September 9Sep 9 Yes a great Christmas for releases.I love the lyrics of Shout but mostly I love the sparse percussion dominating music.Last Christmas is…. just there now, I really don’t need to hear it again. But Everything She Wants is great, one of my very favourite Wham singles.I can’t think of a better charity single than Band Aid, the one all others are measured against. It’s brilliant especially when you remember how quickly it was put together.Both the beautiful San Damiano and the fun Police Officer were songs I didn’t remember before the listen through.I love I Want To Know What Love Is, as you say one of the best soft rock songs, just emotive enough.Thank God It’s Christmas is one of my favourite Christmas songs, not too overplayed. Edited September 11Sep 11 by Jaz13music
September 18Sep 18 Shout is being played by Ken Bruce as I type, it's a classic dramatic pop single and video filmed round these ere parts Durdle Door. 9/10. Last Christmas Ive geard too often but once upon a time it was gorgeous so a 10/10 for that time and Everyhting She Wants was overshadowed but almost as good 9/10. Band Aid ditto, OD'd and covered to death, and very very worthy. If I wasnt so sick of hearing it it would be worth a 9/10 but best I can offer now is 8/10. San Damiano was and is lovely 8/10, Police Officer not heard in yonks but it was never essential reggae for me, more novelty 6/10. Foreigner was a massive OTT gospel-feel power-ballad, that ending is amazing 10/10. Queen's Christmas effort never really did it for me, a bit too dreary, 5/10. Glitter's OTOH is a singalong once-xmas-anthem banished seemingly forever from the memory (except in Gran Canaria at christmas still) but it's his best record since at least 1973 7/10. Everything Must Change a bit too MOTR for me but pleasant, 6/10, No Mercy I dont recall much but prob around a 6/10, Bronski Beat's was very odd choice of classic song, downbeat and all, 6/10, Nellie The Elephant a toddler fave from way back, and I didnt hate this version, at least at first 5/10. Step Off Ive not heard in years either, think it was about a 6/10. Ditto Alvin's Xmas song 5/10. Soul Deep, well I dont recall my brother getting any cash from Paul Weller while he was on strike for a year, so let's assume nobody bought it and move on without mentioning it again.
September 18Sep 18 'Blasphemous Rumours' would top its group for me but 'The Riddle' is great too, a timeless melody.As recently mentioned in my decade-by-decade countdown, 'Two Tribes' is of course my favourite Frankie chart topper, but 'The Power Of Love' is absolutely gorgeous as well - so can't knock that favourite at all, would definitely top this group for me too. What a varied trio of #1s sonically and thematically with the overarching sex -> war -> religion directions.'One Night In Bankok' is also fantastic! Glad it went down quite well on SyncTube.'Like A Virgin' isn't a Madonna favourite for me, but I admire how she made such an impact with the VMAs performance for it.Rounding off on a high as 'Shout' would certainly top that group for me too 🥰 I like the Wham and Band Aid songs as well despite overplay. I can see why the latter is viewed under a more critical lens now but I particularly still enjoy it sonically; the later versions never come close to that original production. I think I discovered that San Solo song through BJSC and it's also fab!Well, now I'm done covering the 1980s in my countdown thread, a top 40 of 1984 is due and I think it'd look like this...01 Prince and the Revolution - When Doves Cry02 Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Two Tribes03 Eurythmics - Here Comes the Rain Again04 Grandmaster and Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Do It)05 Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax06 Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain07 Echo and the Bunnymen - The Killing Moon08 Giorgio Moroder with Philip Oakey - Together In Electric Dreams09 Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy10 Frankie Goes to Hollywood - The Power Of Love11 Nena - 99 Red Balloons12 Propaganda - Dr Mabuse13 Tears For Fears - Shout14 Cocteau Twins - Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops15 George Michael - Careless Whisper16 Ultravox - Dancing With Tears In My Eyes17 Fiction Factory - (Feels Like) Heaven18 Malcolm McLaren - Madam Butterfly (Un Bel Di Vedremo)19 Alphaville - Big In Japan20 Depeche Mode - Master and Servant21 Billy Idol - Eyes Without A Face22 Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me23 The Cars - Drive24 Afrika Bambaataa And The Soul Sonic Force - The Renegades Of Funk25 Bananarama - Robert De Niro's Waiting26 Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumours27 Murray Head - One Night In Bangkok28 Sade - Smooth Operator29 The Style Council - Shout to the Top30 Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time31 Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark32 Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want to Have Fun33 The Pointer Sisters - Automatic34 Depeche Mode - People Are People35 Rufus And Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody36 Limahl - Never Ending Story37 Chaka Khan - I Feel For You38 Siouxsie And The Banshees - Dazzle39 The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now40 Laura Branigan - Self ControlWell done for tackling another year Julian, have enjoyed following the thread and SyncTube sessions as ever. What a year *.*
September 18Sep 18 Author Gah I need to get round to my Top 40 of 1984 too. I’ve already worked out that’s it’s a new record high average score across the year.
