Jester

Great year for albums, less so for number 1 singles! Thanks for doing this, looking forward to seeing where you rank my favourites.

Thanks Chez!

Thanks for commenting Jaz!

I like this one but she did way better many times.

Thanks for your comments throughout!

Thanks for commenting everyone! 1 Pet Shop Boys - It's a Sin 2 The Bee Gees - You Win Again 3 Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) 4 Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now 5 Mel and Kim - Respectable 6 Michael Jackson - I Just Can't Stop Loving You 7 Pet Shop Boys - Always on My Mind 8 Madonna - La Isla Bonita 9 Aretha Franklin & George Michael - I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) 10 T'Pau - China in Your Hand 11 Ben E. King - Stand by Me 12 Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up 13 M/A/R/R/S - Pump up the Volume 14 Los Lobos - La Bamba 15 Madonna - Who's That Girl 16 Jackie Wilson - Reet Petite 17 The Firm - Star Trekkin' 18 Steve 'Silk' Hurley - Jack Your Body 19 Boy George - Everything I Own 20 Ferry Aid - Let It Be

1. Pet Shop Boys - It's A Sin (Score 10/10) 3 weeks at number 1 Kept off number 1: Bruce Willis - Under The Boardwalk Number 1 time at last and the second best Pet Shop Boys song of 1987 and my favourite number of the 80s. A pretty clear winner for me amoungst an incredibly stong top 4. Few singles in the Pet Shop Boys’ catalogue carry the sheer dramatic weight of It’s A Sin, a song that transforms Neil Tennant’s memories of Catholic school guilt into a towering, operatic synth‑pop confession. Written in a burst of inspiration — Tennant has said the lyrics poured out in about 15 minutes — the track channels years of internalised judgement into something both deeply personal and theatrically grand. It’s a song where autobiography becomes spectacle, and where the Pet Shop Boys’ signature cool detachment is fused with overwhelming emotional force. The production is Chris Lowe at his most maximalist. The track opens with ominous synth chords that feel like the doors of a cathedral swinging shut, followed by thunderous electronic drums, orchestral stabs, and a choral arrangement that evokes the grandeur of a Latin mass. The arrangement is deliberately over the top — almost baroque in its scale — but the band lean into the drama with total conviction. Tennant’s vocal, cool and precise, cuts through the bombast with lines that turn personal shame into a kind of defiant performance. The contrast between his deadpan delivery and the apocalyptic production is what gives the song its power: he sings about sin with such clarity that the whole thing becomes a critique rather than a confession. Released in 1987 as the lead single from Actually, It’s A Sin became one of the Pet Shop Boys’ biggest hits, spending three weeks at No. 1 in the UK and resonating strongly across Europe. Its themes of guilt, repression and identity struck a chord with LGBTQ+ listeners in particular, even though Tennant didn’t publicly come out until years later. The song’s emotional core — the sense of being judged simply for existing — gave it a resonance far beyond the charts, turning it into an anthem of defiance for anyone who had ever been told they were “wrong” for who they were. The track also generated controversy. A theology professor accused the band of plagiarising Catholic hymns, a claim so absurd that the Pet Shop Boys responded with characteristic wit by donating money to charity in his name. The incident only reinforced the song’s status as a cultural flashpoint — a pop record that dared to confront the institutions that shaped (and scarred) its writer. Decades later, It’s A Sin remains one of the most iconic singles of the 1980s, a moment where pop music, personal history and social commentary collided with spectacular force. It’s grand, it’s camp, it’s serious and it captures the Pet Shop Boys at the height of their powers, turning private pain into a universal, unforgettable pop statement. What a strong 1987 for the Pet Shop Boys - their best song kept off the top of the charts (What Have I Done To Deserve This?), the best number of the 80s (It's A Sin), the Christmas number 1 (Always On My Mind). The final single from Actually is also superb - Rent. Amazing! I have nothing to add about the Bruce Willis song at number 2.

