Quite a good #1. Bass guitar was used a lot in the early 80s songs, but specifically I think the first verse is very much influenced by the band Imagination. It's quite slow and I prefer the faster bass and synth songs of the early 80s. The chorus is memorable though and has become iconic!

Too Shy would be my number 1. Classic 80s sound.

Kajagoogoo, much like Bucks Fizz and Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky Mick & Tich, got noticed using a band name that turned out to be an albatross for street cred, but unlike the other 2, they had just one decent track and that was it, implosion. Limahl's solo career was better than Kaj, as they tried to go by, and Too Shy has turned out better than I gave it credit for at the time, the bass bits especially, but as Snakey says, it's essentially Imagination-lite with a pinch of Duranromantic, and it's not as good as Body Talk, Just An Illusion or Flashback for me. It's not one I've got fed up hearing though, so it would be nicely mid-table, hovering around the top 10.

I think that Too Shy is my favourite so far. I don't remember the song from the time but when I did get into music I had the Guinness book of singles and used to assume that Kajagoogoo must me some sort of novelty band and never bothered to listen to the song... probably partly influenced by Lananeeneenoonoo being something I could actually remember. When I did hear it I was therefore very pleasantly surprised that it was a synth track - in terms of 80s synth hits, I'd probably have it on the second tier as it definitely isn't as great as things like Enola Gay or Fade to Grey etc.

'Red Red Wine' doesn't do anything for me but I was fascinated to learn about it belatedly reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100!

I knew the Westlife version of 'Uptown Girl' first (one of their better covers tbh) but eventually got to the original, which is a strong retro-tinged pop moment, but agree that he has better songs in his catalogue.

The synth production of 'Too Shy' is rather cool but I'm not too fussed about it as a whole package. My favourite Limahl-adjacent thing is 'Never Ending Story'

8. Is There Something I Should Know? - Duran Duran

Named after a character from the film 'Barbarella', Birmingham group Duran Duran were formed in 1978 and started with Stephen Duffy as their singer. He would go on to have two top 20 hits as a solo artist. Simon Le Bon joined in 1980 and they had a string of hits from 1981 to 1982 with 'Save A Prayer' being the closest to number 1, stopped by Survivor's 'Eye Of The Tiger'. By the time Is There Something I Should Know? was released, they were at the peak of their popularity and it went straight to number 1, staying there for two weeks in March. As part of the British invasion of the American chart at this time, the single got to number 4 over there.

Duran Duran now have thirty top 40 hits to their name and have released sixteen studio albums, the most recent being 'Danse Macabre' in 2023.

The song starts with four "Please, please tell me now"s before going into its intro. It then follows the conventional verse, bridge, chorus structure. Simon's lead vocal is backed up by vocals from the other members in a deeper register on most of the lines. I like the instrumental break with the harmonica being played over the synths. The lyrics seem to be about a relationship that's going wrong and the need to talk about it to resolve the situation. They include the line "you're about as easy as a nuclear war" which is often quoted as being one of the worst lyrics in a song. Simon's vocal is a bit strained in places but overall this is good song but not one of my favourites by them which would be 'Save A Prayer', 'Ordinary World', 'Rio' and 'Planet Earth'.

"Too Shy" is a very good synth-pop song with Limahl on vocals. This would be definately in front of everything listed so far, maybe except "True". The Duran Duran song is not one of my favourites of them - pretty average imo and I would rank it behind Spandau Ballett, Kajagoogoo, Rod, and KC.

'Is There Something I Should Know' is pretty good but not a must for me. 'The Reflex' is my fave by them but also like 'Rio' and 'Ordinary World' too which you listed as faves!

I like that Duran Duran track but I’m another who wouldn’t rank it among their very best. I absolutely love Come Undone, Rio, Electric Barbarella, Save a Prayer, Ordinary World, the Reflex, Out of my Mind, Hungry Like the Wolf and All You Need is Now.

On 05/01/2026 at 20:51, TheSnake said:

Quite a sad song about depending on alcohol to get through hard times.

I still prefer 'One In Ten' though from them.

Of course UB40's only other UK No.1 was also a cover, Can't Help Falling In Love in 1993.

Edited yesterday at 10:191 day by CRAZY CHRIS

Duran's "Beatles" moment when they could have dropped anything and it would have entered at 1 - on the plus side, this had more guts to it than anything they had done since Girls On Film, and was pretty upbeat, but their later career has so much more to it, Simon learned how to sing better as the years went by, and they got way more interesting from this point onwards, right up to Danse Macabre, that's chock full of great tracks, most of 'em better than Is There Something I Should Know. This would be maybe above Too Shy, cos it's got a bit of oomph, but below Uptown Girl and a couple of others. The nuclear war line could have been worse - there are worse words that rhyme with it they could have opted for, and at least it's memorable, I suppose :)

'Is There Something I Should Know' was # 1, when I was born.

The one from my favourite groups allSTARS* recorded a cover version.

I’m not ashamed that I love “Uptown Girl” probably my favourite so far.

“Too Shy” is a stonking tune - my runner up so far.

I do enjoy the UB40 version of “Red Red Wine” - think it really suited their style.

Not the greatest by Duran Duran but quite nice.

7. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson

Billie Jean was the second single to be released from Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' album. 'The Girl Is Mine', his duet with Paul McCartney, had been a strange choice for the first one and only reached number 8. Billie Jean spent just one week at number 1 in March. Michael said that the song wasn't about a particular person, the lyrics were based on groupies' claims about his older brothers when he was touring with them. However, Quincy Jones and his biographer have both said that it was about a woman who had been sending him letters claiming he was the father of her child. The video was belatedly the first by a black artist to be shown on MTV regularly, paving the way for others to follow.

