Belfast Child is an under-rated track, I recall that era causing a lot of Simple Minds slagging off at the time. All Of My Heart is far too low, it's a sprawling ambitious ballad, and I saw Anne Dudley back with the actual orchestra on ABC's last Lexicon Of Love album in it's entirety tour, (plus hits and Lexicon Of Love II) and sounding as fresh as a daisy still.

39. 43 points

 

Malcolm McLaren and the World's Famous Supreme Team - Buffalo Gals

 

Chart peak: 9

 

Severin 24, King Rollo 10, AH Gold 9

 

Malcolm McLaren's first single under his own name was put together after he was exposed to the world of hip hop and scratching while on a trip to New York.

 

38. 45 points

 

Belle and Sebastian - I'm A Cuckoo

 

Chart peak: 14

 

jimwatts 16, chartjack2 16, JulianT 13

 

This wasn't quite Belle and Sebastian's highest charting single, the next one, 'Funny Little Frog', peaked one place higher. The Scottish Olympic 100m gold medallist Allan Wells had a cameo in the video.

 

37. 45 points (more votes)

 

Marc Almond - Jacky

 

Chart peak: 17

 

Severin 5, Popchartfreak 10, AH Gold 11, chartjack2 19

 

All three of Marc Almond's songs have managed to make it into our top 40. Jacky was first recorded by its co-writer Jacques Brel in 1966. The following year, it was a hit single for Scott Walker, reaching number 22.

 

'I'm A Cuckoo' is my biggest loss so far - Belle and Sebastian had some great indie songwriting, I especially like their 1996 album If You're Feeling Sinister

36. 45 points (more votes)

 

Pet Shop Boys - Minimal

 

Chart peak: 19

 

Popchartfreak 1, Mango 5, AH Gold 10, dandy* 20, JulianT 9

 

Minimal was the second single to be released from the Pet Shop Boys' 2006 album 'Fundamental'. They had brought in Trevor Horn to produce it after liking the singles he worked on with t.A.T.u.

 

35. 46 points

 

Marc Almond - My Hand Over My Heart

 

Chart peak: 33

 

Popchartfreak 27, AH Gold 19

 

This was the second single from Marc Almond's seventh solo album, 'Tenement Symphony'. The album had a 'Grit' side and a 'Glitter' side with all the Trevor Horn produced tracks on the 'Glitter' side. My Hand Over My Heart was co-written by Marc with his ex-Soft Cell partner David Ball.

 

34. 48 points

 

Dollar - Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)

 

Chart peak: 4

 

King Rollo 5, Popchartfreak 8, AH Gold 24, JulianT 11

 

This was the second of the four singles that Trevor wrote and produced for Dollar. It was after hearing this song and the one before that Martin Fry asked him to produce the Lexicon Of Love album for ABC.

 

Minimal is fabulous. Loved both that and Integral from the PSB’s album. The remix package for Minimal was also great, especially the mix that maxed the strings *.*

Never got Belle & Sebastian though I loved the 60's European kids TV drama show. Buffalo Gals is fun but McLaren's best track was the operatic Madame Butterfly. Minimal not one of my fave PSB tracks but loved Integral and the album they came from. Mirror Mirror is fab, that trio of Horn Dollar singles was impeccable pop. It's the two Marc Almond tracks that are the highlights here, Jacky not quite as essential as Scott Walker's brilliant banned hit version, but the very Soft Cell My Hand Over My Heart should have been a huge hit, great ballad.

33. 51 points

 

Dollar - Give Me Back My Heart

 

Chart peak: 4

 

King Rollo 21, Mango 7, AH Gold 23

 

This ballad was the follow-up to Mirror Mirror (if you ignore Dollar's old record company trying to cash in by re-issuing 'Ring Ring' as a single which only got to number 61) and matched its chart peak of number 4.

 

32. 56 points

 

Pet Shop Boys - I'm With Stupid

 

Chart peak: 8

 

Popchartfreak 6, Mango 22, AH Gold 15, chartjack2 13

 

Written about Tony Blair and George Bush, and featuring David Walliams and Matt Lucas in the video, I'm With Stupid gave the Pet Shop Boys their 22nd and final top 10 hit.

 

31. 64 points

 

The Jags - Back Of My Hand (single remix)

 

Chart peak: 17

 

Severin 26, Mango 13, jimwatts 25

 

This is the oldest song on the countdown, hitting the singles chart two weeks before 'Video Killed The Radio Star'. The Jags were from Scarborough and only lasted four years.

 

Wasn’t a fan of any of the Dollar tracks in the list, not sure I’ve ever really liked anything I’ve heard by them.

 

I’m With Stupid being higher than Minimal is certainly a choice. I didn’t mind the former at the time but it’s pretty naff really.

I’m With Stupid being higher than Minimal is certainly a choice. I didn’t mind the former at the time but it’s pretty naff really.

Really? I'd say it's one of the best of their modern releases, I really like it. I'm sure it was really well received at the time too.

I'm With Stupid was a sensible first single choice, it's amusing, witty lyrics and a good video, and unusually being overt with political commentary - they generally prefer to be more vague. I wouldnt put it among my fave PSB tracks in retrospect though - Numb and Integral or even Sodom & Gomorrah Show are more substantial.

 

Back Of My Hand is a nice little catchy New Wave track that everyone thought was Elvis Costello at the time. It's not very Trevor-Horn-styled though! Give Me Back My Heart is OK, but my preference is for the next and first single which makes a nice trio of pop gems. Trevor Horn saw Van day & Therese as mirror image short n blond romantically-involved dolls (formerly of Guys & Dolls) and rescued them from struggling after their initial good run of well-produced hits dried up. I saw them on an 80's hits tour, not so great without the production, and I failed to recognise David Van Day as the old git in a dreadful bedroom farce play that bombed, this would have been after his failed attempt to steal the Bucks Fizz name copyright. Worth asking the fabulous Cheryl Baker for an opinion on him, always speaks her mind does Cheryl.

'Back Of My Hand' was my favourite of the songs I didn't know pre-rate, so it got big points from me despite coming before Trevor had honed what we would recognise as his production style.

30. 64 points (more votes)

 

Dollar - Hand Held In Black And White

 

Chart peak: 19

 

King Rollo 7, Popchartfreak 13, jimwatts 22, AH Gold 21, JulianT 1

 

It was Thereza Bazar who approached Trevor Horn to produce Dollar after their second album had flopped. With Yes splitting up and the other Buggle, Geoff Downes, forming Asia with Steve Howe and others, he needed Dollar perhaps as much as they needed him. You can see him on bass guitar in this TOTP clip but I'm not sure if the director knew who he was as he doesn't get any close ups. The keyboard player and drummer were both given one during the instrumental break.

 

29. 67 points

 

David Jordan - Sun Goes Down

 

Chart peak: 4

 

Severin 21, Mango 16, chartjack2 18, Jade 12

 

From 2008, this was the only top 40 single for the London singer. He went on to play Michael Jackson in the West End musical 'Thriller Live'.

 

In a parallel universe, the UK would have won Eurovision 2008 with “Sun Goes Down” - it would have been perfect.