Yeh 'Too Shy' was a fantastic record I thought, always gives good memories of the start of the best year on TOTP - 1983! Probably signalled the height of the so called Brit Funk era! I think one of the Duran Duran boys wrote it for them?

 

I'm a bit like that when compiling my own chart, will be fun to go and look back on it in a few years (I started it in 2007!)

 

Yes there was def Duran Duran involvement at the start, and looking back on old charts is fun. It's amusing comparing the memory of what you thought of a record (especially the embarrassing ones) and then seeing the reality that you actually loved it, or vice versa an acknowledged classic that matures with time and popularity that you come to love, and finding out that you weren't that fussed actually and preferred the latest teenybop track when it came out :lol:

27th August 1988

 

It's another week, another Michael Jackson number one from Bad - Another Part Of Me had been popping into my playlists over the last 12 months after seeing Captain Eo at Epcot, but had finally been released as a single, albeit without the sci-fi extravaganza and just a live concert footage video, sadly. It was a new entry at 1, technically, but I've retrospectively given playlisted album tracks chart positions of 76-78, so it goes to show that they should in fact be much much higher than that had I changed my chart rules. It's Jacko's 5th consecutive number one off the album, his 10th solo and 14th in total.

 

Brother Beyond and Jane Wieldin get top 10 slots, and Phil Collins does a rather lovely, subtle version of the fab 60's Mindbenders track, A Groovy Kind Of Love, which I loved as a kid, taken from his Buster movie, in at 19. Also from the film, The Four Tops & Smokey Robinson return to hit chart-dom 20-odd years on from Baby I Need Your Loving, truly Indestructible at 35. Guns 'n' Roses jump in at 22 with a rock classic, Sweet Child 'O' Mine changing the face of US rock music into a punkier, more aggressive version, as one of the bands responsible for AOR Rock, The Eagles, return with classic oldie Hotel California, which made my top 10 in 1977, this time in at 24.

 

Spagna gets a decent follow-up, though not a decent haircut, Barry Gibb has another solo entry without his brothers 20 years almost to the day since debuting in my first "official" chart as a Bee Gee, and Billy Idol is still fiery after 9 years. Nick Heyward's flop but good single, You're My World, extends his run to 7 years since he had his 100th haircut, and Swiss duo Yello debut with The Race at 50, as they are back in action with a new track in my charts this week some 32 years later and still sounding quirky.

 

Spandau are reaching the end of the line with Raw, Elton John is awaiting his chart resurrection with Town Of Plenty not doing it, Blues star Muddy Waters debuts with his Mannish Boy, then a very-old 33 years-old recording selling due to a jeans advert (probably) - at the time one of the longest chronological gaps from recording to debuting in my chart. Only Winifred Shaw's Lullaby Of Broadway (41 years) and Laurel & Hardy's Trail Of The Lonesome Pine (39 years) bested it.

 

Belinda Carlisle pops in with another, Ruby Turner covers Stevie Wonder, Europe are back 2 years on from a final countdown feeling superstitious, John Cougar is Rooty Tooting, James Brown is Static, and Run-DMC cover The Monkees' Mary Mary, a Michael Nesmith song just to show that supposed "boybands" and "manufactured" acts can actually create their own quality material thank you very much.

 

 

1 ( 76 ) ANOTHER PART OF ME Michael Jackson

2 ( 2 ) YE KE YE KE Mory Kante

3 ( 5 ) SOMEWHERE DOWN THE CRAZY RIVER Robbie Robertson

4 ( 1 ) YOU CAME Kim Wilde

5 ( 3 ) HAPPY EVER AFTER Julia Fordham

6 ( 8 ) ANYTHING FOR YOU Gloria Estefan

7 ( 15 ) THE HARDER I TRY Brother Beyond

8 ( 10 ) HAND TO HEAVEN Breathe

9 ( 4 ) EASY The Commodores

10 ( 13 ) RUSH HOUR Jane Wiedlin

 

11 ( 7 ) THE ONLY WAY IS UP Yazz & The Plastic Population

12 ( 12 ) SOLDIER OF LOVE Donny Osmond

13 ( 6 ) SUPERFLY GUY S'Express

14 ( 9 ) FIND MY LOVE Fairground Attraction

15 ( 11 ) MONKEY (REMIX) George Michael

16 ( 27 ) TEARDROPS Womack & Womack

17 ( 22 ) WHERE DID I GO WRONG UB40

18 ( 20 ) GOOD TRADITION Tanita Tikarim

19 ( NEW ) GROOVY KIND OF LOVE Phil Collins

20 ( 24 ) JUMP START Natalie Cole

 

21 ( 14 ) DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson

22 ( NEW ) SWEET CHILD O' MINE Guns 'n' Roses

23 ( NEW ) EVERY GIRL AND BOY Spagna

24 ( NEW ) HOTEL CALIFORNIA The Eagles

25 ( 16 ) WORKING IN A GOLDMINE Aztec Camera

26 ( 18 ) FOREVER YOUNG Rod Stewart

27 ( 36 ) I WON'T BLEED FOR YOU Climie Fisher

28 ( 28 ) I HATE MYSELF FOR LOVING YOU Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

29 ( 35 ) TOUCHY a-ha

30 ( 30 ) RUNNIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD Status Quo

 

31 ( 17 ) MARTHA'S HARBOUR All About Eve

32 ( 23 ) IN THE AIR TONIGHT (1988) Phil Collins

33 ( 19 ) I NEED YOU B.V.S.M.P.

