Gallup were (if you didn't know) the compilers of the charts between 1983 and 1994 and took over from the BRMB who themselves had compiled the charts from 1969.

Actual weekly sales have recently come to light and are now presented to you in the same vein as the current 1994 thread. My thanks go to Robbie and kobyhadrain for sourcing the information and presenting it.

We'll start at the beginning given that it the 40 years since they took over so no better way to celebrate the golden age of the charts!

Relax and enjoy the year as we find out if there is something you should know in



PLEASE NO SPOILERS

Oh excited for this! So panel sales are 1/17th of market sales, is that how it worked?

Oh wow! This is going to be a joy to follow ^_^

Oh excited for this! So panel sales are 1/17th of market sales, is that how it worked?

Yes 17 is the multiplier for 1983

oh great looking forward to it, was too little to follow the charts back then so can do it now retrospectively

Very much looking forward to this! Some big sales early in this era especially.

15TH JANUARY

 

 

A new year, a new chart compiler (Gallup) and a new number one- yes it's all change as 1983 opens and Phil Collins ascends to the top spot 2-1 on a very healthy sale of 84,286 dwarfing the chart achievements of the original Supremes version which could only make No 3. For Collins it's now his biggest hit after he narrowly missed out on the main prize in 1981 with "In The Air Tonight" and spurs parent album "Hello I Must Be Going" back into the top 5 for the first time since its release nine weeks ago.

 

 

Don't let that impressive (for the time of the year) sale of "You Can't Hurry Love" fool you into thinking that the traditional January slump isn't a factor this year. On paper David Essex is the nearest challenger to Collins as he moves 3-2 with "A Winter's Tale" but in truth he sold just 43,639 copies and is in reality in no danger of making the top unless something dramatic happens, that's a mere 39% sales decrease. And further down Renee & Renato drop 1-3 with 39,066 copies that's a new low in that position for the decade and symbolic of the general decline in sales which has been on-going through much of 1982.

 

 

The post Christmas purge continues with a host of new entries to review. Firstly Wah! are the most recent incarnation for Pete Wylie who was of course one of the members of the group Crucial three with Ian McCulloch and Julian Cope, all of whom have now gone on to have top 20 hits in different guises, McCulloch with Echo & The Bunnymen and Cope with Teardrop Explodes. "The Story Of The Blues" is the band's first hit though they have been NME darlings for a few years, the track rises 34-6 (33,932) this week.

 

 

 

Originally issued in their native Australia on a self financed basis as a b-side in 1980 "Down Under" was too good to throw away and gets its star billing as A-side for Men At Work's second major release. The band's debut international release "Who Can It Be Now" surprisingly failed to make the top 40 getting no higher than No 45 in November, surprising because it had already been a US chart topper by that point but they have better luck this time around. "Down Under" has already topped charts in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Switzerland and this week also gives them a second US No 1 single, they haven't quite got there yet over here but the song rockets 38-7 (30,566) in just it's second week! The only slight spoke in the wheel in the release of their debut album this week which enters at No 12 and may detract some sales.

 

 

 

Famed more for his involvement in the punk movement and managing The Sex Pistols and Bow Wow Wow Malcolm McLaren becomes a chart star in his own right this week with "Buffalo Gals" climbing 11-9 (27,778). It's co-produced by Trevor Horn and is inspired by a recent trip to New York by McLaren who came upon a new genre called "scratching", the track features "World's famous Supreme Team" who are a hip hop team who give the air of authenticity to the track. Parent album "Duck Rock" is released next month and features Thomas Dolby amongst others.

 

 

 

Quite why they've developed a leather image is beyond me but it doesn't stop Bucks Fizz scoring their fifth top 10 single. Hard to believe the group are already on their third album which is due in March and will be called "Hand Cut", the first single "If You Can't Stand The Heat" rises 13-10 (25,194) this week as the group try to replicate last January when "Land Of Make Believe" emerged from the crowd to make it to the top, only time will tell if that has the same appeal.

 

 

Elsewhere Keith Harris & Orville move northward 8-4 (38,981) as Modern Romance make room for them and fall back 4-5 (37,706) and Culture Club run out of time and drop 6-8 (28,849)

 

1- YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE- Phil Collins (84,286)

2- A WINTER’S TALE- David Essex (43,639)

3- SAVE YOUR LOVE- Renee & Renato (39,066)

4- ORVILLE’S SONG- Keith Harris & Orville (38,981)

5- BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES- Modern Romance (37,706)

6- STORY OF THE BLUES- Wah! (33,932)

7- DOWN UNDER- Men At Work (30,566)

8- TIME (CLOCK OF THE HEART)- Culture Club (28,849)

9- BUFFALO GALS- Malcolm McLaren (27,778)

10- IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT- Bucks Fizz (25,194)

 

What a terrible way to begin!!! :(

 

Good job we have Men at Work coming to save us. Really like The Mighty Wah and Malcolm McLaren also. After that, Orville or David Essex is actually next in line for me! :D

:kink: Dandy

 

'Down Under' what a classic *.* I'll need to check out 'Story of the Blues' as I really like both Echo & The Bunnymen and The Teardrop Explodes.

