'Teardrops' is a great track. Have it on my 80's Gold album upstairs too!

 

'You Drive Me Crazy' one of Shaky's best too. Less said about the 'The Birdie Song' the better really :kink:

10 - Sinitta - So Macho

10th best seller of 1986

Chart Run

59-50-49-49-48-47-49-51-64-59-68-73......52-46-33-16-5-2-3-3-2-7-9-14-21-32-36-53

 

Not, as I assumed, produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman - but by James George Hargreaves who is now a Minister and has ran for election as a candidate for the Christian/Christian Vote parties.

 

So Macho was an underground hit in 1985. Simon Cowell solely funded a re-release in Feb 1986. Like many singles in the 80s, it hovered between numbers 40 and 75 but when it eventually hit the top 40 the resulting airplay sent it soaring to the top 5 in August that year.

 

Chris De Burgh's Lady and Red and Boris Gardiner's I Want to Wake Up With You held it at number 2.

Edited August 1, 20223 yr by Colm

I don’t think I realise So Macho was that big :o

9 - Lionel Richie - All Night Long

10th best seller of 1983

Chart Run

56-31-16-4-2-2-2-4-6-16-24-34-42-42-39-45

 

Still in the early years of his solo career, Lionel scores what was to become his second biggest hit.

 

A fairly normal chart run of no great length but Lionel was kept in check for 3 weeks by the million selling Karma Chameleon, which finished the year as the best seller.

Teardrops and Love Wars are both brilliant

 

Too right! Love 'em! :heart:

 

Birdie Song was bought by little kiddies so I forgive it (as long as I don't have to listen to it too much). Sinitta's gay club anthem was a very annoying pop hit. Give me The Birdie Song anyday.....

 

Lionel Richie's biggie is quite good actually, better than his dreary solo ballads at any rate, though I still prefer Running With The Night, the follow-up was the best thing he did outside The Commodores

8 - King - Love & Pride

10th best seller of 1985

 

Chart Run

45-21-6-4-2-2-2-3-8-17-24-41-65-65

 

Love and Pride needed a re-release to be a hit having been released the previous summer but only reaching number 84.

Second time around it made number 2 for three weeks, being prevented from reaching the summit by I Know Him So Well by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson.

 

This still sounds like a crazy Stranglers/Acceptable in the 80s/Mansun mash up. :lol:

7 - a-ha - Take On Me

9th best seller of 1985

 

Chart Run

55-36-14-5-2-2-2-3-5-12-14-23-34-37-33-32-38-44-68

 

Another song that needed a re-mix to do the trick. The 1984 version is a lot more basic and reverb-y.

A regular mention for best number 2 of the 1980s. We can blame Jennifer Rush for that.

Edited August 6, 20223 yr by Colm

6 - Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters

9th best seller of 1984

 

Chart Run

56-18-6-3-2-2-2-4-8-14-19-27-32-46-46-43-33-15-7-6-8-7-16-20-26-32-35-31-50-60-71

 

According to a "15 things you might not know about the Ghostbusters theme song" article on CBCMusic.ca there were 60 songs submitted as the theme song before RP Jnr's was selected and it only took him two and half days to write it.

 

Does anyone have any idea why it went back into the top 10 in December 1984?

 

Stevie Wonder's I Just Called to Say I Love You kept it from advancing to number 1.

 

I am now also intrigued as to why it enjoyed a second run in the top 10, very unusual chart run

I am now also intrigued as to why it enjoyed a second run in the top 10, very unusual chart run

The UK release of the movie was in December 1984 hence its "second wind".

Ahhhh that makes a lot of sense, I just incorrectly assumed the film was the first peak. Thanks gezza

I assumed the same - that the first peak was cinema goers purchasing the single. So it was a hit on its own merits in August 1984?

I assumed the same - that the first peak was cinema goers purchasing the single. So it was a hit on its own merits in August 1984?

Well on the hype of the US release plus the promo including famous faces etc.

King's is a decent pop track, he became one of the first UK VDJ's did Paul after the hits dried up.

 

a-ha needs no comment it's classic.

 

Ghostbusters was hugely catchy. So catchy there was a court case over it with Huey Lewis & The News I Want A New Drug (settlement agreed), and yes in those days the UK had to wait months for Hollywood blockbusters to get released at the cinema, it was extremely annoying and a lot of people tended to react to months of hearing about the American audience numbers as "hype" as opposed to "news". There are still people refusing to see Star Wars. But it was extremely annoying having release dates months late.

5 - Technotronic - Pump Up The Jam

8th best seller of 1989

 

Chart Run

53-37-19-4-3-2-2-4-8-11-19-26-36-39-61

 

The best selling single of 1989 not get get to number 1. Massive then and massive now. I grew to love it despite not warming to it initially.

 

Blackbox's even more massive Ride on Time stood in its way of replicating its chart topping status that it achieved all over Europe and beyond.

Great track. Still sounds pretty good today considering it was released among the tinny productions that were the late 80s

4 - Black Lace - Agadoo

8th best seller of 1984

 

Chart Run

66-55-49-47-38-19-4-2-2-3-3-4-5-8-16-25-24-31-35-33-43-47-56-53-52-46-42-32-29-52

 

Huge hit despite Radio 1 vowing to never play it, it had the misfortune of sharing the top 4 with Careless Whisper, Ghostbusters and I Just Called to Say I Love You. It was Stevie that did the damage for the two weeks that Agadoo spent at number 2.

 

I'm just noticing now that five of the top 10 best sellers of the 80s were released in 1984. :o

 

 

3 - Ultravox - Vienna

6th best seller of 1981

 

Chart Run

52-16-6-3-2-2-2-2-4-7-16-22-43-57

 

Always suggested as one of the all time great injustices of UK chart action, just as Vienna looked like it was going to ascend to number 1, Shaddap Your Face, which had climbed 27 places the week before to number 3, spoiled the party and continued to do so for a whole month.

 

Despite this, Vienna went on to outsell SYF.

Does anyone know the sales gap between Vienna and Shaddap… in the end of year?

 

I was just looking at their chart runs and they’re not that different so I’m surprised (but glad obvs) that Vienna finished higher given the biggest sales gap is usually between 1 and 2 in the chart.

Does anyone know the sales gap between Vienna and Shaddap… in the end of year?

 

I was just looking at their chart runs and they’re not that different so I’m surprised (but glad obvs) that Vienna finished higher given the biggest sales gap is usually between 1 and 2 in the chart.

29k :D