Good to see Prince Charming still on top ^_^

 

Gezza - not sure which is right and which isn't but the figures in the summary and the narrative don't match up very well

Good to see Prince Charming still on top ^_^

 

Gezza - not sure which is right and which isn't but the figures in the summary and the narrative don't match up very well

My bad- updated!

'Prince Charming' is such a fun track and also video.

Just catching up on the last few charts - 'Prince Charming', 'Souvenir' and 'Under Your Thumb' are all wonderful additions :wub:

Oh really like Under Your Thumb

 

surprised Endless Love went 7-9, considering how massive it was in the US and everywhere I assume

I'm really impressed by the sales of Souvenir, was it OMD's biggest seller?

I'm really impressed by the sales of Souvenir, was it OMD's biggest seller?

Certainly was

Souvenir, Invisible Sun and Under Your Thumb are all fantastic songs

'Under Your Thumb' is a great synthpop record.

 

Love this synthpop and bass guitar #19 hit from this time, although apparently the song was originally from 1979:

 

Edited July 7, 20241 yr by TheSnake

I absolutely love Quiet Life, that's a great pick :wub:

 

I'm so surprised to read it only made #19 though, it deserved a lot better!

Under Your Thumb was a spinetingling return to form for Godley & Creme, synths apart it could easily have come off 10cc's first albums, loved it, bought it and as unique as ever. So under-rated, still, that initial 10cc line-up. Celebrations at Endless Love dropping, and Madness' new record was fun as usual, but Shut Up was my least fave single since The Prince.

10TH OCTOBER

 

 

On a major charm offensive and with not much competition around "Prince Charming" holds top spot for 1 fourth week but it is now under pressure, it's sale of 106,000 shows how gentle a decline it is experiencing as its total sales move over half a million without seemingly suffering too much with the public. The band have now spent 9 weeks at the top of the charts this year. more than any other act and have confirmed they will be releasing a Christmas single- could the race be over already for the festive chart topper?, however it is probably their last week at No 1 and before moving on it's time to reflect on the YTD charts as we hit the 3/4 of a year mark!

 

1- STAND & DELIVER- Adam & The Ants 854,208

2- TAINTED LOVE- Soft Cell 780,600

3- THIS OLE HOUSE- Shakin Stevens 721,620

4- VIENNA- Ultravox 696,288

5- MAKING YOUR MIND UP- Bucks Fizz 685,692

6- ONE DAY IN YOUR LIFE- Michael Jackson 685,332

7- SHADDAP YOU FACE- Joe Dolce Musical Theatre 667,896

8- YOU DRIVE ME CRAZY- Shakin Stevens 630,108

9- GHOST TOWN- The Specials 605,232

10- BEING WITH YOU- Smokey Robinson 594,840

 

"Prince Charming" has sold 581,988 to date placing it at No 11 so far

 

 

The threat to Adam & The Ants ongoing reign comes from the Tweets as "Birdie Song" got TOTP exposure and shoots 7-2 (98,000) and it must be odds on to become the UK's No 1 next week- brace yourself! The expected challenge from The Police didn't come to be this week as "Invisible Sun" tumbles 2-3 (68,000) in the main due to the appearance of parent album "Ghost In The Machine" which slams into the No 1 spot today by an easy margin.

 

 

Formerly both members of the folk outfit Hatfield and the North, Dave Stewart hit the charts earlier this year in tow with Former Zombies front man Colin Bluntstone on a cover of "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted" peaking at No 13. Now he's back with the backing singer from his old group Barbara Gaskin on a cover of Leslie Gore's 1963 No 9 hit "It's My Party", as it rises 17-8 (61,000) it already surpasses the original peak wise. Rumour is that the pair are a couple in real life!

 

 

In other news Godley & Crème continue to move in the right direction 6-4 (68,000), Madness move 10-7 (64,000) (the same position as their album enters at) but going in the wrong direction are Ottawan 3-5 (67,000), Alvin Stardust has had enough 4-6 (64,000) and OMD drop 5-10 (40,000) whilst Diana Ross and Lionel Richie hold at No 9 (60,000) in what a great week sales all around with only 8k separating numbers 3 and 9.

 

1- PRINCE CHARMING- Adam & The Ants (106,000)

2- THE BIRDIE SONG (THE BIRDIE DANCE)- The Tweets (98,000)

3- INVISIBLE SUN- The Police (68,000)

4- UNDER YOUR THUMB- Godley & Crème (68,000)

5- HANDS UP (GIVE ME YOUR HEART)- Ottawan (67,000)

6- PRETEND- Alvin Stardust (64,000)

7- SHUT UP- Madness (64,000)

8- IT’S MY PARTY- Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin (61,000)

9- ENDLESS LOVE- Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (60,000)

10- SOUVENIR- O.M.D (40,000)

 

Agree that Invisible Sun is unfairly forgotten among the Police hits.

