17th November 1985

 

2 weeks on top for Feargal Sharkey, as Stairway To Heaven climbs to 2, and Wham! shoot up 30 to 6 with I'm Your Man. The Waterboys & Eurythmics both go top 10, giving Aretha Franklin a 2nd top 10 of the year after a 14 year gap since her previous - Spanish Harlem. My boys climb into the 20 for the first time, and never long absnet from it ever since, Neil & Chris and West End Girls. Sun City climbs fast, as do ones they protest, Queen , hot off Live Aid's show-stopping set.

 

Highest new entry is a debut, a promising (largely unfulfilled, if hugely successful) classy start from Whitney Houston, cousin of Dionne Warwick, who brings her pop friends along (such as Elton, Stevie & Gladys) a charity record for the rapidly-spreading new deadly disease AIDS. Written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, it was the first time Burt & Dionne had hit together since the 60's, and That's What Friends Are For enters lower at 64.

 

Tina Turner is beside herself with Mad Max joy, literally, along with Bryan Adams. David Grant & Jaki Graham are mated (not really, cos I saw David Grant on TV this morning on a serious news item with his actual wife on behalf of children with learning difficulties) at 29, while Fine Young Cannibals, Midge Ure and Dee C. Lee (no longer backing Wham! she's backing her own man, Paul Weller, who's one place above her at 37).

 

Princess joins King and Queen, though not Prince sadly, with her 2nd hit, Glenn Frey flies solo from The Eagles with his best single, You belong To The City, The Cult make it a quick trio of hits, though not the Beatles' Revolution, B side to my first chart Number One Hey Jude - despite Paul McCartney also entering with a comedy movie theme: Spies Like Us was as good as the film. Spirited effort but not that great.

 

Lionel Richie somehow breaks into the bottom end with another dull ballad, Say Who? Say Me! New Order find themselves a bit subcultured, and Go West return with another goodie.

 

1 ( 1 ) A GOOD HEART Feargal Sharkey

2 ( 3 ) STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN Far Corporation

3 ( 4 ) DON’T BREAK MY HEART UB40

4 ( 5 ) ROAD TO NOWHERE Talking Heads

5 ( 2 ) CITIES IN DUST Siouxsie & The Banshees

6 ( 36 ) I’M YOUR MAN Wham!

7 ( 10 ) HEART AND SOUL Huey Lewis & The News

8 ( 18 ) THE WHOLE OF THE MOON The Waterboys

9 ( 20 ) SISTERS ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin

10 ( 11 ) LOST WEEKEND Lloyd Cole & The Commotions

 

11 ( 8 ) SOMETHING ABOUT YOU Level 42

12 ( 7 ) TAKE ON ME A-Ha

13 ( 6 ) NIKITA Elton John

14 ( 27 ) WEST END GIRLS Pet Shop Boys

15 ( 13 ) THE POWER OF LOVE Jennifer Rush

16 ( 19 ) YOU ARE MY WORLD The Communards

17 ( 12 ) SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM Grace Jones

18 ( 37 ) SUN CITY Artists Against Apartheid

19 ( 9 ) ALIVE AND KICKING Simple Minds

20 ( 49 ) ONE VISION Queen

 

21 ( 38 ) BROTHERS IN ARMS Dire Straits

22 ( 17 ) IF I WAS Midge Ure

23 ( 15 ) CLOUDBUSTING Kate Bush

24 ( 14 ) KING FOR A DAY The Thompson Twins

25 ( NEW ) SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU Whitney Houston

26 ( 16 ) (I’LL NEVER BE) MARIA MAGDALENA Sandra

27 ( 33 ) JUST FOR MONEY Paul Hardcastle

28 ( 24 ) IT’S A MANS MANS MANS MANS WORLD Brilliant

29 ( 73 ) MATED David Grant & Jaki Graham

30 ( 46 ) BLUE Fine Young Cannibals

 

31 ( 34 ) WHEN LOVE BREAKS DOWN Prefab Sprout

32 ( 23 ) ELECTION DAY Arcadia

33 ( 22 ) BRING ON THE DANCING HORSES Echo & The Bunnymen

34 ( 21 ) BIG DEAL Bobby G

35 ( 51 ) ONE OF THE LIVING Tina Turner

36 ( 42 ) IT’S ONLY LOVE Tina Turner & Bryan Adams

37 ( 28 ) THE LODGERS The Style Council

38 ( 69 ) SEE THE DAY Dee C. Lee

39 ( 58 ) WE BUILT THIS CITY Starship

40 ( 63 ) THAT CERTAIN SMILE Midge Ure

 

41 ( 26 ) THIS IS ENGLAND The Clash

42 ( 56 ) UNCLE SAM Madness

43 ( 30 ) ST. ELMO’S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION) John Parr

44 ( 25 ) RAIN The Cult

45 ( 45 ) DRIVE The Cars

46 ( 39 ) LEAN ON ME (AH-LI-AYO) Red Box

47 ( 43 ) RUNNING UP THAT HILL Kate Bush

48 ( NEW ) AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE Princess

49 ( 31 ) TRAPPED Colonel Abrams

50 ( NEW ) YOU BELONG TO THE CITY Glenn Frey

 

51 ( NEW ) REVOLUTION The Cult

52 ( 32 ) MIAMI VICE THEME Jan Hammer

53 ( 29 ) THE TASTE OF MY TEARS King

54 ( 44 ) PART TIME LOVER Stevie Wonder

55 ( 55 ) THE LAST KISS David Cassidy

56 ( 53 ) YOU AND YOUR HEART SO BLUE Bucks Fizz

57 ( 67 ) LOSE YOUR LOVE Blancmange

58 ( 41 ) THE GAMBLER Madonna

59 ( 35 ) LA FEMME ACCIDENT OMD

60 ( NEW ) SPIES LIKE US Paul McCartney

 

61 ( 40 ) AFTER THE FIRE Roger Daltrey

62 ( 61 ) MEGAREX T.Rex

63 ( 60 ) HOLIDAY Madonna

64 ( NEW ) THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR Dionne Warwick & Friends

65 ( 62 ) THERE MUST BE AN ANGEL (PLAYING WITH MY HEART) Eurythmics

66 ( NEW ) SAY YOU SAY ME Lionel Richie

67 ( NEW ) SUBCULTURE New Order

68 ( 66 ) “19” Paul Hardcastle

69 ( NEW ) DON’T LOOK DOWN Go West

70 ( 57 ) ANGEL Madonna

 

71 ( 68 ) OH SHEILA Take On The World

72 ( 47 ) REBEL YELL Billy Idol

73 ( 54 ) CLOSE TO ME The Cure

74 ( 52 ) LOVE LETTERS Marc Almond

75 ( 65 ) WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM? Blancmange

At 52, one of pop music’s unlikely collaborations, it’s Bill Sharpe of jazz-funk Shakatak and Gary Numan of decreasing commercial-pop-star fame experimental, melody-lite synth music. Well, waddya know, it’s fabulous, a career highlight for both, and high-time it was re-evaluated and pushed again in a film or advert.

 

Just looking through it now, and Change Your Mind is one of my favourite tracks of 1985 as it is well ahead of its time I think, the instrumental is almost like The Disciples sort of deep house style now in parts (apart from the beat of course which means it isn't quite house).