2. The Bee Gees - You Win Again (Score - 10/10) 4 weeks at number 1 Kept off number 1: Full Metal Jacket - I Want To Be Your Drill Instructor, Jan Hammer - Crockett's Theme & George Micheal - Faith So, crunch time with the top 2! The runner up is by far the best Bee Gees song and their only 80s chart topper (this got them the accolade of having number 1s in the 60s, 70s and the 80s). Let the drumbeat begin! By the mid‑1980s the Bee Gees were in a strange cultural limbo, still writing global hits for other artists like Chain Reaction, Islands in the Stream and Heartbreaker, yet as performers they were still carrying the stigma of the disco backlash that had unfairly turned them into shorthand for an entire genre’s collapse. They were respected but not fashionable, admired but not embraced. You Win Again became the moment they decided to reclaim their identity on their own terms, and they did it by crafting a single that sounded like nothing else in 1987. The key to the track’s impact is the drum sound, which the brothers obsessed over. Barry, Robin and Maurice wanted something that felt like a physical jolt — not a typical LinnDrum or Simmons pad, but a beat that hit like a weapon. They built it using a LinnDrum LM‑1 as the base, then heavily processed it with gated reverb, compression and manual EQ sculpting to create that “cannon‑shot” effect Maurice described. They layered additional percussive samples, pitched and distorted them, and pushed the attack so hard that the drum almost becomes a hook in itself. It’s mechanical, but it pulses with intent — a heartbeat turned into a war drum. Over that foundation, the brothers delivered one of their most confident late‑career melodies. Barry’s lead vocal is controlled but urgent, carrying the emotional weight of a relationship where surrender feels inevitable. Robin’s quivering harmonies add tension, and Maurice’s production instincts keep everything sleek and modern without losing the warmth of their classic sound. The lyrics frame love as a battlefield, but the delivery gives it a triumphant swagger — the “defeat” in the title feels almost playful, as if the narrator knows he’s already lost but is choosing to lose with style. When the song was released, radio programmers were sceptical. The Bee Gees weren’t supposed to sound contemporary anymore, and the industry didn’t quite know what to do with a track that felt both futuristic and unmistakably them. But the public responded instantly. You Win Again shot to No. 1 in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and across Europe, giving the Bee Gees their first UK chart‑topper since Tragedy in 1979. The song’s success effectively rebooted their career. It reminded the world that the Bee Gees were not relics of the disco era but master craftsmen capable of reinventing themselves whenever they chose. Today, You Win Again stands as one of their most important late‑period singles — a bold, muscular, meticulously produced track that proved the brothers still had the power to surprise, innovate and dominate the charts long after the trends they’d once defined had moved on. I love how the Bee Gees did something different and how successful this was for them - its a huge earworm and rightfully stands as thier best song for me. A word on what was kept off the top of the charts, Jan Hammer's Crocketts Theme is one of the best 80s number 2s imo, a brilliant instrumental and its a real shame that it didn't quite reach it to the top. The Full Metal Jacket song is just shouty noise and of course Faith is a classic.

That was my guess on your other bottom 2! Your wife has good taste 😁

Pray is easily one of my favourite Take That number 1s, a real step up for them. MJs Will You Be There is great - all those key changes!

