With just 24 hours to go until Kylie & Jason reunite for a very special one-off performance of Especially For You at Wednesday’s Pete Waterman presents Hit Factory Live, Hyde Park (CANCELLED), the event’s official online media partners OfficialCharts.com can today reveal the Top 40 biggest selling Hit Factory tracks of all time, as compiled by the Official Charts Company.

 

2012 is shaping up to be a real celebration of the hit single – this year marks the 60th anniversary of the UK’s Official Singles Chart (November) and this month in particular celebrates 25 years of PWL - the record label of pop mogul Pete Waterman, and arguably one of the most important labels in UK chart history.

 

PWL and the era-defining songwriting/production team that was Stock Aitken Waterman, launched the music career of Kylie Minogue and worked with successful pop acts including Steps, Jason Donovan, Donna Summer, Bananarama, Dead Or Alive, Rick Astley.

Official Hit Factory Chart Facts:

 

• The Top 10 were all Number 1 singles in the UK, selling more than 7 million copies.
• Steps’ chart-topping double A side of Heartbeat/Tragedy was also Steps’ first Number 1 and broke the hallowed million sales barrier - selling a cool 1.18m copies to date.
• Especially For You is the biggest selling single penned by the Stock Aitken Waterman creative partnership. Kylie & Jason’s reunion at this week’s Hit Factory Live will be their first performance of the track in 23 years.
• Especially For You actually appears twice in the Top 40 countdown – the original version at Number 2, and the 1998 cover version by Denise & Johnny (Denise Van Outen and Johnny Vaughan) for Children In Need at Number 38.
• The Top 40 sold in excess of 17 million singles in the UK and features 15 Number 1 singles.

Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot comments: "For the Official Charts, 2012 is all about celebrating 60 glittering years of the Official Singles Chart - and who can possibly ignore the impact of PWL and the era-defining Stock Aitken Waterman sound as part of that history. The Official Charts Company and OfficialCharts.com offer our heartfelt congratulations to Pete and the Hit Factory family for 25 poptastic years of one of the most important pop labels in UK chart history. Bring on Hit Factory Live!"

 

Commenting on the chart, Pete Waterman said “Looking at the Official Hit Factory Chart serves as a reminder of all the great artists and singles we’ve had the pleasure of working on throughout 25 years of PWL – and in the year that the Official Singles Chart itself turns 60, we’re proud to have played our own role in its wonderful history. On behalf of the artists featured, we look forward to reuniting this week at Hit Factory Live to celebrate!"

 

The full Official Hit Factory Top 40 is as follows:

01 HEARTBEAT / TRAGEDY STEPS

02 ESPECIALLY FOR YOU KYLIE & JASON

03 NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP RICK ASTLEY

04 YOU SPIN ME ROUND (LIKE A RECORD) DEAD OR ALIVE

05 I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY KYLIE MINOGUE

06 I HAVE A DREAM / SEASONS IN THE SUN WESTLIFE

07 RESPECTABLE MEL & KIM

08 NO LIMIT 2 UNLIMITED

09 HAND ON YOUR HEART KYLIE MINOGUE

10 TOO MANY BROKEN HEARTS JASON DONOVAN

11 DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS? BAND AID II

12 FERRY 'CROSS THE MERSEY VARIOUS

13 THE LOCO-MOTION KYLIE MINOGUE

14 ONE FOR SORROW STEPS

15 LET IT BE FERRY AID

16 SUDDENLY ANGRY ANDERSON

17 WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING KYLIE MINOGUE

18 YOU'LL NEVER STOP ME LOVING YOU SONIA

19 WHEN YOU COME BACK TO ME JASON DONOVAN

20 BETTER BEST FORGOTTEN STEPS

21 GET READY FOR THIS 2 UNLIMITED

22 5,6,7,8 STEPS

23 THANK ABBA FOR THE MUSIC VARIOUS

24 LAST THING ON MY MIND STEPS

25 GIVE ME JUST A LITTLE MORE TIME KYLIE MINOGUE

26 JE NE SAIS PAS POURQUOI KYLIE MINOGUE

27 SHOWING OUT (GET FRESH AT THE WEEKEND) MEL & KIM

28 BETTER THE DEVIL YOU KNOW KYLIE MINOGUE

29 WHENEVER YOU NEED SOMEBODY RICK ASTLEY

30 LOVE IN THE FIRST DEGREE BANANARAMA

31 HEARTACHE PEPSI & SHIRLIE

32 GOT TO BE CERTAIN KYLIE MINOGUE

33 THIS TIME I KNOW IT'S FOR REAL DONNA SUMMER

34 ESPECIALLY FOR YOU DENISE & JOHNNY

35 TOY BOY SINITTA

36 HELP! BANANARAMA & LANANEENEENOONOO

37 WHATEVER I DO (WHEREVER I GO) HAZELL DEAN

38 SEALED WITH A KISS JASON DONOVAN

39 BAKER STREET UNDERCOVER

40 LOVE'S GOT A HOLD ON MY HEART STEPS

 

