I liked both those Heart tracks first time round so it's nice to see them hit the top 10, and Belinda still doing great pop singles. I could take or leave the Bros and Tiffany singles though, nothing special, and iron maiden were very consistent in the 80's and 90's. They never varied the template and they never released anything near as tolerable as Run To The Hills. Can I Play With Madness? Technically, no, as Suggs had gone solo, but even if he hadn't the very worst Madness single would still piss all over Iron Maiden's output.. :rolleyes: :lol: Yes, I'm not a fan and it was a bad joke at the time too.... B-) Great airline pilot and swordsman though, our Bruce.

2ND APRIL

 

 

Well few, including me, predicted a second week for Aswad and so it proves that in the absence of anything stronger “Don’t Turn Around” triumphs again on a sale of 63,665, a marked 32% increase week on week but far from a stellar seller, a worrying trend in a lacklustre year thus far. Their album “Distant Thunder” hits the shops this week where it will coincidentally go up against the debut album by Bros, the group that occupy the No 2 slot this week for a second week. After leaping 17-2 last week I can only assume that those ardent female fans are waiting for the album to get a copy of “Drop The Boy”, it sold an exactly similar 32% more week on week to register 52,377 but the gap between the two expanded to to over 11k it doesn’t look as though it will be a chart topper after all.

 

 

 

The return of A-ha is trumpeted this week by the new single “Stay On These Roads” manoeuvring 18-5 (26,333) to become their 8th top 10 hit from 9 releases, it also serves as the title track from their third album which is out in May. It is the top selling CD this week with a little over 3,000 copies sold and also tops a list that sees the format sell over 50,000 for the first time ever in total.

 

 

 

Her last single disappointed at No 15 (“G.T.O”) but Sinitta is back in the top 10 with the S/A/W penned “Cross My Broken Heart”, it is cut from her debut self titled album which is home to all five of her hits and must be drawing its last breath in terms of singles culled from it. It is released in a remixed form, its LP version being deemed not good enough, and advances 14-6 (25,738) following another lycra clad TOTP performance from her. S/A/W’s other top 10 single is the falling “I Should Be So lucky” which hurtles 3-8 (22,576)

 

 

 

Between those two singles is the week’s highest new entry and it’s from those Pet Shop Boys who score their 6th top 10 single on the trot. “Heart” has been plucked from the album “Actually” and remixed for single purposes (an increasing trend for 4th singles + from an album), the tracks video features famous luvee actor Ian McKellen and spoofs the film “Nosferatu” to add a gothic flair to the production. It was allegedly penned with Hazell Dean and Madonna in mind but the boys decided to keep it for themselves in the end. It debuts at No 7 this week selling 25,534 into the bargain.

 

 

In other news "Heart" is officially the 100th single of the 80s to debut inside the top 10, 73.5 from UK acts, 20.5 from US acts, 4 from Ireland, 1 Swedish, and 1 German (George Michael and Aretha Franklin providing the .5 split). Artist wise Paul Weller has the most with 11 (between the Jam and the Style Council), George Michael has done it 10 times between his solo work and Wham! and Madonna is the leading lady on this list with 8 debuts in the top rung.

 

 

One song that they did write and decide to give away is “I’m Not Scared” and that was picked up by Eighth Wonder which contains actress Patsy Kensit who plans to marry Dan Donovan of Big Audio Dynamite this year. In truth Eight Wonder have struggled to make chart inroads so far with just one of their three singles making the top 75 (“Stay With Me” No 65) meaning that Kensit’s main claim to fame remains her starring role in 1986’s “Absolute Beginners”. However all they needed was the right song and now “I’m Not Scared” has motored 13-10 (20,213) to become a sizeable hit though some noted that the TOTP appearance featured just Kensit herself, the band seemingly shy or sidelined one of the two.

 

 

Iron Maiden prove they aren’t one week wonders as “Can I Play With Madness” climbs 4-3 (46,325) just keeping ahead of Tiffany who similarly moves up one spot 5-4 (41,225), Heart meanwhile move a spot in the opposite direction 8-9 (20,264)

 

 

1- DON’T TURN AROUND- Aswad (63,665)

2- DROP THE BOY- Bros (52,377)

3- CAN I PLAY WITH MADNESS- Iron Maiden (46,325)

4- COULD’VE BEEN- Tiffany (41,225)

5- STAY ON THESE ROADS- A-Ha (26,333)

6- CROSS MY BROKEN HEART (REMIX)- Sinitta (25,738)

7- HEART- Pet Shop Boys (25,534)

8- I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY- Kylie Minogue (22,576)

9- NEVER/ THESE DREAMS- Heart (20,264)

10- I’M NOT SCARED- Eighth Wonder (20,213)

 

oh love love I'm not Scared such a classic, pure perfection

 

on the other hand, Heart, I never got the appeal, one of their worst ever singles

 

the A-ha one I also kinda like, although not a patch on their early singles

 

the Sinitta one is kinda average, not sure how it got top 10

Heart and I'm Not Scared are both utterly majestic :wub: Pet Shop Boys ruling the top 10 here!

