Love that Kon Kan song its like a summary of the music of the 80s with its New Order influenced vocal and synth sampled from Spagna.

'This Time I Know Its For Real' isn't great, rather cheesy comapred to when Donna Summer was a cool artist originally!

8TH APRIL

With schools back and a day’s trading lost to Easter Monday sales take a harsh tumble this week with Madonna pulling off the double again but the single lost a mighty 40% cut in sales to just 43,367 this week a new low for 1989 and indeed the lowest sale needed to top the charts since the Pet Shop Boys Three years ago, it’s now sold 290,462 copies in its first month, where does that place it on the YTD list I hear you ask? Well here it is at the end of Q1:



1- SOMETHING’S GOTTEN HOLD OF MY HEART- Marc Almond & Gene Pitney 440,980
2- TOO MANY BROKEN HEARTS- Jason Donovan 356,796
3- LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING- Michael Ball 337,875
4- THE LIVING YEARS- Mike + The Mechanics 333,928
5- LIKE A PRAYER- Madonna 290,462
6- BALLAD OF THE STREETS EP- Simple Minds 288,949
7- ESPECIALLY FOR YOU- Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan 281,452
8- YOU GOT IT- Roy Orbison 278,035
9- STOP- Sam Brown 261,817
10- HELP- Bananarama & Lananeeneenoonoo 260,474

Almost a third of that list is produced by S/A/W which shows how much of a stranglehold they have on the charts at present, that includes the song at No 2 on the YTD list as well as this week’s chart, Jason Donovan’s “Too Many Broken Hearts” which sold another 35,054 in its most recent frame. It fades badly, 40% in fact week on week, but in all likelihood neither Donovan nor Madonna will be No 1 next week.





Neither will Paula Abdul who does climb 4-3 but sold a reduced 34,051 copies to do so, nor Donna Summer who dips 3-4 (32,725), but it is likely to be The Bangles who were No 1 in the US last week (their second chart topper there) with “Eternal Flame”. From the pen of Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly (“Like A Virgin”, “True Colours”, “Alone”, “So Emotional”) The Bangles are banking on this track salvaging their third album “Everything” which saw its first single “In Your Room” falter at No 35 and the album peak at No 74 in the run up to Christmas. It’s done that alright with the song sprinting 13-5 (26,554) and the album reaching a new peak of No 44 as well, Hoffs (a co-writer here) states the inspiration comes from the eternal flame at Graceland which the group saw on a visit.

Bananarama drop out of the top 10 this week but never fear that S/A/W’s current hot streak is coming to an end as Pat & Mick bound 16-9 (19,771) with their cover of Gonzales 1979 No 15 hit “I Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet”. Just like last year’s “Let’s All Chant” it is of course for charity, Capital FM’s “Help A London Child”, the station is home to the two DJ’s at present, it is just ahead of S/A/W’s other hit, the Reynold’s Girls “I’d Rather Jack” which slides 8-10 (17,544).

Kon Kan climb 10-8 (23,477) but above them Soul II Soul retreat 5-6 (26,163) and Guns N Roses slip 6-7 (23,698) with fans investing in their album which makes the top 10 for the first time.


1- LIKE A PRAYER- Madonna (43,367)
2- TOO MANY BROKEN HEARTS- Jason Donovan (35,054)
3- STRAIGHT UP- Paula Abdul (34,051)
4- THIS TIME I KNOW IT’S FOR REAL- Donna Summer (32,725)
5- ETERNAL FLAME- The Bangles (26,554)
6- KEEP ON MOVIN- Soul II Soul Featuring Caron Wheeler (26,163)
7- PARADISE CITY- Guns N Roses (23,698)
8- I BEG YOUR PARDON- Kon Kan  (23,477)
9- I HAVEN’T STOPPED DANCING YET- Pat & Mick (19,771)
10- I’D RATHER JACK- Reynolds Girls (17,544)

Overplayed but Flame is a great single

Bought the album And was great

Eternal Flame is great, but again sad memories for me. Kon Kan is more upbeat, eccentric and all over the place, but it samples the fab Rose Garden so I was bound to like it. 🙂

15TH APRIL

Their album bursts 44-25 and it now boasts a No 1 single, yes The Bangles are the country’s new No 1 act and “Eternal Flame” is the song, it sold 48,671 copies last week which is at least an improvement on last week's No 1 total and it’s likely to improve in sales in the near future at least being a new No 1 and all. It’s the fifth single by an all female group to top our charts (a group here meaning three or more members) and the first since Sister Sledge took “Frankie” to the top 4 years ago.

The newness of the chart topper might be bad news, or a blessing in disguise, for Simply Red who charge 19-2 (42,806) with their cover of “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” which was a No 9 hit for Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes in 1973, the last cover of Melvin track was the Communards “Don’t Leave Me This Way” which of course spent a month at the top 3 years ago. It was originally written for Labelle who never recorded it but it seems that it was just the ticket for Simply Red who equal their highest placing ever which dates back to 1986’s “Holding Back The Years”, that was only denied by Dr & The Medics. It also makes up for the relative failure of “It’s only Love” which went to No 13 and is itself a cover of the Barry White song, not that the album needed it, “A New Flame” went straight to No 1 and has sold 400,000 copies so far making it the biggest album of the year! The song was the best selling record post TOTP but its progress was too late to deprive the Bangles.

