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Posted by: King Herodollo 1st January 2018, 06:41 PM

I've mentioned I've been putting this chart together a few times now and it's finally ready to start. Since March 2016,I have been playing my entire music collection and writing down a list of the best songs. To make the task of putting the songs in order easier,each song that made the cut was put into one of 20 groups. At the end,all the songs in group 1 were then arranged in order and then the same for each group down to group 20. I finished with 1042 songs,so 42 songs in group 20 had to be left out all together.

I will be playing 10 of these songs a night over the next 100 nights but for this thread,things will move a bit more slowly. If I can post an average of three songs a day,I should get this finished by the end of the year. The songs are from the 60s all the way thorough to 2017 and most genres of music are represented so there should be something here for everyone. A lot of these songs are well known but there will be plenty of fairly obscure ones as well and they are not all singles.

Please feel free to comment on any songs you know and if you have time,listen to the ones that you don't know.

Posted by: King Herodollo 1st January 2018, 07:11 PM

1000. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division (1980)


Why is it something so good
Just can't function no more?

I had to start my countdown with something that had a good intro and the intro is probably the best part of this song. Joy Division's music is a bit too dark and gloomy for my liking and their classic signature song is the only one I have selected but there will be plenty of New Order later on. Ian Curtis had already killed himself by the time this was released as a single and its title was inscribed on his grave stone.

Posted by: King Herodollo 1st January 2018, 07:41 PM

999. 7 Seconds - Youssou N'Dour and Neneh Cherry (1994)


And when a child is born into this world
It has no concept of the tone the skin it's living in

It's just occurred to me there are not many foreign language songs in my chart. Apart from this one,there is only one other that I can think of but there may be more. A lot of this one,of course,is sung in English. The backing track running through it is wonderful as are both vocals. The title refers to the first moments of a child's life. The song topped the French chart for 16 weeks which was a record at the time.

Posted by: Doctor Blind 1st January 2018, 08:05 PM

Ooh, I love your ambition - and I love both of the tracks listed so far. Personally I would rank “Love Will Tear Us Apart” much higher - possibly in my Top 10 songs of all-time. Will definitely be following this!

Posted by: King Herodollo 1st January 2018, 08:07 PM

998. Shipbuilding - Robert Wyatt (1982)


Within weeks they'll be re-opening the shipyards
And notifying the next of kin

The lyrics to this were written by Elvis Costello who appears in the video on guitar. He recorded his own version but preferred Robert Wyatt's vocals so this was the version that was released as a single,reaching no.35 on its re-issue in 1983. It's about the Falklands War bringing back jobs to the shipbuilders in the north of Britain but at the same time,leading to some of their sons being killed in the conflict. Robert Wyatt has been confined to a wheelchair since 1973 after drunkenly falling out of a fourth floor window.

Posted by: King Herodollo 1st January 2018, 08:30 PM

997. Not Going Home - Faithless (2010)


I'm not going home til I can take you with me

This is the full seven minute album version but the youtube link is the shorter single version so you've got something to look at if you want to listen to it. This is from their album 'The Dance' the CD of which was only on sale at Tesco. As with most of Faithless' dance tunes,it features a great Sister Bliss keyboard riff.

Posted by: King Herodollo 2nd January 2018, 12:27 AM

QUOTE(Doctor Blind @ Jan 1 2018, 08:05 PM)

Ooh, I love your ambition - and I love both of the tracks listed so far. Personally I would rank “Love Will Tear Us Apart” much higher - possibly in my Top 10 songs of all-time. Will definitely be following this!

Posted by: King Herodollo 2nd January 2018, 05:20 PM

996. Elstree - Buggles (1980)


Elstree,remember me?
I had a part in a B movie

Trevor Horn is my favourite record producer and there will be plenty of songs produced by him to come. Here he is with his own band,best known for their no.1 single 'Video Killed The Radio Star'. I actually prefer this song which should have been a top 40 hit but it only got to no.55. It was the fourth single to be taken from their debut album 'The Age Of Plastic'.

Posted by: King Herodollo 2nd January 2018, 05:49 PM

995. Buffalo Gals - Malcolm McLaren and the World's Famous Supreme Team (1982)


Two buffalo gals go around the outside

You didn't have to wait long for the first of those Trevor Horn productions. This may seem dated now but at the time I'd never heard anything like this. Malcolm McLaren got the idea for this after attending an Afrika Bambaataa concert in New York. There is also a link to Neneh Cherry who was covered yesterday as she sampled this song on her 1989 top 3 hit 'Buffalo Stance'.

Posted by: King Herodollo 3rd January 2018, 06:55 PM

994. Evil Twin Brother - Thomas Dolby (2011)


I hadn't touched a drink in over a year
but told myself I'd stop at just one beer

The studio version isn't on youtube but this live version will do. In 1992,Thomas Dolby took a fifteen year break from music to go into the technology business. At one point,50% of the mobile phone ringtones in the world were created by Thomas Dolby. This track is from his comeback album,'A Map Of The Floating City' which was accompanied by a web based social networking game the prize for which was a private concert by Thomas.

Posted by: King Herodollo 3rd January 2018, 07:18 PM

993. Half Light I/Half Light II (No Celebration) - Arcade Fire (2010)


We run through these streets that we know so well
and the houses hide so much

This is from Arcade Fire's no.1 album 'The Suburbs' which was about the band members' childhoods growing up in the suburbs. I like the guitars and drums on this one. Their last two albums have lacked the big cinematic sound they started out with and while I understand they want to change with each album,I hope they go back to it at some point in the future.

Posted by: King Herodollo 4th January 2018, 04:47 PM

992. At The River - Groove Armada (1997)


If you're fond of sand dunes and salty air
Quaint little villages here and there

A chillout anthem that always makes me think of long summer days at the beach,the trombone solo is the highlight. The vocal is sampled from 'Old Cape Cod' by Patti Page from 1957.

Posted by: Doctor Blind 4th January 2018, 04:56 PM

QUOTE(King Herodollo @ Jan 4 2018, 04:47 PM)

Posted by: King Herodollo 4th January 2018, 05:05 PM

991. Finally - Yes (1999)


We put it to the test

Yes are this year celebrating their 50 year anniversary. Not for the first time in their history,there are two versions of the group with only the official version allowed to use the Yes name. This track is from their album 'The Ladder' when they were all together as one band.

Posted by: King Herodollo 4th January 2018, 05:24 PM

990. The Opera Song (Brave New World) - Jurgen Vries featuring CMC (2003)


I can hear things that no one hears

Charlotte Church's operatic vocal ability came in handy for this trance tune that reached the top 3. Jurgen Vries is English DJ Darren Tate.

Posted by: King Herodollo 4th January 2018, 05:45 PM

989. Love My Way - The Psychedelic Furs (1982)

There's an army on the dance floor

This one just failed to reach the top 40,peaking at no.42. It features prominent use of the marimba,part of the xylophone family,which was played by producer Todd Rundgren. Psychedelic Furs are probably best known for the theme tune to the film 'Pretty In Pink' and are still touring today.

Posted by: Doctor Blind 4th January 2018, 06:07 PM

I love “Love My Way” - what a tune. Great choice!

Posted by: King Herodollo 4th January 2018, 06:11 PM

Thanks. It's stood the test of time.

Posted by: HaPetey New Year 4th January 2018, 07:47 PM

Nice to see Love Will Tear Us Apart scrape in, I quite like the song as a whole but agree Joy Division are a little gloomy for my taste.

I'm torn about At The River, I used to really dislike it since it was so long and so slow compared to the rest of the album, but now it makes me feel quite nostalgic (like most other songs I used to dislike), plus it basically describes my ideal holiday

Posted by: King Herodollo 5th January 2018, 06:21 PM

988. He Ain't Heavy,He's My Brother - The Hollies (1969)


His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear

This is the first of 40 UK no.1 singles in my chart. I like the harmonica and orchestral arrangement and a great lead vocal. The song was originally recorded by Kelly Gordon in the same year. The title's origins are from a 19th century Scottish parable about a little girl carrying a boy who was almost the same size as her and what she said when asked if she was tired. The single reached no.3 but finally got to no.1 in 1988 after being featured in a TV ad for Miller Lite beer.

Posted by: Chez Wombat 5th January 2018, 06:29 PM

I'm really interested to follow this (however long it takes!), I feel like we have a lot of crossovers in music taste.

I love He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother, however much it's been overplayed and destroyed by that awful cover version, it's rlly beautiful <3

Posted by: King Herodollo 5th January 2018, 06:33 PM

Thanks Chez,good to have you on board.

Posted by: King Herodollo 5th January 2018, 06:49 PM

987. Pictures - Archive (2009)


Shadows move in your light

Those of you that take part in the BJSC will know Archive after I entered them in the 99th contest. For those who don't,they are a London group formed in 1994 who have been much more successful across mainland Europe than they have been in their own country. 'Pictures' has the same melody all the way through but the string arrangement combined with the light drum sound make this a beautiful piece of music to listen to. It's from their seventh album 'Controlling Crowds Part IV'.

Posted by: King Herodollo 5th January 2018, 07:13 PM

986. The Only Unforgivable Thing - Marillion (2004)


I have lost the stars and the sky
It was so that I could keep the earth

This is taken from Marillion's 13th studio album 'Marbles'. It starts with a great organ intro and then steadily builds up with the lead and bass guitars and Steve Hogarth's soaring vocals. He replaced Fish as the band's lead singer in 1988 and the line-up has remained unchanged since then.

Posted by: King Herodollo 5th January 2018, 07:34 PM

985. Who Do You Think You Are - Saint Etienne (1993)


It's not fair
You don't care

And now some pure pop. This is a cover of a song by Candlewick Green which reached no.21 in 1974. Saint Etienne's version got to no.23. I don't know many of their songs but I've seen them appear on some people's year end lists so maybe I should give their 2017 album a listen.

Posted by: King Rollo 6th January 2018, 07:56 PM

984. The Birds - Elbow (2011)


Do they keep those final kisses in their tiny racing hearts?

The first track from Elbow's fifth album 'Build A Rocket Boys!'. I like the way in the first five minutes of the song,Guy Garvey's vocals have been double tracked in two different keys. Then in the last three minutes,the song opens up towards the end with the strings.

Posted by: King Rollo 6th January 2018, 08:15 PM

983. Stephen - Black (1984)


After Black's breakthrough with 'Wonderful Life' in 1987,his old record company released a mini-album of his early singles which had failed to chart. This is the B side of one of those singles,'Hey Presto'. It's a simple piano ballad highlighting Colin Vearncombe's wonderful voice.

Posted by: King Rollo 6th January 2018, 08:36 PM

982. She Makes Me (Stormtrooper In Stilettoes) - Queen (1974)


Who knows who she'll make me
As I lie in her cocoon

From Queen's third album,'Sheer Heart Attack',this track was written by Brian May and he sings lead vocals.

Posted by: King Rollo 6th January 2018, 08:55 PM

981. Triumphant - Royksopp (2005)


The first instrumental in my chart,this is from Royksopp's second album 'The Understanding'. Even if you don't have the album,you will probably recognise it as it was used in a lot of TV programmes. Starting with a piano,it gradually builds up with more instruments being thrown in as it goes along.

Posted by: Jade 6th January 2018, 09:09 PM

I am terrible at remembering to follow countdowns, but this just popped up on the board index and the prospect of a top 1000 of all-time is definitely intriguing so I had to check this out, especially as I am usually on board with your taste in BJSC! Looking forward to reading about (and listening to!) all these different songs from different time periods my biggest highlight so far is 'At The River' I knew the instrumental for years due to its advert use but couldn't put a name to it for ages, I think I finally knew the name due to someone posting it in my 'songs to relax to' Lounge thread, now it is a staple song of mine when writing essays, so ambient.

Posted by: mdh 6th January 2018, 09:12 PM

QUOTE(King Herodollo @ Jan 4 2018, 05:24 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 6th January 2018, 09:55 PM

Thanks for the comments,both of you.

Posted by: King Rollo 7th January 2018, 06:47 PM

980. Don't You Want Me - The Human League (1981)


I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar
That much is true

Phil Oakey hated this song and didn't want it to be released as a single as three singles had already been taken from the 'Dare' album and he didn't want the group's fans to be ripped off. He only agreed after a colour poster was included with the record. It turned out to be the biggest selling single of the year and is still one of the top 30 best sellers of all time. While it's not my favourite song from them,it's certainly an 80s synth pop classic.

Posted by: King Rollo 7th January 2018, 07:04 PM

979. Whoever You Are - Prefab Sprout (1997)


On street after street
In bar after bar

Taken from their sixth album,'Andromeda Heights',this is a gorgeous song. The production reminds me of the Beach Boys' 'Pet Sounds' album. At 2.47,this is one of the shortest songs in my chart but not the shortest.

Posted by: King Rollo 7th January 2018, 07:27 PM

978. Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung (1984)


And you need her
And she needs you

There were a lot of great one hit wonders in the 80s and this is one of them. The British group were much more successful in the USA,where they had 8 top 100 hits including 'Everybody Have Fun Tonight' which reached no.2,held off the top of the chart by 'Walk Like An Egyptian' by The Bangles.

Posted by: King Rollo 7th January 2018, 07:58 PM

977. Papa Was A Rollin' Stone - The Temptations (1972)


Wherever he laid his hat was his home
And when he died,all he left us was alone

I only have the 7 minute version of this song. This is the full 12 minute album version which I don't think I have heard before. Having listened to it,I think this song should be higher up my chart now,it's even better with more added on. The bass guitar and hi hat are present throughout,then you have the horns and cellos here and there and of course the soulful vocals. The song was originally recorded a year earlier by The Undisputed Truth.

Posted by: PeteFromLeeds 7th January 2018, 08:44 PM

Nice to see Who Do You Think You Are enter! A very nice song however not one of my favourite by them, I really like Nothing Can Stop Us, Hobart Paving and She's On the Phone, and also Dive from the new album

Posted by: King Rollo 7th January 2018, 09:04 PM

I like She's On The Phone. I don't know the others,I might check them out some time.

Posted by: King Rollo 8th January 2018, 06:35 PM

976. Message - Syntax (2004)


Here I am again
Faces I don't recognise

Syntax are an electronic music group who had a top 30 single called 'Pray'. I bought the album it was on,'Meccano Mind',and this is another track from the album. It was the follow up single but didn't chart. The album tanked as well and they split up which was a shame but they did reform in 2012.

Posted by: King Rollo 8th January 2018, 07:00 PM

975. Dreaming In Colour - The Art Of Noise (1999)


A voyage is about to begin

And now another electronic music group who split up and reformed. This is from their comeback album 'The Seduction Of Claude Debussy',a concept album about the life of Debussy with narration by John Hurt. It looks like I was one of only a few people to buy the album as it only reached no.150. 'Dreaming In Colour' features the vocals of Donna Lewis who you may remember had a top 5 hit in 1996 with 'I Love You Always Forever'.

Posted by: King Rollo 8th January 2018, 07:16 PM

974. Knives Out - Radiohead (2001)


Squash his head
Put him in the pot

From their 'Amnesiac' album,this got to no.1 in Canada for 4 weeks. I like the guitar arrangement on this and Thom Yorke's vocals and the extraordinary video.

Posted by: King Rollo 8th January 2018, 07:34 PM

973. Stay With Me - OMD (2013)


If only I could stop them falling
Falling down like rain

From 'English Electric',the second of the three albums that OMD have released since they reformed. Paul Humphreys takes the lead vocal on this one and reading the youtube comments,it seems to be about his daughter who he doesn't see much as he's divorced.

Posted by: King Rollo 9th January 2018, 06:42 PM

972. What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted - Dave Stewart. Guest Vocals - Colin Blunstone (1981)


But happiness is just an illusion
Filled with sadness and confusion

This is before the word featuring was used so I've just used the same credit as was written on the cover of the record. It's a great synthpop cover of the Jimmy Ruffin classic from 1966. The highest charting version was by Robson and Jerome who took the song to no.1 as part of a triple A side in 1996. In the 60s,Colin Blunstone was the lead singer of The Zombies. This is not the Dave Stewart from Eurythmics,it's the one who had a no.1 with Barbara Gaskin.

Posted by: King Rollo 9th January 2018, 07:11 PM

971. The Light Before We Land - The Delgados (2002)


In truth there is no better place to be
Than falling out of darkness still to see

It always interesting to see someone put pictures to a song I like. I didn't think this song would be known in America. The Delgados were a Scottish indie band formed in 1994. They never managed to break through despite huge support from John Peel and split up in 2005. I like the combination of electric guitars and sweeping strings on this one and Emma Pollock's lovely vocals. The anime fans on here may recognise the song as it was used as the opening theme for 'Gunslinger Girl'.

Posted by: King Rollo 9th January 2018, 07:35 PM

970. Wordy Rappinghood - Tom Tom Club (1981)


Words won't find no right solution
To the planet Earth's pollution

A really quirky song that doesn't fit into any genre. Back in the early 80s,there was room in the singles chart for eccentricity and this got to no.7. Part of it is based on a traditional Moroccan childrens' song called 'A Ram Sam Sam'. Tom Tom Tom Club were a husband and wife,Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz,who were also members of Talking Heads.

Posted by: King Rollo 9th January 2018, 07:56 PM

969. Passing Strangers - Ultravox (1980)


Moments caught across an empty room

Ultravox had released three albums with John Foxx as their lead singer but 'Vienna',from which this was taken,was the first one with Midge Ure. 'Passing Strangers' was the only Ultravox single released from 1980-1986 that didn't reach the top 40.

Posted by: King Rollo 10th January 2018, 06:22 PM

968. People In Love - 10cc (1977)


People in love do funny things
Walk under buses and burn their wings

Taken from 'Deceptive Bends',the first album 10cc released following the departure of Kevin Godley and Lol Crème. This was the third single from the album. Their last six singles had all reached the top 10 but this one didn't chart at all. It's one of only a few 10cc songs to feature a string section.

Posted by: King Rollo 10th January 2018, 06:45 PM

967. Once Upon A Long Ago - Paul McCartney (1987)


Picking up scales and broken chords
Puppy dog tails in the House of Lords

Paul McCartney's last top 10 single until that thing he did with Rihanna and Kanye West in 2015. It was originally supposed to be a duet with Freddie Mercury but he was too busy with Queen and his health was already deteriorating.

Posted by: King Rollo 10th January 2018, 07:05 PM

966. Hold On - Pet Shop Boys (2012)


The swooping birds and barking dogs
Shopping malls and catalogues

From their eleventh studio album 'Elysium',this sounds like it should come from a musical. Neil Tennant is helped out on vocals by a choir of voices. George Frideric Handel is down as co-writer of the song but as I'm unfamiliar with his works,I don't know which bit.

Posted by: King Rollo 10th January 2018, 07:25 PM

965. Undercover - Susanne Sundfor (2017)


They'll kiss you in the evening,devils in disguise,and
love you till the morning then vanish before your eyes

One of the most recent songs in my chart,this was released as a single in June ahead of Susanne's fifth album 'Music For People In Trouble'. Her vocals on this are wonderful and I like the country style guitar sound. I only have her last two albums and will get round to listening to her first three some time.

Posted by: PeteFromLeeds 10th January 2018, 09:26 PM

I haven't heard much of OMD's more recent output, just giving Stay With Me a listen and I'm quite liking it! I do prefer Dreaming and Sailing on the Seven Seas though

Posted by: King Rollo 11th January 2018, 12:32 AM

One of those two songs is still to come.

Posted by: jafetsigfinns 11th January 2018, 12:17 PM

980. Don't You Want Me - The Human League (1981)

My favorite 80s song. Happy to see it feature here <3

Posted by: Popchartfreak 11th January 2018, 12:33 PM

Hi Rollo,

interesting selections, including tracks from my all-time fave acts that I wouldn't have listed!

Plenty of classics in here, Hollies, 7 Seconds, Joy Division, Human League, temptations, love the Saint Etienne song, my first ever concert was a band called Jigsaw (Sky High) who wrote Who Do You Think You Are. St Etienne's greatest hits is essential, but loads of later stuff too, like Sarah Cracknell's Mark brown collaboration.

At The River is fab, so is the original song, and I like that many of these I don't know! Shows there's still stuff I need to dig out...

Posted by: King Rollo 11th January 2018, 12:49 PM

Hello John,there will be plenty more you will know. Our retro musical tastes are quite similar.

Posted by: King Rollo 11th January 2018, 06:03 PM

964. Little Bear - Guillemots (2006)


I'm going beneath the stars
I'm going under the soil again

The first track on Guillemots debut album 'Through The Windowpane' which is my favourite album from the 21st century. It's a delicate piece of music and a brave way to open your debut album which is what Paul McCartney said when he named it as one of his favourite songs.

Posted by: King Rollo 11th January 2018, 06:29 PM

963. The Road To Hell (Parts 1 & 2) - Chris Rea (1989)


And the perverted fear of violence
Chokes a smile on every face

While Part 2 was a top 10 single(his only one),the highlight here is Part 1 which starts with the rain,the sound of a car radio and that faraway piano sound followed by Chris Rea's gospel blues vocal. The song was inspired by M25 and M4 traffic jams.

