Chain Reaction was a fun return to the top spot for Diana who'd been absolutely terrible since leaving Motown in 1981, bar one tribute song in Missing You. She benefitted from the Bee Gees' being unable to sell anything after Disco Sucks, so they were busy handing out their best songs to big names instead. The video was so nostalgic for those of us of a certain age able to remember The Supremes on pop TV shows, so that helped too. The Gibbs eventually rewrote it a bit and got a hit with Secret Love in the 90's. I'm not as fond of it as I was at the time, a bit overplayed, and Diana's Motown back catalogue really does show it up a bit, but she'd been denied epic top-spots for Love Hangover, Upside Down, Surrender, Aint No Mountain so I see it as consolation prize for previous glaring errors. The Supremes were brilliant from start to post-Diana end. This was also her final good record until Tame Impala gifted that Minions song that only I bought - Turn Up The Sunshine. No justice, when one considers the long run of tedious ballads she had in the late 80's and 90's, give or take the odd decent remix or flirt with dance.

Just catching up - the Yoda analysis of that 'Papa Don't Preach' lyric did make me laugh! I much prefer this to 'True Blue' as well, the subject matter is hard-hitting and particularly bold for the era. The strings in the production are a highlight too so I can see why they were sampled.

My mum has a burning hatred of 'Chain Reaction' for some reason, while my dad is a big Bee Gees fan, so a sore subject I sit in the middle of feeling indifferent towards it.

4. The Final Countdown - Europe

Swedish band Europe were formed in 1979 and The Final Countdown was the title track from their third album. The keyboard riff that the song is known for dates back to about 1981 and it was finally used here with lyrics inspired by David Bowie's 'Space Oddity'. The single spent two weeks at number 1 in December. It returned to the top 40 at the end of the millennium and has endured into this century with 1.4 billion youtube views and 828 million Spotify streams.

Europe had four more top 40 hits from 1987 to 1992. Like David Bowie before them (with 'Ashes To Ashes'), they recorded a sequel to The Final Countdown, 'Pictures', in 2017. Their twelfth album will be released later this year.

I've never really liked this song too much but it's good enough to finish in fourth place. The keyboard riff is instantly recognisable, there's plenty of energy to the song and the guitar solo is fabulous. It's one of the best 'hair metal' songs from the second half of the 1980s. Looking at the lyrics, the trip is to Venus but "there are so many light years to go". Sunlight takes only eight minutes to reach Earth and Venus is nearer than that so it would clearly take much less than one light year to get there. Maybe, Venus is just the first stop and they will go further after that. Reading the lyrics for the sequel, they are still in the Solar System but this seems to be down to some sort of mishap as the person in the song is drifting in space and wants to cut the cable.

I’m feeling much more enthusiastic about 10-7 than 6-4 overall.

“Papa Don’t Preach” is very good though - it has an exciting build to match the hard hitting lyrics.

“Chain Reaction” is objectively an excellently written song but I can’t find myself getting excited about it.

“The Final Countdown” is brilliantly over the top and has a great riff. It’s enjoyable rather than great I think.

'Papa Don't Preach' is certainly the better Madonna #1 of the two here. Great track.

Basically the same as Julian for me with 'Chain Reaction'. It's fine but maybe I just am not keen on the song overall, whichever version. Though I'd certainly choose to listen to Diana's over Steps mediocre cover of it.

'The Final Countdown' is a fun anthem.

'Chain Reaction' isn't a Diana essential for me, but as a modern take on the Motown sound it's a better song than 'True Blue'.

I do like 'The Final Countdown' without it ever being a huge favourite - the keyboard riff, guitar solo, anthemic vocals and apocalyptic theme make it timeless even if a little overblown.

Lots of songs I like now… Papa Don’t Preach is my favourite to feature so far but I definitely do prefer at least two of the remaining tracks so it would be top 3 at best.

The one I’m not sure about is George Michael, I really can’t recall it at all which makes me think I’m not bothered about it at all. I did have a flick through the video of it you posted but it still doesn’t really sound that familiar, even though I’ve definitely heard it before as I bought his best of.

I didn’t really like The Final Countdown at the time, I’m much happier to hear it nowadays. Fun synth stadium rock that certainly isn’t taking itself too seriously.

If I remember the ‘86 number ones correctly I love all your top 3 songs, I’m now just wondering if you’ll put them in the same order as me?!

Edited Thursday at 20:424 days by Jaz13music

It's been overplayed in media. The synth riff is good though, 80s synth rock is great, with Van Halen - Jump recently in the 1984 thread on here and I also like Marillion Incommunicado from 1987.

"Final Countdown" and "Chain Reaction" are alright and deserve their positions. "Papa Don't Preach" not a big Madonna favourite of mine. I like her late 80s/early90's + late90's/early2000th era's most.

Final Countdown its all about the riffs, and the overall dark mood of the lyrics, it was a fave at the time - I was working surveying Dorset highways with the radio on, and the young chap assistant was a music graduate (between jobs) and not a fan generally of pop music. I recall one discussion about the worth of current pop music (he: it's disposable rubbish and wont be remembered in 20 years time, me: the best records will def be remembered decades from now, and I offered up Berlin and The Final Countdown as top contenders in the then-current chart. I think I've won that argument....😇

I must agree about the lyrics though, Venus is mere Light Minutes away, so maybe they were going to use its gravity as a sling shot to the other planets to get sling shots to other planets to build up speed. In 1986 it would have taken months to get to Venus, and landing is impossible without getting crushed and fried all at once. Either way the use of Light Years makes no sense, as a unit of distance, it would take thousands of years to travel just one light year, so may as well just stay on Earth.... 😄

3. Take My Breath Away - Berlin

Take My Breath Away was written by Giorgio Moroder with lyrics by Tom Whitlock for the film Top Gun. It was first offered to The Motels, who got as far as recording a demo, but ended up with the American band Berlin whom Giorgio had worked with previously. Lead singer Terri Nunn was the only member of the group to contribute to the recording with the synths and other instruments being played by Giorgio and his studio team. The song spent four weeks at number 1 in November while also topping the Billboard chart and winning an Oscar for Best Original Song.

