Seems I am alone in loving Holding Out For A Hero then?

28TH SEPTEMBER

 

 

The top 3 all hold this week but that belies the fact that they are much closer this week than last with the difference reduced from 59,772 to 18,156. In the main that's because of Mick Jagger and David Bowie who remain on top with sales of 72,658 down 31%, Tyler at No 2 (60,418) is also losing sales but Wonder at No 3 (54,502) is still on an upward sales trajectory and that despite his album debuting at No 5 as mitigation.

 

 

 

Here’s an unusual story, Red Box take their name from a box left behind by the band Slade when they performed at the university attended by group members Simon Toulson-Clarke and Julian Close and which they used to store equipment. The group released their single “Chenko” which though a flop did bring them to the attention to Madonna’s manager Seymour Stein who signed them to WEA and a year later they come with their current single “Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo)”which lands 18-6 (45,441) this week, you might have a bit of a wait for an album though, it hasn’t even been written yet!

 

 

Midge Ure climbs 8-4 (51,867) but is too far to pose any real threat to the top, and Madonna also halves her position against last week 10-5 (50,337), there are also four fallers in a row starting with Marillion 5-7 (39,151), then Amii Stewart 7-8 (27,523), Baltimora 4-9 (23,817) and Mai Tai 9-10 (23,324)

 

 

 

1- DANCING IN THE STREET- Mick Jagger & David Bowie (72,658)

2- HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO- Bonnie Tyler (60,418)

3- PART TIME LOVER- Stevie Wonder (54,502)

4- IF I WAS- Midge Ure (51,867)

5- ANGEL- Madonna (50,337)

6- LEAN ON ME (AH-LI-AYO)- Red Box (45,441)

7- LAVENDER- Marillion (39,151)

8- KNOCK ON WOOD/ LIGHT MY FIRE- Amii Stewart (27,523)

9- TARZAN BOY- Baltimora (23,817)

10- BODY AND SOUL- Mai Tai (23,324)

 

I thought when I saw it in the archive charts that that Red Box song was a cover of the Bill Withers track of the same name.

If I Was, Lean On Me, Lavender and Tarzan Boy are all fabulous songs.

never heard of Red Box but sounds nice on 1st listen, good addition to the top 10

yeah Angel top 5, another one for Madonna

If I Was is so sweet - love it

Shouldn't it be "If I Were"? :D that's what they teach here, that you cannot say If I Was :D

Shouldn't it be "If I Were"? :D that's what they teach here, that you cannot say If I Was :D

You're right that "if I were" is traditionally more correct, though I think it's one of those points like "who" vs "whom" that people often don't observe anymore.

 

"If I was" should in theory only be used for something that actually might have happened - "If I was too loud when I came in last night I'm sorry".

'Tarzan Boy' is one I only got introduced to in recent years and I do find such a joyful fun little track!

 

A fan of 'Holding Out For A Hero' as well!

5TH OCTOBER

 

 

Well after last week’s rather dull chart this week threw up several surprises which all in all made for a rather nail biting chart. The week started in the, by now, usual way with “Dancing In The Street looking good for a fifth week at the top for Bowie & Jagger, it eventually made way for Midge Ure’s “If I Was” as the week progressed but then with both Bowie and Jagger and Jennifer Rush on TOTP coupled with no Midge saw both those tracks staging a comeback with ultimately a little over 5,000 copies separating the top three. “If I Was” held on to just steal the top spot on a sale of just 62,441 that’s the lowest tally required for No 1 for 17 weeks, it is however a third No 1 for Midge Ure counting his time with Slik and Band Aid.

 

 

 

Just a few hundred copies behind him however (and had there have been another day’s trading then undoubtedly No 1 today) is “The Power Of Love” by Jennifer Rush, it pounces 15-2 (61,897), a far better performance than when it was first released at the end of 1984 when it bombed. Demand in the Merseyside area however prompted a re-issue this summer and the track has so far moved 65-49-51-45-44-47-46-44-43-47-49-42-36-15-2 and is therefore in its 15th week, if it makes No 1 next week then it will be the longest time a record has taken to reach the top spot from debut in one consecutive run, a title currently held by Dead Or Alive earlier this year when it made the top in its 15th week. It has already sold 143,786 copies as it arrives in the top 10 thanks to that run, and the gap between the top 2 of just 544 copies is by far the smallest of 1985 so far. It had spectacular sales in Scotland and Northern Ireland which led the way and is finally getting radio support after a very slow start helped considerably by CBS withdrawing the full 6 minute single version a matter of weeks ago and issuing a much shorter (4 minute) "Remix" version on the same catalogue number which appealed more to radio, it's already been a chart topper in Germany and looks good to repeat here.

 

 

 

Another record that did nothing the first time around was Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” which petered out at No 62 in early 1984, but now in light of the success of the re-issued “White Wedding” earlier this year (No 6) Idol gives it another whirl and what do you know it’s another top 10 hit for him rising 13-8 (27,965). The title apparently stems from a party Idol attended where Mick Jagger, Ronny Wood and Keith Richards were drinking from a bottle labelled Rebel Yell whiskey and the title stuck. His GH album “Vital Idol” finally makes the top 10 this week.

 

 

 

Slipping in 16-10 (26,588) this week Colonel Abrams is not, unsurprisingly, a genuine Colonel, but he is genuinely called Colonel as his first name! “Trapped” is his major label debut and is making him a star in Europe before his native US though he has of course topped the US Dance chart with this track, he was also once in a band called 94 East with a certain Prince.