34 ( 26 ) FOOLISH BEAT Debbie Gibson

35 ( NEW ) INDESTRUCTIBLE The Four Tops/ Smokey Robinson

36 ( 71 ) DON'T MAKE ME WAIT Bomb The Bass

37 ( NEW ) CHILDHOOD DAYS Barry Gibb

38 ( NEW ) CATCH MY FIRE Billy Idol

39 ( 40 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies

40 ( NEW ) YOU'RE MY WORLD Nick Heyward

 

41 ( 21 ) COULDN'T GET IT RIGHT '88 Climax Blues Band

42 ( 31 ) REACH OUT I'LL BE THERE (REMIX) The Four Tops

43 ( 38 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael

44 ( 42 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys

45 ( 32 ) LOVE AND MERCY Brian Wilson

46 ( 50 ) ON THE BEACH '88 Chris Rea

47 ( 29 ) MY LOVE Julio Iglesias/ Stevie Wonder

48 ( 48 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac

49 ( 47 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield

50 ( NEW ) THE RACE Yello

 

51 ( 25 ) HUSTLE (TO THE MUSIC) Funky Worm

52 ( NEW ) RAW Spandau Ballet

53 ( 33 ) DON'T BE CRUEL Bobby Brown

54 ( 53 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles

55 ( 49 ) CIRCLE IN THE SAND Belinda Carlisle

56 ( 60 ) TEARS RUN RINGS Marc Almond

57 ( 62 ) GOOD TIMES Matt Bianco

58 ( 39 ) NEVER TEAR US APART INXS

59 ( NEW ) TOWN OF PLENTY Elton John

60 ( 58 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees

 

61 ( 37 ) WHAT CAN I SAY TO MAKE YOU LOVE ME Alexander O'Neal

62 ( 61 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson

63 ( NEW ) MANNISH BOY Muddy Waters

64 ( 46 ) ELECTRA Jibaro

65 ( 57 ) ALPHABET STREET Prince

66 ( 45 ) I WANT YOUR LOVE Transvision Vamp

67 ( NEW ) WORLD WITHOUT YOU Belinda Carlisle

68 ( 63 ) FIRST BOY IN THIS TOWN (LOVESICK) Scritti Politti

69 ( NEW ) SIGNED SEALED DELIVER'D (I'M YOURS) Ruby Turner

70 ( 66 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK ('88 remix) The Jackson 5

 

71 ( 69 ) BAD Michael Jackson

72 ( NEW ) SUPERSTITIOUS Europe

73 ( NEW ) ROOTY TOOT TOOT John Cougar Mellencamp

74 ( NEW ) MARY MARY Run-DMC

75 ( NEW ) STATIC James Brown

 

Playlist faves of that week

1 SPEAK LIKE A CHILD The Style Council

BUCKS FIZZ LIVE AT SOUTHAMPTON MAYFAIR THEATRE

1 NEW BEGINNING (MAMBA SEYRA)

2 THE LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE

3 ROCK MEDLEY

poor Yeke Yeke stuck at #2 again :) but love Another Part of Me so cannot complain

from the newies, Sweet child o'Mine is a classic, also liked the latest Belinda Carlisle, the 4 singles from Heaven on Earth were all great

Didn't they re-release 'Sweet Child O Mine' in 1989 too? Why was that? Got into the top 10 officially.

 

Love 'The Race' always reminds me of Nuns On The Run! Yello have a new album out on 2/10/20.

 

Always nice to see Spandau and Nick Heywood on your charts as they didn't make it onto TOTP any this stage ☹️

Edited August 31, 20204 yr by Steve201

yes in the UK the original release of Sweet child o'mine didn't do much, went top 40 but didn't set the charts on fire like in the US (#1 I believe)

so in the UK it got re-released in mid 89

 

this is how the first era charted for Guns n Roses in the UK:

 

It's so easy/84

Welcome to the jungle/67

Sweet child o’mine/24

Welcome to the jungle/24 (re-issue)

Paradise city/6

Sweet child o’mine/6 (re-issue)

Patience/10

Nightrain/17

 

 

I'm on to Nightrain on the TOTP 1989 episodes!

poor Yeke Yeke stuck at #2 again :) but love Another Part of Me so cannot complain

from the newies, Sweet child o'Mine is a classic, also liked the latest Belinda Carlisle, the 4 singles from Heaven on Earth were all great

 

Poor Mory Kante never did make it to 1, but by way of compensation its made my chart about 4 times in total via remixes and what have you, and has out-"sold" many chart-toppers. Thanks for the GnR info - Sweet Child O Mine will do better in my charts than the UK charts every time :D

Didn't they re-release 'Sweet Child O Mine' in 1989 too? Why was that? Got into the top 10 officially.

 

Love 'The Race' always reminds me of Nuns On The Run! Yello have a new album out on 2/10/20.

 

Always nice to see Spandau and Nick Heywood on your charts as they didn't make it onto TOTP any this stage ☹️

 

In the mid-80's big hits elsewhere that underperfomed in the UK were often re-pushed the following year, dozens of them make my charts twice due to it as mostly I liked them bigly first-time round :)

 

Never saw Nuns On The Run and had forgotten Yello were in it!

4th September 1988

 

It's a beer commercial re-issued instant number one for The Hollies' He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother, a record I missed first-time round as I was out the country in Singapore, but one I got to know from 1974 onwards and grew to love, so that given a chance it smashes in at 1. 19 years to wait to top the chart is a long span for a song, but not the longest (see Doris Day Move Over Darling in 1987), while The Hollies having to wait 20 years from debut to get a chart-topper is a record at this point in time. Womack & Womack get a 2nd top 10 4 years after the fab Love Games hit 2, Phil Collins gets a groovy top 10, his 2nd of the year, a 7-year-span solo or 10 years since Genesis' Follow You Follow Me.

