jimwatts

'Three Lions' spends its 48th week in the Top 40 - will it make to 50 in a fortnight...

Every position played so far - guess they'll be skipping most of 20-11 later then

Pleased to see those China Crisis and Icicle Works songs so high - both songs I discovered from 80s compilation CDs and was struck by their respective warm and dramatic qualities. I'd also wondered how so many great songs ended up charting at the start of some of these 80s years, and we're coming to one of the best sequences yet - I remember from Gezza's thread for 1984 when the week came up that 'Here Comes The Rain Again' and 4 songs still to be covered all entered the Top 10 at once, a combination of chart turnover and memorable song quality that may rarely have been seen again, before or since.

I can see why Madonna effectively disowned 'True Blue' and it's almost sickly sweet but the Motown vibe is nicely done. 'The Lady In Red' has become infamous for being regularly cited as one of the worst #1s - it's not all that bad really, on the corny side perhaps but at least it's memorable. 'Caravan Of Love' may well have topped this list for me - those a cappella harmonies create something warm and homely that would have made for a wonderful Christmas #1. 'Reet Petite' is great too though and those vocal ad libs really stuck in my mind from an early age - it was nice that it gave Jackie Wilson a posthumous chart topper in any case.

'Heart Skips A Beat' isn't massively my thing but it's a decent pop song. And finally the last of the one-week 'Moves Like Jagger' blockers appears! 'No Regrets' has aged rapidly and lacks the boppy production of the 'Number 1' featuring N-Dubz which came up in my reviews for 2009, but I just have to admire the ambition of THAT key change. Those 5 songs having a week each to hold off 'Moves Like Jagger' (which I didn't hugely rate either then and still don't much but it was clearly eclipsing them all, with only 'What Makes You Beautiful' having a comparable legacy) then dropping away was weird to follow.

'Rein Me In' spends (only?) its 50th day at #1 on Spotify, still a long way from the top 10 for days on top, as at the end of June: Most Days at #1 on UK Spotify 1| Olivia Dean - Man I Need (142 days) 2| Wham! - Last Christmas (136) 3| Alex Warren - Ordinary (128) 4| Drake feat. Wizkid & Kyla - One Dance (101) 5| Dave & Central Cee - Sprinter (87) 6| Tones and I - Dance Monkey (81) 7| Noah Kahan - Stick Season (78) 8| Post Malone & 21 Savage - rockstar (77) 9| Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You (76) 10| Drake - God's Plan (75) Most Weeks at #1 on UK Spotify 1| Wham! - Last Christmas (23 weeks) 2| Olivia Dean - Man I Need (20) 3| Alex Warren - Ordinary (18) 4| Drake feat. Wizkid & Kyla - One Dance (14) 5=| Dave & Central Cee - Sprinter (12) 5=| Noah Kahan - Stick Season (12) 5=| Tones and I - Dance Monkey (12) 8=| Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa - One Kiss (11) 8=| Drake - God's Plan (11) 8=| Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso (11) (both lists do not include combinations with remixes, for which e.g. 'Shape of You' had 16 weeks and 'Despacito' 14 weeks)

Along with 'Wonderwall' no doubt

'Three Lions' no longer Top 40?

'Time To Pretend' is one of my favourite songs ever, not just in the 2000s! Sugababes again.

'Over You' is the better Micky Modelle song I think. Switching to Nu-Generation - works well and I quite enjoyed it at the time but there's not much to it.

I ticked 'streaming services new music playlists', 'online song contests' and 'forums'. Like Jade I listen through New Music Friday and Release Radar every week on Spotify, plus some more specialised genre-focused playlists, and also make regular discoveries from all the song contests we have on Buzzjack. I also discover many songs from personal charts on this forum - it takes time as there are so many, but I'd rather have recommendations from people than rely on an algorithm. I don't listen to much radio outside the chart show - I follow the Radio 1 playlist updates and occasionally I'm drawn to something there or from random plays in the car, but I'm usually aware of the songs by the time they're added.

