23RD FEBRUARY

 

 

Well it did explode at retail as it was forecast to, Kenny Rogers remains No 1 this week on a very nice sale of 121,000 that's a new high for 1980, doubtless helped by Valentine's day. That also helps the single over the 300,000 mark (329,000 to be exact) and is not too far from becoming the biggest selling single of 1980 so far (an accolade currently held by The Nolans!), some achievement for an artist who looked dead in the water commercially six months ago.

 

 

We could say that the race to No 1 was tight but we'd be lying, the Whispers advance four places 6-2 and a sale of 55,000 which creates a record gap for the 80s of 66,000 between the top 2- Rogers seems to have little to fear!

 

 

However- big news at No 3 comes courtesy of Blondie whose "Atomic" becomes the first single to debut in the top 10 in the 80s, the last one was "Walking On The Moon" by The Police which of course went on to become a No 1 single, the omens are good! An opening sale of 51,000 is nothing to be sniffed at either on 2 days of sales, it remains to be seen if it has the potential to overturn Rogers next week. it's also the first song to enter the top 3 since Slade in late 1974 which highlights just how big the band are at present and comes as a welcome return to form as their last single "Union City Blues" only made No 13.

 

 

 

A healthy intake of five new entries into the top 10 this week with Cliff Richard next who proved that a fourth decade in the top 10 is easily achievable. "Carrie" moves 13-6 (44,000) and makes his last outing "Hot Shot" look like a blip in his rebirth as a modern popstar, That only made No 46 as a follow up to "We Don't Talk Anymore" which was of course his first No 1 single in 11 years.

 

 

 

The 80s may have just begun but it's all about the 60s at No 8 as the Ramones cover of the Ronettes 1963 track "Baby I Love You" rises 20-8 (38,000) and in doing so out peaks the original which made No 11 in early 1964. Phil Spector returns to production duties to give the cover that authentic feel and finally gives the band a top 20 hit after 3 years of trying.

 

 

 

Well we've had Cliff so it seems fair we have Elvis! No, not that one but Elvis Costello & The Attractions who secure a second top 10 hit after "Oliver's Army" almost went all the way last year. It debuted at No 17 last week and moves to No 9 on sales of 37,000, it is of course a cover of the Sam & Dave 1967 original which failed to chart and thusly like the Ramones manages to do better than the original.

 

 

 

Also new to the top 10 are the Tourists who jump 18-10 (37,000) with "So Good To Be Back Home Again" which follows their cover of "I Only Want To Be With You" quickly into the charts.

 

 

All the others are either stuck in the groove (Keith Michell at No 5- 48,000) or dropping down. These include the former No 1 from the Specials 49,000) 2-4 and the Boomtown Rats 4-7 (43,000)

 

 

1- COWARD OF THE COUNTY- Kenny Rogers (121,000)

2- AND THE BEAT GOES ON- The Whispers (55,000)

3- ATOMIC- Blondie (51,000)

4- TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG- The Specials (49,000)

5- CAPTAIN BEAKY- Keith Michell (48,000)

6- CARRIE- Cliff Richard (44,000)

7- SOMEONE’S LOOKING AT YOU- Boomtown Rats (43,000)

8- BABY I LOVE YOU- Ramones (38,000)

9- I CAN’T STAND UP FOR FALLING DOWN- Elvis Costello (37,000)

10- SO GOOD TO BE BACK HOME AGAIN- The Tourists (37,000)

 

Oh 'Atomic' is brilliant of course, definitely my favourite song to appear here since Pink Floyd :wub: the #1 may be unexciting at the moment but at least new wave sounds are creeping in elsewhere.

 

I only know 'Captain Beaky' because my dad loved it as a small child (he would've been 5 years old at the moment), it is... an experience, to say the least :lol:

BBC article

 

How appropriate- story on 2tone on the BBC website today!- are they reading this thread?? :D

Atomic is Blondie at their best with that great guitar riff and Carrie is one of Cliff's better songs. That's a good cover of Baby I Love You by The Ramones even if they never wanted to record it.

