ceiling 81(86) Huey Lewis & The News - Stuck With You 82(99) Mr Mister - Broken Wings 83(80) Pet Shop Boys - Suburbia 84(84) Huey Lewis & The News - Power Of Love 85(67) Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Love Missile F1-11 86(-) Cherelle & Alexander O'Neal - Saturday Love 87(-) Hollywood Beyond - What's The Colour Of Money? 88(94) Jaki Graham - Set Me Free 89(95) Big Country - Look Away 90(98) UB40 - Sing Our Own Song 91(96) Whitney Houston - The Greatest Love Of All 92(17) Jackie Wilson - Reet Petite 93(100) Van Halen - Why Can't This Be Love? 94(97) Midnight Star - Midas Touch 95(-) Five Star - Find The Time 96(87) Gregory Abbott - Shake You Down 97(-) Communards - So Cold The Night 98(-) Fine Young Cannibals - Suspicious Minds 99(85) Art Of Noise & Duane Eddy - Peter Gunn 100(92) Spandau Ballet - Through The Barricades
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Post by o on Jul 6, 2020 10:36:09 GMT 1
Ah Rock me Amadeus, loved it back in the day.
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Post by Earl Purple on Jul 6, 2020 11:35:44 GMT 1
Sledgehammer at #19 in a year where he and his former band dominated my chart.
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Post by Smurfie on Jul 6, 2020 11:55:05 GMT 1
85(67) SIGUE SIGUE SPUTNIK - Love Missile F1-11 (179 points) A band that tried to follow Frankie Goes To Hollywood's hype blueprint. The difference was, they didn't have the tunes to back up the hype. Although this track, produced by Giorgio Moroder reached no.3, they never had a sniff of the top 10 afterwards and not even a later collaboration with Stock, Aitken and Waterman could turn their fortunes around. That's because it was rubbish. Thanks for compiling Panda . This was the first year I compiled my first chart (Sledgehammer was my first number one), so nice trip down memory lane here. Still cannot fathom to this day how Nick Berry was the second biggest selling single of the year with this pile of old slop.
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Post by Whitneyfan on Jul 6, 2020 12:30:19 GMT 1
I actually really liked the 3 singles that Sigue Sigue Sputnik released with Stock, Aitken & Waterman, especially 'Dancerama' which should have been much bigger than it was.
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