Posted by: King Rollo 11th January 2018, 07:10 PM

962. Here Is The News - ELO (1981)


A cure's been found for good old rocket lag
Someone left their life behind in a plastic bag

Taken from the album 'Time' which was the first album I bought and still one of my favourites. It was a concept album about a man who gets transported in time from 1981 to 2095. This song was on a double A side single with 'Ticket To The Moon'. Radio stations phoned up claiming that their broadcasts had been sampled but all the spoken voices on this are the band and the studio staff. The reverse is now true as Dutch and Maltese broadcasters have since used the opening of the song for their news programmes.

Posted by: King Rollo 11th January 2018, 07:48 PM

961. The Days Of Pearly Spencer - Marc Almond (1991)


Iron trees smother the air
But withering they stand and stare

Marc Almond's biggest hit as a solo singer,this reached no.4. I like the lush production by Trevor Horn. The song was written and originally recorded by David McWilliams in 1967.

Posted by: King Rollo 12th January 2018, 06:39 PM

960. Glory - Jean-Michel Jarre & M83 (2015)


We will never have it all

'Electronica 1:The Time Machine' was the first of two albums of collaborations between Jean-Michel Jarre and other electronic acts,old and new. This track featured M83,who is another Frenchman,Anthony Gonzalez.

Posted by: King Rollo 12th January 2018, 07:00 PM

959. Paradise Circus - Massive Attack (2010)


She will love you like a fly will never love you

From Massive Attack's fifth and most recent album 'Heligoland'. For a group that have been going for 30 years,that's not many albums. This song features American Hope Sandoval. I like all the percussion in the first half of the song which doesn't overpower her vocals and then towards the end those gorgeous strings.

Posted by: King Rollo 12th January 2018, 07:16 PM

958. The Same Old Scene - Roxy Music (1980)


Nothing lasts forever
Of that I'm sure

From Roxy Music's no.1 album 'Flesh And Blood'. I don't always notice the bass guitar in a song,it's not the most glamorous of musical instruments but it's all over this track,along with the keyboards and saxophone.

Posted by: King Rollo 12th January 2018, 07:34 PM

957. Block Rockin' Beats - The Chemical Brothers (1997)


Back with another one of those block rockin' beats

Back in the 90s,it was good to see a dance track with this sort of 'big beat' sound to it manage to get to no.1. The vocals are sampled from 'Gucci Again' by Schoolly D from 1989. The video features Perry Fenwick a year before he joined the cast of EastEnders as Billy Mitchell and as with most of their videos,the Chemical Brothers make a cameo appearance.

Posted by: King Rollo 13th January 2018, 07:51 PM

956. Wish I - Jem (2004)


Wish I was going too

The third single to be released from Welsh singer Jem's debut album 'Finally Woken'. I like the tropical sound on this one. It was used as the theme tune to Celebrity Love Island.

Posted by: King Rollo 13th January 2018, 08:21 PM

955. Ara Batur - Sigur Ros (2008)


I said on page 1 that there might only be two foreign language songs in my chart but I forgot this one so there are now at least three. This is from the Icelandic group's fifth album 'Meo Suo I Eyrum Vio Spilum Endalaust'. The version on the album is this live recording at Abbey Road with the London Sinfonietta and the choirsters of the London Oratory School. It plods along for five minutes but that only accentuates the glorious ending when the orchestra and choir come in. Really beautiful.

Posted by: King Rollo 13th January 2018, 08:45 PM

954. One & One - Robert Miles featuring Maria Nayler (1996)


It's alright to fall apart sometimes

A top 3 hit for Robert Miles who we sadly lost last year. It's a cover of a song by Polish singer Edyta Gorniak from the same year. I like the piano and the sugary vocals on this one.

Posted by: King Rollo 13th January 2018, 09:10 PM

953. Stupid Girl - Garbage (1995)


Don't believe in fear
Don't believe in pain

I like the guitar riff on this and the overall production. Joe Strummer and Mick Jones are down as co-writers of the song as it contains a drum sample from the Clash song 'Train In Vain'.

Posted by: AH Gold 14th January 2018, 04:19 AM

Glad this is up and running, and well worth the wait.

My faves so far:

Love Will Tear Us Apart
7 Seconds
Shipbuilding
Buffalo Gals
At The River
The Opera Song (Brave New World)
Who Do You Think You Are
Don't You Want Me
Wordy Rappinghood
The Same Old Scene
Block Rockin Beats
Stupid Girl

Wonderful stuff! Love all of these! Looking forward to seeing the rest

Posted by: King Rollo 14th January 2018, 04:59 PM

Thanks for commenting AH. Glad you like so many.

Posted by: King Rollo 14th January 2018, 06:39 PM

952. The Cutter - Echo and the Bunnymen (1983)


Say we can,say we will
Not just another drop in the ocean

An 80s indie classic,with its distinctive Eastern string sound. It gave them their highest chart placing of no.8 which was equalled 14 years later by 'Nothing Lasts Forever'.

Posted by: King Rollo 14th January 2018, 07:05 PM

951. Saving My Heart - Yes (1991)


There's a place in my heart for you

From the Union album which was so called because it brought together the late 80s Yes line-up with Anderson Bruford Wakeman and Howe who were in the middle of recording their second album under that name but then agreed to rejoin the fold. 'Saving My Heart' has a great chorus. It was written by their guitarist Trevor Rabin who when he joined the group in 1983 was mainly responsible for changing them into a more commercial pop/rock group with shorter songs.

Posted by: King Rollo 14th January 2018, 07:26 PM

950. Last This Day - Faithless featuring Dido (2006)


Tubes to the mouth
Cannot laugh or sigh
Or even cry

If you only know Faithless for their singles,you would know them mainly for their dance music but many of their album tracks are slowly paced atmospheric songs like this one. Dido sings it beautifully and is almost a cappella in the middle of it. She is a regular guest on Faithless albums as her brother Rollo is in the band.

Posted by: King Rollo 14th January 2018, 07:47 PM

949. Golden Brown - The Stranglers (1981)


Every time just like the last
On her ship tied to the mast

Surely one of the best top 40 singles to feature prominent use of the harpsicord. It was kept off the top of the chart by The Jam's 'Town Called Malice'.

Posted by: King Rollo 15th January 2018, 07:12 PM

948. Love Is Like Oxygen - Sweet (1978)


Some things are better left unsaid
I'm gonna spend my days in bed

Sweet were one of the most popular glam rock bands and they were unlucky to only have one no.1 as five of their other singles stalled at no.2. Glam rock was over by 1978 and this is more of a straight rock song and a very good one. It was their last top 40 hit. Two of this line-up are dead but the other two are still touring with separate versions of the group.

Posted by: King Rollo 15th January 2018, 07:32 PM

947. Ready To Go - Republica (1997)


From the rooftops shout it out

I like the driving rhythm going through this song,it's really upbeat. The original version from 1996 only got to no.43 and this a remixed rockier version. A lot of sports teams have had it played as they run on to the field.

Posted by: PeteFromLeeds 15th January 2018, 07:36 PM

Lots of nice songs here! Same Old Scene is very catchy and dance-y, and Block Rockin' Beats brings back a feeling of nostalgia from listening to Chemical Brothers CDs as a child.

Wish I is nice but They and Just a Ride both majorly trump it for me. I listened to One & One after Robert Miles passed, I think I actually prefer it to Children, it's very memorable I think

Posted by: King Rollo 15th January 2018, 07:54 PM

946. Pure Morning - Placebo (1998)


A friend in need's a friend indeed
A friend with weed is better

I love the guitars and drums on this one. The memorable video was shot in London but the police are wearing American uniforms and their cars are American. I suppose it was shot with the US market in mind.

Posted by: King Rollo 15th January 2018, 07:58 PM

QUOTE(PeteFromLeeds @ Jan 15 2018, 07:36 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 15th January 2018, 08:21 PM

945. Go! - Marillion (1999)


Take a train to the sea
Be anyone you want to be

From their 11th album 'marillion.com',a reference to their website. Marillion were one of the first groups to use the internet to communicate with their audience. They asked their fans to send in passport photos and 732 of these are included in the album artwork.

Posted by: King Rollo 16th January 2018, 07:00 PM

944. Treat Infamy - Rest Assured (1998)


If I can wait then there will be
A little treat in for me

I like 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' by The Verve but it didn't quite make it into my chart. Instead,I prefer this dance version which samples the string section of that song which was itself sampled from Andrew Loog Oldham's orchestral version of the Rolling Stones' song 'The Last Time' which was itself based on 'This May Be The Last Time' by the Staple Singers.

Posted by: King Rollo 16th January 2018, 07:16 PM

943. Hymn Of The Big Wheel - Massive Attack (1991)


The earth spins on its axis
One man struggle while another relaxes

From Massive Attack's debut album 'Blue Lines',this track features vocals from Jamaican Horace Andy.

Posted by: King Rollo 16th January 2018, 07:30 PM

942. Birthday Boy - Pet Shop Boys (2002)


If you knew his name
Would you feel the same?

From their eighth album 'Release'. If you exclude the Introspective and Disco albums,I think this might be their longest song. Unlike most of their music,there's quite a lot of guitar on this one and they brought in Johnny Marr to play it.

Posted by: King Rollo 16th January 2018, 07:49 PM

941. My Culture - 1 Giant Leap (2002)


I'm the sum total of my ancestors
I carry their DNA

1 Giant Leap are musicians Jamie Catto and Duncan Bridgeman. This was a top 10 single and featured vocals by Maxi Jazz from Faithless and Robbie Williams. Not the most obvious coupling but it works very well on this.

Posted by: King Rollo 17th January 2018, 06:35 PM

940. Devotion - Hurts (2010)


Forgive my thoughts when I'm asleep

From Hurts' debut album 'Happiness',this features vocals from Kylie Minogue. The song is my favourite from the album but it wasn't one of the six tracks released as singles.

Posted by: King Rollo 17th January 2018, 06:55 PM

939. Secret - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (1985)


This is getting very hard for me
I guess you'd better just wait and see

A minor hit for OMD,reaching no.34. Paul Humphreys sings lead vocals on this one and his mid 80s mullet can be seen in the video which was filmed in Walton-on-the-Naze.

Posted by: King Rollo 17th January 2018, 07:10 PM

938. Little Love - Syntax (2004)


Childen dying for our war
Politician warm behind closed door

The second song on my chart from Syntax's only album 'Meccano Mind'. I like the production on this one and in places Jan Burton's vocals sound a bit like Chris Rea.

Posted by: King Rollo 17th January 2018, 07:28 PM

937. Superheated - New Order (2015)


But it's not your fault,no not at all
I was the reason,for our downfall

From their most recent album,'Music Complete',their first without Peter Hook. This track features Brandon Flowers from The Killers who were named after the fictional band in the video for New Order's 2001 single 'Crystal'.

Posted by: King Rollo 18th January 2018, 06:14 PM

936. Assault And Battery - Howard Jones (1985)


A life of misery
Ending in a shock

From his second album 'Dream Into Action',this was Howard Jones' protest against the treatment of animals.

Posted by: King Rollo 18th January 2018, 06:35 PM

935. How To Disappear Completely - Radiohead (2000)


I'm not here
This isn't happening

The 'Kid A' album was disappointing after how good 'The Bends' and 'OK Computer' were. I didn't like the experimental electronic sound to the album but this haunting piece of music stands out.

Posted by: King Rollo 18th January 2018, 06:57 PM

934. For The Love Of A Woman - ELO Part II (1991)


Money and gold mean nothing

In 1988,Jeff Lynne decided to disband ELO. Their drummer Bev Bevan wanted to carry on and Jeff allowed him to do so as long as he changed the group's name. ELO Part II were born with new members added. Although ELO weren't the same without Jeff Lynne,there are some good songs on their first album and this is one of them. The orchestra,which ELO stopped using in the 80s,was back with Louis Clark returning to do the string arrangements.

Posted by: King Rollo 18th January 2018, 07:20 PM

933. And You And I - Yes (1972)


A clearer future,morning,
evening,nights with you

Some classic prog rock now. This is from Yes' fifth album 'Close To The Edge'. The song is divided into four sections,the first two of which were released as a single which got to no.42 in the US.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 18th January 2018, 07:44 PM

Hi Rollo, lots more highlights for me, Days Of Pearly Spencer is a classic (either version), I also liked that My Culture track, Stupid Girl is one I adore these days but it underperformed in my charts at the time - I need to have a nice excuse to rechart it!

Who doesn't love Golden Brown, just an 80's classic, One & One is gorgeous, love The Cutter, I'm a huge Sweet singles fan and Love Is Like Oxygen was their last great record. I saw Brian Connolly performing not that long before he died, and he didnt look at all well. Republica were great fun when I saw them though. Same Old Scene is the fab best post 1975 Roxy moment, most of my faves were the early stuff.

Plenty of album tracks I don't know, and yet again choices from albums I own that have never really jumped out at me which leaves me wanting to check out what I missed when I get a mo...!

I'm currently nearing 850 "sales" hits in my "millions'sellers or nearly million sellers" list so I might shadow you (just the listing though, no comments till I get to 610 at which point I will wait to restart mine) and see if we "snap!" on any

Posted by: King Rollo 18th January 2018, 09:49 PM

Thanks for the comments,John. Looking forward to seeing your list as well.

Posted by: King Rollo 19th January 2018, 06:50 PM

932. Live - Ultravox (2012)


Don't you know you'll learn to live again

One of the good things about doing this thread is I'm watching,for the first time,a lot of amateur videos for songs I like that don't have official videos. This person says he actually asked Midge Ure for his permission to do one and he was given the go ahead. He's done a good job with his video. The song is from Ultravox's comeback album 'Brilliant'. It's a really confident sounding song which wouldn't sound out of place on one of their early 80s albums.

Posted by: King Rollo 19th January 2018, 07:11 PM

931. Spread Your Wings - Queen (1977)


Sammy,who do you think that you are?
You should've been sweeping up the Emerald Bar

A great ballad from Queen's album 'News Of The World' which was recently given the luxury boxset treatment for its 40th anniversary. 'Spread Your Wings' was written by John Deacon and was the first Queen single without any backing vocals.

Posted by: King Rollo 19th January 2018, 07:31 PM

930. Seven Cities (Stone's Atlantis Mix) - Solar Stone (1999)


Some Balearic trance now,the second instrumental in my chart. Solar Stone were a trio of producers from Birmingham but by 1999,they were down to a duo,Richard Mowatt and Andy Bury. This just sneaked into the top 40 at no.39.

Posted by: King Rollo 19th January 2018, 07:59 PM

929. Where The Streets Have No Name - U2 (1987)


The city's a flood and our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind,trampled in dust

From 'The Joshua Tree',the best part of this song is the intro,which is almost two minutes long on the album version,starting quietly with the keyboards and then building up with the guitars.

Posted by: King Rollo 20th January 2018, 08:05 PM

928. Little Fictions - Elbow (2017)


A muffled battle cry across the kіtchen table
Bridges up portcullis down and round the Tower of Babel

The title track from last year's album. Guy Garvey may not be the best singer around technically but he gets so much character and personality into his vocals,it doesn't matter. I like the last three minutes of this song in particular. I'm not sure how they created that screechy sound but it works.

Posted by: King Rollo 20th January 2018, 08:25 PM

927. Sleep - Archive (2004)


Night time,gruelling,just time to waste
Heights they kill me,leave scarring on my face

The second song on my chart from Archive,this is from their fourth album,'Noise'. I love the string arrangement on this.

Posted by: King Rollo 20th January 2018, 08:57 PM

926. Ode To Don Jose - The Art Of Noise (1987)


From their third album 'In No Sense? Nonsense!'. By this time The Art Of Noise were reduced to a duo,Anne Dudley and J J Jeczalik. As always,they are having great fun creating different sounds from their samplers. Watch out for them on TOTP 1985 on Thursday on BBC4 making their debut with Close (To The Edit).

Posted by: PeteFromLeeds 20th January 2018, 09:01 PM

Another OMD track here! Interested to see how many of their songs make your Top 1000

Posted by: King Rollo 20th January 2018, 09:15 PM

925. Satellites - Doves (2002)


For seven nights I slept,hold on
The satellite's ahead,so come on

From their no.1 album 'The Last Broadcast',one of my favourite albums from the 00s. I like the wall of guitars and gospel backing singers on this song.

Posted by: HarryEzra 21st January 2018, 08:31 AM

Yay for the Massive Attack, Hurts and Elbow inclusions.

Posted by: King Rollo 21st January 2018, 05:25 PM

924. Famous Last Words - Tears For Fears (1989)


As the day hits the night
We will sit by candlelight

Tears For Fears third album 'The Seeds Of Love' has a big,epic sound to it but this song,the final track,is a bit of a contrast with its quiet,delicate beginning.

Posted by: King Rollo 21st January 2018, 05:44 PM

923. Only This Moment - Royksopp (2005)


Only this moment holds us together
Close to perfection,nothing else out there

The first single from their second album 'The Understanding',this lovely song features vocals from Norwegian Kate Havnevik.

Posted by: King Rollo 21st January 2018, 06:16 PM

922. Runnin' Down A Dream - Tom Petty (1989)


There's something good waitin' down this road
I'm pickin' up whatever's mine

Co-written with Jeff Lynne and Mike Campbell,this should have been a bigger hit but only got to no.55. The best part is the outro from 2.53 onwards. In a BBC poll of the greatest guitar riffs of all time,the one in this song finished 77th.

Posted by: King Rollo 21st January 2018, 06:37 PM

921. Neon Lights - OMD (1991)


And at the fall of night
The city's made of light

Andy McCluskey decided he wanted to make electronic music after attending a gig by Kraftwerk so it was inevitable that at some point,OMD would do a cover of a Kraftwerk song. This is mainly an instrumental with some female vocals. It comes from the 'Sugar Tax' album,the first OMD released without Paul Humphreys.

Posted by: King Rollo 22nd January 2018, 06:40 PM

920. Rock,Rock,Rock - Sparks (2006)


Soft passages can get you into trouble
They imply a lack of passion and commitment

There is no one quite like Sparks for quirky inventiveness. This is from their 20th LP 'Hello Young Lovers'. The album's intricate production,which included a full orchestra,led to many months of labour before it was finished.

Posted by: The Snake 22nd January 2018, 06:47 PM

Oh my Rock Rock Rock I have heard before and it is brilliant.

Of the other tracks that have featured here, Stupid Girl and One and One I really like. Stupid Girl I remember a lot from the time. The Opera Song sounds so nostalgic now.

Don't remember that Jem song, I assume 'They', one of the defining tracks of 2005 for me (and still occasionally used as a soundbed on TV) will be higher in your countdown?

Posted by: King Rollo 22nd January 2018, 06:57 PM

Yes indeed, 'They' is still to come.

Posted by: King Rollo 22nd January 2018, 07:11 PM

919. Not Alone Any More - The Traveling Wilburys (1988)


It hurts like never before
You're not alone any more

Made up of George Harrison,Jeff Lynne,Tom Petty,Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison,this is surely the greatest supergroup. It came about by accident when George and Jeff were working on a B side for George's single 'This Is Love'. The other three happened to be in the area and the five of them ended up writing 'Handle With Care',a great song which somehow I haven't included in my chart. Instead,the only Wilburys song I have chosen is this one sung,with his usual powerful vocals,by Roy Orbison who sadly died less than two months after their first album was released.

Posted by: King Rollo 22nd January 2018, 07:30 PM

918. Regret - New Order (1993)


I would like a place I could call my own
Have a conversation on the telephone

Bernard Sumner has always been a singer with a limited range but his vocals sound really good on this song. It was the last of four top 5 singles for New Order.

Posted by: King Rollo 22nd January 2018, 07:52 PM

917. Brave - Marillion (1994)


See her sadness in your face
She's inside you
And she's crying

So I have just launched 'The Great Escape' from the 'Brave' album unto an unsuspecting BJSC audience. The album,about a young woman who has run away from home,is basically one continuous piece of music and this beautiful song segues straight into 'The Great Escape'.

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd January 2018, 05:26 PM

916. Just A Job To Do - Genesis (1983)


Even if you're innocent
You can cause too much embarrassment

Taken from Genesis' twelfth album which was just called 'Genesis' as this was the first time all the songs were written collectively as a group.

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd January 2018, 05:47 PM

915. Being Boiled - The Human League (1978)


Listen to the voice of Buddha
Saying stop your sericulture

At the time,David Bowie declared this to be "the future of music" and it inspired Vince Clarke to form Depeche Mode but it wasn't a hit until 1982 when it was re-released after the success of 'Don't You Want Me',reaching no.6. I like all the synth sounds on this one.

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd January 2018, 06:19 PM

914. Nothing's Impossible - Depeche Mode (2005)


Even the stars look brighter tonight

And speaking of Depeche Mode,here they are with a track from 'Playing The Angel'. Their albums since the 90s have been a bit patchy but there is the odd gem like this one with its brooding sound. Martin Gore writes almost all their songs but this one was written by Dave Gahan.

