Crackers International sold over 400,000 in the end. Impressive.

Yeah... I can't imagine ABBA-Esque sold much more than that given the sales climate in 1992, if it even did outsell it at all?

Edited January 19, 201510 yr by مدهش*

No. I think it sold 425,000 and Sometimes also cleared 400,000

Chains Of Love is one of my fave Erasure tracks, I was expecting it to be higher due to it's USA success and was always a little surprised it wasnt bigger n the UK. The Abba EP was fun, but I couldn't take them as seriously as the originals, loved the TACOM video, Lay All Your Love was the best track though - obviously Blue Savannah should have been number one, along with Sometimes (both topped my charts, the only official alternative UK pop charts available :lol: )

 

A Little Respect is probably the most well-known though (hit 3 in my charts) so I'd guess that at 1 just ahead of them, and maybe Drama! and Love To hate You...

 

or not!

A bit disappointing that Ship of Fools didn't make the top 10, much better than most of the top 10 IMO.

Breathe is only there because it was a hit. I'm happy that Fingers and Thumbs is still in it bit it will be out soon.

 

Top 3 prediction

 

1 A Little Respect

2 Love to Hate You

3 Blue Savanah

 

The top 3 I'd like

 

1 Fingers and Thumbs

2 Love to Hate You

3 Chorus

Rooting for a 'Sometimes' win!

This countdown is as FABULOUS as their discography. Feather boas AHOY

 

We appear to have managed a quite REASONABLE top 10 there, although I'd have liked it more with Stop and Am I Right in the place of Fingers And Thumbs and Breathe. I think Tony might be quite right on the latter - I like it mostly because it achieved the seemingly impossible of granting Erasure a top 5 hit in 2005; an era ruled by rappers, crunk, and Elvis Presley reissues.

 

I can only echo Dandu*'s sentiments on the musical heroine that is MC Kinky. Truly a visionary, and I'm sure we can all agree that without her bravely paving the way, there'd be no Nicki Minaj, Iggy Azalea or Deetah in the current age.

 

 

MANDATORY TOP 3

 

01. You Surround Me

02. Chorus

03. Blue Savannah

Edited January 21, 201510 yr by Shoat

Ah, I hadn't even heard Breathe or Fingers and Thumbs, so that makes sense now.

 

I'm actually amazed that You Surround Me is even in the Top 10, do you really like it that much?

You Suround Me has a great verse. It's my fave off Wild!

Top 10 time then...

 

 

http://img11.nnm.ru/imagez/gallery/a/a/5/8/c/aa58c525085f8f8a5d3f6d2c2a57e410_full.jpg

10 • Drama! • 8.125

UK Chart • 6-4-6-14-27-33-47-73

 

First to fall in the top 10 is the first single from Wild!, one of three singles from that album to make the top 10 here. I absolutely adore this one... it's just so unbelievably OTT and fits it's title so perfectly, a continually building arrangement coupled with frankly amazing and borderline prophetic lyrics about how modern culture would evolve over the next decade... the video was a favourite of mine too as Vince has one of those keyboard guitar things that I wanted so badly as a child, only his isn't made by Tomy. And, of course, Andy Bell being oh so damning about it all as he takes on the role of the gay messiah judging each and every one of us as a range of budget household items and rubbish gradually engulf him, performing forever in a state of fear of being knocked unconscious by a falling sodastream. But in all seriousness, I really do think this was such a distinctive lyric for them to come back with against the backdrop of all the identikit SAW penned weak love songs with tinny production that were flooding the charts back in 1989. The lines "A fifty second capacity of mind too demanding" and "Your shame is never ending, just one psychological drama after another" are my personal highlights, it's like they knew the internet was going to evolve into Buzzjack. YOU ARE GUILTY! (GUILTY!)

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 201510 yr by مدهش*

http://www.onges-erasure-page.co.uk/wp-content/images/oep/the-circus-single-7.jpg

9 • The Circus • 8.143

UK Chart • 38-21-12-7-6-11-19-29-42-69

 

So we move on from a look into the future to a look back to the past with the title track of their second album 'The Circus'. The groups singles prior to this one had all been various shades of mid to uptempo chart friendly pop (even if the chart was not always their friend in return) where as this was a comparatively downtempo and serious lyric. Essentially the track is their attempt at social commentary on the changing employment landscape of the mid 80s as traditional industries were being challenged under a Thatcher led era and were making way for a vision of the future full of technology and a vastly different skill set. The video and orchestration also both point towards the past with a hazy view of the shipping industry set to the sound of an accordion. Despite all of this not pointing towards a hit, it went on to became their second highest peaking single to date when it crept up to number six in November 1987.

