Just a question..

 

If The Reflex climbed from No.5 to No.1, how was the TOTP performance crediting them at No.2 on that performance? Did TOTP just get it wrong?

I wondered this myself. It must have been an error

12TH MAY

 

 

“The Reflex” continues to dominate the singles chart but with only a 43% sales increase to 84,235 this week. In retaining the top spot it matches the achievement of Duran Duran’s first No 1 single, last year’s “Is There Something I Should Know”, but that track had sold 334,000 after 21 days on sale whilst “The Reflex” can only accumulate 175,236 so far which is perhaps indicative of a downturn in popularity outside of their usual ardent fans.

 

 

Phil Collins and Queen both hold at No’s 2 & 3 respectively and both are still improving saleswise, Collins by 25% to 68,663 and Queen by 12% to 54,536. All of which means that whilst the Pointer Sisters only climb 5-4 despite improving themselves by 53% to 50,524), TOTP exposure this week should help to overcome at least two of the records above it.

 

 

The only new entry to the top 10 comes in the form of Kenny Loggins who was of course formerly part of Loggins and Messina. He provides the theme to the new film “Footloose” which is currently taking the money at the cinema and also becomes his first UK hit as performer as it rises 28-9 (32,606) though it is worth noting that as a writer he’s already had hits, most noteworthy being the Doobie Brothers “What A Fool Believes”, the song has already been No 1 in the US for a fortnight- could it do the same here?

 

 

OMD continue to climb 6-5 (43,945) with Bob Marley improving 9-6 (37,587) whilst both Flying Pickets (No 7, 33,966) and Blancmange (No 9, 33,388) hold steady meaning that half of the top 10 are non- movers. Lionel Richie rounds off the top 10 with “Hello” which spirals 4-10 (29,359)

 

 

 

1- THE REFLEX- Duran Duran (84,235)

2- AGAINST ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW)- Phil Collins (68,663)

3- I WANT TO BREAK FREE- Queen (54,536)

4- AUTOMATIC- Pointer Sisters (50,524)

5- LOCOMOTION- O.M.D (43,945)

6- ONE LOVE/ PEOPLE GET READY- Bob Marley & The Wailers (37,587)

7- WHEN YOU’RE YOUNG AND IN LOVE- Flying Pickets (33,966)

8- DON’T TELL ME- Blancmange (33,388)

9- FOOTLOOSE- Kenny Loggins (32,606)

10- HELLO- Lionel Richie (29,359)

 

19TH MAY

 

 

It keeps a grip on No 1 but “The Reflex” is in decline 19% week on week and the single posted a sale of 68,731 this week, far from impressive. It gives some hope to the Pointer Sisters whose “Automatic” advances 4-2 on a strong sale of 53,057 to now be within striking distance of Duran Duran, its rise also pushes Phil Collins (49,113) and Queen (43,061) down a slot each.

 

 

 

The film “Footloose” is still riding high at the cinema and in addition to the title track by Kenny Loggins (which leaps 9-6, 39,066) the film has now produced a second top 10 single in the form of “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” which flies 18-8 (31,110) for Deniece Williams. Williams is of course most famous for her 1977 No 1 single “Free” and the top 3 single with Johnny Mathis “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late”, she started out as a backing singer for Stevie Wonder in the early 70s before taking centre stage and is currently rising fast on the US charts with this, No 1 next week on both sides of the Atlantic?

 

 

Bob Marley & The Wailers debut at No 1 on the album charts with “Legend” and sees the lead track “One Love-People Get Ready” creep 6-5 (41,276) but everything else is falling. That includes OMD 5-7 (36,363), Blancmange 8-9 (24,140) and The Flying Pickets 7-10 (24,122).

