I don't think there were any unless you count the Nolans who were Irish. You might have to go as far back as the Beverley Sisters.

 

The Belle Stars and Toto Coelo were breaking through at the same time as Bananarama but didn't become as big as them.

Madness that there was none!!

7TH AUGUST

 

 

"Fame" loses its hold on both charts this week, well kind of. On the album charts the soundtrack to the 1980 film falls 1-3 but is replaced by "Kids From Fame" from the current TV show which must please the franchise owners to the series as the money continues to roll in, the first single from the TV cast is released this week called "Hi Fidelity" we'll see if it can replicate the album's success over the next few weeks. On the singles chart Irene Cara's time is up with "Fame" fading 1-2 but on a bumper sale of 159,000 copies, by far the best sale for a No 2 in the year so far, the song has now sold 680,000 copies and moves 4-2 on the YTD list.

 

 

Cara is replaced at the top by Dexy's Midnight Runners and the Emerald Express with "Come On Eileen" which saw a 113% sales increase two weeks ago and this week jumps by an incredible 82% as it really ignites at retail to sell a whopping 165,000 copies with every indication that sales will increase again next week! The track is already on a cumulative total of 336,000 easily in the top 40 of the year after just 6 weeks, their previous best seller is of course "Geno" on sales of 584,000, it also doesn't appear to be suffering for also appearing on the group's album "Too Rye Ay" which debuts at No 2 this week behind "Kids From Fame". It ate away at Cara's lead all week finally sliding past "Fame" on Saturday!

 

 

Their latest album "Tropical Gangsters" is currently sitting at No 6 on the album chart having so far peaked at No 4 and is now home to two top 10 hits as "Stool Pigeon" propels itself 11-8 (37,000) and has a little way to go to match the No 4 peak of their last single "I'm A Wonderful Thing (Baby)".

 

 

 

 

His 22nd studio album is due later this month entitled "Now You See Me, Now You Don't" and to herald it Cliff Richard is back in the top 10 for the 47th time since his first hit 24 years ago. "The Only Way Out" climbs 14-10 (35,000) this week and is co-produced by the man himself!

 

 

One other climber within the top 10 this week, Hot Chocolate leap 7-5 (62,000) but Trio (5-6, 42,000), and Bananarama (6-7, 39,000) head in the opposite direction. unusually there are also three non movers, Japan at No 9 (36,000) Madness at No 4 (67,000) and Yazoo at No 3 who had a TOTP appearance and see their sales swell to 88,000, which five weeks ago would have given them the No 1 spot but this week is way short of the mark!

 

 

 

1- COME ON EILEEN- Dexy’s Midnight Runners (165,000)

2- FAME- Irene Cara (159,000)

3- DON’T GO- Yazoo (88,000)

4- DRIVING IN MY CAR- Madness (67,000)

5- IT STARTED WITH A KISS- Hot Chocolate (62,000)

6- DA DA DA- Trio (42,000)

7- SHY BOY- Bananarama (39,000)

8- STOOL PIGEON- Kid Creole & The Coconuts (37,000)

9- I SECOND THAT EMOTION- Japan (36,000)

10- THE ONLY WAY OUT- Cliff Richard (35,000)

 

Wow amazing rise for Dexys on stella sales and Fame prob unlucky not to make a 4th week on great sales too! Flawless top 5 that for me!

Edited October 30, 2024Oct 30 by Steve201

Great top 3 but 4 & 5 are crap, same as 6, 8 and 10.

 

so Bananarama were the first pop girlband? I mean considering bands like Supremes as soul.

Huge sales for the Top 2! Yazoo a bit unlucky not to get a look-in.

 

Fairly sure 'Come On Eileen' and 'Don't Stop Me Now' were both played at my wedding disco, which preadted me owning an iPod, let alone streaming and the general idea that songs like that were overplayed.

Yeh Come On Eileen was played at my Sis wedding in 2002 i remember it clearly.

Come on Eileen is a rather joyous song, it’s hard to not like it!

14TH AUGUST

 

 

A very quiet week in the charts this week with the entire top 6 being non movers in the album charts (meaning that Dexy's Midnight Runners play second fiddle to Kids From Fame) whilst on the singles chart the whole top 5 are static! That means that Dexy's Midnight Runners get their revenge for that album defeat with a blistering singles victory, "Come On Eileen" shifted 174,000 copies and is already the 11th biggest of the year after moving 510,000 copies and should become the groups biggest single next week failing a massive downturn.

 

 

One of the records in front of them on the YTD list remains "Fame" which clings to the No 2 position on a sale of 71,000 which is enough to see the song move 4-2 on that list with just Tight Fit's "Lion Sleeps Tonight" ahead of it, and with 751,000 copies sold in total it is still just over 44,000 copies behind ensuring that "Fame" will become the biggest selling single of the year within the next fortnight. Though Yazoo, Madness and Hot Chocolate all hold at No's 3,4,and 5 respectively all lose sales at 61,000 (30% sales slump), 46,000 (30% loss) and 44,000 (28% decline).