Posted by: The Snake 23rd January 2018, 06:23 PM

Being Boiled sounds so ahead of its time, really sounds like an early dance track almost when the beat really gets going.

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd January 2018, 06:38 PM

913. Formulae - JJ72 (2002)


I use the formulae of every day
In the floods I'll stay and get washed away

This was one of four top 40 singles for Dublin band JJ72 featuring the unique voice of their singer Mark Greaney. It's from their second album 'I to Sky'. They split up in 2006.

Posted by: PeteFromLeeds 23rd January 2018, 07:33 PM

Not sure I've heard Regret before, surprising since I've listened to quite a bit of New Order! Okay scrap that the chorus sounds very familiar now Quite different from some of their other stuff though!

Posted by: King Rollo 24th January 2018, 06:29 PM

912. Your Woman - White Town (1997)


You don't even know you're being unkind
So much for all your highbrow Marxist ways

This could possibly be the most unlikely UK no.1 single there has been. I love its quirkiness. White Town is Indian Jyoti Prakash Mishra. He continues to release new music but will always be known for this song alone.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 24th January 2018, 06:51 PM

a few I don't know in the latest batch , quite a few I like, and a couple of gems in New Order, U2, and White Town is still quirky. Quirky and varied are the catchwords of the day....

Posted by: King Rollo 24th January 2018, 07:00 PM

911. Princeton - Tandy & Morgan (1985)


And a traveller from Venus
set a force field between us

Tandy & Morgan were a sort of ELO spin off group. Richard Tandy was their keyboard player in the 70s and 80s and is the only member from that time who is still part of Jeff Lynne's ELO line-up today. Dave Morgan joined ELO in the mid 80s just before they split up. Princeton is a lovely ballad from Tandy & Morgan's sci-fi concept album 'Earth Rise' which was a commercial failure after a lack of promotion by the small record label it was released on. It's still an album I have a lot of affection for.

Posted by: King Rollo 24th January 2018, 07:25 PM

910. Melancholy Man - The Moody Blues (1970)


His life caught up in misery
He doesn't think like you and me

A stunning song from their no.1 album 'A Question Of Balance'. I love all the harmonies on the backing vocals. The lead vocals on their albums were shared around and this one is by Mike Pinder. I have only started listening to their early albums in the last few years so this song is still quite new to me.

Posted by: King Rollo 24th January 2018, 07:41 PM

909. Flash - Queen (1980)


Flash,Flash,I love you,
but we only have fourteen hours to save the Earth

From the soundtrack to 'Flash Gordon' which seems to have become a cult classic,the arrangement on the song is kept fairly simple to allow room for the dialogue snippets.

Posted by: King Rollo 25th January 2018, 06:20 PM

908. Word Of Mouth - Mike & The Mechanics (1991)


From the west side to the east side
From the north side to the south

With Paul Young on lead vocals,this has a rollicking,singalong chorus. It got to no.13 on the singles chart.

Posted by: PeteFromLeeds 25th January 2018, 06:33 PM

Really like Flash! Shame that Flash cleaner advert completely ruins it Word of Mouth sounding very nice on first listen also.

Posted by: King Rollo 25th January 2018, 06:40 PM

907. Loser Gone Wild - ELO (1983)


Empty rooms and chilling smiles
They go on for miles and miles

From their tenth album 'Secret Messages',Jeff Lynne's vocals on this are quite bluesy and the use of a trumpet is quite unusual for ELO. There are also several tempo changes. The barking dog was credited on the record sleeve as Dennis.

Posted by: King Rollo 25th January 2018, 06:43 PM

QUOTE(PeteFromLeeds @ Jan 25 2018, 06:33 PM)

Really like Flash! Shame that Flash cleaner advert completely ruins it Word of Mouth sounding very nice on first listen also.

Posted by: King Rollo 25th January 2018, 07:05 PM

906. Supremacy - Muse (2012)


Greatness dies,unsung and lost invisible to history
Embedded spies,brainwashing our children to be mean

There's a lot packed into this with the guitars,drums,an orchestra and a choir. Muse are never afraid to be bombastic. I'm surprised this only got to no.58 but they haven't had a top 40 single since 2012.

Posted by: King Rollo 25th January 2018, 07:24 PM

905. Working In A Goldmine - Aztec Camera (1987)


Kissing in the full moon
Drowning in the sunshine

From Aztec Camera's third album which was recorded in the US with session musicians,the group was now Roddy Frame on his own. This has a jazzy/R&B sound to it.

Posted by: King Rollo 26th January 2018, 06:39 PM

904. Never Tear Us Apart - INXS (1987)


We could live for a thousand years
But if I hurt you,I'd make wine from your tears

From their 6th album 'Kick',I like the string section and Michael Hutchence's vocals. The song is also memorable for the two dramatic pauses and the saxophone solo.

Posted by: King Rollo 26th January 2018, 07:04 PM

903. I Need Nothing Else - Sophie B Hawkins (1994)


Oh Lord my God when you get hard
How can I stop how can I not

Sophie B Hawkins (the B stands for Ballantine) is my favourite female singer. This is from her excellent second album 'Whaler',produced by Stephen Lipson. Great use of tubular bells on this track.

Posted by: King Rollo 26th January 2018, 07:20 PM

902. Survivor - 10cc (1981)


This girl she's a real survivor
She don't believe in the midnight driver

From their 8th album 'Ten Out Of 10',10cc were past their creative peak by this time but they were still capable of writing a great song like this one,sung by Graham Gouldman. Nice tempo change at 2.20.

Posted by: King Rollo 26th January 2018, 07:46 PM

901. Past,Present and Future - The Shangri-Las (1966)


Take a walk along the beach tonight? I'd love to
But don't try to touch me,don't try to touch me
Cos that will never happen again

The Shangri-Las were a girl group from New York best known for 'Leader Of The Pack' which was a top 20 hit in 1965,1972 and 1976. 'Past,Present and Future is quite unusual in that the lyrics are spoken,not sung. The piano part is based on Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

Posted by: King Rollo 27th January 2018, 07:57 PM

900. Somewhere - Pet Shop Boys (1997)


Peace and quiet and open air
wait for us somewhere

The Pet Shop Boys do the classic song from 'West Side Story' in their own inimitable style. While many others have recorded the song,only the Pet Shop Boys and P J Proby have had top 10 singles with it.

Posted by: King Rollo 27th January 2018, 08:17 PM

899. Something - Lasgo (2001)


I see it in your eyes
There is something
That you hide from me

Lasgo were a Belgian trio with Evi Goffin on vocals. She left in 2008,leading to a TV programme to find her successor. The video for this was filmed in Prague railway station.

Posted by: King Rollo 27th January 2018, 08:34 PM

898. Keep You On My Side - Chvrches (2015)


I never asked to know,never lied
So I could keep you on my side

Chvrches are one of the best pop groups to emerge in the last few years. This is from their second album 'Every Open Eye'. I'm looking forward to hearing their new single which is released next week.

Posted by: King Rollo 27th January 2018, 08:58 PM

897. I Don't Mind At All - Bourgeois Tagg (1988)


Misery loves company
But she will never fit the bill

A one hit wonder from the 80s,recorded with just acoustic guitars and a string section. The song is just two and a half minutes long. Bourgeois Tagg were an American duo,Brent Bourgeois and Larry Tagg.

Posted by: King Rollo 28th January 2018, 05:42 PM

896. Red Rain - Peter Gabriel (1986)


I am standing up at the water's edge in my dream
I cannot make a single sound as you scream

The opening track from Peter's best selling album 'So',this is a percussion led song. I also like the piano and bass guitar and his gravely vocals. It's not really a surprise that this didn't make the top 40 as it was the fourth track to be released as a single,a full year after the album came out.

Posted by: King Rollo 28th January 2018, 06:02 PM

895. Confusion - New Order (1983)


Ask me no questions,I'll tell you no lies
The past is your present,the future is mine

Released only as a 12 inch single,this was produced by New York DJ Arthur Baker. It's certainly one of the best dance tracks from the 80s.

Posted by: King Rollo 28th January 2018, 06:24 PM

894. Breaking Point - The Moody Blues (1988)


Have you reached your breaking point tonight?

From their 13th album 'Sur La Mer' which was the first Moody Blues album I bought. Most of the music on this album could be described as synthpop.

Posted by: King Rollo 28th January 2018, 06:40 PM

893. Talk More Talk - Paul McCartney (1986)


I hear water going through the pipes
I don't actually like sitting down music

From his album 'Press To Play' which I bought because some of the songs were co-written with Eric Stewart from 10cc. This one was written by Paul on his own. I like its eccentricity.

Posted by: King Rollo 29th January 2018, 06:24 PM

892. Calypso - Jean Michel Jarre (1990)


From his 10th album 'Waiting For Cousteau',this track is dominated by the steel drums of The Amoco Renegades. Anything with steel drums in it always puts me in a good mood. The album contained three tracks that were six to nine minutes long followed by a 46 minute ambient piece of music which would send anyone to sleep. I remember that the CD was priced at about £6 which was half the normal CD price at the time so I didn't feel I was being ripped off.

Posted by: King Rollo 29th January 2018, 06:38 PM

891. Ce Matin La - Air (1998)


From Air's acclaimed debut album 'Moon Safari' this is a relaxing piece of chillout music with the harmonica,strings and trumpet (or is it a trombone?).

Posted by: King Rollo 29th January 2018, 06:59 PM

890. Cowboys And Indians - The Cross (1988)


In the land of the free and the home of the brave
The cowboys and cowgirls and Indians have changed

The Cross were a side project of Queen's drummer Roger Taylor,releasing three albums from 1988-1991. This homage to the USA was the first single from their debut album 'Shove It'. It only got to no.74.

Posted by: King Rollo 29th January 2018, 07:21 PM

889. Strict Machine - Goldfrapp (2003)


I connect when I'm flush
You get love when told what to do

A smashing piece of electropop. The lyrics relate what happens to laboratory rats to human behaviour.

Posted by: PeteFromLeeds 30th January 2018, 03:10 PM

Calypso sounding nice - I'm pretty sure I've heard it before but not paid it that much attention. I've heard Strict Machine a lot but never fully realised it was a Goldfrapp song

Posted by: King Rollo 30th January 2018, 06:49 PM

888. Streets Of Philadelphia - Bruce Springsteen (1994)


I walked the avenue till my legs felt like stone
I heard the voices of friends vanished and gone

From the film 'Philadelphia',this song won an Oscar and four Grammys. It was kept from the no.1 spot by Doop - Doop. When chart injustices are brought up,it's always 'Shaddap Your Face' stopping 'Vienna' getting to no.1 that gets mentioned but this is almost as scandalous. Bruce sang live on the video using a hidden microphone.

Posted by: King Rollo 30th January 2018, 07:12 PM

887. Valerie - Steve Winwood (1987 remix)


Her cries hang there in time somewhere
Someday,some good wind may blow her back to me

This is originally from 1982 but I prefer this remix as the backing track has more life to it. It was sampled in Eric Prydz's 2004 no.1 'Call On Me' but that was technically not a sample as Steve liked it so much he re-recorded his vocals to make it sound better.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 30th January 2018, 07:26 PM

some more obscure choices new to me in the latest batches, and also some gems I do know - Shangri-Las (still yet to chart that one myself), Queen, INXS (Paloma did a good version too), Springsteen, Goldfrapp (check out the Suzi Quatro glamrock version!), and from my clubbing period, Lasgo, among many goodies.

Posted by: The Snake 30th January 2018, 07:36 PM

Lasgo - Something is brill!

So you don't dislike ALL eurodance then, King Rollo, despite what you said in the Dance Forum song contest thread!

Posted by: King Rollo 30th January 2018, 07:39 PM

886. Onward - Yes (1978)


You're the light burning brightly
Onward through the night

Written by Chris Squire,this is from Yes' ninth album 'Tormato' which is not one of their best as they were still reeling from the punk rock invasion. However,this is a beautiful song with Jon Anderson's angelic vocals and an orchestral backing. It was played at the first concert Yes performed after Chris Squire's death in 2015,before they took to the stage,with a spotlight focused on his bass guitar and the rest of the stage in darkness. A fitting tribute and probably not a dry eye in the house.

Posted by: King Rollo 30th January 2018, 07:44 PM

QUOTE(The Snake @ Jan 30 2018, 07:36 PM)

Lasgo - Something is brill!

So you don't dislike ALL eurodance then, King Rollo, despite what you said in the Dance Forum song contest thread!

Posted by: King Rollo 30th January 2018, 08:11 PM

885. Visage - Visage (1980)


New styles
New shapes
New modes
That's the role my passion takes

A classic from the New Romantics era. There was a big contribution on this track by members of Ultravox. I can think of four other singles where the song title is the same name as the group. There was Talk Talk by Talk Talk,Oh Well by Oh Well,Mr Blobby by Mr Blobby and of course Doop by Doop which I already mentioned today. I never thought I would be referring to that song twice on the same day. I am sure you may be able to think of some more examples.

Posted by: King Rollo 31st January 2018, 07:35 PM

884. You Take My Breath Away - SuReal (2000)


What more can I say

A top 20 trance hit. I like the vocals on this but I don't know who the singer is. SuReal was British DJ Stuart Langelaan also known as Lange.

Posted by: King Rollo 31st January 2018, 07:45 PM

883. Close Cover - Minimalistix (2002)


And here is some more trance. This one is a piano led instrumental which got to no.12. Minimalistix were a Belgian group.

Posted by: King Rollo 31st January 2018, 08:15 PM

882. Angelina - Marillion (2004)


When you've stayed up far too late
Fallen through the door in a state
Call her at the premium rate

The second song in my chart from the 'Marbles' album,this appears to be about a sex chatline worker. I like the way it meanders along with Steve Rothery's restrained guitar playing. This is one of just a few Marillion songs to feature a female singer,in this case,Carrie Tree.

Posted by: King Rollo 31st January 2018, 08:36 PM

881. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973)


For I must be travelling on now
cause there's too many places I've got to see

A classic rock radio staple which conjures images of bearded American truck drivers. As good as the first half is,the song's popularity is down to the legendary four minute guitar solo in the second half. If anyone can think of a group with a longer name that contains no vowels,please let me know.

Posted by: King Rollo 1st February 2018, 06:14 PM

880. Rockaria! - Electric Light Orchestra (1976)


She's sweet on Wagner
I think she'd die for Beethoven
She loves the way Puccini lays down a tune
And Verdi's always creeping from her room

A top ten single from 'A New World Record'. The opera part was sung by Mary Thomas who came in too early but this mistake together with her saying "oops" were kept in by Jeff Lynne. The error is not included in this video.

Posted by: King Rollo 1st February 2018, 06:26 PM

879. Royksopp's Night Out - Royksopp (2001)


A seven and a half minute instrumental from Roysopp's debut album 'Melody A.M.' I love all the different sounds they've created here,this never gets boring.

Posted by: King Rollo 1st February 2018, 06:46 PM

878. Leave In Silence - Depeche Mode (1982)


I hate being in these situations
That call for diplomatic relations

From their second album 'A Broken Frame',Vince Clarke had left and all the songs were written by Martin Gore. For many years,I thought Dave Gahan was singing "I'm heading for the dole" but it's "I'm heading for the door". It still sounds like dole and always will.

Posted by: King Rollo 1st February 2018, 07:05 PM

877. Keep It Dark - Genesis (1981)


It seems strange to have a lie
About a world so bright
And tell instead a made-up story
From the world of night

This percussion led song was a top 40 hit but it's not one of their better known singles.

Posted by: King Rollo 2nd February 2018, 06:43 PM

876. Killer Queen - Queen (1974)


She keeps Moet et Chandon in her pretty cabinet
"Let them eat cake" she says
Just like Marie Antoinette

Written by Freddie Mercury,this was kept off the top of the chart by 'Gonna Make You A Star' by David Essex. 'Seven Seas Of Rhye' had reached no.10 earlier the same year but 'Killer Queen' can be considered to be Queen's breakthrough single.

Posted by: King Rollo 2nd February 2018, 06:55 PM

875. Steal Your Thunder - Prefab Sprout (1997)


There is a chance I'll be lucky
And see lightning strike twice

Another track from 'Andromeda Heights',I like the harmonica and strings on this one.

Posted by: King Rollo 2nd February 2018, 07:20 PM

874. Always On My Mind - Pet Shop Boys (1987)


Tell me,tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Give me one more chance to keep you satisfied

A fantastic cover of the Elvis song. It was recorded after a live performance of the song on an ITV programme commemorating ten years since Elvis' death was well received. The original version from 1972 was actually recorded by Gwen McCrae whose husband George went on to have a UK no.1 with 'Rock Your Baby'.

Posted by: Chez Wombat 2nd February 2018, 07:22 PM

Wow, I never knew Strict Machine was about lab rats, seeing these lyrics a whole lot differently now! A great song nonetheless.

Posted by: King Rollo 2nd February 2018, 07:40 PM

873. Cambodia - Kim Wilde (1981)


But there is only one thing left I know for sure
She won't see his face again

A synthpop ballad,this was Kim's fourth top 20 single from 1981. It was written by her brother Ricky and her dad Marty who had many hits of his own in the rock'n'roll era. The lyrics were based on the bombing of Cambodia by the US in the Vietnam War.

Posted by: King Rollo 3rd February 2018, 07:50 PM

872. Code/Evergreen - Faithless (2001)


The birds are calling to me and
all the leaves I came to love are falling

These are actually two tracks from the 'Outrospective' album. 'Code' is a short instrumental which leads into 'Evergreen' and they belong together. Vocals on this are by Zoe Johnston.

Posted by: King Rollo 3rd February 2018, 08:07 PM

871. Everything's Gone Green - New Order (1981)


It seems like I've been here before

New Order's third single and they are already merging indie and dance music. This was the last song by them produced by Martin Hannett who had worked on both Joy Division albums and the first New Order album 'Movement'.

Posted by: King Rollo 3rd February 2018, 08:32 PM

870. One Night In Bangkok - Murray Head (1984)


Siam's going to be the witness
to the ultimate test of cerebral fitness
This grips me more than would a
muddy old river or reclining Buddha

From the musical 'Chess', this was written by Benny and Bjorn from Abba and Tim Rice. The highlight is the orchestral intro and this is the full version with the two minute intro intact. It's shorter on the single. The song ended up being banned in Thailand as its lyrics "cause misunderstanding about Thai society and show disrespect towards Buddhism".

Posted by: The Snake 3rd February 2018, 08:55 PM

Leave in Silence sounds a little bit deep house (without so much of a beat) actually when it gets going. Certainly sounds more modern than a lot of songs around at its time.

One Night in Bangkok is great too, recently discovered that, with the rapped verses and the sung chorus, it still sounds relevant, not too dissimilar in style to Eminem's light hearted content like 'We Made You'.

Posted by: King Rollo 3rd February 2018, 08:58 PM

869. Rebellion (Lies) - Arcade Fire (2004)


Sleeping is giving in
So lift those heavy eyelids

From Arcade Fire's superb debut album 'Funeral', this is still their only top 20 single.

Posted by: King Rollo 3rd February 2018, 09:06 PM

QUOTE(The Snake @ Feb 3 2018, 08:55 PM)

Posted by: PeteFromLeeds 4th February 2018, 06:03 PM

One Night in Bangkok, Rebellion and Always On My Mind all really good, throwing me back 10 or so years!

Posted by: The Snake 4th February 2018, 06:24 PM

The Pet Shop Boys cover of Always On My Mind is great, definitely one of the best covers of a song ever imo!

Posted by: King Rollo 4th February 2018, 07:01 PM

868. Reward - The Teardrop Explodes (1981)


Bless my cotton socks,I'm in the news

An early 80s classic,this still sounds fresh. The group split up in 1982 but I like some of Julian Cope's solo singles. 'Sunshine Playroom', 'The Greatness and Perfection of Love' and 'Eve's Volcano' are all fine songs but none of them made it into my chart.

Posted by: King Rollo 4th February 2018, 07:18 PM

867. Flying North - Thomas Dolby (1982)


Metal bird dip wing of fire
Whose airlines comb dark Earth

From his debut album 'The Golden Age Of Wireless'. His real name is Thomas Robertson but he changed it as there was a singer around at the time called Tom Robinson. Dolby Laboratories then took him to court but the court ruled that they had no exclusive rights to the name Dolby and he was able to carry on using it.

Posted by: The Snake 4th February 2018, 07:25 PM

My fave Thomas Dolby song is 'Hyperactive!', great dancey new wave tune!

Posted by: King Rollo 4th February 2018, 07:33 PM

866. Ordinary World - Duran Duran (1993)


Where is my friend when I need you most?
Gone away

This is such a good comeback single for a band who were on the wane. It gave them their highest chart position since 'A View To A Kill' in 1985.

