Vogue what a classic !!!

Was there a reason why sales in 1990 started to decline? Was vinyl on the way out?

Sales had been consistently declining since the late 70s from 89.1 million in 1979 to 58.8 million in 1990. Several factors at play really, vinyl heading out and the slow switch to CD, less teenagers around as the baby boomers were then into their 20s/30s, and, arguably, as everything became computerised it made hyping songs harder to achieve so figures were less likely to be inflated as they were before gallup.

The Power and Vogue both topped my charts of the time, both classic, and I went to see both in concert not that long after the event. Black Velvet topped my chart after a Florida holiday, I bought it soon as it came out in the UK, happy memories of holidays with mum and dad and kiddie niece & nephew. Paula Abdul was also big on holiday too, her best track, and I bought a portable cassette recorder in Orlando - loved it! I recorded direct off US radio, so lots of audio souvenirs to bring back, but it also recorded audio from a speaker - handy for hiding under a coat to record shitty-audio-quality pirate copies of concerts I went to. I took my top faves over on a cassette in anticipation of car cassette players, which included most of those from March/early April.

Kingston Town is UB40's greatest record, evocative and wonderful. Ghetto Heaven soul classic, and Killer was a Wow moment hearing that, what a vocal and production, amazing and another classic chart-topper for me. Heart's I really liked, though they have disowned it these days - it's just a fictional story ladies, not a life guidance pamphlet. Morality in fiction is not obligatory any more than it is in real life! Happy Mondays is fun, and it was nice to see John Kongos get some love - but it's not a patch on the powerful dark original. Bizz Nizz meh.

5TH MAY

Well “Vogue” spends a month at the top equalling her personal best she achieved with “Into The Groove”, the track sold 51,680 copies putting in a very consistent performance, it was always out in front but whether it can become her first chart topper to last 5 weeks looks doubtful though. In part that’s because of Paula Abdul who climbs 3-2 selling 44,863 into the bargain which coupled with Madonna’s dropping sales could point to the end of her reign, Abdul could be curtailed by the new expanded version of her album “Forever Your Girl” getting a re-release which will include this hit. Incidentally “Vogue” has sold 255,153 copies during its 4 week tenure at the top, compare that to the 448,069 that “Into The Groove” did and you get an idea of the different market we’re in five years later.

If not Abdul then one of the new entries to the big 10 could be worth a punt, “Dirty Cash” which has been doing well on 12” inch since its limited release back in December and had got as high as No 93 in February before being deleted and primed for a full release a few weeks ago. It’s since moved 28-11-5 securing sales of 33,779 in the process last week- it could go much higher!

Another of 1989’s favourite acts returns this week and it’s the group that perhaps identified the “sound” of summer of 1989, Soul II Soul. It’s time for that second album and here’s the lead single “A Dreams A Dream” which features the vocals of Victoria Wilson James and precedes “Volume II” which is out in 3 weeks and will go head to head with the new Madonna album “I’m Breathless”. The single debuts at No 8 (26,214) and with the last 3 Soul II Soul singles all going top 5 this should see a nice rise next week.

Alannah Myles’ challenge to the top spot is over as she trips 2-3 (43,486) as it duelled with Paula Abdul all week for the runner up spot, Adamski lifts 7-4 (38,760), below him and falling are UB40 5-6 (28,475), Snap! 4-7 (26,741) and Heart 8-9 (23,800) with Family Stand maintaining the anchor position with 21,080  sales.

You may recall a few weeks ago I mentioned that the amount of eligible formats for the chart dropped from 5 to 4, well it has also seemingly contributed to the decline of the 7" single, most record labels are opting to go with a 7", 12" cassette, and CD version abandoning the practice of gatefold sleeve and multiple covers of 7" singles which were common up to that point.  Sales of the format now account for 44% of the market with 12" sales still expanding to 38%.

Next week old adversaries New Kids On The Block and Kylie Minogue go head to head with new singles- who’ll make the bigger splash?