 

Source: OCC

Which makes the top 2 artists are Steps and Kylie.

It's a shame that the weather / condition of Hyde Park meant that the Hit Factory Live concert was cancelled.

 

It was also a pity that the article gave no further indication of how close to the magic million mark 'Especially For You' was. Obviously the concert cancellation has been all over the news over the last couple of days, but even that extra publicity hasn't been enough to provide a return to the iTunes top 1000 for Kylie and Jason's 1988 duet.

I wonder what the official sales were for each song?some of these have either sold buckets on downloads or are mistakes? :huh:

Here are some estimates for the Top 40, using Record Mirror and Music Week published sales that I have collected.

 

Postions 20 to 40 should be accurate to 5,000 copies as there is not such a disparity in sales between the titles.

 

2 to 19 are more difficult to estimate and there are downloads to consider. Most should be correct within 20,000.

 

 

The Official Hit Factory Top 40

 

1 Heartbeat/Tragedy – Steps 1998 (1.18 million)

2 Especially For You - Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan 1988 (1 million)

3 Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley 1987 (800,000)

4 You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) - Dead Or Alive 1984 (700,000)

5 I Should Be So Lucky - Kylie Minogue 1988 (700,000)

6 I Have A Dream/Seasons In The Sun – Westlife 1999 (640,000)

7 Respectable - Mel & Kim 1987 (580,000)

8 No Limit - 2 Unlimited 1993 (540,000)

9 Hand On Your Heart - Kylie Minogue 1989 (500,000)

10 Too Many Broken Hearts - Jason Donovan 1989 (480,000)

11 Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid II 1989 (470,000)

12 Ferry Across The Mersey - Various Artists 1989 (450,000)

13 The Loco-Motion - Kylie Minogue 1988 (450,000)

14 One For Sorrow – Steps 1998 (425,000)

15 Let It Be - Ferry Aid 1987 (425,000)

16 Suddenly - Angry Anderson 1988 (370,000)

17 Wouldn't Change A Thing - Kylie Minogue 1989 (370,000)

18 You'll Never Stop Me Loving You – Sonia 1989 (365,000)

19 When You Come Back To Me - Jason Donovan 1989 (360,000)

20 Better Best Forgotten – Steps 1999 (355,000)

21 Get Ready For This - 2 Unlimited 1991 (355,000)

22 5,6,7,8 – Steps 1997 (340,000)

23 Thank ABBA For The Music - The ABBA Allstars 1999 (335,000)

24 Last Thing On My Mind – Steps 1998 (335,000)

25 Give Me Just A Little More Time - Kylie Minogue 1992 (335,000)

26 Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi - Kylie Minogue 1988 (330,000)

27 Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend) - Mel & Kim 1986 (330,000)

28 Better The Devil You Know - Kylie Minogue 1990 (330,000)

29 Whenever You Need Somebody - Rick Astley 1987 (330,000)

30 Love In The First Degree – Bananarama 1987 (330,000)

31 Heartache - Pepsi & Shirlie 1987 (330,000)

32 Got To Be Certain - Kylie Minogue 1988 (325,000)

33 This Time I Know It's For Real - Donna Summer 1989 (325,000)

34 Especially For You - Denise & Johnny 1998 (325,000)

35 Toy Boy – Sinitta 1987 (325,000)

36 Help! - Bananarama & Lananeeneenoonoo 1989 (320,000)

37 Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go) - Hazell Dean 1984 (310,000)

38 Sealed With A Kiss - Jason Donovan 1989 (300,000)

39 Baker Street – Undercover 1992 (295,000)

40 Love's Got A Hold On My Heart – Steps 1999 (295,000)

Edited July 17, 201213 yr by SimonW

Really gutted that the show was cancelled, apparently it won't be rescheduled cos Steps aren't available, but screw Steps, I was going for Kylie and Jason :kink: Anyway interesting chart to see, though some of the entries are really random. ASIF Undercover nearly went platinum :lol:

yes a lot of these positions are incorrect. bless the OCC.