 

Great track.

love It's my party!!

It's My Party, that is an example on how to do a proper cover version of a classic - make it completely different and relevant to the era. Both versions are fab. All this sales info is fascinating would have loved to get my hands on it at the time! :)

17TH OCTOBER

 

 

Creating something of a vacuum at the top of the charts in its demise "Prince Charming" slumps 1-4 (61,000) this week and can thank its TOTP play for making that drop look respectable as it was on for 1-7 drop by midweek! The race to replace it was always between two tracks, The Tweets and Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin and again TOTP featured "It's My Party" and not "The Birdie Song" which saw its midweek No 1 position overturned quite dramatically by "It's My Party" which leaps jumped 8-1 (84,000) to become one of the years more unexpected chart toppers.

 

 

 

Four new tracks to liven up the top 10 this week starting with Toyah who leaps 13-5 (54,000) with "Thunder In The Mountains" a third straight top 10 hit for the group and incidentally has a video directed by Godley & Crème who continue the ascend with "Under Your Thumb" this week 4-3 (65,000) to create a notable week for them. The Toyah track is not available on their last album "Anthem" which contributes to its rapid climb (no Toyah track has been top 5 after just 3 weeks) as 1981 shapes up to be one to remember for the band.

 

 

 

Parent album "Dare" is due next week, but already single No 3 is plucked from it and "Open Your Heart" explodes 21-6 ( 54,000) this week. Readers will note this is a "blue" single for the band denoting a "pop" release, but either pop or dance the group score a second top 10 hit on the trot. Incidentally with the Police and Shaky in the top 2 on the album charts it should be a real test to see if the band can compete with the big boys of 1981.

 

 

 

 

With an ever growing fanbase Depeche Mode have been expanding In stature throughout 1981 with first hit "Dreaming Of Me" hitting No 57 and followed with "New Life" which went agonisingly close to the top 10 at No 11 this summer, but they wait no longer for a top 10 as "Just Can't Get Enough" trips into the big 10 moving 11-8 (47,000) and you only have to wait another month for debut album "Speak and Spell".

 

 

 

Bad Manners prove that the Ska revival isn't quite dead yet as "Walkin In The Sunshine" arrives 16-10 (44,000) and like its predecessor "Can Can" comes from their album "Gosh....It's Bad Manners" which also gets its release next week and will hope to follow Madness (their main rivals in the movement certainly since the implosion of The Specials) into the top 10.

 

 

Two fallers complete the top 10, Ottawan slide 5-7 (49,000) and The Police hurtle 3-9 (46,000).

 

1- IT’S MY PARTY- Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin (84,000)

2- THE BIRDIE SONG (THE BIRDIE DANCE)- The Tweets (73,000)

3- UNDER YOUR THUMB- Godley & Creme (65,000)

4- PRINCE CHARMING- Adam & The Ants (61,000)

5- THUNDER IN THE MOUNTAINS- Toyah (54,000)

6- OPEN YOUR HEART- Human League (54,000)

7- HANDS UP (GIVE ME YOUR HEART)- Ottawan (49,000)

8- JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH- Depeche Mode (47,000)

9- INVISIBLE SUN- The Police (46,000)

10- WALKIN IN THE SUNSHINE- Bad Manners (44,000)

 

'It's My Party' is a good #1.

 

The Human League song is good, verses are epic like Ultravox but chorus is different.

 

Don't know that Toyah song really but after a few listens I like it, its certainly energetic and interesting.

Edited July 9, 20241 yr by TheSnake

'Just Can't Get Enough' :wub: Depeche Mode would soon become quite a different band, but this remains one of their very best songs. 'Open Your Heart' is another good one from The Human League although they had something more memorable on the way...

How strange that Prince Charming suddenly had a sales collapse

 

Open Your Heart is another decent single from Human League, Dare is definitely one of the strongest albums I've heard from the 80s.

 

Just Can't Get Enough is decent enough but I don't love it anywhere near as much as I love later Depeche Mode. It's difficult to believe it is the same band in some ways, I always leave it out of my DM playlists just because it doesn't suit the mood.

Love Dave and Barbara's quirky synth-pop version of 'It's My Party' and was very pleased that it was added to streaming last year. A great trio of #1s following Soft Cell and Adam!

 

'Open Your Heart' and 'Just Can't Get Enough' are good additions too - agreed with Dandy that Dare is one of the best albums of the 80s.