 

Given how Iron Maiden faded in the first week, I'd have expected them to tumble rather than climb a place!

TOTP and the publicity of being the highest new entry i suppose increased its sales

'These Dreams' is such an emotive song definitely Heart's best track imo.

 

'Drop The Boy' isn't great imo compared to the exciting production of 'When Will I Be Famous'. I appreciate though it tries to be different in style.

 

'I'm Not Scared' is a good pop song, the Pet Shop Boys' sensible production makes it sound less dated than other pop of the time imo. Similar with PSB's own song 'Heart'.

 

'Stay On These Roads' is a nice song from A-ha, quite nostalgic.

 

Not really a fan of the Iron Maiden track; for hard rock the band Magnum were better at the time lower down the top 40 imo.

Edited January 18Jan 18 by TheSnake

Both the two Pet Shop Boys penned tracks are by far my favourites this week, love both. Heart isn’t an absolute favourite of mine but it’s still great and completed an incredibly strong set of singles from the Actually album.

 

A-ha not bad but not something I choose to play of theirs too often

I really quite like the A-Ha song!

 

Heart is just ok, nothing special.

I adore Heart, one of my top tracks of the 80's, have never tired of it and it's one of their most joyous, though it's not one they have tended to do on tours except on Hits tours. I'm Not Scared is also great, in either version - the Introspective long version by PSB is also terrific and could easily have been a hit single. A-ha were still on form with Stay On These Roads, though I didn't love it as much as the earlier stuff, and Sinitta's was probably my fave of hers - because it was less the annoyingly novelty of Toy Boy, and more straightforward SAW pop, albeit not one of their greats.

9TH APRIL

 

 

The Pet Shop Boys a fourth chart topper this week as “Heart” leaps 7-1 selling 44,863 copies into the bargain, yes that’s right a new low for a No 1 in 1988 and the lowest since Falco back in 1986! Indeed the boys only managed to sneak into the top slot past midweek leaders Bros who’s “Drop The Boy” holds at No 2 for a third week on a fading sale of 40,528, helped by a publicity blitz this week by the band who are promoting their debut album “Push” which enters at No 2 itself behind “Now 11”. Talking of “Now 11” it features the last Pet Shop Boys single “Always On My Mind” a decision that the boys aren’t happy with their record label about, so much so in fact that an album of their extended mixes provisionally titled “Disco 2” has been shelved by the duo in protest, the rise of “Heart” also makes the boys equal with the Everly Brothers and Wham! as the most successful duo in chart history with 4 chart toppers a piece.

 

 

 

The only new track in the top 10 comes from Climie Fisher who were of course in the top 10 last back in January with “Rise To The Occasion”, they’ve taken the decision to re-issue their 1987 release “Love Changes (Everything)” in a remixed form. It originally peaked at No 67 last September and the duo have confirmed that they wrote it with Rod Stewart in mind though he rejected it, the song climbs 11-7 (24,242) to become their biggest hit to date.

 

 

Eighth Wonder inch another spot 10-9 (22,117) with the Pet Shop Boys penned “I’m Not Scared” whilst both Tiffany at No 4 (34,408) and Sinitta at No 6 (26,707) remain static. Heading the wrong way are Aswad who surrender the top slot 1-3 (40,290) but do see their new album arrive at No 10 and “Don’t Turn Around” sneaks into the same position on the YTD chart, Iron Maiden reverse 3-5 (28,339), A-ha drop as quickly as they arrive 5-8 (22,984) and Kylie Minogue drops 8-10 (18,768) but has now sold 576,164 copies in total, and as it is the end of the first quarter here’s the YTD for 1988:

 

1- I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY- Kylie Minogue 576,164

2- I THINK WE’RE ALONE NOW- Tiffany 491,929

3- HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH- Belinda Carlisle 296,259

4- TELL IT TO MY HEART- Taylor Dayne 265,557

5- GET OUTTA MY DREAMS, GET INTO MY CAR- Billy Ocean 252,195

6- SIGN YOUR NAME- Terence Trent D’Arby 228,871

7- BEAT DIS- Bomb The Bass 221,136

8- WHEN WILL I BE FAMOUS- Bros 220,218

9- HOUSE ARREST- Krush 212,721

10- DON’T TURN AROUND- Aswad 205,768

 

As you can see the year is hardly setting records except for the wrong reasons! We also bid farewell to “The Roxy” with the last episode being aired this week, an irregular time slot (depending on region) and being located in Newcastle are both cited as reasons as to why the show failed to challenge the TOTP stranglehold.

