What’s left? I can’t work it out haha

'It's Alright' is pretty much pop perfection :wub: it's a travesty that it didn't finish in the top ten!

Art of Noise were very special

12. 139 points

 

Seal - Kiss From A Rose

 

Chart peak: 4

 

Severin 6, Popchartfreak 20, Mango 28, dandy* 23, chartjack2 29, Jade 25, JulianT 8

 

Kiss From A Rose only got to number 20 in 1994 but was re-released the following year after featuring in the soundtrack to the film 'Batman Forever'. It reached number 1 in the US where it also won Grammy awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. The song became relevant again this week after playing a prominent role in Monday's episode of Eastenders.

 

'It's Alright' I would have given a lot of points for. Production-wise it quite reminds me of Inner City - Good Life. It also used a crowd noise sound before the rave songs started doing so in 1991.

 

'Kiss From A Rose' is good with its medieval/baroque style production

Edited November 29, 2024Nov 29 by TheSnake

11. 152 points

 

The Art Of Noise - Close (To The Edit)

 

Chart peak: 8

 

Severin 28, King Rollo 24, jimwatts 28, AH Gold 17, dandy* 13, chartjack2 15, Jade 15, JulianT 12

 

This was the first hit single for the Art Of Noise who played instruments on, or contributed to the production of, many of the other singles in this countdown. Its title was inspired by the Yes song from 1972 'Close To The Edge'. It was one of the first releases on the ZTT label which was founded in 1983 by Trevor, his wife Jill and Paul Morley. The label is still going today although it was acquired by Universal in 2017.

 

'Close (To The Edit)' is my favourite so far. The female voice shouting "hey!" was sampled on 'Firestarter' by The Prodigy, resulting in the whole of The Art Of Noise being added to its writing credits, including Trevor (although of course that didn't extend to the production credits).

Edited November 29, 2024Nov 29 by jimwatts

'Kiss From A Rose' is such a brilliant piece of pop, it has so many layers and hooks. I could never tire of hearing it.

Both Art Of Noise songs are wonderful. I'm glad that 'Moments In Love' got a spot in the rate despite its shocking lack of top 40 presence, it's certainly made its mark nevertheless.

 

I first discovered 'Owner of a Lonely Heart' via the aforementioned Max Graham 00s dance version that made the top 10 here, shame that the original barely scraped the top 30. At least the U.S. had the right idea, with its Billboard Hot 100 #1 status.

 

Seal sells the hell out of 'Kiss From A Rose' and the production is gorgeous.

It's Alright is probably the most-forgotten 80's Pet Shop Boys single, but it's got a fabulous message and melody, I think I under-rated it here actually. Moments In Love is lovely, much prefer it to Close To The Edit, but it got edged out of my list. The Yes track is great, and the song is in my current chart this actual week in a banging cover dance version (yes another one!), but I also had a soft spot for the unusual follow-up Leave It which I preferred more at the time.

 

Kiss From A Rose is a stunning track, it was a crime it only got to 20 first-time round - it already hit the top of my charts, so it ended up having one enormous chart run with 2 peaks at 1 in two different years, and features quite high up in my all-time chart-performing list (Now a proper top 1000, and I must get back to carrying that on!)

10. 155 points

 

Propaganda - Dr Mabuse

 

Chart peak: 27

 

Severin 30, King Rollo 30, Popchartfreak 17, jimwatts 9, AH Gold 27, dandy* 19, Jade 23

 

This was the debut single by the German group and it gets top scores from Severin and myself. The best version is the 12 inch single which finished in 5th place for Rolloland in BJSC104. The rest of their album 'A Secret Wish' was produced by Stephen Lipson so the fabulous follow-up 'Duel' could not be included in this rate. After a very long hiatus, Claudia Brücken and Susanne Freytag returned as xPropaganda with a new album in 2022 with Stephen still producing. It seems the other two, Ralf Dörper and Michael Mertens, now hold the rights to the group's name as they released an album last month under the Propaganda name with their new vocalist Thunder Bae.

 

 

 

Close to (the Edit) is very good, its like a precursor to later 80s house music.

 

The song 'Dr Mabuse' sounds like it owes a lot to both industrial era Depeche Mode and the aforementioned Close (To The Edit). Very good.

 

 

9. 155 points (more votes)

 

ABC - Poison Arrow

 

Chart peak: 6

 

Severin 23, King Rollo 8, Popchartfreak 23, jimwatts 30, AH Gold 5, dandy* 16, chartjack2 12, Jade 14, JulianT 24

 

Another 30 pointer drops out of the running today with Jim giving a maximum score to Poison Arrow. With Steve Brown producing ABC's debut single 'Tears Are Not Enough' (which reached a chart position of number 19), this was the first single by them with Trevor at the controls.

 

'Poison Arrow' is definitely one of the musical highlights of 1982.

Two great songs to start the top 10 off there, including one that Rollo introduced most of us to!

 

Wondering how close Frankie Goes to Hollywood can get to having 3 in the top 5

Propaganda were brilliant but were royally screwed over by ZTT so badly it caused them to effectively split up, with Brucken leaving to form Act. The rest of them released an awful second album that's best ignored.

Such a shame as the album A Secret Wish is a forgotten gem,

 

 

 

 

 

Loved Propaganda back in the summer of 84, so I'd say Depeche, Frankie GTH and Art Of Noise were all influencing each other at that stage with Claudia & co. Total classic, as is Poison Arrow and Lexicon Of Love. Martin Fry has just announced yet another tour with fullorchestra and Anne Dudley in charge for the entire album + hits.

If I’m not mistaken then I think all of the top 8 made the top 10 of my votes 🖤

8. 156 points

 

Seal - Crazy

 

Chart peak: 2

 

Severin 10, Popchartfreak 14, Mango 15, jimwatts 14, dandy* 27, chartjack2 26, Jade 22, JulianT 28

 

Crazy is the highest placed of the nine songs by Seal in the rate. The lyrics were inspired by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Tiananmen Square massacre. It took Trevor two months to complete his work on the record.

 

I think its my favourite Seal track; production is fab and its one of the musical gems of 1991. Some of the lyrical themes are sad and disturbing as noted in your description.

Edited December 2, 2024Dec 2 by TheSnake