20TH JULY

 

 

“Frankie” makes it 4 weeks at the No 1 spot but it trailed for most of the week to Harold Faltermeyer’s “Axel F”, that’s the headline though in reality both of the singles are definitely on the wane as they score drops of 20% to 62,628 and 8% to 61,183 respectively and both are now under severe danger from the rest of field.

 

 

 

A No 1 single for 7 weeks in Germany, Opus make the transition over the channel to the UK with “Life Is Live” as it climbs 15-8 (24,548) for the Austrian band. They’ve been going strong since 1973 without much to show for it in terms of international success but that’s all changed with this release. It becomes the sole new hit in the top 10 this week as the summer lull kicks in.

 

 

Eurythmics fly 10-3 (49,300) to score their biggest hit in 2 years, while Denise LaSalle nudges 7-6 (30,583). Kool & The Gang spend a third week at No 4 (38,097) proving a remarkably consistent if unspectacular weekly seller, moving down however are Madonna 3-5 (37,859), Bruce Springsteen dips 5-7 (27,778), Fine Young Cannibals return home 8-9 (22,831) and Marti Webb laments “Ben” as she falls 6-10 (18,802)

 

 

 

1- FRANKIE- Sister Sledge (62,628)

2- AXEL F- Harold Faltermeyer (61,183)

3- THERE MUST BE AN ANGEL (PLAYING WITH MY HEART)- Eurythmics (49,300)

4- CHERISH- Kool & The Gang (38,097)

5- CRAZY FOR YOU- Madonna (37,859)

6- MY TOOT TOOT- Denise LaSalle (30,583)

7- I’M ON FIRE/ BORN IN THE USA- Bruce Springsteen (27,778)

8- LIVE IS LIFE- Opus (24,548)

9- JOHNNY COME HOME- Fine Young Cannibals (22,831)

10- BEN- Marti Webb (18,802)

 

Not a fan of the current #1 but really like the rest of the top 3 - how close for 'Axel F'!

Frankie does not sound like a 4 week-chart topper

Kinda liked the Opus song back in the day

Opus - Live Is Life is a great bit of Europop/schlager! I like the crowd singalong aspect of it too. Also associated with international football now too!

Edited August 26, 20231 yr by TheSnake

Axel F must be the unluckiest song of the 80s not to hit no1!

I'd have said Last Christmas was.

But it wasn’t only a few hundred sales behind!

27TH JULY

 

 

Few predicted it but today the Eurythmics can celebrate as they score their first UK No 1 single in “There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)” as it climbs 3-1 (90,933). It was out in front from the start and never under threat and has already recovered the album which this week bounce’s 5-3 to equal its peak position last achieved back in May. The Eurythmics were of course pencilled in for the music event of the year Live Aid but pulled out after Lennox had throat problems, indeed on the album charts only half of the top 10 albums this week are by acts who performed at the event (Dire Straits, Madonna, Phil Collins, Paul young and Sting) though its effects are felt much clearer further down that chart. It's the tenth hit (not counting re-releases) for the duo and for a group to be so far into their career before they score a No 1 is not the norm though it pales into comparison compared to the wait for Stevie Wonder who released 34 hit singles before finally getting to No 1 with "Ebony & Ivory" in 1982.

 

 

 

We’ve already noted that Madonna was one of the acts at Live Aid last weekend and she chose that opportunity to perform “Into The Groove” which incredibly was only the B-side to her recent US No 5 single “Angel” (which is scheduled to be her next single in the UK) but over here it’s been judged to be good enough for an A listing. Her new film “Desperately Seeking Susan” which has just hit the big screen and is earning the singer plaudits in the press, adds another string to her bow, and the combination of that plus Live Aid sees “Into The Groove” debut in the charts at No 4, by far her biggest first week splash and the highest debut position of a single by a female artist!. It becomes her fourth top 10 in a row and fifth in total, somewhat amazingly that draws her equal with Diana Ross in terms of the female act with the most top 10 in the 80s, she’s had a great 1985 and is of course marrying next month to Hollywood actor Sean Penn, this week 47,940 people were enticed by the track this week. She also has “Crazy For You” in the big 10 falling 5-6 (34,714) as she becomes the first lady since Sheena Easton in 1980 to pull off this feat.

 

 

 

After a hat-trick of failures Jaki Graham finally got a leg up into the charts courtesy of David Grant on “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love” which made No 5 earlier this year, and now she proves she can go it alone with new single “Round And Around” proving equally popular as it rises 12-9 (26,435), her debut album “Heaven knows” is out in September.

 

 

 

Trans-X are a Canadian act who first released “Living On Video” back in 1983 and whilst it was a hit in their native country it didn’t translate into international success until now. Remixed for 1985 the song has been a hit all over Europe in part thanks to a French version, but it’s the English version that finally makes in roads here 18-10 (23,732).

 

 

The only other climber to mention are Opus who sneak a place 8-7 (31,926), but there are four other fallers to commiserate with. Sister Sledge finally surrender 1-2 (52,071) as they still outstripped Harold Faltermeyer who dips 2-3 (50,167), Kool & The Gang finally move, although probably not in the way they’d want, as they ebb 4-5 (42,568) but ironically increase sales for the first time in 3 weeks, and Denise LaSalle gives her toot toot a rest 6-8 (31,909)

 

 

 

1- THERE MUST BE AN ANGEL (PLAYING WITH MY HEART)- Eurythmics (90,933)

2- FRANKIE- Sister Sledge (52,071)

3- AXEL F- Harold Faltermeyer (50,167)

4- INTO THE GROOVE- Madonna (47,940)

5- CHERISH- Kool & The Gang (42,568)

6- CRAZY FOR YOU- Madonna (34,714)

7- LIVE IS LIFE- Opus (31,926)

8- MY TOOT TOOT- Denise LaSalle (31,909)

9- ROUND AND AROUND- Jaki Graham (26,435)

10- LIVING ON VIDEO- Trans X. (23,732)

 

But it wasn’t only a few hundred sales behind!