I think ranking this 7th would be lower than most of you would put it but I've never been a big fan of the song. I prefer 'Beat It' and 'Thriller' from the album. It's very well produced by Quincy Jones who uses the stereo sound to great effect. As well as the bassline, there are little touches being added in the background to keep it going for five minutes but I still got a little bored towards the end just listening to it now so I think ranking it 7th is the right place for it.

6. You Can't Hurry Love - Phil Collins

You Can't Hurry Love was a top 3 hit for The Supremes in 1966 and their seventh US number 1. It was inspired by the 1950 Gospel song 'You Can't Hurry God' written by Dorothy Love Coates which contains the lines "You can't hurry God, you just have to wait, trust and give him time, no matter how long it takes". Phil Collins' cover version was the second single to come from his second solo album "Hello, I Must Be Going!". It entered the chart in November 1982 but after running into the traffic of Christmas releases, didn't reach number 1 until the middle of January where it stayed for two weeks. It was a deliberate attempt to replicate the Motown sound with Phil describing it as a remake, not an interpretation. The three Phils in the song's video are an homage to The Supremes.

You Can't Hurry Love kicked off a golden decade for Phil with three UK number 1s and seven Billboard chart toppers (or eight if you include 'Invisible Touch' with Genesis). He went on to record a full album of Motown and soul covers in 2010 called 'Going Back'.

This cover keeps all the infectious rhythm and energy of the original and he does his own backing vocals by recording some of the lines in a higher register. The lyrics are a mother's advice to her daughter, or son, in the case of this version. There's nothing too complicated here, it's just a great pop song.

'Billie Jean' would be near the top of this list for me, easily his best solo song. Whereas the original 'You Can't Hurry Love' by The Supremes is a huge favourite of mine and my top Motown song, but Phil's cover doesn't do a lot for me and I'd have it much lower. The other two since I last commented I'd put somewhere in the middle - 1983 was certainly a big year for well-remembered #1s.

I haven't looked up what's to come, but I think I know which one I hope will come out on top.

Ooh yes Billie-Jean is my number one of 1983, one of Jacko's signature tunes and the first classic he wrote himself. That video was amazing too, people tend to forget that singers dancing had fallen out of fashion by the 80's, and there hadnt been a proper star that danced thought-out routines till Michael Jackson resurrected it as an artform, and Billie-Jean was centre-stage warm-up to Thriller later in the year which was an actual cultural event when it came out late in the single's chart run. Channel 4 played the whole thing late at night, to avoid frightening children, hah! I was there with my Betamax poised.

The bassline is incredible, and it's a brilliant production and vocal performance. Beat It, OTOH, I wasnt nearly as keen on, but I bought the album, as did semingly everyone else!

Talking of great basslines, The Supremes' You Can't Hurry Love has been borrowed by many a hit, and Phil did a great job putting out a fun cover Blues Brothers stylee in the video. But I love the original more. The song seems better coming from young Diana Ross than 30-something Phil and Holland-Dozer-Holland were in their songwriting and production prime. Phil's is less effective than Billy Joel's new song, if one is going 60's retro best to do it with a personal twist as opposed to a straight cover, so I'd pop it further down the list but still top 10 I reckon.

“Billie Jean” also near the top or top for me (I can’t remember what’s to come but I’ll rank at the end).

I do enjoy Phil’s version of “You Can’t Hurry Love”. It really suits him. That said when you go back to the original you do realise that he didn’t do a lot with it, so I’d still put it lower.

'Is There Something I Should Know?' is fine but not quite up there with their best. My firm favourite Duran Duran hits are 'Ordinary World' and 'Save A Prayer' so I'm pleased they were the first two you mentioned when discussing your own highlights from them

'Billie Jean' is an absolute classic and easily my favourite so far. Incredible bassline indeed and an iconic video that opened more doors for black artists.

I think I knew the Phil Collins version of 'You Can't Hurry Love' first but haven't really gone back since discovering the wonderful Supremes original.

5. Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) - Paul Young

Although Wherever I Lay My Hat was Paul Young's first solo hit, he had been seen on Top Of Pops as early as 1978 performing the novelty song 'Toast' with Streetband which was originally a B side but became the A side after Kenny Everett had started playing it on the radio. The Top Of The Tops team even went to the trouble of creating a kitchen in the studio for part of the performance. Paul was only speaking the lyrics so we didn't yet know what a good singer he was. Streetband evolved into Q-Tips who released two albums in 1979. They broke up after Paul got a solo record contract.

Wherever I Lay My Hat was first recorded by Marvin Gaye (in 1962) who co-wrote the song with Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield. Paul Young's cover was his third single with the first two, 'Iron Out The Rough Spots' and 'Love Of The Common People', failing to reach the top 100. The latter would reach number 2 after being re-issued. It's one of four cover versions to reach number 1 in 1983 and the highest placed in my rankings. It spent three weeks at the top of the chart in July and August.

Paul ended up with seven top 10 singles and three number 1 albums. He does seem to have vanished from the public eye in the 21st Century but did release a new album as recently as 2023. He's probably best known to the younger generation these days as being heard every Christmas delivering the opening lines of 'Do They Know It's Christmas' when it's played on the radio. Coming from Luton, he is the second act from Bedfordshire to appear in this countdown with Kajagoogoo hailing from Leighton Buzzard.

This version is slower paced than Marvin Gaye's original and starts with Pino Palladino's fretless bass intro. The bass guitar continues to be a big highlight of the rest of the song along with the keyboard embellishments. The main reason this is in my top 5 is, of course, Paul's fantastic vocal. He has such a warm, expressive tone to his voice. I like all the singles from the 'No Parlez' album. I didn't buy it at the time but have listened to it on Spotify a few times and some of the other tracks are to the same standard.