 

Spagna does what Call Me didn't, going top 10, and Giant Steps enter at 19 with a track I draw a blank on, Another Lover. Playing it now, oh yes it comes back to me, I like this one, think I bought it. 550 views on YouTube in 3 years, so not many remember it, clearly. Sounds very like Scritti Politti, so that's a shame it flopped. Bill Withers' 1978 classic Lovely Day gets an 80's spruce-up which doesn't ruin it, but doesn't improve on the original, in at 23, Marc Almond gets a huge leap up from 56 to 25 with Tears Run Rings as 32 years later he releases a T.Rex cover of Teenage Dream.

 

Belinda Carlisle has an even bigger leap with World Without You making it 4 for 4 top 40's off the album, Yello get a debut top 40, not their last, and they feature in my current chart with a new track, as wacky as ever in 2020. The Primitives go in at 39 with a pleasantly 60's-ish jangly Way Behind Me, Coldcut return with vocalist Junior Reid this time on Stop This Crazy Thing, Cher's back with Skin Deep, giving her 17 years of solo action, though it's really 23 years from me first loving Sonny & Cher. Rocky Horror gives us The Time Warp 13 years late in my charts, via Damien, Vanessa Paradis follows-up, Level 42 still churn them out 5 years in, Salt'n'Pepa work-out to an Isley Brothers oldie, Righteous Brother Bill Medley bottoms out the chart with the same song that's on top, which makes almost 20 years of chart entries for him, and rather neatly Unchained Melody will take that record off The Hollies in 1990 for The Righteous Brothers. That just leaves The Pasadenas debuting with a pure Philly groove throwback-alike, the fab Riding On A Train.

 

1 ( NEW ) HE AIN'T HEAVY...HE'S MY BROTHER The Hollies

2 ( 1 ) ANOTHER PART OF ME Michael Jackson

3 ( 2 ) YE KE YE KE Mory Kante

4 ( 7 ) THE HARDER I TRY Brother Beyond

5 ( 16 ) TEARDROPS Womack & Womack

6 ( 3 ) SOMEWHERE DOWN THE CRAZY RIVER Robbie Robertson

7 ( 19 ) GROOVY KIND OF LOVE Phil Collins

8 ( 4 ) YOU CAME Kim Wilde

9 ( 5 ) HAPPY EVER AFTER Julia Fordham

10 ( 23 ) EVERY GIRL AND BOY Spagna

 

11 ( 10 ) RUSH HOUR Jane Wiedlin

12 ( 6 ) ANYTHING FOR YOU Gloria Estefan

13 ( 8 ) HANDS TO HEAVEN Breathe

14 ( 17 ) WHERE DID I GO WRONG UB40

15 ( 11 ) THE ONLY WAY IS UP Yazz & The Plastic Population

16 ( 40 ) YOU'RE MY WORLD Nick Heyward

17 ( 24 ) HOTEL CALIFORNIA The Eagles

18 ( 22 ) SWEET CHILD O' MINE Guns 'n' Roses

19 ( NEW ) ANOTHER LOVER Giant Steps

20 ( 12 ) SOLDIER OF LOVE Donny Osmond

 

21 ( 9 ) EASY The Commodores

22 ( 13 ) SUPERFLY GUY S'Express

23 ( NEW ) LOVELY DAY (SUNSHINE MIX) Bill Withers

24 ( 14 ) FIND MY LOVE Fairground Attraction

25 ( 56 ) TEARS RUN RINGS Marc Almond

26 ( 15 ) MONKEY (REMIX) George Michael

27 ( 67 ) WORLD WITHOUT YOU Belinda Carlisle

28 ( 18 ) GOOD TRADITION Tanita Tikarim

29 ( 29 ) TOUCHY a-ha

30 ( 38 ) CATCH MY FIRE Billy Idol

 

31 ( 21 ) DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson

32 ( 36 ) DON'T MAKE ME WAIT Bomb The Bass

33 ( 35 ) INDESTRUCTIBLE The Four Tops/ Smokey Robinson

34 ( 28 ) I HATE MYSELF FOR LOVING YOU Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

35 ( 26 ) FOREVER YOUNG Rod Stewart

36 ( 20 ) JUMP START Natalie Cole

37 ( 37 ) CHILDHOOD DAYS Barry Gibb

38 ( 50 ) THE RACE Yello

39 ( NEW ) WAY BEHIND ME The Primitives

40 ( 39 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies

 

41 ( 32 ) IN THE AIR TONIGHT (1988) Phil Collins

42 ( 25 ) WORKING IN A GOLDMINE Aztec Camera

43 ( NEW ) STOP THIS CRAZY THING Coldcut/ Junior Reid

44 ( 43 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael

45 ( 44 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys

46 ( 52 ) RAW Spandau Ballet

47 ( 47 ) MY LOVE Julio Iglesias/ Stevie Wonder

48 ( 34 ) FOOLISH BEAT Debbie Gibson

49 ( 48 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac

50 ( 49 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield

 

51 ( NEW ) SKIN DEEP Cher

52 ( NEW ) THE TIME WARP Damien II

53 ( 57 ) GOOD TIMES Matt Bianco

54 ( 42 ) REACH OUT I'LL BE THERE (REMIX) The Four Tops

55 ( 54 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles

56 ( 63 ) MANNISH BOY Muddy Waters

57 ( 59 ) TOWN OF PLENTY Elton John

58 ( 68 ) FIRST BOY IN THIS TOWN (LOVESICK) Scritti Politti

59 ( 60 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees

60 ( NEW ) MARILYN AND JOHN Vanessa Paradis

 

61 ( 31 ) MARTHA'S HARBOUR All About Eve

62 ( 62 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson

63 ( 55 ) CIRCLE IN THE SAND Belinda Carlisle

64 ( 33 ) I NEED YOU B.V.S.M.P.