September 18Sep 18 Okay, here’s my top 40, I’m allowing one favourite song per artist:When Doves Cry — PrinceRelax — Frankie Goes to HollywoodWhite Lines (Don't Do It) — Grandmaster Melle Mel & Grandmaster FlashPride (In the Name of Love) — U2Like a Virgin — MadonnaThe Caterpillar — The CureWouldn't It Be Good — Nik KershawLove Is a Wonderful Colour — The Icicle WorksWood Beez — Scritti PolittiDr. Mabuse (First Life) — PropagandaThieves Like Us — New OrderMadam Butterfly (Un bel dì vedremo) — Malcolm McLarenSmalltown Boy — Bronski BeatThe Killing Moon — Echo & the BunnymenMy Ever Changing Moods — The Style CouncilI Feel for You — Chaka KhanI Want to Know What Love Is — ForeignerTogether in Electric Dreams — Giorgio Moroder With Philip OakeyKing of Pain — The Police99 Red Balloons — NenaRadio Ga Ga — QueenDancing with Tears in My Eyes — UltravoxYou Take Me Up — Thompson TwinsShout — Tears for FearsThe Reflex — Duran DuranDo They Know It's Christmas? — Band AidNelson Mandela — The SpecialsWilliam, It Was Really Nothing — The SmithsCareless Whisper — George MichaelPearly-Dewdrops' Drops — Cocteau TwinsGimme All Your Lovin' — ZZ TopSexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four) — EurythmicsEverything She Wants — Wham!Michael Caine — MadnessDancing in the Dark — Bruce SpringsteenOne Love / People Get Ready — Bob Marley & The WailersYour Love Is King — SadeSoul Train — Swans WayPerfect Skin — Lloyd Cole & The CommotionsTime After Time — Cyndi LauperThanks once again for your fantastic work Julian, and also Jim’s in the accompanying thread of course! Great fun as always, with nostalgia, some new discoveries and some great rediscoveries.
September 18Sep 18 'Shout' is my favourite since I last commented, and thematically neatly ties into Tears For Fears' own name's origin in primal screaming. 'The Power Of Love' and 'I Want To Know What Love Is' were, in different ways, a brilliant pair of #1s to bookend the also great Band Aid single's run.My top 40 of 1984 would look something like this - 'Ghostbusters' was the last song I cut:1 Wham! - Freedom2 Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark3 Sister Sledge - Thinking Of You4 Stevie Wonder - I Just Called To Say I Love You5 Prince And The Revolution - Purple Rain6 Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride7 Giorgio Moroder With Philip Oakey - Together In Electric Dreams8 Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy9 U2 - Pride (In The Name Of Love)10 Grandmaster And Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Do It)11 Ultravox - Dancing With Tears In My Eyes12 Fiction Factory - (Feels Like) Heaven13 Prince - When Doves Cry14 Shannon - Let The Music Play15 Tears For Fears - Shout16 The Special AKA - Nelson Mandela17 Womack And Womack - Love Wars18 Bob Marley And The Wailers - One Love / People Get Ready19 Bruce Springsteen - Cover Me20 Duran Duran - The Reflex21 China Crisis - Wishful Thinking22 The Icicle Works - Love Is A Wonderful Colour23 Echo And The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon24 Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power Of Love25 Rufus And Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody26 Nik Kershaw - Wouldn't It Be Good27 The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make?28 Scritti Politti - Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)29 Miami Sound Machine - Dr Beat30 Depeche Mode - People Are People31 Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time32 The Smiths - William, It Was Really Nothing33 Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is34 Echo And The Bunnymen - Seven Seas35 The S.O.S. Band - Just Be Good To Me36 Lloyd Cole And The Commotions - Perfect Skin37 The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now38 The Style Council - Shout To The Top39 Chaka Khan - I Feel For You40 Jocelyn Brown - Somebody Else's GuyWell done Julian for completing another year of reviews!