 

 

A bit more action outside the top 5, firstly from Survivor who formed in 1978 and had some minor US success last year but nothing that compares to "Eye Of The Tiger". You may recognise the song as the theme to the current "Rocky III" film starring Sylvester Stallone who asked the band to record a track for the film after the film makers were refused permission to use Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust". He proved a wise man as the song is currently in its fourth week at No 1 Stateside, and scorches 29-6 (43,000) here.

 

 

 

The Stranglers are on the move, not just in the charts but also in relation to record labels. The band are moving to Epic and as part of the severance deal with EMI they are releasing a compilation album which will feature their singles since 1977 along with "Strange Little Girl" which this weeks moves northward 11-8 (39,000). The track was actually written in 1974 and handed as a demo to EMI who passed on them (they ended up getting signed to Liberty records which were taken over by EMI last year) so perhaps the band are having the last laugh on the label by making this a top 10 single.

 

 

 

Written by Robert Spencer of the doo-wop group The Cadillacs back in 1956 as "My Girl Lollypop" the track first found fame in 1964 in the alternative gender take of "My Boy Lollipop" by Millie which made No 2 in the UK. It's now been reverted back to its original form by Bad Manners who must have feared their chart stock has fallen irrevocably after their previous two singles peaked at No's 34 and 44 but this new single leaps 21-9 (38,000) to prove they are far from done.

 

 

Rounding off the top 10 Kid Creole & The Coconuts climb 8-7 (41,000) and Bananarama dip 7-10 (36,000)

 

 

1- COME ON EILEEN- Dexy’s Midnight Runners (174,000)

2- FAME- Irene Cara (71,000)

3- DON’T GO- Yazoo (61,000)

4- DRIVING IN MY CAR- Madness (46,000)

5- IT STARTED WITH A KISS- Hot Chocolate (44,000)

6- EYE OF THE TIGER- Survivor (43,000)

7- STOOL PIGEON- Kid Creole & The Coconuts (41,000)

8- STRANGE LITTLE GIRL- The Stranglers (39,000)

9- MY GIRL LOLLIPOP (MY BOY LOLLIPOP)- Bad Manners (38,000)

10- SHY BOY- Bananarama (36,000)

 

oh love love Strange Little Girl. Only heard the original a couple times but Tori Amos did an amazing cover for her Strange Little Girls album of covers of songs originally released by male artists.

Eye of the Tiger, it's there but not a big favourite.

Bad Manners is easily one of the worse bands in the history of music :/

Bad Manners were a weird group, although I do have a soft spot for Special Brew (the song, not the drink lol)

I couldn't stand Bad Manners. A step too close to being a novelty act for me.

 

Here for the arrival of Eye of the Tiger.

'Eye of the Tiger' is a good song and I like the 80s rock genre but I went off it for a long time because of overplay. I also didn't like it as I knew it just got lucky because it was in a very popular film, and otherwise this sort of hard rock wasn't really making the UK top 10 any more (the last time previously was I think Rainbow - I Surrender in early 1981?)

 

'Strange Little Girl' is a bit disturbing lyrically. Melodically its good though. There are prominent use of keyboards but wikipedia suggests its much more psychadelic 60s revival than synthpop.

Edited October 31, 2024Oct 31 by TheSnake

21ST AUGUST

 

 

Given its lead last week coupled with the huge margin of its victory it should be no surprise that "Come On Eileen" goes nowhere in the charts but the No 1 spot, though it is finally on the decline in terms of sales, again not a surprise after its stellar week last week. It sold 145,000 copies last week to increase its overall total to 655,000 copies as it moves into the TYD top 10.

 

 

All of which is bad news for Irene Cara, "Fame" drops 2-3 this week and sold a very respectable 54,000 copies to bring its total to 805,000 copies which is enough to replace Tight Fit at the top of the YTD list. the new challenger on the weekly charts to "Eileen"'s current dominance is Survivor who leap 6-2 in selling 89,000 copies but that is way off posing a serious risk to the top slot at present.

 

 

Formed in 1980 to cater for the gay audience in San Francisco Boys Town Gang were soon speeding up the US Club charts and make their big breakthrough internationally with a cover of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" originally a hit for Franki Valli in the US and by Andy Williams in the UK in 1968 though it has become a staple at radio ever since. It's been turned into a Hi-Energy disco number and is already No 1 in the Netherlands whilst it rockets 21-6 (41,000) over here.