Posted by: King Rollo 4th February 2018, 07:50 PM

865. Messages - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (1980)


It worries me this kind of thing
How you hope to live alone
And occupy your waking hours

The fourth song in my chart by OMD but the first to be sung by their main lead singer Andy McCluskey. This is one of the earliest synthpop hits.

Posted by: The Snake 4th February 2018, 07:52 PM

Yes! Ordinary World, amazing song and my favourite Duran Duran track!

The Aurora and Naimee Coleman trance cover in 2000 is also great imo!

Posted by: King Rollo 5th February 2018, 05:57 PM

864. All Together Now - The Farm (1990)


Countries' borders were right out of sight
When they joined together and decided not to fight

This was a top 5 single for The Farm with the music based on Johann Pachelbel's Canon and the lyrics about the Christmas truce of 1914.

Posted by: King Rollo 5th February 2018, 06:11 PM

863. Dancing With Tears In My Eyes - Ultravox (1984)


The man on the wireless cries again
It's over,it's over

Written about a nuclear power plant meltdown,this was Ultravox's second highest charting single,reaching no.3. Quite unusually,the chorus precedes the first verse.

Posted by: King Rollo 5th February 2018, 06:30 PM

862. The Wall Street Shuffle - 10cc (1974)


You've gotta be cool on Wall Street
When your index is low
Dow Jones ain't got time for the bums
They wind up on skid row with holes in their pockets

The first 10cc song in my chart to feature the classic line-up of Godley,Creme,Stewart and Gouldman. It was a top 10 hit and was written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman.

Posted by: King Rollo 5th February 2018, 06:58 PM

861. The Return Of The Giant Hogweed - Genesis (1971)


They are invincible
They seem immune to all our herbicidal battering

Taken from their third album 'Nursery Cryme', the first to feature Phil Collins on drums and Steve Hackett on lead guitar. The Giant Hogweed is a real plant which can grow as high as 18 feet. Although it's not quite as dangerous as the song's lyrics suggest,it can cause blisters and scars which can last several years.

Posted by: King Rollo 6th February 2018, 07:56 PM

860. Jealousy - Pet Shop Boys (1990)


Where've you been?
Who've you seen?
You didn't phone when you said you would

From their album 'Behaviour' this song was written way back in 1982,the first one they wrote. I like the orchestral arrangement towards the end.

Posted by: The Snake 6th February 2018, 08:11 PM

I love All Together Now, anthemic and sounds a bit ahead of its time for 1990, I used to think it was mid 90s before I found out.

Wall Street Shuffle is very good.

My favourite Genesis songs (I don't know all of them tbh though) are probably 'Land Of Confusion', 'Mama' and 'Jesus He Knows Me' and the lovely 'Ripples' from the later era and the epic progressive rock track 'Supper's Ready' from the early era.

Posted by: King Rollo 6th February 2018, 08:11 PM

859. Those Who Move Clouds - Howard Jones (1989)


The throwing of your mental clothes wasn't ever your intention

The hit singles had dried up for Howard Jones by 1989,but this has a big epic sound to it.

Posted by: King Rollo 6th February 2018, 08:14 PM

QUOTE(The Snake @ Feb 6 2018, 08:11 PM)

Posted by: Popchartfreak 6th February 2018, 08:43 PM

ooh some major classics now for me!

Split into 2 categories, classics that I under-appreciated (like Teardrop Explodes which "only" hit number 2, Depeche Mode's little gem, Jealousy and Cambodia (just a top 10 at the time, now they would top my chart as would t'other 2), Murray Head (Number 2 Abba brilliance), The Farm...

and then there's the number 1's in my charts Wall Street Shuffle (2 weeks on top) criminally not in my top 850 (it needs a nice excuse to rechart it) cos it's brilliant, exciting and the lyrics about fat cat money grabbers are even more relevant than they were at the time, Killer Queen (4 weeks on top), Messages (3 weeks), Ordinary World (1 week), Always On My Mind (3 weeks).

I agree with Snake about Genesis: Mama and Land Of Confusion are the classic singles for me, though alos love Turn It On Again, Follow Me Follow You, I Know What I Like (In Your wardrobe) in particular.

Posted by: King Rollo 6th February 2018, 08:59 PM

Good to see you like so many of the latest batch,John. Some of those Genesis songs may still appear.

Posted by: King Rollo 6th February 2018, 09:28 PM

858. Restless - UNKLE featuring Josh Homme (2007)


Let's rip me from the breakage and solvents

From their third album 'War Stories' which had more of a rock sound to it than the trip hop of the first two albums. There were several guest singers,with Josh Homme from Queens Of The Stone Age doing the vocals on this one which was released as a single.

Posted by: King Rollo 6th February 2018, 09:43 PM

857. Everybody Hurts - REM (1992)


When you're sure you've had enough
of this life,well hang on

I've never been a fan of REM but this is a great song with an equally memorable video.

Posted by: King Rollo 7th February 2018, 06:18 PM

856. Jungle - Electric Light Orchestra (1977)


We sat and sang under the moon
And the jungle rang in joyful harmony

From their fantastic double album 'Out Of The Blue',this is a fun song. How wonderful that someone has done a puppet video for it.

Posted by: King Rollo 7th February 2018, 06:39 PM

855. Don't Lose Your Head - Queen (1986)


Don't lose your head
If you make it to the top and you wanna stay alive

From the soundtrack to 'Highlander',this was written by Roger Taylor whose drums are quite prominent. Joan Armatrading makes a vocal cameo. I can't think of any other Queen song that includes a female vocal other than the film inserts in 'Flash'.

Posted by: King Rollo 7th February 2018, 07:05 PM

854. Ruined In A Day - New Order (1993)


You could be the lover of jade
Forever on your own in the shade

From the 'Republic' album,this got to no.22. It sounds a lot different to most of their songs but you can definitely tell from the production that it's from the 90s.

Posted by: King Rollo 7th February 2018, 07:36 PM

853. Never Comes The Day - The Moody Blues (1969)


Give just a little bit more
Take a little bit less

Very few sing a ballad as well as Justin Hayward. This is from the Moodies' fourth album 'On The Threshold Of A Dream'. Although the album got to no.1,this song was a flop as a single and didn't chart. Cutting its length down to from 4.43 to 2.42 wasn't a good idea.

Posted by: King Rollo 8th February 2018, 06:13 PM

852. In The Dark - DJ Tiesto featuring Christian Burns (2007)


We'll find each other in the dark

Back to some dance music now. A top 5 hit in some European countries but this only got to no.133 in the UK.

Posted by: Doctor Blind 8th February 2018, 06:18 PM

QUOTE(King Rollo @ Feb 8 2018, 06:13 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 8th February 2018, 06:31 PM

Indeed he was. I think I know the song from seeing the video on one of the music channels. I wrote down what it was and downloaded it.

Posted by: King Rollo 8th February 2018, 06:40 PM

851. Let It Go? - Midge Ure (1991)


Am I strong enough to stand my ground
Lift my head and show the strength I've found

From Midge's third solo album 'Pure',this is a six minute epic that starts slowly but builds up with the guitars,drums and backing vocals.

Posted by: PeteFromLeeds 8th February 2018, 06:54 PM

Really like All Together Now! A nice upbeat track, didn't know it was based on the Christmas truce though

I think War Stories was one of the first albums I bought, Restless isn't a standout for me but I do like the sound.

Posted by: King Rollo 8th February 2018, 07:00 PM

850. Ladybird - Tears For Fears (2005)


Your friends have gone
Porcelain portraits and silver medallions

From 'Everybody Loves A Happy Ending',the first Tears For Fears album to feature both Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith since 1989's 'The Seeds Of Love'. It wouldn't really sound out of place on that album. They've had a bit of a revival recently with a new single,a concert on the BBC and a greatest hits collection charting in the top 20 but still no album of new songs since 2005.

Posted by: King Rollo 8th February 2018, 07:18 PM

849. Jarrow Song - Alan Price (1974)


Come on follow the Geordie boys,they'll fill your heart with joy
They're marching for their freedom now

Based on the Jarrow march of 1936,when over 200 people marched from Jarrow down to Parliament in London to protest against poverty and unemployment in the North of England. I love the brass band,piano and xylophone on this.

Posted by: King Rollo 9th February 2018, 06:47 PM

848. The Sun Also Rises - Delphic (2013)


Give me another day to mend my ways
And always pretend we're young again

From Delphic's second album which is not as good as the first but this is the standout track. An instrumental version was used as background music by Sky Sports for a while.

Posted by: The Snake 9th February 2018, 06:53 PM

QUOTE(Doctor Blind @ Feb 8 2018, 06:18 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 9th February 2018, 07:01 PM

'If I Was' is still to come but it might not be that high.

Posted by: The Snake 9th February 2018, 07:11 PM

QUOTE(King Rollo @ Feb 9 2018, 07:01 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 9th February 2018, 07:14 PM

847. Where Do I Begin - The Chemical Brothers (1997)


Sunday morning I'm waking up
Can't even focus on a coffee cup

Featuring Beth Orton on vocals,this is one of the Chemical Brothers' more laid back tunes until it goes off in a different direction after five minutes with some strange mechanical sounds.

Posted by: King Rollo 9th February 2018, 07:31 PM

846. The Trip To Bountiful (When The Rain Comes Down) - The Adventures (1988)


Her heart is yearning for her home town
Still burning when the rain comes down

The Adventures were from Belfast and are best known for their only top 40 hit,'Broken Land' from a fine album called 'The Sea Of Love'. Also from that album is this track with Terry Sharpe on lead vocals and some beautiful backing vocals from Eileen Gribben.

Posted by: King Rollo 9th February 2018, 07:52 PM

845. Feelin' Good - Faithless featuring Dido (2010)


I want the view from the top of the hill

It's the 7 minute album track that I have chosen but this is the shorter single version. The whole video is also an ad for the Fiat Punto Evo and it occupied the whole of the advert break during an episode of Big Brother when it was first shown. After that,a 30 second clip was shown in other commercial breaks.

Posted by: King Rollo 10th February 2018, 07:21 PM

844. Byebyeland - Guillemots (2012)


This is a nine minute dreamy instrumental from the 'Hello Land!' album. In 2012,Guillemots were supposed to release four albums,one for each season. 'Hello Land!' was the Spring album but six years later,I am still waiting for the other three. Their website hasn't been updated since 2012 and there is nothing on their wiki page to indicate that they have split up.

Posted by: King Rollo 10th February 2018, 07:44 PM

843. Dust - Mr Mister (1987)


And when we leave,we leave our dust
We slap our clothes,we shake it off

Mr Mister are best known for 'Broken Wings' which is still to come. I bought the album it was from and the next one as well,from which this song comes. During the Vietnam War,many children were born with Vietnamese mothers and American fathers who they never got to meet. They were considered by the Vietnamese to be "lower than the dust".

Posted by: King Rollo 10th February 2018, 07:58 PM

842. Woman - Archive (1999)


And I never quite seem to understand
Why a woman never needs a man

Archive's second album 'Take My Head' has a different direction to their other ones. Most of the songs have a pop sound and they are all sung by a female singer,Suzanne Wooder. I like the 60s influence on this track with the string section.

Posted by: King Rollo 10th February 2018, 08:14 PM

841. The Plastic Age - Buggles (1980)


Hello doctor lift my face
I wish my skin could stand the pace

This was Buggles' follow up to their no.1 single,'Video Killed The Radio Star'. It got to no.16.

Posted by: King Rollo 11th February 2018, 06:32 PM

840. Walls - Yes (1994)


Another shout,another cry
And the walls come tumbling down

From the 'Talk' album,Trevor Rabin and Jon Anderson share the vocals on this one. They co-wrote the song with Roger Hodgson from Supertramp.

Posted by: King Rollo 11th February 2018, 06:49 PM

839. Sordid Affair - Royksopp (2014)


Clouding the truth,both of us knew
this sordid affair is ending in tears

With Ryan James on vocals,this is from Royksopp's most recent album 'The Inevitable End' which they say is their last. While they will continue to put out new music,it won't be as a full album.

Posted by: King Rollo 11th February 2018, 07:03 PM

838. Dick Around - Sparks (2006)


Tailored to the maximum,I send another fax to them
A parking place,a new Corvette,a manicure,a private jet

This is a very fast paced song with lots of lyrics. Its title led to it being banned by the BBC but I do remember them performing the song on the Jonathan Ross show when he was still on the BBC.

Posted by: King Rollo 11th February 2018, 07:19 PM

837. We Let The Stars Go - Prefab Sprout (1990)


Fan the embers long enough
I sometimes catch her flame

Produced by Thomas Dolby,'Jordan:The Comeback' is one of my favourite albums from the 90s. This is one of the two singles released from the album but it didn't quite make the top 40. Beautiful song though.

Posted by: The Snake 11th February 2018, 07:43 PM

I can see why Dick Around was banned, that title! Great tune though!

Posted by: King Rollo 12th February 2018, 07:22 PM

836. Stand Above Me - OMD (1993)


We always say we're happy
When you know it's never true

An infectious pop song,this was the first single from the 'Liberator' album,reaching number 21.

Posted by: King Rollo 12th February 2018, 07:36 PM

835. Backbeat - The Art Of Noise (1986)


From their second album 'In Visible Silence'. I like the combination of different sounds on this one. It samples the best known part of Le Freak by Chic.

Posted by: King Rollo 12th February 2018, 07:49 PM

834. People Are People - Depeche Mode (1984)


I never even met you
So what could I have done

A great piece of 80s synth pop,this gave Depeche Mode their highest chart position of no.4 which they have equalled twice more. It's one of Martin Gore's least favourite songs and hasn't been played live since 1988.

Posted by: King Rollo 12th February 2018, 08:04 PM

833. Nobody's Perfect - Mike + the Mechanics (1988)


There's no perfect reason
And no perfect rhyme

The production sounds a bit dated but this has a great chorus and lead vocal. Mike Rutherford co-wrote the song with B A Robertson who had some hit singles of his own in the late 70s.

Posted by: King Rollo 13th February 2018, 06:51 PM

832. The Lady Who Said She Could Fly - The Idle Race (1968)


When she was a girl she would jump rather high
Then she fell in love with the air and the sky

The Idle Race were Jeff Lynne's first group. With Jeff as their singer and main songwriter they released two albums and some singles. Despite the support of John Peel and Kenny Everett on Radio 1 and admiration from The Beatles,they never quite made it. This song is from their first album,'The Birthday Party'. It's a beautiful Beatles influenced ballad and at just 2 minutes and 18 seconds long is the shortest song on my chart. Jeff Lynne left the group in 1970,frustrated at their lack of success,to join The Move. The Idle Race soldiered on and eventually turned into The Steve Gibbons Band who got to no.12 in 1977 with 'Tulane'. They were formed in 1959 as Billy King and the Nightriders. The Steve Gibbons Band are still going so if you count name changes,I am putting this group forward as the UK's longest running pop/rock group unless someone on here can think of a group that has been going longer.

Posted by: King Rollo 13th February 2018, 07:10 PM

831. Party Fears Two - The Associates (1982)


I'll have a shower
And then phone my brother up
Within the hour
I'll smash another cup

I think anyone who likes 80s music would put this somewhere on a list of favourite songs. It has its own unique sound.

Posted by: King Rollo 13th February 2018, 07:27 PM

830. Cloud Nine - Onetwo (2007)


Don't ask for tomorrow
Just carry on with now

Onetwo were Claudia Brucken from Propaganda and Paul Humphreys from OMD. They were a couple for a while but have since split up. This song was originally recorded by Propaganda for a comeback album that was never released. It features Martin Gore on guitar.

Posted by: King Rollo 13th February 2018, 07:43 PM

829. Trap The Spark - Marillion (2008)


Photograph a feeling
Pin the cloud to the sky
Trap the spark and hold it
You can try

Another beautiful song from Marillion. This one is from their album 'Happiness Is The Road' which was originally intended to be a single album but they wrote so much music it was turned into a double album. 'Trap The Spark' is part of Volume 1:Essence.

Posted by: King Rollo 14th February 2018, 06:19 PM

828. Hand In Hand - Phil Collins (1981)


From his first solo album 'Face Value',this is an instrumental featuring the Phenix Horns who were Earth Wind & Fire's back up band and the addition of a children's choir.

Posted by: King Rollo 14th February 2018, 06:33 PM

827. Mercy In You - Depeche Mode (1993)


I would do it all again
Lose my way and fall again

The first Depeche Mode song in my chart from the 90s which is when I think they were at their creative peak. This is from 'Songs Of Faith And Devotion'.

Posted by: King Rollo 14th February 2018, 06:49 PM

826. She Has No Time - Keane (2004)


You think your days are uneventful
And no one ever thinks about you

From their debut album 'Hopes And Fears',this song was actually written in 1999. Tom Chaplin's vocals on this are stunning,reaching all those high notes.

Posted by: King Rollo 14th February 2018, 07:11 PM

825. Cry Little Sister (I Need U Now) - Lost Brothers featuring G Tom Mac (2003)


Love is with your brother (Thou Shall Not Kill)

The second song today to feature a children's choir. Cry Little Sister is from the soundtrack to the 1987 film 'The Lost Boys'. This is a remix with a 21st Century sound to it. I've never heard the original version before so I've listened to it just now. Very good as well.

Posted by: The Snake 14th February 2018, 08:20 PM

I like People are People, the production is interesting and ahead of its time in it (some of the industrial sounding beats/synths in it do remind me a bit of the style of parts of Doctorin' The House by Coldcut/Yazz/Plastic Popualtion in 1988) and a bit dancey too (albeit not as dancey sounding as their next single Master And Servant though)! Pity Martin Gore doesn't like it.

That Cry Little Sister remix is fabulous, excellent euphoric trance tune!

Posted by: King Rollo 15th February 2018, 08:08 PM

824. Baal's Hymn - David Bowie (1982)


Lots of strength is needed and experience too
Swollen bellies can embarrass you

This is not one of David Bowie's more well known songs. It was the lead track from the Baal EP which got to number 29 on the singles chart at the same time as Bertolt Brecht's Baal play was shown on the BBC starring Bowie. There are only orchestral instruments on this song and Bowie's vocals are very theatrical.

Posted by: King Rollo 15th February 2018, 08:41 PM

823. Temptation - New Order (1982)


Oh,you've got green eyes
Oh,you've got blue eyes
Oh,you've got grey eyes
And I've never seen anyone quite like you before

This also reached number 29,two months after 'Baal's Hymn'. It's the nine minute 12" version. I like the guitars and relentless drums on this. It was re-recorded for the 'Substance' singles collection in 1987 but the original is much better.

Posted by: King Rollo 15th February 2018, 08:59 PM

822. No Regrets - Robbie Williams (1998)


I know from the outside we looked good for each other
Felt things were going wrong when you didn't like my mother

I don't really like Robbie Williams or his music but this song goes into my chart because it's so good. It's about his breakup with Nicole Appleton from All Saints and features backing vocals from Neil Tennant and Neil Hannon. I like the epic scale of the song and the video.

Posted by: King Rollo 15th February 2018, 09:18 PM

821. Black Milk - Massive Attack (1998)


You're not my eater
I'm not your food

From their best album 'Mezzanine',this has a sultry late night sound to it. It features vocals from Elizabeth Fraser from the Cocteau Twins. Manfred Mann sued the group for an unauthorised sample in this song from his 1972 song 'Tribute'.

Posted by: King Rollo 16th February 2018, 06:58 PM

820. City - JJ72 (2002)


Somebody take me away from this city
I'm getting lost,lost in this city of lights

The second song in my chart from JJ72's album 'I To Sky'. A great vocal from Mark Greaney with the piano and guitars also prominent and a very good home made video on youtube for it.

Posted by: King Rollo 16th February 2018, 07:13 PM

819. Memory Of The Future - Pet Shop Boys (2012)


It's taking me all of my life to find you

From the 'Elysium' album,I like the use of brass instruments and it has a great chorus. A slightly different mix was released as a single but the album version is better.

Posted by: King Rollo 16th February 2018, 07:31 PM

818. Play The Game - Queen (1980)


When you're feelin' down and your resistance is low
Light another cigarette and let yourself go

Queen made a point of putting "no synths" on their record sleeves in the 70s but they relented in 1980 and this single includes a synthesiser. Freddie Mercury wrote the song and the video marks the debut of his moustache.

Posted by: King Rollo 16th February 2018, 07:45 PM

817. Nylon Strung - Underworld (2016)


From their most recent album 'Barbara Barbara,we face a shining future'. This is one of their more chilled out tunes. The full version is seven minutes long. This is the shorter single version.

Posted by: Chez Wombat 16th February 2018, 07:50 PM

QUOTE(King Rollo @ Feb 14 2018, 06:49 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 17th February 2018, 07:19 PM

816. The Safety Dance - Men Without Hats (1983)


We can go where we want to
The night is young and so am I

A one hit wonder from Canada. The band's lead singer,Ivan Doroschuk,was inspired to write the song after he was chucked out of a club for dancing in a way that would people around him in danger.

