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Posted by: madollar 14th January 2015, 10:10 PM

Every chart source suggests Tainted Love by Soft Cell as the biggest selling single of 1981 in the UK, but The Human League's Don't You Want Me outsold it but fails to appear in the year end chat.
Anyone have any background information on this?

Posted by: Suedehead2 14th January 2015, 10:15 PM

At that time, the cut-off for the year-end chart was around mid-December. That is why Bohemian Rhapsody wasn't even in the top ten for 1975.

Posted by: madollar 14th January 2015, 10:18 PM

That's a bit daft. Has anyone ever published a revised chart for 1981? It's just so weird that the million selling Don't You Want Me doesn't exist on either the 1981 or 1982 charts.

Posted by: Gezza 14th January 2015, 10:31 PM

There are various versions of what a revised chart "might" look like but the truth is that BMRB didn't collect data for the Christmas period of any year for which they compiled the charts (1969-1982) so no-one has this info. The "million selling" status of DYWM comes from, in all probability, the record label so it may be a shipment figure like many of the 1980's singles sales. For my version see here http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=143546 but this will show only what can be "evidenced" by panel sales of the time and does not try to "predict" the missing week in 1981 where it sales would probably have been in excess of 200k.

Posted by: KARENGOLDSTONE 15th January 2015, 12:13 PM

3 Year End charts for 1981 were published. In the 2nd the League are 21. In the 3rd, they are 5.

Posted by: KARENGOLDSTONE 15th January 2015, 01:11 PM

The final top 10:
1 soft cell 990,000
2 stand & deliver 860,000
3 prince charming 750,000
4 this ole house 740,000
5 league 739,000
6 vienna 735,000
7 one day in your life 725,000
8 making your mind up 717,000
9 shaddup you face 708,000
10 birdie song 670,000

estimated figures. which suggest the League would of finished the year at 2 (with a missed week included). Passing a million on w/k ending Saturday 16th Jan 82 (sales period Monday 4th Jan to Saturday 9th).

Posted by: madollar 15th January 2015, 08:01 PM

Thanks to everyone for their response-very interesting!