Take My Breath Away ended up killing the group with the other members not wanting to perform a song in their concerts that they had no involvement with and they split up just one year later. Terri Nunn formed a new line-up of Berlin in 1997 and this group is still going with some of the original members eventually returning to the fold. The song was a top 3 hit again in 1990 after the TV premiere of Top Gun.

Like my fourth placed song, The Final Countdown, this one starts with its main selling point, which in this case is that synth bass sound which continues throughout the whole of the song. We also have the electronic drums and sweeping keyboards. These alone are not enough, it obviously needs a great vocal and Terri Nunn comes up with the goods with an absorbing performance, full of emotion, which she said afterwards was down to her being unhappy with her own love life at the time.

Take My Breath Away is incredible, would also be in my top 3.

Yeah Take My Breath Away is excellent. I have a special attachment to it as well because it was the ‘first dance’ song at my wedding!

Your top 2 are the same as mine, but in which order?

Edited Friday at 18:533 days by Jaz13music

'Take My Breath Away' is fantastic. Definitely in my top 5.

100% the best song so far. Such an iconic song - never get tired of listening to this. Had also a great comeback on 1990.

17 hours ago, Jaz13music said:

Yeah Take My Breath Away is excellent. I have a special attachment to it as well because it was the ‘first dance’ song at my wedding!

Nice choice. My sister also had that song!

I have a favourite of the two remaining #1s, will see if it follows here.

2. West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys

West End Girls was one of twelve songs that the Pet Shop Boys recorded in 1983 and 1984 with producer Bobby Orlando who Neil Tennant had met in New York where he was interviewing Sting for Smash Hits magazine. It was a minor hit in some countries. The song was re-recorded in 1985 with Steven Hague producing and entered the chart at number 80 in November. It then progressed 59-40-23-9-5-4-3 before spending two weeks at number 1 in January 1986. It also reached the top of the Billboard chart and won a Brit award for best single.

My top two number 1 singles from the year are well ahead of the rest and this one finishes as the runner-up. The 40 second intro immediately draws you in with the sounds of the street interspersed with different synth effects. Then Neil Tennant comes in, rapping in a well spoken English accent which would certainly have been unusual for the mid 80s even if wasn't the first time it had been done. He then sings the chorus parts. You also have a trumpet but it's not a real one, only an Emulator sample, and some backing vocals from Helena Springs. The lyrics are about the disparity between the poor East End of London and the more affluent and glamourous West End with the boys from the former travelling over to the latter for the evening to have a good time. Synth pop had virtually died out by 1986 but the Pet Shop Boys brought it back with something that sounded new and refreshing. I placed West End Girls at number 549 in my all time top 1000 behind twelve other Pet Shop Boys songs so with it only being my 13th favourite from them, it falls short of my top ranking here.

1. The Sun Always Shines On TV - a-ha

'Take On Me' had been a huge breakthrough hit for the Norwegian group but was kept off the top of the UK chart by Jennifer Rush's 'The Power Of Love' for three weeks. The Sun Always Shines On TV was the follow-up single. After entering the chart around Christmas at number 39, it climbed to 27 and 5 before emulating Take On Me's peak of number 2, behind West End Girls. This time, a-ha got the number 1 they deserved, with a two week reign. The video for the song started with an epilogue to the one for Take On Me before switching to a performance in the church of Saint Alban the Martyr in Teddington in front of hundreds of mannequins.

This is a song of two intros, the first one is quite brief with synth sounds resembling a flute and piano which continue to back the first vocal, then comes a longer and much more dramatic intro before the vocals take centre stage. Morten Harket puts in a skilled and evocative vocal performance but the highlight of the song for me is the wall of sound created by all the keyboard textures. The song's title came from the group watching TV on a rainy day in England and hearing the programme announcer say "it's a rainy day but, as always,. the sun always shines on TV". The rest of the lyrics seem to be about having worries and self doubt, maybe even depression, and craving the love of another person. This means that I can mention Genesis for a third time in this countdown as their TV themed song, 'Turn It On Again, has a similar lyrical story.

I prefer The Sun Always Shines On TV to Take On Me which has almost 20 more times Spotify streams and it's my favourite song by a-ha. I placed it at number 391 in my top 1000 so that helped my decision to put it above West End Girls at the top of my rankings.

Thanks to everyone who read my reviews and commented. Please post your own order of songs if you have the time. This is a recap of my top 20:

1. The Sun Always Shines On TV - A-ha

2. West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys

3. Take My Breath Away - Berlin

4. The Final Countdown - Europe

5. Chain Reaction - Diana Ross

6. Papa Don't Preach - Madonna

7. A Different Corner - George Michael

8. Rock Me Amadeus - Falco

9. Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl In Town) - Jackie Wilson

10. Caravan Of Love - The Housemartins

11. The Lady In Red - Chris de Burgh

12. True Blue - Madonna

13. Spirit In The Sky - Doctor and the Medics

14. Don't Leave Me This Way - The Communards with Sarah Jane Morris

15. When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going - Billy Ocean

16. Every Loser Wins - Nick Berry

17. The Edge Of Heaven - Wham!

18. I Wanna Wake Up With You - Boris Gardiner

19. Living Doll - Cliff Richard and The Young Ones featuring Hank Marvin

20. The Chicken Song - Spitting Image