Jester’s Top Tunes 1052 1 (2) Tame Impala feat. JENNIE – Dracula (JENNIE Remix) // 2-1 (2 wks) 1 week at number 1 2 (4) ANOTR & 54 Ultra – Talk To You // 9-6-4-2 (4 wks) 3 (1) Alex Warren – Fever Dream // 19-15-12-11-9-6-5-3-1-3 (10 wks) 4 (7) Sombr – Potential // 10-7-4 (3 wks) 5 (10) Madonna – I Feel So Free // 10-5 (2 wks) 6 (3) Sombr – Homewrecker // 10-8-4-4-2-2-5-4-2-1-1-3-6 (13 wks) 7 (6) Harry Styles – American Girls // 9-1-1-1-3-5-6-7 (8 wks) 8 (5) Tame Impala – My Old Ways // 13-5-4-2-5-8 (6 wks) 9 (11) Olivia Rodrigo – Drop Dead // 11-11-9 (3 wks) 10 (15) Lady Gaga & Doechii – RUNWAY // 18-15-10 (3 wks) 11 (9) Sam Fender & Olivia Dean – Rein Me In // 13-11-10-6-4-3-1-3-3-2-1-1-1-4-5-4-7-8-9-11 (20 wks) 12 (8) Taylor Swift – Elizabeth Taylor // 21-16-14-20-23-35-27-21-12-8-7-6-3-3-2-4-8-12 (18 wks) 13 (-) Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – Bring Your Love // 13 (1 wk) 14 (12) Chris Stussy & Tom Did It – Wide Awake // 21-21-10-7-12-14 (6 wks) 15 (14) Harry Styles – Aperture // 10-5-2-1-3-3-5-5-8-8-12-13-14-14-15 (15 wks) 16 (13) PinkPantheress feat. Zara Larsson – Stateside // 11-9-5-3-3-7-2-7-8-9-13-16 (12 wks) 17 (16) Pulp – Background Noise // 7-5-1-1-3-4-6-7-7-9-13-14-14-14-14-15-16-17 (17 wks) 18 (17) Djo – The Crux // 4-1-3-4-6-6-7-8-8-10-14-15-15-15-15-16-17-18 (18 wks) 19 (18) Gorillaz, Asha Puthii, Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Jalen Ngonda & Black Thought – The Moon Cave // 14-11-8-2-6-8-11-13-18-19 (10 wks) 20 (-) Becky Hill - >>>hands on me<<< // 20 (1 wk) 21 (-) Prospa & Cloonee – Free Your Mind // 21 (1 wk) 22 (21) Arctic Monkeys – Opening Night // 9-4-1-5-6-6-6-10-10-10-13-16-19-21-22 (15 wks) 23 (23) Taylor Swift – Opalite // 18-15-11-9-4-7-6-3-2-5-6-11-18-4-1-2-4-6-9-16-17-20-22-23-23 (25 wks) 24 (19) Dominic Fike – Babydoll // 17-10-6-12-19-24 (6 wks) 25 (24) Romy – Love Who You Love // 10-6-3-1-1-1-3-5-6-6-8-11-12-13-14-16-16-16-17-20-22-22-23-24-25 (25 wks) 26 (20) Bauuer – Better // 20-26 (2 wks) 27 (22) Jessie Ware – Ride // 10-7-4-3-7-9-12-17-22-27 (10 wks) 28 (26) Ewan McVicar – Share The House // 19-12-11-11-17-21-26-28 (8 wks) 29 (25) Myles Smith – My Mess // 21-20-25-29 (4 wks) 30 (27) Olivia Dean – So Easy (To Fall In Love) // 15-13-7-4-2-2-2-2-1-5-7-7-8-10-12-16-15-11-12-15-21-23-24-24-25-27-30 (27 wks) 31 (28) BTS – SWIM // 13-12-16-18-24-28-31 (7 wks) 32 (29) Kasabian – GREAT PRETENDER // 20-19-26-29-32 (5 wks) 33 (30) RAYE – Nightingale Lane // 13-11-18-18-19-23-27-30-33 (9 wks) 34 (32) Robbie Williams – All My Life // 16-11-8-7-2-5-9-14-17-22-27-27-29-32-32-34 (16 wks) 35 (31) Pulp – Tina // 5-1-1-1-3-4-6-6-7-8-9-10-14-12-12-14-16-17-16-20-23-23-25-25-26-26-28-30-31-35 (30 wks) 36 (34) Radiohead – Let Down // 9-5-1-1-4-6-5-6-7-8-9-10-10-10-14-14-16-15-15-17-18-20-24-26-28-28-28-28-30-31-32-32-34-34-36 (35 wks) 37 (33) RAYE – WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! // 12-10-15-17-22-26-28-27-29-29-29-26-29-30-31-31-33-37 (18 wks) 38 (38) Bright Light Bright Light + Ana Matronic - Cold Sweat, Hot Boys // 18-11-10-11-17-19-22-24-28-31-34-37-38-38 (14 wks) 39 (39) HAVEN feat. Karen Aargon – I Run // 14-12-6-4-4-2-3-2-2-7-8-13-14-17-20-24-27-28-30-33-35-38-39-39 (24 wks) 40 (40) Oasis – Slide Away // 10-7-4-4-1-1-3-5-6-8-9-10-11-12-13-13-17-17-20-20-20-23-23-24-24-27-28-30-32-35-35-35-37-39-39-39-40-40-40 (39 wks)

I alternately despised some Akon songs and really liked others - this is in the latter category. The other is the superb Sweet Escape.