 

I also like Trans X - Living On Video from 1985, although the 1985 version is not as dancey as the 1982 version so I don't like it as much, I disagree it doesn't sound dated for 1985, in fact the style of synths if nothing else almost are a precursor of the 90s eurodance style I think.

 

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Back to this last one you put up though and Just For Money and West End Girls are my faves. Just for Money is really a taste of what is to come later in the 80s as dance music with samples and dramatic percussion sequences between parts of the song really starts to chart more, although this time the beat is slightly more developed as to be classified as house.

 

West End Girls is of course a classic and I am expecting it to do rather better than #14 in your chart. I remember it when I was younger (must have been in the late 90s) hearing it first being played on the older music channels my parents were watching (VH1 it might have been on). I thought what a weird name for a band 'The Pet Shop boys' but I liked the song anyway.

Edited November 24, 20177 yr by The Diplomat

Just looking through it now, and Change Your Mind is one of my favourite tracks of 1985 as it is well ahead of its time I think, the instrumental is almost like The Disciples sort of deep house style now in parts (apart from the beat of course which means it isn't quite house).

 

I also like Trans X - Living On Video from 1985, although the 1985 version is not as dancey as the 1982 version so I don't like it as much, I disagree it doesn't sound dated for 1985, in fact the style of synths if nothing else almost are a precursor of the 90s eurodance style I think.

 

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Back to this last one you put up though and Just For Money and West End Girls are my faves. Just for Money is really a taste of what is to come later in the 80s as dance music with samples and dramatic percussion sequences between parts of the song really starts to chart more, although this time the beat is slightly more developed as to be classified as house.

 

West End Girls is of course a classic and I am expecting it to do rather better than #14 in your chart. I remember it when I was younger (must have been in the late 90s) hearing it first being played on the older music channels my parents were watching (VH1 it might have been on). I thought what a weird name for a band 'The Pet Shop boys' but I liked the song anyway.

 

Hi Diplomat B-)

 

Thanks for the comments, I still love that Sharpe & Numan, The Paul Hardcastle did quite well in my charts at the time, I'm surprised to see, but 19 was a huge fave and I think I was just a tad disappointed, though (I'm playing it now for first time in 30 years) I can see what you mean about ahead of it's time, it fits in with Trapped and early house tracks as a precursor of what was to come in dance music.

 

You're right about West End Girls going higher, but will it top my chart or will I be late getting into them that big that soon? :o Nah, of course it's going to top my charts :lol:

 

Trans X, yes that 1982 version sounds a bit better to me too now I hear it (as I type), engagingly europop :)

 

cheers!

john

26th November 1985

 

It's Wham! grabbing a first week on top for the second time (three for George Michael) on a change of chart-day-of-the-week compilation for me, and with the then-traditional 3rd-week-in-November deluge of record releases - 20 new entries! Huey Lewis hits his chart-peak of 4, Pet Shop Boys break into the 10 for the first time, and John & Yoko get the highest new entries. Not actually their Christmas classic, though, it's a track off Yoko's fab new album with a fab new video, Hell In Paradise, outdoing her late husband's single release of his original 14-year-old album track as taken to 1 by Roxy Music 4 years earlier. In fact it's a real family affair, as John's son Julian enters with Because - not the Beatles classic album track, though, it's another offcut from Dave Clark's Time musical. Talking of The Beatles, The Thompson Twins enter at 45 with a cover of Revolution, B side to Hey Jude. Talking of the Beatles, Paul McC, John's co-writer in the Fabs (as if anyone didn't know) enters the 40 with his movie theme.

 

Talking of movie themes, Phil Collins duets with Marilyn Mansun. I mean McCoo. No, I mean Martin. Talking of Revolution, The Cult are one place higher than the different song of the same name. It's 1985, so Madonna must be due another monthly hit - and here it is, dressing us up at 14 with her best effort since Into The Groove. Slade are back! 14 years of singles chart entries, and in at 25. A mere 6 years since Roxanne, Sting has another solo single, but for once this one is worthy of having a The Police moniker. The sentiments of Russians were quite worthy of the time, and the moody sweeping classical Russian backdrop was also worthy of entering at 29.

 

Another Propaganda goodie into the 40, and a host of lesser entries, from Doug E. Fresh, Nik Kershaw, Five Star, Amazulu and China Crisis. Dream Academy cover The Smiths, Aretha Franklin keeps the revival zoomin' hot, Elton John is also on the 14-year-bandwagon, dragging along an uncredited modest George Michael I think, though these days it would guarantee a "featuring" credit on Wrap Her Up, hot on the heels of his uncredited vocal backing to the late David Cassidy. Simon May returns 9 years on from his excruciating Top Of The Pops live vocal experience, wisely sticking with his Orchestral TV Theme, and The New Seekers are back - guess what, 14-years-on. Spirit of '71! Sadly, there was no Lyn Paul, Eve Graham or Peter Doyle in the line-up, leaving only Paul Layton & Marty Kristian from the original hit-making band.

 

1 ( 6 ) I’M YOUR MAN Wham!

2 ( 1 ) A GOOD HEART Feargal Sharkey

3 ( 3 ) DON’T BREAK MY HEART UB40

4 ( 7 ) HEART AND SOUL Huey Lewis & The News

5 ( 2 ) STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN Far Corporation

6 ( 14 ) WEST END GIRLS Pet Shop Boys

7 ( NEW ) HELL IN PARADISE Yoko Ono

8 ( 9 ) SISTERS ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin

9 ( NEW ) JEALOUS GUY John Lennon

10 ( 4 ) ROAD TO NOWHERE Talking Heads

 

11 ( 8 ) THE WHOLE OF THE MOON The Waterboys

12 ( 10 ) LOST WEEKEND Lloyd Cole & The Commotions

13 ( 5 ) CITIES IN DUST Siouxsie & The Banshees

14 ( NEW ) DRESS YOU UP Madonna

15 ( 18 ) SUN CITY Artists Against Apartheid

16 ( 11 ) SOMETHING ABOUT YOU Level 42

17 ( 12 ) TAKE ON ME A-Ha

18 ( 25 ) SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU Whitney Houston

19 ( 21 ) BROTHERS IN ARMS Dire Straits

20 ( 20 ) ONE VISION Queen

 

21 ( 31 ) WHEN LOVE BREAKS DOWN Prefab Sprout

22 ( 13 ) NIKITA Elton John

23 ( 15 ) THE POWER OF LOVE Jennifer Rush

24 ( 30 ) BLUE Fine Young Cannibals

25 ( NEW ) DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES Slade

26 ( 29 ) MATED David Grant & Jaki Graham

27 ( 27 ) JUST FOR MONEY Paul Hardcastle

28 ( 17 ) SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM Grace Jones

29 ( NEW ) RUSSIANS Sting

30 ( 64 ) THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR Dionne Warwick & Friends

 

