Two Tribes is excellent. I never used to like it that much when I first heard it in the 90s but it has grown on me no end over the years since then, to the extent that my preferred version these days is actually the 16 minute version and I genuinely don't get bored during it :lol:

 

Not one but two amazing additions this week with Smalltown Boy being the other. It's basically one of those timeless synth lines that has gone on to be sampled/influence so many songs since it was released. The subject matter is also of course very direct and brave for the time so I'm equally in love with it for those reasons too.

The top 2 selling over 100k *.* 'Two Tribes' is excellent and the video is very iconic I feel and an impressive 9 weeks on top too!. 'Smalltown Boy' is great also!

‘Smalltown Boy’ one to the best songs of the decade ❤️

never liked Two Tribes much back in the day, maybe I was too young

I find it over-rated but not that big of a fan of FGTH in general

didn't like Smalltown Boy either but mostly cos of Jimmi Sommersville's falseto and vocals, which were too much to handle

Back in the 80s, everything FGTH did was supposed to be controversial and you couldn't escape them. It was almost default that you liked the record, even though when looking back it was a tad over-rated.

 

Smalltown Boy is a song I've come to appreciate more as the years go on.

 

Dancing With Tears In My Eyes is a brilliant track.

Two Tribes is an immense song, but I also find it over-rated.

 

Smalltown Boy however………. :wub:

23RD JUNE

 

 

As expected “Two Tribes” continues to fly off the shelf with some stocking issues being reported in some chains, the single sold more copies last week than any single since "Karma Chameleon" last October, a whopping 199,852 copies in fact, up 48% week on week. That brings its fortnightly tally to 335,614 and shoots straight into the top 10 YTD, “Relax” also rises this week 11-6 and sells 34,782 to achieve a miraculous chart run which now amounts to 31 weeks of continuous chart action as it moves past "Come On Eileen" to become the 2nd biggest seller of the 80s

 

 

Wham! trail in in a distant second place with a mere 58,922 . Good news for the band is that the single has now sold 444,023 copies and becomes their biggest selling single to date. Bronski Beat could yet move to No 2 as they get bronze position this week after moving 50,116.

 

 

Songs about the explosion of the nuclear bomb don’t come much chirpier than Nik Kershaw’s new single “I Won’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”, perhaps It was the subject matter but the track only peaked at No 47 when it was first released last year but has better luck in light of the No 4 success of his last single “Wouldn’t It Be Good”. The track debuted at No 18 last week and now sprints to No 4 (38,368) to match the previous hit's peak position, parent album “Human Racing” isn’t doing too badly having made the top 10 and currently at its lowest position of No 25 after 15 weeks in the shops.

 

 

 

Michael Jackson may currently be taking a well earned rest after the global success of “Thriller” (which was the best selling album of last year) but his name is far from missing in the charts of 1984. A sixth single “P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)” peaked at No 11 earlier this year and now his old label Motown get in on the act trying to recreate the magic of “One Day In Your Life” which made No 1 back in 1981 after Jackson struck gold with the “Off The Wall” album. “Farewell My Summer Love” dates all the way back to 1973 and is from an album of the same title which moves 27-16 this week as the single progresses 15-8 (30,532).

 

 

Elton is still improving 8-7 (33,303) but the album “Breaking Hearts” is out his week and may halt the advance in 7 day’s time, Spandau Ballet drop 3-6 (34,187) and doesn’t auger that well for the album which is due in a fortnight. Also heading south are Evelyn Thomas 5-9 (30,311) and Howard Jones 7-10 (24,191)

 

 

 

1- TWO TRIBES- Frankie Goes To Hollywood (199,852)

2- WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO- Wham! (58,922)

3- SMALLTOWN BOY- Bronski Beat (50,116)

4- I WON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME- Nik Kershaw (38,386)

5- RELAX- Frankie Goes To Hollywood (34,782)

6- ONLY WHEN YOU LEAVE- Spandau Ballet (34,187)

7- SAD SONGS (SAY SO MUCH)- Elton John (33,303)

8- FAREWELL MY SUMMER LOVE- Michael Jackson (30,532)

9- HI ENERGY- Evelyn Thomas (30,311)

10- PEARL IN THE SHELL- Howard Jones (24,191)

 

Like the Nik Kershaw song.