If that's your criteria then there are unluckier ones, so far between 1983 and now (1985) the closest calls have been:

 

5-Nov- 83 Lionel Richie All Night Long 493 copies behind

3-Dec- 83 Paul Young Love Of The Common People 884 copies behind

 

Indeed even Tears For Fears were closer to No 1 earlier in 85 than Harold Faltermeyer was.

Absolutely love that Trans-X song :wub: 'Into The Groove' is my favourite Madonna release so far and what a great #1 now, all in all I approve of this week :P

Eurythmics there with an utter classic! I remember being on holiday in Cornwall at the time :wub:

Into the Groove <3 best Madonna single so far I agree

I guess I bought the Like a Virgin album after this single cos my version of the album does have it

but I think it was missing from the original album

 

Crazy that EU sold 90K, that's a lot. For me it's a great song but not their bestest, I even prefer some of their flop singles

funny how it was the other way around in the US... lead single Would I Lie to You peaked at #5 in the US, while this just went top 30

in the US, Sweet Dreams was their only #1

So glad Eurythmics made #1, it’s not as good as Sweet Dreams but it’s close enough and very distinctive thanks to Annie’s vocals. Pleased to see it had decent sales too, I was thinking it may be a fluke given how sales were dropping last week.

 

 

If that's your criteria then there are unluckier ones, so far between 1983 and now (1985) the closest calls have been:

 

5-Nov- 83 Lionel Richie All Night Long 493 copies behind

3-Dec- 83 Paul Young Love Of The Common People 884 copies behind

 

Indeed even Tears For Fears were closer to No 1 earlier in 85 than Harold Faltermeyer was.

 

Oh thanks for this, remember being gutted for ‘All Night Long’ as it deserved to be no1 as it’s such a classic!

Those steady sales for ‘Cherish’ 😍

3RD AUGUST

 

 

The biggest star of 1985 finally gets her crown with her first UK No 1 single “Into The Groove”. Warner Bros are re-releasing “Like A Virgin” with the single included on it which should see the album improve its current peak of No 8 but we’ll see in a fortnight, for the meantime “Into The Groove” ascends 4-1 on a strong sale of 112,846, and it needed to be strong as the Eurythmics also increased to 103,309 but unusually for a new chart topper it only received a boost of 15% week on week against the 140% increase for Madonna, perhaps it was held back by the availability of the album “Be Yourself Tonight” which holds the No 3 position on the album charts. Interestingly in making No 1 Madonna becomes only the second female in UK chart history to score 4 consecutive top 3 hits after Helen Shapiro in 1961/2, no woman has scored 5 in a row!

 

 

 

With “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome” raking in the cash in the cinema, the theme now proves as successful for Tina Turner who has now established herself as a star in her own right after the success of the “Private Dancer” era last year. It powers 11-3 (37,638) and could take advantage in any sales slip by those top 2, this week it equals the highest position for any Tina Turner single replicating the feat of both “What’s Love Got To Do With It” (1984) and “River Deep Mountain High” (1966).

 

 

 

Dire Straits’ fifth album “Brothers In Arms” campaign got off to a jittery start with lead single “So Far Away” only making No 20, given that the band are primarily an album act thus far in their career it didn’t prevent the album debuting at No 1 and spending a fortnight there back in May, 11 weeks on and the album hasn’t yet left the top 10 returning to No 1 this week. Second single “Money For Nothing” advances 15-8 (29,529) this week and features a cameo from Sting who by happy accident was in Montserrat recording himself and lends his vocal in the form of the song’s opening lines. It also comes with a ground-breaking video which features state of the art computer graphics which has also sold the track and marked the group as pioneers of new music mediums when you consider that their album is one of the first to be available on the new CD format and is a digital not analogue recording, apparently it increases the sound quality with most consumers seeming to agree although the CD player is still very much a luxury item.

 

 

Elsewhere a TOTP appearance sees Opus continue to improve 7-6 (32,589) and Trans-X also move in the right direction 10-9 (27,676). Not so good for Sister Sledge who continue their slow descent 2-4 (37,247) and stay ahead of Harold Faltermeyer 3-5 (34,850), “Frankie” has now sold 551,582 copies in total and is easily in the top 10 best sellers of the year whilst “Axel F” has shifted 423,759 and has far from disgraced itself. Kool & The Gang dip 5-7 (31,348) and Jaki Graham finds the going tough and retreats 9-10 (27,421)

 

 

 

1- INTO THE GROOVE- Madonna (112,846)

2- THERE MUST BE AN ANGEL (PLAYING WITH MY HEART)- Eurythmics (103,309)

3- WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER HERO (THUNDERDOME)- Tina Turner (37,638)

4- FRANKIE- Sister Sledge (37,247)

5- AXEL F- Harold Faltermeyer (34,850)

6- LIVE IS LIFE- Opus (32,589)

7- CHERISH- Kool & The Gang (31,348)

8- MONEY FOR NOTHING- Dire Straits (29,529)

9- LIVING ON VIDEO- Trans X (27,676)

10- ROUND AND AROUND- Jaki Graham (27,421)

 

Good sales for the top 2 but lower through the top 10, summer holidays have begun!

Into the Groove at #1

finally enough love for Madonna ;)

I never knew There Must Be An Angel… was a 1 week number 1!

Great to see both songs over 100K. Into the Groove really exploded compared to her previous singles then