31 ( 16 ) YOU ARE MY WORLD The Communards

32 ( 40 ) THAT CERTAIN SMILE Midge Ure

33 ( 38 ) SEE THE DAY Dee C. Lee

34 ( 22 ) IF I WAS Midge Ure

35 ( 19 ) ALIVE AND KICKING Simple Minds

36 ( 60 ) SPIES LIKE US Paul McCartney

37 ( NEW ) P-MACHINERY (REMIX) Propaganda

38 ( 28 ) IT’S A MANS MANS MANS MANS WORLD Brilliant

39 ( 39 ) WE BUILT THIS CITY Starship

40 ( 57 ) LOSE YOUR LOVE Blancmange

 

41 ( 26 ) (I’LL NEVER BE) MARIA MAGDALENA Sandra

42 ( 23 ) CLOUDBUSTING Kate Bush

43 ( NEW ) THE SHOW Doug E. Fresh

44 ( 51 ) REVOLUTION The Cult

45 ( NEW ) REVOLUTION The Thompson Twins

46 ( 37 ) THE LODGERS The Style Council

47 ( 45 ) DRIVE The Cars

48 ( 48 ) AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE Princess

49 ( 24 ) KING FOR A DAY The Thompson Twins

50 ( 50 ) YOU BELONG TO THE CITY Glenn Frey

 

51 ( 42 ) UNCLE SAM Madness

52 ( 47 ) RUNNING UP THAT HILL Kate Bush

53 ( 46 ) LEAN ON ME (AH-LI-AYO) Red Box

54 ( 69 ) DON’T LOOK DOWN Go West

55 ( 55 ) THE LAST KISS David Cassidy

56 ( 34 ) BIG DEAL Bobby G

57 ( 66 ) SAY YOU SAY ME Lionel Richie

58 ( NEW ) BECAUSE Julian Lennon

59 ( 56 ) YOU AND YOUR HEART SO BLUE Bucks Fizz

60 ( NEW ) WHEN A HEART BEATS Nik Kershaw

 

61 ( 41 ) THIS IS ENGLAND The Clash

62 ( NEW ) R.S.V.P. Five Star

63 ( 36 ) IT’S ONLY LOVE Tina Turner & Bryan Adams

64 ( 62 ) MEGAREX T.Rex

65 ( 67 ) SUBCULTURE New Order

66 ( NEW ) SEPARATE LIVES Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin

67 ( NEW ) HOWARD’S WAY THEME The Simon May Orchestra

68 ( NEW ) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET ME GET WHAT I WANT Dream Academy

69 ( NEW ) DON’T YOU JUST KNOW IT Amazulu

70 ( NEW ) LET THE BELLS RING OUT FOREVER The New Seekers

 

71 ( NEW ) WRAP HER UP Elton John

72 ( 32 ) ELECTION DAY Arcadia

73 ( NEW ) TIME AIN’T ENOUGH Green On Red

74 ( NEW ) THE HIGHEST HIGH China Crisis

75 ( NEW ) WHO’S ZOOMING WHO Aretha Franklin

3rd December 1985

 

2 weeks on top for Wham! just holding off another top British duo, and Pet Shop Boys hit 2 with the classic West End Girls. Yoko Ono gets her first top solo hit in 5 years, since Walking On Thin Ice topped my chart, the final record she & John were working on the night of his murder, and John goes up one to 8. Sun City protest song hits 6, Madonna ends the year with a 6th top 10, and Whitney Houston gets a debut top 10.

 

Grant n Graham just miss out on a 2nd top 10 together, 5 years since David first had his Lynx, and Dionne Warwick is back in the top 20 3 years on from the last time, Dee C. Lee finally scrapes into the 20 with a great ballad that took me time to warm to, and Slade make their run of top 20's 14 years. Julian Lennon follows his dad into the 40, The Cult make it a hat-trick, and highest new entry is a christmas classic, as done by Broooooce, at 32, Santa Clause Is Coming To Town. Brucie's sax player gets his own debut at 60, Clarence Clemons bringing along Jackson Browne who first made my charts 13 years earlier with Doctor My Eyes.

 

The Cars return for a 3rd hit of the year, at 40, while at 66 it's another pop duet, as Bonnie Tyler extends her run of chart entries to 9 years, in hand with the fab Todd Rundgren who first made my charts with the fab I Saw The Light in 1972. The song and production is a Jim Steinman epic, as they all are in his style, but only hit big in Portugal, though Meatloaf finally got around to doing his version with Jim in 2016.

 

Bronski Beat have a new lead singer, Junior keeps popping in, Evelyn King hasn't dropped the Champagne, 7 years on from her first Shame, and Mr. Mister debut with a great song Broken Wings.

 

1 ( 1 ) I’M YOUR MAN Wham!

2 ( 6 ) WEST END GIRLS Pet Shop Boys

3 ( 2 ) A GOOD HEART Feargal Sharkey

4 ( 3 ) DON’T BREAK MY HEART UB40

5 ( 7 ) HELL IN PARADISE Yoko Ono

6 ( 15 ) SUN CITY Artists Against Apartheid

7 ( 14 ) DRESS YOU UP Madonna

8 ( 9 ) JEALOUS GUY John Lennon

9 ( 18 ) SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU Whitney Houston

10 ( 10 ) ROAD TO NOWHERE Talking Heads

 

11 ( 26 ) MATED David Grant & Jaki Graham

12 ( 8 ) SISTERS ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin

13 ( 4 ) HEART AND SOUL Huey Lewis & The News

14 ( 5 ) STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN Far Corporation

15 ( 11 ) THE WHOLE OF THE MOON The Waterboys

16 ( 30 ) THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR Dionne Warwick & Friends

17 ( 21 ) WHEN LOVE BREAKS DOWN Prefab Sprout

18 ( 12 ) LOST WEEKEND Lloyd Cole & The Commotions

19 ( 25 ) DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES Slade

20 ( 33 ) SEE THE DAY Dee C. Lee

 

21 ( 13 ) CITIES IN DUST Siouxsie & The Banshees

22 ( 24 ) BLUE Fine Young Cannibals

23 ( 58 ) BECAUSE Julian Lennon

24 ( 17 ) TAKE ON ME A-Ha

25 ( 37 ) P-MACHINERY (REMIX) Propaganda

26 ( 36 ) SPIES LIKE US Paul McCartney

27 ( 29 ) RUSSIANS Sting

28 ( 44 ) REVOLUTION The Cult

29 ( 32 ) THAT CERTAIN SMILE Midge Ure

30 ( 39 ) WE BUILT THIS CITY Starship

 

31 ( 16 ) SOMETHING ABOUT YOU Level 42

32 ( NEW ) SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN Bruce Springsteen

33 ( 19 ) BROTHERS IN ARMS Dire Straits

34 ( 23 ) THE POWER OF LOVE Jennifer Rush

35 ( 43 ) THE SHOW Doug E. Fresh

36 ( 22 ) NIKITA Elton John

37 ( 54 ) DON’T LOOK DOWN Go West

38 ( 48 ) AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE Princess

39 ( 28 ) SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM Grace Jones

40 ( NEW ) TONIGHT SHE COMES The Cars

 

41 ( 20 ) ONE VISION Queen

42 ( 45 ) REVOLUTION The Thompson Twins

43 ( 34 ) IF I WAS Midge Ure

44 ( 60 ) WHEN A HEART BEATS Nik Kershaw

45 ( 69 ) DON’T YOU JUST KNOW IT Amazulu

46 ( 38 ) IT’S A MANS MANS MANS MANS WORLD Brilliant

47 ( 57 ) SAY YOU SAY ME Lionel Richie

48 ( 71 ) WRAP HER UP Elton John

49 ( 35 ) ALIVE AND KICKING Simple Minds

50 ( 66 ) SEPARATE LIVES Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin

 

