762. TORCH - Soft Cell (1982) 972,950

 

 

First of 2 for Soft Cell, or first of 4 for Marc Almond, depending on how you look at it. The deliciously sleazy saxxy synths of Marc n Dave hit my spot more often than not, and this is just a great single. Marc once popped his head into the door of a bar I was sat in, and then walked on. Pity as I was going to shout "Do a cover of Gene Pitney's I'm Gonna Be Strong". Still waiting for my opportunity...

761. MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE - The Police (1979) 973,200

 

 

In mid-run of a bunch of chart-toppers for me, The Police slipped this exciting rock-reggae gem out of nowhere, and Sting was on fire for the next few years. There are even better ones to come, but this remains their most exciting track. As an ex-teacher Gordon Sumner was very popular with my teacher-training college mates.

760. GOOD LUCK - Basement Jaxx featuring Lisa Kekaula (2004) 974,400

 

 

My fave Basement Jaxx track, a storming dance track with a passionate guest vocal from American singer Lisa Kekaula, who hasn't really had any other success sadly, though anyone half-Hawaiian always has a distinct advantage with me - Hawaii was my vision of Paradise growing up! Jaxx had loads of hits of course, frequently fun, but not often as gutsy as this one.

759. UNPRETTY - TLC (1999) 974,500

 

 

First of 2 from TLC, the lovely, in sound and sentiment, Unpretty. TLC were generally top-notch, and I still feel sad that the early death of volatile Lisa Lopes finished the band as well as being the final tragic chapter in a life that had a few too many. Sad sounding, but in a way, a positive message of self-belief.

758. NIGHT BOAT TO CAIRO - Madness (1980) 974,600

 

 

Second entry from Madness, the first act to have two on the countdown, and it's half-instrumental, half cockney-ska-romp-down-the-Nile, cheeky, uptempo, frolics and fun. Having a laugh, but doing it with class and tongue in cheek, both. Madness had their own style, and they had a timeless Style, outside of music fashion. Still love this lead track off an EP...

757. RADIOACTIVE - Imagine Dragons (2012) 975,000

 

 

 

The terrific powerful rock anthem that nearly wasn't, in the UK, it took ages to start to chart, and then peak, a real slow burner. Imagine Dragons have had a string of good tracks since, but most have struggled in the UK charts. It was topping my charts some time before it charted in the UK, so I like to think I can still spot a potential big hit when I hear one, even if it's out of step with what's selling genre-wise. Sadly, I can't count though, and have just added 200 to some of these chart positions. Doh! Corrected!

756. PRAY - Take That (1993) 975,000

 

 

The one that made me revise my Take That opinion from bland boyband to good pop boyband, a nice production, a great toon and showed ol' Gazza Barlow had the ability to knock out a gem amongst the general meh-ness of their singles of the time. I still wasn't convinced they would last beyond the usual boyband 4 years lifespan, but I was happy to change my mind when they bunged out great pop like this.

755. STAND BY ME - Ben E. King (1961) 975,150

 

 

The late great Ben had a whole other career singing lead for the Drifters (and one of those to come) but started his solo career at the turn of the 60's with this classic. The song first came to my notice in a chart-topping cover (for me) by John Lennon in 1975, but the original is even better than that one, and duly topped the UK chart 26 years late thanks to the film of the same name, and mine too. The film had oodles of future stars in the cast - but I've yet to see it, amazingly.

754. (KEEP FEELING) FASCINATION - Human League (1983) 975,400

 

 

Released as a stand-alone single during the long wait for a follow-up to epic album Dare, this was pure classy happiness and synthjoy, the whole band get a look-in on a tune with hooks to spare, a memorable video and Human League were on top of their game. Things looked very optimistic for the next album....oops!

There has been another new million seller increasing week on week, so all tracks below this one drop one place. I'm too lazy to go and change the numbers though, so although this looks like a repeat of 754, it isn't... :lol:

754. ON THE BIBLE - Deuce (1995) 978,200

 

 

Another teenpop band from manager Tom Watkins (he's in the video), Deuce were 2 boys 2 girls specialising in forgettable dancepop, but this one borrowed more from the sound of former Watkins acts East 17/Pet Shop Boys, and the gospel feel to it, especially the chorus, made On The Bible far and away their best record and strongest song. A bit flattered here, probably, but it sounded good at the time!