 

 

 

1- THE REFLEX- Duran Duran (68,731)

2- AUTOMATIC- Pointer Sisters (53,057)

3- AGAINST ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW)- Phil Collins (49,113)

4- I WANT TO BREAK FREE- Queen (43,061)

5- ONE LOVE/ PEOPLE GET READY- Bob Marley & The Wailers (41,276)

6- FOOTLOOSE- Kenny Loggins (39,066)

7- LOCOMOTION- O.M.D (36,363)

8- LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY- Deniece Williams (31,110)

9- DON’T TELL ME- Blancmange (24,140)

10- WHEN YOU’RE YOUNG AND IN LOVE- Flying Pickets (24,122)

 

Got to love a bit of Footloose.

 

Was never that keen on the movie... but the song goes off!!

26TH MAY

 

 

Duran Duran Continue to defy the odds and spend a fourth week at No 1 with “The Reflex”. The track continues to retract at retail with just 62,458 having enough interest last week, that lifts the title to just 304,425 copies which is pretty disappointing for a 4 week chart topper.

 

 

 

If you’re looking for the next No 1 single then look past The Pointer Sisters who stay at No 2 but lose sales at just 51,884, or Deniece Williams who leaps 8-3 (48,263) but to a new entry at No 4 for a returning Wham! They have spent most of 1984 in the courtroom seeking, and obtaining, freedom from Innervision and signing to Epic, and this week issue their first single from the forthcoming second album due in the autumn. “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” was apparently inspired by a note left by Ridgeley on his parent’s fridge and of course has generated much speculation in the press over the last few weeks after Michael allegedly claimed it was going to debut at No 1 initiating a few jibes from Le Bon in the music press with doubtless more to come this week as it can “only” make No 4 on sales of 40,987. The band appear to have abandoned their earlier political musings and adopted a more pop approach, we’ll see if it pays off.

 

 

 

With Wham! The big story of the week we have to venture down to No 9 for the next new track, Break Machine’s “Break Dance Party” arrives 16-9 (27,846) and is the second top 10 on the trot for the American rap act, you may recall their first hit “Street Dance” made No 3 back in March and has sold 280,000 to date.

 

 

 

Meanwhile it's hit No 13 for Ultravox who we haven’t seen in the Top 10 in three years, they’ve been far from quiet however clocking up 7 hits of which all but one made the top 20, they just had trouble making the final surge into the big 10. The hex is brought to an end however in spectacular fashion this week as “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes” surges 29-10 (26,707) in just its second week on the survey. It’s the second single to be lifted from the group’s seventh album “Lament” which peaked at No 8 last month and this week surges 36-22 off the back of the single, the first release of the era “One Small Day” only made No 27 in February breaking the band’s run of seven straight top 20 singles. It comes with a nuclear war themed promo though it has generated considerably less controversy than the recent release of the new FGTH promo!

 

 

Fallers are all that’s left to cover, Queen prove longevity as they tumble 4-5 (40,467), Bob Marley continues to reign supreme on the album front but his single falls 5-6 (40,256). Loggins finds buyers prefer Deniece Williams as he recedes back 6-7 (39,756) and Phil Collins ebbs 3-8 (37,043) proving that the odds are now against him keeping a top 10 place next week.

 

 

 

1- THE REFLEX- Duran Duran (62,458)

2- AUTOMATIC- Pointer Sisters (51,884)

3- LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY- Deniece Williams (48,263)

4- WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO- Wham! (40,987)

5- I WANT TO BREAK FREE- Queen (40,647)

6- ONE LOVE/ PEOPLE GET READY- Bob Marley & The Wailers (40,256)

7- FOOTLOOSE- Kenny Loggins (39,576)

8- AGAINST ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW)- Phil Collins (37,043)

9- BREAK DANCE PARTY- Break Machine (27,846)

10- DANCING WITH TEARS IN MY EYES- Ultravox (26,707)

 

Haven't sales for No 1 been generally....underwhelming for 1984? Shall we change that?......

Dancing With Tears In My Eyes - classic alert!

