Popchartfreak

Yes I agree with you and Jade, Sunny Afternoon is peak Kinks, what a great record and one I liked at the time, but River Deep is a monster classic that hit again in 1969 when I noticed it a bit more, and one I grew to adore with time. Epic. Don't Answer Me is a good Cilla single, though not one of her classics. Opus 17 is a great record, I never knew the title and I never noticed the track till years later when it was more a case of "oh yeah I really like that one". ROTW had the Kinks or Turners not been here. Nobody Needs Your Love not one I recall as being a big hit, but Gene remained popular in the UK long after his US hits dried up, and it's a good single, albeit not classic Pitney. Hideaway a lesser Dave Dee & co hit that again evaded me at a time when I knew all their other big hits, but it still sounds good anyway, tho it's not in the same league as Hold Tight, Bend It or Zabadak.

The Love Cats has that Stray Cats 50's retro rockabilly vibe via Goth New Wave whimsy and stood out at the time as being a bit different. Still a great track 9/10. So that's what The Safety Dance is about! I never knew, oops! Fun track though 8/10 and again unlike all else that was around. Uptown Girl is a loving tribute to The Four Seasons, Jersey Boys and all, and the best record they never recorded, still a singalong anthem with exhuberance 10/10. King Kurt never broke through to me, and I dont recall Zululand much at all, not even an idea how it might have done in my charts of the time (1983 still to do). Kiss The Bride a decent Rock Elton single, wasn't it sampled on a Pnau project - checks: Cold Cold Heart, of course it was! That's a better record. 7/10. I have no memory of that Shostakovich track either, but a kid in my 1972 Music class used to treat that living composer like a pop star, on his school bag and all. Puss n Boots not up to previous quality control I felt, 6/10. Union Of The Snake I preferred to the Rio era singles, it seemed darker and more strained and a blatant move away from singalong pop 9/10. Sister Surprise lacking the inspiration of 1979 1980 from Gazza 6/10. Unconditional Love was a sweet collab for both acts 7/10. Motormania another of those too-vaguely-recalled to judge I'm afraid, but I think I liked it so prob around a 6/10. Micro-Kid I have an inkling I bargain-bin bought, but if so it's not been played in 40 years and was always a lesser Level 42 offering 6/10. Over And Over a low-key chart farewell from Shalamar 6/10. Sharon Redd's I dont recall, and UB40's I didnt know the original but this came over as a nice low-key ballad and money-earner for Winston 7/10. Self-indulgent note that I have paid out cash to see Elton, Billy, Adam, Gary, Shalamar, UB40, Duran, Level 42. The Cure still on my wish list and sadly others I would love to have seen have shuffled off this mortal coil.

31 3 21 BERGHAIN - ROSALIA Featuring Bjork & Yves Tumor 622050 This is the track that converted me to Rosalia, so inventive, and what an amazing singer, quite possibly the best of her generation in popular music. The multi-language Bjork feature is both exciting and moving, and a terrifc video to boot.

32 3 19 HARD TO BE HAPPY - Rob Thomas 600500 Matchbox 20 man Rob still has the knack for 90's stylee rockpop earworms, this one is SO upbeat and a minor light for a dark world. His second on the rundown.

33 8 26 SAVE MY LOVE (NICKY ROMERO REMIX) - Marshmello, Ellie Goulding & AVAION 587700 Dance track fashions come and go as far as the charts go, but I don't care. If it sounds good, it sounds good and this Marshmello song sung by Ellie sounds like it would have been a monster 10 or 15 years back.

34 3 12 VOICES - Damiano David 570600 Damiano's solo stuff impresses me way more than the post-Eurovision Maneskin hits, Voices being his second on the rundown, with one near-miss to boot.

35 3 17 ATCHAFALAYA - Orville Peck featuring Noah Cyrus 567450 Aussie Country act joins Miley's sis on a fab slice of dark Americana. Long high time both acts got a hit. Second appearance for Noah on the rundown.

36 2 16 THE DARK END OF THE STREET - Pet Shop Boys 566550 60's soul cover done Pet Shop Boys stylee, natch, bonus album track and very nice too. Added Anne Dudley string arrangements, and should have been a single.