51 ( 47 ) DRIVE The Cars

52 ( 31 ) YOU ARE MY WORLD The Communards

53 ( 27 ) JUST FOR MONEY Paul Hardcastle

54 ( 55 ) THE LAST KISS David Cassidy

55 ( 42 ) CLOUDBUSTING Kate Bush

56 ( 68 ) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET ME GET WHAT I WANT Dream Academy

57 ( 52 ) RUNNING UP THAT HILL Kate Bush

58 ( 53 ) LEAN ON ME (AH-LI-AYO) Red Box

59 ( 51 ) UNCLE SAM Madness

60 ( NEW ) YOU’RE A FRIEND OF MINE Clarence Clemons & Jackson Browne

 

61 ( 41 ) (I’LL NEVER BE) MARIA MAGDALENA Sandra

62 ( 46 ) THE LODGERS The Style Council

63 ( 40 ) LOSE YOUR LOVE Blancmange

64 ( 64 ) MEGAREX T.Rex

65 ( 59 ) YOU AND YOUR HEART SO BLUE Bucks Fizz

66 ( NEW ) LOVING YOU’S A DIRTY JOB (BUT SOMEBODY'S GOTTA

DO IT) Bonnie Tyler & Todd Rundgren

67 ( NEW ) HIT THAT PERFECT BEAT Bronski Beat

68 ( 74 ) THE HIGHEST HIGH China Crisis

69 ( 75 ) WHO’S ZOOMING WHO Aretha Franklin

70 ( 70 ) LET THE BELLS RING OUT FOREVER The New Seekers

 

71 ( NEW ) OH LOUISE Junior

72 ( 61 ) THIS IS ENGLAND The Clash

73 ( NEW ) YOUR PERSONAL TOUCH Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King

74 ( NEW ) WHAT’S GONE WRONG The Untouchables

75 ( NEW ) BROKEN WINGS Mr. Mister

 

PLAYLIST OLDIES OF THE WEEK

 

1 MOON RIVER Greyhound

2 EVERYTHING I OWN Ken Boothe

3 IF NOT YOU Dr. Hook

10th December 1985

 

On top for the first time, and the first of dozens, it's Chris & Neil - dum dum dum dum-de-dum-dum. Holding off a reissued 1984 Band Aid chart-topper, still fresh and undimmed by 30-odd years of never-ending Christmas overkill. Sting shoots up Russians to 4, a sort of dark christmassy mood and his biggest solo hit to date. Julian Lennon gets a second top 10 and knocks out his dad.

 

Cameo enter at 19 with strange, but fab, song, ahead of the codpiece - it would eventually chart in the UK. A Mick Jagger album track joins the Yoko album track - veterans were now starting to opt out of singles off new albums, something which became huge business in the States in the 90's as physical singles died out to push album sales to new heights. Money money money! Mick's missus, of course, used to go out with Bryan Ferry - and he is also in looking Windswept. Fortunately Rupert Murdoch doesn't feature in the chart, though I did tweet him this week when he commented unbelievingly on global warming while flying over ice-swept northern hemispheres - IN MID-WINTER. What a dick. At least I can only assume that's why Jerry married the ageing multibillionaire.

 

No memory whatsoever of the Spacelings - one to youtube! However another overplayed christmas classic debuts at 60 - it's Shaky, with one of his occasional chart entries (in my charts, that is, 5 years non-stop in the UK charts). You all know it. Sheena Easton also has 5 years of occasional chart entries continued but her best Prince-days were still ahead. Another Christmas UK number one enters at 71 - well the song at any rate, for the Isley Brothers (sort of) 16 years into a chart career, and one year pre-Housemartins. That leaves comebacks for Mike Oldfield (topped my chart two times in 1974 with two albums - allowed because they were one track, essentially), and Joni Mitchell (1974 was also her best chart year for me) 15 years on from Big Yellow Taxi.

 

 

 

1 ( 2 ) WEST END GIRLS Pet Shop Boys

2 ( NEW ) DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS? Band Aid

3 ( 1 ) I’M YOUR MAN Wham!

4 ( 27 ) RUSSIANS Sting

5 ( 6 ) SUN CITY Artists Against Apartheid

6 ( 7 ) DRESS YOU UP Madonna

7 ( 9 ) SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU Whitney Houston

8 ( 5 ) HELL IN PARADISE Yoko Ono

9 ( 23 ) BECAUSE Julian Lennon

10 ( 4 ) DON’T BREAK MY HEART UB40

 

11 ( 11 ) MATED David Grant & Jaki Graham

12 ( 10 ) ROAD TO NOWHERE Talking Heads

13 ( 8 ) JEALOUS GUY John Lennon

14 ( 16 ) THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR Dionne Warwick & Friends

15 ( 3 ) A GOOD HEART Feargal Sharkey

16 ( 12 ) SISTERS ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin

17 ( 19 ) DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES Slade

18 ( 20 ) SEE THE DAY Dee C. Lee

19 ( NEW ) SHE’S STRANGE Cameo

20 ( 15 ) THE WHOLE OF THE MOON The Waterboys

 

21 ( 17 ) WHEN LOVE BREAKS DOWN Prefab Sprout

22 ( 13 ) HEART AND SOUL Huey Lewis & The News

23 ( 28 ) REVOLUTION The Cult

24 ( 40 ) TONIGHT SHE COMES The Cars

25 ( 30 ) WE BUILT THIS CITY Starship

26 ( 26 ) SPIES LIKE US Paul McCartney

27 ( 35 ) THE SHOW Doug E. Fresh

28 ( 14 ) STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN Far Corporation

29 ( 38 ) AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE Princess

30 ( 18 ) LOST WEEKEND Lloyd Cole & The Commotions

 

31 ( 37 ) DON’T LOOK DOWN Go West

32 ( 32 ) SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN Bruce Springsteen

33 ( 21 ) CITIES IN DUST Siouxsie & The Banshees

34 ( 24 ) TAKE ON ME A-Ha

35 ( 45 ) DON’T YOU JUST KNOW IT Amazulu

36 ( NEW ) HARD WOMAN Mick Jagger

37 ( 47 ) SAY YOU SAY ME Lionel Richie

38 ( 42 ) REVOLUTION The Thompson Twins

39 ( 67 ) HIT THAT PERFECT BEAT Bronski Beat

40 ( 48 ) WRAP HER UP Elton John

 

41 ( 33 ) BROTHERS IN ARMS Dire Straits

42 ( 25 ) P-MACHINERY (REMIX) Propaganda

43 ( 36 ) NIKITA Elton John

44 ( 44 ) WHEN A HEART BEATS Nik Kershaw

45 ( NEW ) WINDSWEPT Bryan Ferry

46 ( 50 ) SEPARATE LIVES Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin

47 ( 71 ) OH LOUISE Junior

48 ( 34 ) THE POWER OF LOVE Jennifer Rush

49 ( NEW ) LAST NIGHT I HAD THE STRANGEST DREAM The Spacelings

50 ( 22 ) BLUE Fine Young Cannibals

 