753. LOVE RUNS OUT - OneRepublic (2014) 978,650

 

 

One-man hit songwriting machine Ryan Tedder (co-writer with oodles of current pop stars, as in a significant reason their songs are so good) has hits in his own right, quite deservedly, with OneRepublic, quite a few of them didn't quite make my Top 800, but this stomping chanter, classy pop track did. I've yet to hear a bad song he's been involved in, and some, like Counting Stars, should be in the list too really.

752. MIRROR MAN - Human League (1982) 979,850

 

 

The first of the stop-gap between-albums singles, Mirror Man still had the classic Dare sound, but modified into a Motown beats 60-s stylee song, and it was fab. The second Human League track so far and their 3rd chart-topper in a row en route to 6 in a row, which was mightily consistent over a 3-year period. Still love 'em of course.

751. BEACH BABY - First Class (1974) 980,258

 

 

 

First Class were essentially 1967's Flowerpot Men back from Summer Of Love Let's Go To San Fransisco (it can be heard on the fade out), back in the midst of Glam Rock with nostalgia for my childhood years, and I was only 16 - but 8 years was SO long ago when that young. The live performance is pretty damn good, but is cut off half-way, and the sheer exhuberance, harmonies, strings and brass combos are all part of the immaculate production of this mini-pop-epic. Oh, and the singer is Tony Burrows, the man with the voice of so many pop groups he was on Top Of The Pops 3 times in 1970, and he will appear again! So convincingly a surfer epic it was an even bigger American hit. Brilliant!

750. REPTILIA - The Strokes (2004) 980,600

 

 

Not exactly their most well-known song, but the urgent pace and shouty-throat-hurty vocals just caught my mood at the time during a difficult year. The band seem to have been quite influential, and the punkrock sensibilities of The Strokes appeal to me. It didn't hurt having a band member who's dad had written some gems too, that'll be Albert Hammond Junior. Senior, sadly not on the list though...

749. GHOSTTOWN - Madonna (2015) 981,800

 

 

Classic Madonna ballad that really should have been the lead track off Rebel Heart. It's as good as any of her great hit ballads, just a great song, and it's criminal that Madge effectively sabotaged what could have been a great return to form by having a schizophrenic overlong album. In amongst the urban stuff, which just don't fit, there is a classic Madonna album which would have appealed to old-time fans. The urban tracks should have been reserved for a follow-up dance-aimed album. An album is as good as it's weakest tracks, and 10 or 12 would have done nicely...

748. 3 WORDS - Cheryl Cole featuring will.i.am (2009) 983,050

 

 

Completely unlike any of her pop dance big hits, this will.i.am creation was generously gifted to the ex-Girls Aloud superstar, and it was an "eh?!" moment, unexpected and off-the-wall, about a minute and half in it kicks into gear and just becomes SO irresistible, then reverts back to understated gentle acoustic-ness before the spelling starts. By far Cheryl's best record, effective and touching, and shows will can do gentle too (though he will be back in banging form 2 or 3 times). I saw it in a videoclub, on loud, at the time, and it all made perfect sense...

747. BETTER - Cat And The Menagerie (2013) 984,600

 

 

The first Buzzjack track in my chart, as in one introduced to me by the contest, and this one is still waiting for a proper release, criminally tucked away on a computer game, it's clearly inspired by Gotye's epic global chart-topper Somebody That I Used To Know, but it's fabulous in it's own right and deserved a proper electropop release. Rather bizarrely it only just made the final of the contest and came very close to last. Just no pleasing some people, it's great!

 

746. I'M MANDY FLY ME - 10CC (1976) 984,900

 

 

The first of 5 or so from the 10CC lads just before the band broke into 2 parts, both parts going on to millon-seller status. The 4 originals were inventive, smart, witty, emotional, social commentators and are massively under-rated these days, long overdue for re-appraisal. This was their final single together and its an atmospheric and gorgeously macabre story song. More Iikely they were pastiching the then-popular airline tv "fly me i' m mandy" adverts but as a piece of music it works as a mini-epic anyway. Sadly the original is not on youtube so the best on offer is this live version from around the same time i saw the remaining 2 members live at nottingham.

745. THE SIGN - Ace Of Base (1994) 985,800

 

 

Scandi-pop with a reggae vibe i was always partial to the Ace's catchy pop, and this one of the most-commercial. They had some better and more interesting pop hits late in the 90s but never caught the moment quite as much as they did when they saw the sign. Still fun!

Yaaay Love Runs Out and 3 Words, I like both those songs. 3 Words was my jam back then