This continues to be a brilliant thread through musical history.

 

So for 1987 some brilliant songs in your top 40. Living In A Box and Criticize really do represent late 80s pop at its best, both epic. Spagna Call Me is very good, it sounds both cheesy and at the same time somewhat also relevant to today's music in its structure - the instrumental 'drop' instead of the chorus is a big thing these days in pop music.

 

More and more dance music was appearing in the charts at this time which is great as I am a big fan of dance music and your #1 song Pump Up The Volume is completely different to anything else in the charts at the time. Must have sounded incredibly futuristic at the time. 'Jack Your Body' is also an iconic track - those rhythms are brilliant. Male Stripper - cheesy lyrics but the production is great (good enough to be sampled in a popular dance song by Purple Disco Machine recently), I should have mentioned the quite similar in style instrumentally Love Missile F1-11 by Sigue Sigue Sputnik as being one of my 1986 favourites. Also in the Hi-NRG genre (albeit mixed with house influences), Respectable by Mel and Kim is a good catchy song - I am sure 'Take Take T-T-T-T-Take' was stuck in a lot of peoples heads at the time!

 

That Wet Wet Wet song is easily their best in my opinion - such a unique sounding pop song and while some of their later songs were still good, I wish they would have stayed in that sort of style of music. Something In My House is my favourite of Dead or Alive's singles. You Win Again is very nice, I do like the late Bee Gees era and it and For Whom The Bell Tolls are great songs.

 

Of those you didn't include, I would have included A-ha - Cry Wolf, Pet Shop Boys - It's A Sin, Communards - Tomorrow and Never Say Goodbye ('Tomorrow' being higher on my list), John Farnham - The Voice, Hue and Cry - Labour of Love, Robbie Nevil - Dominoes, Karel Fialka - Hey Matthew (this one is a bit like Ace of Base with the production, isn't it) and Gary Numan and Radio Heart - Radio Heart in my top 40. A good year for chart music, better than 1986 in my opinion.

 

Awww. Thank you. Thrilled to hear you're enjoying this thread :heart:

 

I'm also a huge dance music fan, which will become quite evident when we get to the 90s. Pump Up The Volume still sounds incredible now. I was disappointed that Purple Disco Machine didn't make the Top 100 officially, I thought it would have done. As for Wet Wet Wet, this is the only time they'll be appearing on these lists - WIWL a million miles ahead of everything else they've ever done imo. Of the others you mentioned, It's A Sin would have been a shoo-in for my Top 40 a few years ago but it's slipped, perhaps due to over-familiarity. The only two I'm not over familiar with are the Robbie Nevil & Gary Numan tracks.

 

Thanks for your comments :heart:

87 was my first year proper following the charts

favourite tracks: the 2 T'Pau singles (China in Your Hand and Heart and Soul, Heart-Alone, the 2 Bananarama singles (I Heard a rumour and Love in the First Degree, Kim Wilde - Another Step, Pepsi & Shirlie - Heartache but the 2nd single was good too, Janet Jackson - Lets wait awhile, PSB - Always on my Mind, Madonna - La Isla Bonita and Who's That Girl, Whitesnake - Is this Love, Suzanne Vega - Luka, Mel & Kim - Respectable, Level 42 - It's over, Black's Wonderful Life and Sweetest Smile, all Terence Trent D'arby songs...

 

I was also into some indie bands, my fav being All About Eve - Flowers in Our Hair and In the Clouds, The Smiths - Girlfriend in a coma, Depeche Mode - Strangelove, The Cure - Just like Heaven.

 

We share a few faves it seems. I must admit, I somehow forgot about Kim Wilde & Junior's Another Step. I'd put that at around 50 on my list.

 

Thanks for the comments :heart:

This is my top 20 from the year. Never Let Me Down Again is best heard in its 9 minute 'Split Mix' version while the original 9 minute album version of Tonight,Tonight,Tonight is better than the truncated single release.

