Crazy Crazy Nights is a good one and Faith a classic of course.

31ST OCTOBER

 

 

A blistering increase in sales of 148% accompanies George Michael’s climb 10-2 (66,980) but “Faith” still has a little way to go to catch up with the Bee Gees who claim a third week at the top but on a slightly reduced sale of 101,745 copies. “You Win Again” has now sold 326,281 copies easily becoming their biggest seller since “Tragedy” but only one other of their five No 1’s lasted more than three weeks and that was 1967’s “Massachusetts” which racked up a month before surrendering, their bank balance certainly won’t be affected by Black Monday last week!

 

 

 

It’s taken 28 weeks but Fleetwood Mac’s “Tango In The Night” finally tops the album charts spurred on by the third single “Little Lies” which this week becomes the group’s 8th top single rising 11-5 (31,756). The video features Lyndsey Buckingham who has now left the group as you probably know, but the success of the single is surprising given the group’s second single from the album “Seven Wonders” bombed at No 56.

 

 

 

 

A fourth top 10 hit on the trot for Pet Shop Boys occurs this week with “Rent” shifting 17-8 (28,543) which makes up slightly for the fact that their second album “Actually” narrowly failed to hit No 1. The promo features actress Margi Clarke and the Marquess Of Bath, now there’s a random pairing for you but it seems to have worked.

 

 

 

 

For a song about nuclear Armageddon Was (Not Was)’s “Walk The Dinosaur” comes in a rather upbeat package and proves their most popular song yet beating the No 51 peak of their previous single “Spy In The House Of Love”. The group have been trying to break through since 1979 so though they may lament the incorrect way the song has been interpreted they will be thankful at least that the song floats 12-10 (26,163)

 

 

Bananarama equal their previous highest peak of No 3 attained by “Robert De Nero’s Waiting” with their current single “Love In The First Degree” as it climbs 5-3 (55,165), climbing also are Erasure 7-6 (30,294) and Billy Idol 8-7 (30,107). Two hits moving the other way are Jan Hammer 2-4 (38,301) who sells more than last week! and Kiss 4-9 (27,776).

 

 

1- YOU WIN AGAIN- Bee Gees (101,745)

2- FAITH- George Michael (66,980)

3- LOVE IN THE FIRST DEGREE/ MR SLEAZE- Bananarama/ S/A/W (55,165)

4- CROCKETT’S THEME- Jan Hammer (38,301)

5- LITTLE LIES- Fleetwood Mac (31,756)

6- THE CIRCUS- Erasure (30,294)

7- MONY MONY- Billy Idol (30,107)

8- RENT- Pet Shop Boys (28,543)

9- CRAZY CRAZY NIGHTS- Kiss (27,778)

10- WALK THE DINOSAUR- Was Not Was (26,163)

 

A good top 3, all classics.

 

Rent is the best of the top 10 new entries. Another very good song from PSBs, one of my favourites from them.

 

I like the deep backing vocals in the chorus of 'Little Lies' but overall I prefer 'Big Love'.

 

'Walk The Dinosaur' is interesting, like 1987's equivalent of 'Uptown Funk' (and yes as I look online others have made that comparison too).

 

Also 'Walk The Dinosaur' might have been inspired by 'Walk Like An Egyptian'.

Edited February 16, 20241 yr by TheSnake

Rent :wub: my favourite PSB track changes regularly but Rent is definitely up there, Neil’s lyrics are just so good

Little Lies and Rent are both amazing. PSBs were on fire with this era.

'It's A Sin', 'What Have I Done To Deserve This' and 'Rent' on the same album :wub:

Little Lies and Rent are both fantastic additions to elevate that top 10 further. :wub:

Two fantastic additions to the top 10 with Rent and Little Lies! What happened to Fleetwood Max after this hugely successful era, did they split up? Don’t think they had anymore top 40 singles?

Two fantastic additions to the top 10 with Rent and Little Lies! What happened to Fleetwood Max after this hugely successful era, did they split up? Don’t think they had anymore top 40 singles?

Basically fractured away with members leaving and new ones arriving but they didn't produce much. In fact by this point in 1987 it had started as lindsey Bickingham had already left the group so the 'classic" line up had already gone.

Sad to see as they were so talented and a comeback following this era could have been huge!

7TH NOVEMBER

 

 

I was expecting to be writing about the 600th UK No 1 single this week but as it turned out George Michael’s slender early week advantage was well overturned by Saturday with the Bee Gees topping the charts for a fourth week selling 87,108 to “Faith”’s 74,630. With Michael’s album out this week it may impact on his ability to finally get there, but then again it hasn’t really affected the Gibb brothers whose “ESP” album has been available throughout the run of “You Win Again” and this week drops 5-8.

