Gezza

Over the 3 million mark tomorrow

27. LIONEL RICHIE (2,962,000) 10 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: HELLO (761,000) Starting out the decade as a member of the Commodores, Richie was writing for other artists (a US chart topper for Kenny Rogers) before branching out as a solo artist in 1981 to huge success. By the middle of the decade he was an international superstar with the best selling album of 1984 and helping to organise and sing on “We Are The World” though of course the single “Hello” was his only solo No 1 in the UK with shall we say a “memorable” video and leave it there?!

28. EURYTHMICS (2,932,000) 19 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: SWEET DREAMS (ARE MADE OF THIS) (505,000) Well aren’t duo’s quite the thing in the 80s! Eurythmics were born out of the demise of punk pop outfit The Tourists who were themselves no strangers to the top 10. It took a while for them to start scoring hits but as 1983 dawned the track “Sweet Dreams” became a massive hit all over the world and they never looked back with hits flowing on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the rest of the decade before the duo split in 1990 acrimoniously (for a period anyway).

29. KIM WILDE (2,894,200) 17 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: KIDS IN AMERICA (494,000) Daughter of 60s pop star Marty Wilde with songs written for her by brother Ricky, it was a family affair which helped Wilde into the charts at just 20. Whilst she’s only the 4th highest female on the list she is the biggest selling UK female act of the decade by some way, and whilst she twice made No 2 in the UK charts, that chart topper always eluded her though she did claim a US chart topper with her version of “You Keep Me Hanging On”.

No worries- I think TOTP must just have accepted what the record labels told them based on shipments

TOTP premature again- it actually crossed the 1 million mark on 31/1 (the day after TOTP was shown).

30. PET SHOP BOYS (2,849,000) 12 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: ALWAYS ON MY MIND (508,000) The top 30 starts off with the perennially popular Pet Shop Boys whose purple period of 1987-89 saw everything they touched turn to commercial gold including writing for Dusty Springfield and Lisa Minnelli and steering both into the top 20. The pair would site OMD, Soft Cell and Depeche Mode as inspiration for their music and ended up outselling them all by the decade end.

31. DEPECHE MODE (2,837,100) 20 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: SEE YOU (354,000) Who suspected the Basildon boys would be this high? It’s another tale of consistency in the decade for the group who survived the loss of Vince Clark in late 1981 as the main songwriter. Indeed in marks a record third appearance for Clark though he only had input into Depeche Mode’s first album. Their mixture of dark pop and synth made them fans in the US where they got cult status and a large fanbase though that top 3 single would always elude them on the UK charts.

32. GEORGE MICHAEL (2,804,100) 9 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: CARELESS WHISPER (1,143,000) The original blueprint for how to forge a successful career from a boyband, George Michael decided to split Wham! Up in 1986 and forge his own way forward. The colossal album “Faith” generated 6 top 20 hits in the UK but also 4 US chart toppers proving it was the right move for him, it all started of course with a trio of solo chart toppers as he became one of the decades heart throbs.

31ST JANUARY Plucked from obscurity at just 13 by record producer and label owner LA Reid, Usher Raymond IV had his first album out at just 15 and got Puff Daddy to co-produce it. Whilst generating some minor hits in the US and the UK #70 hit “Think Of You” (co-written by Faith Evans) it passed largely unnoticed, but now at the grand old age of 19 he returns with a second album “My Way” and a major hit in “You Make Me Wanna”. The song spent 7 weeks at No 2 in the US behind Elton John but wastes no time here shooting straight to No 1 (106,968), it means that 1998 starts just as 1997 did with a string of one week chart toppers for a fourth week. Usher also becomes the youngest male solo act to hit No 1 since Glenn Medeiros ten years ago. Part of the ever growing music scene in Wales Catatonia have built up a steady fanbase touring and supporting, among others, Space over the last few years and have been rewarded with five hit singles so far though none made the top 30. With a second album due in a few weeks they now score their real breakthrough at No 3 (53,000) with the X-Files inspired title “Mulder & Scully. The song was originally intended to be released last summer as the first single from the second album but the record company vetoed the idea and went with “I Am The Mob” (#40) so it looks like the group are now vindicated. “Tubthumping” sold an incredible 750,000+ copies and is doubtless a tough act to follow but Chumbawamba aren’t doing too badly with “Amnesia”. Written as an examination of Tony Blair’s new labour project it doesn’t seem to have been hampered by the party’s current popularity and enters at No 10 (24,000) Proving that the group aren’t destined to become one hit wonders, in the UK at any rate. The All Saints play runner up on both charts again unable to dislodge the Verve on the albums and selling just 61,000 copies of “Never Ever” to trail in at No 2 behind Usher on the singles chart. The track may just sneak its millionth sale this week with a current tally of 959,000. Proving a slow burning hit Lighthouse Family’s “High” rebounds 7-4 (43,000) even though it lost sales, but former No 1 “All Around The World” deflates 1-5 (40,000)- none of the band’s four chart toppers have lasted more than 7 days. Bamboo drift 3-6 (36,000) and Robbie Williams is all zig-zagging around the top 10 9-7 (31,000). “Angels” is now in its 8th week in the top 10 and has sold 501,000 copies, that’s more than all but 2 Take That singles. Wildchild rebel 6-9 (28,000) and fall past Janet Jackson who sticks at No 8 (30,000) but is now the new No 1 Stateside, her 8th US chart topper. 1- YOU MAKE ME WANNA- Usher (106,968) 2- NEVER EVER- All Saints (61,000) 3- MULDER AND SCULLY- Catatonia (53,000) 4- HIGH- Lighthouse Family (43,000) 5- ALL AROUND THE WORLD- Oasis (40,700) 6- BAMBOOGIE- Bamboo (36,000) 7- ANGELS- Robbie Williams (31,000) 8- TOGETHER AGAIN- Janet Jackson (30,000) 9- RENEGADE MASTER 98- Wildchild (28,000) 10- AMNESIA- Chumbawamba (24,000)