What do you mean Steps won't be avaliable.

What do you mean Steps won't be avaliable.

 

 

As they are performing at the Central Hall in Chatham this summer, I could go and see them as I live very close to Chatham its only 3 miles from me, but they are not my thing. :(

What do you mean Steps won't be avaliable.

 

What I said - they are busy touring so they won't be available to perform at the Hit Factory concert if it is changed to another date.

Gezza can you elaborate on your "bless the OCC" incorrect sales comment? (e.g. who/what sales?). I know you "were at Woodstock" so to speak and are often knowledgeable on these matters! :P

Here's my version (I haven't included some totals as either I haven't properly estimated them yet or they would interfere with my 80s thread)

 

The full Official Hit Factory Top 40 is as follows:

01 HEARTBEAT / TRAGEDY STEPS 1.52M (09 figure)

02 ESPECIALLY FOR YOU KYLIE & JASON

03 NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP RICK ASTLEY

04 YOU SPIN ME ROUND (LIKE A RECORD) DEAD OR ALIVE 527k (80s figure)

05 I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY KYLIE MINOGUE 652k (80s figure)

06 I HAVE A DREAM / SEASONS IN THE SUN WESTLIFE 622k (04 figure)

07 RESPECTABLE MEL & KIM

08 NO LIMIT 2 UNLIMITED 532k (90s figure)

09 HAND ON YOUR HEART KYLIE MINOGUE 419k (80s figure)

10 TOO MANY BROKEN HEARTS JASON DONOVAN 471k (80s figure)

11 DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS? BAND AID II 424k (2011 figure)

12 FERRY 'CROSS THE MERSEY VARIOUS 333k (80s figure)

13 THE LOCO-MOTION KYLIE MINOGUE 354k (80s figure)

14 ONE FOR SORROW STEPS 399k (09 figure)

15 LET IT BE FERRY AID 424k (80s figure)

16 SUDDENLY ANGRY ANDERSON

17 WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING KYLIE MINOGUE 329k (80s figure)

18 YOU'LL NEVER STOP ME LOVING YOU SONIA 346k (80s figure)

19 WHEN YOU COME BACK TO ME JASON DONOVAN

20 BETTER BEST FORGOTTEN STEPS 341k (09 figure)

21 GET READY FOR THIS 2 UNLIMITED 353k (90s figure)

22 5,6,7,8 STEPS 316k (09 figure)

23 THANK ABBA FOR THE MUSIC VARIOUS 334k (90s figure)

24 LAST THING ON MY MIND STEPS 329k (09 figure)

25 GIVE ME JUST A LITTLE MORE TIME KYLIE MINOGUE 138k (90s figure)

26 JE NE SAIS PAS POURQUOI KYLIE MINOGUE 284k (80s figure)

27 SHOWING OUT (GET FRESH AT THE WEEKEND) MEL & KIM

28 BETTER THE DEVIL YOU KNOW KYLIE MINOGUE 220k (90s figure)

29 WHENEVER YOU NEED SOMEBODY RICK ASTLEY

30 LOVE IN THE FIRST DEGREE BANANARAMA

31 HEARTACHE PEPSI & SHIRLIE 337k (80s figure)

32 GOT TO BE CERTAIN KYLIE MINOGUE 271k (80s figure)

33 THIS TIME I KNOW IT'S FOR REAL DONNA SUMMER 319k (80s figure)

34 ESPECIALLY FOR YOU DENISE & JOHNNY 312k (90s figure)

35 TOY BOY SINITTA 319k (80s figure)

36 HELP! BANANARAMA & LANANEENEENOONOO 276k (80s figure)

37 WHATEVER I DO (WHEREVER I GO) HAZELL DEAN 319k (80s figure)

38 SEALED WITH A KISS JASON DONOVAN 294k (80s figure)

39 BAKER STREET UNDERCOVER 292k (90s figure)

40 LOVE'S GOT A HOLD ON MY HEART STEPS 293k (09 figure)

 

I've included how recent my figure is and should be indicitive enough to show how erroneous the list is. Obviously downloads would have changed most of my figures but NOT as much as clearly they would have to to make this correct.