Also voting Muse / Ellie

I was expecting 'What Makes You Beautiful' to be the last of the one-week 'Moves Like Jagger' blockers left standing, but there's another which continues to survive! Not complaining though, I find One Direction's debut a bit paint by numbers as John said - and isn't there some infinite loop logic with "you don't know you're beautiful / that's what makes you beautiful" Not as baffling as following it up with 'Gotta Be You' though. However as a group they did come across as the real deal and would have songs down the line which I'd rate higher. The next two songs I like and would probably have a bit higher. Dubstep was an odd short-lived subgenre but provided two of my favourite songs of the time in Katy B's 'Katy On A Mission' and Chase & Status' 'Blind Faith', while Nero's 'Guilt' has aged very well too - these two aren't quite alongside them for me ('Louder' goes hard but the vocals are the highlight, 'Promises' has its moments although I find it very stop-start), nevertheless it was great to hear them at the top of the chart.

When it came to last place, Lindsay Lohan had it locked up, like... herself (more Mr Worldwide relevance after the 'On The Floor' resurgence). I didn't remember 'Over' from when it came out - it's OK but nothing special.

La Roux out of these

Peggy's is the best this week

Added your votes to the previous poll

Midweek chart run for 'I Knew It, I Knew You' 1-6-6-6 Also lol at the OCC's accompanying video being for 'I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor's Version)' instead.

Think it was down for at least an hour earlier

Was a bit busy for most of Friday, but catching up: It was #15 last week not #16 - still 15-26 is a very gentle ACR drop in terms of positions! It has now outpeaked the original by Montell Jordan, a #15 hit in 2000! Yes, 15 weeks is his most, with 'Beat It' its nearest competition with 12! Prior to this year, 9 weeks was his joint longest with both 'You Are Not Alone' and 'Earth Song'. Also (following posts on the previous page) it was Ed Sheeran's 'Thinking Out Loud' that was the only previous song to have at least a year's unbroken run in the Top 40, with a 54 week run - 'Rein Me In' is guaranteed to overtake that.

Full list of hits covered today, all of them are on Spotify, for which I've added Julian's 1984 playlist at the bottom of page 1 (w/e of Top 40 new entries in bold): 07/01/1984 Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax Lionel Richie - Running With The Night Snowy White - Bird Of Paradise 14/01/1984 Shaky And Bonnie - A Rockin' Good Way Joe Fagin - That's Livin' Alright (From 'Auf Wiedershen Pet') The Icicle Works - Love Is A Wonderful Colour The Police - King Of Pain China Crisis - Wishful Thinking Gloria Gaynor - I Am What I Am Eartha Kitt - Where Is My Man Whitesnake - Give Me More Time 21/01/1984 John Lennon - Nobody Told Me Big Country - Wonderland Eurythmics - Here Comes The Rain Again Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun Fiction Factory - (Feels Like) Heaven Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride The Alarm - Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke Musical Youth - Sixteen Rick Springfield - Human Touch Madonna - Holiday 28/01/1984 Echo And The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon Simple Minds - Speed Your Love To Me The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make? The Manhattan Transfer - Spice Of Life Thomas Dolby - Hyperactive! ABC - S.O.S. Elbow Bones And The Racketeers - A Night In New York 04/02/1984 Queen - Radio Ga Ga Duran Duran - New Moon On Monday Thompson Twins - Doctor Doctor Juan Martin - Love Theme From 'The Thorn Birds' Shannon - Let The Music Play Nik Kershaw - Wouldn't It Be Good 11/02/1984 Madness - Michael Caine Marillion - Punch And Judy Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me Nena - 99 Red Balloons Swans Way - Soul Train Break Machine - Street Dance Ultravox - One Small Day Slade - Run Runaway Votes welcome for up to five of your favourites, with the song with the most votes played at the start of the next session! My votes are on the previous page.

The full list of songs covered in today's session are on the next page. Here are my votes: The Icicle Works - Love Is A Wonderful Colour China Crisis - Wishful Thinking Fiction Factory - (Feels Like) Heaven Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride Shannon - Let The Music Play Commiserations to 'The Killing Moon', 'What Difference Does It Make?' and 'Wouldn't It Be Good' which would have made my votes in almost any other week.