Love that Ultravox one, prob their best after the obvious ‘Vienna’!

love Dancing with Tears in My Eyes, its my #1 Ultravox song, even better than Vienna for me

I actually didn't know it had been top 10, so that's a nice surprise

 

A bit of a flop for Wham to only debut at #4 :D

2ND JUNE

 

 

They finally did it at the sixth time of asking (depending on how you view “Club Fantastic Megamix”) but this week Wham! Celebrate as they claim their first chart topping single with “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go”. Its ascendancy was far from guaranteed at the start of the week with both Deniece Williams and Duran Duran not a million miles behind them but after the group did TOTP sales exploded and they ended up moving 4-1 selling 105,706 into the bargain. That's their biggest weekly sale to date and sees them reach a new peak in their career. As reported last week Le Bon has expressed his satisfaction with holding Wham! off the top spot if only for a week, “The Reflex” dips 1-3 this week with 48,603 copies sold. It is also leaped over by the aforementioned Williams who sold 55,981 as she moves 3-2 but it now looks as though the top slot may be beyond her.

 

 

 

The Style Council’s debut album “Café Bleu” finally saw the light of day back in March and peaked at No 2 behind Howard Jones’ “Human’s Lib”, already, it seems the band have moved on. Their new single “Groovin (You’re The Best Thing/ Big Boss Groove)” isn’t on the album and debuted at No 11 last week and now shoots to No 5 (43,588) to become the group’s fifth top 5 hit from 7 releases, it seems Weller still has the touch!

 

 

 

Written and produced Mike Batt “I Feel Like Buddy Holly” marks the return of Bernard Jewry to the upper reaches of the chart- you’ll probably know him better as Alvin Stardust. It’s Stardust’s sixth top 10 single though it still has a long way to be his biggest, that of course being the chart topping “Jealous Mind” 10 years ago, it moves 17-7 (35,632) this week.

 

 

 

Hazell Dean has plugging in clubs for years and has attempted to become the UK’s entry in Eurovision twice (1976 and this year in case she looked familiar) but on both occasions she failed to go forward as our entrant. She finally proves herself this week however as her first song to progress beyond No 63 (the peak position of her previous release “Evergreen/ Jealous Love”) is “Searchin’ (I Gotta Find A Man)” which crawls 13-8 (31,790). The single was originally released last year and narrowly missed out on becoming her first hit when it peaked at No 76 but the song clearly had potential for Dean.

 

 

In other news Ultravox climb 10-6 (41,837) and is now their second highest peaking single behind the monumental “Vienna” which made No 2 three years ago. It bucks the trend of the other survivors from last week’s big 10, Pointer Sisters slide 2-4 (45,237) and two long runners are on their way out consist of Queen’s “I Want To Break Free” (5-9, 29,988) and Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds” (8-10, 29,240) but both are now reasonable sellers at 317,101 and 359,210 respectively.

 

 

 

1- WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO- Wham! (105,706)

2- LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY- Deneice Williams (55,981)

3- THE REFLEX- Duran Duran (48,603)

4- AUTOMATIC- Pointer Sisters (45,237)

5- GROOVIN/ YOU’RE THE BEST THING- Style Council (43,588)

6- DANCING WITH TEARS IN MY EYES- Ultravox (41,837)

7- I FEEL LIKE BUDDY HOLLY- Alvin Stardust (35,632)

8- SEARCHIN (I GOTTA FIND A MAN)- Hazell Dean (31,790)

9- I WANT TO BREAK FREE- Queen (29,988)

10- AGAINST ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME)- Phil Collins (29,240)

 

Fab new top 10 hits from the gay anthem Searching and from the Style Council. Love the diversity of this top 10!

Didn’t realise The Style Councils debut album was held off the top spot by Howard Jones 😬

9TH JUNE

 

 

Following a performance on TOTP during which they wore “No 1” T-Shirts it’s clear to see that Wham! are enjoying being at No 1 at present, “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” continues to impress providing a new high of 136,017 copies at the top slot. Clearly the UK public seem to have missed the group with George Michael’s only appearance in the charts this year coming with a cameo in Hazel O’Connor’s “Don’t Touch Me” video.