 

I didn't expect You Surround Me to do better than Drama!

http://mute.com/wp-content/uploads/1995/11/erasure-fingers-and-thumbs-cold-summers-day-mute178-560x560.jpg

8 • Fingers and Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day) • 8.333

UK Chart • 20-48-68

 

Finally bowing out at the very respectable position of eighth is the highlight single from their self titled album. The rather oddly titled track is one of the more uptempo tracks on the album and, much like the other singles from this era, was released in a much edited version for it's single release. Despite the swirling synths and classic Erasure bridge and hook heavy chorus sounding straight out of their peak, it all hides a rather bleak lyrics under the surface as Andy tells us about his experiences of the gay scene with a tale of love and loss as HIV became so prevalent, something he of course has first hand experience of. The video mirrors the song's contrast perfectly, a tale of loss set to the theme of the lights and energy of the fairground... the excitement of getting caught up in the moment for the thrill of it before seeing beyond that to face the reality of the consequences. One of their best for me, indeed both Tony and I awarded this our respective 11s ending as the only track to receive more than one.

 

I didn't expect You Surround Me to do better than Drama!

Me neither... although I do love both. Doing this rate has really made me revisit them and realise yet again just how strong their singles catalogue was until 1997.

http://ring.cdandlp.com/gmsi/photo_grande/115312955.jpg

7 • Sometimes • 8.375

UK Chart • 68-57-43-33-16-7-3-2-5-5-7-7-9-17-31-48-67

 

Finishing seventh is their first proper hit single in the form of 'Sometime', the only Erasure song that you are likely to find on every 80s compilation going as though they were a one hit wonder. To be honest, this isn't one of my favourites of theirs although I can see why it was the one that broke them as it contains the synth line in the chorus that sounds like it's lifted straight from Vince's earlier work with Yazoo. In fact, dare I say it, Alison Moyet would probably have made a better vocalist on it. The song was also the first to debut Andy's complete lack of self awareness, to this day I simply cannot imagine who thought it would be a good idea to have him flailing around on a roof among some washing that's been put out to dry. It showcases absolutely nothing but teaches us two important facts: namely a) that Andy Bell cannot dance to save his life and b) that precious few of us look good in a white t-shirt when it rains. And what about the washing Andy? You've only just done it and it's getting soaked!

 

oh dear that's 2 of my 3 faves/guesses down already! Things not looking optimistic for Blue Savannah :(

http://vinyl.clocks.cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/erasure-blue_savannah1.jpg

6 • Blue Savannah • 8.375

UK Chart • 12-8-3-4-5-14-16-22-35-59

 

Now then Andy, what have we just learned from the video to Sometimes?!! It is not acceptable for you to wear white t-shirts and the answer to solving this is simply NOT to get a blue hand to fly over the outskirts of Telford, across several Ford Transits, into a warehouse to encourage you to remove said white t-shirt so it can paint you bloody blue and sprinkle the contents of a Claire's Accessories closing down sale all over you and poor Vince - who incidentally has never looked less comfortable about being along for the ride. What the hell is this video about?!!! And, for that matter, the song itself?!!! I have literally no idea what is going on but I do rather love this with it's chiming synths and sweeping piano sections, the middle section with layer upon layer upon layer of Andy's vocals is also a rather lovely distraction... and one that did rather well for them as it stormed up the chart to become their third top three hit.

 

(cue aforementioned popchartfreak moaning that was promised now it's not number one)

 

Edited January 24, 201510 yr by مدهش*

As Muttley used to say:

 

"Rassmfrassmrassm" :lol:

http://www.recordsale.de/cdpix/e/erasure-chorus(2).jpg

5 • Chorus • 8.625

UK Chart • 3-3-4-5-11-18-30-49-65

 

Beginning the top five we have the first and title single from the Chorus era. The air raid siren is quite the opening statement to both the track and parent album as it brought in yet another top three single for the duo. Chorus holds particularly fond memories for me as it's the point where I really starting looning over Erasure, I think I had at least five different versions of this single alone(!) and I talked about how great it was non-stop to all my friends until I absolutely put every else I knew off ever liking it at all. Lyrically, this one feels like a continuation of some of the themes explored on earlier tracks such as the Circus and Drama! as we're faced with a vision of the future where we tamper with things to the extent of "covering up the sun" until we've well and truly messed up the environment we live in until the nature we take for granted have all died out. So essentially we're all guessing Andy votes Green at the next election.