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....