September 19Sep 19 Rather than list my top 40, which would look rather like other folks', I'll list those that made my year-end top 120 without making the UK top 40: it's a BJ-only exclusive! 😄Crystal - Elton JohnOut Come The Freaks - Was (Not Was)Out Of Touch - Hall & Oatesthat is all! It was a great year for top 40 chart music! 😄There's a lot more non-charters in 1985...
September 20Sep 20 Author The average score for 1984 is a record 5.89, easily beating 1983’s 5.77 which was a record itself!Only 2 hits received a 1, and I’m crowning “Love Me Tender” by Roland Rat Superstar! as the worst hit of the year. Even that is the least bad worst hit of the year that I remember, so there wasn’t much cannon fodder this year at all.I gave 3 10s and 30 9s, so the highest 8s make it into the lower end of my Top 40.1 Giorgio Moroder With Philip Oakey - Together In Electric Dreams2 Queen - I Want To Break Free3 Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power Of Love4 George Michael - Careless Whisper5 Tears For Fears - Shout6 Prince And The Revolution - Purple Rain7 Grandmaster And Melle Mel - White Lines (Don’t Do It)8 Eurythmics - Here Comes The Rain Again9 Echo And The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon10 Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy11 Ultravox - Dancing With Tears In My Eyes12 The Cure - The Caterpillar13 Swans Way - Soul Train14 Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time15 Bob Marley And The Wailers - One Love / People Get Ready16 The Cars - Drive17 Prince - When Doves Cry18 Afrika Bambaataa And The Soul Sonic Force - The Renegades Of Funk19 Laura Branigan - Self Contro20 Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Two Tribes21 Propaganda - Dr Mabuse22 Malcolm McLaren - Madame Butterfly (Un Bel Di Vedremo)23 Sade - Smooth Operator24 Scritti Politti - Wood Beez - Pray Like Aretha Franklin)25 Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride26 Rufus And Chaka Khan - Ain’t Nobody27 Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark28 China Crisis - Wishful Thinking29 Nik Kershaw - The Riddle30 Break Machine - Street Dance31 Murray Head - One Night In Bangkok32 Billy Idol - Eyes Without A Face33 Shannon - Let The Music Play34 The Icicle Works - Love Is A Wonderful Colour35 Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody36 Billy Joel - An Innocent Man37 The Smiths - Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now38 Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax!39 Sade - Your Love Is King40 Cocteau Twins - Pearly Dewdrops’ Drops
September 21Sep 21 My top 40 from the year:1. Propaganda - Dr Mabuse2. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Two Tribes3. Queen - Radio Ga Ga4. Ultravox - Lament5. Tears For Fears - Shout6. Nik Kershaw - Human Racing7. Howard Jones - Hide And Seek8. Queen - Hammer To Fall9. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power Of Love10. Depeche Mode - Master And Servant11. Billy Joel - An Innocent Man12. Tears For Fears - Mother's Talk13. Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumours/Somebody14. Freddie Mercury - Love Kills15. Malcolm McLaren - Madam Butterfly16. The Cars - Drive17. Blancmange - The Day Before You Came18. Grandmaster and Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)19. Heaven 17 - This Is Mine20. New Order - Thieves Like Us21. Queen - It's A Hard Life22. Nik Kershaw - Wouldn't It Be Good23. Billy Joel - Goodnight Saigon24. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax25. Nik Kershaw - The Riddle26. Eurythmics - Here Comes The Rain Again27. Alphaville - Big In Japan28. Depeche Mode - People Are People29. Queen - I Want To Break Free30. Murray Head - One Night In Bangkok31. Marillion - Assassing32. Thomas Dolby - Hyperactive33. Nik Kershaw - Dancing Girls34. Ultravox - Dancing With Tears In My Eyes35. Sal Solo - San Damiano36. The Icicle Works - Love Is A Wonderful Colour37. OMD - Tesla Girls38. The Police - King Of Pain39. Wang Chung - Dance Hall Days40. Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is