Halfway through the year, time for an update, and following the World Cup tie-in BJSC Worldvision Spin Off contest whose results were announced last week, it's a big one! After being randomly assigned the nation of Qatar, I didn't have huge hopes for the entry I later found, Dana Al Fardan - Indigo, but as the results were announced in the style of the cup competition, it progressed through the group stage, and all knockout ties, eventually triumphing in the final to become my only my second song contest victory on Buzzjack, and the first within the BJSC Forum! This follows another three podium finishes in 2026 so far, after finishing 2nd (again) and 3rd in the year to date's editions of The Best Song Contest In The World... Ever! and 2nd in Bop Idol at the start of this month, completing a top 3 clean sweep in that particular contest. Altogether it takes me to 14 podium finishes, 21 in the top 5, and 31 in the top 10! My most frequent finishes are once again jointly 2nd(!) and DNQ (x) with 7 apiece. 11th | Retro 1 | Alphaville - Forever Young 13th | CB 21 | Tangerine Dream - Love On A Real Train 26th | BJSC 151 | Call Me Loop - Walls 2nd | Retro 2 | Orbital - P.E.T.R.O.L. 23rd | BJSC 152 | LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER - Time Is Not A Healer It’s A Fuel For Resentment DNQ | BJSC 153 | Lanterns On The Lake - The Likes Of Us 7th | CB 23 | Freaks & Geeks, Veronica Bravo - Let Me Know 32nd | BJSC 154 | Sølv - Past Life 3rd | BJSC 155 | MRD - Last Dance 6th | Retro 3 | Blondie - X Offender 24th | UP XXXII | Artemas - Sink Or Swim 21st | BJSC 156 | Picture Parlour - Norwegian Wood 24th | CB 24 | VIZE, Leony, Niklas Dee feat. Tokio Hotel - Monsoon DNQ | BJSC 157 | Samia - Honey 22nd | Spin Off 08/23 | Madame - ARANCIATA 4th | Retro 4 | Joy Division - She's Lost Control 4th | BJSC 158 | ACRAZE & Aviella - In A Dream 21st | Spin Off 10/23 | Subtrax - WFT 26th | PFSC XIV | Silly Boy Blue - Widow Dreams Forever 42nd | BJSC 159 | Mozey - Tell Me 16th | CB 25 | Broosnica - More Energy (More Passion) 17th | BJSC 160 | Chelsea Wolfe - Dusk 14th | Spin Off 12/23 | Fountains Of Wayne - I Want An Alien For Christmas 25th | PFSC Special #2 | ARXX - God Knows 7th | CB 26 | Prayer - Make Me Feel 18th | BJSC 161 | Metric - Days Of Oblivion 16th | Retro 5 | The Jesus & Mary Chain - Upside Down 4th | UP XXXIII | Calva Louise - Over The Threshold 11th | BJSC 162 | INXS - Don't Change 27th | BJSC 163 | Luca Eck - Chaos Reigns 29th | BJSC 164 | Otha - I'm on Top 3rd | Retro 6 | Manic Street Preachers - 4st 7lb 19th | PFSC XV | Gammer feat. RUNN - Roots 21st | BJSC 165 | Vintage Culture - Find A Way 1st | Bop Idol 1 | Phoenix - 1901 16th | BJSC 166 | Echoberyl - Weird Boy 21st | CB 28 | Audio Bullys - As We Step 13th | BJSC 167 | Jain - Nobody Knows 38th | BJSC 168 | Attractive Chaos - Words On A Letter 9th | Retro 7 | Air - Le soleil est près de moi 29th | BJSC 169 | No - Drive Faster 23rd | Nuggets | Swiss Portrait - Paralysed 