Popchartfreak

78 8 12 STARBURSTER - Fontaines D.C. 266500

79 10 12 JAMCOD - The Jesus And Mary Chain 260900

80 9 13 FREEDOM OF THE NIGHT - Sophie Ellis-Bextor 258900

I didnt really get to hear The Prodigy song at the time, and I didn't like the title, so it took a decade or so to notice it: at Vauxhall Tavern Duckie night when it came on in a packed house as I watched as everyone went mad dancing while an older chap with a walking stick and a beer navigated his way through the crowd to stand next to a fire exit. "That's impressive" I thought of the chap, and a memory I wasn't expecting. Renegade Master is OK, but I prefer Ghetto Heaven and Perfect Day of the also-rans. Top notch!

A Forest was a goodie I liked but it's grown with the years, along with The Cure, 8/10, and Breathing I also liked in a dark sort of way, but it was my least fave Kate track to date, an odd choice for a single - which of course never really bothered her. 7/10. This World Of Water is a third New Musik gem and fresh as a daisy 9/10. Mirror In The Bathroom is peak The Beat, great track, 9/10 still exciting. Hot Chocolate go full synth and sci-fi and an obvious number one for me, their 3rd, fabulous 10/10. All For Leyna is fine Billy Joel, 5/10, but he'd had better tracks fall short of the top 40 like Piano Man and She's Always A Woman. I Should Loved Ya is another good dance soul track, or disco using a bigger umbrella term 7/10. Rough Boys was also decent enough 6/10 but Townsend's follow-up was more interesting and this one is not a patch on Roger Daltrey's orchestral version of Townsend's I'm Free. Oops! Whitesnake showing themselves to be more AOR radio friendly than Deep Purple, but they were rarely exciting 6/10. Average White Band were always classy, and Let's Go Round Again a good record that spurred a hit cover from Dannii I think. Or was it Louise? (It was Louise). 8/10. Live tracks usually leave me unimpressed, Motorhead 4/10. Jimmy Ruffin had re-located to the UK by 1980 and left Motown a decade earlier, but Robin Gibb gifted him a hit song as The Bee Gees became Persona Non Grata overnight courtesy of the Disco backlash. Yes, they had 4 disco hits (count 'em, Jive Talking is funk not disco and even then Tragedy is arguably not disco) but that was enough for them to get the blame. Lucky Jimmy, the latest of many many many acts to have a Bee Gees'-written hit over the next 6 years and previous 3. 6/10. Smokie at the tail-end of a long run of hit singles, and resorting to a cover. The Original is the best, not even close. 6/10. What's Another Year was pleasant enough for Mr.Eurovision's debut, but it was very old-fashioned even in 1980 6/10 and it got on my nerves quite quickly. I love She's Out Of My Life, it came over as sincere and emotional and under-stated 9/10. The video helped. Cockney Rejects: I'm also not a fan 2/10.

Thanks, all changed now!

I make that the longest wait for a number 1 by any dance act/creator. Given the generally short chart span of dance acts thats pretty impressive though being in a genre where you can draft in new young acts helps longevity. That said other acts that have a longer wait seem very middle aged when they did it - as per OCC and ignoring oldies hits: ozzy osbourne eric clapton michael ball!

I can see no reason why my rule of thumb doesn't apply - "if there's a bunch of songs and Ian Van Dahl is listed, it'll prob be the worst one" - and I do like dance music generally.

yes adverts have a lot to answer for when they get overdone! Paul McCartney has quoted God Only Knows as the greatest pop song - I think because its structure is so intricate. I came across this great analysis of why (I'm not a musician, but I've always wondered why nobody else has ever covered the song successfully, and this shows why!):

Thanks Jade and condolences on Modern Romance - I also struggled with their name, and I was there then! I just got it in time.. Well done Rollo another banger 39! Just me that blanks on Atomic Kitten then😄 round 1: 39 round 2: 39 3 in 10: Please Forgive Me, Run To You, Summer of 69

So, so far two Pet Shop Boys tracks, a 2010's Glen Campbell heartbreaker with new Carole King duet, lots of dance tracks, some indierock ballads, 2 Eurovision acts, some Buzzjack Song Contest entries, a Celine Dion/Whispers mash-up, with Carole King and Glen Campbell appearing on early 60's USA pop classics, that's over 60 years and Glen no longer with us. Next batch before too long.....

81 13 13 THE FEELING YOU GET - Empire Of The Sun 257900

82 10 11 THERE’S NO ME...WITHOUT YOU - Glen Campbell & Carole King 257050

83 8 15 A NEW BOHEMIA - Pet Shop Boys 252950

84 10 13 NEVER BE ALONE - Becky Hill & Sonny Fodera 244750

85 10 10 UNDECIDED - RONDE 241900

86 9 10 NO STRINGS - X Ambassadors 230900

87 14 12 RANSOM - Alesha Dixon 222900

88 29 18 DIRTY LITTLE SECRET - Artemas 222900

89 10 10 ALONE - Cat Burns 215750

90 15 13 BACK AT YOUR DOOR - Orville Peck & Debbii Dawson 215050

91 12 10 LOSE CONTROL - Teddy Swims 213600

92 13 12 DADDY KEEPS CALLING - Kaleena Zanders & Tchami 211350

93 17 14 FREEFALL - HAYLA 210750

94 30 16 SET MY HEART ON FIRE (I’M ALIVE X AND THE BEAT GOES ON) - Majestic x The Jammin’ Kid x Celine Dion x The Whispers 209800