September 29Sep 29 Author 1985 Group 1:#157117/11/1984Strawberry SwitchbladeSince Yesterday563-53-54-48-47-50-52-45-32-10-{5}-7-9-18-25-40-62->17#157203/09/1983ZZ TopSharp Dressed Man2259-53-62-74R(53)-48-45-41-33-{22}-25-37-51-71->13#157305/01/1985Elaine Paige And Barbara DicksonI Know Him So Well163-34-6-3-2-{1}-1-1-1-2-8-10-28-34-41-62->16#157424/11/1984ImaginationThank You My Love2273-62-60-60-61-63-57-35-26-{22}-24-27-29-40-70->15#157505/01/1985The LimitSay Yeah1750-37-19-{17}-23-31-40-62->8#157629/12/1984Amii StewartFriends1273-69-39-17-{12}-13-20-27-36-55-65->11#157729/12/1984Russ AbbotAtmosphere761-52-40-18-10-8-{7}-8-15-20-35-49-69->13#157819/01/1985Prince1999/Little Red Corvette213-{2}-3-5-6-10-15-28-39-60->10#157912/01/1985KingLove And Pride245-21-6-4-{2}-2-2-3-8-17-24-41-65-65->14#158005/01/1985Ashford And SimpsonSolid375-54-27-13-6-4-{3}-3-4-6-12-21-32-45-53->15#158119/01/1985Chaka KhanThis Is My Night1428-18-{14}-24-35-52->6#158212/01/1985James Ingram With Michael McDonaldYah Mo B There (Jellybean Remix)1260-29-21-{12}-14-25-33-60->8#158312/01/1985The Pointer SistersNeutron Dance3156-{31}-33-38-44-60-74->7
Saturday at 21:343 days Author Not a stellar but a decent 1st group. I enjoy “Little Red Corvette” even more than “1999”, but under my rules I’m solely appraising the former as the other has already reached the Top 40.9PrinceLittle Red CorvetteThis isn't as boundary pushing as "Purple Rain" or "When Doves Cry", but it's a beautiful track about a one night stand8KingLove And PrideThis UK band's debut re-released and becoming a #2 smash: it's a great and very punchy and striking new wave track8Elaine Paige And Barbara DicksonI Know Him So Well545th #1: from the "Chess" musical this is a beautifully written duet with brilliant interplay between the two voices7Strawberry SwitchbladeSince YesterdayOnly Top 40 for this Scottish duo whose style reminds me a little of the Cocteau Twins: this has a lovely warm feel to it7Amii StewartFriendsHer 1st hit in more than 4 years: this is sung beautifully with sincere backing vocals, and has very effective production 6Ashford And SimpsonSolidOnly Top 40 for this US husband and wife duo about their relationship: it's a well remembered and enjoyable song 6The Pointer SistersNeutron DanceThis isn't one of their standout hits, but the spirited performance with their usual infectious energy does elevate it5James Ingram With Michael McDonaldYah Mo B There (Jellybean Remix)Producer and singer James Ingram's only Top 40 as lead, with a remix getting it here, and quite a nice synth RnB track 5ZZ TopSharp Dressed ManA 2nd 1983 non Top 40 getting a new lease of life for them: another very competent but not distinctive track of its style4Chaka KhanThis Is My NightAll their previous 3 hits have been pretty special, but this one is a not very distinctive or memorable R&B track3The LimitSay YeahOnly hit for this Dutch group that's in a very similar funk style to Imagination below and gives me only slightly more3ImaginationThank You My LoveTheir last Top 40 and a slow burner that entered last November, but I find it quite a nondescript final appearance 2Russ AbbotAtmosphere1st of a couple of Top 40s for this UK all round entertainer: a catchy bubblegum track that becomes grating quickly1985 Group 2:#158429/12/1984Bucks FizzI Hear Talk3453-53-46-{34}-34-34-37-51->8#158519/01/1985Big CountryJust A Shadow2635-{26}-29-46->4#158619/01/1985Billy