65 ( 69 ) SIGNED SEALED DELIVER'D (I'M YOURS) Ruby Turner

66 ( 27 ) I WON'T BLEED FOR YOU Climie Fisher

67 ( NEW ) HEAVEN IN MY HANDS Level 42

68 ( 30 ) RUNNIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD Status Quo

69 ( 58 ) NEVER TEAR US APART INXS

70 ( 70 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK ('88 remix) The Jackson 5

 

71 ( NEW ) SHAKE YOUR THANG (IT'S YOUR THING) Salt 'n' Pepa

72 ( 65 ) ALPHABET STREET Prince

73 ( NEW ) RIDING ON A TRAIN The Pasadenas

74 ( 71 ) BAD Michael Jackson

75 ( NEW ) HE AIN'T HEAVY...HE'S MY BROTHER Bill Medley

 

 

4th Sept

PLAYIST OLDIES

 

1 LOVE IN A WORLD GONE MAD Bucks Fizz

2 LA LA MEANS I LOVE YOU The Delfonics

3 ALMOST THERE Andy Williams

4 I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU Dolly Parton

Oh I do remember that Giant Steps song, The world don't need another love, but didn't know they were British

I remember it as huge in the US, so always assumed they were Americans

Crazy it flopped in their home country

 

I also liked the Hollies song, and from the newies I really liked Way Behind me by Primitives, not as good as Crash but nice enough,

also liked the Vanessa Paradis one, too bad it did nothing in the charts

Is the Damien song ‘The Time Warp’ the song played on TOTP 1989 the other week?

Oh I do remember that Giant Steps song, The world don't need another love, but didn't know they were British

I remember it as huge in the US, so always assumed they were Americans

Crazy it flopped in their home country

 

I also liked the Hollies song, and from the newies I really liked Way Behind me by Primitives, not as good as Crash but nice enough,

also liked the Vanessa Paradis one, too bad it did nothing in the charts

 

Ah that explains how I came across Giant Steps if it was a US hit, I loved US chartshow rundowns (Paul Gambaccini the chart facts legend!) :)

Is the Damien song ‘The Time Warp’ the song played on TOTP 1989 the other week?

 

The 1989 was a remix apparently, but it charted in 1987 and 1988 and hung around trickle selling, I guess from clubs until it broke out large. It's still a guaranteed anthem to get a party going, though I mis-spelled his name oops! Damian...

Apparently he sadly passed away 2/3 years ago unfort

11th September 1988

 

It's another 60's classic in at 1 for the second week in a row, this time The Beatles Hey Jude back on top for the 3rd occasion, after topping my first ever chart - I SAY first-ever, what I mean is my first-ever retro chart that I retroactively compiled a few years later as I considered Hey Jude ground zero for my chart obsession - I discovered Alan Freeman's Sunday chart rundown and became an avid listener 20 years earlier when it got to number one in the UK charts, then it topped my chart in 1976 during the mass invasion of Beatles singles reissues, and now again for the 20th anniversary release as it charted again.

 

Meanwhile Bill Withers makes it top 5 for the second time, 10 years later and remixed, UB40 add to their long list of top 10's, and Nick Heyward gets a top 10 with a UK flop single, one of his best solo records that was quite annoying. Highest new song is Pet Shop Boys' Domino Dancing, the video hinting that the duo might not be quite the hetero-pop act they never claimed to be, in at 14 and produced in Florida as the dance scene was hot with the latino-tinged productions originating there. In at 20, Beach Boy legend Brian Wilson was back and producing music on his own. The voice might have been changed by the drugs and lack of use, but Love And Mercy still entered high, as The Beach Boys had appeared on my first chart rundown 20 years earlier.

 

Elton has a big climb into the 30 with Town Of Plenty, as I remained faithful while the hits dried up, ditto Midge Ure new in at 57 12 years since he debuted in Slik, before morphing through Rich Kids, Ultravox, Visage, Band Aid and solo. Answers To Nothing, Midge. Carly Simon is back with a live version of her signature tune, You're So Vain, that Warren Beatty commentary, and Dead Or Alive scrape in with Turn Around And Count To 10.

 

 

1 ( NEW ) HEY JUDE The Beatles

2 ( 1 ) HE AIN'T HEAVY...HE'S MY BROTHER The Hollies

3 ( 2 ) ANOTHER PART OF ME Michael Jackson

4 ( 5 ) TEARDROPS Womack & Womack

5 ( 23 ) LOVELY DAY (SUNSHINE MIX) Bill Withers

6 ( 7 ) GROOVY KIND OF LOVE Phil Collins

7 ( 4 ) THE HARDER I TRY Brother Beyond

8 ( 3 ) YE KE YE KE Mory Kante

9 ( 14 ) WHERE DID I GO WRONG UB40

10 ( 16 ) YOU'RE MY WORLD Nick Heyward

 

11 ( 27 ) WORLD WITHOUT YOU Belinda Carlisle

12 ( 6 ) SOMEWHERE DOWN THE CRAZY RIVER Robbie Robertson

13 ( 8 ) YOU CAME Kim Wilde

14 ( NEW ) DOMINO DANCING Pet Shop Boys

15 ( 12 ) ANYTHING FOR YOU Gloria Estefan

16 ( 25 ) TEARS RUN RINGS Marc Almond

17 ( 18 ) SWEET CHILD O' MINE Guns 'n' Roses

18 ( 11 ) RUSH HOUR Jane Wiedlin

19 ( 15 ) THE ONLY WAY IS UP Yazz & The Plastic Population

20 ( NEW ) LOVE AND MERCY Brian Wilson

 

