580. King Without A Crown - ABC (1987)

 

 

Every cloud has a silver lining

Every dog has its day

But I guess the sun stopped shining

On the day you went away

 

From ABC's fourth album 'Alphabet City',this was the third single to be taken from it. It just missed the top 40,reaching number 44.

 

579. Ocean Breakup/King Of The Universe - Electric Light Orchestra (1973)

 

 

Golden sunrise

Tragic daydream

 

The opening track from ELO's third album 'On The Third Day',this was part of a continuous suite of four songs that made up side 1.

 

578. Out Of The Blue - System F (1999)

 

 

Some classic trance now,this still sounds great. System F is Dutch DJ and producer Ferry Corsten.

 

'Out of The Blue' is great, a real turn of the millennium anthem! 'Cry' is amazing too from System F.

577. Creep - Radiohead (1992)

 

 

What the hell am I doin' here?

I don't belong here

 

Radiohead's debut single,the best bit is definitely when the guitars come in at 0.58. Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood successfully sued Radiohead due the song's similarities to 'The Air That I Breathe' which they wrote for The Hollies and they are now down as co-writers of 'Creep'. A lot of talent show contestants seem to be choosing this song for their auditions so it's become more widely known now.

 

Creep is a brilliant song. The ABC song sounds good, and has a good backing vocalist.

576. Love Comes Quickly - Pet Shop Boys (1986)

 

 

Sooner or later,this happens to everyone

To everyone

 

The follow up to their no.1 single 'West End Girls' so it's a bit of a surprise that a song as good as this only got to number 19. The boring video they made for it didn't help. I like the backing track especially. The saxophone towards the end was played by Andy Mackay from Roxy Music.

 

575. I've Seen All Good People - Yes (1971)

 

 

I've seen all good people turn their heads each day

So satisfied I'm on my way

 

From their third LP which was just called 'The Yes Album'. It was their first top 40 album. A postal strike when it came out meant that only sales from a few record shops in London counted towards the chart figures. As this is where they were most popular,the album got to no.4. I like the vocal harmonies on this song and Steve Howe's guitar work.

 

 

574. Your Latest Trick - Dire Straits (1985)

 

 

And we're standing outside of this wonderland

Looking so bereaved and so bereft

Like a Bowery bum when he finally understands

The bottle's empty and there's nothing left

 

I think I would put the intro to this song somewhere in my top ten intros list. The saxophone part is widely played when people are trying out saxophones at music shops.

 

 

573. Somewhere Down The Crazy River - Robbie Robertson (1987)

 

 

I turned around and she said

"Why do you always end up down at Nick's Café?"

I said "I don't know,the wind just kind of pushed me this way"

 

A fine song which reached no.15 in 1988. The sound of the music really suits the lyrics about a hot night in a southern American town.

 

572. You're Not Alone - Olive (1996)

 

 

You're not alone,I'll wait till the end of time

Open your mind,surely it's plain to see

 

A remix of this was a no.1 single in 1997. It's a hybrid of trip hop and drum'n'bass and is sung very well by Ruth-Ann Boyle. Olive only had one more top 40 hit before disappearing back to obscurity.

 

I have loved 'You're Not Alone' for a long time. Amazing atmospheric track, its a pity Olive had such a short chart career.

571. The Beginning And The End - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (1981)

 

 

Thus we reach the end

 

A beautiful song from what is probably OMD's best known album 'Architecture & Morality'.

 

I have loved 'You're Not Alone' for a long time. Amazing atmospheric track, its a pity Olive had such a short chart career.

 

Yes,it's one of the best no.1s from the 90s.

 

570. 1963 - New Order (1987)

 

 

Oh God,Johnny,don't point that gun at me

There's so many ways our lives have changed

But please,I beg,don't do this to me

 

This was the B side of 'True Faith'. It ended up as a single in its own right in 1995,remixed by Arthur Baker,reaching number 21,but I prefer this original version.

 

571. The Beginning And The End - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (1981)

Thus we reach the end

 

A beautiful song from what is probably OMD's best known album 'Architecture & Morality'.

 

My fave song from that album definitely is the opener 'New Stone Age', with its fast beat and trancey synths it sounds quite dancey and ahead of its time, it goes a bit weird and disjointed near the end though :lol:

Edited April 26, 20187 yr by The Snake 🐍

569. The Day Before You Came (12 inch version) - Blancmange (1984)

 

 

At five I must have left,there's no exception to the rule

A matter of routine,I've done it ever since I finished school

 

'The Day Before You Came' is the only song to have two versions in my chart. Abba's original is still to come. I have chosen the 12 inch mix of Blancmange's cover as I love the four minutes of music at the end which features some Indian instruments. Blancmange made one adjustment to the lyrics,changing the book author's name from Marilyn French to Barbara Cartland.

 

 

 

“You’re Not Alone” is fantastic - I think it inspired the main hook in “Skeleton Boy” by Friendly Fires too, although they never credited Olive.

568. I Know You're Out There Somewhere - The Moody Blues (1988)

 

 

And somehow I'll return again to you

 

One of the Moody Blues' most popular songs,this was a sequel to their 1986 single 'Your Wildest Dreams'. It just failed to make the top 40 here but was a top 30 hit in the US.

 

567. Save A Prayer - Duran Duran (1982)

 

 

Some people call it a one night stand

But we can call it paradise

 

It's quite brave for a pop group to release a six minute single but if I remember correctly,it got played in full on Radio 1 and became their biggest hit up to that point,helped by its expensive video filmed in Sri Lanka. It was kept off the top of the chart by Survivor's 'Eye Of The Tiger'.