The Story Of The Blues is fantastic. I played it on the Synctube listen through for Jester's album of the month by Life Story last week as one of the warm up songs while we were waiting for people to turn up.

 

The songs by Bucks Fizz, Malcolm McLaren, Men At Work, David Essex and Phil Collins are also good ones.

Come on, Spicy Girls!!!

Down Under the only decent song in the whole top ten!

Ooo exciting to have actual specific sales figures for this era. I wonder if it may give us more clarity on the Groove Is In The Heart situation for one thing and see exactly how close some other songs were to getting higher peaks.

 

As for the first top 10 above, yeah Down Under is easily the best I concur.

Well my favourite in that Top 10 is by Modern Romance :dancing:

Orville within 100 sales of the Top 3, aww

Ooo that was Orville's peak week as well.

 

Guess he (Orville was a male right?) wins the 'closest to a highest peak' award so far.

22ND JANUARY

 

 

Phil Collins holds at the top but expands sales wise by 48% to 124,865 not a bad increase but it doesn't appear to be "taking off" in the way that some previous big sellers have. Of course that could be due to the festive hangover still being around but it can't help that the album "Hello I Must Be Going" rises to No 3 today.

 

 

Bubbling up to No 2 are Men At Work with the current US No 1 "Down Under", sales swell to 106,865 and is, in theory anyway, good for the challenge to the top next week but the problem for them is two fold. Firstly album "Business As Usual" leaps 12-2 to overtake Collins and must be draining sales away from the single. The fact that the group are in the runner up spot in both charts after never having a presence in the top 40 just 4 weeks ago is a testament to just how they have managed to capture the UK interest so quickly.

 

 

The second problem for both Collins and Men At Work comes in the form of the newly resurgent Eddy Grant. His previous single "I Don't Wanna Dance" topped the charts for 3 weeks last November and now "Electric Avenue" powers 22-4 (52,224) in its second week, lyrically referring to the Brixton Riots last year it continues his long tradition of political themes in his music, the album "Killer On The Rampage" charges 50-27 and contains both of his top 5 hits, his eye will definitely be on the No 1 spot in 7 days time.

 

 

 

It may be their first hit but you're probably familiar with the lead singer of the group Maisonettes as he is a gentleman called Lol Mason who was the lead vocalist with City Boy who hit No 8 in 1978 with "5-7-0-5". The group split last year and this new group is Mason's new vehicle which this week tops the achievements of City Boy as "Heartache Avenue" moves 15-7 (38,692), it still has some way to go to be the biggest hit by a former member of City Boy, the drummer in that group, Roy Ward, was the real vocalist on Tight Fit's massive hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"!

 

 

 

Now experiencing his second top 10 hit Joe Jackson is back in the fray with "Steppin' Out" which progresses 19-8 (33,303). It's already been top 10 in the US last year, Jackson's only previous top 10 hit was of course "It's Different For Girls" which scraped the top 5 back in early 1980.

 

 

 

Subject to a bidding war last year when they left EMI The Stranglers were eventually snapped up by Epic and their debut album for the label "Feline" arrives at No 7 this week, meanwhile introductory single "European Female" climbs 16-9 (31,127) as part of the clearout.

 

 

Madness return to the top 10 with "Our House" back 13-10 (30,005) thanks to a few TV performances over the week. It's not the only climber as Wah accelerate 6-3 (59,925) but Keith Harris & Orville dip 4-5 (46,427) despite a sales increase and a TOTP performance, and David Essex falls back 2-6 (41,650).

 

 

 

1- YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE- Phil Collins (124,865)

2- DOWN UNDER- Men At Work (106,352)

3- STORY OF THE BLUES- Wah! (59,925)

4- ELECTRIC AVENUE- Eddy Grant (52,224)

5- ORVILLE’S SONG- Keith Harris & Orville (46,427)

6- A WINTER’S TALE- David Essex (41,650)

7- HEARTACHE AVENUE- Maisonettes (38,692)

8- STEPPIN OUT- Joe Jackson (33,303)

9- EUROPEAN FEMALE- The Stranglers (31,127)

10- OUR HOUSE- Madness (30,005)

 

I've swiftly grown to adore 'Heartache Avenue' after not being able to recall it on PopMaster just a couple of months ago :lol: :wub:

 

'Electric Avenue' is also good, think I discovered that through the 2001 Ringbang remix originally.

There's some good songs over these two weeks...

 

Phil Collins, Men At Work, WAH!, David Essex, Maisonettes, Bucks Fizz, Madness.

 

Obviously a few stinkers as well, but that's exactly the same 40 years later :lol:

European Female would be my pick of the four new songs this week but the other three are all good.

I wonder how often we’ll be seeing six figure top twos over the next few years