Atomic is a classic of course!

 

I really love Carrie by Cliff tbh, one of his best for sure.

Atomic

 

One of my favourite songs of the decade. It still amazes me what a flawless run of singles Blondie managed to create in the late 70s and early 80s.

Yes Atomic is great, probably their best song, influential and also I generally prefer that form of new wave with electronic input over non-electronic new wave like the Tourists.

 

I saw the 2tone article/story on the BBC website today too and thought of this thread!

1ST MARCH

 

 

Nothing, it seems, can stay on top for a fortnight in 1980 as the latest casualty Kenny Rogers falls back to No 2 despite selling 100,000 copies to take its grand total 429,494 now by some stretch the biggest selling single of the year so far. Victory instead goes to Blondie, whose "Atomic" moves from 3-1 selling 115,000 just 6,000 less than 1980's record currently held by....well Kenny Rogers obviously. It's Blondie's third chart topper following "Heart Of Glass" and "Sunday Girl" from 1979, the former remains their biggest seller topping the 900,000 mark.

 

 

 

Three new songs in the top 10 this week lead by Marti Webb, her hit "Take That Look Off Your Face" is taken from the musical "Tell Me On A Sunday" by Andrew Lloyd-Webber/ Don Black which was the feature of a BBC documentary two weeks ago. The exposure ensures that Marti Webb (the star of the show) gets her her first hit and very nice sales of 56,000 into the bargain, not enough to match Cliff however as "Carrie" bubbles 6-4 (63,000) increasing its sales by 19,000 in just one week. Sandwiched between Cliff and Webb is Elvis Costello and his attractions as "I Can't Stand Up (For Falling Down)" goes up 9-5 with increased sales of 63,000 copies.

 

 

 

Meanwhile "Off The Wall" throws up another top 10 hit for Michael Jackson who is having something of a golden period at the moment as "Rock With You" has also become a US No 1 single for him. It is written by former Heatwave member Roger Temperton for Jackson just like the title track from the album which made the top 10 just before the new year.

 

 

 

Also new in the ten is Fern Kinney, her version of the Steve Allan 1979 track "Together We Are Beautiful" is proving much more successful than the original which flopped here. The B-Side "Baby Let Me Kiss You" was originally going to be the A-Side until DJ's cottoned onto this track and Kinney has never looked back, it arrives at No 9 with sales of 45,000.

 

 

Not mentioned already are the Whispers who drop 2-3 (85,000) even with 55% sales increase and TOTP to help it, The Tourists jump 10-8 (52,000) and Keith Michell drops 5-10 as the novelty of "Captain Beaky" seems to have worn thin (38,000)

 

1- ATOMIC- Blondie (115,000)

2- COWARD OF THE COUNTY- Kenny Rogers (100,000)

3- AND THE BEAT GOES ON- The Whispers (85,000)

4- CARRIE- Cliff Richard (63,000)

5- I CAN’T STAND UP FOR FALLING DOWN- Elvis Costello (63,000)

6- TAKE THAT LOOK OFF YOUR FACE- Marti Webb (56,000)

7- ROCK WITH YOU- Michael Jackson (53,000)

8- SO GOOD TO BE BACK HOME AGAIN- The Tourists (52,000)

9- TOGETHER WE ARE BEAUTIFUL- Fern Kinney (45,000)

10- CAPTAIN BEAKY- Keith Michell (38,000)

 

Together We Are Beautiful is such a nice song, Fern Kinney has a similar vocal style to 60s and 70s Diana Ross.

Very happy that 'Atomic' became a chart-topper - Blondie have quite the collection of high quality #1s already at this point. I do like 'Rock With You' as well

A miles better chart topper taking over in the form of Atomic.

 

Rock With You is a good one from MJ.