OceanLoverboy1537-24-16-16-{15}-16-18-27-35-57->10#158724/11/1984The Art Of NoiseClose (To The Edit)862-41-45-44-45-46-46-43-38-30-21-10-9-{8}-10-21-34-54-70->19#158819/01/1985CashmereCan I2940-{29}-30-29-30-32-49-70->8#158912/01/1985Bryan AdamsRun To You1174-41-28-18-{11}-11-11-11-17-27-36-66->12#159012/01/1985Pat BenatarWe Belong2264-43-31-25-23-{22}-26-37-54->9#159126/01/1985Phil CollinsSussudio1236-19-{12}-12-18-25-34-52-66->9#159219/01/1985Kirsty MacCollA New England757-38-22-13-10-{7}-8-14-25-47->10#159319/01/1985George Benson20/202942-40-40-39-31-{29}-41-52-73->9#159426/01/1985The ColourfieldThinking Of You1245-31-17-13-13-{12}-22-30-52-75->10#159526/01/1985CommodoresNightshift354-32-19-17-9-6-{3}-5-11-17-30-35-53-61->14#159619/01/1985Big Sound AuthorityThis House (Is Where Your Love Stands)2155-49-36-25-{21}-21-27-36-59->9
Saturday at 21:403 days That's a great first top 2 of 1985 from the regally named Prince and King (will we also see their female equivalent monikers by the end of the year I wonder...)Russ Abbot's 'Atmosphere' definitely isn't a cover of the Joy Division song.
Saturday at 21:553 days Author 13 minutes ago, jimwatts said:Russ Abbot's 'Atmosphere' definitely isn't a cover of the Joy Division song.Whoops - I read something saying it was an unrecognisable cover but appears it was fake news.
Saturday at 21:563 days King - Love and Pride in production sounds more 1981-2 - like the first Spandau single To Cut A Long Story Short or Classix Nouveaux - Is It A Dream. I really like it, and its a shame it was held off #1.Prince - Little Red Corvette is a nice track.Pointer Sisters - Neutron Dance is a strange mix of 50s rock and roll and Hi-NRG the old and new doesn't really go together.Chaka Khan - This Is My Night is quite good but yeah she has better songs. I discovered Russ Abbot - Atmosphere on an 80s music programme when I was a child and I actually really liked it before realising it was from a comedian.
Sunday at 09:412 days Great start to the year!Another winning Prince single, though perhaps not one of my absolute favourites.Love & Pride is fantastic, it’s definitely grown on me over the years. At the time I had think there were accusations of being Duran Duran copyists but this song rose above that.I Know Him So Well is lovely, another that has improved with time.Since Yesterday is a great quirky standout songI also like Solid, a great soul duet
8 hours ago8 hr Little Red Corvette is great early Prince but it was a 1983 hit for me, thats when I bought it 9/10 Love And Pride getting King marketed as the next big thing till Sigue Sigue Sputnik, but it was a good track 9/10. I Know Him So Well clearly an ABBA loss, much as I like Elaine and Babs, that could have been Agnetha & Frida on show 9/10. Since Yesterday a melody to die for and great production, love it, stood out in early January as a cut above 10/10. Friends was a nice comeback for Amii, 8/10, not in banger disco vibe, and Solid was great seeing hit songwriters Ashford & Simpson keep a banger hit for themselves 9/10. Neutron Dance was fun but not on a par with Automatic or Jump 7/10. Yah Mo B There another early 80's latecomer, cool and slick, 8/10. ZZ Top were all about the fuzzy guitars, swamp-rock vibes and leggy girls in videos with flash cars. Sharp Dressed Man 7/10. This Is My Night is OK follow-up stuff 6/10. Chaka's recent singles in 2026 are better. Say Yeah is a good tune and laid-back jazz-dance vibe 8/10.Thank You My Love I have very little memory of, the new jazz-funksters will see Imagination off in 1985, sadly. 5/10. Atmosphere was upbeat pop for grans and kids 3/10, and not as bad as it looked on paper with Russ Abbot on lead.
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