An abysmal no 1 but made up for with the arrival of Leave a Light On and If I Could Turn Back Time (though I tend to always hear Jack from Will & Grace singing the chorus in my head!)

On 11/05/2025 at 14:32, Bjork said:

Billy Joel the best of the newbies but more like than love

Its certainly a very unique song!

Sonia did well holding Bros off with them having 3 different options to buy.

yes Belinda and Cher <3 but #that# thing at #1 :/

didn't know After all was on Cher's album, always thought it was a random movie song

agree that Runaway Horses is an incredible album full of great songs, they released 6 singles, 7 if you count Vision of You released twice

What was the exact appeal of Jive Bunny at the time?

Is it comparable to something like the Crazy Frog perhaps? I wasn't following at the time due to being barely born, never heard it anywhere since and it seems to have left no imprint on pop culture for how massive it was.

Since they used samples from the 50s and 60s I guess the appeal was nostalgia

and target was old people, not the new young generations

There is an argument that it introduced classics to a new journey generation so it wasn't all bad. Not unlike the medley craze of 81

On 11/05/2025 at 12:42, Bjork said:

while the top 10 is really lacking in great songs for me,

many great classics inexplicably failed to make the top 10 at the time, including:

Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus, peaked at #13. Never understood that. Such a strong single from DM,

how could this miss the top 10? Too controversial?

The Cure - Lovesong, "only" made it to #18. This is the follow-up to Lullaby and deserved top 10 too.

The US got it right as Lovesong became their biggest hit ever peaking at #2

Kate Bush- The Sensual World, peaking at #12, the lead of her first album in 3 years

Incidentally, I recall Robert Smith mentioning it was his favourite song

Oh yes, Personal Jesus and Sensual World were also two classics I bought in Florida early 1990, in extended CD format. I gave personal jesus a strong second chart run as a result and loved Kate's Ken from Comic Strip Presents.

Jive Bunny, the best thing about it was Hawaii 5-0 getting to number one, where it always belonged - the 60's/70's TV show opening credits were about 15 years ahead of their time stylistically (think 80's pop videos) and it was far and away the most exciting opening sequence of the era, including even Doctor Who. Milli Vanilli, still pretty dull single that one. Belinda carlisle, though, what a soaring banger, loved it. Back on top form.

Double Trouble & Fresh 4 were merely OK, Cher was blasting out a singalong anthem of the time, that was all over US radio well into 1990. Which leaves Billy Joel's massive classic. It came over as a bit of a (strong) novelty at the time, but it's got legs and remains powerful even though all the events are very historical now. Cardiff's Millenium Stadium was all excited by his performance last year, and Start The Fire remains a highlight. Billy Joel could easily have been a classical-styled composer I reckon if he hadn't been so full of the love of the history of pop/rock/blues and any other genre that took his fancy.

28TH OCTOBER





“That’s What I Like” continues at the top  and indeed increases its lead over the field moving 92,718 in its latest frame, Milli Vanilli are the new challengers climbing 3-2 (59,976) even without TOTP exposure. I omitted to mention last week that Jive Bunny were the first act since George Michael to have a track knocked off the top slot only for another track of theirs to, in turn, depose that same record, his of course was in 1984 and the record in question was “I Just Called To Say I Love You” which deposed his solo “Careless Whisper” and was in turn knocked off by Wham!’s “Freedom”. The sales last week take the Jive Bunny track 3 week tally to 226,457 copies and on course for the top 10 best sellers of the year,  the debut at No 7 of the Milli Vanilli album won’t help them bridge that gap.

Only one new track in the top 10 this week and it comes from climbing 11-7 (34,255) for Living In A Box who are back in the big 10 for the third time in 2 years with “Room In Your Heart”. The track is co-written by Albert Hammond who has penned many a track with Diane Warren and with Cher climbing 9-6 (38,709) it sees the two former collaborators side by side in the chart.

With half term over sales generally tumble and produce some interesting moves. Double Trouble reverse last week’s fall and climb 6-3 (39,916) in the face of an 18% sales decrease and are in reality way behind Milli Vanilli despite how it may look, in turn Belinda Carlisle rises 8-4 (39,253) to score her biggest hit since “Circle In The Sand” and was unlucky not to snatch bronze position at the death. Four fallers to commiserate with, Black Box tumble 2-5 (39,151)- that's their 10th straight week in the top 10 making only the 6th track of the 80s to do so, Technotronic slide 4-8 (34,034), Billy Joel disappoints 7-9 (32,929) and Sydney Youngblood flounders 5-10 (31,994).

Next week we await a new Kylie single- another debut at No 2?


1- THAT’S WHAT I LIKE- Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers (92,718)
2- GIRL I’M GONNA MISS YOU- Milli Vanilli (59,976)
3- STREET TUFF- Double Trouble Featuring Rebel MC (39,916)
4- LEAVE A LIGHT ON- Belinda Carlisle (39,253)
5- RIDE ON TIME- Black Box (39,151)
6- IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME- Cher (38,709)
7- ROOM IN YOUR HEART- Living In A Box (34,255)
8- PUMP UP THE JAM- Technotronic Featuring Felly (34,034)
9- WE DIDN’T START THE FIRE- Billy Joel (32,929)
10- IF ONLY I COULD- Sydney Youngblood (31,994)

I didn't recognise that Living in a Box song from the title but just listening and I do indeed recall it, it's quite pleasant for what it is but nothing remarkable.