21 ( 13 ) HANDS TO HEAVEN Breathe

22 ( 9 ) HAPPY EVER AFTER Julia Fordham

23 ( 19 ) ANOTHER LOVER Giant Steps

24 ( 30 ) CATCH MY FIRE Billy Idol

25 ( 10 ) EVERY GIRL AND BOY Spagna

26 ( 43 ) STOP THIS CRAZY THING Coldcut/ Junior Reid

27 ( 29 ) TOUCHY a-ha

28 ( 20 ) SOLDIER OF LOVE Donny Osmond

29 ( 57 ) TOWN OF PLENTY Elton John

30 ( 33 ) INDESTRUCTIBLE The Four Tops/ Smokey Robinson

 

31 ( 26 ) MONKEY (REMIX) George Michael

32 ( 28 ) GOOD TRADITION Tanita Tikarim

33 ( 24 ) FIND MY LOVE Fairground Attraction

34 ( 51 ) SKIN DEEP Cher

35 ( 21 ) EASY The Commodores

36 ( 32 ) DON'T MAKE ME WAIT Bomb The Bass

37 ( 22 ) SUPERFLY GUY S'Express

38 ( 40 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies

39 ( 31 ) DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson

40 ( 53 ) GOOD TIMES Matt Bianco

 

41 ( 58 ) FIRST BOY IN THIS TOWN (LOVESICK) Scritti Politti

42 ( 38 ) THE RACE Yello

43 ( 17 ) HOTEL CALIFORNIA The Eagles

44 ( 39 ) WAY BEHIND ME The Primitives

45 ( 35 ) FOREVER YOUNG Rod Stewart

46 ( 49 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac

47 ( 45 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys

48 ( 44 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael

49 ( 50 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield

50 ( 36 ) JUMP START Natalie Cole

 

51 ( RE ) WHY DID YOU DO IT Groove Train

52 ( 41 ) IN THE AIR TONIGHT (1988) Phil Collins

53 ( 46 ) RAW Spandau Ballet

54 ( 34 ) I HATE MYSELF FOR LOVING YOU Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

55 ( 73 ) RIDING ON A TRAIN The Pasadenas

56 ( 55 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles

57 ( NEW ) ANSWERS TO NOTHING Midge Ure

58 ( 37 ) CHILDHOOD DAYS Barry Gibb

59 ( 59 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees

60 ( 71 ) SHAKE YOUR THANG (IT'S YOUR THING) Salt 'n' Pepa

 

61 ( NEW ) YOU'RE SO VAIN (LIVE) Carly Simon

62 ( 62 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson

63 ( 48 ) FOOLISH BEAT Debbie Gibson

64 ( 52 ) THE TIME WARP II Damian

65 ( 65 ) SIGNED SEALED DELIVER'D (I'M YOURS) Ruby Turner

66 ( 67 ) HEAVEN IN MY HANDS Level 42

67 ( 63 ) CIRCLE IN THE SAND Belinda Carlisle

68 ( 54 ) REACH OUT I'LL BE THERE (REMIX) The Four Tops

69 ( 75 ) HE AIN'T HEAVY...HE'S MY BROTHER Bill Medley

70 ( 70 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK ('88 remix) The Jackson 5

 

71 ( 42 ) WORKING IN A GOLDMINE Aztec Camera

72 ( 56 ) MANNISH BOY Muddy Waters

73 ( NEW ) TURN AROUND AND COUNT TO 10 Dead Or Alive

74 ( 72 ) ALPHABET STREET Prince

75 ( 74 ) BAD Michael Jackson

 

 

 

Playlist oldies and album tracks of that week

1 GET ON THE LINE The Archies

2 HOLIDAY The Other Ones

3 HURTING EACH OTHER Carpenters

There’s plenty of oldies hitting the top of your charts in the late 80s Pop!

 

Is it due to a nostalgia for the era?

 

‘Teardrops’ is the best song in your chart imo!

There’s plenty of oldies hitting the top of your charts in the late 80s Pop!

 

Is it due to a nostalgia for the era?

 

‘Teardrops’ is the best song in your chart imo!

 

Pretty much nostalgia in the case of The Beatles, yes, though I've always charted oldies, even when I was 11 years old I was charting "old" tracks like The Righteous Brothers, Jackie Wilson, martha & The vandellas, isley Brothers (if you can call 4 or 5 years old, "old") but I was already nostalgic for stuff from 1963/4 in 1969, as well as charting new stuff from ancient singers like Donald Peers (he seemed incredibly old in 1969 - 61, or mid-way between Suedey and me age-wise now :lol: clearly Donald was just a sprightly youngster, like me, but at 11 everyone over 30 seems old - my mum was 30)

18th September 1988

 

It's 2 weeks on top, and 4 in total, for Hey Jude, as Domino Dancing challenges at 2 for Pet Shop Boys looking for their second hat-trick of chart-toppers, with the fab Teardrops giving Womack & Womack a second top 3 hit. Belinda carlisle makes it 4 top 10's in a row, and Marc Almond extends his run of top 10's to 7 years with Tears Run Rings. Cher adds to her long list if top 20's, Skin Deep, and Alexander O'Neal is highest new entry with a remix of Fake, already outdoing it's 1987 peak of 30 at 20.