51 ( 60 ) YOU’RE A FRIEND OF MINE Clarence Clemons & Jackson Browne

52 ( 56 ) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET ME GET WHAT I WANT Dream Academy

53 ( 39 ) SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM Grace Jones

54 ( 43 ) IF I WAS Midge Ure

55 ( 66 ) LOVING YOU’S A DIRTY JOB (BUT SOMEBODY'S GOT TO DO IT) Bonnie Tyler & Todd Rundgren

56 ( 54 ) THE LAST KISS David Cassidy

57 ( 51 ) DRIVE The Cars

58 ( 31 ) SOMETHING ABOUT YOU Level 42

59 ( 41 ) ONE VISION Queen

60 ( NEW ) MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE Shakin’ Stevens

 

61 ( 29 ) THAT CERTAIN SMILE Midge Ure

62 ( 75 ) BROKEN WINGS Mr. Mister

63 ( 46 ) IT’S A MANS MANS MANS MANS WORLD Brilliant

64 ( NEW ) HEART OF LOTHIAN Marillion

65 ( 69 ) WHO’S ZOOMING WHO Aretha Franklin

66 ( NEW ) LEAVING ME NOW Level 42

67 ( 57 ) RUNNING UP THAT HILL Kate Bush

68 ( 64 ) MEGAREX T.Rex

69 ( NEW ) DO IT FOR LOVE Sheena Easton

70 ( NEW ) FOREVER BE Sal Solo

 

71 ( NEW ) CARAVAN OF LOVE Isley Jasper isley

72 ( NEW ) PICTURES IN THE DARK Mike Oldfield

73 ( 55 ) CLOUDBUSTING Kate Bush

74 ( 62 ) THE LODGERS The Style Council

75 ( NEW ) GOOD FRIENDS Joni Mitchell

 

PLAYLIST OLDIES

1 KITES Simon Dupree & The Big Sound

2 LONELY THIS CHRISTMAS Mud

3 MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY Slade

17th December 1985

 

It's only one week on top for West End Girls, as a recent Christmas Classic enters back on top, Wham! very nearly replacing themselves at 1 but for Pet Shop Boys. Cameo go top 10, She's Strange that one, and Shaky's xmas now-perennial leaps into the 40 for the first time. Lots of climbers due to a lack of new entries, which back in the day was the norm. Or now, in fact, bar the oldies xmas invasions that I used to do in my own charts and now happens in the actual official charts everywhere.

 

Amii Stewart has a new duetting partner for her old Johnny Bristol hit mash-up of 2 Smokey Robinson songs, My Guy My Girl and Sophie George is too Girlie Girlie, too. A forgotten xmas song from Bryan Adams, I doubt I've heard Christmas Time in 32 years....! On the other hand, Walking In The Air and Aled Jones were regular xmas airplay and TVplay oldies - and here they are - but not quite as you might guess. I never liked Aled's version of Walking In The Air, so it's the original TV "Snowman" soundtrack that enters, while Aled gives Mike Oldfield a festive hand. Mike, of course, has had several xmas hits, none of them actually mentioning xmas at all, preferring a more traditional solstice theme.

 

 

1 ( NEW ) LAST CHRISTMAS Wham!

2 ( 1 ) WEST END GIRLS Pet Shop Boys

3 ( 4 ) RUSSIANS Sting

4 ( 2 ) DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS? Band Aid

5 ( 3 ) I’M YOUR MAN Wham!

6 ( 7 ) SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU Whitney Houston

7 ( 6 ) DRESS YOU UP Madonna

8 ( 9 ) BECAUSE Julian Lennon

9 ( 19 ) SHE’S STRANGE Cameo

10 ( 11 ) MATED David Grant & Jaki Graham

 

11 ( 5 ) SUN CITY Artists Against Apartheid

12 ( 10 ) DON’T BREAK MY HEART UB40

13 ( 12 ) ROAD TO NOWHERE Talking Heads

14 ( 17 ) DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES Slade

15 ( 25 ) WE BUILT THIS CITY Starship

16 ( 18 ) SEE THE DAY Dee C. Lee

17 ( 27 ) THE SHOW Doug E. Fresh

18 ( 29 ) AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE Princess

19 ( 8 ) HELL IN PARADISE Yoko Ono

20 ( 13 ) JEALOUS GUY John Lennon

 

21 ( 16 ) SISTERS ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin

22 ( 15 ) A GOOD HEART Feargal Sharkey

23 ( 20 ) THE WHOLE OF THE MOON The Waterboys

24 ( 24 ) TONIGHT SHE COMES The Cars

25 ( 32 ) SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN Bruce Springsteen

26 ( 14 ) THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR Dionne Warwick & Friends

27 ( 31 ) DON’T LOOK DOWN Go West

28 ( 39 ) HIT THAT PERFECT BEAT Bronski Beat

29 ( 60 ) MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE Shakin’ Stevens

30 ( 35 ) DON’T YOU JUST KNOW IT Amazulu

 

31 ( 26 ) SPIES LIKE US Paul McCartney

32 ( 22 ) HEART AND SOUL Huey Lewis & The News

33 ( 38 ) REVOLUTION The Thompson Twins

34 ( 21 ) WHEN LOVE BREAKS DOWN Prefab Sprout

35 ( 40 ) WRAP HER UP Elton John

36 ( 28 ) STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN Far Corporation

37 ( 37 ) SAY YOU SAY ME Lionel Richie

38 ( 47 ) OH LOUISE Junior

39 ( 46 ) SEPARATE LIVES Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin

40 ( 45 ) WINDSWEPT Bryan Ferry

 

41 ( 33 ) CITIES IN DUST Siouxsie & The Banshees

42 ( 34 ) TAKE ON ME A-Ha

43 ( 36 ) HARD WOMAN Mick Jagger

44 ( 42 ) P-MACHINERY (REMIX) Propaganda

45 ( 51 ) YOU’RE A FRIEND OF MINE Clarence Clemons & Jackson Browne

46 ( 23 ) REVOLUTION The Cult

47 ( 52 ) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET ME GET WHAT I WANT Dream Academy

48 ( 49 ) LAST NIGHT I HAD THE STRANGEST DREAM The Spacelings

49 ( 30 ) LOST WEEKEND Lloyd Cole & The Commotions

50 ( 55 ) LOVING YOU’S A DIRTY JOB (BUT SOMEBODY'S GOT TO DO IT) Bonnie Tyler & Todd Rundgren

 

51 ( 62 ) BROKEN WINGS Mr. Mister

52 ( 43 ) NIKITA Elton John

53 ( NEW ) MY GUY MY GIRL Amii Stewart & Deon Estus

54 ( 64 ) HEART OF LOTHIAN Marillion

55 ( 65 ) WHO’S ZOOMING WHO Aretha Franklin

56 ( 56 ) THE LAST KISS David Cassidy

57 ( 66 ) LEAVING ME NOW Level 42

58 ( 57 ) DRIVE The Cars

59 ( 54 ) IF I WAS Midge Ure

60 ( 41 ) BROTHERS IN ARMS Dire Straits

 

