It's 1989 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!

https://www.buzzjack.com/forums/topic/270540-gezzas-yearly-sales-threads/

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 the summer you'll agree that you are burning an eternal flame for:

I know what the first #1 will be in the thread, but I can't recall at all what the first true 1989 release was that got to #1

Which is a good time to ask for No spoilers in the thread please! First post will be this afternoon!

14TH JANUARY

1989 starts off quietly with not much to report at the top of the charts, Kylie & Jason continue to remain the nation’s sweethearts, “Especially For You” selling another 78,047 copies as they increase sales from last week and cross the 600,000 mark. It should become Kylie’s biggest seller by next week. Erasure are once again playing second fiddle with “Crackers International EP” lying in wait and selling 42,245 as it becomes just the second track by the duo to sell over 300,000 copies (312,018 to be exact), only their debut Top 40 smash “Sometimes” remains ahead it’s total sales a fraction over 348,000, full revenge is gained on the album charts though as “The Innocents” bounds 10-1 with “Kylie” holding at No 2. Neneh Cherry rises 6-3 (30,736) and could yet prove a surprise chart topper should the top 2 slip.

Fine Young Cannibals have been quiet for the last two years with Cox & Steele forming the group Two Men, A Drum Machine, And A Trumpet scoring the No 18 hit with “Tired Of Being Pushed Around” last year whilst vocalist Gift has been busy starting an acting career. They’ve reformed now and the first fruits of the group “She Drives Me Crazy” sees them score a fourth top 10 single as it soars 29-8 (12,988), it comes with a promo directed by Philipe Decoufle who was also responsible for New Order’s “True Faith” which you might have guessed.

Scoring 11 top 10 singles between 1981 and 1986 Duran Duran are undoubtedly one of the biggest groups of the decade, they’ve not been scoring the big hits they’re used to over the past 3 years, their most recent album “Big Thing” peaked at No 15 spending just 3 weeks in the chart last October and was deemed a failure by many, lead single “I Don’t Want Your Love” also missed the top 10 making No 14 though it did go top 5 in the US. Their new single “All She Wants Is” seems to have got them back on track as it powers 25-9 (12,903) taking advantage of the post Christmas lull, you'll note no doubt the inclusion of new members Sterling Campbell and Warren Cuccurullo.

Essentially a recording name for singer songwriter Bob Rosenburg and Suzi Carr, Will To Power scored a few middling US singles last year which passed us by but when they released their medley “Baby I Love Your Way- Freebird” suddenly things started to happen and the song made No 1 in the US last month. It is of course a mish mash of two covers, “Baby I Love Your Way” originally by Peter Frampton and Lynyard Skynyrd’s “FreeBird” which was the far bigger hit here in its original form making No 21 in 1982. This version shoots 39-10 (12,342).

Inner City hold at No 4 (30,124) managing to keep ahead of a falling Angry Anderson 3-5 (23,205), Kim Wilde moves 9—6 (18,938) and Four Tops hold at No 7 (17,901). As a side note you’ve probably noticed over the decade that record sales have been on the decline from a high of 89 million in 1979 to a mere 60 million last year. As a result BPI have lowered the sales threshold required for certifications so now the levels are Gold 200,000 (from 250,000) Silver 400,000 (from 500,000) and Platinum 600,000 (from 1 million) for all releases from this week onwards which won't help “Especially For You” as it meets the required sales this week for Platinum and is second in total sales to only “I Should Be So Lucky” in her discography.  The other thing to note on the low sales front is that sales of No 8, 9, and 10 are the lowest of the decade to date!


1- ESPECIALLY FOR YOU- Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan  (78,047)
2- CRACKERS INTERNATIONAL EP- Erasure (42,245)
3- BUFFALO STANCE- Neneh Cherry (30,736)
4- GOOD LIFE- Inner City (30,124)
5- SUDDENLY- Angry Anderson (23,205)
6- FOUR LETTER WORD- Kim Wilde  (18,938)
7- LOCO IN ACAPULCO- Four Tops  (17,901)
8- SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY- Fine Young Cannibals (12,988)
9- ALL SHE WANTS IS- Duran Duran (12,903)
10- BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY/ FREEBIRD- Will To Power (12,342)

oh love She Drives me Crazy, what a classic from FYC!

I also kinda like it the Will to Power even if cheesy

never cared for Duran Duran and even less in their first big flop era

I love 'She Drives Me Crazy' by FYC, one of the best songs of 1989 imo!

I quite like "All She Wants Is", it's quite Depeche mode-esque in mood.

@Gezza, I didn't have you as a Durannie :)

my sister just asked me if Duran Duran where the One Direction of the 80s :D

I don't mind a spot of Duran Duran at all. There's some duds in their 80s discography for sure but on the whole I like them.

Love 'She Drives Me Crazy' so much

‘She Drives Me Crazy’ is an absolute classic. Always feels weird how big a comeback FYC had in 1989 and yet nothing after that!

She Drives Me Crazy is a great single and kickstarts a peak year for FYC as they break the States proper. The Duran track is a decent one, though their classic years seemed behind them, and they had better minor hits in 1989. New member Warren quite happy to get his kit off it turned out, which is not necessarily a negative. These days it's obligatory 😇

In the minority here as I didn't like Fine Young Cannibals at all. Nothing they released really.

Loved a bit of Duran, but they had defo dropped in quality by now and I had lost a lot of interest.

Liked Neneh Cherry as well, but I preferred Kisses on the Wind, which I can't remember if it made the Top 10 or not.