 

In at 24 is the brilliant non-hit Anchorage from Michelle-Shocked who adapted a letter from a close friend into a wonderful song - and then didn't credit her and got taken to court, years later. Oops! Being inspired by a line or phrase is one thing, but a letter is still a creation as much as this paragraph is, and if someone copied it and put it to song without crediting me I'd be pissed off too. Admittedly it would be a dreadfully dull song, but the principle applies! The Pasadenas get a nice leap into the 40, meanwhile.

 

In a big inrush of new entries, Amy Grant debuts with Lead Me On at 39, she'll be back in 1991, Inner City enter with Big Fun. Not the boyband, the song. Livvy returns with The Rumour, 17 years into her chart career, and Bobby McFerrin debuts with a well-remembered upbeat tune, Don't Worry Be Happy. Not sure that would wash in 2020, but in 1988 things weren't quite as glum as they had been, or would be. Still a great pop record. Transvision Vamp keep the hits coming fast, Revolution Baby? The way things are going, yes.

 

Future UK chart-topper (albeit far future) I'm Gonna Be enters for The Proclaimers, I mean it was decent enough but it's not in the same league as Sunshine On Leith or Letter from America, so I'm still mystified by it's popularity! Cheap Trick are back after their comeback, with Don't Be Cruel making it 9 years of entries, Bananarama also keep the runs going, Truth, Honesty and that other elusive quality in 2020, Love, for 7 years of hits. Kevin Rowland has dropped the Dexy's, Tonight making it 8 years, Tracey Chapman is also talking about a revolution - about a year early, actually, but relevant - Bros say I Quit not too far ahead of making it so, Duran Duran join the 7-year-run club, and ditto Kim Wilde who follows up her chart-topper with a fabulous pop stomper but enters at a modest 75. It will go much higher....

 

1 ( 1 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles

2 ( 14 ) DOMINO DANCING Pet Shop Boys

3 ( 4 ) TEARDROPS Womack & Womack

4 ( 2 ) HE AIN'T HEAVY...HE'S MY BROTHER The Hollies

5 ( 5 ) LOVELY DAY (SUNSHINE MIX) Bill Withers

6 ( 3 ) ANOTHER PART OF ME Michael Jackson

7 ( 11 ) WORLD WITHOUT YOU Belinda Carlisle

8 ( 6 ) GROOVY KIND OF LOVE Phil Collins

9 ( 7 ) THE HARDER I TRY Brother Beyond

10 ( 16 ) TEARS RUN RINGS Marc Almond

 

11 ( 8 ) YE KE YE KE Mory Kante

12 ( 17 ) SWEET CHILD O' MINE Guns 'n' Roses

13 ( 10 ) YOU'RE MY WORLD Nick Heyward

14 ( 9 ) WHERE DID I GO WRONG UB40

15 ( 15 ) ANYTHING FOR YOU Gloria Estefan

16 ( 13 ) YOU CAME Kim Wilde

17 ( 23 ) ANOTHER LOVER Giant Steps

18 ( 12 ) SOMEWHERE DOWN THE CRAZY RIVER Robbie Robertson

19 ( 34 ) SKIN DEEP Cher

20 ( NEW ) FAKE ('88 REMIX) Alexander O' Neal

 

21 ( 26 ) STOP THIS CRAZY THING Coldcut/ Junior Reid

22 ( 18 ) RUSH HOUR Jane Wiedlin

23 ( 19 ) THE ONLY WAY IS UP Yazz & The Plastic Population

24 ( NEW ) ANCHORAGE Michelle-Shocked

25 ( 25 ) EVERY GIRL AND BOY Spagna

26 ( 29 ) TOWN OF PLENTY Elton John

27 ( 27 ) TOUCHY a-ha

28 ( 22 ) HAPPY EVER AFTER Julia Fordham

29 ( 30 ) INDESTRUCTIBLE The Four Tops/ Smokey Robinson

30 ( 36 ) DON'T MAKE ME WAIT Bomb The Bass

 

31 ( 21 ) HANDS TO HEAVEN Breathe

32 ( 31 ) MONKEY (REMIX) George Michael

33 ( 32 ) GOOD TRADITION Tanita Tikarim

34 ( 33 ) FIND MY LOVE Fairground Attraction

35 ( 20 ) LOVE AND MERCY Brian Wilson

36 ( 55 ) RIDING ON A TRAIN The Pasadenas

37 ( 28 ) SOLDIER OF LOVE Donny Osmond

38 ( 38 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies

39 ( NEW ) LEAD ME ON Amy Grant

40 ( 39 ) DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson

 

41 ( 35 ) EASY The Commodores

42 ( NEW ) BIG FUN Inner City/ Kevin Saunderson

43 ( 60 ) SHAKE YOUR THANG (IT'S YOUR THING) Salt 'n' Pepa

44 ( 24 ) CATCH MY FIRE Billy Idol

45 ( 46 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac

46 ( 49 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield

47 ( NEW ) THE RUMOUR Olivia Newton-John

48 ( 61 ) YOU'RE SO VAIN (LIVE) Carly Simon

49 ( 47 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys

50 ( 57 ) ANSWERS TO NOTHING Midge Ure

 

51 ( 48 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael

52 ( 37 ) SUPERFLY GUY S'Express

53 ( 51 ) WHY DID YOU DO IT Groove Train

54 ( 40 ) GOOD TIMES Matt Bianco

55 ( NEW ) DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY Bobby McFerrin

56 ( 41 ) FIRST BOY IN THIS TOWN (LOVESICK) Scritti Politti

57 ( 56 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles

58 ( 59 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees

59 ( 44 ) WAY BEHIND ME The Primitives

60 ( NEW ) REVOLUTION BABY Transvision Vamp

 