37 5 21 GLAD - Saint Etienne 563250 90's indiepop band say farewell with some great singles and a good album. As good as their 90's stuff. Don't it make you sad? Yes, please come back guys!

38 3 15 KEEP THE FAITH - Armin van Buuren & Bon Jovi 562450 Bon Jovi's finest 90's moment gets the dance remix treatment, and comes out of it well...and their second on the list!

39 4 18 FANTASY - JADE 551050 Consistently good current pop act who just can't get the hits for some inexplicable reason, too upbeat and/or fun I guess, lots of retro musical references.

40 4 17 FIVE MORE SECONDS - Seafret featuring KT Tunstall 545700 Fab current indie band meets Noughties Scottish singer-songwriter to great effect. Saw KT the other year in good form.

15th June 1976 It's a seond week on top for 1964 classic Leader Of The Pack, last on top in 1972 for The Shangri-Las, and spear-heading another invasion of oldies into my singles chart. By the end of summer all oldies will be cast-off into an oldies chart as the record labels mass-re-issues became unsustainable for my personal charts to handle. This week there are 13 old recordings, and 9 cover versions, which is nearly half the chart. Dolly Parton gets her highest-charting hit until the 21st Century, Jolene at 3, Maureen McGovern, daughter of US politician George McGovern, is up to 6 and Monkey Spanner and Johnny Reggae get a second top 10 run 5 years on. Melba Moore gets her first top 10 with the disco classic This Is It, Bryan Ferry rockets into the 20 with his masterpiece Let's Stick Together, and the highest new entry is another disco classic as Candi Staton debuts with Young Hearts Run Free at 27, still a lush, yearning soul song that time has been kind to. 20 Golden Greats will be dominating the UK charts as The Beach Boys get a comeback with new material but it's the 1960's classics that are popular, not least the re-issued single of Good Vibrations, in at 31 to give the band 8 years of charting. Utter classic of course, ambitious, epic, innovative and The Beatles responded by stepping up their game at the time. Demis Rousson finally charts with Forever And Ever, the lead track on The Roussos Phenomenon EP, and a single I bought in 1974, and Demis having charted for me in 1972 with Aphrodite's Child and Break. It's a great track and Demis had been huge in Europe since the late 60's prog rock band caught on, and his solo stuff instantly hit the charts across Europe, and not just in his native Greece. Lots of goodies in his back catalogue, though sadly his hit-making UK years in 1975 to 1977 weren't his best stuff. Boyband Flintlock pop in with Dawn, they never caught on but it was OK, new at 38. T.Rex are back again with yet another change in sound, on I Love To Boogie, not so much electric rock, more 50's bopalong and one of their better remembered songs these days thanks to a movie slot, though to me it's not in the same league as their previous hits 1970 through early 1974. In at 40. Disco Tex manages a Sex-o-lettes 4th chart hit on Dancin' Kid, and Hello have another good Glam single on Love Stealer, but sadly Glam is dead along with their UK charting career. That leaves Captain & Tenille with an American hit covering Smokey Robinson's Shop Around, a bit limp compared to the last 3 US hit singles, early 60's pop star Freddie Cannon debuting with his oldie Palisades Park, which appealed to me as a song about the funfair near DC base in New York City which I saw in adverts in DC Comics throughout the 60's - the New Jersey funfair sadly closed down in 1971 though. Donnie Elbert and Roy C meanwhile re-chart their Northern Soul 1972-charting 1960's recordings again. 1 ( 7 ) LEADER OF THE PACK The Shangri-Las 2 ( 1 ) SHOW ME THE WAY Peter Frampton 3 ( 6 ) JOLENE Dolly Parton 4 ( 5 ) STAR TREK The Charles Randolph Greane Sounde 5 ( 2 ) SHAKE IT DOWN Mud 6 ( 11 ) THE CONTINENTAL Maureen McGovern 7 ( 16 ) MONKEY SPANNER Dave, and Ansel Collins 8 ( 17 ) JOHNNY REGGAE The Piglets 9 ( 3 ) LET YOUR LOVE FLOW The Bellamy Brothers 10 ( 12 ) THIS IS IT Melba Moore 11 ( 4 ) MORE MORE MORE Andrea True Connection 12 ( 13 ) SILLY LOVE SONGS Wings 13 ( 14 ) STRANGE MAGIC Electric Light Orchestra 14 ( 22 ) DOUBLE BARREL Dave, and Ansel Collins 15 ( 23 ) PIED PIPER Bob & Marcia 16 ( 9 ) LOVE HANGOVER Diana Ross 17 ( 35 ) LET'S STICK TOGETHER Bryan Ferry 18 ( 20 ) IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE 100 Ton & A Feather aka Jonathan King 19 ( 24 ) THE WANDERER Dion 20 ( 10 ) FERNANDO ABBA 21 ( 25 ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING The Real Thing 22 ( 8 ) MY RESISTANCE IS LOW Robin Sarstedt 23 ( 36 ) THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN Thin Lizzy 24 ( 15 ) SOUL CITY WALK Archie Bell & The Drells 25 ( 40 ) (TO BE) YOUNG, GIFTED & BLACK Bob & Marcia 26 ( 34 ) YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING Lee Garrett 27 ( NEW ) YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE Candi Staton 28 ( 19 ) HEART ON MY SLEEVE Gallagher & Lyle 29 ( 41 ) GLAD I WAITED FOR YOU Nancy Ryan 30 ( 21 ) REQUIEM Slik 31 ( NEW ) GOOD VIBRATIONS The Beach Boys 32 ( 32 ) IT'LL BE ME BABE The Shadows 33 ( NEW ) FOREVER AND EVER Demis Roussos 34 ( 26 ) I'M MANDY FLY ME 10cc 35 ( NEW ) SHOTGUN WEDDING Roy C 36 ( 18 ) DON'T PULL YOUR LOVE/THEN YOU CAN TELL ME GOODBYE Glen Campbell 37 ( 27 ) GET UP AND BOOGIE Silver Convention 38 ( NEW ) DAWN Flintlock 39 ( 50 ) COULD IT BE MAGIC Donna Summer 40 ( NEW ) I LOVE TO BOOGIE T. Rex 41 ( NEW ) LITTLE PIECE OF LEATHER Donnie Elbert 42 ( 44 ) C'MON MARIANNE Donny Osmond 43 ( 33 ) DEVIL WOMAN Cliff Richard 44 ( NEW ) DANCIN' KID Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes 45 ( NEW ) LOVE STEALER Hello 46 ( 30 ) SILVER STAR The Four Seasons featuring Frankie Valli 47 ( 29 ) S'S'SINGLE BED Fox 48 ( 48 ) YOU JUST MIGHT SEE ME CRY Our Kid 49 ( NEW ) SHOP AROUND Captain & Tennille 50 ( NEW ) PALISADES PARK Freddy Cannon

