Motown: 30 at 50

Motown: 30 at 50

1959 to 2008 OCC Top 30 BBC Radio 2: 1st January 2009

This was broadcast a couple of years ago but I couldn't find it mentioned in any post.

Here is my attempt at estimated sales with comments below:

Position / Title / Artist / Year First Charted / My Estimated Sales

1. I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder (1984) 1,800,000

2. Hello - Lionel Richie (1984) 840,000

3. One Day In Your Life - Michael Jackson (1981) 800,000

4. Three Times A Lady - The Commodores (1978) 750,000?

5. Being With You - Smokey Robinson (1981) 640,000

6. All Night Long (All Night) - Lionel Richie (1983) 620,000

7. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye (1969) 500,000+

8. Baby Love - The Supremes (1964) 500,000

9. I Want You Back - The Jackson 5 (1970) 490,000

10. Happy Birthday - Stevie Wonder (1981) 485,000

11. Upside Down - Diana Ross (1980) 480,000

12. End Of The Road - Boyz II Men (1992) 480,000

13. Master Blaster (Jammin’) - Stevie Wonder (1980) 465,000

14. The Tears Of A Clown - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1970) 460,000

15. Reach Out I’ll Be There - Four Tops (1966) 460,000

16. What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted - Jimmy Ruffin (1966) 440,000

17. Under The Boardwalk - Bruce Willis (1987) 430,000

18. I’m Still Waiting - Diana Ross (1971) 420,000

19. Lately - Stevie Wonder (1981) 380,000

20. Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder (1977) 375,000

21. Part-Time Lover - Stevie Wonder (1985) 370,000

22. Where Did Our Love Go - The Supremes (1964) 370,000

23. I’ll Be There - The Jackson 5 (1970) 365,000

24. I’ve Never Been To Me – Charlene (1982) 360,000

25. Nightshift - The Commodores (1985) 360,000

26. Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday - Stevie Wonder (1969) 355,000

27. Stoned Love - The Supremes (1971) 355,000

28. With You I’m Born Again - Billy Preston and Syreeta (1979) 350,000

29. Indiana Wants Me - R. Dean Taylor (1971) 345,000

30. Easy - The Commodores (1977) 340,000

“The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles Volume 2” has sales to w/e 10th April 2010 and includes 1. I Just Called To Say I Love You at 1,815,000 and 15. Reach Out I’ll Be There at 470,000.

28. With You I’m Born Again featured in Radio 2’s “The UK’s 50 Bestselling Duets of All Time” broadcast on 3rd January 2011 and I estimate sales were 355,000. (By its position of 20. in the Duet Chart, Endless Love by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie (1981) sold about 435,000 but is not included by the compilers of the Motown Chart).

Music Week gave sales for 3. One Day In Your Life of 797,107 by w/e 6th September 2008 and 801,823 by w/e 4th July 2009. I calculate about 735,000 were in the 1980s.

The 1980s and 1992 figures are quoted or estimated from year-end charts, Record Mirror (1983 to 1991) and Music Week (1991 onwards), with reckoning for some download sales.

I think that I am not so far out with most of the titles (probably within about 20,000 sales) apart from 4. and 7., which are difficult to determine.