 

 

 

Instead of Michael next week’s chart topper could once again belong to Rick Astley and S/A/W with his new single “Whenever You Need Somebody” which was originally recorded by O’Chi Brown last year peaking at the dizzy heights of No 97. The track will also be the title track from Astley’s debut album which is released in three weeks and is already tipped to be one of the big sellers over the Christmas season, the single debuted at No 11 last week and now shoots to No 3 (69,581), nudging narrowly above a still improving, on sales at least, Bananarama who fall 3-4 (65,756) to once again allow S/A/W two records in the top 5.

 

 

 

Reaching a new high at No 2 on the album charts behind Fleetwood Mac, T’pau’s debut album “Bridge Of Spies” yields a second top 5 single “China In Your Hand” which is creating waves with its 19-5 (51,306) jump. The single is edited in its single form to erase many of the references to the book “Frankenstein” which are clearer on the album version but it’s certainly one of the more unusual themes for a top 10 track though it still reads as a “careful what you wish for” coda.

 

 

 

Whilst both Paul McCartney and John Lennon have both been shifting singles in the 80s (though not always for the best of reasons) George Harrison has had quite a quiet decade so far with just one single released, 1981’s “All Those Years Ago” (No 13), but the Harrison revival is on. “Got My Mind Set On You” has taken just three weeks to move 44-22-7 (35,275). It’s Harrison cover of a James Ray track from 1962 and is only his 4th top 10 single since the break up of the Beatles.

 

 

Fleetwood Mac dip 5-6 (44,795), Billy Idol falls 7-8 (30,753) and Was (Not Was) hold down anchor position with 27,778 copies sold.

 

 

1- YOU WIN AGAIN- Bee Gees (87,108)

2- FAITH- George Michael (74,630)

3- WHENEVER YOU NEED SOMEBODY- Rick Astley (69,581)

4- LOVE IN THE FIRST DEGREE/ MR SLEAZE- Bananarama/ S/A/W (65,756)

5- CHINA IN YOUR HAND- T’Pau (51,306)

6- LITTLE LIES- Fleetwood Mac (44,795)

7- GOT MY MIND SET ON YOU- George Harrison (35,275)

8- MONY MONY- Billy Idol (30,753)

9- CROCKETT’S THEME- Jan Hammer (30,005)

10- WALK THE DINOSAUR- Was Not Was (27,778)

 

The search for a 600th Number one was relatively well publicised at the time. George Michael cut the lead from 34k to 12k in a week but now has his album out, Rick Astley moves 11-3 with his second single, T'pau lift 19-5 with a single which is already on the album which sits at No 2, George Harrison soars 22-7 but doesn't have an album to detract sales. Outside the top 10 Freddie Mercury debuts at No 12 and The Communards go in at No 15- all shaping up nicely for a scrappy affair next week!

 

Surely the Bee Gees can't make it a 5th week?

Oh my so many classics in the last 2 updates!

 

Rent is easily my #1 PSB track, of course it's their less successful in the actually era but deserved much better, it's almost too good for the charts

 

Little Lies is easily the best song from FM's entire discography, I'm generally not the biggest fan but Little Lies is just incredible

 

also really liked the Was not Was song, very catchy

 

then T'Pau-China in Your Hand one of the best ballads in the history of music. Love it to pieces and was a huge T'Pau fan back then.

 

the Rick Astley song is also good, decent enough to go top 3 but don't think it's #1 material either

 

the George Harrison song is also great, always thought it was an original

 

rooting for T'Pau <3

Edited February 17, 20241 yr by Bjork

The days when a milestone #1 such as the 600th was without caveats (George Harrison's later posthumous #1 providing one of those!)

'Whenever You Need Somebody' I prefer to 'Never Gonna Give You Up', less overplayed in media.

 

China In Your Hand is one of the best power ballads, just brilliantly epic, I didn't used to like it much but do now.

 

In 2011, contestant Amelia Lily performed the song on series 8 of UK's The X Factor. Judge Gary Barlow said it was "nice to hear the song being sung in tune for once", in mockery of Decker, who reacted to the comment via Twitter.[4]Barlow would apologize later.[5]

 

That put me of the song a bit though wondering whether it was in tune or not but its only one man's opinion and the song has become a classic so it didn't put me off it for long thankfully.

 

'Got My Mind Set On You' is a catchy song

Edited February 17, 20241 yr by TheSnake

couple of great great singles peaking low

 

The Cure-Just Like Heaven, easily their best song ever but only making #29, guess it was the 3rd single from the album

 

similarly Terence Trent D'Arby-Dance Little Sister only peaking at #20 but again it was a post-album single

 

Jan Hammer in 9th selling not that much less than when when it was at #2

 

Both T’Pau and George Harrison are great, I used to really like the video for the latter as a child. It hasn’t aged that well but it seemed so fun at the time

'Walk The Dinosaur' :cheeseblock:

Whenever You Need Somebody's verses seem melodically very much influenced by Paul Hardcastle - Don't Waste My Time!

 

And aww Steve Wright at the end of the TOTP video there! :(

Edited February 17, 20241 yr by TheSnake

one of the many reasons I hate Gary Barlow, that comment about Carol Decker :/