Their last album was fantastic, so fingers crossed I like their new music.

I agree, she looks so happy and seems so fresh and alive.

Voted!

3. Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) (score 10/10) Number 1 for 2 weeks Kept off number 1: Johnny Logan - Hold Me Now Onto the top 3 and we are bopping to an 80s classic and pop masterpiece. I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) arrived in May 1987 at a crucial turning point in Whitney Houston’s career. After the record‑breaking success of her 1985 debut — which produced three US No.1 singles and turned her into the most celebrated new vocalist of the decade, Whitney entered 1987 as a global superstar facing the pressure of proving she could do it all again. She had just completed a hugely successful world tour, her voice was being hailed as the defining sound of modern pop, and Arista Records were determined that her second album would cement her as the era’s premier crossover artist. Clive Davis wanted a lead single that felt youthful, joyful, and unmistakably Whitney, something that would push her further into mainstream pop while showcasing the exuberance that had made How Will I Know such a breakthrough. At this moment, Whitney was poised to make history as within weeks of the single’s release, her album Whitney would become the first album by a female artist ever to debut at No.1 in both the US and UK, and I Wanna Dance with Somebody was the song chosen to kick off that era. The genesis of the track began with George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam of Boy Meets Girl, who had already given Whitney How Will I Know. Their initial demo was more wistful and mid‑tempo, but producer Narada Michael Walden envisioned something brighter and more rhythmically urgent. He re‑shaped the song into a full‑throttle dance‑pop anthem, layering synths, drum machines, and a sparkling, radio‑ready sheen designed to contrast with the ballads that had dominated Whitney’s debut. Whitney reportedly connected instantly with the song’s emotional core — the mix of longing and celebration, the desire not just to dance but to feel genuinely loved — and her vocal performance elevated the track from catchy pop to something euphoric and timeless. Released as the lead single from Whitney, the song exploded commercially. In the UK it surged to No.1, becoming her second chart‑topper and spending two weeks at the top of the charts. Globally it was a phenomenon, hitting No.1 in 17 countries and becoming her fourth consecutive US Billboard Hot 100 No.1, a run that placed her among the most dominant chart acts of the decade. Its success helped propel the Whitney album to its historic No.1 debut and confirmed that she was not just maintaining her momentum but surpassing it. The neon‑bright music video, full of choreography, colour, and Whitney’s infectious charisma, reinforced her image as a joyful, approachable pop icon whose appeal crossed genres and generations. Over the years the song has only grown in stature, re‑entering the UK charts multiple times in the streaming era and surpassing 1.6 billion Spotify streams by 2026. Today, “ Wanna Dance with Somebody stands as one of the defining pop songs of the 1980s — a glittering, euphoric anthem that captures Whitney Houston at the exact moment she became untouchable, balancing technical brilliance with pure, irresistible joy. This was my number 1 of the year when I started this countdown (I also put it at the top of my favourite number 1s of the 80s when Gezza did a countdown), but I had a rethink on the strength of what was to come. Frankly, my top 4 here would be the top 4 of the whole decade foe me! This song never fails to make me smile and is a right dopamine hit. The memories of dancing around to this in Heaven back in 2014/15 on cheesy night. Amazing. Whitney would never come close to this again for me.

Definitely the second best Gaga number of the year and would also be in my top 5. I will always remember the chart show here when we realised at about number 4 or 5 that this was the climber at number 1!

No vinyl? :(

I love I’m Not Alone. Calvin at his best!

Bonkers is the only Dizzee song I really like. I’d have this top 10 as well.

