Good to see Run Runaway in the Top 10. My fave Slade song.

 

One of the things I really like about this thread it seeing the old sleeves that used to sit in those cube boxes you could buy from Woolworths and WHSmiths to keep your singles in.

 

And how they were stored and displayed in the shops themselves. When much younger I used to love going into the shops when one of my faves was at the top to see it displayed at No 1. Ah the late 80s. :D

 

 

10TH MARCH

 

 

Nena hold the No 1 spot but sales are already on the slide to 98,447 making 311,814 copies sold in total. It recedes 2-3 in the US where it looks to have failed in its challenge for the No 1 spot, the song that held it off however we’ll deal with in depth later on. It was an easy victory for Nena with none of their top 4 rivals getting TOTP, Kool & The Gang come out of the melee the best as “Joanna/ Tonight” climbs 3-2 despite a drop in sales to 57,664.

 

 

 

Produced by the same team behind the Village People (Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo) Break Machine are a US hip hop act who are riding on the current interest in the genre which makes occasional inroads into the UK singles chart. “Street Dance” body pops its way 11-5 (47,600) this week.

 

 

 

Onto the current US No 1 single, going since 1972 and already onto their sixth album, all Van Halen have to their name so far UK singles chart wise is the No 52 hit “Runnin With The Devil” in 1980, but this week “Jump” does just that and leaps 20-10 (31,739). The song represents a break from their traditional, more rockier, material but they are seeing the benefits as the track becomes their breakthrough on both sides of the Atlantic- watch this fly in weeks to come.

 

 

The only other climber is Slade who sprint 10-7 (36,890) but a trio of tracks manage to hold the fort, Nik Kershaw at No 4 (50,796) in the face of a 10% sales dip (which might be linked to the album debuting at No 10 this week), Rockwell at No 6 (47,413) and Billy Joel at No 8 (36,261). Bad news for Frankie Goes To Hollywood who continue to slide 2-3 (52,955), and the Thompson Twins require medical attention as they drop 5-9 (35,258)

 

 

 

1- 99 RED BALLONS- Nena (98,447)

2- JOANNA/ TONIGHT- Kool & The Gang (57,664)

3- RELAX- Frankie Goes To Hollywood (52,955)

4- WOULDN’T IT BE GOOD- Nik Kershaw (50,796)

5- STREET DANCE- Break Machine (47,600)

6- SOMEBODY’S WATCHING ME- Rockwell (47,413)

7- RUN RUNAWAY- Slade (36,890)

8- AN INNOCENT MAN- Billy Joel (36,261)

9- DOCTOR DOCTOR- Thompson Twins (35,258)

10- JUMP- Van Halen (31,739)

 

'Street Dance' is a good tune showcasing the evolution of 80s dance music along with Rockwell. Surprised the catchy whistle riff in Street Dance hasnt been sampled more since.

 

'Jump' and its keyboard riff are classic.

Edited June 1, 20232 yr by TheSnake

17TH MARCH

 

 

Sales slump across the board this week with only the top 2 singles braking the 50,000 mark and only one of those increasing sales. That track is not the No 1 single which for a third week is Nena’s “99 Red Balloons” but it loses 31% in sales terms to register 67,490 copies sold, it was still under no pressure from other songs with Kool & The Gang playing bridesmaids again but have a slight sales boost to 58,565 and are in with an outside bet at the top. Break Machine have a minimal sales increase to 48,960 yet rise 5-3. It jumps above Nik Kershaw who holds steady at No 4 with 42,687 buyers last week.

 

 

 

All eyes then on the No 5 spot which is where Lionel Richie stands with “Hello” a third single from his “Can’t Slow Down” album. The album is now in its 21st chart week and is yet to dip below the No 11 spot, it moves 8-7 this week buoyed by the success of the song and the video which, though saccharine in places, seems to be making a lasting impression. “Hello” jets 25-5 this week with 34,782 sales, no other Richie song has been this high after a fortnight on sale, indeed looking at his Commodores chart runs only one song can match its performance, that is “Three Times A Lady”- that song ended up spending 5 weeks at the top!

 

 

 

The Winter Olympics in Sarajevo produced a gold medal for the British team when Torvill & Dean scored perfect 6.0’s in the Ice Skating rink to the tune of “Bolero” by Ravel which was promptly released as an EP by Richard Hartley which this week slinks 11-10 (28,679). Hartley is a composer who is in part responsible for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” but it’s his first excursion into the charts.