Posted by: King Rollo 17th February 2018, 07:39 PM

815. Tongues - Fish (1991)


As we move to a stalemate,
You say a contract's a contract
and this is unnegotiable,
I question your morality,you question my reality

From Fish's second solo album 'Internal Exile'. His first one and his albums with Marillion were all with EMI,the label he had just left. The lyrics to this song would appear to be directed at EMI.

Posted by: The Snake 17th February 2018, 07:45 PM

The story behind the inspiration for writing The Safety Dance is an interesting one!

Great song, some baroque medieval music influence in the instrumental which I like!

Posted by: King Rollo 17th February 2018, 07:58 PM

814. Last Train To London - Electric Light Orchestra (1979)


But I really want tonight to last forever
I really wanna be with you
Let the music play on down the line tonight

A great straightforward pop song written by Jeff Lynne. It was part of a double A side with 'Confusion'. In 2002,Atomic Kitten's version got as high as no.2,again as part of a double A side single. They changed the melody of the verses and the title of the song to 'Be With You'.

Posted by: King Rollo 17th February 2018, 08:13 PM

813. Revolutions - Jean-Michel Jarre (1988)


From the album of the same name which was the first album by him to use many non electronic instruments. I like the Middle Eastern influence on this one.

Posted by: King Rollo 18th February 2018, 06:19 PM

812. Some People - Cliff Richard (1987)


Some people they hurt one another
They love to see
Hurt in the other one's eyes
Well I'm not like that at all

You might be surprised to see Sir Cliff Richard appear in my chart but this is a very good song. It got to number 3.

Posted by: King Rollo 18th February 2018, 06:39 PM

811. Daydreaming - Radiohead (2016)


And it's too late
The damage is done

From 'A Moon Shaped Pool',the piano bit on this is quite simple but so beautiful and the video is captivating.

Posted by: King Rollo 18th February 2018, 06:58 PM

810. SOS - ABC (1983)


With all the power that I possess
Let's match their money with our own finesse

ABC followed up their hugely successful debut album 'The Lexicon Of Love' with the much rockier 'Beauty Stab' which was not widely accepted but it's an album I've always thought has been underrated. From it is this smooth ballad. Frankie Goes To Hollywood were in the studio next door and they were brought in to add to the backing vocals from 3.20 to 4.00.

Posted by: King Rollo 18th February 2018, 07:12 PM

809. Science/Visions - Chvrches (2013)


Breathe
Don't speak
It's leaving your body now

From their debut album 'The Bones Of What You Believe', I like Lauren Mayberry's powerful vocal on this one.

Posted by: King Rollo 19th February 2018, 06:58 PM

808. Love Like Blood - Killing Joke (1985)


So cut the rose in full bloom
Till the fearless come and the act is done

Killing Joke have been going for 40 years now and this is their best known song and highest charting single,reaching number 16.

Posted by: King Rollo 19th February 2018, 07:20 PM

807. Uncertain Weather - Genesis (1997)


A sinner,a saint,a soldier
Caught up in a war
He never had a chance to start or build a life

With Phil Collins gone,the Genesis album 'Calling All Stations' featured a new lead singer,Ray Wilson,who already had a no.1 single with Stiltskin in 1994 called 'Inside'. His vocals on this song are effortless and technically he's probably a better singer than either Peter Gabriel or Phil Collins. It's a pity Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford decided not to make any more albums with Wilson as the singer.

Posted by: King Rollo 19th February 2018, 07:36 PM

806. Break It Down Again - Tears For Fears (1993)


It's in the way you're always hiding from the light
Fast off to Heaven just like Moses on a motorbike

By 1993,Tears For Fears were down to just Roland Orzabal. 'Break It Down Again' was their final top 20 single.

Posted by: King Rollo 19th February 2018, 07:52 PM

805. Moving - Supergrass (1999)


I've been moving so long
The days all feel the same

A great Britpop song from the end of the 90s. I like the use of the organ on this one and the tempo changes. There won't be a huge amount of Britpop on my chart,it's not a genre that I was a huge fan of,but 'Moving' certainly deserves to be included.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 19th February 2018, 08:20 PM

Associates is an utter classic, and features in my top 850 too. Amazingly the brilliant No Regrets doesn't, even with Pet Shop Boys (I under-rated it), and the other PSB track is also one that won't feature! Last Train To London DOES feature but largely thanks to the other side Confusion which I adore. LTTL is pretty good too though. ELO were second only to Abba in the mid/late 70's for me....

Tears For Fears, Supergrass, ABC, the fab Cliff track (he had plenty of great singles in the 80's, and none of them made my 850, though he does have 60's and 70's tracks in my list), all worth knowing. I dont know the Idle Race & Claudia Brucken tracks (I also didnt know she and Paul Humphries were a thing!)

Posted by: King Rollo 19th February 2018, 08:48 PM

Thanks for those comments. I agree that Confusion is the better half of that double A side and it will be quite high up my chart.

Posted by: King Rollo 20th February 2018, 06:54 PM

804. The Man's Too Strong - Dire Straits (1985)


I have legalized robbery
And called it relief
I have run with the money
I have hid like a thief

Taken from 'Brothers In Arms' which is still in the top 10 best selling albums in the UK list at number 8. There was no escaping this album in 1985 and although this track wasn't released as a single,it's one of the best songs from it.

Posted by: King Rollo 20th February 2018, 07:16 PM

803. The Village - New Order (1983)


Oh,our love is like the earth
The sun and the trees and the birth

From New Order's second album 'Power,Corruption & Lies' which,like many of their albums,didn't have the title or the name of the group on its cover leading many record stores to add a sticker to it to show what it was. Some of them also put a sticker on saying "does not contain Blue Monday" as people might have expected it to be on there but New Order at this time didn't include singles on their albums. 'The Village' combines the synths and the guitars very nicely.

Posted by: King Rollo 20th February 2018, 07:39 PM

802. Butterflies & Hurricanes - Muse (2003)


Your number has been called
Fights and battles have begun

Despite being the sixth single to be released from 'Absolution',this still got to no.14. I suppose you could call this symphonic rock,I like the way it slows down to a standstill in the middle. Apparently,a butterfly flapping its wings can cause a chain reaction which can lead to a hurricane.

Posted by: King Rollo 20th February 2018, 08:02 PM

801. Turn Of The Century - Yes (1977)


As autumn calls we'll both remember
All those many years ago

From their no.1 album 'Going For The One',Yes were at the peak of their popularity and this is a timeless classic starting with Steve Howe's acoustic guitar,then Rick Wakeman's piano and finally electric guitars and keyboards while all the way thorough you have Jon Anderson's wonderful vocals.

Posted by: The Snake 20th February 2018, 09:57 PM

Turn Of The Century is a beautiful song!

Posted by: King Rollo 20th February 2018, 10:21 PM

I'm glad you like it.

Posted by: King Rollo 21st February 2018, 06:34 PM

800. Moonlight Shadow - Mike Oldfield (1983)


He was shot six times by a man on the run
And she couldn't find how to push through

Featuring some great vocals from Maggie Reilly,this got to no.1 in many European countries but only no.4 in the UK.

Posted by: King Rollo 21st February 2018, 06:50 PM

799. Walk Out To Winter - Aztec Camera (1983)


Walk out to winter,swear I'll be there
Chill will wake you,high and dry
You'll wonder why

This was out at the same time as Moonlight Shadow. Both songs remind me of the summer of 1983 which was a hot one. Despite being played on Radio 1 a lot,this only reached no.64. It should have been a much bigger hit.

Posted by: King Rollo 21st February 2018, 07:13 PM

798. Something - The Move (1968)


Suddenly it's there in your eyes
Suddenly you can recognise
That something,that certain something

I took an interest in the music of The Move in the early 80s,after I discovered that they were the group that transformed into ELO. I bought their best of album which included this song. It was the B side of their no.1 single 'Blackberry Way' and was written by Dave Morgan who has already appeared in my chart at no.911 as part of Tandy & Morgan. He wasn't in The Move but wrote a couple of their songs. Lead vocals on this one are by Carl Wayne. For a B side,this is quite a big production with all the orchestral instruments.

Posted by: King Rollo 21st February 2018, 07:46 PM

797. Killer's Lullaby - Faithless (1998)


And so I make all the movement I can to no avail
Scream and yell,sinkin' deeper into my personal hell

This is not on youtube or anywhere else I've looked. It's from their album 'Sunday 8PM' which is my favourite album by them. It consists of a rap by Maxi Jazz and a great backing track which develops as the song goes on.

Posted by: The Snake 21st February 2018, 07:54 PM

QUOTE(King Rollo @ Feb 20 2018, 10:21 PM)

I'm glad you like it.

Posted by: King Rollo 22nd February 2018, 06:58 PM

796. I Don't Remember - Peter Gabriel (1980)


Stop staring at me like a bird of prey
I'm all mixed up,I got nothing to say

This is from Peter Gabriel's excellent third album. None of his first four albums had titles so this one is often referred to as 'Melt' as the cover had a picture of Peter's face melting.

Posted by: King Rollo 22nd February 2018, 07:12 PM

795. Halo - Depeche Mode (1990)


And when our worlds they fall apart
When the walls come tumbling in
Though we may deserve it
It will be worth it

From the 'Violator' album,I like the production all the way through this. I haven't seen the video before,it wasn't a single.

Posted by: King Rollo 22nd February 2018, 07:35 PM

794. Made In Heaven - Freddie Mercury (1985)


I'm playing my role in history,looking to find my goal
Taking in all this misery,but giving it all my soul

From Freddie's solo album 'Mr Bad Guy',this only got to number 57 as a single even though it was out at the same time as the Live Aid concert in which he performed so memorably with Queen. His vocals on this song are fantastic. It was re-recorded by Queen ten years later using the same vocal track for the posthumous 'Made In Heaven' album when they didn't have enough original songs to fill the album.

Posted by: King Rollo 22nd February 2018, 08:01 PM

793. I Want You - Sophie B Hawkins (1992)


Well,I return to the Queen of Spades
And talk with my chambermaid
She knows that I'm not afraid
To look at her

Another single to just miss the top 40,this got to number 49. It was only recently I discovered it's a cover version of a Bob Dylan song from 1966 which reached number 16. She certainly makes it her own as Louis Walsh might say.

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd February 2018, 06:59 PM

792. Electricity - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (1979)


All we need to live today
A gift for man to throw away

OMD's debut single. Although this was never a hit single,it can now be regarded as one of the pioneering synthpop songs. It's noteworthy that the synth break is where the chorus would normally be.

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd February 2018, 07:19 PM

791. Looking For The Perfect Beat - Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force (1983)


On your radio,you hear perfect beats playing
If it makes you satisfied,just get a pony and ride

Back in the 80s,hip hop was new and exciting instead of the tired and boring genre it has become in the last twenty years. Like their previous single.'Planet Rock',this track was hugely influential and years ahead of its time. It was produced by Arthur Baker who also produced New Order's 'Confusion' which was at number 895 in my chart.

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd February 2018, 07:42 PM

790. Something In The Air - Thunderclap Newman (1969)


We've got to get together sooner or later
Because the revolution's here,and you know it's right

This was no.1 for three weeks but the group had no other top 40 hits. The highlight is the instrumental break from 1.57 to 3.05. The song was produced by Pete Townsend who also played bass.

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd February 2018, 07:58 PM

789. Wouldn't It Be Good - Nik Kershaw (1984)


Wouldn't it be good to be on your side
The grass is always greener over there
Wouldn't it be good if we could live without a care

Having failed with the first release of 'I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me',this was Nik's first hit single,reaching no.4. It's probably his best known song.

Posted by: King Rollo 24th February 2018, 07:48 PM

788. Walk In Fire - Doves (2005)


Is there nothing you'd not do
With a drink inside you

From their no.1 album 'Some Cities',I like the multi layered guitars and drums on this one. It sounds a bit like their biggest hit 'There Goes The Fear' but it's still a great song.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 24th February 2018, 08:02 PM

I don't know that Move B side (speaking as a Roy Wood fan, oops!), but like Aztec Camera, a sweet one that, Nik Kershaw's best record, OMD recently charted for me for the first time (though I knew it at the time), and Sophie B Hawkins can do no wrong.

Thunderclap Newman is a perfect creation and will be appearing in my rundown - it's also the 3rd single I ever bought with my pocket money...

Ditto Moonlight Shadow, a great pop single...

Posted by: King Rollo 24th February 2018, 08:07 PM

787. Shadows Of Love - Wax (1986)


She said the night's full of shadows
And shadows aren't real

Wax were Graham Gouldman from 10cc and Andrew Gold who had three solo top 20 singles in the late 70s. This is from their first album 'Magnetic Heaven'. It's a straightforward pop song with a catchy chorus.

Posted by: King Rollo 24th February 2018, 08:31 PM

786. Whole New World - It Bites (1986)


A sudden lonely desperate feeling loomed around my head
She told me of her new friend and how they planned to wed

It Bites are best known for their top 10 hit 'Calling All The Heroes' which,as good as it is,failed to make my chart. Instead I prefer the follow up single which only got to no.54. I like the brass section on this one. It Bites are still going and are now more of a prog rock band. As I like a bit of prog,I should really get round to listening to their most recent album some time.

Posted by: King Rollo 24th February 2018, 09:03 PM

785. Video - Jeff Lynne (1984)


I see that rock'n'roll and all those old time movies
They beam across the sky together in electric dreams

One of two songs that Jeff Lynne contributed to the soundtrack to 'Electric Dreams'. It was released as a single but didn't chart. It should have been a big hit,it's a light,catchy pop song. Instead,the big hit single from the film was 'Together In Electric Dreams' by Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder which is another song that narrowly failed to make my chart.

Posted by: The Snake 24th February 2018, 09:13 PM

Electricity is amazing! Should have been a hit. With its use of the electronic hat hat cymbal beat (used in a lot of dance music) it sounds ahead of its time!

More familiar with Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force's Planet Rock, which was certainly an influential sounding song both for dance music and hip hop.

Posted by: King Rollo 25th February 2018, 07:12 PM

784. Since I Left You - The Avalanches (2000)


Since I left you
I found the world so new
Everyday

This always makes me feel good when I hear it. It's made up of many samples,the main one being 'Everyday' by Main Attraction from 1967. The video won the best video award at the 2001 MTV Europe Music Awards. The other top 20 hit they had,'Frontier Psychiatrist',which also has a brilliant video,was one of the 42 songs I had to leave out of my top 1000 when I chose too many.

Posted by: King Rollo 25th February 2018, 07:35 PM

783. Will You Stay Tonight - The Comsat Angels (1983)


Seconds turn to minutes
And the minutes turn to hours
How the time slips away

I suppose this could be described as being halfway between indie and pop. It's another 80s single not to make the top 40. I seem to be on a run of those in the last few days. The Comsat Angels were from Sheffield,this is the only song by them that I know.

Posted by: King Rollo 25th February 2018, 08:01 PM

782. The Invisible Man - Queen (1989)


Incredible how you can see right through me

The good thing about Queen having four songwriters is they can cover several different styles of music. This one was written by Roger Taylor. I like John Deacon's funky bass line. The four band members are all mentioned in the lyrics. Danniella Westbrook,who was then 15 years old,appears in the video.

Posted by: King Rollo 25th February 2018, 08:22 PM

781. Run - Snow Patrol (2003)


Light up,light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear

And now one you will all know. An anthemic guitar ballad. Leona Lewis did a decent cover version but the original is undoubtedly the best.

Posted by: King Rollo 26th February 2018, 06:56 PM

780. This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us - Sparks (1974)


You hear the thunder of stampeding rhinos
Elephants and tacky tigers

Sparks' best known song. It was held off the top of the top of the chart by the Rubettes' 'Sugar Baby Love'. The gunshot sounds were added at the last minute after they felt that the track was missing something.

Posted by: King Rollo 26th February 2018, 07:16 PM

779. The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore - The Walker Brothers (1966)


Loneliness is a cloak you wear
The dark shade of blue is always there

This was no.1 for four weeks. I like the typical late 60s production which includes a tambourine,tubular bells and a choir. It's actually a cover version of a song first recorded by Frankie Valli.

Posted by: King Rollo 26th February 2018, 07:43 PM

778. Once In A Lifetime - Talking Heads (1980)


You may ask yourself,what is that beautiful house?
You may ask yourself,where does that highway lead to?

Produced by Brian Eno,while this got to no.14 in the UK,it didn't make the top 100 in Talking Heads' native USA at all. It's one of those songs that is appreciated more now than it was at the time.

Posted by: King Rollo 26th February 2018, 08:06 PM

777. Street Spirit (Fade Out) - Radiohead (1995)


Rows of houses all bearing down on me
I can feel their blue hands touching me

The fifth single to be released from Radiohead's second album 'The Bends',this gave them their first top 5 single.

Posted by: King Rollo 27th February 2018, 06:03 PM

776. Mr Tugboat Hello - Sophie B Hawkins (1994)


Murder is vile and death is sweet
I have to smile at my defeat

A quirky song from the 'Whaler' album. Produced by Steve Lipson,the highlight is the two and a half minute coda which also closes the album.

Posted by: King Rollo 27th February 2018, 06:28 PM

775. The Silent Sun - Genesis (1968)


When snowflakes heal the ugly ground
Your beauty hides the joy I've found

I was wrong when I said the Idle Race song was the shortest on my chart. I forgot about this one which is only 2 minutes and 12 seconds long. I'm pretty certain that this won't be beaten. Before they turned to prog rock,Genesis wrote short songs to try to get a hit and this was their first single. It was produced by Jonathan King with the orchestral arrangements done by the splendidly named Arthur Greenslade. The song was included on their debut album 'From Genesis To Revelation' the following year.

Posted by: The Snake 27th February 2018, 06:40 PM

This town Ain't big Enough For The Both Of Us, is imo, one of the best songs of the 70s, completely different!

Once In A Lifetime is great too, my favourite of Talking Heads' singles that I have heard.

Posted by: King Rollo 27th February 2018, 06:44 PM

Yes Snake,both of them are classics.

Posted by: King Rollo 27th February 2018, 06:54 PM

774. Both Sides Of The Story - Phil Collins (1993)


Here we are all gathered in what seems to be the centre of the storm
Neighbours once friendly now stand each side of the line that has been drawn

Phil Collins has endured quite a lot of flak over the years for his ballads but he has also written some fine songs like this one. It's from his fifth solo album 'Both Sides' which really was a solo album as he played every single instrument on it.

Posted by: King Rollo 27th February 2018, 07:17 PM

773. It Will Be A Good Day (The River) - Yes (1999)


Sometimes I forget
How mighty this Earth
Astounding winter skies
Truth is in birth

Jon Anderson's lyrics are always so positive. This is the second song on my chart from 'The Ladder',an album tinged with sadness. When the producer Bruce Fairbairn failed to turn up to the studio one day and didn't answer his calls,Anderson and someone else went round and broke into his apartment and found him dead in his bed.

Posted by: King Rollo 28th February 2018, 07:04 PM

772. O Superman - Laurie Anderson (1981)


This is the hand,the hand that takes
Here come the planes
They're American planes
Made in America
Smoking or non smoking?

When it came out,I found this song to be very annoying with the constant "Ha,ha,ha,ha" running through it. Over the years,I have come to appreciate it as a work of genius. It reached no.2,making it surely the most unlikely piece of music ever to get that high in the chart. I see that the single that prevented it from the no.1 spot is coming up in my countdown today. Laurie Anderson performed the song in New York a week after 9/11,giving a new meaning to some of the lyrics. This is the full eight minute version.

Posted by: King Rollo 28th February 2018, 07:22 PM

771. I Believe - Tears For Fears (1985)


I believe that if you knew just what these tears were for
They would just pour like every drop of rain

A sparse ballad from Tears For Fears excellent second album 'Songs From The Big Chair'.

Posted by: King Rollo 28th February 2018, 07:46 PM

770. It's My Party - Dave Stewart with Barbara Gaskin (1981)


Judy and Johnny just walked thru' the door
Like a queen with her king
Oh,what a birthday surprise
Judy's wearing his ring

So this is the single that prevented 'O Superman' from reaching no.1 in the first of its four weeks at the top of the chart. I like the intro and the production all the way through. In the video,the role of Johnny is played by Thomas Dolby. This was before his first hit single so very few watching on Top Of The Pops would have recognised him. 'It's My Party' was first recorded by The Chiffons in 1962 but the best known version is by Lesley Gore,a US no.1 the following year.

Posted by: King Rollo 28th February 2018, 08:10 PM

769. Oh Patti (Don't Feel Sorry For Loverboy) - Scritti Politti (1988)


Don't feel sorry for loverboy
He wants the world to love him
Then he goes and spoils it all for love

A top 20 hit for the Leeds group and it has to be the extended version chosen here to fully appreciate Miles Davis' trumpet solo and the backing vocals.

Posted by: King Rollo 1st March 2018, 06:41 PM

768. I'm Alive - Electric Light Orchestra (1980)


Is this really me

Xanadu is regarded as one of the worst movies ever but the soundtrack album was much better received with two singles,'Xanadu' and 'Magic',reaching no.1 in the UK and the US respectively. 'I'm Alive' just scraped into the top 20. The morse code at the end of the song spells out ELO.