1- VOGUE- Madonna (51,680)
2- OPPOSITES ATTRACT- Paula Abdul Duet with the Wild Pair (44,863)
3- BLACK VELVET- Alannah Myles (43,486)
4- KILLER- Adamski (38,760)
5- DIRTY CASH- Adventures Of Stevie V (33,779)
6- KINGSTON TOWN- UB40 (28,475)
7- THE POWER- Snap! (26,741)
8- A DREAM’S A DREAM- Soul II Soul (26,214)
9- ALL I WANNA DO IS MAKE LOVE TO YOU- Heart (23,800)
10- GHETTO HEAVEN- Family Stand (21,080)

oh Dirty Cash, another classic

was never much into Soul II Soul but their first singles were good, A dream's a dream I found it quite dull and the weakest link in that top 10.

'Killer' is a classic.

'Dirty Cash' is good but now veering into the territory of those overplayed early 90s dance songs I never need to hear again. Like 'Show Me Love' and 'Finally'.

I guess the recent remix of dirty cash didnt help with that

12TH MAY

Adamski is the nation’s new favourite act with “Killer” moving 4-1 (51,782). It easily fended off Adventures Of Stevie V who still threaten 5-2 (40,001) and manage to push Paula Abdul out of the way as she trips 2-3 (39,321), her album also re-peaks at No 3 which must have drained some sales away from the single. No similar excuse for Madonna as she hurtles 1-4 (35,649) but was unlucky to fall so far given the similar sales tallies.

Below Madonna is the heir apparent (at present) to her title, Kylie Minogue. Her 10th single also becomes her 10th top 5 hit as it crashes into the charts at No 5 (33,388), it again comes from the pens of S/A/W who seem to be losing their touch with their other acts allowing Minogue to claim back the honour as their biggest act with the recent downturn in the fate of Donovan. The track is allegedly written about her relationship with Michael Hutchence which has attracted considerable press attention over the course of this year and has garnered more than usual praise from the critics who are liking the more sophisticated angle to her music, not to mention it comes with a racier than normal promo from the Ex-Neighbours star.  This is her 6th hit to debut inside the top 5 but the previous 5 all debuted at No 2 so this is the first not to!  For S/A/W and PWL this is their 63rd top 10 single and the 101st S/A/W produced single to be released apparently.

Further down are current chart favourites New Kids On The Block who score a third top 10 single of 1990 and a fourth on the trot with “Cover Girl” which arrives at No 8 (24,871). The UK is still playing catch up with their native US where this song peaked at No 2 last November (albeit in a remixed version whereas we get the album version), the album “Hangin Tough” continues to sell well shifting 21-12 this week having already sold over 300.000.

Soul II Soul appear to be floundering with their new single only climbing 8-6 (26,571) but that’s better than Alannah Myles who slides 3-7 (25,483), also going the wrong way are UB40 6-9 (20,111) and Snap! 7-10 (17,595).  "The Power" has now spent five weeks in the top 10 post topping the charts, the first track to spend so long past its No 1 peak since Wham!'s "I'm Your Man" in 1985.


1- KILLER- Adamski (51,782)
2- DIRTY CASH- Adventures Of Stevie V (40,001)
3- OPPOSITES ATTRACT- Paula Abdul Duet with Wild Pair (39,321)
4- VOGUE- Madonna (35,649)
5- BETTER THE DEVIL YOU KNOW- Kylie Minogue (33,388)
6- A DREAM’S A DREAM- Soul II Soul (26,571)
7- BLACK VELVET- Alannah Myles (25,483)
8- COVER GIRL- New Kids On The Block (24,871)
9- KINGSTON TOWN- UB40 (20,111)
10- THE POWER- Snap! (17,595)

'Better The Devil You Know' is an all-time great ❤️

Hopefully it'll spend multiple weeks at number one.

3 hours ago, Gezza said:

"The Power" has now spent five weeks in the top 10 post topping the charts, the first track to spend so long past its No 1 peak since Wham!'s "I'm Your Man" in 1985.

Love stats like this. Whereas this year, 'Pink Pony Club' had 17 post-#1 weeks!

Yeah they didn't stick around back then for sure! Even then Wham! and Frankie's "The Power Of Love" (which also spent 5 weeks in the top 10 post No 1) had the festive period to buoy them up artificially. Other than that you'd be back in the times of "Relax" which of course took two stints in the top 10 so did accumulate more than 5 weeks post summit.