 

 

The only song to generate a sales increase this week and was in the top 10 last week is Van Halen’s “Jump” which moves 10-7 on just a 4% sales increase to 34,368 just in front of Billy Joel who holds for a third week at No 8 (31,416). Heading south are Frankie Goes To Hollywood 3-6 (32,776) and Rockwell 6-9 (30,141), "Relax" should pass the 900,000 mark next week but the million may prove beyond it.

 

 

 

1- 99 RED BALLONS- Nena (67,490)

2- JOANNA/ TONIGHT- Kool & The Gang (58,565)

3- STREET DANCE- Break Machine (48,960)

4- WOULDN’T IT BE GOOD- Nik Kershaw (42,687)

5- HELLO- Lionel Richie (34,782)

6- RELAX- Frankie Goes To Hollywood (32,776)

7- JUMP- Van Halen (32,368)

8- AN INNOCENT MAN- Billy Joel (31,416)

9- SOMEBODY’S WATCHING ME- Rockwell (30,141)

10- TORVILL AND DEAN EP- Richard Hartley (28,679)

 

Oh great back-to-back chart toppers with 'Relax' and '99 Red Balloons' :wub: maybe my favourite since 'The Winner Takes It All' -> 'Ashes to Ashes' earlier in the 80s

crazy they saved Hello for single 3

Today I learned that a "Torvill And Dean" EP made the Top 10 *_*

Wow didn’t realise ‘Hello’ was single 3 from a huge selling album, how did the single do so well??

99 Red Balloons/Luftballoons :wub:

Jump :wub:

Wouldn't It Be Good :wub:

24TH MARCH

 

 

It’s taken 6 years but Lionel Richie is back at the UK No 1 spot as “Hello” sprints 5-1 and sells 86,190 into the bargain, “Can’t Slow Down” is still on the rise 7-6 this week and marks a new high in Richie’s solo career illustrating that his decision to leave the Commodores was the right one. Nena’s “99 Red Balloons” drops 1-2 (47,141) but we’ll see how well the track has done on the YTD update in 2 week’s time.

 

 

 

A one time backing group for disco star Sylvester, The Weather Girls used to be called “Two Tons O’ Fun” and a scored a few US Disco hits in the early 80s. A rebranding followed and now they have a top 10 hit with “It’s Raining Men” which soars 11-5 (39,593) this week, a vast improvement on the No 73 position the song achieved last year. The song was offered to and turned down by Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, Cher and Donna Summer but the Weather Girls prove it has potential.

 

 

 

The credit might be reversed but it makes no odds to the public, yes Galaxy & Phil Fearon had a top 10 hit last year with “Dancing Tight” and subsequently scored two more hits of lessening chart positions throughout the remainder of 1983. Now the credit reads Phil Fearon & Galaxy and the band are back in the top 10 with “What Do I Do” which rises 13-7 (31,399) with only three more slots to go to match the peak of “Dancing Tight”. Those who like the sound of his music will have to wait until the summer for the debut album.

 

 

 

You won’t have to wait that long for Bananarama’s eponymous second album which is out next month and is again written and produced in the main by the group along with Jolley & Swain. The band have taken their time to record it with the first single from it “Cruel Summer” reaching No 8 way back in July 1983 and now 8 months later we get single number two, but it proves to be their sixth top 10 single out of 7 releases with only their Christmas 1982 single “Cheers Then” proving the weak link. “Robert De Nero’s Waiting” rockets 22-8 (30,090).

 

 

 

Much like Toyah and Nena, Sade are a band who take their name from their female lead vocalist and have generated a considerable amount of press from the more “serious” quarter of the record industry throughout 1983 which now leads to their debut single “Your Love Is King” smashing 20-9 (29,580) expect the first album in the summer.

 

 

So what else is going on? Break Machine hold at No 3 on just 47,005 and were caught by Nena at the death, whilst heading the wrong way are Kool & The Gang 2-4 (43,248), Nik Kershaw 4-6 (36,550) and Van Halen 7-10 (28,543)

 

 

 

1- HELLO- Lionel Richie (86,190)

2- 99 RED BALLONS- Nena (47,141)

3- STREET DANCE- Break Machine (47,005)

4- JOANNA/ TONIGHT- Kool & The Gang (43,248)

5- IT’S RAINING MEN- Weather Girls (39,593)

6- WOULDN’T IT BE GOOD- Nik Kershaw (36,550)

7- WHAT DO I DO?- Phil Fearon & Galaxy (31,399)

8- ROBERT DE NERO’S WAITING- Bananarama (30,090)

9- YOUR LOVE IS KING- Sade (29,580)

10- JUMP- Van Halen (28,543)

 

Interesting to see that Jump wasn't that big a hit really considering how well known it probably is these days.