Not listened to Bulletproof in years. Great number 1.

@Chez Wombat - could we extend the deadline to Monday next week? I’m struggling to find time!

Agree this is her best song, love it.

4. Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now (Score 10/10) 4 weeks at number 1 Kept off number 1: Judy Boucher - Can't Be With You Tonight & Tom Jones - A Boy From Nowhere Power ballad alert! Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now became one of Starship’s biggest global hits and a defining power ballad of the decade. Written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond, the song was recorded for the band’s album No Protection and served as the theme for the 1987 romantic‑comedy film Mannequin, starring Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall. The film follows McCarthy’s character, a struggling artist who discovers that a mannequin he created comes to life as Emmy, an Egyptian woman under an ancient spell; the song plays a central role in the film’s fantasy‑romance tone and helped drive its popularity through heavy MTV rotation. Commercially, the single was a major success. t reached No.1 on the UK Singles Chart and stayed there for four consecutive weeks, ultimately becoming the UK’s second‑best‑selling single of 1987. It also topped the charts in the US, Canada and Ireland, marking Diane Warren’s first-ever No.1 hit as a songwriter. A key milestone came with Grace Slick, who shared lead vocals with Mickey Thomas. At 47 years old, she became the oldest woman ever to reach No.1 in the UK at that time, a record later surpassed by Cher in 1998. For Starship, 1987 represented the peak of their polished, radio‑friendly pop‑rock era. The band had evolved dramatically from their origins as Jefferson Airplane and later Jefferson Starship, moving from psychedelic and experimental rock into a glossy, synth‑driven AOR sound. This shift had already produced major hits such as We Built This City and Sara and Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now arrived as the commercial high point of this phase. Internal tensions and lineup changes would follow in the late ’80s, but at this moment the group were firmly established as mainstream hitmakers. The song’s creation also carries a personal backstory: co‑writer Albert Hammond has explained that its theme of unstoppable love was inspired by his own long-delayed marriage, finally made possible after years of legal complications. Combined with Narada Michael Walden’s expansive production and the vocal chemistry between Slick and Thomas, the track became one of the quintessential power ballads of the 1980s. Its chart dominance, its association with Mannequin, and Grace Slick’s record‑breaking achievement have all helped cement Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now as one of the most enduring soundtrack hits of the era. I have really grown to love this song over the years. Its video, with clips of Mannequin is perfect and shows the band coming to life then returning to dummies at the end. Kim Cattrall is utterly gorgeous in the film and video and it really makes the film seem better than it is frankly! The vocals are so on point and it makes the quintessential 80s power ballad. This could easily be my favourite of the year in any other year but this IS 1987 so.....! The songs kept off the top of the charts are nothing special imo, so kudos to Starship! All my top four are 10/10 moments, so it’s been tough ranking them.