61 ( 48 ) THE POWER OF LOVE Jennifer Rush

62 ( NEW ) GIRLIE GIRLIE Sophie George

63 ( 53 ) SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM Grace Jones

64 ( NEW ) CHRISTMAS TIME Bryan Adams

65 ( 59 ) ONE VISION Queen

66 ( 44 ) WHEN A HEART BEATS Nik Kershaw

67 ( 67 ) RUNNING UP THAT HILL Kate Bush

68 ( 68 ) MEGAREX T.Rex

69 ( 69 ) DO IT FOR LOVE Sheena Easton

70 ( NEW ) WALKING IN THE AIR Peter Auty & The Sinfonia Of London

 

71 ( 72 ) PICTURES IN THE DARK Mike Oldfield with Aled Jones

72 ( 73 ) CLOUDBUSTING Kate Bush

73 ( 58 ) SOMETHING ABOUT YOU Level 42

74 ( NEW ) RING OF ICE Jennifer Rush

75 ( 74 ) THE LODGERS The Style Council

 

Pre-Xmas Oldies playlist:

 

1 I’M GONNA BE STRONG Gene Pitney

2 LONELY THIS CHRISTMAS Mud

3 WE CAN WORK IT OUT The Beatles

Hit That Perfect Beat is brill, fabulous energetic dance song at a time when there was little of what could be defined as electronic dance in the charts, didn't know it was a new singer for it though :o

 

1985 seems to have been an excellent year for music. Recently rediscovered 'If I Was' by Midge Ure and 'Tarzan Boy' by Baltimora, both amongst my favourite songs of the 80s definitely.

 

Are you doing 1986 soon?

 

Looking at the list of top 10 singles on wikipedia, its not quite as good a year as 1985 I think. Too many cheesy imo tracks making top 10 including 'Love Missile F1-11', 'The Chicken Song', 'Snooker Loopy', 'So Macho' and the Samantha Fox, Mel and Kim, Chris De Burgh and Cliff Richard songs.

 

Although there are a fair few excellent tracks making top 10 imo amongst the not so good, most notably those from The Communards, The Pretenders, A-ha, Europe, Pet Shop Boys, Cutting Crew, Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk, Kim Wilde, Jaki Graham and Tears for Fears.

Edited January 3, 20187 yr by mdf

Hit That Perfect Beat is brill, fabulous energetic dance song at a time when there was little of what could be defined as electronic dance in the charts, didn't know it was a new singer for it though :o

 

1985 seems to have been an excellent year for music. Recently rediscovered 'If I Was' by Midge Ure and 'Tarzan Boy' by Baltimora, both amongst my favourite songs of the 80s definitely.

 

Are you doing 1986 soon?

 

Looking at the list of top 10 singles on wikipedia, its not quite as good a year as 1985 I think. Too many cheesy imo tracks making top 10 including 'Love Missile F1-11', 'The Chicken Song', 'Snooker Loopy', 'So Macho' and the Samantha Fox, Mel and Kim, Chris De Burgh and Cliff Richard songs.

 

Although there are a fair few excellent tracks making top 10 imo amongst the not so good, most notably those from The Communards, The Pretenders, A-ha, Europe, Pet Shop Boys, Cutting Crew, Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk, Kim Wilde, Jaki Graham and Tears for Fears.

 

Hi mdf,

 

thanks for the comments, and yes I will be doing 1986 right off as I'm posting simultaneously on another website which does a combined chart for that year (and 1967/8 which I could also post here if anyone was into 60's charts, which I doubt :lol: ) Most of those 86 songs you name are awful, it must be said, though Sigue Sigue appealed to me at the time :lol: The great ones I fondly recall arguing with a Uni music student in favour of at the time - ones like Europe and Berlin which I insisted were timeless great pop songs destined to remain classics - while he slagged off the charts and current pop music generally. So I forced him to count how many good ones there were in the chart to make my point :lol:

 

It's easy to forget about the great records when there are so many terrible ones clogging up charts and making your brain explode - Hi The Chicken Song, written by a man who slagged off the Bee Gees (SO wrong) and then made a record worse than any of the cheesy summer holiday songs it was aimed at, and allowed it to be inflicted on an unsuspecting nation! Oops!

 

cheers

john

I would like to see you do the mid 90s with this eventually, starting in 1993 or 1994. Interesting time especially for alternative and dance in the charts I think.

 

24th December 1985

 

It's a new entry at 1 for a Xmas classic that charted in 1974 but never made my top 10. That was something of a shock for me as Mud had made my top 3 (and had 4 number ones) with all their previous singles, yet this Elvis pastiche ballad sorta disappointed me as a 16-year-old. Roll on 11 years and nostalgia and regular annual radio plays, and hey presto I love it. In fact so many Xmas classics come back my chart looks like the Xmas 2017 singles charts! Not saying I was ahead of the game....OK I am. That also explains why I don't usually rechart them, cos frankly after getting on for 30 to 45 years one gets over-familiar with most of them. Glad to see new generations love them though!

 

Bizarrely the Shaky Xmas classic is only 20, and it was brand new (well a year-old and held-back to avoid Band Aid and Wham!, rather wisely). Macca's back with his frogs, Bing's 40's standard is back having first charted in 1977, Slade are back again, by this time making it an annual event. Wizzard aren't but they did it the previous year. Nowadays they beat Slade every xmas in the UK charts. This year both were beaten by fellow '73 minor hit Step Into Xmas, as Elton gets a higher spot on the Spotify playlists.

 

Feargal Sharkey's follow-up single is actually the answer-song to A Good Heart, as the break-up song from the female half of a songwriting romantic duo is followed by the male reply. Benmont Tench (from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) wrote it, Eurythmics Dave Stewart produced it, and Maria McKee is the subject matter, writer of A Good Heart which had a pop at Tench.

 

1 ( NEW ) LONELY THIS CHRISTMAS Mud

2 ( 2 ) WEST END GIRLS Pet Shop Boys

3 ( 1 ) LAST CHRISTMAS Wham!

4 ( 3 ) RUSSIANS Sting

5 ( 6 ) SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU Whitney Houston

6 ( 4 ) DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS? Band Aid

7 ( 9 ) SHE’S STRANGE Cameo

8 ( 5 ) I’M YOUR MAN Wham!