 

1. Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again

2. Genesis - Tonight Tonight Tonight

3. Marillion - Sugar Mice

4. Pet Shop Boys - It's A Sin

5. Black - Wonderful Life

6. Pet Shop Boys - Rent

7. Genesis - Land Of Confusion

8. New Order - True Faith

9. A-ha - Manhattan Skyline

10. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Watching The Wildlife

11. Cliff Richard - Some People

12. Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind

13. Steve Winwood - Valerie

14. U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name

15. Paul McCartney - Once Upon A Long Ago

16. ABC - When Smokey Sings

17. Eurythmics - Beethoven (I Love To Listen)

18. Karel Fialka - Hey Matthew

19. George Harrison - Got My Mind Set On You

20. Wax - Bridge To Your Heart

 

I'll have to check out that 9 minute Split Mix - I've only ever heard the single version.

 

I see 6 songs we have in common this time. Of the others my picks would be New Order, ABC, George Harrison & Wax.

 

Thanks Rollo :wub:

Coming up with heart-rendering and truly inspirational anecdotes from each of my early years is proving to be quite tough. My memory clearly isn't as sharp as I thought it was. However, according to a family album, I had a girlfriend in 1988. Teresa, her name was, and all I can remember is that she could only write backwards and would also become the girlfriend of my best mate. Slag. (Only joking. Actually, did we even know the word when we were 7?). Granted, this isn't exactly Hollyoaks stuff but I'm sure at that age I was livid. This would be the only time me and Tim, my best mate, would share the same girlfriend. Mainly because, not surprisingly, I became a gay. Although a few of his future girlfriends had crushes on me first before they settled on him - something I love to remind him of on a regular basis. I'm such a good friend. :teresa:

 

My shortlist for 1988 was just 45 songs surprisingly. Quite a few of my favourites never made the Top 40. The five just missing out: Vanessa Paradis, Deacon Blue, Salt-N-Pepa, Enya & New Order

 

 

My Favourite Top 40 Hits Of 1988

 

1. Adventures – Broken Land

2. Kim Wilde – You Came

3. Eighth Wonder – I’m Not Scared

4. Ofra Haza – Im Nin’Alu

5. Desireless – Voyage Voyage

6. Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is A Place On Earth

7. Siouxsie & The Banshees – Peek-A-Boo

8. Jane Wiedlin – Rush Hour

9. Fleetwood Mac – Everywhere

10. Yello – The Race

11. Pet Shop Boys – Heart

12. Belinda Carlisle – Circle In The Sand

13. Transvision Vamp – I Want Your Love

14. Pet Shop Boys – Domino Dancing

15. Sinitta – I Don’t Believe In Miracles

16. Krush – House Arrest

17. Taja Sevelle – Love Is Contagious

18. Timelords – Doctorin’ The Tardis

19. Eurythmics – You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart

20. Bananarama – Love, Truth And Honesty

21. Bomb The Bass – Beat Dis

22. Humanoid – Stakker Humanoid

23. Everything But The Girl – I Don’t Want To Talk About It

24. Bananarama – I Want You Back

25. Sabrina – All Of Me

26. Dollar – O L’Amour

27. Erasure – A Little Respect

28. INXS – Need You Tonight

29. Kim Wilde – Never Trust A Stranger

30. Prefab Sprout – The King Of Rock ‘N’ Roll

31. Climie Fisher – Love Changes Everything

32. Kylie Minogue – Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi

33. Belinda Carlisle – I Get Weak

34. Cher – I Found Someone

35. Kylie Minogue – Got To Be Certain

36. Wee Papa Girl Rappers – Wee Rule

37. Bananarama – I Can’t Help It

38. Rick Astley – Take Me To Your Heart

39. Fairground Attraction – Perfect

40. Taylor Dayne – Tell It To My Heart

 