 

I didn't know that the Weather Girls were originally a backing act for Sylvester, although it does make a lot of sense.

 

 

#1 wise, I really dislike Hello. I think it's pretty awful, even if I can see why it was a hit.

31ST MARCH

 

 

Lionel Richie's "Hello" really takes off this week with sales accelerating to 152,762 which is more than 100,000 clear of the rest of the field, it's really the only record in the running at present. The memorable video still has its detractors but it’s done the trick as Richie can this week celebrate the double with “Can’t Slow Down” jumping 6-1 to regain the position it last held 20 weeks ago.

 

 

On paper Richie should be watching out for the Weather Girls and Bananarama who are both on the move 5-2 and 8-3 but that was accompanied by sales of 42,007 and 39,695 so they are not increasing in anything like the fashion needed to pose a serious threat.

 

 

If none of those succeed then how about Culture Club? The group are just off on tour in the US where they recently scored their first No 1 with “Karma Chameleon”, back in the UK the third single from their second album “Colour By Numbers” entitled "It's A Miracle" leaps 14-4 (37,791). It was originally titled “It’s America” before the re-write and it becomes the band’s sixth straight top 5 single to cement their status as perhaps only second to Duran Duran in terms of the biggest UK acts on the world stage at present.

 

 

 

For all that the press are concerned with Duran Duran and Culture Club at present, those two acts are actually placed at No 19 and No 7 in the list of biggest selling singles acts of the 80s so far, way behind Shakin’ Stevens who currently sits at No 2 behind only Madness in both terms of sales and in most top 10 hits in the 80s. Incidentally Madness’ last single “Michael Caine” peaked agonisingly at No 11 breaking a run of 6 consecutive top 10 hits, only the third time one of their releases has missed the mark, the last time it happened they hit No 1 with the follow up- watch this space. Anyway Shaky is back in the top 10 again this week with “A Love Worth Waiting For”- his 11th top 10 single of the decade compared to Madness’ tally of 14, it’s also an original composition and is the fourth release from his album “The Bop Don’t Stop”- the first time he has scored four top 10 singles from one album, despite that the album has disappointed getting no higher than No 21. The video incidentally features Shaky’s son.

 

 

 

Depeche Mode are currently recording their fourth album due in the autumn but the first single is already tearing up the charts, “People Are People” arrives this week 29-9 (25,772) to become the band’s fourth top 10 single. It comes with a few remixes (nothing unusual there) but what is unusual is that the band have released two different videos for the mixes.

 

 

Numbers 2-6 are all climbing this week, in addition to those tracks already mentioned Phil Fearon & Galaxy progress 7-5 (36,737) and Sade glide 9-6 (35,904), to make way Nena drop out of the top 10 from No 2 and Break Machine topple 3-8 (30,668) with Kool & The Gang following suit 4-10 (24,429).

 

 

 

1- HELLO- Lionel Richie (152,762)

2- IT’S RAININ MEN- Weather Girls (42,007)

3- ROBERT DE NERO’S WAITING- Bananarama (39,695)

4- IT’S A MIRACLE- Culture Club (37,791)

5- WHAT DO I DO- Phil Fearon & Galaxy (36,737)

6- YOUR LOVE IS KING- Sade (35,904)

7- A LOVE WORTH WAITING FOR- Shakin Stevens (34,051)

8- STREET DANCE- Break Machine (30,668)

9- PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE- Depeche Mode (25,772)

10- JOANNA/ TONIGHT- Kool & The Gang (24,429)

 

My sister informs me I cried when 99 Red Balloons wasn’t number 1 anymore! I was only 8 so I hope that’s an excuse. Considering what knocked it off number 1 I don’t blame myself.

 

 

What's so surprising is just how quickly it faded at retail. Only 5 weeks in the top 10 for a 3 week No 1 and having a run of 2-1-1-1-2 when there.

That’s a really weird top 10 run, even for 1984!

For some reason, 'It's Raining Men' feels a lot older than 1984.

 

Feels like it existed around the 'I Will Survive'/'YMCA' era.

Hello is so boring!!!

 

Omfg at Taylor Swoft ripping off Banarama with Cruel Summer!!!!

Hello is so boring!!!

 

Omfg at Taylor Swoft ripping off Banarama with Cruel Summer!!!!

Girls Aloud you mean? They covered it first!

Girls Aloud you mean? They covered it first!

 

I don't believe Girls Aloud did a version, but I remember the (rather fab) Ace of Base rendition of it :wub:

Yeah, as much of a classic Hello is, that video is really cringe.

 

People are People another cracking song by Depeche Mode.