 

 

 

Their position at the top of the charts is under threat though with a new Frankie Goes To Hollywood record out this week and our next record marking the return to the charts for a certain Spandau Ballet. “Only When You Leave” has the usual Spandau credentials, written by Gary Kemp and co-produced by the band themselves and Jolly & Swain, it is the first single to be taken from the forthcoming album “Parade” which is released next month, the single is their eighth top 10 smash and is their highest debuting single as it smashes straight into the No 5 slot this week with 35,921 sales and set up an interesting chart battle next week with three of the biggest bands around in pop.

 

 

 

Talking of major new stars Howard Jones has had a great 84 so far with a string of hit singles and a chart topping album in “Human Lib”. Despite his last single being the first to miss the top 10 (it made No 12) he reverses that trend with “Pearl In A Shell” which triumphs 15-8 (34,952) this week. Jones is heading out on tour in the next few months if you want to catch him.

 

 

 

Discovered by producer Ian Levine in 1975 Evelyn Thomas and the producer scored a couple of hits in 76 before the disco backlash kicked in and ended her career early. With the newly invigorated genre of HI-NRG music, a sub division of the dreaded disco, emerging from the gay clubs of the UK, the pair have teamed up again to give us the appropriately named “High Energy” as it slinks 11-9 (33,898)

 

 

 

Current indie darlings The Smiths have been getting better and better since their debut single “Hand In Glove” missed the charts. Subsequent singles peaked at No 25, and No 12 and now their fourth release “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” does even better as it bounds 19-10 (31,076) and comes with the controversial b-side “Suffer Little Children” which has caused some comment in the tabloids regarding its theme of the Moors Murderers. The title is a pun on the 1969 Sandie Shaw single “Heaven Knows I’m Missing Him Now”, of course the group recently helped the singer score her first top 30 single in 15 years just a few weeks ago with her cover of “Hand In Glove”

 

 

There was only 10k separating the rest of the top 4 with Deniece Williams holding at No 2 (47,243), that was enough to keep Ultravox at bay as they lift 6-3 (39,678) and Duran Duran relent 3-4 (37,434). Hazell Dean is also rising as she moves 8-6 (35,547) and Style Council fold under the pressure as they retreat 5-7 (35,173)

 

 

 

1- WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO- Wham! (136,017)

2- LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY- Deniece Williams (47,243)

3- DANCING WITH TEARS IN MY EYES- Ultravox (39,678)

4- THE REFLEX- Duran Duran (37,434)

5- ONLY WHEN YOU LEAVE- Spandau Ballet (35,921)

6- SEARCHIN (I GOTTA FIND A MAN)- Hazell Dean (35,547)

7- GROOVIN/ YOU’RE THE BEST THING- Style Council (35,173)

8- PEARL IN THE SHELL- Howard Jones (34,952)

9- HI-ENERGY- Evelyn Thomas (33,898)

10- HEAVEN KNOWS I’M MISERABLE NOW- The Smiths (31,076)

 

oh nice to see Utravox climb to #3!

Also loved the Smiths one, one of their best

and I even like the Spandau Ballet one, even though I'm a sorta anti-Spandau Ballet fan :D

What a top 2 in 'Let's Hear it for the Boy' :wub: and one of my go-to karaoke choices: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go :D

It was fantastic that The Smiths got a Top 10 hit from their early run of singles, even if some of those songs may have earned classic status a little more than this one, it distils who they were as a band into one song.

'You're the Best Thing' by The Style Council is a very good summery song, 'Only When You Leave' is very good too, one of Spandau Ballet's best, 'Pearl In The Shell' has an Ultravox style chorus I think and as for Ultravox themselves 'Dancing With Tears In My Eyes' is a bit of an epic.

The Hi-Erg sound is the inbetween sound before house took over in 2 years! Deniece Williams is a nice classic song but did sound quite early 80s by this stage. And what more to say about The Smiths, amazing song!