She Drives Me Crazy is really distinctive, not bad at all. The Duran Duran one is middling but not too bad either... not really fussed on any of the other new ones and the songs from 2-4 remain the best in the chart for me

34 minutes ago, ChrisJK said:

In the minority here as I didn't like Fine Young Cannibals at all. Nothing they released really.

Loved a bit of Duran, but they had defo dropped in quality by now and I had lost a lot of interest.

Liked Neneh Cherry as well, but I preferred Kisses on the Wind, which I can't remember if it made the Top 10 or not.

I’m joining you with not liking the Fine Young Cannibals!

1 hour ago, ChrisJK said:

Liked Neneh Cherry as well, but I preferred Kisses on the Wind, which I can't remember if it made the Top 10 or not.

#20!

21ST JANUARY

Not many predicted that “Especially For You” still had legs on it but it is still the UK’s No 1 single though on the wain saleswise to 69,071 this week with total sales at 702,321, that means it is Kylie’s best seller and the second biggest S/A/W produced track with only “Never Gonna Give You Up” ahead of it, though it is well ahead with sales of 774,000 copies sold thus far.

The whole top 3 in fact stick with Erasure spending a third week at the runner up spot on 42,534, and Neneh Cherry resting in the groove at No 3 (38,165) both with increased sales and the former also becomes the duo's biggest seller.

Just behind the static gate keepers we start to see new blood, and most likely the next chart topper in the form of “The Living Years” which is already the biggest chart hit for Mike + The Mechanics, previous best “Silent Running” floundered at No 21 three years ago. The song is written by Mike Rutherford and BA Robertson who was last in the top 10 as a co-writer on Scotland Football Squad’s “We Have A Dream” 7 years ago, it is actually written by Robertson from a personal perspective as it details the dysfunctional relationship between father and son seen through the eyes of the son who himself becomes a father within weeks of his own father’s death, It charges 17-4 (35,632) and must be odds on to become the best seller in 7 days.

Meanwhile over on the album charts Roy Orbison takes over from Erasure at the top and he finds himself powering 24-7 (31,399) with a new track “You Got It”, his stock is particularly high at present of course following his sad death last month, a fact which has boosted both the single and the album. This is his 11th top 10 single, and the first in 23 years a new record for gaps between top tenners, and is taken from his final album he recorded before his death ” Mystery Girl” which is out next month and features his fellow Travelling Wilbury’s Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty on co-writing, backing vocals, and production duties. The video incidentally was filmed at a Belgium awards ceremony just two weeks before his death.

American duo Shannon Rubicam and George Merill are established songwriters having written Whitney’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “How Will I Know” which became massive hits for the singer. They also offered her “Waiting For A Star To Fall” back in 1986 but it didn’t make the grade for Houston and it was then offered to, and recorded by, Belinda Carlisle but again it didn’t make it to the “Heaven On Earth” album and so it ends up becoming a hit for themselves under the moniker Boy Meets Girl. It was written, allegedly, after the duo saw an actual falling star at a Houston concert, it’s certainly not falling at present rising 12-9 (28,152).

Over the last 6 months you’d be forgiven for thinking the 60s have returned with the Hollies, Chubby Checker, Roy Orbison, Petula Clark, and Tom Jones all in the top 10, add now Gene Pitney who was asked by Almond to record the track “Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart” with him for single release though it is available as an Almond solo track on his current “Stars We Are” album. Of course it was originally a No 5 hit for Pitney back in 1967, one of 10 top ten hits for him between 1963-67, it charges 19-10 (27,982) to also become only Almond’s 2nd solo top 10 hit, his only other excursion being a duet partner on Bronski Beat’s “I Feel Love Medley”.

Fine Young Cannibals have the biggest hit of their career on their hands with “She Drives Me Crazy” swerving 8-5 (34,221) Will To Power chase them 10-6 (31,688), and Inner City finally head south 4-8 (29,291).


1- ESPECIALLY FOR YOU- Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan (69,071)
2- CRACKERS INTERATIONAL EP- Erasure (42,534)
3- BUFFALO STANCE- Neneh Cherry  (38,165)
4- THE LIVING YEARS- Mike & The Mechanics (35,632)
5- SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY- Fine Young Cannibals (34,221)
6- BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY- FREEBIRD- Will To Power (31,688)
7- YOU GOT IT- Roy Orbison (31,399)
8- GOOD LIFE- Inner City (29,921)
9- WAITING FOR A STAR TO FALL- Boy Meets Girl (28,152)
10- SOMETHING’S GOTTEN HOLD OF MY HEART- Marc Almond & Gene Pitney (27,982)

I like all of the new ones this week to an extent. Boy Meets Girl is a good example of that kind of power pop song, I didn't know they wrote those other hits before now although I can see the similarities. The Living Years is a really nice track, definitely the more talented one from Genesis 🤭 and deservedly getting a hit here. Then the two old tracks are both good too, although I didn't care for them as much back then. At the time I remember thinking it was most unfair that these older tracks were charting and threatening my more modern faves - they'd already had their chance! Guess I was like the OG djcheekymagpie.

Excellent new entries this week. Love all of them (Roy Orbison probably the least though).

12 minutes ago, dandy* said:

I like all of the new ones this week to an extent. Boy Meets Girl is a good example of that kind of power pop song, I didn't know they wrote those other hits before now although I can see the similarities. The Living Years is a really nice track, definitely the more talented one from Genesis 🤭 and deservedly getting a hit here. Then the two old tracks are both good too, although I didn't care for them as much back then. At the time I remember thinking it was most unfair that these older tracks were charting and threatening my more modern faves - they'd already had their chance! Guess I was like the OG djcheekymagpie.

djcheekydandy