 

 

As noted already Bowie & Jagger tumble 1-3 (57,273) but total sales are now 502,095 in just 5 weeks, and with ¾ of the year gone let’s see where that puts the song on the YTD top 10

 

1- I KNOW HIM SO WELL- Barbara Dickson & Elaine Paige 750,346

2- 19- Paul Hardcastle 699,720

3- INTO THE GROOVE- Madonna 685,593

4- FRANKIE- Sister Sledge 620,823

5- MOVE CLOSER- Phyllis Nelson 564,009

6- LOVE AND PRIDE- King 537,404

7- I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS- Foreigner 528,309

8- EASY LOVER- Philip Bailey & Phil Collins 515,168

9- DANCING IN THE STREET- Mick Jagger & David Bowie 502,095

10- AXEL F- Harold Faltermeyer 497,233

 

 

You’ll note that Madonna is still to move above Paul Hardcastle (though likely to next week), but she is almost out of the top 40 so Paige & Dickson should be safe at the No 1 spot for now. She’s also down a spot at No 6 on this week’s chart with “Angel” (48,875), just ahead of Bonnie Tyler 2-7 (48,450) and Marillion 7-9 (27,285). Red Box however push on 6-4 (52,785).

 

 

 

1- IF I WAS- Midge Ure (62,441)

2- THE POWER OF LOVE- Jennifer Rush (61,897)

3- DANCING IN THE STREET- Mick Jagger & David Bowie (57,273)

4- LEAN ON ME (AH-LI-AYO)- Red Box (52,785)

5- PART TIME LOVER- Stevie Wonder (50,422)

6- ANGEL- Madonna (48,875)

7- HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO- Bonnie Tyler (48,450)

8- REBEL YELL- Billy Idol (27,965)

9- LAVENDER- Marillion (27,285)

10- TRAPPED- Colonel Abrams (26,588)

 

 

Decent sales for the top 7 there nearly all over 50k!

'Trapped' and 'The Power of Love' certainly both provide variety to the top 10. 'Trapped' certainly influenced quite a few tracks later in the 80s.

Yeh love the production on it, what type of dance music would you say it influenced?

crazy it took so long for The Power of Love, that chart trivia fact is the only thing I like about the song tbh

 

Gezza, little question, do you know why Phil Collins never released

Don't Lose My Number as a single in the UK, though it peaked at No. 4 in the US?

Il not say the other fact I know about the Power of Love incase it gives away any of the future charts!

Thanks for giving some context around why The Power of Love suddenly exploded Gezza, I’d always wondered. The power of a shorter radio edit!

but I still don't get

why it was so popular in Scotland of all places? It's not like Jennifer Rush is from Dundee :D

Into The Groove is one of my all time favourites. Tarzan Boy and Bonnie are by far the highlights of the recent weeks.

Edited September 7, 20231 yr by JackJones

12TH OCTOBER

 

 

From Famine to feast is the tale of this week, after Midge Ure sold a measly 62,000 to make the top last week, this week Jennifer Rush ignites the chart with a stellar sale of 120,513. Quite why it has taken off this week is a mystery but certainly radio seems to have taken up the mantle, it shamelessly wiped the floor with the outgoing No 1 as Midge Ure falls 1-2 (94,979) despite an increase thanks to TOTP. Interestingly prior to 10 months ago there had never been a single called "The Power Of Love" now we've had three top 20 hits with the title- two of them chart toppers!

 

 

 

 

 

Only one new song to tell you about, another “Brat Pack” movie “St Elmo’s Fire” has spawned a theme this time being sung by John Parr who you probably haven’t heard of unless you follow the US charts where this track recently hit No 1. The song was originally written about the Canadian wheelchair athlete Rick Hansen who was recently on tour raising awareness of spinal cord injuries, but it was offered for the soundtrack to the recent hit movie and a hit was born. The song features some members of Toto in the background, Parr having supported the band on their US tour last year, the song rises 27-10 (21,335) this week.

 

 

To this week’s climbers, Red Box advance 4-3 (51,816) but they’re way too far behind Midge Ure to look like climbing and indeed are losing sales week on week, Colonel Abrams marches 10-4 (44,897) and Billy Idol moves 8-6(36,703) to match his best peak with “White Wedding”.

 

Stevie Wonder halts his descent by holding at No 5 (37,655) though he continues to lose sales, and moving down are Mick Jagger & David Bowie 3-7 (34,221) as they rise to No 7 on the YTD list, Madonna descends 6-8 (32,283) whilst her new hit debuts at a lowly (compared to recent hits) at No 20, and Bonnie Tyler falls 7-9 (29,699).

 

 

 

1- THE POWER OF LOVE- Jennifer Rush (120,513)

2- IF I WAS- Midge Ure (94,979)

3- LEAN ON ME (AH-LI-AYO)- Red Box (51,816)

4- TRAPPED- Colonel Abrams (44,897)

5- PART TIME LOVER- Stevie Wonder (37,655)

6- REBEL YELL- Billy Idol (36,703)

7- DANCING IN THE STREET- Mick Jagger & David Bowie (34,221)

8- ANGEL- Madonna (32,283)

9- HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO- Bonnie Tyler (29,699)

10- ST ELMO’S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION)- John Parr (21,335)

 

Love St Elmos Fire (Man In Motion), its not too dissimilar production-wise to Baltimora actually.