24TH JANUARY Scoring an easy fourth chart topper Oasis prove they still have what it takes with “All Around the World”. It’s a tenth top 10 single for the band and an eighth top 3 track on the trot and sold a mighty 112,000 copies to fly to the top which is also their 8th straight six figure opening week sum. At over 9 minutes in length it also becomes the UK’s longest No 1 single ever beating Meat Loaf’s 5 year record (though a radio edit at 4:50 has been made to get airplay) and means that the group have now had a No 1 single in 4 consecutive years, the first since Take That (93-96), the last act to do 5 continuous years? Their heroes The Beatles naturally. The song stems from 1992 and has backing vocals from Meg Matthews, Patsy Kensit and Richard Ashcroft to add extra pazzazz. The “Be Here Now” album has already sold over 1.5 million and lifts 21-14 this week. Back to another song that was written some years ago (1995 in this case), Radiohead’s “No Surprises” goes straight in at No 4 (52,000). It comes a rather alarming promo which sees Yorke get visibly more stressed as his diver’s helmet fills with water which has caused some comment in the press. Nonetheless it is the group’s 5th top 10 hit and helps the album recover 9-6. Following the split in late 1996 of The Stone Roses lead singer Ian Brown took some time out of the music business but the lure proved too great and his debut solo album is just around the corner. “My Star” is his opening shot and becomes a No 5 (49,000) hit after considerable hype in the music press. Increasing sales by 27% wasn’t anywhere near enough to keep the top spot so All Saints play runner up to Oasis on 68,000, they occupy the same position on the album chart behind the Verve. Bamboo drop 2-3 (52,000) and Wildchild fall 3-6 (48,500) but the bottom four are all long runners. Lighthouse Family hold at No 7 (48,200) just ahead of Janet Jackson who is down 5-8 (47,500) and Robbie Williams who is slipping 6-9 (47,000). Various Artists are now well and truly out of fashion 4-10 (37,000). 1- ALL AROUND THE WORLD- Oasis (112,000) 2- NEVER EVER- All Saints (68,000) 3- BAMBOOGIE- Bamboo (52,000) 4- NO SURPRISES- Radiohead (52,000) 5- MY STAR- Ian Brown (49,000) 6- RENEGADE MASTER 98- Wildchild (48,500) 7- HIGH- Lighthouse Family (48,200) 8- TOGETHER AGAIN- Janet Jackson (47,500) 9- ANGELS- Robbie Williams (47,000) 10- PERFECT DAY- Various Artists (37,000)

33. ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK (2,765,100) 12 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: SOUVENIR (445,000) Early pioneers of synth pop, the group put together a long run of successful top 30 hits between 1980 and 1986 which sees them here on the list. Not every album was a commercial success with the band moving on occasion onto more experimental music than what was popular but they tended to pull it back to pop often enough to keep them in the public eye. A changing line up in the decade led them eventually to disband in 1989 for 3 years until they returned in style to the top 3!

34. SOFT CELL (2,764,100) 9 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: TAINTED LOVE (1,075,000) That first million seller? Well that “Tainted Love” which tottered over the million in 1982 for this duo. One of the leading acts of 1981 and 1982, they sold over a million singles in both years with a string of top 4 singles but their demise was quick with the pair splitting by 1984 and Almond going on to a successful solo career and Dave Ball forming 90s dance outfit The Grid.

35. DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS (2,735,500) 9 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: COME ON EILEEN (1,080,000) BEST SELLING ACT OF 1982 50% of that tally of 2.7 million is made up of their 2 chart toppers in the decade “Geno” and “Come On Eileen”- with the latter becoming the second track to sell a million copies in the 80s. Kevin Rowland was a master at coming out with new images for the outfit which kept him in the papers even when the hits weren’t flowing but no-one sold more singles than this outfit in 1982.

In terms of what we do know their sales would have been a fraction under 686k with 1982 accounting for almost half a million of those alone.

36. ULTRAVOX (2,702,200) 16 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: VIENNA (703,000) Lennon’s “Woman” also denied Ultravox their only No 1 with “Vienna” but of course that was forgotten when “Shuddup You Face” replaced Lennon at the top and Midge Ure took Umbrage against the Australian and created a bit of pop history that is still remembered. Ultravox went on to have many more hits before splitting in 1986 but only had 3 top 10 hits to their credit.

37. JOHN LENNON (2,674,800) 8 TOP 40 HITS: BIGGEST SELLER: IMAGINE (717,000) Lennon’s death in late 1980 caused such an outpouring of grief that he scored three chart toppers in just 8 weeks as Lennon really racked up the sales albeit for the most tragic of reasons. He was just returning to the charts in December 1980 after 5 years away when he was assassinated in New York, an act which sent his (then) current single “Starting Over” from 21 to 1 only to be denied the festive No 1 by St Winifred’s School Choir….

38. BAND AID (2,671,600) 1 TOP 40 HIT BIGGEST SELLER: DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS (2,671,000) Here of course for THAT song- the panel sales indicate that it did indeed “only” sell 2.6 million in the 80s and not the often quoted 3 million but regardless it did enough to make the charity congregation one of the top 40 acts of the decade with just 1 track. Opening with sales of 574k it had cleared 2.1 million in its first 4 weeks which was phenomenal by any standard and of course has spawned three chart topping “covers” in 1989, 2004 and 2014- all with their “moments” but nothing captured the magic of the original.

39. PRINCE (2,622,100) 20 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: 1999 (461,000) One of the biggest and most influential acts of the decade, perhaps it’s a surprise that Prince is so relatively low on this list, in truth he was never a great selling act in any particular year though he cleared half a million in both 1984 and 1985. The total here includes his sales with The Revolution (Just for info)

40. ELTON JOHN (2,558,000) 14 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: NIKITA (386,000) Into the top 40 we go with Elton who only sold more than half a million singles in one year of the decade (1983) but persistence pays off for the 70s superstar who still produced some classics in the decade. He provoked anger by playing Sun City in the mid 80s and found himself in court with “The Sun” over a story involving rent boys which he won! He also married his recording engineer Renate Blauel in 1984 which lasted three years and which was labelled by John as a mistake years later.

41. TEARS FOR FEARS (2,554,500) 11 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE/RUN THE WORLD (549,000) Just missing out on the top 40 are these boys, one of the biggest acts to make it in the US in the second invasion of the mid 80s (they scored a couple of chart toppers there) . They moved from synth pop to stadium rock through the decade though they pulled out the biggest stadium concert of the decade, Live Aid. To make up they re-recorded their biggest hit for Sport Aid the following year.

Real life intervenes tomorrow - back on Weds

42. WHITNEY HOUSTON (2,368,700) 10 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (WHO LOVES ME) (603,000) The 5th highest placed solo female singer on the list and certainly the one with the biggest voice! She only had 9 hit singles in the decade but clearly we loved her enough to give her three chart toppers (which only looked poor compared to her 7 straight US chart toppers in the same period).

43. ABBA (2,297,500) 8 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: SUPER TROUPER (653,000) 70s superstars still going strong in the 80s. They opened brightly with a pair of chart-topping singles before the law of diminishing returns kicked in from 1981 onwards. They never officially called it a day but by 1983 they had effectively split but had done enough to secure a top 50 position for the decade, good thing to as they were deemed to be very uncool for the remainder of the decade until that 90s revival.

44. SIMPLE MINDS (2,271,800) 16 TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME (332,000) Thought these might be higher? Me too but here they are. Simple Minds spent most of the decade as a stadium rock band especially from 1985 onwards when they hit it big with the US chart topper “Don’t You Forget About Me”. They had to wait until 1989 for a No 1 here but they can claim to be the biggest Scottish band of the 80s so that’s something at the very least!