I love the extended version of The Power of Love.

Wow TOTP really could add 30k in sales to your single with Midges sales increasing hugely as he drops to no2 lol

Even as I kid I found The Power of Love extremely extremely cheesy

 

If I remember it well, in the US it didn't do much, missed the t40 and charted around 50-70

19TH OCTOBER

 

 

Jennifer Rush continues to put the rest of the chart to shame and accelerates off the scale to a mighty 184,382 copies last week with rumours that the record label was struggling to meet demand as it recorded the best weekly sale of 1985 to date. It seems they anticipated the song could sell up to 600,000 and pressed accordingly but the song has so far moved 448,681 and should enter the YTD top 10 next week such is its appeal at the moment. They better get pressing more! 1985 has been a stellar year for women with Elaine Paige & Barbara Dickson, Sister Sledge, Phyllis Nelson, Madonna and now Jennifer Rush all making the top, never before have we had 5 all female No 1 hits in a calendar year- and there's still a few months left!

 

 

 

Ascending to No 1 in the US this week is the song that progresses 14-5 (47,736) here, the Norwegian trio A-ha are the newest heart throbs on the block already attracting the attention of Smash Hits etc with their good looks, but for a while it looked like “Take On Me” was never going to happen. Originally the song was released in early 1984 and bombed here, but remixed by Alan Tarney the song was issued again at the end of last year and became a top 3 hit in their homeland though struggled internationally. Now the song has been re-issued with a new state of the art animation video which attracted considerable attention from MTV and in turn saw it rise in the US and that brought it UK attention et voila! Their debut album “Hunting High And Low” is due in three weeks.

 

 

 

7 top 10 singles in a calendar year has been achieved twice before by Frankie Lane (1954) and Ruby Murray (1955) and to that record you can now add Madonna. “Gambler” arrives 20-7 (39,406), it is not scheduled as a single in the US at the request of Sire records who are worried it may detract from the “Like A Virgin” era as it is another song taken from the “Vision Quest” soundtrack which also holds “Crazy For You”. No such thoughts here in the UK as the single replaces “Angel” in the top 10 which means that Madonna has now been in the top 10 for 19 consecutive weeks and guess what? Her next single will be out for Christmas- It’s definitely been her year!

 

 

 

We’re just a fortnight away from the seventh Simple Minds album, which of course will also mean a lead single and right on cue “Alive And Kicking” enters this week 12-8 (37,621) in just its second week. The band’s profile has doubtless been raised by the success of their previous single “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” which of course went all the way in America, though somewhat controversially it isn’t included in “Once Upon A Time” when it hits the shops in a few weeks.

 

 

 

Debuting on US TV last September “Miami Vice” has already been a massive hit with the public over there and here, you’ll be familiar with the main characters and actors but Jan Hammer’s musical score for each episode might have passed you by. He’s now released the theme as a single and not only is it top 5 stateside but it rockets 30-10 (30,804) over here, he’s got a long history as a jazz performer and long time collaborator with Jeff Beck, and probably one of the few Czech popstars to have a hit here!

 

 

Elsewhere Midge Ure clings to the No 2 spot but his sales dip badly 41% to 55,947 which now totals 302,056 which isn’t too bad for a chart topper though it may struggle to hit 400,000 when all is told, it is heavily affected by his debut solo album which also makes No 2 this week. Colonel Abrams continues his travel north 4-3 (55,556) almost overtaking Midge at the death, and John Parr rises 10-6 (39,593), meanwhile Red Box ebb 3-4 (48,960) and Billy Idol reverses 6-9 (36,907).

 

 

 

1- THE POWER OF LOVE- Jennifer Rush (184,382)

2- IF I WAS- Midge Ure (55,947)

3- TRAPPED- Colonel Abrams (55,556)

4- LEAN ON ME (AH-LI-AYO)- Red Box (48,960)

5- TAKE ON ME- A-ha! (47,736)

6- ST ELMO’S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION)- John Parr (39,593)

7- GAMBLER- Madonna (39,406)

8- ALIVE AND KICKING- Simple Minds (37,621)

9- REBEL YELL- Billy Idol (36,907)

10- MIAMI VICE THEME- Jan Hammer (30,804)

 

love love Take on Me, nice it went to #1 in the US

Gambler is one of Madonna's weakest singles, clearly written on her own :o

Oh wow, 1985 may have just peaked with 'Take On Me' :wub: :wub: bonafide classic and a truly iconic video. I'm a fan of that Jan Hammer song too!