Posted by: King Rollo 1st March 2018, 06:54 PM

767. Coma - Bourgeois Tagg (1987)


Hey and what's all this stuff about moderation?
If the spaceship's there I'm gonna fly it

Their hit single 'I Don't Mind At All' has already appeared at no.897 in my chart. I liked that song so much at the time,I bought the album and found this track on it which is even better.

Posted by: King Rollo 1st March 2018, 07:20 PM

766. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - The Righteous Brothers (1964)


You never close your eyes any more
When I kiss your lips

This is the oldest song on my countdown,from a time when singers wore bow ties. I love Phil Spector's brilliant wall of sound production. The Righteous Brothers original version ended up in a battle with Cilla Black's cover version to reach no.1 in the UK,a battle that they won after being sent over here to perform the song on different TV programmes.

Posted by: King Rollo 1st March 2018, 07:37 PM

765. Some Riot - Elbow (2008)


A friend of mine grows his very own brambles
They twist all around him till he can't move

From 'The Seldom Seen Kid' album which won the Mercury Prize. Like many of their songs,it's about Northern working class people. I like the tinkly piano sound on this one.

Posted by: King Rollo 2nd March 2018, 06:59 PM

764. All That Glitters - OMD (1991)


All your friends are here tonight
Never ones to miss a fight

A sumptuous ballad from the 'Sugar Tax' album.

Posted by: King Rollo 2nd March 2018, 07:24 PM

763. Zoolook - Jean Michel Jarre (1984)


From the album of the same name,the first one where he used human voices as well as musical instruments. It sounds like he was using the same samplers as the Art Of Noise.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 2nd March 2018, 08:00 PM

some goodies in the latest batch, It's My Party, O Superman and the fabulous-but-underated (by me) Once In A Lifetime - it only made my top 10 and should have topped my chart. Some serious huge classics too which will feature much higher in my ratings, Sparks, Righteous Brothers, Walker Brothers...

Posted by: King Rollo 2nd March 2018, 09:38 PM

762. Father,Son - Peter Gabriel (2000)


I could hold back the tide
With my dad by my side

Peter Gabriel's song about his father. The lyrics are quite moving and I like the brass band accompaniment as well as the piano. His dad died in 2012 at the age of 100.

Posted by: King Rollo 2nd March 2018, 09:51 PM

761. The Ice Maiden - Prefab Sprout (1990)


Arctic winds blow and still you believe
Love makes you one of the chosen
Die in the snow,I'll never grieve
So what if tomorrow you're frozen

Another wonderful track from 'Jordan:The Comeback'.

Posted by: King Rollo 3rd March 2018, 08:00 PM

760. For Your Own Good - Pet Shop Boys (1999)


When you need a lover
And it's so cold outside
I could help you recover
From the pain that you hide

From their seventh album 'Nightlife',the trance sound on this track can be explained by it being co-produced by Rollo from Faithless. I think this would have been a good choice for a single.

Posted by: King Rollo 3rd March 2018, 08:14 PM

759. Crazy - Icehouse (1987)


I've got a pocket full of holes
Head in the clouds the king of fools

Icehouse are an Australian band who are still going. This softrock song with a storming chorus just crept into the top 40 at number 38.

Posted by: King Rollo 3rd March 2018, 08:37 PM

758. Art For Art's Sake - 10cc (1975)


Keep me in exile the rest of my days
Burn me in hell but as long as it pays

A top 5 single from the 'How Dare You' album,written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman. The song was inspired by one of Graham's father's sayings,"art for art's sake,money for God's sake".

Posted by: King Rollo 3rd March 2018, 08:58 PM

757. Up The Junction - Squeeze (1979)


We moved into a basement
With thoughts of our engagement
We stayed in by the telly
Although the room was smelly

This got to number 2,kept off the top of the chart by 'Are Friends Electric'. The song structure is quite unusual in that there are seven verses but no chorus. It's all about the lyrics. The video was filmed in the kіtchen of John Lennon's old house,the same house used for his 'Imagine' video.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 3rd March 2018, 09:45 PM

ooh 4 gems in a row there and none of them in my rundown sadly, Pet Shop Boys should def have been a single it was better than at least 2 of the actual singles off the album and peaked at 2 in my chart. Icehouse were always under-rated and Crazy was fab, 10CC were one my iconic bands of the 70's didnt put a foot wrong - till they split (boo hiss!). Art For Art's Sake was near the end of their golden period. Squeeze's 2nd finest moment (after Take Me I'm Yours) was Up The Junction, beautifully poignant, still going still fab in concert, always classy - and not in my rundown at all! Doh! 10CC are, with many other tracks.

Posted by: King Rollo 3rd March 2018, 10:02 PM

I would put 'Take Me I'm Yours' just behind 'Up The Junction' so we have the same Squeeze top 2,just in a different order.

Posted by: King Rollo 4th March 2018, 07:02 PM

756. Lie - Ultravox (2012)


In God's name you start your holy war
Who's it for?

The second song in my chart from Ultravox's comeback album 'Brilliant'. I don't know if it was deliberate,but all twelve tracks on the album have one word titles.

Posted by: The Snow ❄️ 4th March 2018, 07:07 PM

Oh and we are just discussing Ultravox in the 'Favourite type of Midge thread', what a coincidence they pop up here now in your countdown. This one 'Lie' sounds great on first hearing it! I think I like "The Voice" and "Love's Great Adventure" the best from them.

Posted by: King Rollo 4th March 2018, 07:13 PM

I'll have a look at that later. One of those two songs will be further up my chart.

Posted by: King Rollo 4th March 2018, 07:20 PM

755. Shudder/King Of Snake - Underworld (1999)


Time for some 90s rave music now. This is from Underworld's fine album 'Beaucoup Fish'. A shorter version was a top 20 single but the full nine minute track is better.

Posted by: The Snow ❄️ 4th March 2018, 07:24 PM

Art For Art's Sake by 10CC is also a very good song! I assume 'I'm Not In Love' will be quite a bit higher in your countdown, and perhaps the later Godley and Creme songs 'Under Your Thumb' and 'Cry' are still to come in this countdown?

Posted by: King Rollo 4th March 2018, 07:35 PM

Yes,three very good songs. All of them will be here somewhere.

Posted by: King Rollo 4th March 2018, 07:44 PM

754. We're All Alone - Rita Coolidge (1977)


Once a story's told
It can't help but grow old

I remember this song from when it was out but I didn't appreciate how good it was until I heard it on the TOTP repeats on BBC4. A beautiful song which she sings so well. The original version was recorded by its writer,Boz Scaggs,the year before.

Posted by: King Rollo 4th March 2018, 08:04 PM

753. All I Need Is A Miracle - Mike & the Mechanics (1985)


If I ever catch up with you
I'm gonna love you for the rest of your life

This only got to no.53 but it was a huge hit in the US,reaching no.5. It does have that American AOR sound to it so not a big surprise. A remixed version got to no.27 in the UK in 1996.

Posted by: King Rollo 5th March 2018, 06:58 PM

752. Heaven Give Me Words - Propaganda (1990)


Take these words they come out wrong

There will be songs to come from Propaganda's brilliant first album. By the time their second album '1234' was released,only Michael Mertens remained from the all German line-up. Two former members of Simple Minds joined and the new singer was Betsi Miller. This is a great pop song which managed to get to number 36,their third and final top 40 hit. It was co-written with Howard Jones.

Posted by: King Rollo 5th March 2018, 07:13 PM

751. Singularity - New Order (2015)


We're players on a stage
With roles already scripted

The second song in my chart from New Order's most recent album. This one is much closer to their 80s electronic sound but at the same time sounds contemporary.

Posted by: King Rollo 5th March 2018, 07:39 PM

750. Whisper In The Night - Electric Light Orchestra (1971)


Face the midnight sun
You have something to live for

From their first album. ELO were formed as a trio of Jeff Lynne,Roy Wood and Bev Bevan so all the cellos and other orchestral instruments on this song were played by Roy and Jeff without any classical training. 'Whisper In The Night' was written and sung by Roy Wood and is certainly his best contribution from his short time in the group. Singles were still being released as The Move with 'California Man' reaching the top 10 in 1972 to help pay for the recording of the first and second ELO albums.

Posted by: King Rollo 5th March 2018, 07:59 PM

749. Slainte Mhath - Marillion (1987)


Shuffling your memories,dealing your doodles in margins
You scrawl out your poems across a beermat or two

The first Marillion song in my chart from when Fish was the lead singer. The main difference is the lyrics get more poetic. This is from 'Clutching At Straws', a concept album about an alcoholic character called Torch.

Posted by: Doctor Blind 6th March 2018, 09:43 AM

QUOTE(King Rollo @ Mar 5 2018, 06:58 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 6th March 2018, 07:33 PM

748. Press - Paul McCartney (1986)


My body needs attention,my mind is in a mess
Oklahoma was never like this

This is a sprightly pop song. It got to number 25 but maybe should have been a bigger hit.

Posted by: King Rollo 6th March 2018, 08:05 PM

747. The Lamia - Genesis (1974)


With the first drop of my blood in their veins
Their faces are convulsed in mortal pains

Taken from the ambitious double concept album 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway' which was the story of a young Puerto Rican called Rael living in New York. The Lamia were three female half human/half snake creatures who die after drinking his blood. Only in the 70s were groups allowed the freedom to indulge their ideas in this way. The keyboards,guitars and drums are all fantastic here and while the lyrics are all Peter Gabriel's,this is a team effort.

Posted by: King Rollo 6th March 2018, 08:30 PM

746. Bring It Back - Marcel Woods featuring Vanbot (2013)


There's no escape from this
I guess it's too late to bring it back

This is the first of four songs in my chart that I have discovered through Buzzjack. I came across it while reviewing each BJSC winner. I see I only ranked it in 10th place in my final table but it's grown on me more since then. As I said in my review,it's an energetic dance tune with big,swirly flourishes.

Posted by: King Rollo 6th March 2018, 08:57 PM

745. It's A Hard Life - Queen (1984)


This is a tricky situation
I've only got myself to blame

From Queen's album 'The Works' which is probably my favourite album by them. The song was written by Freddie Mercury. The other three members were not very happy with the ridiculous costumes they were made to wear for the video.

Posted by: King Rollo 7th March 2018, 06:53 PM

744. Don't Come Around Here No More - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1985)


I don't feel you anymore
You darken my door

Co-written with Dave Stewart from Eurythmics,the title is based on something Stewart overheard Stevie Nicks say to Joe Walsh at a party just after she had split up with him. I particularly like the sitar on this and the crazy video.

Posted by: King Rollo 7th March 2018, 07:10 PM

743. I Saw A Prayer - JJ72 (2002)


Maintenance of simplicity
It's the one thing that cannot be

Another song from their second album. The youtube clip for it is only half the song so the link below is the whole album. The track starts at 6.38 and finishes at 11.37 if anyone wants to listen to it. I like the big wall of guitars on this one.

Posted by: King Rollo 7th March 2018, 07:27 PM

742. Elektrobank - The Chemical Brothers (1997)


It's the full eight minute album version that makes my chart but I'm posting the shorter single version as it has a very good gymnastics themed video directed by Spike Jonze. The vocal line is sampled from 'This That Shit' by Keith Murray.

Posted by: King Rollo 7th March 2018, 07:43 PM

741. Sun To Me - Faithless (2010)


The third and final track I have chosen from their most recent album 'The Dance'. This is mainly an instrumental.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 7th March 2018, 09:34 PM

Haven't heard that Propaganda track, but 'Dr Mabuse' by them is fantastic, sounding brill for 1984, dramatic and also quite dancey too!

Posted by: King Rollo 8th March 2018, 08:47 PM

740. A Design For Life - Manic Street Preachers (1996)


Libraries gave us power
Then work came and made us free
What price now for a shallow piece of dignity

One of the best 90s indie anthems,this reached no.2,held off the top of the chart by 'Return Of The Mack'. I like the strings,the big drum sound and the rousing chorus.

Posted by: King Rollo 8th March 2018, 09:10 PM

739. Roundabout - Yes (1971)


In and around the lake
Mountains come out of the sky

One of Yes' best known songs,this has been performed at almost every concert since the 'Fragile' album was released. An edited version was a top 20 single in the US. The lyrics were inspired by a tour bus journey from Aberdeen to Glasgow in which they saw lakes,mountains and about 40 roundabouts.

Posted by: King Rollo 8th March 2018, 09:35 PM

738. This Is Hardcore - Pulp (1998)


I've seen the storyline played out so many times before
Oh that goes in there,then that goes in there

'Common People' may be Pulp's best known song but this is by far my favourite song from them that I know. The orchestral sound on this suits the sleaziness of the lyrics. The main riff is sampled from 'Bolero On The Moon Rocks' by the Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra.

Posted by: King Rollo 8th March 2018, 09:50 PM

737. A Prisoner Of The Past - Prefab Sprout (1997)


Everywhere that you go
Be certain that the table's set for two

Another immaculately produced song from 'Andromeda Heights'. This got to no.30 and is the last of their seven top 40 singles. Seven seems very low,they have always been a bit underrated.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 8th March 2018, 10:44 PM

Design for Life is one of the first songs I ever really liked, it was played on the music channels quite a bit in the late 90s when I was very young. I think I liked the whole dramatic nature of the track.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 9th March 2018, 08:58 AM

Some goodies again, manics, Tom Petty, and many others and yes I agree Prefab Sprout are very under-rated commercially Prisoner of the Past hit 3 in my charts, and they topped my chart in 2013 with the fab Best Jewel Thief In The World. A big "Oh Yes" for ELO's Whisper In The Dark, always loved that one - prob about time I charted it for the first time

Posted by: King Rollo 9th March 2018, 07:24 PM

736. Crush - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (1985)


Rain rain go away
I can't stand this one more day

The title track from OMD's sixth album. This is a rather maudlin song that doesn't have a chorus but I like its quirkiness and the strange backing vocal effects.

Posted by: King Rollo 9th March 2018, 07:50 PM

735. Hazard - Richard Marx (1992)


I swear I left her by the river
I swear I left her safe and sound

A song that tells a story but neither the lyrics nor the video make it clear who killed Mary. This is one whodunnit that has never been solved.

Posted by: King Rollo 9th March 2018, 08:09 PM

734. Open Your Heart - The Human League (1981)


End concealing try revealing
Open your heart

The third and final song in my chart from the Human League so this is my favourite song from them. A great example of early 80s synth pop.

Posted by: King Rollo 9th March 2018, 08:26 PM

733. The Empty Bottle - Archive (2009)


The light in the night and the stars on your face
You are everything that surrounds me in this place

Another track from 'Controlling Crowds Part IV',this is about as commercial as Archive get. It would probably have been a top 40 hit for a better known group. The album version is a few minutes longer.

Posted by: King Rollo 10th March 2018, 07:46 PM

732. The Theory Of Everything - Onetwo (2007)


A second song from Claudia Brucken and Paul Humphreys' album 'Instead'. It's in two parts and only part 2 is on youtube.

Posted by: King Rollo 10th March 2018, 08:05 PM

731. Love Is A Bourgeois Construct - Pet Shop Boys (2013)


I've been hanging out with various riff raff
Somewhere on the Goldhawk Road
I don't think it's gonna be much longer
Till I'm mugging up on the penal code

Only Pet Shop Boys (or maybe Sparks or Morrissey) would release a single with a title like 'Love Is A Bourgeois Construct'. The main hook of the song is based on a piece by Henry Purcell so he is down as a co-writer.

Posted by: King Rollo 10th March 2018, 08:29 PM

730. Radio #1 - Air (2001)


If you need some fun
Some good stereo gum

Taken from Air's second album '10000Hz Legend' which is my favourite album by them even though the first one 'Moon Safari' is generally regarded as their best. This track is having a slight dig at commercial radio stations so there is someone who sounds like a DJ talking over the end of the song. It's the last of Air's five top 40 singles,reaching number 31.

Posted by: King Rollo 10th March 2018, 08:45 PM

729. Since You've Been Gone - Rainbow (1979)


Your poison letter,your telegram
Just goes to show you don't give a damn

Rainbow's cover version of a song by Russ Ballard from 1976. A memorable guitar riff in the intro and a singalong chorus.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 10th March 2018, 09:28 PM

Didn't know 'Since You've Been Gone' was a cover! It is an excellent rock anthem anyway!

'Open Your Heart' is a very nice song. I like the medieval sounding synths in the chorus!

Posted by: King Rollo 10th March 2018, 10:43 PM

Certainly when it was out,I didn't know it was a cover either. I only found out in the last few years.

Posted by: King Rollo 11th March 2018, 06:26 PM

728. Recover - Chvrches (2013)


So pick any number,choose any colour
I've got the answer,open the envelope

Chvrches' second single,the synth sounds perfectly complementing Lauren Mayberry's vocals.

Posted by: King Rollo 11th March 2018, 06:43 PM

727. Sleepwalk - Ultravox (1980)


Spiralling deeper,I can't feel my fingers
rip round my throat as I dream

Ultravox's first single with Buzzjack's fourth favourite Midge as their lead singer. It was also their first top 40 hit,reaching number 29.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 11th March 2018, 06:52 PM

Lol Buzzjack's fourth favourite Midge. Poor Midge Ure, beaten by a type of insect, a fictional character and a Buzzjack poster.

Posted by: King Rollo 11th March 2018, 07:05 PM

726. Pleasure Little Treasure (Glitter Mix) - Depeche Mode (1987)


Maternity frocks and paternity suits
If that's what you want
They're waiting for you

A shorter original version of this song was the B side of 'Never Let Me Down Again'. This mix was on the 12 inch single but I know it as one of the bonus tracks on the cassette version of the album 'Music For The Masses'.

Posted by: King Rollo 11th March 2018, 07:24 PM

725. Europa and the Pirate Twins - Thomas Dolby (1981)


She smiled for the cameras as a bodyguard grabbed me
Her eyes were gone forever as they drove her away

Thomas Dolby's second single,narrowly failing to become his first hit. It got to number 48. The harmonica solo is played by Andy Partridge from XTC.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 11th March 2018, 07:36 PM

For Thomas Dolby, my go to track would be 'Hyperactive!'. I like the high energy of it.

Posted by: King Rollo 11th March 2018, 08:02 PM

Hyperactive is a great song but didn't make my chart.

Posted by: King Rollo 12th March 2018, 06:44 PM

724. Map Of The Problematique - Muse (2006)


Fear and panic in the air
I want to be free from desolation and despair

From Muse's fourth album 'Black Holes And Revelations',this got to no.18 despite spending just one week in the singles chart. Parts of it have been used on TV a lot including the 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony. It's one of Muse's heaviest rock songs,I like the guitar and drum sounds running through it.

Posted by: King Rollo 12th March 2018, 07:01 PM

723. Ticket To The Moon - ELO (1981)


Remember the good old 1980s
When things were so uncomplicated
I wish I could go back there again
And everything could be the same

ELO had ditched the orchestra by 1981 but there are some strings on this one. It was part of a double A side with 'Here Is The News' which was at number 962 in my countdown. Both songs mention Satellite 2 in their lyrics.

Posted by: King Rollo 12th March 2018, 07:23 PM

722. Always Something There To Remind Me - Naked Eyes (1983)


I walk along the city streets you used to walk along with me
And every step I take reminds me of just how we used to be

Naked Eyes were a duo from Bath. Although this only got to number 59 in the UK,it was a top 10 hit in the US. The American chart was full of British groups at this time. The typical early 80s electronic drum sound is present here and I like the addition of church bells to the production. Sandie Shaw's version is the most well known,spending three weeks at no.1,but the song was originally recorded by Lou Johnson in 1964.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 12th March 2018, 07:38 PM

The only Richard Marx song I know is his 1989 emotional ballad 'Right Here Waiting' which is a big X Factor fave.

Map Of The Problematique is my favourite Muse song, just great how it builds up.

Posted by: King Rollo 12th March 2018, 07:53 PM

721. Layla - Derek and the Dominos (1970)


I tried to give you consolation
When your old man had let you down
Like a fool I fell in love with you
Turned my whole world upside down

A rock classic by Eric Clapton and his band. After the superb guitar playing and vocals in the first half,you then get the bonus of the piano coda in the second half which is my favourite part of the song. 'Layla' is based on a 7th Century Arabian love story but is also about Pattie Boyd who was married to George Harrison at the time. The piano section originated with Rita Coolidge who featured on my chart last week. She was the ex of one of the Dominos and was not included on the songwriting credits. The song was a top 10 single in the UK in 1972 and then again in 1982.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 12th March 2018, 08:03 PM

Layla is a rock classic! I assumed it was released a bit later than 1970, it sounds great for the time!

Posted by: King Rollo 12th March 2018, 08:06 PM

I thought you would like that one,Snakey. It's one of those songs everyone likes.

Posted by: King Rollo 13th March 2018, 07:11 PM

720. Inertia Creeps - Massive Attack (1998)


Two undernourished egos
Four rotating hips

From Massive Attack's third album 'Mezzanine'. Whenever I listen to this track,it conjures images of a busy market in somewhere like Morocco.