61 ( NEW ) I'M GONNA BE (500 MILES) The Proclaimers

62 ( 62 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson

63 ( 45 ) FOREVER YOUNG Rod Stewart

64 ( NEW ) DON'T BE CRUEL Cheap Trick

65 ( NEW ) LOVE TRUTH AND HONESTY Bananarama

66 ( 50 ) JUMP START Natalie Cole

67 ( NEW ) DON'T WALK AWAY Toni Childs

68 ( NEW ) TONIGHT Kevin Rowland

69 ( NEW ) TALKING 'BOUT A REVOLUTION Tracey Chapman

70 ( 70 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK ('88 remix) The Jackson 5

 

71 ( 67 ) CIRCLE IN THE SAND Belinda Carlisle

72 ( NEW ) I QUIT Bros

73 ( NEW ) I DON'T WANT YOUR LOVE Duran Duran

74 ( 75 ) BAD Michael Jackson

75 ( NEW ) NEVER TRUST A STRANGER Kim Wilde

 

 

 

Playlist oldies of the week

1 AMERICAN GENERATION The Ritchie Family

2 WHAT AM I DOING HANGING ROUND? The Monkees

3 LA VIE EN ROSE Grace Jones

nice top 3, all classics, Domino Dancing is one of my fav PSB songs, and Teardrops is just pure class

also nice climbs for Belinda and GNRoses

 

lots of interesting newies, Transvision Vamp, Kim Wilde, Alexander O'Neal, Proclaimers, Tracy chapman, all great tracks

I'm way behind on this but I will comment

 

10th January 1988

 

1 ( 2 ) SHAME Eurythmics - not very familar with this song because it's not on their Greatest Hits and didn't make the Top 40. I expect it's a grower. The follow up singles all made the Top 40. I would have thought a January chart would be an easy challenge.

 

2 ( 1 ) ALWAYS ON MY MIND Pet Shop Boys - although I liked this a lot back then I didn't grow to love it until decades later. I really dont think anyone can match the 5 single run they produced in 1987/88

 

3 ( 3 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles - not really bothered with the whimsy

4 ( 4 ) I FOUND SOMEONE Cher - this was always my preference from the late 80s/early 90s resurgence. That voice. :wub:

5 ( NEW ) YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELIN' The Righteous Brothers - this is in my all time top 100. That's all that needs to be said.

6 ( 6 ) THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL Michael Jackson - The later singles from Bad are much better than the first two, for me.

7 ( 12 ) JINGO Jellybean - Even as a new convert to following the chart, I was puzzled by the release strategy, if you could call it that, of Jellybean.

8 ( 14 ) HOUSE ARREST Krush - this was the first dance song I ever loved. I followed it up the charts and was so delighted when it became a hit. 1988 was such a rollercoaster for amazing dance music. Exciting, innovative and taking over the charts.

9 ( 9 ) FAMILY MAN Fleetwood Mac - does anyone know why the success of the 5 singles from Tango in the Night was so inconsistent? It went Hit, Flop, Hit, Flop, Hit. :blink:

10 ( 16 ) HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH Belinda Carlisle - I was always slightly baffled by how big this was. Didn't really do much for me.

 

11 ( 8 ) TELL IT TO MY HEART Taylor Dayne - well, this is utter genius. Powerhouse vocal, up to the second production. This is what Madonna should have been aiming for, back then.

12 ( 5 ) I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU Dusty Springfield - classic and my favourite of her 60s singles.

13 ( 7 ) FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl - as a 12 year old I though this was awful. I grew up and now obviously it's one of the greatest songs of any kind, ever.

14 ( NEW ) SIGN YOUR NAME Terence Trent D'Arby - his best single. Hypnotic.

15 ( 19 ) IDEAL WORLD The Christians - I've just put this on Spotify to see if it prompts any memories apart from the chorus, which I remember. It's a pleasant song - let's say that.

16 ( 13 ) LETTER FROM AMERICA The Proclaimers - I love songs that feature the actual speaking accent of the singers. And this is a great example. This had been tipped for Christmas number 1.

17 ( 24 ) THERE’S THE GIRL Heart - I don't recall this at all, now that I check it out on Spotify.

18 ( 15 ) LOVE LETTERS Alison Moyet - love this. She's always great.

19 ( 20 ) TURN BACK THE CLOCK Johnny Hates Jazz - I always felt these guys were in the shadow of Wet Wet Wet. Inoffensive stuff

20 ( 11 ) WHEN I FALL IN LOVE Nat ‘King’ Cole - so classy - showed Rick Astley's version for what it was.

 

21 ( 10 ) ESP The Bee Gees - I don't remember this at all. Doesn't sound great, now that I listen to it.

22 ( 18 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac - wonderful song. Probably my favourite of the Tango in the Night era.

23 ( 54 ) HOT IN THE CITY Billy Idol - nothing remarkable.

24 ( 32 ) I CAN’T HELP IT Bananarama - nowhere near as good as Love in the First Degree.

25 ( 30 ) RISE TO THE OCCASION Climie Fisher - the hit version is better than the album version but sounded like the music didn't really suit the vocals.

26 ( 21 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees - I didn't really get this at the time. It's now one of my favourite 80s singles. There's flashes of ELO in there.

27 ( 41 ) I THINK WE’RE ALONE NOW Tiffany - I keep promising to do a mash up of this and Blue Monday. Some day.

28 ( 33 ) ANGEL EYES Wet Wet Wet - I think they're actually underrated.

