My Random Music

Yes there wasn't a music video and given Michael Jackson wasn't available to perform on Top of the Pops either the song never appeared on the show when it was at number one. With 5 songs to go I can tell you that my favourite number one of the year is in your Top 5 and my bottom 2 are also in your Top 5.

This made me laugh but not sure it's intentional, "Who's That Girl" was one of the singles that was excluded from "The Immaculate Collection". I agree it's a poor record. I do like the other 3 records that have featured here since I last posted. Being a primary school kid at the time I was probably the right audience for "Star Trekkin" and remember seeing the mad video on Top of the Pops very well. "Reet Petite" was really ahead of its time in the 50s when you compare it to what else was around at the time. "La Bamba" was the first song I remember hearing sung in a foreign language which was something I found interesting. I also remember thinking at the time the singer looked like Tony Green on Bullseye.

Just come across this thread. Looking at the list of number ones tells me chart music had well and truly died by 2008. The only number one I like is Kid Rock and even that wasn't a patch on his earlier stuff. Sounds like I'm the only one on here who likes Kid Rock though.

1987 was the first year I remember of the charts so I like some of the number ones for the simple fact they give me fond memories. I don't mind the bottom 2 records but neither are ones I'd listen to through choice. They're both inferior covers and sound more pointless than bad. Steve 'Silk' Hurley though is a record I'd put near the top. It's true that house music got better as the music evolved but I like the way its all about the beat and has minimal vocals. My bottom 2 number ones are both overplayed and irritating but I'll wait until they appear in the countdown before I say anymore.

Here's my ranking: Dr Hook - When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman Tubeway Army - Are Friends Electric? Blondie - Heart of Glass Ian Dury and the Blockheads - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick Gary Numan - Cars The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall Part II The Police - Message in a Bottle Blondie - Sunday Girl The Police - Walking on the Moon Art Garfunkel - Bright Eyes Bee Gees - Tragedy The Boomtown Rats - I Don’t Like Mondays Anita Ward - Ring My Bell Village People - YMCA Cliff Richard - We Don’t Talk Anymore Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive Lena Martell - One Day at a Time Not a million miles away from your rankings but it seems I'm on my own with liking Dr Hook and only one other seems to not like Gloria Gaynor.

"I Will Survive" is the one I cannot stand. I think disco is one of those genres where when done well you have a great tune but if done badly it's really irritating and this fits the latter for me. I always used to write off disco as being cheesy nonsense which was really because of the big anthems like this, but when looking at the more obscure records there's some proper gems which are mainly instrumental or have minimal vocals.

Ian Dury is one that would definitely be in my Top 5 and Buggles is the one that would just miss out. Aside from Dr Hook as my number one it's very difficult to choose between the ones behind it but when I thought what my Top 3 would be prior to making my last post it included the 2 which are yet to come. So 2 of our Top 3 are the same but we have polar opposite opinions on our other choices.

Like 1983 I don't think there's any obscure number ones of 1979. I'm sure I knew them all before I could use the internet to fill gaps in my knowledge. Of the 5 that remain 3 of them would almost certainly make my Top 5, 1 would just miss out thanks to Dr Hook and Gary Numan and 1 I cannot stand and would put near the bottom.

No worries, we can't all like the same thing. No I don't remember it at the time, my memories of the charts didn't begin until 1987 and I've been a music nerd ever since. I would also put "Bright Eyes" nearer the bottom than the top, it's not too bad but like others have said it works better in the film than as a stand alone song. Interesting how Paul Simon is considered the bigger solo artist from Simon & Garfunkel but had no solo number ones whereas Art Garfunkel topped the charts with 2 of his 3 solo Top 40 hits.

Yes the 50s had less than 200 new entries every year but there were fewer positions. Then from the 60s to mid-70s it was over 200 new entries each year but always less than 300. Late 70s and most the 80s was around 300 new entries each year then got over 350 in 1988 and 1989. All of the 90s years had at least 400 new entries and from 1992 they all had over 500 and peaked in 1997 when there was over 700.

I was fully expecting Lena Martell to be bottom of the list because it's generally perceived to be on of the worst number ones of all time . I don't know why it topped the charts but I do know it was recorded in 1977 and was a cover of an American song written by Kris Kristofferson. I think the Dr Hook song is excellent and is not only my favourite number one of the year but possibly also the best Top 40 hit of the year. I think the lyrics are funny, they were a band who didn't take themselves too seriously and there's humour in a lot of their songs.