The decline of chart-toppers in your top 40 continues (as you predicted by the 90's :) ) at 6 - but there are loads of number 2's (in a good way) at least 5. Adventures should have been a chart-topper TBH but peaked at 4, tut tut! I never had a girlfriend - but my best friends were usually girls until I turned 10 :kink: Looking back, the sci-fi, the pop music, the brushing of my mum's hair, the arts & crafts, playing with my friends dolls with the hair that grows, the lack of interest in football, I might as well have had a huge arrow hanging over my head inviting the world to assume I was probably never going to be a top sportsman :lol:

love 1988 musically (despite Madonna taking the year off) :D

my fav pop artist at the time was Debbie Gibson, who I thought was 1000 times better than Kylie, well, at least the US did agree :D

 

fav songs of the year: Debbie Gibson - Shake your Love and Foolish beat, Krush - House arrest, Pebbles - Girlfriend

Transvission Vamp - I want your love, the first 3 Belinda Carlisle singles, Taja Sevelle - Love is contagious,

Salt'n' Pepa - Push it, Terence T D'arby - Sign your name, Kim Wilde - You came, Taylor Dayne - Shake your love,

all the Voice of the Beehive singles, Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana and Another part of me, Bruce - Tougher than the rest

 

and from the indie world:

All About Eve - Martha's harbour (song of the year), Primitives - Crash, Morrissey - Everyday is like Sunday

Sinead O'Connor - Mandinka, Tracy Chapman - Fast car

 

EDIT: Forgot Tracy Chapman, her album is easily the album of the year for me, still right now I can remember all the lyrics

 

Edited May 14, 20205 yr by Bjork

Great to see Broken Land at the top of your list. It makes it into my top 5 as well. As with 1987,my top 2 are best heard in their longer versions. The Race has a thirteen minute 12 inch version while the album version of Left To My Own Devices is much better than the remixed single.

 

1. Yello - The Race

2. Pet Shop Boys - Left To My Own Devices

3. Black - Paradise

4. Depeche Mode - Behind The Wheel

5. The Adventures - Broken Land

6. Robbie Robertson - Somewhere Down The Crazy River

7. Kim Wilde - You Came

8. Icehouse - Crazy

9. Scritti Politti - Oh Patti (Don't Feel Sorry For Loverboy)

10. Bourgeois Tagg - I Don't Mind At All

11. INXS - Never Tear Us Apart

12. Aztec Camera - Working In A Goldmine

13. The Hollies - He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother

14. Traveling Wilburys - Handle With Care

15. Eighth Wonder - I'm Not Scared

16. Bomb The Bass - Beat Dis

17. Eurythmics - You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart

18. George Harrison - When We Was Fab

19. Aztec Camera - Somewhere In My Heart

20. Robert Palmer - She Makes My Day

My favourites from your top 40 are I'm Not Scared (much less cheesy than most pop around at the time thanks to the Pet Shop Boys' production), Rush Hour (really nice song this), Heart, A Little Respect, House Arrest (really liked this from when I first discovered it a few years ago, sounds great for a song made in 1987), Beat Dis (that breakbeat after 'music please' is a highlight for me of this track), Stakker Humanoid (really futuristic dance track) and All Of Me (the best of her two 1988 charting tracks for me and a real precursor to 90s eurodance).

 

Would have chosen Taylor Dayne - Prove Your Love rather than Tell It To My Heart to go in my top 40 as the production I find more interesting in it (although Kelly Llorenna's version of TITMH which I keenly remember from the time would probably make my top 40 for 2002)

 

I would have also added Def Leppard - Love Bites (easily their best song imo) and Magnum - Days of No Trust and Heart - These Dreams for rock tracks from the year and D-Mob ft Gary Haisman - We call it Aciieed, Coldcut, Yazz and Plastic Population - Doctorin' The House and S'Express - Theme From S'express for dance tracks.

 

Dance tracks aside though 1988 maybe isn't one of the best years of the 80s as Steve201 hinted at some of the pop in the charts did become a bit cheesy and generic by this stage. Having said that I do have a soft spot for Together Forever by Rick Astley (the original is way better than that acoustic cover in an advert recently) so that would make my top 40 for 1988.