16TH JUNE

 

 

Rivals in the great T-shirt war which is currently raging on streets up and down the land Frankie Goes To Hollywood were up against Wham! this week in the singles chart, but with pre orders for the new Frankie single exceeding 350,000 according to ZTT there was little chance of anything but “Two Tribes” ended up at No 1. So it proved with the single becoming the 7th single this decade to debut at No 1 on first week sales of 135,762- interestingly not enough to debut at No 1 last week! The song of course deals with the current cold war animosity between the US and Russia and comes with a controversial video depicting Reagan and Chernenko in a tussle which has already been banned in the USSR. To further the message there’s a shocking run down of the number of nuclear weapons owned by the two nations on the back sleeve of the single if you really fancy scaring yourself, and the voice at the beginning of the single comes courtesy of Patrick Allen who recreates his voiceover from the Government’s “Protect and Survive” public safety films from the last few years. It certainly seems to have lit up the charts this week along with the record shops, managing to stave off the traditional summer lull.

 

Frankie’s debut single “Relax” has still not left the top 40 and did drop as low as No 31 but has rebounded week on week for the last 6 weeks and currently has moved 16-11. It is by far the biggest seller of the year so far with total sales of the single in 1984 now amounting to 1,036,473 and overall sales at 1,077,766- enough to make it the 3rd biggest seller of the 80s so far. From the way “Two Tribes” has started it could overtake “Relax” in a relatively short time.

 

 

Any belief therefore that Wham! could fend off FGTH was soon squashed as soon as the figures started to roll in to Gallup, the duo sold a very healthy 102,391 copies of “Wake Me Up” so they won’t be disappointed and were well clear of Spandau Ballet who rise 5-3 but sold a mere 48,569 copies in what they must consider an underperformance given their last two singles.

 

 

Indeed if anyone is going to be challenging Wham! For the runner up spot next week then it’s going to be Bronski Beat. The group were signed after just 9 live gigs and are all openly gay which may very well be a first in British pop, this is reflected in their debut track “Smalltown Boy” which arrives 13-4 (40,409) this week. The song deals with the troubles of “coming out” and of societal reactions to it and the band, and in particular lead singer Jimmy Sommerville, have already been quite outspoken in the media on the subject which hasn’t gone down with the more conservative leaning daily papers.

 

 

 

Onto a man who now his 14th top 10 single of his 13 year career, yes Elton is back with his 18th album! Due in a fortnight entitled “Breaking Hearts” and the lead single “Sad Songs (Say So Much)”. The single sees him build on his return to commercial success of last year’s “Too Low For Zero” campaign and flies 12-8 (31,127) this week.

 

 

Evelyn Thomas and Howard Jones continue move towards the top spot advancing 9-5 (36,295) and 8-7 (32,453) respectively, both benefitting from TOTP exposure with the Smiths holding at anchor position on a reduced sale of 27,965. Two fallers to round off, Ultravox fall back 3-6 (33,354) whilst Deniece Williams falters 2-9 (30,855) as the tide turns against her.

 

 

 

1- TWO TRIBES- Frankie Goes To Hollywood (135,762)

2- WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO- Wham! (102,391)

3- ONLY WHEN YOU LEAVE- Spandau Ballet (48,569)

4- SMALLTOWN BOY- Bronski Beat (40,409)

5- HI ENERGY- Evelyn Thomas (36,295)

6- DANCING WITH TEARS IN MY EYES- Ultravox (33,354)

7- PEARL IN THE SHELL- Howard Jones (32,453)

8- SAD SONGS (SAY SO MUCH)- Elton John (31,127)

9- LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY- Denice Williams (30,855)

10- HEAVEN KNOWS I’M MISERABLE NOW- The Smiths (27,965)

 

Ooh I was catching up with retro TOTP on iPlayer earlier and one of the episodes on there was the one where Spandau/Howard Jones/Evelyn Thomas/The Smiths were new in the top 10 *.*

 

'Dancing With Tears In My Eyes', 'Two Tribes' and 'Smalltown Boy' are all excellent :wub: :wub: