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Posted by: N-S 30th November 2017, 07:34 PM

I've been reading quite a lot of Into The Popvoid later and I was rather amazed about the quantity of 80's songs that are still much remembered nowadays but didn't go far in the British charts. Some of them were US or Continental Europe charttoppers, some are heavily played in 80's themed radio stations and parties but none of them cracked the UK top 40.

Here are some of my favorites:

After The Fire - Der Komissaar (#47)
Alphaville - Forever Young (#98)
Bryan Adams - Summer Of 69 (#42)
Bryan Adams - Straight From The Heart (#51)
Carly Simon - Let The River Run (#79)
Christopher Cross - Sailing (#48)
Cyndi Lauper - Change Of Heart (#67)
Falco - Jeany (#68)
Frida - I Know There's Something Going On (#43)
Go-Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed (#47)
Hall & Oates - Out Of Touch (#48)
Jermaine Jackson & Pia Zadora - When The Rain Begins To Fall (#68)
Michael Sembello - Maniac (#43)
Mike Oldfield - To France (#48)
Modern Talking - You're My Heart, You're My Soul (#56)
Modern Talking - You Can Win If You Want (#70)
New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle (#56)
Outfield - Your Love (#83)
Paula Abdul - Cold Hearted (#46)
Peter Cetera & Amy Grant - Next Time I Fall In Love (#78)
Peter Schilling - Major Tom (#42)
Ready For The World - Oh Sheila (#50)
Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl (#43)
Righeira - Vamos A La Playa (#53)
Sandra - (I'll Never Be) Maria Magadalena (#87)
Sheila E. - The Glamorous Life (#96)
Spagna - Easy Lady (#62)
Stacey Q - Two Of Hearts (#87)
Stéphanie - Irresistible (Ouragon) (#84)
Wang Chung - Everybody Have Fun Tonight (#76)
Wax - Right Between The Eyes (#60)
Young MC - Bust-a-move (#73)

What others could be added up to that list?

Posted by: Jamie Barkley 30th November 2017, 07:39 PM

The Church - Under The Milky Way (#88, 1988). Maybe not the most known of songs but a Top 40 hit in the US, used to great effect in Donnie Darko and definitely a bit of a cult classic.

Posted by: Hadji 30th November 2017, 07:43 PM

A Flock Of Seagulls - I Ran (So Far Away) #43, has gotta be one of my favourites

Posted by: AcerBen 30th November 2017, 07:53 PM

Dolly Parton - 9 To 5 - #47
Air Supply - Making Love Out Of Nothing At All - #80
The Jeff Healey Band - Angel Eyes - #86
Tom Petty - Free Fallin' - #59

Posted by: DalekTurret32 30th November 2017, 07:58 PM

Eric Carmen Hungry Eyes (peaked at 80)

Posted by: pippa 30th November 2017, 08:08 PM

Summer of 69, Bryan Adams (number 42)

I do believe this has managed to build up some respectable sales over the years since its release, but it is a classic song that has a number 1 feel to it.

Posted by: Bjork 30th November 2017, 08:26 PM

First thought was Debbie Gibson - Lost in Your Eyes

That was the lead single of her 2nd album after the big success of album 1 (out of the blue)
It went easily to #1 in the US, but surprisingly only made it to #34 in the UK

Posted by: cqmerqn 30th November 2017, 08:40 PM

Jolene? Or was that a big hit? I can’t quite remember.

Posted by: N-S 30th November 2017, 08:44 PM

It was #7

Posted by: Jamie Barkley 30th November 2017, 09:22 PM

Top Ten. But 9 To 5 (already mentioned) and Here You Come Again both missed the Top 40.

Posted by: smidsy101 30th November 2017, 09:47 PM

I'm astounded that 'Let The River Run' failed to make an impact here, or even in the states, though it did of course receive an Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy. I always imagined it to have performed similar to 'Nobody Does It Better.'

Posted by: timjimlee 30th November 2017, 09:59 PM

Some Europop in the original list, didn't always crossover in the UK in the Eighties.
Personally preferred classic 80s Artists like Talk Talk who had near misses 'Such A Shame' (#49) and 'Living In Another World' (#48) and Lloyd Cole and the Commotions with 'Forest Fire' (#41).

Posted by: danVember 30th November 2017, 10:16 PM

I see Hall & Oates mentioned in the OP but to add to that 'You Make My Dreams' never charted in the UK.

Posted by: ChristmasEve201 30th November 2017, 10:23 PM

Chris Rea Driving Home for Christmas & Waitresses Christmas Wrapping


Failed to chart in the 80s but have done better now!

Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 30th November 2017, 10:54 PM

Sheryl Lee Ralph - In The Evening is my nomination, as quite a well-known disco staple.

Posted by: paulgilb 30th November 2017, 11:11 PM

Journey - Don't Stop Believin' (obviously became a bigger hit in the download era)
Squeeze - Tempted
Bruce Springsteen - Hungry Heart (reached #28 on re-issue in 1995)
Van Morrison - Have I Told You Lately
Billy Joel - She's Always A Woman (went top 40 in the download era after Fyfe Dangerfield covered it)
Tracy Chapman - Baby Can I Hold You Tonight (Boyzone's cover reached #2 in 1997)

Posted by: AngelaKD 30th November 2017, 11:22 PM

I was shocked to find out that Pat Benatar wasn’t big in the U.K. Her videos practically sustained MTV when it started out.

Posted by: ___∆___ 1st December 2017, 01:30 AM

Still listen to that now! Almighty remixed it in the 90s - such a classic tune.

Posted by: BillyH 1st December 2017, 01:40 AM

I'm a massive fan of European 80s pop that didn't for one reason or another make it to the UK...half of them weren't even given a release, shame as I think all these would have been huge in the UK given the chance:

Gazebo - I Like Chopin
Masquerade - Guardian Angel
Modern Talking - You're My Heart, You're My Soul
Sandra - Maria Magdalena
Mixed Emotions - You Want Love (Maria Maria)
Fancy - Flames of Love
Mysterious Art - Das Omen

Posted by: Robbie 1st December 2017, 08:31 AM

A few more...

One 2 Many - Downtown (the lead singer Camilla Griehsel later married Colin Vearncombe aka Black)
Soulsister - Way To Your Heart
Fantastique - Mama Told Me
Lime - Guilty
Miquel Brown - So Many Men So Little Time (Miquel is Sinitta's mum and Amii Stewart's step sister)

Posted by: Robbie 1st December 2017, 08:33 AM

Yes! A brilliant record that I bought back in 1985!

Posted by: Robbie 1st December 2017, 08:54 AM

Pat Benatar struggled to have hits in the UK. One of her singles ('Love Is A Battlefield') took 3 re-issues to finally chart inside the top 40. PB's best single is the excellent 'All Fired Up', which reached number 19 in 1988. It later became the theme tune to Channel 4's coverage of the Aussie Rules Football programme in the early 90s.

Posted by: M4NG0 1st December 2017, 09:38 AM

'Invincible' and 'Shadows Of The Night' though

Posted by: Good Old Days 1st December 2017, 10:23 AM

Juice Newton - Angel Of The Morning

Posted by: Bjork 1st December 2017, 10:38 AM

INXS started very shakily in the UK
In the US they had a #1 with Need U Tonight and a #2 with Devil Inside
the original UK release of Need U Tonight only made it to #58 (a re-release would go to #2 much later)
while Devil Inside flopped at #47 in the UK

Posted by: M4NG0 1st December 2017, 01:29 PM

Surely 'Summer of 69' has got to be the indisputable ULTIMATE '80s classic that flopped in the UK'.

Although it will no doubt eventually go Top 40 on the week that Bryan Adams passes away (sorry to be morbid, obvs hope that doesn't happen for a long time yet!)

Posted by: fiesta 1st December 2017, 08:16 PM

Kenny loggins danger zone Ellie warren shattered glass

Posted by: Hadji 1st December 2017, 08:35 PM

The Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way

Posted by: SantaDalek32 2nd December 2017, 12:47 AM

I would say Pixies Where Is My Mind
but that might not count since it may not have been released as a legitimate single in the UK at the time

Posted by: jazzy_765 2nd December 2017, 09:49 AM

Fleetwood Mac - Seven Wonders ! <3

Posted by: Paul 2nd December 2017, 06:09 PM

Animal Magnet - Welcome To The Monkey House and the original version of Kiss Me by Tin Tin . Both were big in the clubs in the 80s

Posted by: ChRiMbO LeG PiPe 2nd December 2017, 06:11 PM

!!



Darlene Love - All Alone on Christmas It has also become an unknown Christmas track!!

Posted by: Robbie 2nd December 2017, 07:26 PM

Christmas songs that flopped in the 80s include the brilliant 'Christmas Wrapping' by The Waitresses. First released in 1981, when I bought it, it only made the Breakers Chart (for 3 weeks) that was published alongside the top 75 at the time. In 1982 it made number 45 and after that failed to make the top 100 in 1983 despite a further re-release.

Posted by: King Herodollo 2nd December 2017, 08:14 PM

Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science (top 10 in the US)
The Adventures - Drowning In The Sea Of Love
The Proclaimers - Sunshine On Leith
Care - Flaming Sword
Eurythmics - Shame
Steve Winwood - While You See A Chance
Cyndi Lauper - All Through The Night
Ultravox - Passing Strangers
Don Henley - New York Minute
OMD - Electricity

Posted by: ChristmasEve201 3rd December 2017, 12:41 AM

Was Darlene Love not a top 40 hit in 1992 when Home Alone 2 came out?

Posted by: ChRiMbO LeG PiPe 3rd December 2017, 12:43 AM

Still flopped in the 80s and a low top40 position for a Christmas track one time is kinda a flop :/

Also, Centipede by a Jackson sister flopped too

Posted by: ChristmasEve201 3rd December 2017, 12:45 AM

When was it written?

Posted by: Doctor Blind 3rd December 2017, 10:58 AM

1992, not in the 80s as Michael claims!

I think Steve Van Zandt wrote it specifically for the Home Alone 2 film.

Posted by: Tom Kay Cat 🐱 4th December 2017, 10:38 AM

Gary Low - I Want You is my pick (#52), although preceding hit You Are A Danger and follow up La Colegiala were bigger European hits.

What about Wang Chung, bigger in the US than Europe and esspecially the UK, but Everybody Have Fun Tonight and To Live And Die in LA didn't touch the top 100. Even Dance Hall Days semi flopped (#21). Which thinking about it is probably why Around My Dream by Silver Pozzoli, basically the same song with English lyrics and an Italian accent, bombed completely (it was a hit in Belgium and France for a group called Kazino but still nothing here).

Posted by: ChristmasEve201 4th December 2017, 11:27 AM

Thought that, it does sound like an old 60s Ronnettes number tbf, maybe just because it was Darlene tho!!

Posted by: No Sleeep 31st December 2017, 10:03 PM

I was shocked to find out Bette Davis Eyes "only" peaked at #10! And Cheryl Lynn's Got to Be Real didn't even chart here until 2010 when it peaked at #70. I'm assuming it wasn't released but it still feels iconic. Also:

Fleetwood Mac - Seven Wonders (#56!?)
Cyndi Lauper - True Colours

Posted by: Robbie 1st January 2018, 03:13 AM

'Got To Be Real' was released back in 1979. I know as I bought the single back then! Sadly it didn't chart. It finally charted, albeit as the B side of 'Encore' (another excellent song by Cheryl), in September 1984. And even then the single only made it to number 68. It should have been a massive hit as it's a brilliant song.

Posted by: The Hit Parade 1st January 2018, 05:10 PM

That's the second mention of 'Seven Wonders' in this thread. I didn't realise it was *that* well-known in the UK, although obviously the album was very big.

Time to mention that the UK chart peaks of the singles from Tango In The Night were, in chronological order: 9-56-5-54-4-60

I'd also like to put in a mention for their 1982 song 'Hold Me' which was a US Top 10 but missed the UK Top 75 twice.

Posted by: No Sleeep 1st January 2018, 05:29 PM

I thought Diana Ross' I'm Coming Out would've peaked much higher than #13. It's aged better and I'd say is more iconic than Upside Down and Chain Reaction.

Speaking of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks' solo career never really took off in the UK

Posted by: Gambo 2nd January 2018, 01:39 PM

All worthy suggestions, depending on how one measures 'flop'. If we mean sub-Top 40 in the UK, then I guess 'Summer Of '69' is one of the most conspicuous contenders, given its enduring radio and DJ appeal, and consistent download sales in the digital era. If we adopt a sub-75 approach, probably 'Hungry Eyes' has it for similar reasons.

My own contributions off the top of my head and which I don't think have been cited so far would be:

'The Promise' by When In Rome (only made Top 60 despite US success and strong airplay support)
'That's When I Think Of You' by 1927 (scraped Top 50 yet strong on radio and all things Aussie being in vogue thanks to a certain acting/singing duo from 'Neighbours')
'Just To Get By' by Babakato (just missed the Top 75 - likely Top 80, notwithstanding being tipped for great things as a boy band as I recall, and again good airplay, but the hype was never realised)
'Fascinated' by Company B ('next 25' only - so maybe Top 100 at best in real terms, although a massive club hit at the time, just ahead of the acid house craze taking over where hi-energy left-off).

Posted by: Dappy New Year 2nd January 2018, 01:47 PM

Also can we really call Summer of 69 a flop now that it's sold upwards of 400k in digital download sales and streaming? Same for a lot of these classic songs that didn't chart well on their original release.

Posted by: The Snake 10th January 2018, 01:18 PM

How did this not become a UK hit (#3 in America), recently discovered this, one of the best 80s Hi-NRG songs!