Atomic is just incredible, also really like the Elvis Costello song

also like the Tourists one, was expecting it to sound more like Eurythmics but it's not, it's very guitar-driven

Annie Lennox looks kinda scary with that head thing :o

'Atomic' :wub: Blondie's best #1 fo me, and yet another classic #1 hardly two months into 1980!

I don't think Blondie are overrated or anything but I merely like than truly love any of their songs for some reason. However, 'Atomic' is by far an exception. Truly amazing masterpiece and must have sounded so futuristic and exciting back in 1980 - the US only had it only peaking at 39. Make it make sense!

 

8TH MARCH

 

 

Blondie rule the roost again and "Atomic"'s sales show no sign of abating as they expand to 129,000 this week bringing its 3 week total to 295,000 copies easily placing it in the top 10 best selling singles of the year to date (that sale the best of 1980 to date as well). If it fails to stay at the top there will be a neat symmetry with each Blondie single to make No 1 spending a week less at the top than the previous one, it is worth noting that the single edit of the track is a remix of the version on "Eat To The Beat".

 

 

Fern Kinney moves 9-2 looking for all the world like the next one until you realise that the track sold 69,000 to make that move but it will post no serious threat to Blondie in 7 days time. In the process she jumps over Marti Webb who accelerates 6-3 but is way off the pace on 62,000 copies, but is still 4,000 clear of Elvis Costello who continues his climb 5-4 but is actually losing sales now- funny thing the charts.

 

 

Only two new tracks invade the top 10 this week, and first up is former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel who scores a second hit single in the form of "Games Without Frontiers" which rises 17-8 (48,000) and in doing so becomes his biggest solo hit and almost out peaks anything Genesis has done since he left 5 years ago. The parent album, again called "Peter Gabriel" is due out in May. It also features the backing vocals of Kate Bush though uncredited on the single.

 

 

 

Also new are rockers Rainbow who fly 22-10 with "All Night Long". The change in vocalist with Graham Bonnet now on board has resulted in a more commercial sound with their last track "Since You Been Gone" becoming their first top 10 single, and they're not showing any signs of letting up with their new single attracting 46,000 buyers this week.

 

 

In other news the Whispers drop 3-5 (54,000), former chart topper "Coward Of The County" drops 2-6 (52,000) but will easily sail past the 500,000 mark next week, Cliff drops 4-7 (51,000) and Michael Jackson surprisingly falls 7-9 (46,000)

 

1- ATOMIC- Blondie (129,000)

2- TOGETHER WE ARE BEAUTIFUL- Fern Kinney (69,000)

3- TAKE THAT LOOK OFF YOUR FACE- Marti Webb (62,000)

4- I CAN’T STAND UP FOR FALLING DOWN- Elvis Costello (58,000)

5- AND THE BEAT GOES ON- The Whispers (54,000)

6- COWARD OF THE COUNTY- Kenny Rogers (52,000)

7- CARRIE- Cliff Richard (51,000)

8- GAMES WITHOUT FRONTIERS- Peter Gabriel (48,000)

9- ROCK WITH YOU- Michael Jackson (46,000)

10- ALL NIGHT LONG- Rainbow (46,000)

 

oh love Games Without Frontiers, great track

 

ouch that Fearne track at #2 is evil :o

 

All Night Long is not as good as Since You've Been Gone but still worth listening to and Games Without Frontiers is one of Peter Gabriel's finest songs.

'Games Without Frontiers' is a great electronic song, sounds great for its time.

 

'Since You've Been Gone' is one of my favourite rock tracks. 'All Night Long', the follow up is not very good lyrically but the chorus is good.

Edited April 1, 20241 yr by TheSnake

'Games without Frontiers' was epic indeed. Def in my top 5 of the year and that's not even including the fact it's got the divine Kate Bush on vocals. :wub:

Games Without Frontiers is a fantastic track.