 

 

1- HEART- Pet Shop Boys (44,863)

2- DROP THE BOY- Bros (40,528)

3- DON’T TURN AROUND- Aswad (40,290)

4- COULD’VE BEEN- Tiffany (34,408)

5- CAN I PLAY WITH MADNESS- Iron Maiden (28,339)

6- CROSS MY BROKEN HEART (REMIX)- Sinitta (26,707)

7- LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING)- Climie Fisher (24,242)

8- STAY ON THESE ROADS- A-Ha (22,984)

9- I’M NOT SCARED- Eighth Wonder (22,117)

10- I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY- Kylie Minogue (18,768)

 

how come were sales so low?

Easter

Generally though assume it was the reduction in people buying vinyl and taking time for cd players to take off!

Oops just had a big catch-up, my favourites to appear since last commenting are: 'Beat Dis', 'Crash', 'Ship of Fools' + 'Heart' :wub: best #1 since PSBs were last there for me

Love Changes (Everything) is so classy. Still love it!

Have liked that Climie Fisher song for a long time. The double use of the same word 'changes' in the chorus is interesting and makes it stand out a bit from the rest of the chart.

Edited January 19Jan 19 by TheSnake

Yes ‘Love Changes’ is a joyous bop still today!

just ok for me, surprised you guys like it so much

Climie Fisher was a big 1987 fave of mine, I bought the single then so I didnt bother buying the remix and just played the original version a lot. Rod missed out on a big hit there....! A shame Heart was so low, but the video must have boosted sales in later weeks, it's one of their best.

16TH APRIL

 

 

Though their grip was slight last week it’s a much more confident hold on the No 1 this week for the Pet Shop Boys this week, “Heart” is their fourth UK No 1 single and draws them level with The Everly Brothers and Wham! for the most No 1’s by a duo, and enables them to tie with Wham!, The Jam, and Shakin’ Stevens with the second most chart toppers in the 80s with only Madonna ahead of them with 5. The song sold a better 55,301 last week though hardly an outstanding tally it was more than double that of the runner up!

 

 

 

The unusual chart performance of singles from “Tango In The Night” continues unabated with singles released peaking at No’s 9, 56, 5, 54, and now with “Everywhere” they’ve got a third top 10 single as the song climbs 13-5 (20,230). Written and sung by McVie the song comes with two different promo’s featuring different levels of group performance but the promos retell the story of “The Highwayman”, a poem by Alfred Moyes from 1906, album “Tango In The Night” rises 7-5 to mark its first occasion in the top 5 since last November, it has already sold over a million copies. Indeed such is the length of time the album has been around for, this is not the first version of the song to be made into a single, a reggae cover by Marcia Griffiths came out a few months ago though it missed the charts.

 

 

 

It may be lurking just outside the US Top 10 but the UK has taken a more instant like to Taylor Dayne’s second single “Prove Your Love” which moves 15-8 (17,714), the album shoots 36-24 this week to reach a new peak but sales have been lacklustre and are yet to break the 50,000 mark.

 

 

 

Hazell Dean hasn’t been a name to grace the top 40 now for 4 years with a career which has sadly been flop after flop, but with the hit factory that S/A/W currently are they’ve plucked an obscure Anne Murray single from 1986 and given it their traditional makeover and hey presto she’s got another hit, “Who’s Leaving Who” leaps 20-9 (17,374) to become her third top 10 hit.

 

 

Bros hold at No 2 on both the singles and albums chart, “Drop The Boy” fades to 25,840 (the lowest figure needed for No 2 this decade), the song has sold just 175,117 a poor tally for a song that spent the last four weeks at No 2, Climie Fisher move 7-3 (23,987), Tiffany spends a fourth week at No 4 (22,593) and Sinitta spends a third week at No 6 (18,360) all tracks showing remarkable staying power. Eighth Wonder continue to rise 9-7 (18,003) and Aswad are down and out 3-10 (17,136). Sales all around depressed with a bank holiday not helping the situation at all!

 

 

1- HEART- Pet Shop Boys (55,301)

2- DROP THE BOY- Bros (25,840)

3- LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING)- Climie Fisher (23,987)

4- COULD’VE BEEN- Tiffany (22,593)

5- EVERYWHERE- Fleetwood Mac (20,230)

6- CROSS MY BROKEN HEART (REMIX)- Sinitta (18,360)

7- I’M NOT SCARED- Eighth Wonder (18,003)

8- PROVE YOUR LOVE- Taylor Dayne (17,714)

9- WHO’S LEAVING WHO- Hazell Dean (17,374)

10- DON’T TURN AROUND- Aswad (17,136)