Moves Like Jagger is the top track of that time period, not even close, a total classic. JLS just played and I enjoyed it, bops along nicely, good production, nothing earth-shaking, but fun enough. A top 20 track in my personal charts of the time, so that sounds about right. Don't Go I dont remember at all, doesnt go anywhere, it's not awful but it's not really got a hook I can get into and is my least fave of the tracks so far. So what did I think at the time? Number 66 for a 2 week run. I can agree with myself there!

Culture Club - Victims Michael Jackson - Thriller Abba - Thank You For The Music Slade - My Oh My The Smiths - This Charming Man

great version of an even more classic original from Scott Walker, topped my chart for a hat-trick of Marc Almond number ones in 1991/92 for me❤️

catch-up on yesterdays, back home now. Well done on today's 39 Jade and lots of 36's everywhere! round 1: 39 round 2: 33 Brian McFadden 3 in 10: Ghetto Child, Could It Be Im Falling In Love. Working My Way Back To You and today's: round 1: 36 Endless Love, a pet hate wiped from my memory...it appears! round 2: 39 3 in 10: Too Lost In You, Round Round, Push The Button

Thanks Jade and 2 36s is another nesrly there double. So close! Today i got the year wrong in round 2 the rest were very much my era! A bit late as in London this weekend. Back tomorrow! 3 in 10: See You, Love In Itself, Personal Jesus

I really dont mind that version of Wishing On A Star - granted its not worthy to be compared to the fabulous Rose Royce original, but they dont ruin it for the most part with quite a few good singers involved. Glad You Came is a good pop track and I generally enjoyed The Wanted tracks. Sobering to think both records so far feature a member who died tragically young. That seems so wrong.

