June 6, 20223 yr Author 18 - Tears For Fears - Mad World u1ZvPSpLxCg 12th best seller of 1982 Chart Run 65-47-38-16-6-3-3-3-6-15-23-38-47-47-45-57 Their third single but first hit - Mad World is probably now best known as the Gary Jules cover which sound tracked the poignant closing scenes of Donnie Darko. Kept at number 3 by Eddie Grant's I Don't Wanna Dance, Dionne Warwick's Heartbreaker and Culture Club's Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?
June 12, 20223 yr Author 17 - Bruce Willis-Under The Boardwalk l2zk56DDjGc 12th best seller of 1987 Chart Run 49-36-17-6-3-3-2-2-4-6-13-20-36-40-56 Bruce took this Drifters cover to number 2 in June 1987. It was his second top 10 hit after Respect Yourself earlier that year but he wouldn't trouble the UK top 40 ever again. Pet Shop Boys' It's a Sin kept it in second place for 2 weeks, but it went on to become the best selling song of 1987 that didn't make the top spot.
June 12, 20223 yr Push It is still fun, Milli Vanilli hasnt weathered well and the whole sorry saga turned tragic, Love Of The Common People is still damn catchy, George Harrison is a hero and this cover was a welcome chart return, I love haircut 100 and some of Nick' solo stuff, joyous and melodic. The Frog Chorus is from a kids thing and is fab. Macca gets a royal slagging off for doing stuff aimed at kids, see Mary Had A Little Lamb and this. Not deserved. Michael Ball, not a fave but its OK, Clothes Off is still pretty decent, and White Lines is a classic rap track, I used to be able to rap along to this one - in the days when rap had a point, was audible, didn't need obligatory parental warnings, and used English instead of Street, obviously. If Only I Could has always been a fave, Baggy Trousers is bak in my personal charts after a World Record Day release, a classic, madness remain unique and cherished, Mickey is Chinn-Chapman at their most catchy (but I'll stick with Tiger Feet, Ballroom Blitz, Devil Gate Drive etc), Axel F is OK, 9 To 5 was never as good as Modern Girl or Machinery of her early stuff, and is not worthy to lick the stiletto shoes of 101 or U Got The Look, Sheena's Prince masterpieces. Mad World is a masterpiece, in any hit version, and Donnie Darko is amazing. Bruce's other hit was better, but it was nice to see The Drifters oldie back, but yeah, the original version please. Huge Moonlighting fan at the time though.
June 26, 20223 yr Author 16 - Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) qeMFqkcPYcg 11th best seller of 1983 Chart Run 63-38-21-5-3-2-3-5-5-15-25-33-50-60 Despite having two top 10 hits as part of The Tourists, Annie and Dave had to wait until their 6th single as the Eurythmics to even dent the top 50. This, now iconic, single/video is one of the most enduring period pieces of the whole decade. Kept at number 2 by Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart.
June 26, 20223 yr Author 15 - The Stranglers - Golden Brown z-GUjA67mdc 11th best seller of 1982 Chart Run 67-25-16-4-3-2-2-6-9-23-39-68 Having emerged from the punk scene but outgrowing the punk sound very quickly, the Stranglers headed off in various directions. This being their most successful re-invention. Enya based her whole career on this song :P The Jam managed to keep this at number 2 for a fortnight with A Town Call Malice - surely a contender for the best top 2 ever. Edited June 26, 20223 yr by Colm
July 9, 20223 yr Author 14 - Shakin' Stevens - You Drive Me Crazy OFZH1ZqrRS0 11th best seller of 1981 Chart Run 39-5-2-2-2-2-7-10-16-28-40-59 This was the follow up to his first number 1 single This Ole' House and it was followed by his second Green Door. He was the only artist to have 3 singles in the Top 20 best sellers of the year. This track was held in second place by the second biggest seller of the year - Stand and Deliver from Adam and the Ants.
July 9, 20223 yr Author 13 - Kylie Minogue - The Loco-motion POWsFzSFLCE 11th best seller of 1988 Chart Run 2-2-2-2-3-9-18-26-40-44-60 Kylie was on a roll. She was destined to spend more weeks in the top 2 in her first 18 months of chart action than any other act in history. The Loco-motion was also the highest debut made by any female artist to date and was unlucky to not enter at the top as it had passed the outgoing chart topper Glen Medeiros by the Thursday. A surge for Yazz and the Plastic Population's The Only Way is Up put paid to Kylie's chance of going in at number 1. Both were shock moves as Medeiros was widely expected to stay at number 1 for a 5th week. While both Yazz and Kylie increased their sales the following week, Kylie would have to remain in Yazz's shadow for a further fortnight before relinquishing second place to Brother Beyond's The Harder a Try - another Stock Aitken and Waterman production.
July 9, 20223 yr Author From here on it's singles that made the top 10 best sellers of each year that didn't make it to number 1. The observant among you will note that there will be 12 of these. Speculation in spoiler tags, please.😋
July 9, 20223 yr I rate You Drive Me Crazy, one of Shaky's best singles - if not THE best single. I don't rate The Locomotion that much - and it's nothing like her original Aus smash with it, which was more based on Grand Funk Railroads 1974 huge rock hit cover of the original Little Eva, babysitter to Goffin & King's kid and a song gifted to her along with a career. So good it was a hit all over again a decade later in 1972 in the UK. Little Eva's will never be bettered.... :D
July 15, 20223 yr The only songs which I'm fairly sure are to come are Last Christmas, Vienna and Take On Me
July 15, 20223 yr I’m pretty certain that ghostbusters, teardrops, D.I.S.C.O and pump up the jam will also feature.
July 31, 20223 yr Author 12 - Womack & Womack - Teardrops R8AOAap6_k4 10th best seller of 1988 Chart Run 66-55-37-18-7-4-3-3-4-4-4-10-12-19-31-40-62 Their biggest hit - previously only reached the top 20 once in 1984 with Love Wars, Teardrops has a unique authenticity to it. It really loved the number 4 slot managing 4 weeks there. Held off the top slot by Phil Collins' A Groovy Kind of Love and The Hollies' He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother.
July 31, 20223 yr That’s one of my expected ones out straight away then. It’s one of the more unique hits from the 80s and I think it’s aged pretty well
July 31, 20223 yr Author 11 - The Tweets - The Birdie Song ESViOhqRdlE 10th best seller of 1981 Chart Run 44-25-8-7-2-2-3-5-9-16-22-22-31-29-28-22-22-17-21-29-35-46-62-68........55-55-46-49 Novelty song that wouldn't go away. Released in September, it got a sales boost in December as Christmas Party season got underway. Stuck behind Adam and the Ants' Prince Charming and Dave Stewart/Barbara Gaskin's It's My Party. Edited July 31, 20223 yr by Colm
July 31, 20223 yr Oh!!!! What a dire song, glad that just missed the top 10. Still, it's a relic from an era where all sorts of music could chart so I won't grumble too much as I miss those times
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