29 ( 27 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies - not really my sorta thing :lol:

30 ( 17 ) LET ME BE THE ONE/ (REMIX) Expose - I have no recollection of this at all

 

31 ( 31 ) TUNNEL OF LOVE Bruce Springsteen - I've never been much of a Bruce fan and this never changed that.

32 ( 36 ) PACKJAMMED (WITH THE PARTY POSSE) Stock Aitken Waterman - no comment :lol:

33 ( 28 ) BAD Michael Jackson - quite an improvement on the lead single

34 ( 45 ) ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT The Stranglers - Not my favourite Strangers song.

35 ( 35 ) TIGHTEN UP Wally Jump Junior & The Criminal Element

36 ( 26 ) TOUCHED BY THE HAND OF GOD New Order - probably well down the list of my favourite NO songs. Like, lower than 40 :lol:

37 ( 29 ) CRITICIZE Alexander O’Neal - love this. Brings me right back. I must add this to my 1987 play list.

38 ( 25 ) THE LOOK OF LOVE Madonna - one of her better 80s songs. This and Who's That Girl are up their with her best, for me.

39 ( NEW ) FATHER FIGURE George Michael - excellent, probably my favourite GM single and that's no small feat.

40 ( 39 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield - it goes without saying that this is also genius

 

41 ( 34 ) WHO FOUND WHO Jellybean featuring Lisa Fiorillo - definitely the best of his rash of hits

42 ( 22 ) ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE Mel (Smith) & Kim (Wilde) - As Christmas songs go, this is far from the worst.

43 ( 50 ) THE WISHING WELL GOSH - I dont remember this. Charity song. Lots of voices that don't mix well with each other, but that's not the point. :)

44 ( 40 ) THE TIDE IS TURNING Roger Waters - never heard this before. It's quite nice

45 ( 47 ) IN GOD’S COUNTRY U2 - I found it very hard to get on board with 80s U2.

46 ( 68 ) I SAY NOTHING Voice Of The Beehive - their best song, almost Smithsian levels of juxtaposition of jangle-pop and harsh reality lyrics.

47 ( 48 ) JUST TO GET BY Babakoto

48 ( NEW ) MANDINKA Sinead O'Connor - love the riff so much in this. As a teenager who had only just got into music I couldn't understand how anyone could like a song that was this our of tune :lol:

49 ( 23 ) EV’RY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE Simply Red - one of their better efforts

50 ( 43 ) RENT Pet Shop Boys - one of the greatest lyrics by anyone. The detail, the storytelling. The sadness and yet they have more love than most conventional relationships.

 

51 ( 38 ) I’VE BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE Cutting Crew - not my cup of tea at all

52 ( 37 ) CHILDREN SAY Level 42 - never ever worked out the popularity of Level 42 :blink:

53 ( NEW ) COME INTO MY LIFE Joyce Sims - classic, such a voice, that intro :wub:

54 ( 51 ) FAMILY AFFAIR/RUNNIN’ AWAY Sly & The Family Stone - classic

55 ( 44 ) KID (REMIX) The Pretenders - I dont think I like many Pretenders' songs. :unsure:

56 ( 42 ) MY BAG Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - not as much of a fan of this as Jennifer She Said

57 ( 66 ) JENNIFER SGE SAID Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - great song. I need to check out more of their stuff.

58 ( 53 ) CARS (E REG MODEL)/ ARE ‘FRIENDS’ ELECTRIC Gary Numan & Tubeway Army - two pieces of synth legend. I've been listening to a lot more synth stuff this year

59 ( 63 ) O L’AMOUR Dollar - I had not heard the Erasure version at this point but I did like this. I always though the male vocalist sound like Cliff Richard, only higher pitched.

60 ( 56 ) ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE The Beatles - needs no comment. Classic.

 

61 ( 52 ) PAID IN FULL Eric B & Rakim - I didn't really appreciate, at the time, the impact that all these songs made to hip hop and dance music.

62 ( 62 ) NEED YOU TONIGHT INXS - definitely my favourite INXS song. It sounds so Prince, with the funk and the spindly guitar, and the wooing :heart:

63 ( 74 ) NEW SENSATION INXS - not up to the level of Need You Tonight

64 ( 59 ) LOVE POWER Dionne Warwick & Jeffrey Osbourne

65 ( 49 ) DEVIL’S BALL Double

66 ( 58 ) PUMP UP THE VOLUME M/A/R/R/S - of all the sample based hits in 87/88 this never struck me as a number 1 single. -_-

67 ( 65 ) HUMAN Human League - listening back to this, it's quite new jack swing with the percussion. Produced by Jam and Lewis. That explains it.

68 ( NEW ) LOVE OVERBOARD Gladys Knight & The Pips - sounds like filler 4th single standard stuff. She's better than that. :huh:

69 ( 67 ) HERE I GO AGAIN Whitesnake - I remember all the metal lads going mad for this at the teenage discos :D

70 ( NEW ) SHAKE YOUR LOVE Debbie Gibson - I shook my love. World went on unchanged.

 

71 ( 69 ) HOLIDAY The Other Ones - sounds like a dance pop B-52s :D

72 ( 72 ) LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING Climie Fisher - Lovely song. They sounded quite unique to me back then.

73 ( 55 ) GOT MY MIND SET ON YOU George Harrison - Great song. I love the lift in the pre-chorus. Goes down well in a club, surprisingly.

74 ( NEW ) CANDLE IN THE WIND (LIVE) Elton John - Life versions of songs seemed like a strange thing to release, to me.

75 ( NEW ) BEHIND THE WHEEL Depeche Mode - This was the first time I had heard of this band. I wasn't really in a musical place to appreciate this.