9 ( NEW ) MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY Slade

10 ( 8 ) BECAUSE Julian Lennon

 

11 ( 7 ) DRESS YOU UP Madonna

12 ( 16 ) SEE THE DAY Dee C. Lee

13 ( 18 ) AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE Princess

14 ( 12 ) DON’T BREAK MY HEART UB40

15 ( 17 ) THE SHOW Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew

16 ( 24 ) TONIGHT SHE COMES The Cars

17 ( 10 ) MATED David Grant & Jaki Graham

18 ( NEW ) WE ALL STAND TOGETHER Paul McCartney

19 ( 13 ) ROAD TO NOWHERE Talking Heads

20 ( 29 ) MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE Shakin’ Stevens

 

21 ( 15 ) WE BUILT THIS CITY Starship

22 ( 11 ) SUN CITY Artists Against Apartheid

23 ( 28 ) HIT THAT PERFECT BEAT Bronski Beat

24 ( 25 ) SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN Bruce Springsteen

25 ( 31 ) SPIES LIKE US Paul McCartney

26 ( 14 ) DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES Slade

27 ( 21 ) SISTERS ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin

28 ( 22 ) A GOOD HEART Feargal Sharkey

29 ( 20 ) JEALOUS GUY John Lennon

30 ( 40 ) WINDSWEPT Bryan Ferry

 

31 ( 45 ) YOU’RE A FRIEND OF MINE Clarence Clemons & Jackson Browne

32 ( 23 ) THE WHOLE OF THE MOON The Waterboys

33 ( 39 ) SEPARATE LIVES Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin

34 ( 27 ) DON’T LOOK DOWN Go West

35 ( 35 ) WRAP HER UP Elton John

36 ( 19 ) HELL IN PARADISE Yoko Ono

37 ( 57 ) LEAVING ME NOW Level 42

38 ( 53 ) MY GUY MY GIRL Amii Stewart & Deon Estus

39 ( 51 ) BROKEN WINGS Mr. Mister

40 ( 55 ) WHO’S ZOOMIN' WHO Aretha Franklin

 

41 ( 26 ) THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR Dionne Warwick & Friends

42 ( 30 ) DON’T YOU JUST KNOW IT Amazulu

43 ( 36 ) STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN Far Corporation

44 ( 42 ) TAKE ON ME A-Ha

45 ( 41 ) CITIES IN DUST Siouxsie & The Banshees

46 ( 32 ) HEART AND SOUL Huey Lewis & The News

47 ( NEW ) WHITE CHRISTMAS Bing Crosby

48 ( 62 ) GIRLIE GIRLIE Sophia George

49 ( 38 ) OH LOUISE Junior

50 ( 34 ) WHEN LOVE BREAKS DOWN Prefab Sprout

 

51 ( 33 ) REVOLUTION The Thompson Twins

52 ( 44 ) P-MACHINERY (REMIX) Propaganda

53 ( 56 ) THE LAST KISS David Cassidy

54 ( 61 ) THE POWER OF LOVE Jennifer Rush

55 ( 74 ) RING OF ICE Jennifer Rush

56 ( 64 ) CHRISTMAS TIME Bryan Adams

57 ( 37 ) SAY YOU SAY ME Lionel Richie

58 ( 49 ) LOST WEEKEND Lloyd Cole & The Commotions

59 ( NEW ) IT’S IN EVERY ONE OF US Cliff Richard

60 ( 58 ) DRIVE The Cars

 

61 ( 46 ) REVOLUTION The Cult

62 ( 52 ) NIKITA Elton John

63 ( 59 ) IF I WAS Midge Ure

64 ( 47 ) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET ME GET WHAT I WANT Dream Academy

65 ( 50 ) LOVING YOU’S A DIRTY JOB (BUT SOMEBODY'S GOT TO DO IT) Bonnie Tyler & Todd Rundgren

66 ( NEW ) WALKING IN THE AIR Aled Jones

67 ( 67 ) RUNNING UP THAT HILL Kate Bush

68 ( 68 ) MEGAREX T.Rex

69 ( 71 ) PICTURES IN THE DARK Mike Oldfield with Aled Jones

70 ( NEW ) WHAT’S YOUR NAME? Zinno

 

71 ( NEW ) GO HOME Stevie Wonder

72 ( 72 ) CLOUDBUSTING Kate Bush

73 ( NEW ) YOU LITTLE THIEF Feargal Sharkey

74 ( 63 ) SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM Grace Jones

75 ( NEW ) RAISE THE ROOF The Conway Brothers

 

 

Oldies Playlist

1 I’M GONNA BE STRONG Gene Pitney

2 WE CAN WORK IT OUT The Beatles

3 DAY TRIPPER The Beatles

I would like to see you do the mid 90s with this eventually, starting in 1993 or 1994. Interesting time especially for alternative and dance in the charts I think.

 

Hi mdf,

 

already done 1994 and 1993... :)

 

http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=162379

 

and in not such a good format (I'll re-do these in traditional format once all my charts are online)

 

http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s...t=0&start=0

 

you can find charts by googling buzzjack popchartfreak (year) - but Ive loads still to do (part 1970-73, part 1975-77, part 1980-82, 1986-7, part 1990-92, part 1995-97, 2000-2002, 2005-2011)!!

 

cheers!

john

31st December 1985

 

A second week on top for Mud, and a fourth week at 2 for Pet Shop Boys in total - if not for oldies it would have had 5 weeks on top. Had my chart rules been different though, it's likely Gene Pitney's I'm Gonna Be Strong would have topped for some of that as I was seriously mad on it. Wizzard would also have recharted and the Win single on my playlist I thought should be treated as an oldie, but it would chart in 1986.

 

A-ha are the highest new entry at 22 with a classic epic track that's even better than Take On Me, followed closely by a forgotten Eurythmics gem, It's Alright. Jon Anderson pops in, both missing Vangelis and bandmates Yes to get his debut solo entry some 8 years since Wondrous Stories made my top 10 for Yes.

 

1 ( 1 ) LONELY THIS CHRISTMAS Mud

2 ( 2 ) WEST END GIRLS Pet Shop Boys

3 ( 4 ) RUSSIANS Sting

4 ( 3 ) LAST CHRISTMAS Wham!

5 ( 9 ) MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY Slade

6 ( 7 ) SHE’S STRANGE Cameo

7 ( 5 ) SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU Whitney Houston

8 ( 8 ) I’M YOUR MAN Wham!

9 ( 13 ) AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE Princess

10 ( 6 ) DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS? Band Aid

 

11 ( 10 ) BECAUSE Julian Lennon

12 ( 16 ) TONIGHT SHE COMES The Cars

13 ( 18 ) WE ALL STAND TOGETHER Paul McCartney

14 ( 11 ) DRESS YOU UP Madonna

15 ( 17 ) MATED David Grant & Jaki Graham

16 ( 25 ) SPIES LIKE US Paul McCartney

17 ( 20 ) MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE Shakin’ Stevens

18 ( 14 ) DON’T BREAK MY HEART UB40

19 ( 23 ) HIT THAT PERFECT BEAT Bronski Beat

20 ( 24 ) SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN Bruce Springsteen

 

21 ( 12 ) SEE THE DAY Dee C. Lee

22 ( NEW ) THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON TV A-ha

23 ( 21 ) WE BUILT THIS CITY Starship

24 ( 19 ) ROAD TO NOWHERE Talking Heads

25 ( NEW ) IT’S ALRIGHT (BABY’S COMING BACK) Eurythmics

26 ( 15 ) THE SHOW Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew

27 ( 35 ) WRAP HER UP Elton John

28 ( 59 ) IT’S IN EVERY ONE OF US Cliff Richard

29 ( 38 ) MY GUY MY GIRL Amii Stewart & Deon Estus

30 ( 31 ) YOU’RE A FRIEND OF MINE Clarence Clemons & Jackson Browne

 

