Posted January 1Jan 1 It's 1988 in this thread and the 80s are in their full pomp. We'll count down all the sounds of the year and hopefully generate a few "almost forgotten gems" along the way. As always thanks go to MFR, Vas tariner, Youtube, Wikipedia, MW, popscene, James Masterton and a few other sources who have helped over the years. Here's the links to previous threads if this isn't your year!Other 80s yearsIn doing this I've tried to take into account TOTP performances and other factors which may have effected sales and chart positions throughout the decade.Actual weekly sales have recently come to light, my thanks go to Robbie and kobyhadrain for sourcing the information and presenting it. So sit back and enjoy every top 10 hit of the 80s (eventually), before spring you'll agree that nothing's gonna change your love for:
January 1Jan 1 Author Yay! Slightly sad that there are only 2 years left though :( Good news for you then that the gallup years go through to early 1994! :P
January 1Jan 1 This is the first full year of being a chart fan. Obsessed with house music at this point.
January 1Jan 1 same here, 88 is when I properly started following the charts my music taste was very eclectic as a kid cos I was obsessed with super pop acts like Madonna and Debbie Gibson but also loved indie bands like Pixies or All About Eve or The Cure or The Jesus and Mary Chain but also thinks like Enya and even metal bands like Metallica D
January 1Jan 1 I was definitely more aware of the music out in 1988, or at least the very popular tracks, but I don't think I'd started following the charts yet so this will still be quite a surprise for me
January 1Jan 1 I started to tape and write down the charts in 1988. Here for the SAW domination, that was what I was into at the time.
January 1Jan 1 I definitely can remember Kylie and Bros, both of those albums were christmas presents for my brother and I that year. We hadn't yet got to the point where we wanted music ourselves though so I can't have been too interested in the charts overall
January 2Jan 2 Author I started to tape and write down the charts in 1988. Here for the SAW domination, that was what I was into at the time. Absolutely this. I know it isn't to everyone's taste but 1988 and 1989 are high on the nostalgia list and I can't be mean about much in these years. Every chart just seemed to mean everything to me. Sad now but I don't think I ever cared as much about the charts as I did in this years. Certainly my love of pure pop stems from them.
January 7Jan 7 Looking forward to the 1988 chart, 1987 is probably better and more varied for (sophisti)pop but the much increased dance in 1988 makes up for that. Edited January 7Jan 7 by TheSnake
January 7Jan 7 Author 16TH JANUARY 1988 begins with some surprises in terms of sales and a new No 1 to boot, Belinda Carlisle shows she’s a star even Go-Go-less as “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” takes the final step 2-1 (67,303) and boosts sales by 44% to replicate it’s US success. Typically sales tend to nosedive in the new year (see last January for some particularly poor sales) but it looks like 1988 could be different. GgDn8AtweCs The Outgoing chart topper from The Pet Shop Boys trips 1-2 (43,707) as it moves over the 400,000 mark and should become their personal best seller in the next few weeks, and Krush climb 7-3 (42,874) to complete the top 3. The four new hits to the top 10 arrive neatly 7-10 this week and all are at varying points in their career. For example the Stranglers have been having hits for 11 years now but amazingly “All Day And All Of The Night” is only their 7th top 10 single in all that time. A cover of the 1964 UK No 2 hit, this single is a standalone single for the group who are between albums at present but maybe an album of covers might be a winner given this cover flies 19-7 (31,059) in just its second week, their biggest hit in 5 years. kZ-BT_SgSyQ Rather newer to the scene Terence Trent D’Arby started off brightly last year with “If You Let Me Stay” (No 7) and “Wishing Well” (No 4) becoming substantial hits. His third single “Dance Little Sister” petered out at No 20 but he’s back on form with “Sign Your Name” gliding 29-8 (30,549), parent album “Introducing The Hardline According To….” Debuted at No 1 back in July but hasn’t been in the top 5 since August but now gets a new lease of life hurtling 17-4, it has sold over 600,000 thus far. 5dalIoN1YRE No-one can claim Joyce Sims is having a hectic release strategy, she’s only released one single a year in both 1986 and 87 and now she’s got a third hit with “Come Into My Life”. To be fair she seems to be clocking up with the top 40 singles with those previous songs peaking at No 16, and No 34 respectively but now her new single is her most immediate hit powering 21-9 (29,002) this week. iHZcixYaTEo Climie Fisher are duo Simon Climie and Rob Fisher and “Rise To The Occasion” is not their first single but follows on the heels of two flops, “This Is Me” (Uncharted) and “Love Changes Everything” (No 67), but in between those two releases Simon Climie co-penned “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” for George Michael & Aretha Franklin which topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. So their third single has delivered the goods in part as the track is available in two different versions on almost all formats, the main radio ballad version and a “Hip Hop Mix” which is equally popular and in effect means that punters are getting two hits for the price of one. It explodes 23-10 (19,227) after a good spot of TOTP exposure. lxey-BpWqyU Morris Minor & The Majors swell 8-4 (41,412) followed by Cher 9-5 (39,406) which means that Wet Wet Wet are left out in the cold as they dip 5-6 (35,394) despite a healthy sales increase, mind the single serves its purpose as “Popped In Souled Out” finally reaches No 1 in its 16th week as it sells its 400,000th copy. Sales generally recover this week as we seem to have an abundance of new tracks for the public to choose from. 1- HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH- Belinda Carlisle (67,303) 2- ALWAYS ON MY MIND- Pet Shop Boys (43,707) 3- HOUSE ARREST- Krush (42,874) 4- STUTTER RAP (NO SLEEP TIL BEDTIME)- Morris Minor & The Majors (41,412) 5- I FOUND SOMEONE- Cher (39,406) 6- ANGEL EYES (HOME AND AWAY)- Wet, wet, wet (35,394) 7- ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT- The Stranglers (31,059) 8- SIGN YOUR NAME- Terence Trent D’Arby (30,549) 9- COME INTO MY LIFE- Joyce Sims (29,002) 10- RISE TO THE OCCASION- Climie Fisher (19,227)
January 7Jan 7 'Heaven Is A Place on Earth' is a good song technically, good for her finally getting a hit in the UK when the Go-Go's didn't really, but I am not really a fan of the song, maybe becuase I have heard it too much. 'Come Into My Life' is a good jazzy song. I prefer it to 'Sign Your Name', but both are modern sounding for the time R&B. The hip hop mix for 'Rise To The Occasion' has the same 'I Know You're Gonna Dig This' sample that is in 'House Arrest'. Edited January 7Jan 7 by TheSnake
January 7Jan 7 Good start to 1988 but fear it goes downhill quickly! Didn’t realise The Stranglers had a hit as late as 88! TOTP had a lot of changes in the next 12 months in terms of presenters and the studio finally changing the main stage with the tv screen that had been there since 1980!
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