Edited May 14, 20205 yr by dandruff*

The decline of chart-toppers in your top 40 continues (as you predicted by the 90's :) ) at 6 - but there are loads of number 2's (in a good way) at least 5. Adventures should have been a chart-topper TBH but peaked at 4, tut tut! I never had a girlfriend - but my best friends were usually girls until I turned 10 :kink: Looking back, the sci-fi, the pop music, the brushing of my mum's hair, the arts & crafts, playing with my friends dolls with the hair that grows, the lack of interest in football, I might as well have had a huge arrow hanging over my head inviting the world to assume I was probably never going to be a top sportsman :lol:

 

:lol: Trust me, I can relate. Except, oddly, the majority of my mates, then and now, have been straight blokes. I do have a lot of girl friends of course, but I've always been baffled at why the straights tolerate me :lol: I've never had any interest in football either, except the world cup in '98 and that's only because the lad I was obsessed with followed it. I must have thought we'd bond and end up in an inevitable passionate and adventurous love affair if I learnt everything about it. Bizarrely, this didn't happen. :wacko:

 

So, 6 chart toppers this year. I wonder how many '89 will bring...

Edited May 15, 20205 yr by AH Gold

love 1988 musically (despite Madonna taking the year off) :D

my fav pop artist at the time was Debbie Gibson, who I thought was 1000 times better than Kylie, well, at least the US did agree :D

 

fav songs of the year: Debbie Gibson - Shake your Love and Foolish beat, Krush - House arrest, Pebbles - Girlfriend

Transvission Vamp - I want your love, the first 3 Belinda Carlisle singles, Taja Sevelle - Love is contagious,

Salt'n' Pepa - Push it, Terence T D'arby - Sign your name, Kim Wilde - You came, Taylor Dayne - Shake your love,

all the Voice of the Beehive singles, Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana and Another part of me, Bruce - Tougher than the rest

 

and from the indie world:

All About Eve - Martha's harbour (song of the year), Primitives - Crash, Morrissey - Everyday is like Sunday

Sinead O'Connor - Mandinka, Tracy Chapman - Fast car

 

EDIT: Forgot Tracy Chapman, her album is easily the album of the year for me, still right now I can remember all the lyrics

 

I must admit I never really got into Debbie Gibson, although I do like Shake Your Love. Martha's Harbour, Crash & Everyday Is Like Sunday I really like , they'd probably be around the Top 50 mark for me.

 

Thanks for commenting :wub:

Great to see Broken Land at the top of your list. It makes it into my top 5 as well. As with 1987,my top 2 are best heard in their longer versions. The Race has a thirteen minute 12 inch version while the album version of Left To My Own Devices is much better than the remixed single.

 

1. Yello - The Race

2. Pet Shop Boys - Left To My Own Devices

3. Black - Paradise

4. Depeche Mode - Behind The Wheel

5. The Adventures - Broken Land

6. Robbie Robertson - Somewhere Down The Crazy River

7. Kim Wilde - You Came

8. Icehouse - Crazy

9. Scritti Politti - Oh Patti (Don't Feel Sorry For Loverboy)

10. Bourgeois Tagg - I Don't Mind At All

11. INXS - Never Tear Us Apart

12. Aztec Camera - Working In A Goldmine

13. The Hollies - He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother

14. Traveling Wilburys - Handle With Care

15. Eighth Wonder - I'm Not Scared

16. Bomb The Bass - Beat Dis

17. Eurythmics - You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart

18. George Harrison - When We Was Fab

19. Aztec Camera - Somewhere In My Heart

20. Robert Palmer - She Makes My Day

 

This time I have heard the extended versions! I have both of them on CD somewhere. Left To My Own Devices would be at No.46 on my list. I count six mutual faves this time. Glad there's others who love Broken Land as much as me.

 

Thanks Rollo :wub:

My favourites from your top 40 are I'm Not Scared (much less cheesy than most pop around at the time thanks to the Pet Shop Boys' production), Rush Hour (really nice song this), Heart, A Little Respect, House Arrest (really liked this from when I first discovered it a few years ago, sounds great for a song made in 1987), Beat Dis (that breakbeat after 'music please' is a highlight for me of this track), Stakker Humanoid (really futuristic dance track) and All Of Me (the best of her two 1988 charting tracks for me and a real precursor to 90s eurodance).

 

Would have chosen Taylor Dayne - Prove Your Love rather than Tell It To My Heart to go in my top 40 as the production I find more interesting in it (although Kelly Llorenna's version of TITMH which I keenly remember from the time would probably make my top 40 for 2002)

 

I would have also added Def Leppard - Love Bites (easily their best song imo) and Magnum - Days of No Trust and Heart - These Dreams for rock tracks from the year and D-Mob ft Gary Haisman - We call it Aciieed, Coldcut, Yazz and Plastic Population - Doctorin' The House and S'Express - Theme From S'express for dance tracks.

 

Dance tracks aside though 1988 maybe isn't one of the best years of the 80s as Steve201 hinted at some of the pop in the charts did become a bit cheesy and generic by this stage. Having said that I do have a soft spot for Together Forever by Rick Astley (the original is way better than that acoustic cover in an advert recently) so that would make my top 40 for 1988.

 

I was toying with including S'Express in my list. I loved it at the time, but when I did this '88 list, there were 46 tracks I liked more. Of the others you mentioned, I like Prove Your Love, Aciieed, These Dreams, Doctorin' The House and Together Forever.

 

Thanks for commenting :wub:

I don't remember ever having believed in God. I come from a Catholic family and went to a Catholic school, so I must have done at one point. A classmate excitedly told me "if you pray to God every day, all your wishes come true!" Going by this I can only assume I got down on my hands and knees and prayed "Dear God. I'm not being picked on enough. Please do something that ensures I become a complete laughing stock. Oh, and if you can make sure I suffer especially at school, that'd be great. Amen." I'm beyond thrilled to tell you, he listened.

Earlier on in 1989....how can I put this?.....I got an infection in my willy (I've no idea why or how). I'll spare you the gory details except I bled. A lot. I had to have an operation which resulted in me getting circumcised. The downside to this was I wasn't allowed to wear trousers when I went back to school. On my first day back I was hauled up by a teacher in front of the assembly. There I was dressed in my white shirt, school tie...and green tracksuit bottoms. The teacher thought it'd be wise and kind to explain to everyone why I was dressed like this...I'm sure you can imagine where this is going. Three months I was in those disgusting dark green tracksuit bottoms. Why the parents couldn't have got me a black pair, I'll never know.

 

Anyway, with that beautiful Jane Austin-esque story out of the way with, here's 1989. You probably have noticed, in previous years, cool and credible acts such as The Smiths and The Cure have featured. This year: Big Fun, Sonia & Brother Beyond. On a positive note, no room for The Reynolds Girls (they're at No.41. Don't judge me).

 

My Favourite Top 40 Hits Of 1989

 

1. Donna Summer – This Time I Know It’s For Real

2. Liza Minnelli – Losing My Mind

3. Black Box – Ride On Time

4. Kylie Minogue – Hand On Your Heart

5. Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance

6. Beautiful South – Song For Whoever

7. Kon Kan – I Beg Your Pardon

8. Kate Bush – This Woman’s Work

9. Boy Meets Girl – Waiting For A Star To Fall

10. Electronic – Getting Away With It

11. Jeff Wayne – Eve Of The War (Ben Liebrand Remix)

12. Technotronic Feat. Felly – Pump Up The Jam

13. Belinda Carlisle – Leave A Light On

14. Big Fun – Can’t Shake The Feeling

15. Tom Petty – I Won’t Back Down

16. Madonna – Like A Prayer

17. Dusty Springfield – Nothing Has Been Proved

18. Neneh Cherry – Manchild

19. Starlight – Numero Uno

20. Brother Beyond – Be My Twin

21. Depeche Mode – Personal Jesus

22. Stone Roses – Fools Gold

23. Lil’ Louis – French Kiss

24. Deborah Harry – I Want That Man

25. Sydney Youngblood – Sit And Wait

26. Kate Bush – The Sensual World

27. Marc Almond & Gene Pitney – Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart

28. Paula Abdul – Straight Up

29. Raul Orellana – The Real Wild House

30. Transvision Vamp – Baby I Don’t Care

31. Will To Power – Baby I Love Your Way – Free Bird

32. Ten City – That’s The Way Love Is

33. Fuzzbox – Pink Sunshine

34. A Guy Called Gerald – Voodoo Ray

35. Robert Howard & Kym Mazelle – Wait

36. Jason Donovan – Too Many Broken Hearts

37. Cyndi Lauper – I Drove All Night

38. Sonia – Can’t Forget You

39. Sydney Youngblood – If Only I Could

40. Madonna – Express Yourself

 

1989 definitely not as good as 87/88

but still some decent pop songs on the 1st half of the year

was not a fan od Techonotronic/Black Box and even less of a fan of the Jive Bunny domination :D

 

fav pop songs: Debbie Gibson - Lost in your eyes, Madonna - Like a prayer, Transvision Vamp - Baby I Don't Care,

Paula Abdul - Straight up, Cyndi Lauper - I Drove all Night, FYC - She drives me Crazy, Sam Brown - Stop

Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance and Manchild

 

indie: The Stone Roses, loved the album and Fools Gold, big into Pixies too

Ouch!! 1989 was also not a great year for me, for different reasons - my grandma fell ill over Xmas 88, and died in April. The song that reminds me of driving to Liverpool for the funeral is Donna Summer's This Time.. - a chart-topper for me with lots of emotions mixed up in it.

 

So 5 chart-toppers for me: Donna, Dusty's Nothing Has Been Proved, Kate Bush This Woman's Work, Madonna Express Yourself, Sydney's If Only.

 

Again of lots of number 2's though: Liza, Black Box, Madonna Like A Prayer, Depeche Personal Jesus.

 

OK, here's a treat I'm going to piggy-back on your thread:

 

Number Ones for the years I've digitised already: 1984-1989, includes new tracks only for the time, and tracks from that period that topped my charts in later years being added in. Year of release except for those tracks that topped in January/Feb of the year after a late-previous-year release. So no year will add up to 52 weeks.

 

1984

Nobody Told Me John Lennon 1

Relax Frankie Goes To Hollywood 3

Radio Ga Ga Queen 3

Somebody's Watching Me Rockwell/ Michael Jackson 3

It's A Miracle Culture Club 2

Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin) Scritti Politti 4

The Lebanon The Human League 4

You're The Best Thing The Style Council 3

Two Tribes Frankie Goes To Hollywood 6

Life On Your Own The Human League 2

Eyes Without A Face Billy Idol 1

Careless Whisper George Michael 2

I Just Called To Say I Love You Stevie Wonder 1

Madame Butterfly Malcolm McLaren 1

The War Song Culture Club 4

Drive/ (Orchestral Version) The Cars 7

The Wild Boys Duran Duran 2

Sex Crime (1984) Eurythmics 1

The Power Of Love Frankie Goes To Hollywood 3

Do They Know It's Christmas Band Aid 1

Last Christmas/Everything She Wants Wham! 6

It's My Life Talk Talk 2

Holiday Madonna 1

Young At Heart The Bluebells 3

When Doves Cry Prince 1

The Killing Moon Echo & The Bunnymen 2

 

1985

Since Yesterday Strawberry Switchblade 1

I Want To Know What Love Is Foreigner 2

It's...It's The Sweet Mix The Sweet 2

You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) Dead Or Alive 2

The Last Kiss David Cassidy 3

Cry Godley & Creme 2

Everybody Wants To Rule The World Tears For Fears 6

Megarex 1 T.Rex 1

19 Paul Hardcastle 3

Obsession Animotion 2

So In Love Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark 2

Getcha Back The Beach Boys 3

There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) Eurythmics 2

Running Up That Hill Kate Bush 2

You And Your Heart So Blue Bucks Fizz 1

Dancing In The Street David Bowie/ Mick Jagger 1

Lean On Me (Ah-Ti-Ayo) Red Box 3

If I Was Midge Ure 2

Take On Me a-ha 2

Cities In Dust Siouxsie & The Banshees 1

A Good Heart Feargal Sharkey 2

I'm Your Man Wham! 2

West End Girls Pet Shop Boys 3

The Whole Of The Moon The Waterboys 1

Living On My Own (Remix) Freddie Mercury 1

Boys Of Summer Don Henley 2

 