14th January 1996 It's Cher bagging her 5th number one in 24 years, with or without Sonny, as the under-rated One By One edges out earth Song. Cher does a beautiful breathy restrained vocal showing she doesnt HAVE to bellow it out to get a hit. Babylon Zoo take Spaceman up to 5, and Dreadzone Little Britain to 7. TLC Creep up to 10 and a new peak 2nd time around. Highest new entry is a forgotten track from Human League, Stay With Me Tonight, fresh off their 1994 comeback smash Tell Me When. Very 80's synthy riffs and pretty good in at 14. There's a massive climb as The Lighthouse Family are very much Lifted to 15, as Pato Banton enlists the man himself, Sting, for a good cover of Spirits In The Material World, just as 30 years later Sting is lending a backing hand to Shaggy actual singing on Ain't No Sunshine, reggae acts still getting his support. New at 28, while at 32 Tori Amos has Caught A Lite Sneeze, one I don't remember. Time of the year I suppose, post-Christmas bugs going round. It's very Tori-via-Kate. At 36, Taylor Dayne is back with a remix of her 1997 classic Tell It To My Heart, total banger, Bonnie Tyler pops back with her Air Supply/Jim Steinman cover, and Leftfield attempt to Release The Pressure at 54, the electronic duo sounding dark and uptempo downbeat at the same time, I like it, sounding good 30 years on. Baby D had that smash, and return with So Pure at 58, drum'n'base and a nice tune, but not quite up to Let Me Be Your Fantasy standard. Nice though. Etienne Daho debut at 66 with a 5-track EP featuring a collab between Saint Etienne and French musician Etienne Daho. Sarah Cracknell sings on Accident and all 3 members of Saint Etienne have songwriting credits on the EP and I cant recall which track I liked best. LL Cool J is back just before his comeback next year, this time with BoyzIIMen on tow. Ah well, not enough early LL too much recent Boyz on Hey Lover, new at 70. Gene debut at 73 on For The Dead, sounding not entirely unlike Morrissey, and Judy Cheeks revamps Reach at 74. 1 ( 2 ) ONE BY ONE Cher 2 ( 1 ) EARTH SONG Michael Jackson 3 ( 3 ) WHOLE LOTTA LOVE Goldbug 4 ( 5 ) JESUS TO A CHILD George Michael 5 ( 11 ) SPACEMAN Babylon Zoo 6 ( 6 ) WONDERWALL Oasis 7 ( 27 ) LITTLE BRITAIN Dreadzone 8 ( 4 ) FREE AS A BIRD The Beatles 9 ( 8 ) OH FATHER Madonna 10 ( 17 ) CREEP TLC 11 ( 10 ) NOT SO MANIC NOW Dubstar 12 ( 15 ) MISSING (TODD TERRY REMIX) Everything But The Girl 13 ( 7 ) MAKE ME SMILE (COME UP AND SEE ME) Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel 14 ( NEW ) STAY WITH ME TONIGHT Human League 15 ( 63 ) LIFTED The Lighthouse Family 16 ( 40 ) LET'S PUSH IT Nightcrawlers 17 ( 16 ) WONDERWALL The Mike Flowers Pops Orchestra 18 ( 33 ) DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER Oasis 19 ( 9 ) UP ON THE ROOF/ I BELIEVE Robson Jerome 20 ( 29 ) LIVE FOREVER Oasis 21 ( 13 ) THE UNIVERSAL Blur 22 ( 14 ) I DON'T WANNA BE A STAR Corona 23 ( 36 ) IMITATION OF LIFE Billie Ray Martin 24 ( 24 ) ROLLERBLADE Nick Heyward 25 ( 12 ) GANGSTA'S PARADISE/ THROW YOUR HANDS UP LV 26 ( 22 ) JUST THE ONE The Levellers 27 ( 20 ) DISCO 2000 Pulp 28 ( NEW ) SPIRITS IN THE MATERIAL WORLD