He had a release between Wouldn't It Be Good and Sun Go Down.

Dancing Girls peaked outside the Top 10 at No.13.

That top 5 is basically summarises classic 80s music!

Relax's chart run really is astonishing. It's almost like a Harry Styles streaming chart run!!!

Yeh I’m really interested in the Relax chart run, kinda a bit like Blue Monday in 1983 and Ghostbusters later this year in that they peaked and repeaked which is unusual for the time when singles rose quickly in popularity and fell as quick..like the record companies were desperate to move on quickly. How did Relax climb so easily again, was it just the popularity of Two Tribes and was there more shipped to the shops?

 

Only realised we will see the sales for the Dec 84 charts by the end of this year - one of the best Christmas chart ever!!

the Nik Kershaw song is great, I always kinda mix Howard Jones and Nik Kershaw :D

 

 

I was 8 in 1984 and loved Nik Kershaw. My sister and I only had Now albums then and this was on Now II.

I Won’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me is gorgeous. :wub: That and Smalltown Boy are my current highlights, aged 1 month haha.

30TH JUNE

 

 

“Two Tribes” is still dominating the charts, though it has cooled, but only slightly with a small 15% drop to 170,119. Fuelled as it is with a slew of new mixes released on a seemingly weekly basis, it’s three week tally stands at a mighty 505,737 copies, find out where that places the song on the YTD list next week! Meanwhile Frankie’s first record “Relax” continues to storm back up the charts pushing 5-3 this week and selling a further 48,450 copies as it moves ever closing to surpassing "Karma Chameleon" as the decade's biggest seller.

 

 

 

Their last single “Automatic” almost went to No 1 so the Pointer Sisters will be hoping for better with new single “Jump (For My Love)” which sprints 24-6 (32,419) in just its second week. The song is a kind of unofficial theme for the US team at the forthcoming Olympic games in the States and has a promo which features some of its stars, a threat for next week?

 

 

 

The film “Breakin’” has already generated one top 10 this year in Chaka Khan & Rufus’ “Ain’t Nobody” and now it can claim a second in the form of Ollie & Jerry’s “Breakin’….There’s No Stoppin Us” which powers 35-8 (41,463). The duo were former session singers for the likes of Joe Cocker, Diana Ross, and the Rolling Stones before venturing out on their own.

 

 

 

Already a US chart topper Cyndi Lauper returns to the top 10 this week with “Time After Time”, the song was originally released back in March and surprised many by fading out at No 54. It’s been given a second shot as a single due to its success in her native land and responds by bounding 36-10 (27,234) this week to remove the stigma of one hit wonder from Lauper. It’s title is borrowed from the 1979 science fiction film of the same name which Lauper saw in the TV listings at the time of writing!

 

 

Nik Kershaw is caught in a FGTH sandwich this week as he moves 4-2 (50,524) with “I Won’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” but he’s obviously so far away from “Two Tribes” that it is unlikely to be challenging for the top slot any time soon, the only other climber is Michael Jackson who floats 8-7 (31,824). Going the wrong way are Bronksi Beat who dip 3-4 (46,920) despite a TOTP performance, and outgoing chart topper “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” which slides 2-5 (34,544), and Elton completes the fallers dipping 7-9 (27,914) though he debuts at No 2 on the album charts behind Bob Marley & The Wailers.

 

 

 

1- TWO TRIBES- Frankie Goes To Hollywood (170,119)

2- I WON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME- Nik Kershaw (50,524)

3- RELAX- Frankie Goes To Hollywood (48,450)

4- SMALLTOWN BOY- Bronski Beat (46,920)

5- WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO- Wham! (34,544)

6- JUMP (FOR MY LOVE)- Pointer Sisters (32,419)

7- FAREWELL MY SUMMER LOVE- Michael Jackson (31,824)

8- BREAKIN....THERE’S NO STOPPING US- Ollie & Jerry (29,461)

9- SAD SONGS (SAY SO MUCH)- Elton John (27,914)

