Never could stand this cover version. The original version from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes as well as the Thelma Houston cover are awesome. It did not need this 80's adaption - this one is comparable to the weak Boy George effort on "Everything I Own". Definitely behind Boris Gardiner and Wham for me. Waiting for the good #1's 🙂

I don't have much to add on the songs at 18-15 - I'd put 'Every Loser Wins' lowest, perhaps below 'The Chicken Song' too, as it sounds very MOR / dated by 1986 standards, whereas the other three are fairly bland but passable.

'Don't Leave Me This Way' however would be much higher for me, it's a great danceable production and turns quite euphoric with those echo effects and the high notes from Jimmy. I've heard Harold Melvin's original a few times, but I'm very familiar with Thelma Houston's disco version and that's great too.

12 hours ago, TheSnake said:

Appropriate band name at the moment.

hah! certainly is...!

Harold Melvin's original is an amazing peak Philadelphia moment, and also virtually belatedly the final goodbye to that era (give or take Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now). Teddy's vocals are emotional and powerful, he sounds like he believes the words he's singing, his last hurrah before that very suspicious car accident left him paralysed. Thelma's cover was a disco decent effort, but this very 80's cover went OTT, manic and shrill. Teddy's passionate vocal might make you change your mind about leaving, Jimmy's would reinforce it was the right choice - histrionic and needy, albeit a bop. It sounded good at the time, but overplay has left me a tad bored with it when the original is still there and perfect. You Are My World or So Cold The Night, meanwhile, never get played, much more preferable Communards tracks to hear again. Wham! still the best so far to go out, with this behind that.

Billy Ocean is one of the contenders for my favourite. I get where you're coming from but the bland safe mid-80s production was effectively what got me into music in the first place. My movie knowledge is virtually non-existent so I didn't know this was a movie song until much later on in life.

I would also say Communards is OK but not one I'd choose to listen to and the Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes version is much better.

On 23/06/2026 at 19:28, Jester said:

That’s probably in my top 2 and yet the other bottom 2 for me track is still to come 🤪🤪

My guess is it's the one of the five I find irritating that I'm sure others will agree with. I'm surprised said song hasn't appeared yet because I've never heard anyone say anything positive about it and even said music act has acknowledged it damaged their reputation.

13. Spirit In The Sky - Doctor and the Medics

I always think of Norman Greenbaum's original being a 70s record but it was released in December 1969. It reached number 1 in May 1970 and was his only top 75 hit.

Doctor and the Medics were formed in 1981 in Ken Dodd's part of Liverpool, Knotty Ash, by their singer Clive Jackson. Their cover of Spirit In The Sky was their first hit single, spending three weeks at number 1 in June. They came close to emulating Norman Greenbaum's one hit wonder status with just one more top 40 hit, 'Burn', which got to number 29 and a cover of Abba's 'Waterloo' which stalled at number 45 despite one of their glam rock influences, Roy Wood, playing the saxophone, singing backing vocals and appearing in the video. Proving that one number 1 single is enough to sustain a career, the group are still touring and have a new album coming out this year.

I like the original version of the song and while this cover is decent enough, it's not much different in sound and adds very little that's new to it. The Doctor's flamboyant image and charisma probably played some part in the single climbing to number 1. A further version by Gareth Gates and the Kumars also reached the top of the chart in 2003 for Comic Relief meaning that we have now had three songs so far with a connection to that charity.

I knew the Gareth one first obviously but I'd say this one is my favourite overall version of the track!

Not one of my faves I think due to overplay on music channels/radio. It is a song with a positive message though!

Yeah there was a bit of glam rock revival in 1986 with Sigue Sigue Sputnik too charting that year.

Really can't remember it at all. the original is an all-time classic, which I like a lot. Given that you write it is very similar to the original, I guess it would end up at a similar range for me.

Norman Greenbaum's version is a classic, this is a sort of amusing pastiche bringing back hippie fashions through an 80's Goth vibe, and looking great on Top Of The Pops. I still enjoy it, but it's not as powerful as the original, though even that one has a sort of dark twinkle in its' eye. Burn is much better, though I may be in a minority there....

I appreciate the energy of that 'Don't Leave Me This Way' cover, plus the subversion of gender expectations vocally from both, but agree that Jimmy's performance is a bit much - too piercing for me on this occasion. The Thelma Houston cover is my favourite guise of that song.

Like Rob, the Gareth Gates version of 'Spirit in the Sky' would've been my introduction to it and remains a guilty pleasure to this day. I appreciate the new wave elements of the Doctor and the Medics makeover but I do think the psychedelic original hits the hardest.

For some reason I’ve always imagined that the first two versions were very similar, but listening to them together now, the original sounds less polished and darker, and so generally better. The Gareth version is the least of the three. Great song either way though.

Out of interest, have there been any other songs getting to number one in more than two completely different versions, aside from the ones I can remember, Unchained Melody and obviously Band Aid?

6 minutes ago, Jaz13music said:

For some reason I’ve always imagined that the first two versions were very similar, but listening to them together now, the original sounds less polished and darker, and so generally better. The Gareth version is the least of the three. Great song either way though.

Out of interest, have there been any other songs getting to number one in more than two completely different versions, aside from the ones I can remember, Unchained Melody and obviously Band Aid?

Off the top of my head - 'With a Little Help From My Friends' got to #1 for Joe Cocker, Wet Wet Wet and Sam & Mark!

You'll Never Walk Alone has been a number 1 four times for Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Crowd, Robson & Jerome and Michael Ball & Captain Tom Moore.

"Spirit In The Sky" is one of the 5 irritating records I speak of but not the one I think many others will agree with. The song itself has always bugged me for some reason whatever version it is.

9 hours ago, My Random Music said:

"Spirit In The Sky" is one of the 5 irritating records I speak of but not the one I think many others will agree with. The song itself has always bugged me for some reason whatever version it is.

Think I know the song you mean.

Both versions of 'Spirit In The Sky' (prior to the Gareth Gates one) feel equally ubiquitous and interchangeable to me - this one is a little more on the cheesy side perhaps but enjoyable enough.

12. True Blue - Madonna

True Blue was Madonna's twelfth top 10 hit and the third to reach number 1, spending one week there in October. It was written as a declaration of love for her husband Sean Penn.

True Blue is lighter and simpler than most of Madonna's 80s singles. It's a throwback to the 60s girl group sound and is pleasant enough to listen to. Apart from the excellent 'Like A Prayer' and 'Frozen' and one or two other good songs, I'd rate the rest of her singles from average to awful and this one is average. Madonna's people really need to improve the sound quality on this youtube video and the picture as well.

Its a bit slushy lyrically I can see why Madonna doesn't like the song any more.

Definitely the weakest of her 80s #1s.

Yeah, True Blue is good but a bit one dimensional, almost throwaway compared to Madonna’s best. I think your ranking is about where I’d put it too. She certainly had some brilliant songs though too, in fact there might be one coming on the horizon….

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by Jaz13music

"True Blue" is also one of those five songs I speak of and concur there's only a handful of Madonna hits that are any good.

I'm a fan of Motown but more often than not I get irritated by non-Motown songs from much later pretending to be Motown.