Better The Devil You Know is the start of Kylies imperial phase

agree, think Better the devil is Kylie's first proper great great single. The early ones pale in comparison. And also great opening sales, bigger than Vogue for instance

Also glad Killer climbed to #1

the NKOTB is one of their worst uptempos

19TH MAY

“Killer” finished off the competition easily this week extending its sales to an impressive 82,297 copies to now hold a commanding lead at the top of the charts, Kylie Minogue does zoom 5-2 but only managed to increase her sales by 30% to 42.891 with the possibility of a fifth chart topper in “Better The Devil You Know” a distant prospect. Indeed she only just managed to squeeze past Adventures of Stevie V (40,953) at the death so should consider herself lucky lucky lucky (pun intended).

En Vogue are the latest US female vocal group to be garnering attention and praise on both sides of the Atlantic, their debut single “Hold On” finds itself powering 14-7 (21,709) to get them off to a perfect start. If you’re wondering what song they sing at the start of the track then it’s called “Who’s Lovin You” by the Miracles.

Beats International are back with Lindy Layton again providing vocals to score a second top 10 hit with “Won’t Talk About It” climbing 18-10 (17,561), the album is back in the top 40 but is no-where near bettering the No 17 position it reached on debut. This song was written by Billy Bragg for his 1984 album “Brewing Up With” but didn’t make the cut though it should be noted much of the verses on this version are written by Norman Cook, it’s the second top 10 Bragg has written coming 5 years after Kirsty MacColl’s “A New England”.  It was first released by former Housemartin Norman Cook last summer but featured the vocals of Bragg himself when it made No 29 so is doing substantially better this time around 

New Kids On The Block rise 8-4 (34,663) to score their 4th top 5 single in 6 months and still seem unstoppable, their new album will be arriving in a few months and another NKOTB single is pencilled in for next month, they’re making money whilst the sun shines for sure.

Paula Abdul falls 3-5 (32,827) directly above the song that held it off the top, Madonna’s “Vogue” which is also down 4-6 (25,738) but is now her 8th chart topper in the US as well as approaching the 350,000 mark. Another one of “Vogue”’s victims Alannah Myles drops 7-8 (19,550) and Soul II Soul slide 6—9 (19,499) and must be considered a disappointment given their recent chart form.


1- KILLER- Adamski (82,297)
2- BETTER THE DEVIL YOU KNOW- Kylie Minogue (42,891)
3- DIRTY CASH- Adventures Of Stevie V (40,953)
4- COVER GIRL- New Kids On The Block (34,663)
5- OPPOSITES ATTRACT- Paula Abdul duet with the Wild Pair (32,827)
6- VOGUE- Madonna (25,738)
7- HOLD ON- En Vogue (21,709)
8- BLACK VELVET- Alannah Myles (19,550)
9- A DREAM’S A DREAM- Soul II Soul (19,499)
10- WON’T TALK ABOUT IT- Beats International Ft Lindy Layton (17,561)

Looks like another @2 for Kylie, lost count already 😆 thats a very solid top 2

Hold On and Wont Talk about it are nice enough to be top 10

I like Better The Devil You Know, but prefer Tears On My Pillow.

Kylie grows up with this track, def more sophisticated and the point I started to take her more seriously though I'd liked some singles before, this seemed a cut above. Soul II Soul was pleasant, but not quite in the Caron Wheeler league, Beats International was a good follow-up and an improvement on the previous version, En Vogue classy and NKOTB cheesy, as they mean to go on.

Better The Devil You Know was quite the eye opener for a Kylie fan. Quite different to anything she had released before, and the change in image.

A big step away from the girl-next-door.

Looking at the first 10 singles, Kylie's performance is amazing, 4 #1s, 5 #2s and a #4, did anyone ever start better with their first 10 singles?

12 minutes ago, Bjork said:

Looking at the first 10 singles, Kylie's performance is amazing, 4 #1s, 5 #2s and a #4, did anyone ever start better with their first 10 singles?

I believe it is a record- can't think of another act (to this point) that had their first 10 singles go top 5.