Forgot to mention previously that I do really enjoy Street Tuff, I was a big fan of this sort of fun sound with Rebel MC and the likes of Betty Boo <3

Yeah, for Living In A Box definitely the debut single was the best imo same with Hue and Cry and Wet Wet Wet.

Edited May 14May 14 by TheSnake

oh love that Living in a Box song, very different from everything they had released

great to see Leave a Light on so high too

but Kylie's newie was a post-album single, sure no one was expecting a #2 debut

@Gezza do you know how much Kylie's Enjoy Yourself opened with???

Edited May 14May 14 by Bjork

49 minutes ago, Bjork said:

oh love that Living in a Box song, very different from everything they had released

great to see Leave a Light on so high too

but Kylie's newie was a post-album single, sure no one was expecting a #2 debut

@Gezza do you know how much Kylie's Enjoy Yourself opened with???

95k. Kylie's third release from "Kylie" was post album and debuted at No 2.

thanks for the info, 95K is not half bad

I personally think that you cannot compare The Locomotion with Never too late...

I was also thinking that Jason-Ten Good Reasons did well overall but started kinda slow

as it debut at #2 behind Simple Minds. It's also crazy how Simple Minds, Jason Donovan and The Cure,

all released their albums on the same day earlier in the year:

1 NEW Simple Minds - Street Fighting Years

2 NEW Jason Donovan - Ten Good Reasons

3 NEW The Cure - Disintegration

Edited May 15May 15 by Bjork

4TH NOVEMBER

No change at the top this week with Jive Bunny’s “That’s What I Like” marching to an easy victory though its sales are now diminishing to 76,007, it was however still well clear of Milli Vanilli who hold at No 2 on a reduced sale itself of 56,423 and now looks as though its chance of repeating its US success may have passed by.

Winning a local talent competition at just 14 Lisa Stansfield has been releasing solo singles and forming the group Blue Zone with her former classmates who, chartwise, never climbed higher than No 79. This led her to working with Coldcut on the track “People Hold On” which made No 11 earlier this year and prompted a rethink by the group which led to a change of tack to promote Stansfield as a soloist, and to ask Coldcut to produce Stansfield’s first solo single “This Is The Right Time” (No 13). Stansfield’s second solo hit “All Around The World” accelerates 13-3 (53,805) this week to easily become her biggest hit and a potential chart topper.

Eleven years after his chart debut Chris Rea finally gets a top 10 single, the M25 inspired “The Road To Hell” which comes in two parts though it is part 2 only which appears on the 7” version. The album of the same name is out this week so might stunt any further progress but for now the track climbs 12-10 (28,288) even though it lost sales, the “full length” version (or parts 1 & 2) comes in at just under 10 minutes if you want to check it out in all its glory.

Living In A Box climb 7-5 (43,231) to equal their previous peak and Billy Joel yo-yo’s back up the charts 9-8 (29,733) despite sales dipping on the arrival of his album “Storm Front” at No 5 one place lower than Belinda Carlisle’s new LP but “Leave A Light On” conversely dips 4-6 (42,840) though it increases sales! Also falling are Double Trouble & Rebel MC 3-4 (43,792), Cher 6-7 (38,641) and Black Box 5-9 (29,719) but “Ride On Time” is now just 32,000 sales behind "Swing The Mood" and is 26,000 copies away from the 800,000 mark.  It's now spent 11 straight weeks in the top 10, the longest uninterrupted stint since Stevie Wonder five years ago!  Incidentally the new Kylie Single debuts at a lowly No 17 this week but should feature in our round up next week unless something spectacular happens- more in 7 days time.


1- THAT’S WHAT I LIKE- Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers (76,007)
2- GIRL I’M GONNA MISS YOU- Milli Vanilli  (56,423)
3- ALL AROUND THE WORLD- Lisa Stansfield (53,805)
4- STREET TUFF- Double Trouble Featuring Rebel MC (43,792)
5- ROOM IN YOUR HEART- Living In A Box  (43,231)
6- LEAVE A LIGHT ON- Belinda Carlisle  (42,840)
7- IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME- Cher (38,641)
8- WE DIDN’T START THE FIRE- Billy Joel (29,733)
9- RIDE ON TIME- Black Box (29,716)
10- THE ROAD TO HELL- Chris Rea (28,288)

All Around the World is decent enough, but I wasn't over enthused at it's time of release. I was probably scratching my head over that Kylie entry position.

All Around The World by Lisa Stansfield is a really nice track indeed, big sophistipop classic!

Edited May 15May 15 by TheSnake

Never liked All Around The World. Meh.

Not really my thing but I can see why All around the world was so popular, decent song, same for Cheis Rea