10- TIME AFTER TIME- Cyndi Lauper (27,234)

 

Time after Time deserved, good they gave it a re-push, 2 fantastic singles in a row for Cyndi Lauper

'I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' and 'Time After Time' are both fantastic :wub:

was listening to Cyndi Lauper's album She's so Unusual and is such a great album

crazy how it only peaked at #16 in the UK despite having 2 huge top 3 singles

the album also has a big fav All Through the Night... and even a Prince song, looking now at the songwriters

7TH JULY

 

 

Sales are back up, if only by 5%, but "Two Tribes" makes it a month at the top with a still stellar 179,945. In just 4 weeks the song has accumulated an almighty 685,678 copies and remains on track to become their second million seller in the near future. That would top off a magical start for the group who can also celebrate having the top 2 records in the land as “Relax” continues to climb 3-2 (75,157). That’s the first time since 1981 that an act has managed that feat, the last of course was John Lennon, and to cement their domination they also hold two of the top 3 positions on the YTD chart which looks like this:

 

1- RELAX- Frankie Goes To Hollywood- 1,194,862

2- HELLO- Lionel Richie 744,736

3- TWO TRIBES- Frankie Goes To Hollywood- 685,678

4- WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO- Wham! 506,804

5- 99 RED BALLOONS- Nena 479,043

6- THE REFLEX- Duran Duran 434,554

7- AGAINST ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW)- Phil Collins 397,732

8- I WANT TO BREAK FREE- Queen 378,539

9- RADIO GAGA- Queen 366,877

10- DOCTOR DOCTOR- Thompson Twins 347,174

 

As you can see it is entirely possible that “Two Tribes” will outsell “Relax” at its current trajectory.

 

 

In case you wondering why Holly Johnson was on TOTP ripping up the Sun newspaper it was a reference to the paper camping outside his parents house asking questions about his sexuality.

 

 

Cast your mind back to 1979 and the first record rap record to become a chart hit, the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”. That was co-written by Sylvia Robinson, the co-founder of the hip hop label Sugar Hill Records which was also home to Grandmaster Flash and the furious five whom you may also recall scored a No 8 hit with “The Message” back in 1982. The group split last year making the credit on “White Lines (Don’t Do It)” slightly erroneous given that Melle Mel is still with the furious five yet the Grandmaster has left but it is also co-written by Robinson proving a further link between the tracks. The song itself is an anti-drugs record which originally made No 60 at the end of last year. It bobbed about the lower end of the chart before picking up airplay earlier this year and started to sell again, the song spent a further 18 weeks between No’s 41 and 75 this year before finally taking off over the last few weeks. It now rises 12-10 (26,775) to become the only new entry in the top 10 this week. The song owes a debt of gratitude to Liquid Liquid’s “Cavern” which has been sampled throughout it and has caused a lawsuit over the unauthorised use of the track which is still to be decided.

 

 

Also doing well this week are Cyndi Lauper who soars 10-4 (57,664) and Ollie & Jerry 8-5 (41,463) but spare a thought for poor Nik Kershaw who falls 2-3 pushed out by FGTH despite a TOTP appearance selling a healthy 64,192.

 

The Pointer sisters hold No 6 (40,987) whilst there’s drops for Bronski Beat 4-7 (35,768), Michael Jackson 7-8 (28,985) and Wham! 5-9 (28,237).

 

 

1- TWO TRIBES- Frankie Goes To Hollywood (179,945)

2- RELAX- Frankie Goes To Hollywood (75,157)

3- I WON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME- Nik Kershaw (64,192)

4- TIME AFTER TIME- Cyndi Lauper (57,664)

5- BREAKIN...THERE’S NO STOPPING US- Ollie & Jerry (41,463)

6- JUMP (FOR MY LOVE)- Pointer Sisters (40,987)

7- SMALLTOWN BOY- Bronski Beat (37,768)

8- FAREWELL MY SUMMER LOVE- Michael Jackson (28,985)

9-WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO- Wham! (28,237)

10- WHITE LINES (DON’T DO IT)- Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel (26,775)

 

Interesting that the Sun was just as vile back in 1984.