31 ( 26 ) DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES Slade

32 ( 47 ) WHITE CHRISTMAS Bing Crosby

33 ( 22 ) SUN CITY Artists Against Apartheid

34 ( 37 ) LEAVING ME NOW Level 42

35 ( 49 ) OH LOUISE Junior

36 ( 27 ) SISTERS ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin

37 ( 28 ) A GOOD HEART Feargal Sharkey

38 ( 39 ) BROKEN WINGS Mr. Mister

39 ( 40 ) WHO’S ZOOMIN' WHO Aretha Franklin

40 ( 48 ) GIRLIE GIRLIE Sophia George

 

41 ( 29 ) JEALOUS GUY John Lennon

42 ( 34 ) DON’T LOOK DOWN Go West

43 ( 32 ) THE WHOLE OF THE MOON The Waterboys

44 ( 30 ) WINDSWEPT Bryan Ferry

45 ( 54 ) THE POWER OF LOVE Jennifer Rush

46 ( 33 ) SEPARATE LIVES Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin

47 ( 55 ) RING OF ICE Jennifer Rush

48 ( 44 ) TAKE ON ME A-Ha

49 ( 43 ) STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN Far Corporation

50 ( 45 ) CITIES IN DUST Siouxsie & The Banshees

 

51 ( 42 ) DON’T YOU JUST KNOW IT Amazulu

52 ( 41 ) THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR Dionne Warwick & Friends

53 ( 53 ) THE LAST KISS David Cassidy

54 ( 46 ) HEART AND SOUL Huey Lewis & The News

55 ( 66 ) WALKING IN THE AIR Aled Jones

56 ( 56 ) CHRISTMAS TIME Bryan Adams

57 ( NEW ) EASIER SAID THAN DOWN Jon Anderson

58 ( 52 ) P-MACHINERY (REMIX) Propaganda

59 ( 75 ) RAISE THE ROOF The Conway Brothers

60 ( 60 ) DRIVE The Cars

 

61 ( 58 ) LOST WEEKEND Lloyd Cole & The Commotions

62 ( 50 ) WHEN LOVE BREAKS DOWN Prefab Sprout

63 ( 63 ) IF I WAS Midge Ure

64 ( NEW ) MR DJ The Concept

65 ( 51 ) REVOLUTION The Thompson Twins

66 ( 57 ) SAY YOU SAY ME Lionel Richie

67 ( 73 ) YOU LITTLE THIEF Feargal Sharkey

68 ( 68 ) MEGAREX T.Rex

69 ( 71 ) GO HOME Stevie Wonder

70 ( 61 ) REVOLUTION The Cult

 

71 ( 67 ) RUNNING UP THAT HILL Kate Bush

72 ( 62 ) NIKITA Elton John

73 ( 74 ) SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM Grace Jones

74 ( 72 ) CLOUDBUSTING Kate Bush

75 ( NEW ) ALICE I WANT YOU JUST FOR ME Full Force

 

FAVE OLDIES OF THE WEEK

1 I’M GONNA BE STRONG Gene Pitney

2 YOU’VE GOT THE POWER Win

3 I WISH IT COULD BE CHRISTMAS EVERYDAY Wizzard

I have listened to Love Missile F1-11 again and maybe I judged it too harshly. At least its a quite unique mix of Hi-NRG and glam rock which is an unusual combination.

 

Just listened to 'Mated' after seeing it in your top 20, really pales in comparison to Jaki Graham's 1986 song 'Set Me Free' imo which I am a big fan of.

 

Just noticed See The Day, by Dee C Lee great song, sounds more 60s than 80s though to me for some reason.

 

I agree also with you that 'The Sun Always Shines On TV' is better than Take On Me, although both are very good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have listened to Love Missile F1-11 again and maybe I judged it too harshly. At least its a quite unique mix of Hi-NRG and glam rock which is an unusual combination.

 

Just listened to 'Mated' after seeing it in your top 20, really pales in comparison to Jaki Graham's 1986 song 'Set Me Free' imo which I am a big fan of.

 

Just noticed See The Day, by Dee C Lee great song, sounds more 60s than 80s though to me for some reason.

 

I agree also with you that 'The Sun Always Shines On TV' is better than Take On Me, although both are very good.

 

Oh Sigue Sigue was ultra-camp, but had an attitude I liked. Mated was sweet, but yes Set Me Free was much better - it will peak higher :)

 

See The Day peaked at 12 in my charts which is ridiculously low for such a great track. When I get a good excuse to rechart it (advert, film, anything) it will do much better :cheer:

 

Cheers!

Oh Sigue Sigue was ultra-camp, but had an attitude I liked. Mated was sweet, but yes Set Me Free was much better - it will peak higher :)

 

Yes Set Me Free is my favourite of the many 80s post-disco genre songs that made the chart. I like Don't Stop The Music from Yarbrough and Peoples earlier in the 80s too, also post-disco.

 

If you wonder what my sudden interest/knowledge in 80s music is I have been looking at archive charts from the 80s (along with the 90s) on the OCC website quite a bit recently. :D Didn't know much about the UK charts in these decades so decided to find out.

Enjoy reading these charts Pop but rarely comment - interesting to note classic Xmas songs peak higher in later years - hope Sia will chart in the future with some of her new tracks ;)

As you have finished 1985, here's my.opinion briefly on the year for chart music.

 

Pop wise, 1985 certainly looks like one of the best years of the charts ever.

 

Any remaining relics of cheesy sounding pop rock from the early 80s like Bucks Fizz, early Kim Wilde etc. had mostly gone and we were left with excellent imo modern (for the time) sounding tunes such as Tarzan Boy (I know you said it was cheesy but I don't think it is), Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Dont You Forget About Me, Rhythm Of The Night, Kayleigh and If I Was. Some of the more sensible 80s classics ;) By the late 80s pop seems to have become back to being cheesy again imo especially with the ballad overload.

 

There definitely should have been more electronic dance hits (considering the arrival of Hi-NRG and the industrial style dance from Depeche Mode in the charts in 1984) that's my only criticism of that year in the charts.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes Set Me Free is my favourite of the many 80s post-disco genre songs that made the chart. I like Don't Stop The Music from Yarbrough and Peoples earlier in the 80s too, also post-disco.

 

If you wonder what my sudden interest/knowledge in 80s music is I have been looking at archive charts from the 80s (along with the 90s) on the OCC website quite a bit recently. :D Didn't know much about the UK charts in these decades so decided to find out.

 

A bit like me digging out 60's music - I was around as a toddler/child then but so much passed me by it's a voyage of discovery! Yarborough & Peoples is a fab record, love that backing throbbing bassline, synth-sounds and the chipmunk effects. To be honest, a lot of the minor hits in my 80s charts I have no memory of, so I want to get the youtube going so I can hear them again. Often I only heard them a couple of times, liked them, but had no way of ever hearing them again, which was very frustrating!

Enjoy reading these charts Pop but rarely comment - interesting to note classic Xmas songs peak higher in later years - hope Sia will chart in the future with some of her new tracks ;)

 

Thanks for reading them and commenting, I'm always flattered! :wub:

 

Yes, Xmas songs often grow with the years and warm fuzzy nostalgia. Then it turns to "oh no not again" and it's nice to have a break from them. Chris Rea has never reached that stage, nor has Greg lake, The Waitresses and a couple of others, but most of the regulars need to go away for a couple of christmasses! :lol: Sia's new album, I only heard the single, which was quite amusing but didn't grab me as I only caught it once or twice. So it might well click next year.... :)