Posted by: King Rollo 13th March 2018, 07:48 PM

719. The Unforgettable Fire - U2 (1984)


And if the mountain should crumble
Or disappear into the sea
Not a tear,no not I

From the album of the same name,I like the string arrangement on this,it gives the song a bit of scale. The title is a reference to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Posted by: King Rollo 13th March 2018, 08:12 PM

718. I'll Find My Way Home - Jon and Vangelis (1981)


Your friend is close by your side
And speaks in far ancient tongue

After leaving Yes in 1980,Jon Anderson recorded two albums with Vangelis and this is from the second one 'The Friends Of Mr Cairo'. The single reached number 6,one place higher than Yes' highest charting single 'Wondrous Stories'. I think this is his only ever appearance in the TOTP studio. He seems to be enjoying himself.

Posted by: King Rollo 13th March 2018, 08:33 PM

717. You're A Lady - Peter Skellern (1972)


You're romantic,I'm a fool
You're the teacher,I've come to school

A beautiful song,I love the brass band and choir accompaniment. The choir was called The Congregation who had their own top 5 single the year before with 'Softly Whispering I Love You'. I don't think I know that one,I might listen to it in a minute. The brass band was the Hanwell Band who a hit single a few years later with Terry Wogan on The Floral Dance.

Posted by: King Rollo 14th March 2018, 06:52 PM

716. Einstein A Go-Go - Landscape (1981)


You better watch out you better beware
Albert said that E equals MC squared

From the brilliantly titled album 'From the Tea Rooms of Mars to the Hell Holes of Uranus' comes this quirky song which was a top five single. The hook is definitely the flute sounding synth riff.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 14th March 2018, 07:04 PM

'Einstein A Go Go' I played recently in plug and nobody seemed to like it, maybe too quirky sounding but I like it and it is definitely ahead of its time! Especially with the flute sounding synth riff in place of the chorus, like a 'drop' in a lot of modern songs.

It is not the only quirky early 80s song to appear in your countdown with 'Wordy Rappinghood' appearing earlier in your countdown.

'I'll Find My Way Home' is a lovely song!

Posted by: King Rollo 14th March 2018, 07:14 PM

I'm disappointed to hear that none of them liked it. It's much better than anything in the top 40 right now.

Posted by: King Rollo 14th March 2018, 07:22 PM

715. Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels) - Arcade Fire (2004)


And if the snow buries my neighbourhood
And if my parents are crying
then I'll dig a tunnel from my window to yours

Arcade Fire's first single,I like the fast paced piano combined with the guitars and drums on this one.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 14th March 2018, 07:37 PM

Ooh Layla! Classic. That's on my rundown.

Sadly U2, Peter Skellern, Jon & Vangelis and Landscape are not, cos they are all fab.

The Congregation were covered by Paul Young, but the original Softly Whispering I Love You was a spine-tingling mix of power vocal, an epic short rock-riff and choral backing singers, on a great song. Gives me goose-bumps every time the guitar thrashes in. That one is in my listings, I think....

Posted by: King Rollo 14th March 2018, 07:38 PM

714. Under Your Thumb - Godley & Crème (1981)


So I looked a little closer
And it chilled me to the bone
"Woman throws herself from speeding train
Identity unknown"

Another top five single from 1981,Godley & Creme's ghost story. I like the consistent electronic keyboard sound from Lol in the background while Kevin sings the vocals.

Posted by: King Rollo 14th March 2018, 07:46 PM

QUOTE(Popchartfreak @ Mar 14 2018, 07:37 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 14th March 2018, 08:05 PM

713. If I Was - Midge Ure (1985)


If I was a soldier
Captive arms I'd lay before her
If I was a sailor
Seven oceans I'd sail to her

I know The Snake would have liked to have seen this much further up my chart but here it is now. A well deserved no.1 single for Midge. It was co-written with Danny Mitchell from Ultravox's support band Messengers.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 14th March 2018, 08:36 PM

another 2 chart-toppers for me there, love Godley & Creme, and Midge Ure. Midge sadly fell short of my list on 860000 "sales" (but has another track on the list) but G&C were firmly inside....

Posted by: King Rollo 15th March 2018, 06:07 PM

712. Walking After You - Foo Fighters (1998)


If you walk out on me
I'm walking after you

This is a gorgeous song,in contrast to the heavier rock sound the Foo Fighters normally come up with. It was from the soundtrack to the X Files movie.

Posted by: King Rollo 15th March 2018, 06:24 PM

711. I Beg Your Pardon - Kon Kan (1988)


Are we an item or are we just two?
I need some commitments,all I ask of you

A one hit wonder for the Canadian duo,reaching number 5. It samples several records,most notably Lynn Anderson's 'Rose Garden'.

Posted by: King Rollo 15th March 2018, 06:46 PM

710. Tuesday Afternoon - The Moody Blues (1967)


I'm looking at myself,reflections of my mind
It's just the kind of day to leave myself behind

A ballad from 'Days Of Future Passed' with some tempo changes thrown in to keep the song interesting. The album covers one day and this is the afternoon bit. A shorter version was released as a single but didn't chart.

Posted by: King Rollo 15th March 2018, 07:07 PM

709. The Spirit Of Radio - Rush (1980)


Invisible airwaves crackle with life
Bright antenna bristle with the energy

No classic rock compilation album would be complete without this song. It's their highest charting single in the UK,reaching number 13. Just two months ago,Rush announced that they have disbanded but 50 years is a good innings for a line-up that has remained unchanged for most of that time.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 16th March 2018, 02:12 PM

The fast synths in 'Under Your Thumb' are very Giorgio Morodor-esque. Great song!

'If I Was' is of course brilliant imo, the chorus especially!

'I Beg Your Pardon' is great, one of the last credible Hi-NRG synthpop songs at a time when house was taking over dance and dancepop, the male vocal of the song sounds very New Order and the use of the sample is good too.

'Spirit of Radio' is great. Sad to hear that Rush have disbanded now.

Posted by: King Rollo 16th March 2018, 06:44 PM

708. Boy Strange - Pet Shop Boys (1999)


In the eyes of the world
he's a borderline fool
Both naïve and cruel

Another track from the 'Nightlife' album. I like the production which almost has a trip hop sound to it in places.

Posted by: King Rollo 16th March 2018, 07:08 PM

707. Eat Y'self Fitter - The Fall (1983)


The musical chairs have been swallowed up
By a cuddly group who land and rub off

The Fall have released over thirty studio albums,none of which I have bought. I only know this song as it's one of a few by them that I recorded onto a blank cassette from John Peel's Radio 1 programme. I like its mad eccentricity. It was one of the songs Peel chose for his appearance on Desert Island Discs. We sadly lost Mark E Smith earlier this year.

Posted by: King Rollo 16th March 2018, 07:29 PM

706. New World Rising/Ocean Breakup (reprise) - Electric Light Orchestra (1973)


I see no sorrow now
Nobody has a care

From ELO's third album 'On The Third Day' which was not a big seller. It wasn't until the fourth album that they used a full orchestra so all the cellos and violins here are played by the group's own string section.

Posted by: King Rollo 16th March 2018, 07:48 PM

705. Watching The Wildlife - Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1986)


The beast within you
Eats your heart out
Get free from hate and get in love

From their second and final album 'Liverpool' which wasn't as good as the first and this is the only track I have chosen from it. The single was a minor hit,getting to number 28.

Posted by: King Rollo 17th March 2018, 07:36 PM

704. It Comes And It Goes - Nero (2015)


All the night time is the hardest time

Nero are my favourite dance act from the last few years. Unlike many of the others,they have a regular lead singer,Alana Watson,rather than having different featured singers for each song. 'It Comes And It Goes' is from their second album 'Between II Worlds' and combines Alana's vocals very well with all the electronic sounds.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 17th March 2018, 07:40 PM

Don't know that Nero song. I wonder if my personal favourite Nero song, 'Guilt' will be appearing on this list?

Posted by: King Rollo 17th March 2018, 07:48 PM

Oh yes,'Guilt' will be quite high up.

Posted by: King Rollo 17th March 2018, 07:59 PM

703. Darkness - Peter Gabriel (2002)


Don't mess with me my fuse is short
Beneath this skin these fragments caught

This is the opening track on Peter's seventh album 'Up' and it starts very quietly,forcing the listener to turn the volume up. There is then a huge crashing sound to make him/her jump. It certainly caught me out the first couple of times I played the CD. It might have broken somebody's speakers maybe. So if anyone is going to listen to it,don't say you weren't warned. I like the way the song shifts from heavy aggressive sections to softer piano parts.

Posted by: King Rollo 17th March 2018, 08:14 PM

702. Turn Away - East India Youth (2015)


At the point of passion I am inflamed
But now it seems those points are due to be changed

East India Youth is one man band William Doyle. He's like a 21st century version of Howard Jones or Nik Kershaw but a bit more cool. This is from his second album 'Culture Of Volume'.

Posted by: King Rollo 17th March 2018, 08:35 PM

701. Instinction - Spandau Ballet (1982)


Cold floor,nice and raw
Eat the meat that's on the floor

After their last two singles only reached no.30 and no.49,Spandau Ballet were close to being dropped by their record company so they turned to Trevor Horn for help. He remixed this song from their 'Diamond' album and it was a top 10 hit. I've just listened to the album version for the first time and it's very flat and lifeless so this shows what a production wizard Trevor is.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 17th March 2018, 08:48 PM

QUOTE(King Rollo @ Mar 17 2018, 07:59 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 18th March 2018, 07:30 PM

700. Gone To Pieces - Nik Kershaw (1984)


I'm tired of going to the wall
When I had nothing but the best intentions
I'm sick of answering the call
Of Alexander Graham Bell's inventions

Another track from his debut album 'Human Racing'. A good pop song with a catchy chorus.

Posted by: King Rollo 18th March 2018, 07:48 PM

699. You Make Me Feel - Archive (1999)


Some trip hop from Archive's second album 'Take My Head'. You might recognise this one as it was used in a TV ad for Garnier Olia.

Posted by: King Rollo 18th March 2018, 08:04 PM

698. Forbidden Colours - David Sylvian & Riuichi Sakamoto (1983)


Senseless years thunder by
Millions are willing to give their lives for you
Does nothing live on?

From the soundtrack to the film 'Merry Christmas,Mr Lawrence',this was a top 20 single. I like the orchestral arrangement.

Posted by: King Rollo 18th March 2018, 08:20 PM

697. I Took You Home - 10cc (1980)


I looked at your father and I smiled
He said it was time for me to go

This is the highlight of 10cc's relatively disappointing seventh album 'Look Hear?' It was written and sung by Eric Stewart who was recovering from a car accident which affected his sight and his hearing.

Posted by: King Rollo 19th March 2018, 06:45 PM

696. Metroland - OMD (2013)


You say run away
I say here we stand
Today is yesterday
Everyday in Metroland

The first single from the 'English Electric' album. I have never seen the video for it before. The album version is seven and a half minutes long but I'm not sure it needs to be so this shorter version will do.

Posted by: King Rollo 19th March 2018, 07:02 PM

695. Follow Me - Muse (2012)


When all your strength has gone
And you feel wrong
Like your life has slipped away
Follow me,you can follow me

From 'The 2nd Law',Muse go all dubstep as they enlist the help of Nero to produce this song.

Posted by: King Rollo 19th March 2018, 07:19 PM

694. A Question Of Lust - Depeche Mode (1986)


It is all of these things and more
That keep us together

At the time,only the second Depeche Mode single to have Martin Gore on lead vocals. His pure voice is more suited to slower songs like this one and he can reach higher notes better than Dave Gahan.

Posted by: King Rollo 19th March 2018, 07:41 PM

693. Take Me Home - Phil Collins (1985)


Seems so long I've been waiting
Still don't know what for
There's no point escaping
I don't worry anymore

An anthemic song with Sting,Peter Gabriel and Helen Terry all helping out on backing vocals. Each line in the video was filmed at a different world location as his tour progressed. It seems Big Ben had scaffolding around it in 1985,just as it does now.

Posted by: PeteFromLeeds 19th March 2018, 07:44 PM

Not posted in a while so here are my comments since I last posted:

Great to see Electricity here, the synths are really inventive and one of the most memorable from that era I think
The Invisible Man is actually one of my favourite Queen songs, I do think it's a bit underrated. The resemblance to the Ghostbusters theme though...
Run makes me feel really nostalgic, one of the many indie tracks that was floating about during my childhood, really looking forward to their comeback
Elektrobank is nice but there are some much better songs by them for me. Similarly with Pulp, Disco 2000 is my second favourite song of all time so it'd be difficult to top that
Love Is A Bourgeois Construct is one of my favourite recent PSB tracks though, a really nice piece

And with all this Peter Gabriel, wonder if we'll get Games Without Frontiers any time soon...

Posted by: King Rollo 19th March 2018, 07:53 PM

Thanks for the comments Pete. I hadn't noticed the resemblance between The Invisible Man and Ghostbusters before but I see what you mean.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 19th March 2018, 08:12 PM

"A Question Of Lust" is a very nice song.

Depeche Mode seem to have changed it up a lot in the mid 80s with their singles, some slower songs and some faster dancier ones.

The beat in that Phil Collins song sounds quite modern and hip hop beat reminscent I think! "Take Me home" is a good song anyway.

The Muse song is not one of their best known but is very good!

Posted by: King Rollo 19th March 2018, 08:47 PM

The wiki page for 'Take Me Home' mentioned covers of it by hip hop and R&B acts so you are right that it has that sort of sound to it.

Posted by: King Rollo 20th March 2018, 07:21 PM

692. Chained To The Rhythm - Katy Perry featuring Skip Marley (2017)


So comfortable,we cannot see the trouble,trouble

You may have noticed an absence of top 40 singles from the last few years so far but here is one now. This is a great pop song with some thought put into the production,like the piano part and the hand claps.

Posted by: King Rollo 20th March 2018, 07:39 PM

691. Shameless - Pet Shop Boys (1993)


We will do anything to get our fifteen minutes of fame
We have no integrity
We're ready to crawl to obtain celebrity

This is the B side to 'Go West' but I know it from 'Alternative',their collection of B Sides. This was written well before any of these reality TV shows became popular so the lyrics are even more pertinent today than they were in the 90s.

Posted by: King Rollo 20th March 2018, 07:57 PM

690. Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited - The Move (1970)


Doctor pays a visit
Everyday I keep asking for my dad
They must think I'm going mad

Written by Roy Wood,this is an update of 'Cherry Blossom Clinic' from 1968. After about three minutes of vocals,the rest of the song is a medley of Bach and Tchaikovsky tunes played on guitars.

Posted by: King Rollo 20th March 2018, 08:16 PM

689. Am I Normal? - David (1983)


David is actually a woman,Virginia David. She was in the group Sailor who had a few hits in the 70s. This is a synth pop/Hi-NRG cover version of a song by a band called Eye To Eye from 1980. It got some airplay on Radio 1 but only got to number 98.

Posted by: King Rollo 21st March 2018, 07:45 PM

688. Scarlet Nights - Prefab Sprout (1990)


This is where your sleepless eyes will close
This is where the weary find repose

The third song in my chart from 'Jordan:The Comeback'. I like Wendy Smith's backing vocals on this one and Thomas Dolby's production.

Posted by: King Rollo 21st March 2018, 08:04 PM

687. Karma Police - Radiohead (1997)


Karma police,arrest this girl
Her Hitler hairdo is making me feel ill
And we have crashed her party

The first song I have chosen from Radiohead's masterpiece 'OK Computer' and it won't be the last. This video was shown a lot on MTV at the time.

Posted by: King Rollo 21st March 2018, 08:24 PM

686. Can You Hear? - The Open (2004)


There's a place underground
Where I go when you're out
I'm at home making sounds

The Open were a Liverpool indie band who only lasted four years. Four of their singles charted from no.46 to no.54 for one week each so I'm presuming it was the same people buying each one. 'Can You Hear?' was from the first of their two albums. It's not on youtube.

Posted by: King Rollo 21st March 2018, 08:45 PM

685. Clearest Blue - Chvrches (2015)


So please say you'll meet me
Meet me halfway

From Chvrches' second album 'Every Open Eye' which is part of the lyrics to this song. I heard it being played in the Vic in EastEnders a couple of weeks ago in the same episode that a character called Halfway made an appearance so some of the songs they play are not just random picks.

Posted by: King Rollo 22nd March 2018, 07:23 PM

684. Fly From Here - Yes (2011)


Only ghosts are in the empty corridors
And they're all strangers
Who never cared

With Jon Anderson ill,Yes embarked on a world tour with a new lead singer,Benoit David,from one of their tribute acts. He was kept on for their next album 'Fly From Here'. This is the 24 minute title track,divided into six sections. It doesn't seem to be on youtube so I've just put the whole album on here. If you have the stamina,it runs from the start to 23.51. It's not the longest song on my chart,there will be one or two longer than this. Parts of this song were written in 1980 when Trevor Horn was the lead singer and he is the producer for this version.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 22nd March 2018, 07:28 PM

Karma Police is great! A dark song like most of Radiohead's and I like the unique vocal style.

Posted by: King Rollo 22nd March 2018, 07:41 PM

683. What Else Is There? (Thin White Duke Mix) - Royksopp (2005)


'What Else Is There?' is from Royksopp's second album 'The Understanding' but I prefer this remix by the Thin White Duke who is English record producer Stuart Price.

Posted by: King Rollo 22nd March 2018, 08:05 PM

682. Chelsea Monday - Marillion (1983)


Perform to scattered shadows on the shattered cobbled aisles
Would she dare recite soliloquies at the risk of stark applause

From Marillion's debut album 'Script For A Jester's Tear'. Steve Rothery's guitar playing throughout this song is outstanding.

Posted by: King Rollo 22nd March 2018, 08:22 PM

681. Perfect - The Lightning Seeds (1994)


Hazy petrol nights
Crimson sun on traffic lights

A lovely song which was a top 20 hit for the Lightning Seeds. It's certainly better than Ed Sheeran's 'Perfect' (or Fairground Attraction's).

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd March 2018, 06:22 PM

680. Los Endos - Genesis (1976)


A drum based instrumental from 'A Trick Of The Tail',the first album Genesis released after the departure of Peter Gabriel. It's become a live favourite,often preceded by an extended drum duet between Phil Collins and Chester Thompson.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 23rd March 2018, 06:25 PM

Oh I have heard that Trick of the Tail album. Squonk is my fave song on it!

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd March 2018, 06:41 PM

679. Mister Kingdom - Electric Light Orchestra (1974)


Help me such a lonely soul
In dreams to leave behind the world

From the magical 'Eldorado' album which I bought in the early 80s. This is the first album where ELO used a full orchestra. It did very well in the US but nothing over here. It's one of my top 3 ELO albums,along with 'Out Of The Blue' and 'Time'.

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd March 2018, 06:55 PM

QUOTE(The Hissmobile @ Mar 23 2018, 06:25 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd March 2018, 07:02 PM

678. Feel Like Change - Black (1991)


I feel like walking out and standing in the rain

A beautiful song from Black's third album. The opera singer on backing vocals was his wife,Camilla Griehsel.

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd March 2018, 07:22 PM

677. Another One Bites The Dust - Queen (1980)


Are you hanging on the edge of your seat?
Out of the doorway the bullets rip to the sound of the beat

The highlight here is John Deacon's funky bass line. He wrote the song and it was released as a single after Michael Jackson suggested to Freddie Mercury that it would be a hit. It went to no.1 in the US and is Queen's best selling single worldwide with over 7 million sales.

Posted by: King Rollo 24th March 2018, 06:47 PM

676. Thieves Like Us - New Order (1984)


Love is the cure for every evil
Love is the air that supports the eagle

Like many New Order singles,the title is named after a film and does not appear in the lyrics.

Posted by: King Rollo 24th March 2018, 07:05 PM

675. The Rhythm Of The Heat - Peter Gabriel (1982)


The rhythm is inside me
The rhythm has my soul

From Peter Gabriel's fourth album,I like the tribal rhythms running through this,culminating in the multiple bongo drums at the end played by the Ekome Dance Company from Ghana.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 24th March 2018, 07:08 PM

QUOTE(King Rollo @ Mar 23 2018, 06:55 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 24th March 2018, 07:28 PM

674. Walking On The Milky Way - OMD (1996)


I don't believe in miracles
I don't believe in truth
I don't believe that anything can recreate your youth

Andy McCluskey gets all nostalgic on this one. A lot has been thrown into the production with the organ,string section and female backing vocalist. It was OMD's first top 20 hit for five years but also the final time they were seen in the top 40.

Posted by: King Rollo 24th March 2018, 07:43 PM

673. Flaming Sword - Care (1983)


A minor hit from 1983,this got to number 48. Care were a Liverpool duo,Ian Broudie and Paul Simpson. Ian Broudie went on to form the Lightning Seeds.

