I think it was alot easier in the late 90's to try and avoid missing the coveted no.1 spot because singles generally peaked in the first week out. So acts could better time their releases so as not to go up against another big name act. There were numerous times songs were held back to give them a better chance of no.1. Not so easy in the early 80's as songs took ages to peak so it was impossible to know who you'd be competing with for no.1.

Edited May 9, 20214 yr by fiesta

I love the dance version of Tori's track, it is basically Armand Van Helden's track but it's a dance classic for me *.*

 

I love the Van Helden remix, even if it's not truly representative of Tori as an artist. My favourite track of hers is Cornflake Girl.

'Ain't No Pleasing You' is my favourite from that 1982 chart - kinda reminds me of '(Just Like) Starting Over' by John Lennon - wish Chas & Dave had got that #1.

 

 

Definitely agreed. Chas & Dave deserved the #1 out of everything on that 1982 list.

Definitely agreed. Chas & Dave deserved the #1 out of everything on that 1982 list.

 

My Camera Never Lies is the best Bucks Fizz single... but it's their forgotten no.1 as it only spent a week there and sales were pretty low looking at it.

I like the Dollar album and all the singles from it.

 

Enjoyed Sabrina's song. A classic.

It's completely amazing pop classic, no need to name it as a guilty pleasure.

The Jam- Funeral Pyre (90.5%)

 

 

W/E 13/6/1981

 

1- BEING WITH YOU- Smokey Robinson (95,000)

2- MORE THAN IN LOVE- Kate Robbins (92,000)

3- ONE DAY IN YOUR LIFE- Michael Jackson (89,000)

4- FUNERAL PYRE- The Jam (86,000)

 

More used to entering at No 1 by this point in their career, the Jam had to settle for the no 4 spot with this one even though sales were far from a disgrace!

 

Human League- Love Action (I Believe In Love) (90.6%)

 

 

W/E 22/8/1981

 

1- GREEN DOOR- Shakin Stevens (86,000)

2- HOOKED ON CLASSICS- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (78,000)

3- LOVE ACTION (I BELIEVE IN LOVE)- Human League (78,000)

 

Yes have no fear they would get to No 1 next time around but this one was unlucky not to be their first. Shaky was an unstoppable force in 1981 so perhaps it’s understandable but by “Green Doors’ fourth week at No 1 it was flagging, sadly it wasn’t going to be the Human League who took advantage of that.

 

Mr Big- To Be With You (90.7%)

 

 

W/E 4/4/1992

 

1- STAY- Shakespears Sister (34,600)

2- LET’S GET ROCKED- Def Leppard (31,800)

3- TO BE WITH YOU- Mr Big ( 31,400)

 

Soft rock, big hair, yes they were probably a decade too late (I say that but look who were at No 2) even so this US #1 almost went all the way here in an era of generally poor sales, it was about 100 sales closer the following week but percentage wise this was the week.

 

Is it possible to find out how many copies a particular single sold week by week back in the late 70's/early 80's?

 

If for example I wanted to know how many copies Gary Numan's single 'We Are Glass' (reached No-5 in May 1980 and spent 7 weeks on the chart ) is there anywhere I could obtain the week by week figures?

 

Just curious.

Wow at those 1992 sales!!

 

Love 1981, what a year!

Is it possible to find out how many copies a particular single sold week by week back in the late 70's/early 80's?

 

If for example I wanted to know how many copies Gary Numan's single 'We Are Glass' (reached No-5 in May 1980 and spent 7 weeks on the chart ) is there anywhere I could obtain the week by week figures?

 

Just curious.

Not that I know of- I have weekly estimates for the top 10 only. :(

1992 sales !!!

I've recently flicked through every U.K. chart week of the 1980s (for inspiration while putting together my own 80s playlist) and was floored by how high The Jam always seemed to debut - like you said usually at #1 in a time where that was a lot more rare!

 

1981 is a favourite musical year for me too, Steve, although I'm not so huge on 'Green Door' :kink: wow at how big that was. The Human League though :wub:

Love Action so close to being a #2 :(

Never heard of that Kate Robbins song that was 3k away from #1 in the other 1981 week!

Weren't The Jam's high debuts because they released their singles on Sundays while the convention at the time for most artists was releasing on Monday/Tuesday? I feel like I remember reading that somewhere but maybe I am making it up xx

 

I don't think I know any of the songs in this thread so far oops xx

One thing i've found interesting so far is the weeks where the #4 or #5 is within 90% of #1 sales! I wonder what the furthest out example of this we will see is, in a week of very low overall sales something outside the Top 5 might even have achieved this!

A lot of my school classmates were crazy about The Jam. I wasn't myself but liked some of their songs. Funeral Pyre was OK. I think they always had high new entries as their fans would always rush out to the shops to buy their new single.

 

Love Action is one of the Human League's best songs.

 

A different group called Mr Big had a number 4 hit with a song called Romeo in 1977, a rare example of two groups with the same name both having top 5 singles.

 

Kate Robbins is best known these days as being the mother of Emily Atack.

A lot of my school classmates were crazy about The Jam.

File my mum under this also :lol:

Mr.Big was so cheesy but very adorable too. It was one of those US no.1s you would of thought wouldn’t cross the pond like Nelson,The Heights or Bad English but somehow this one made it.