Pato Banton & Sting 29 ( 25 ) GOLD Prince 30 ( 58 ) BEAUTIFUL LIFE Ace Of Base 31 ( 19 ) I WISH Skee-Lo 32 ( NEW ) CAUGHT A LITE SNEEZE Tori Amos 33 ( 18 ) A WINTER'S TALE Queen 34 ( 38 ) WHY YOU TREAT ME SO BAD Shaggy 35 ( 26 ) ANYWHERE IS Enya 36 ( NEW ) TELL IT TO MY HEART '96 Taylor Dayne 37 ( 48 ) SANDSTORM Cast 38 ( 23 ) YOU MAKE ME FEEL (LIKE A NATURAL WOMAN) Mary J. Blige 39 ( 28 ) PASS THE VIBES Definition Of Sound 40 ( 45 ) LUMP Presidents Of The United States Of America 41 ( 47 ) AFRICAN DREAMS Lena Fiagbe 42 ( 31 ) CRAZY HORSES (UTAH SAINTS REMIX) The Osmonds 43 ( 54 ) TOO HOT Coolio 44 ( 21 ) CHILD STAR Marc Almond 45 ( 34 ) YOU'LL SEE Madonna 46 ( 30 ) IT'S OH SO QUIET Bjork 47 ( RE ) MAKING LOVE (OUT OF NOTHING AT ALL) Bonnie Tyler 48 ( 39 ) HUNGRY HEART Bruce Springsteen 49 ( 49 ) ONE SWEET DAY Mariah Carey & BoyzIIMen 50 ( 32 ) HAD TO BE Cliff Richard & Olivia Newton-John 51 ( 35 ) LIFE Blair 52 ( 42 ) WE'VE GOT TO WORK IT OUT Bel Canto 53 ( 44 ) GANGSTA'S PARADISE Coolio featuring LV 54 ( NEW ) RELEASE THE PRESSURE Leftfield 55 ( 37 ) BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE (REMIX) Janet Jackson & Luther vandross 56 ( 46 ) ALRIGHT Cast 57 ( 41 ) LUCKY LOVE Ace Of Base 58 ( NEW ) SO PURE Baby D 59 ( 43 ) PERFECT PJ & Duncan 60 ( 62 ) EYES OF BLUE Paul Carrack 61 ( 57 ) FAIRGROUND Simply Red 62 ( 56 ) FANTASY Mariah Carey 63 ( 61 ) WATERFALLS TLC 64 ( 64 ) DANCING QUEEN/EAGLE Abba 65 ( 50 ) PRAYER FOR THE DYING/ DON'T CRY Seal 66 ( NEW ) RESURRECTION EP (Saint) Etienne Daho 67 ( 68 ) YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING The Righteous Brothers 68 ( 51 ) WHATEVER Oasis 69 ( 42 ) SORTED FOR E'S AND WHIZZ/MISSHAPES Pulp 70 ( NEW ) HEY LOVER LL Cool J & BoyzIIMen 71 ( 55 ) HE'S ON THE PHONE Saint Etienne 72 ( 65 ) FATHER AND SON Boyzone 73 ( NEW ) FOR THE DEAD Gene 74 ( NEW ) REACH '96 Judy Cheeks 75 ( 75 ) NO MORE 'I LOVE YOU'S Annie Lennox playlist of the week 1 WE'RE ALMOST THERE Michael Jackson 2 YOUR TOWN Iris DeMent 3 TONIGHT The Rubettes

41 3 13 PEOPLE NEED PEOPLE - Good Neighbours 544800 British Indie duo, sound American, had a hit with Home but singles since have been just as good despite not being hits. Second track on the list.

42 7 22 FEEL IT - d4vd 543650 Some gossip or other says persona non grata already. For me, it's a track from dark graphically violent animated superhero series Invincible and it worked really well in a placement, and I like his voice.

43 4 17 WITHOUT YA - Bakermat featuring Gladys Knight 535300 I'm not 100% sure it's Gladys on a sample, but it sounds like her and Who's Sampled says it is. Good dance track anyway and great giving Glad a credit 48 years after her first year-ender top 100.

44 3 25 RAGDOLL - The Lottery Winners featuring Chad Kroeger 526000 The Lottery Winners are consistently fab and would have been big in previous decades that bought classy rock-pop. Chad Kroeger's best involvement since Hero. Almost 6 months on my chart. The song is strong.

45 7 28 ALL YOUR FAULT - Gwen Stefani 507400 Gwen goes country ballad-ish and it's wonderful, great lyrics, great song. Her 2nd on the list 28 years on from Don't Speak.