The 5 best: Marvin Gaye - (Sexual) Healing Whitesnake - Here I Go Again Malcolm McLaren And The World's Famous Supreme Team - Buffalo Gals Phil Collins - You Can't Hurry Love Incantation - Cacharpaya (Andes Pumpsa Desi) Worst: Shalamar - Friends Tiebreak: Mad World

I like the way it goes from one extreme to another. I do get that listening to a 50s crooner after hearing a 90s rave classic is a bit of an anti-climax. However the problem with having a similar song that follows is you're likely to switch off if it isn't to your liking. At least with the way it is if you don't like the song playing when you switch on you know it could be one of your favourites up next.

5 best: Wonder Dog - Ruff Mix Pinkees - Danger Games Musical Youth - Pass The Dutchie Roxy Music - Take A Chance With Me John Cougar - Jack And Diane Worst: Abba - The Day Before You Came Tiebreak: The Message The bonus songs are mostly after my time so I won't be voting in that.

The 5 best: Madness - Driving In My Car Wavelength - Hurry Home Sting - Spread A Little Happiness Captain Sensible - Wot Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five - The Message The worst: The Belle Stars - The Clapping Song

5 Best: Roxy Music - Avalon The Steve Miller Band - Abracadabra Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird Visage - Night Train Junior - Too Late Worst: Shalamar - A Night To Remember

Now the countdown is complete I don't think there's a single obscure number one of 1983. Interested to know if there's any 1983 number one that anyone on here didn't know already.

5 best: PhD - I Won't Let You Down Hot Chocolate - Girl Crazy Junior - Mama Used To Say Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast New Order - Temptation worst: Joan Jett And The Blackhearts - I Love Rock 'N' Roll tiebreak: Japan

Does anyone here listen to this? For those who don't know it's a radio station with a playlist of every Top 40 hit from 1952-1999 that gets played at random and won't get repeated until they've got through the entire playlist. There's no presenters and just 1 advert an hour. The problem with most retro stations is that they never play anything I haven't heard before and often they play something I've heard far too many times in my life. Every time I listen to Retro Charts Radio I hear something I've never heard before. I honestly couldn't think of a single way you could make it better. Obviously I don't like everything they play but I'd much rather sit through 3 minutes of a boring song than 3 minutes of irritating adverts you get on other stations.

Interesting how all the records in this countdown so far are all very well known and still regularly played today. In the 90s there were several that faded into obscurity straight after they topped the charts. In this countdown I'm certain I would know all these songs even if I wasn't a music nerd and I'm aware there's still more really well known ones to come.

I was alive in 1983 but too young to remember it. The Top of the Pops reruns filled a lot of gaps in my knowledge though. I like "Candy Girl". The first time I consciously remember it was when New Edition made their 90s come back with "Hit Me Off" and they showed this on Top of the Pops 2. I couldn't believe it was the same band.

The 5 best: Modern Romance - Queen Of The Rapping Scene (Nothing Ever Goes The Way You Plan) Imagination - Just An Illusion Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight (Live Version) Pluto - Your Honour Roxy Music - More Than This The worst: Bow Wow Wow - Go Wild In The Country

I like all 3 records in your Top 10 so far. Armand Van Helden is possibly my favourite of the year. I did find the superstar DJ thing a bit cringe but it was undeniably good music. Remember hearing the Five record for the first time on the radio in my car. Whilst other songs of theirs is more students union guilty pleasure material this is a genuinely good song. Blondie were quite unusual in having a comeback record that's up there with the records they did in their prime. Very few musicians manage to do that.

You hear a lot of people who were there in the acid house days say that before the raves they'd be getting into fights in the pubs and clubs on a Saturday night. The Prodigy certainly bridged the gap between rockers and ravers. Admittedly I hated it when they started incorporating guitars at the time because I was a rave purist but over time I've grown to like it. Still can't get into "Firestarter" though.

I've gone through many phases which I guess in itself reflects me as a person because I don't like too much of the same thing generally speaking. As a teen in the 90s rave music was my thing and it certainly went beyond the music. I saw a lot of the DJs had long hair so I grew mine, when I saw footage of raves I saw a lot of adidas being worn so I started wearing adidas myself. There weren't many others at school into rave, plenty were into house music but would turn their noses up at anything above 130 BPM, so it made it hard to gauge what being an authentic raver entailed. When I got to college and met new people I remember one person being surprised I was into rave because they didn't think I looked like a raver. I asked what sort of music I looked like I was into and they said indie which is one genre I've never got into and absolutely detested it at the time. More broadly I like my music to have a good beat and would rather listen to something hard and fast than something slow and soft. One of my big interests outside of music is motorsport which is all about speed. I'm also quite speedy in a lot of things I do so I guess that does say something about me as a person.