 

 

Elsewhere there is only one climber, The Stranglers move 8-7 (39,000) and Hot Chocolate have a third week at No 5 (43,000) but are losing sales week on week. Four fallers not yet mentioned, Yazoo dip 3-4 (51,000), Madness dive 4-8 (38,000), Kid Creole slip 7-9 (36,000) and Bad Manners reverse 9-10 (35,000)

 

1-COME ON EILEEN- Dexy’s Midnight Runners (145,000)

2- EYE OF THE TIGER- Survivor (89,000)

3- FAME- Irene Cara (54,000)

4- DON’T GO- Yazoo (51,000)

5- IT STARTED WITH A KISS- Hot Chocolate (43,000)

6- CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU- Boystown Gang (41,000)

7- STRANGE LITTLE GIRL- The Stranglers (39,000)

8- DRIVING IN MY CAR- Madness (38,000)

9- STOOL PIGEON- Kid Creole & The Coconuts (36,000)

10- MY GIRL LOLLIPOP (MY BOY LOLLIPOP)- Bad Manners (35,000)

 

I know it's cheesy as hell, but I sometimes quite enjoy 'Eye of the Tiger'

Yup, cant help but sing a long to it!

 

Was it only in the Rocky movies from Rocky 3 Gezza as it states in the article?

 

Bad Manners with one last top 10 fling and love the new Stranglers one.

As i state it was written for "Rocky III".

I always thought it was in it from the very start, learn something new everyday!

28TH AUGUST

 

 

After 3 weeks without much action at all this week sees half of the top 10 being comprised of new tracks! None of this affects Dexy's Midnight Runners who hold steady in the face of a 22% sales drop to 113,000 bringing its total to 768,000 in all, that's enough to move "Come On Eileen" to No 3 on the YTD list just 85,000 behind "Fame" which sold 48,000 this week on its way down 3-6, both are separated by Tight Fit's "Lion Sleeps Tonight" on 795,000. I'll be very surprised if we don't have a new YTD No 1 next week and it is also now the longest No 1 of the year!

 

 

Whilst "Come On Eileen" might be on its way to No 1 on the yearly list it is likely to lose the weekly No 1 position after 4 weeks next week thanks to Survivor who profit from TOTP to see sales of "Eye Of The Tiger" increase by 21% to 107,000 to provide a genuine challenge as they outsold Dexy's on Saturday.

 

 

Soft Cell have been plundering their back catalogue of Northern soul again to come up with a cover of a Judy Street's 1966 track "What" which failed to chart here in the UK, No trouble with this version though as the song debuted at No 13 last week (their highest debut) and glides to No 3 (68,000) but has quite a large gap to make up on the top 2 so progress might be too much to ask. It's taken from their second album "Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing" which peaked at No 7 back in June.

 

 

 

Things seem to be finally happening for Duran Duran, their second album "Rio" peaked at No 2 on release and has never been lower than No 21 after 15 weeks of release. It's now home to two top 10 hit singles (a better hit rate than their debut LP) as "Save A Prayer" becomes their most immediate hit bounding 27-5 (62,000) in its second week, helped no doubt by another Sri Lanka lensed video, the band are fast becoming associated with exotic videos which are now popular with US audiences on the new MTV channel and starting to create a stir on the other side of the pond.

 

 

 

Meanwhile the phenomenon of "Fame" continues as the soundtrack remains at No 7 whilst the "Kids From Fame" is in its fourth week at No 1 on the album charts, it contains the track "Hi Fidelity" with lead vocals by Valerie Landsberg (Doris in the show) which is the first single release and has taken just three weeks to similarly make the top 10 rising 26-7 (48,000)- can this replicate the albums success?

 

 

 

Barry Blue is best known for his 1973 No 2 hit "Dancin On A Saturday Night" but since the hits have dried up for the glam star he's turned to writing and producing other people's records and is back in the top 10 this week as writer and producer of "I eat Cannibals" by new girl group Toto Coelo. Their name is Latin and apparently translates as "by the whole extent of the heavens"- well the gods are smiling on them as the song bolts 12-9 (40,000)- the group contains the daughter of DJ and TV presenter Bob Holness by way of trivia!

 

 

 

Pin up's Haircut 100 are back with a fourth top 10 hit from four releases! "Nobody's Fool" isn't on their debut album "Pelican West" which may account for why it is their quickest hit advancing 33-10 (39,000) and is being tipped by some as a future chart topper. The band will enter the studios later in the year to record their second album which should include this single but for now the hottest teen act on the charts can do little wrong.

 

 

Boys Town Gang continue to climb 6-4 (63,000) marking the highest position it has ever attained, whilst Yazoo collapse 4-8 (45,000).

 

1- COME ON EILEEN- Dexy’s Midnight Runners (113,000)

2- EYE OF THE TIGER- Survivor (107,000)

3- WHAT- Soft Cell (68,000)

4- CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU- Boys Town Gang (63,000)

5- SAVE A PRAYER- Duran Duran (62,000)

6- FAME- Irene Cara (48,000)

7- HI FIDELITY- Kids From “Fame” (48,000)

8- DON’T GO- Yazoo (45,000)

9- I EAT CANNIBALS- Toto Coelo (40,000)

10- NOBODY’S FOOL- Haircut 100 (38,000)

 

 

 

Liking the arrival of Save a Prayer. This is when Duran appeared on my radar.

 

Toto Coelo... Like the Spice Girls of 1982!!