First release from Transvision Vamp’s second album “Velveteen”, which is due this summer, is “Baby I Don’t Care” and it has firmly re-established the band back in the public mind after the success of last year’s “I Want Your Love” which peaked at No 5. The band have been appearing everywhere on TV over the last few weeks with Wendy James typically giving forthright opinions on the popstars of the day, it’s all helped “Baby I Don’t Care” soar 16-7 (28,390).

Gearing up to the release of “Blast” in just 3 weeks Holly Johnson is back with a second solo single and another top 10 to boot, “Americanos” is his homage to all things American and moves 14-9 (26,707). It will be hoping to get in a few good selling weeks before the album arrives but if it outpeaks Frankie’s last album “Liverpool” (No 5) then he should be happy.

It’s a bad week for Madonna she loses the top spot on both charts with Deacon Blue taking over on the album listings and the single tumbling 1-3 (37,230) just keeping ahead of Paula Abdul who herself falls 3-4 (36,431) as her new album arrives at No 5. Big gainers of the week are Kon Kan who rise 8-5 (31,586) overtaking the falling Jason Donovan 2-6 (29,665).  Donna Summer also trips 4-8 (27,013) and Soul II Soul are spent 6-10 (24,276).


1- ETERNAL FLAME- The Bangles (48,671)
2- IF YOU DON’T KNOW ME BY NOW- Simply Red (42,806)
3- LIKE A PRAYER- Madonna (37,230)
4- STRAIGHT UP- Paula Abdul  (36,431)
5- I BEG YOUR PARDON- Kon Kan  (31,586)
6- TOO MANY BROKEN HEARTS- Jason Donovan (29,665)
7- BABY I DON’T CARE- Transvision Vamp (28,390)
8- THIS TIME I KNOW IT’S FOR REAL- Donna Summer (27,013)
9- AMERICANOS- Holly Johnson (26,707)
10- KEEP ON MOVIN- Soul II Soul Featuring Caron Wheeler (24,276)

Good to see Kon Kan in the top 5, I was a bit late to it but appreciate the quirky sample flip.

yay for Bangles totally deserved

and rather them than the awful uninspired Simply Red karaoke cover

fav newbie has to be Transvision Vamp-Baby I Don't Care, one of my fav singles of the 90s

and what a follow-up to I want your love. Was almost as obsessed with Wendy James as with Madonna as a kid back then ;)

Americanos I hated it with a passion, silly song with even sillier lyrics

could have been called The Cliché Song :/

seems unbelievable this comes from the same man that did Relax

Dare I say I prefer Atomic Kitten's cover of Eternal Flame.

Love Baby I Don't Care. Americanos is better than Love Train. Simply Red are one of my least favourite bands.

I loved Americanos at the time. It’s pretty cheesy now.

I still love Eternal Flame though.

Weeh-eh-eh-ell.......Americano-oh-woahs.....!

Used to like 'Like A Prayer' then in 2002 preferred the Mad'house dance version (which I didn't know was a different singer)....oh dear!

Edited April 15Apr 15 by TheSnake

^ oh my can I unread that? :D :D :D :D

Always thought ‘Like a Prayer’ was a stellar seller in that it broke 100k for multiple weeks!

'Baby, I Don't Care' is an anthem!

I guess the sales of Like a prayer the single were affected by the parent album being released so soon?

Bangles were so much popular in their homeland

US discography up until that point:

Manic Monday/2

If she knew what she wants/29

Walk like an Egyptian/1

Walking down your street/11

Hazy shade of winter/2

In your room/5

Eternal Flame/1

UK discography:

9 hours ago, Steve201 said:

Always thought ‘Like a Prayer’ was a stellar seller in that it broke 100k for multiple weeks!

I’m a bit underwhelmed by the sales too, it was pretty lucky to make 3 weeks. I guess it may be one of those instances where the legacy of it makes us all assume it was more popular than it actually was at the time? I can well imagine that there was a fair chunk of religious people who would potentially have boycotted it due to the controversy

Wasn't the album absolutely gigantic though? I think that probably more than made up for it and diverted some of its sales.

Simply Red's cover was a fairly pedestrian, if polished, version of the much better Harold Melvin/Teddy Pendergrass vocals. Mick is a great soul singer, but it's his upbeat stuff I prefer. Like A Prayer is classic, but repeating myself here, sad memories attached to it so it never topped my chart like it otherwise would have. Deadpool & Wolverine doing a favour refreshing it recently. Transvision Vamp was fun, and Holly Johnson was the better of his two hits, but neither has aged that well, I liked them much more at the time than now. It's still good though.

The album sold 200k in the first fortnight of that helps.

Is that amazing, great, good, ok?

Really cannot compare cos i dont know what was the normal back then