All Japan’s hits are great but they really perfected their style with this one.

9	Japan	Ghosts	Only the 3rd single from "Tin Drum" but their biggest and likely best hit; a wonderfully minimalist, personal and arresting track
8	Classix Nouveaux	Is It A Dream	This UK band had 7 Top 75s but only this Top 40 which reached a frustrating #11: a powerful piece of music with tortured lyrics
8	Visage	Damned Don't Cry	Named after a 1950 film, this is another beautifully artistic piece of synth pop from them: my favourite after "Fade To Grey"
8	Dollar	Give Me Back My Heart	Another big hit for them: this is really emotionally strong and the Trevor Horn production gives the track a powerful intensity
7	Pluto	Your Honour	Last appearance for this Jamaican reggae singer: this took a few listens to hit but I think it's an excellent song with great lyrics
7	Chas And Dave	Ain't No Pleasing You	By far their biggest hit and one of their more serious ones but still with the Mockney style: a lovely, sincere and charming track
6	Bucks Fizz	My Camera Never Lies	498th #1: it's another well written quite complex song from them that's catchy, endearing and stays just the right side of naff
6	Bill Wyman	A New Fashion	His 2nd and final solo hit: like the other this has a rather deadpan feel to it which I enjoy, and it's a rather catchy little number
5	Barbra Streisand	Memory	She does a dramatic performance here, but we didn't need another hit version so soon after Elaine's and it doesn't eclipse that
5	Derek And The Dominos/Eric Clapton	Layla/Wonderful Tonight (Live Version)	It's a classic love song certainly and I feel the need to give some credit for that, but this live version is rather slow and plodding
4	Leo Sayer	Have You Ever Been In Love	This is his last Top 10 hit this century: it's not bad and he gives it plenty of welly, but it's a rather syrupy and overblown song
3	Status Quo	Dear John	They've had a few pleasantly surprising singles lately but this one is back to their usual cheery sound that doesn't do a lot for me
3	Kool And The Gang	Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)	They have a few big classics but I find their lesser known songs not very distinctive or memorable: this one just passes me by
2	The Nolans	Don't Love Me Too Hard	Their last Top 40: unfortunately I feel that after a strong debut they became stuck with this one style without much development
2	Foster And Allen	A Bunch Of Thyme	1st hit for this Irish duo that topped their home chart: it's a traditional folk style ballad that sounds rather out of place in 1982

1982 Group 6:

#709	27/03/1982	Altered Images	See Those Eyes	11	41-17-17-{11}-19-27-58->7
#710	03/04/1982	Roxy Music	More Than This	6	18-{6}-6-7-14-28-58-72->8
#711	20/03/1982	The Boomtown Rats	House On Fire	24	66-44-30-{24}-26-29-42-71->8
#712	27/03/1982	Elton John	Blue Eyes	8	60-31-23-17-{8}-10-19-28-38-70->10
#713	03/04/1982	Motorhead	Iron Fist	29	33-{29}-30-38-68->5
#714	27/03/1982	Shalamar	I Can Make You Feel Good	7	57-35-27-20-10-{7}-9-16-25-44-65->11
#715	03/04/1982	Shakatak	Night Birds	9	37-16-15-{9}-15-24-32-67->8
#716	10/04/1982	Paul McCartney With Stevie Wonder	Ebony And Ivory	1	19-3-{1}-1-1-2-9-25-40-62->10
#717	03/04/1982	Pigbag	Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag	3	50-30-9-{3}-3-7-17-27-40-53-70->11
#718	10/04/1982	Haircut One Hundred	Fantastic Day	9	32-19-12-{9}-10-14-23-51-59->9
#719	03/04/1982	Rainbow	Stone Cold	34	42-{34}-37-44->4
#720	10/04/1982	England World Cup Squad	This Time (We'll Get It Right)	2	35-25-11-4-{2}-8-15-26-37-43-70-64-57->13
#721	10/04/1982	Bananarama With Fun Boy Three	Really Saying Something	5	37-24-17-{5}-5-6-12-23-39-51->10
#722	03/04/1982	Monsoon	Ever So Lonely	12	57-39-28-18-16-{12}-20-29-38->9

Strong top 3. 'Ghosts' is a very unusual top 5 hit, very good storytelling in it too.

I interpret 'Is It A Dream' as a synth dance anthem with the production and bassline but yes it is a bit dark and atmospheric and powerful too at the same time when it builds up. That and the melancholy sounding Visage track with the almost trance-like production both peaking at #11 - two of the best #11 peaking hits ever definitely for me.

I am more used to 90's chart reggae but 'Your Honour' is good storytelling.

And for Derek/Eric, Layla is way better than 'Wonderful Tonight' but the latter was obviously a big inspiration for Ed Sheeran's song 'Perfect'.

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For the week earlier the top 2 are great, Poison Arrow would be my favorite, ABC's best single imo too and I would say one of the early anthems of what would become the 80s sophistipop sound.

Not much of a fan of the Bow Wow track, it is interesting and memorable though, it would almost certainly influence Haysi Fantayzee too!

Edited December 31, 2025Dec 31 by TheSnake

Pleased 'Ghosts' came out on top for you as it's the case for me too! It's remarkable that something so left-field was their biggest hit, although anything is possible, with some of the other oddities we've encountered in these '80s chart so far. Love the haunting, dissonant synths and the rather heartbreaking rug pull conveyed in the chorus.

That Visage song would be my next favourite... more sad synth goodness. Agreed that it's their best since the incomparable all-timer that is 'Fade to Grey', fingers crossed that does well in the #8s rate. Classix Nouveaux would be on my podium as well, so same three songs slightly shuffled!

Something a bit more serious from Chas and Dave now following 'Stars Over 45' as mentioned on SyncTube it reminds me so much of '(Just Like) Starting Over'!

Ghosts is far and away Japan's best track under that name, though Sylvian-Sakamoto came close 9/10 and haunting, so to speak. Is It A Dream is a goodie, and their best track too, 8/10. Sal Solo had a bigger hit, though, with San Damiano as he moved more into Christian-based music. Oddly, Damned Don't Cry never gets played. never! It's a Visage goodie, 8/10. Dollar still getting the Horn magic touch, 8/10 even on a ballad.

Your Honour is fun, and more re-listenable than his big 70's reggae hit Dat. 7/10. Ain't No Pleasing You is one of the few Chas & Dave tracks I actively enjoy listening to, a lush proper ballad, 8/10. My Camera never Lies is pop perfection, a justifiable chart-topper and 10/10, the song construction is not so typical for an ABBA-styled group and take over the mantle from the Masters from this point on, bar The Day Before You Came.

A New fashion is OK, Bill worth a 6/10, and I agree about Elaine Page's better version of Memory, though Babs can be great when she moves out of her comfort zone. This one is firmly comfortable 6/10. Layla was the chart-topping (for me) 10/10 this time round, and the other side was pretty ropey, a song I'd never rated in the original version 3/10.

Have You Ever Been In Love a bit dull, I;m afraid 4/10, Leo will be back with a fab ballad before too long. Dear John should in theory get my approval, but Quo by the numbers was becoming more and more the norm of late 6/10. Ditto Kool & The Gang, not unpleasant but nothing new 6/10. The Nolans, I enjoyed Don't Love Me Too Hard 7/10, but that was about that for them I think. Foster & Allen championed by Terry Wogan, all very pleasant Celtic folky but they never meant a lot to me, 3/10.