Jester’s Top Tunes 1051 1 (3) Alex Warren – Fever Dream // 19-15-12-11-9-6-5-3-1 (9 wks) 1 week at number 1 2 (-) Tame Imapala feat. JENNIE – Dracula (JENNIE Remix) // 2 (1 wk) 3 (1) Sombr – Homewrecker // 10-8-4-4-2-2-5-4-2-1-1-3 (12 wks) 4 (6) ANOTR & 54 Ultra – Talk To You // 9-6-4 (3 wks) 5 (2) Tame Impala – My Old Ways // 13-5-4-2-5 (5 wks) 6 (5) Harry Styles – American Girls // 9-1-1-1-3-5-6 (7 wks) 7 (10) Sombr – Potential // 10-7 (2 wks) 8 (4) Taylor Swift – Elizabeth Taylor // 21-16-14-20-23-35-27-21-12-8-7-6-3-3-2-4-8 (17 wks) 9 (8) Sam Fender & Olivia Dean – Rein Me In // 13-11-10-6-4-3-1-3-3-2-1-1-1-4-5-4-7-8-9 (19 wks) 10 (-) Madonna – I Feel So Free // 10 (1 wk) 11 (11) Olivia Rodrigo – Drop Dead // 11-11 (2 wks) 12 (7) Chris Stussy & Tom Did It – Wide Awake // 21-21-10-7-12 (5 wks) 13 (9) PinkPantheress feat. Zara Larsson – Stateside // 11-9-5-3-3-7-2-7-8-9-13 (11 wks) 14 (14) Harry Styles – Aperture // 10-5-2-1-3-3-5-5-8-8-12-13-14-14 (14 wks) 15 (18) Lady Gaga & Doechii – RUNWAY // 18-15 (2 wks) 16 (15) Pulp – Background Noise // 7-5-1-1-3-4-6-7-7-9-13-14-14-14-14-15-16 (16 wks) 17 (16) Djo – The Crux // 4-1-3-4-6-6-7-8-8-10-14-15-15-15-15-16-17 (17 wks) 18 (13) Gorillaz, Asha Puthii, Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Jalen Ngonda & Black Thought – The Moon Cave // 14-11-8-2-6-8-11-13-18 (9 wks) 19 (12) Dominic Fike – Babydoll // 17-10-6-12-19 (5 wks) 20 (-) Bauuer – Better // 20 (1 wk) 21 (19) Arctic Monkeys – Opening Night // 9-4-1-5-6-6-6-10-10-10-13-16-19-21 (14 wks) 22 (17) Jessie Ware – Ride // 10-7-4-3-7-9-12-17-22 (9 wks) 23 (22) Taylor Swift – Opalite // 18-15-11-9-4-7-6-3-2-5-6-11-18-4-1-2-4-6-9-16-17-20-22-23 (24 wks) 24 (23) Romy – Love Who You Love // 10-6-3-1-1-1-3-5-6-6-8-11-12-13-14-16-16-16-17-20-22-22-23-24 (24 wks) 25 (20) Myles Smith – My Mess // 21-20-25 (3 wks) 26 (21) Ewan McVicar – Share The House // 19-12-11-11-17-21-26 (7 wks) 27 (25) Olivia Dean – So Easy (To Fall In Love) // 15-13-7-4-2-2-2-2-1-5-7-7-8-10-12-16-15-11-12-15-21-23-24-24-25-27 (26 wks) 28 (24) BTS – SWIM // 13-12-16-18-24-28 (6 wks) 29 (26) Kasabian – GREAT PRETENDER // 20-19-26-29 (4 wks) 30 (27) RAYE – Nightingale Lane // 13-11-18-18-19-23-27-30 (8 wks) 31 (30) Pulp – Tina // 5-1-1-1-3-4-6-6-7-8-9-10-14-12-12-14-16-17-16-20-23-23-25-25-26-26-28-30-31 (29 wks) 32 (32) Robbie Williams – All My Life // 16-11-8-7-2-5-9-14-17-22-27-27-29-32-32 (15 wks) 33 (31) RAYE – WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! // 12-10-15-17-22-26-28-27-29-29-29-26-29-30-31-31-33 (17 wks) 34 (34) Radiohead – Let Down // 9-5-1-1-4-6-5-6-7-8-9-10-10-10-14-14-16-15-15-17-18-20-24-26-28-28-28-28-30-31-32-32-34-34 (34 wks) 35 (28) Disclosure – The Sun Comes Up Tremendous // 18-25-28-35 (4 wks) 36 (29) Robyn – Blow My Mind // 21-20-19-23-26-29-36 (7 wks) 37 (33) BLACKPINK – GO // 20-18-16-22-28-30-33-37 (8 wks) 38 (37) Bright Light Bright Light + Ana Matronic - Cold Sweat, Hot Boys // 18-11-10-11-17-19-22-24-28-31-34-37-38 (13 wks) 39 (38) HAVEN feat. Karen Aargon – I Run // 14-12-6-4-4-2-3-2-2-7-8-13-14-17-20-24-27-28-30-33-35-38-39 (23 wks) 40 (40) Oasis – Slide Away // 10-7-4-4-1-1-3-5-6-8-9-10-11-12-13-13-17-17-20-20-20-23-23-24-24-27-28-30-32-35-35-35-37-39-39-39-40-40 (38 wks)