Posted by: King Rollo 26th March 2018, 05:38 PM

672. Cars - Gary Numan (1979)


Here in my car
I feel safest of all
I can lock all my doors

This was the first record I bought. I actually bought two singles at the same time,this one and 'Don't Bring Me Down' by ELO which was number 3 when this was number 1. It was inspired by a road rage incident when people tried to get Gary Numan out of his car. He locked all his doors and drove along the pavement to get away from them. The vocal stops at 1.26 and the rest of the song,more than two minutes,is instrumental.

Posted by: King Rollo 26th March 2018, 05:54 PM

671. Uprising - Muse (2009)


Rise up and take the power back
It's time the fat cats had a heart attack

Muse's best selling single worldwide. I like the glam rock sound to this and the intro's similarity to the Doctor Who theme tune.

Posted by: King Rollo 26th March 2018, 06:13 PM

670. This Is Mine - Heaven 17 (1984)


Wanting is no crime
Happens all the time

This is an underrated 80s song. Heaven 17 are best known for 'Temptation' and 'Come Live With Me' but this is my favourite song from them and they are unlucky only to have one in my chart. 'Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry' is another good one. I like the brass arrangement on 'This Is Mine' (provided by Earth Wind And Fire's Phenix Horns) and the percussion.

Posted by: King Rollo 26th March 2018, 06:30 PM

669. Brother Sleep - JJ72 (2002)


This girl cries tears as if tortured
Is this girl the queen of the sea?

The fourth and final song in my chart from JJ72's second album 'I To Sky'. Unlike the other three,this is more of a ballad,highlighting Mark Greaney's witch like vocals.

Posted by: King Rollo 27th March 2018, 05:22 PM

668. The Voice - Ultravox (1981)


Native these words seem to me
All speech directed to me

There were two videos made for this single. I haven't seen this one before. It was the other one that was shown on TOTP.

Posted by: King Rollo 27th March 2018, 05:46 PM

667. Everything - Anathema (2010)


Light shines in through an open window
Shines inside your heart and soul and
light will guide your way through time

Those of you who take part in BJSC will know Anathema from my entry for the 100th contest. Although,they have been going since 1990,I only discovered them a few months ago so there won't be as many songs from them as there should be in my chart. I have only listened to two of their albums so far. This track is from 'We're Here Because We're Here'.

Posted by: King Rollo 27th March 2018, 06:17 PM

666. Confide In Me - Kylie Minogue (1994)


We all get hurt by love
And we all have our cross to bear

This is easily Kylie's best single,in my opinion. I like the Middle Eastern sound to it and her vocal. It was her first single after leaving Pete Waterman's record label. It reached number 2,kept off the top of the chart by Wet Wet Wet's 'Love Is All Around' in the last of its 15 weeks at number 1.

Posted by: King Rollo 27th March 2018, 06:35 PM

665. Since I Lost You - Genesis (1991)


Oh now you'll never see
Oh you'll never know
All the things I planned for you

A sad song from the 'We Can't Dance' album. The lyrics are about Eric Clapton's four year old son who died after falling out of a 53rd storey window in New York.

Posted by: The Hissmobile 27th March 2018, 06:36 PM

'Cars' is a great song, the highlight is of course those synths, although I do like the lyrics and Gary Numan's vocal in it too.

'The Voice' is epic! One of Ultravox's best, and uses those epic Gary Numan type synths too!

Posted by: King Rollo 28th March 2018, 05:32 PM

664. All Of My Heart - ABC (1982)


No I won't be told there's a crock of gold
At the end of the rainbow
Or that pleasure and pain,sunshine and rain
Might make this love grow

From the classic 'The Lexicon Of Love' album comes this smooth ballad adorned with Anne Dudley's lush string arrangements.

Posted by: King Rollo 28th March 2018, 05:54 PM

663. Breathing - Kate Bush (1980)


After the blast
Chips of plutonium
Are twinkling in every lung

A top 20 hit from Kate's third album 'Never For Ever'. The lyrics are from the point of view of a foetus in the womb as a nuclear bomb explodes.

Posted by: Queef's Throne 28th March 2018, 06:13 PM

Don't know that ABC song much but I sounds good! Poison Arrow and The Look of Love of course are fantastic tunes. Be Near Me is lovely too, I especially like the piano in the chorus of that one!

Brett Butler recently played this in plug from ABC!



It sounds very different to their other stuff, and sounds ahead of its time, pity it wasn't released as a single.

Posted by: King Rollo 28th March 2018, 06:14 PM

662. Will You - Hazel O'Connor (1981)


Or will you just politely say goodnight?

The vocal part of this is very good but the song will always be remembered for the outstanding two minute saxophone solo at the end. The track is from the soundtrack to the film 'Breaking Glass' with Hazel in the main role.

Posted by: King Rollo 28th March 2018, 06:22 PM

QUOTE(Queef @ Mar 28 2018, 07:13 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 28th March 2018, 06:36 PM

661. Oxygene Part IV - Jean Michel Jarre (1977)


Jean Michel Jarre's breakthrough hit single,reaching number 4. It's still the track he's best known for.

Posted by: Queef's Throne 29th March 2018, 11:28 AM

QUOTE(King Rollo @ Mar 28 2018, 07:22 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 29th March 2018, 05:28 PM

660. The Diary Of Horace Wimp - Electric Light Orchestra (1979)


Friday : Horace,this is it,he asks the girl if maybe they could marry
When she says "gladly",Horace cries.

A charming Beatlesque song from the 'Discovery' album. When asked why Saturday is omitted from Horace's diary,Jeff Lynne explained that he goes to the football on that day. I would like Jeff to write a sequel to this song. Is Horace still married to the girl? Do they have children? Or has it all gone horribly wrong for him?

Posted by: King Rollo 29th March 2018, 05:48 PM

659. Airport - The Motors (1978)


And I know that she is leaving
On the jet plane down the runway

A top 5 single for the London band. They only had one other top 40 hit and split up in 1982. I particularly like the piano solo on this one.

Posted by: King Rollo 29th March 2018, 06:03 PM

658. Essence - Marillion (2008)


Sit in silence and watch the sky
Feel the magic deep inside you

Another track from Volume 1 of Marillion's double album 'Happiness Is The Road'.

Posted by: King Rollo 29th March 2018, 06:20 PM

657. Lazy Ways - 10cc (1976)


You'll never get up if you don't get up
You'll always stay down if you sit around

From 'How Dare You',the last album 10cc released before the departure of Godley & Crème. This track was written by Eric Stewart and Lol Crème.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 29th March 2018, 08:08 PM

Phew, classics galore cropping up now: Queen, Gary Numan, ABC, Motors, Jean-Michel jarre all sheer brilliance but only 2 of them in my listings so fab to see them here. That also applies to Horace Wimp, which peaked at 4 in my chart crowded out by some major classics summer of 79 - would top my chart given a chance. Lovely to see the ELO album tracks, makes me want to dig them out/buy them and get back into early ELO - it's been too long!

Some more PSB tracks I have never charted, Rush is brilliant, forbidden Colours lovely, Will You spine-tingling, Kylie dramatic, 2 OMD goodies, and none of them in my list, boo!

Lightning seeds were always fab but never made my top 800 listings, though Sense topped my chart, and I don't know that David version of the Eye To Eye single, but I did chart the original..

Katy Perry is the best track released in 2017, nothing less. Brilliance. Phil Collins such an under-rated single, and back with ELO (sort of) The Move is a quirky choice. They have one track which just missed my list (Blackberry Way) though as minor Move tracks go, I'm partial to Chinatown....

FAB!

Posted by: King Rollo 29th March 2018, 08:27 PM

Thanks,John. It was only recently I discovered 'Am I Normal' was a cover version thanks to the internet. I recorded the David version from Radio 1 onto a blank cassette. It's only now looking at the info on the youtube clip that I can see it's a cover.

Posted by: Queef's Throne 29th March 2018, 08:33 PM

Ah Horace Wimp, my parents have "The best of ELO" and it is on it. The track has a good story to it!

Airport I have heard before too, good track, has those vocal harmonies that seem to be everywhere in 70s music!

Lazy Days is a very good song too!

Posted by: King Rollo 30th March 2018, 06:13 PM

656. All Over The World - Pet Shop Boys (2009)


It's sincere at its objective
Superficial and true
Easy and predictable
Exciting and new

From their album 'Yes' which was produced by Xenomania. The song is based around part of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite.

Posted by: King Rollo 30th March 2018, 06:34 PM

655. It Can Happen - Yes (1983)


There's a crazy world outside
We're not about to lose our pride

From the '90125' album,which marked the relaunch of Yes with the return of Jon Anderson and keyboard player Tony Kaye and the addition of Trevor Rabin on lead guitar. This line-up is sometimes referred to as Yes West as they were based in America. Like this one,the songs were short and had more of a pop/rock rather than prog rock sound to them.

Posted by: Queef's Throne 30th March 2018, 06:40 PM

It Can Happen is a very good track from Yes, should have been released and charted as a single.

Jon Anderson does have an excellent voice and it is well demonstrated in that song.

Posted by: King Rollo 30th March 2018, 06:50 PM

It was a single but only got to no.92. It should have been a bigger hit,I agree.

Posted by: King Rollo 30th March 2018, 07:02 PM

654. Susan's House - Eels (1996)


There's a crazy old woman smashing bottles on the sidewalk
where her house burnt down two years ago
People say that back then she really wasn't that crazy

Eels highest charting single,reaching number 9. I like the unusual sound to this and the lyrics. The piano part is sampled from 'Love Finds Its Own Way' by Gladys Knight & the Pips.

Posted by: King Rollo 30th March 2018, 07:18 PM

653. International - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (1983)


There we sit on a line
Wasting fortunes at a time

From the 'Dazzle Ships' album which contained a lot of experimental music and wasn't well received at the time but now seems to have gained a cult following. Andy McCluskey puts in one of his finest vocals on this song.

Posted by: King Rollo 31st March 2018, 06:56 PM

652. They - Jem (2004)


Who made up all the rules
We follow them like fools

This got to number 6,becoming Jem's biggest hit single. I like the production with different styles of music. The song samples the Swingle Singers' adaptation of Bach's Prelude in F Minor.

Posted by: Dancing Queef 31st March 2018, 07:07 PM

Really like 'They', one of the best tracks of the mid 00s!

I particularly like the weird backing vocals in it.

There were a few other great alternative dance/pop tracks along with 'They' making the charts in 2005, 'Avalon' by Juliet, 'Need To Feel Loved' by Reflekt and Delline Bass and 'Say Hello' by Deep Dish come to mind.

Posted by: King Rollo 31st March 2018, 07:15 PM

651. Bright Eyes - Art Garfunkel (1979)


How can the light that burned so brightly
Suddenly burn so pale?

This is just a beautiful timeless song. Written by Mike Batt for 'Watership Down',it was the best selling single of 1979.

Posted by: King Rollo 31st March 2018, 07:19 PM

QUOTE(Dancing Queef @ Mar 31 2018, 08:07 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 31st March 2018, 07:37 PM

650. Galvanize - The Chemical Brothers (2004)


Don't hold back

A top 5 hit featuring vocals from Q-Tip. The 'push the button' bit in the middle was used a lot in televised cricket matches for run out referrals to the TV umpire to increase the tension while he made his decision. It's a pity they've stopped using it now.

Posted by: Dancing Queef 31st March 2018, 08:10 PM

Galvinize iirc took me a while to get to like at the time, but eventually I really did like it! The Moroccan violins in the drop are the highlight for me!

Bright Eyes is a lovely emotive ballad too.

Posted by: King Rollo 31st March 2018, 08:12 PM

649. Pretty Little Head - Paul McCartney (1986)


Ursa major,ursa minor

Co-written with Eric Stewart from 10cc,a remixed version was released as a single but I prefer this album version. It's unlike any other Paul McCartney song I've heard and you wouldn't know it was him if you heard it on the radio.

Posted by: Doctor Blind 31st March 2018, 10:14 PM

QUOTE(Dancing Queef @ Mar 31 2018, 08:07 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 1st April 2018, 10:52 AM

Yes Doctor,there will be a few more Chemical Brothers tracks to come.

Posted by: King Rollo 2nd April 2018, 06:00 PM

648. The Globalist - Muse (2015)


There's no country left
To love and cherish
It's gone,it's gone for good

A ten minute apocalyptic epic from Muse's most recent album,'Drones'. Some of the music is based on 'Nimrod' from Elgar's 'Enigma Variations'.

Posted by: King Rollo 2nd April 2018, 06:18 PM

647. Seven Days And One Week - B.B.E (1996)


A classic 90s trance tune,this got to no.3 which was higher than most of the other charting trance singles from that time. I like the way it slows down almost to a stop in the middle. B.B.E were two Brunos and an Emmanuel.

Posted by: Doctor Blind 2nd April 2018, 06:19 PM

I used to love Seven Days And One Week but I never knew what it was called.. a rare instrumental on the NOW series as it was on Now 35 IIRC. Tune though!

Edit - it also made me and Colm's http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=179328&st=920 *shameless plug*

Posted by: King Rollo 2nd April 2018, 06:40 PM

646. The Thin Wall - Ultravox (1981)


And those who sneer will fade and die
And those who laugh will surely fall
And those who know will always feel their backs against the thin wall

A top 20 hit from 'Rage In Eden'. The video was directed by Russell Mulcahy and is one of those arty,overblown 80s videos that haven't aged very well. The song itself still sounds great.

Posted by: King Rollo 2nd April 2018, 06:56 PM

645. Dancing In The Devil's Shoes - Guillemots (2011)


There's a ghost that finds me every single time I think of the games we'll miss
The playground and the avarice

From Guillemots' third album 'Walk The River'. I like the way the track steadily builds up and,as always,Fyfe Dangerfield's vocals are wonderful.

Posted by: Dancing Queef 2nd April 2018, 06:59 PM

'The Thin Wall' is good, I particularly like the chanted vocals in the verses and rather dancey (for the time) electronic beat.

7 Days and One Week is a great tune!

Posted by: King Rollo 3rd April 2018, 05:31 PM

QUOTE(Doctor Blind @ Apr 2 2018, 07:19 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 3rd April 2018, 05:43 PM

644. 10538 Overture - Electric Light Orchestra (1971)


Did you hear the news,it came across the air today
Someone has been found on the rocks down in the bay

This was originally intended for The Move but it became ELO's first single. It's their only single released while Roy Wood was still in the group. 10538 is the number of an escaped prisoner and came from 1053,the number on the mixing console. The 8 was added to fit the melody. The guitar riff was later sampled by Paul Weller on his song 'The Changingman'.

Posted by: King Rollo 3rd April 2018, 05:59 PM

643. Dinosaur Adventure 3D - Underworld (2002)


From Underworld's sixth album 'A Hundred Days Off'. The sort of music that needs to be played loud to be fully appreciated. The album version is about 8 minutes long. This is the shorter single edit.

Posted by: King Rollo 3rd April 2018, 06:11 PM

642. In The Lap Of The Gods...Revisited - Queen (1974)


It's so easy but I can't do it
So risky but I gotta chance it

Written by Freddie Mercury as something the audience could sing along to when it was performed live. It does have that anthemic sound to it.

Posted by: King Rollo 3rd April 2018, 06:24 PM

641. Dresden - OMD (2013)


Set the dials to overload
My head is ready to explode

This is the best song from the three albums that OMD have recorded since they got back together in 2006. I like the keyboard riff in particular.

Posted by: King Rollo 4th April 2018, 05:42 PM

640. Group Four - Massive Attack (1998)


To think that I lay next to you
Wasting time when I could do
A simple job in strip lights

An eight minute track from the 'Mezzanine' album. I like Elizabeth Fraser's vocals on this and the way the music gradually speeds up towards its conclusion. Someone's put together a very impressive unofficial video for it.

Posted by: Dancing Queef 4th April 2018, 05:45 PM

Love in the Lap Of the Gods, and Brighton Rock is another great song from Queen's early era.

Posted by: King Rollo 4th April 2018, 05:50 PM

I love Brighton Rock. That will be coming up at some point.

Posted by: King Rollo 4th April 2018, 05:58 PM

639. The Sulphur Man - Doves (2002)


Through the streets and on your own
Almost lost and almost home

Another track from 'The Last Broadcast'. This features some strings,brass and woodwind to give it a bit of scale.

Posted by: King Rollo 4th April 2018, 06:14 PM

638. Man Of Our Times - Genesis (1980)


He brings another day,another night,another fight

A song from the 'Duke' album written by Mike Rutherford. This is where Phil Collins' drum sound gets bigger and heavier.

Posted by: King Rollo 4th April 2018, 06:29 PM

637. Safe From Harm - Narcotic Thrust (2002)


I need someone to find me
And do me right and keep me safe from harm

Some dance music now. This got to number 24 in the UK and number 1 on the US dance chart and features vocals from Yvonne John Lewis. Narcotic Thrust is an anagram of one its members,Stuart Chrichton.

Posted by: Dancing Queef 4th April 2018, 06:37 PM

Oh my! Safe From Harm is amazing, and I didn't expect it to be in your chart.

It has an excellent vocal and the instrumental does remind me a bit of the style of the instrumental of 'Cola' by Camelphat and Elderbrook this year, dark and atmospheric with a similar style of synths as well!

Another great atmospheric sounding dance track I really like from 2002 is Snap vs Plaything - Do You See the Light, I don't know if you have heard that one?

Posted by: King Rollo 4th April 2018, 06:39 PM

I thought 'Safe From Harm' would be your sort of thing,Snakey.

Posted by: King Rollo 5th April 2018, 05:22 PM

636. All I Want Is You - The Aloof (1998)


The air I can't consume
Cause all I want is you

How do I describe The Aloof? They are not quite trip hop. Wikipedia says they mix electronic and dance elements with dub influences so that will do. This is from the third of the four albums they released. I love the drums and sweeping strings on this one.

Posted by: King Rollo 5th April 2018, 05:40 PM

635. Wonder Milky Bitch - Air (2001)


You never wear cosmetic
You don't like arithmetic

This must be the filthiest song on my chart. It's about BJ and that doesn't stand for Buzzjack. I like the Wild West sound to the instrumentation which goes with the picture of Monument Valley on the album cover.

Posted by: King Rollo 5th April 2018, 05:50 PM

634. Bury It - Chvrches (2015)


I never promised you anything I couldn't do

Another song from 'Every Open Eye' with a catchy chorus. The single release featured Hayley Williams but I prefer this album version.

Posted by: Doctor Blind 5th April 2018, 06:12 PM

QUOTE(King Rollo @ Apr 4 2018, 06:58 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 5th April 2018, 06:12 PM

633. Go West - Pet Shop Boys (1993)


Life is peaceful there
In the open air

The Pet Shop Boys' fantastic cover version of the Village People song from 1979. It was stopped from reaching no.1 first by Culture Beat's 'Mr Vain',then by 'Boom! Shake The Room' by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.

Posted by: Chez Wombat 5th April 2018, 06:29 PM

Love Go West, don't get covers more epic and flamboyant than that! I think it's my favourite from the Pet Shop Boys.

Galvanize, They and Bright Eyes are also big favourites of mine, I actually heard the latter before I saw the movie and it was beautiful all the same. Those lyrics hit so hard

Posted by: Dancing Queef 5th April 2018, 07:21 PM

The Pet Shop Boys' cover of Go West is very good and epic. Love the video, and its retro computer graphics.

I like the over the top female backing vocal and the use of chanted vocals.

I think I remember 'Go West' still being played a bit on music channels when I was younger in the late 90s and I liked it back then.

Posted by: King Rollo 6th April 2018, 06:02 PM

632. Here To Stay (Felix Da Housecat Remix) - New Order (2002)


'Here To Stay' is from the movie '24 Hour Party People' with the role of Bernard Sumner played by John Simm. The single got to no.15 but I prefer this remix by Felix Da Housecat.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 6th April 2018, 06:19 PM

2 absolute classics for me in Go West and 10538 Overture, and Bright Eyes topped my charts but just missed my countdown, but Art has an alternative track in my list plus some with Paul Simon. Oddly enough his most awesome track never topped my chart (but it would now - Travelin' Boy is his greatest solo moment).

I'd forgotten that Paul McCartney track, a real goodie needing re-appreciation, and Ultravox is a great single too.

Posted by: King Rollo 6th April 2018, 06:36 PM

631. Montreal - Marillion (2012)


We were welcomed through arrivals without the usual transatlantic fuss
And greeted by the fans who led us to the chilly street onto the bus

A fourteen minute epic from their 17th album 'Sounds That Can't Be Made'. Every two years,Marillion organize weekends in three cities where they play three different sets from Friday to Sunday to the same crowd. A regular venue for one of these weekends is Montreal and the lyrics of this song are like entries in H's diary from leaving England to the start of the first gig (their singer Steve Hogarth is always called H as there are two Steves in the group).

Posted by: King Rollo 6th April 2018, 06:51 PM

630. You Came - Kim Wilde (1988)


Because you came and turned my life around
No one could take your place

A great little pop song from Kim Wilde. It was her fifth and final top 5 single.