3rd | Bop Idol 2 | Fleet Foxes - Mykonos DNQ | BJSC 170 | Anthony McCaffrey - The Dark 19th | CB 29 | Laid Back - White Horse 8th | Retro 8 | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Into My Arms 16th | PFSC Special #3 | Florrie - Kissing In The Cold 40th | BJSC 171 | Sleater-Kinney - Crusader (Special Interest Remix) 3rd | CB 30 | Oklou (feat. underscores) - harvest sky 2nd | BJSC 172 | GusGus (feat. Högni & Earth) - Breaking Down 6th | Bop Idol 3 | Madonna - Amazing 35th | BJSC 173 | Willow Kayne - Zenosyne 19th | Retro 9 | Dinosaur Jr - Just Like Heaven 5th | BJSC 174 | MØ - Keep Møving 2nd | PFSC XVI | Yndling - As Fast As I Can 15th | UP XXXIIV | Dexndre - 100 wings 12th | CB 31 | Max Dean, Locky, Luke Dean - Curveball 32nd | BJSC 175 | Cult Of Venus - Algorithm 16th | Retro 10 | Young MC - Know How 5th | Bop Idol 4 | Ruti - Racing Cars 4th | Buzzfestivalen | LSR/CITY, Gareth Emery, Annabel - out of the sky DNQ | BJSC 176 | Mirella - Timanttei 7th | Spin Off | Yndling - Monopoly 21st | PFSC XVII | LALA HAYDEN - beast 34th | BJSC 177 | Fazerdaze - Motorway 2nd | Nuggets XVIII | Just Mustard - POLLYANNA 25th | CB 32 | wokeman - RetroTech 12th | BJSC 178 | Yakima Jera - Dertlı Dolap 2nd | Retro 11 | Dschinghis Khan - Moskau DNQ | BJSC 179 | Roxy Music - Do The Strand 14th | Bop Idol 5 | Cherry Ghost - Mathematics 11th | PFSC XVIII | Kim Wilde - Trail Of Destruction 38th | BJSC 180 | The Hellp - Live Forever 5th | CB 33 | TS7 & Katie May - Only One 10th | PFSC Special #4 | Haute & Freddy - Shy Girl DNQ | BJSC 181 | KÄSSY - i-i-i 2nd | Retro 12 | Ministry - Revenge 10th | Bop Idol 6 | The White Stripes - Black Math DNQ | BJSC 182 | Binzatina - Implosion 12th | UP XXXV | R. Missing - Ola Tremble 18th | CB 34 | Hallan - The Colline Gate 18th | BJSC 183 | Cult Of Venus - Sinner 7th | BJSC 184 | LUNA - Heavenly 3rd | Retro 13 | Mark 'Oh - Tears Don't Lie 23rd | BJSC 185 | Tiffany Day - DOIT4ME 2nd | Bop Idol 7 | Snow Patrol - Hands Open 1st | Spin Off | Dana Al Fardan - Indigo Number of finishes by position: 1st | 2 2nd | 7 3rd | 5 4th | 4 5th | 3 6th | 2 7th | 4 8th | 1 9th | 1 10th | 2 11th | 3 12th | 3 13th | 2 14th | 2 15th | 1 16th | 5 17th | 1 18th | 3 19th | 3 20th | 0 21st | 5 22nd | 1 23rd | 3 24th | 2 25th | 2 26th | 2 27th | 1 28th | 0 29th | 2 30th | 0 31st | 0 32nd | 2 33rd | 0 34th | 1 35th | 1 36th | 0 37th | 0 38th | 2 39th | 0 40th | 1 41st | 0 42nd | 1 DNQ | 7 Top 5 finishes by contest: Bop Idol: 1st + 2nd + 3rd + 5th BJSC Spin Offs: 1st Retro: 2nd + 2nd + 2nd + 3rd + 3rd + 4th BJSC: 2nd + 3rd + 4th + 5th Nuggets: 2nd PFSC: 2nd Club Bizarre: 3rd + 5th Buzzfestivalen: 4th Unknown Pleasures: 4th (If the PFSC Specials count separately to PFSC, my highest in one of those is 10th)

I've usually done it if there's a gap between years - means we can sort out tiebreaks in the second week if needed before moving into the next year. Anyway, there's a big one to start 1984 with this week!

'Man I Need' back at #1...