26TH OCTOBER

 

 

Another week, and finally Jennifer Rush goes into decline, “The Power Of Love” sold a further 161,942 to bring its collective tally to 610,623 as it surges to number five on the YTD list, I suspect it is now just a matter of weeks before it overtakes “I Know Him So Well” as the year’s biggest track, her eponymous album is released in three weeks and could be the only thing that breaks the singles reign!

 

 

But more likely is that the next No 1 will come from A-ha, “Take On Me” was featured on TOTP and sales exploded with 89,505 copies flying over the shelve, that’s a doubling on last week’s total and should put it in the ring with Jennifer Rush next week though of course TOTP will favour Rush.

 

 

The only new track to discuss is from Elton John who has had a much quieter 1985 than last year and hasn’t troubled the top 20. His new album “Ice On Fire” is out next month and he’s also got his 16th top 10 single on his hands with the cold war themed “Nikita”. If the backing vocals sound familiar then you’d be right, they come courtesy of George Michael who himself is back with Wham! in a few weeks, Nik Kershaw also helps out on guitar. The song shoots 19-9 (35,513) in a very buoyant top 10 helped by a Ken Russell promo.

 

 

Every track in the top 7 either holds or climbs unusually, holders are Colonel Abrams (No 3, 71,349), and John Parr (No 6, 39,644), and those improving are Madonna 7-4 (50,473), Jan Hammer 10-5 (40,035) and Simple Minds 8-7 (35,955) though they depreciate at retail. That leaves just two fallers, Midge Ure is the big casualty 2-8 (35,683) and Red Box take a hit 4-10 (32,419)

 

1- THE POWER OF LOVE- Jennifer Rush (161,942)

2- TAKE ON ME- A-ha! (89,505)

3- TRAPPED- Colonel Abrams (71,349)

4- GAMBLER- Madonna (50,473)

5- MIAMI VICE THEME- Jan Hammer (40,035)

6- ST ELMO’S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION)- John Parr (39,644)

7- ALIVE AND KICKING- Simple Minds (35,955)

8- IF I WAS- Midge Ure (35,683)

9- NIKITA- Elton John (35,513)

10- LEAN ON ME (AH-LI-AYO)- Red Box (32,419)

 

Take On Me and Miami Vice Theme are both huge classics :wub:

'Gambler' and 'Take On Me' both have a fast beat for the time. I have overheard the latter so the former is refreshing to hear, almost completely forgotten in Madonna's discography.

 

The chart stability for Colonel Abrams and John Parr is great to see, although I'd have preferred to see the latter higher in the charts like in the US.

Edited September 9, 20231 yr by TheSnake

Great increase in sales for Colonel Abrahams quiet a bit into its chart run! And of course that classic TOTP performance from A-Ha helped it become huge!

Meant to say is that Elton’s last top 10’of the decade?

No. But we'll see in due course haha

the pace of releasing albums was almost too fast in the 80s, not sure how bands could cope with it, many releasing 1 album per year with no time to rest, guess it was normal at the time but seems very rushed to me now

That’s possibly why albums from the 80s aren’t usually very good then. There’s very few I’ve ever heard that aren’t at least half filler

A few things on that. It was usual for an album campaign to consist of 2 or 3 singles, it was really "Thriller" and "Bad" that changed that. So acts weren't promoting an album for the same length of time that they were by the 90s and 00s. Also a far greater reliance on videos rather than live performances so b acts didn't spend as long touring as they do now. For instance Madonna in 85 only did a US tour despite clearly being popular enough to tour the world.

That’s possibly why albums from the 80s aren’t usually very good then.

 

 

:o

 

That's possibly the most controversial thing I've ever seen you say!

:lol:

Haha! I’m happy to be proven wrong but most I’ve heard are very overrated to these ears. There are some good ones obvs, the likes of the Smiths, Dare!, PSBs, Graceland spring to mind but there aren’t many 80s albums I’ve heard that I can say I love

I kinda agree, even True Blue or Like a Virgin are 1/2 filler

 

but the release speed was insane

bands like Eurythmics or Depeche Mode for instance they were releasing 1 album every 12 months

just checked and Elton John released 9 proper studio albums in the 80s, 9 studio albums in 10 years is bonkers

There are few 80s albums I love all the tracks from, so good point!