NO 43- 114 POINTS

 

I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) George Michael & Aretha Franklin (Voter: Fiesta- 28 points, West- 1 point, Dot Branning- 6 points, Jackjones- 11 points, Riser- 25 points, Bjork- 9 points, Gezza- 16 points, Jester- 18 points)- No 1 for 2 weeks in February 1987

 

 

George Michael’s second of three solo entries on the list is this magnificent duet with the Queen Of Soul. Famously Michael approached both Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder for the duet before Franklin took up the offer

 

I Knew You Were Waiting For Me definitely the better of those two imo, a great duet and sad to think both artists are no longer with us.

I Knew You Were Waiting For Me, another pure classic from the talent that was George Michael and of course Aretha too! I actually never knew MJ and Stevie Wonder were approached for the duet first!

Oh lost another 2, gonna have no songs left soon

Both songs I like rather than love

Really liked Tifanny as a kid and I even bought the album

Another song murdered by GA, they have great originals but their covers were worst than Westlife 😅

I didn’t actually realise Tiffany was a cover too! Good pop song but nowhere near my votes. I also actually thought George/Aretha was a cover, great track too!

Tommy James & The Shondells were fab. Mony Mony, Crystal Blue Persuasion, Crimson & Clover, Draggin The Line, I Think We're Alone Now, Hanky Panky and much more, much-covered by the likes of Joan Jett, REM, Billy Idol, Tiffany. Tiffany......not so much-covered. Cover copies of a good pop cover also not going to impress, much as I love Girls Aloud original records. Tiffany top 5 in my charts (I bought the 12 inch and have fond memories of a California holiday in 1987 way before it was UK hit), Girls Aloud top 30.

 

George & Aretha is fab, was fab, and so were the pair of them. Just didn't have enough points etc.

I was expecting Tiffany to be top 40 at least. :(

I Think We're Alone Now just reminds me of Robin Sparkles in How I Met Your Mother now, with the whole performing in a Mall thing. Not a bad song though.

 

George and Aretha was okay.

 

Not too bothered by either of them to be honest.

NO 42- 115 POINTS

 

I Should Be So Lucky Kylie Minogue (Voter: Nina West- 9 points, Jason- 27 points, Gooddelta- 22 points, ..Ready for it- 14 points, Gezza- 12 points, Last Dreamer- 18 points, Jester- 13 points)- No 1 for 5 weeks in February/ March 1988

 

 

So Kylie’s favourite 80s chart topper is her debut, wildly popular at the time then quickly it became a byword for S/A/W formula bubblegum pop and then it had a bit of a re-evaluation in recent years.

 

NO 41- 116 POINTS

 

Heart Pet Shop Boys (Voter: JulianT- 11 points, Fiesta- 27 points, Steve201- 16 points, AH Gold- 8 points, Nina West- 25 points, Jason- 5 points, Popchartfreak- 24 points)- No 1 for 3 weeks in April 1988

 

 

Haven’t they done well? ALMOST getting all 4 of their No 1’s into the decade’s top 40 most popular. Not to be in the end as he first PSB chart topper leaves, it was written with the intention of offering it to Madonna but they didn’t have the confidence in the end so kept it for themselves! This is the third most popular No 1 of 1988 pipping Kylie to the honour.

 

The top 40





Year by year breakdown:

1980- 5
1981- 4
1982- 3
1983- 5
1984- 4
1985- 2
1986- 5
1987- 7
1988- 2
1989- 3

Votes left by voter: Asterisk indicates voters 30 pointer still in the rate

 

N4yr(*) 414/25

Leonardo(*) 398/24

*Dandy(*) 392/22

Doctor Blind(*) 388/23

Donnahjaneymack(*) 364//21

Dircadirca(*) 363/19

West(*) 362/21

Jade(*) 355/23

Steve201(*) 350/21

Danvember(*) 342/21

Chez Wombat(*) 340/20

Popchartfreak(*) 326/20

Dot Branning (*) 317/18

Jester(*) 316/18

Colm(*) 310/17

Bjork(*) 310/15

Nina West(*) 308/16

Jimwatts(*) 303/18

King Rollo 302/17

Rabbitfurcoat (*) 287/18

Gezza (*) 285/15

JulianT(*) 282/14

Jackjones 281/17

Shoat(*) 275/19

AH Gold(*) 275/16

Gooddelta(*) 240/12

…Ready For It(*) 214/12

Riser 211/13

Jason(*) 166/10

Fiesta 131/9

Last Dreamer 120/7

 

Finally acts with multiple tracks in the top 40

 

3 David Bowie

Madonna

Pet Shop Boys

 

2 Blondie

Frankie Goes To Hollywood

The Jam

 

Aww so close to 4 in the 40 for PSB!

I don't think Heart is as good as the other three Pet Shop Boys number 1s.

 

I'm pleased to see the first half of the decade makes up more of the final 40 than 1985/89.

agree, should have been Rent getting to #1 instead of Heart

Never been a fan of Heart, so glad it missed the top 40.

Kylie is Lucky Lucky Lucky to be that high, a slow version is much better. Heart is brilliant, I just love it and very happy to see 4 psb's in the top 41. let's not split hairs about falling short it's virtually 10% of the top 41 :lol: Had this been "My 80's Chart-toppers" people were voting on there would be 9 PSB tracks to pick from, plus a Liza Minelli and 2 Dusty Springfield tracks they wrote and produced.... :D

I loved I Should Be So Lucky at the time, and thought Kylie was just beautiful (she still is!!)

 

Didn't know Heart was supposed to be for Madonna, but listening to it now I can really hear her singing it.

Heart is really good with the production I think, it certainly stood out in 1988, the year of house and cheesy pop, with its instrumental oh-oh-oh-oh in place of the chorus making it like a modern dance track in structure!