1986

The Sun Always Shines On TV a-ha 6

Hounds Of Love Kate Bush 3

Calling America Electric Light Orchestra 2

E=MC2 Big Audio Dynamite 1

A Different Corner George Michael 9

(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena Sandra 2

Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money) Pet Shop Boys 3

New Beginnings (Mamba Seyra) Bucks Fizz 4

Papa Don't Preach Madonna 3

Human The Human League 7

True Blue Madonna 1

Suburbia Pet Shop Boys 3

Take My Breath Away Berlin 2

Sometimes Erasure 3

Open Your Heart Madonna 3

Love Is All That Matters The Human League 4

Silent Running Mike + The Mechanics 1

 

1987

The E.P. live (How Can I Be Sure) David Cassidy 1

I Knew You were Waiting (For Me) Aretha Franklin/ George Michael 3

La Isla Bonita Madonna 3

Don't Dream It's Over Crowded House 2

Living In A Box Living In A Box 2

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For U2 2

It's A Sin Pet Shop Boys 3

Who's That Girl Madonna 1

What Have I Done (To Deserve This) Pet Shop Boys/ Dusty Springfield 5

Little Lies Fleetwood Mac 4

You Win Again The Bee Gees 4

Bad Michael Jackson 1

The Way You Make Me Feel Michael Jackson 1

Always On My Mind Pet Shop Boys 3

Fairytale Of New York The Pogues/ Kirsty MacColl 3

True Faith New Order 1

 

1988

Shame Eurythmics 2

Tell It To My Heart Taylor Dayne 2

Man In The Mirror Michael Jackson 2

Love Changes (Everything) Climie Fisher 2

Joe Le Taxi Vanessa Paradis 1

Heart Pet Shop Boys 5

Theme From S Express S Express 2

One More Try George Michael 2

Alphabet Street Prince 2

Circle In The Sand Belinda Carlisle 3

Dirty Diana Michael Jackson 2

Monkey (Single remix) George Michael 2

You Came Kim Wilde 4

Another Part Of Me Michael Jackson 1

Domino Dancing Pet Shop Boys 1

What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy) Information Society 2

I Wish U Heaven Prince 1

Left To My Own Devices Pet Shop Boys 4

Keeping The Dream Alive Freiheit 1

When The Love Is Good Big Trouble 1

Driving Home For Christmas Chris Rea 1

 

1989

Four Letter Word Kim Wilde 3

You Got It Roy Orbison 2

Stop Sam Brown 2

Nothing Has Been Proved Dusty Springfield 1

This Time I Know It's For Real Donna Summer 3

Ordinary Lives The Bee Gees 2

Rooms On Fire Stevie Nicks 1

Every Little Step Bobby Brown 1

My Brave Face Paul McCartney 1

Sweet Child 'O' Mine Guns 'n' Roses 1

Express Yourself Madonna 1

Liberian Girl Michael Jackson 1

It's Alright Pet Shop Boys 1

101 Sheena Easton 2

Don't Wanna Lose You Gloria Estefan 4

Healing Hands Elton John 3

Sowing The Seeds Of Love Tears For Fears 7

If Only I Could Sydney Youngblood 1

Sacrifice Elton John 2

Room In Your Heart Living In A Box 1

All Around The World Lisa Stansfield 4

This Woman's Work Kate Bush 1

Dear Jessie Madonna 1

You Used To Distant Cousins 3

In Private Dusty Springfield 1

Listen To Your Heart Roxette 2

Love Shack B52's 1

There She Goes The La's 3

Black Box - Ride On Time is great, Kon Kan - I Beg Your Pardon is a great song to sum up the 80s near the end of the decade, Jeff Wayne - Eve of The War is wonderfully dramatic, Madonna - Like A Prayer I really liked when I was younger (It was still shown a lot on music channels such as VH1 in the late 90s) and still sounds good (I also remember liking the 2002 cover by Mad'house from the time, thought this was a remixed re-release and that Madonna was singing on it but it is actually someone who sounds a lot like Madonna instead), the Technotronic/Felly - Pump Up The Jam is good but I much prefer Rockin' Over The Beat by them. For Neneh Cherry I don't know that song Manchild but would have included Buffalo Stance in my top 40 for 1989, and for Sydney Youngblood - If Only I Could (which sounds more mid 90s than late 80s).

 

For 'I Drove All Night' I prefer the Roy Orbison version. Pet Shop Boys - It's Alright I would also add high up in my top 40 for the year too along with Inner City - Good Life. I would have also included Fine Young Cannibals - She Drives Me Crazy, Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire and London Boys - London Nights.

 

Listen To Your Heart Roxette 2

There She Goes The La's 3

 

The original Listen To Your Heart a very nice song and DHT ft Edmee cover would make my top 40 for 2005. As for There She Goes by The La's is also a lovely song, I didn't realize it was a 1989 song, sounds more mid 90s. I remember it on the radio quite a bit later on in the 90s when I was a child (I was born in 1992).

Edited May 16, 20205 yr by dandruff*

The original Listen To Your Heart a very nice song and DHT ft Edmee cover would make my top 40 for 2005. As for There She Goes by The La's is also a lovely song, I didn't realize it was a 1989 song, sounds more mid 90s. I remember it on the radio quite a bit later on in the 90s when I was a child (I was born in 1992).

 

It was a hit in 1990 and again later on a minor hit in 1999, but was covered by Sixpence None The Richer around that time and that was a bigger hit, so it was pretty well known by 2000 :)

My top 20 from the year:

 

1. Tears For Fears - Woman In Chains

2. Mike & the Mechanics - The Living Years

3. Yello - Of Course I'm Lying

4. Tears For Fears - Sowing The Seeds Of Love

5. Pet Shop Boys - It's Alright

6. Freiheit - Keeping The Dream Alive

7. Queen - The Miracle

8. Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning

9. New Order - Round And Round

10. Madonna - Like A Prayer

11. Kon Kan - I Beg Your Pardon

12. Queen - The Invisible Man

13. Chris Rea - The Road To Hell

14. Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus

15. Neneh Cherry - Manchild

16. Malcolm McLaren and the Bootzilla Orchestra featuring Lisa Marie - Something's Jumpin' In Your Shirt

17. The Lightning Seeds - Pure

18. Martika - Toy Soldiers

19. Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire

20. The Bangles - Eternal Flame

It was a hit in 1990 and again later on a minor hit in 1999, but was covered by Sixpence None The Richer around that time and that was a bigger hit, so it was pretty well known by 2000 :)

 

Must be the 1999 re-release airplay I remembered from the time as it was definitively the La's version I remember from my childhood.

 

Why did you chart this and Elton John - Sacrifice so early I wonder? Particularly Elton John - Sacrifice I am curious about, surely it would have went straight to top 10 or #1 with Elton's name-power if it was released in mid to late 1989?

Edited May 16, 20205 yr by dandruff*

1989 definitely not as good as 87/88

but still some decent pop songs on the 1st half of the year

was not a fan od Techonotronic/Black Box and even less of a fan of the Jive Bunny domination :D

 

fav pop songs: Debbie Gibson - Lost in your eyes, Madonna - Like a prayer, Transvision Vamp - Baby I Don't Care,

Paula Abdul - Straight up, Cyndi Lauper - I Drove all Night, FYC - She drives me Crazy, Sam Brown - Stop

Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance and Manchild

 

indie: The Stone Roses, loved the album and Fools Gold, big into Pixies too

 

Agree with you about Jive Bunny. Obvs. But I do love a bit of Black Box and Technotronic. But yes, overall, '89 was one of the weakest years of the 80s Top 40 wise.

 

Thanks for the comments :wub: