Julian_

2 days left!

We’ve had a full house of votes in every Bop Idol up to now and I hope to continue that.

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Round 8: Year End Survivor #120

Looks like Nelly’s on for a second straight bronze medal, which is where I place her in this.

Round 8: Year End Survivor #120

Posted July 13Jul 13

Beyoncé has been replaced at the survivor table by an empty seat. In the #29 survivor this reached the final so 4th here is something of a comedown. The single reached #4 in November 2004, and was the follow up to the chart topping “Déja Vu” but has proved to be much more enduring than that.

4th: Beyoncé - Irreplaceable

5th: Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You 14/30 votes (47%)

6th: All American Rejects - Gives You Hell 16/35 votes (46%)

7th: Goldtrix - It’s Love (Trippin’) 16/33 votes (48%)

8th: Hear’Say - Everybody 16/30 votes (53%)

9th: Wyclef Jean featuring The Rock and Melky Sedeck - It Doesn’t Matter 9/29 votes (31%)

10th: Jennifer Lopez featuring Fat Joe - Hold You Down 12/32 votes (38%)

Round 5: Year End Survivor #121

“Cry Me Out” is the only Pixie song I really like, with its waltz rhythm. In fact I like all 6 and it’s going to have to be Cascada.

Round 5: Year End Survivor #121

Posted July 13Jul 13

A skilled multitasker, Beyoncé is working her way out of 2 survivors at once. This was her very 1st solo hit, reaching #7 in July 2002. It doesn’t even appear in the Top 40 of her biggest selling hits now, demonstrating that it is relatively forgotten.

7th: Beyoncé - Work It Out 14/34 votes (41%)

8th: Scooter - Weekend! 10/33 votes (30%)

9th: Artful Dodger featuring Lifford - Please Don’t Turn Me On 11/33 votes (33%)

10th: Hermes House Band - Country Roads 11/31 votes (35%)

Round 2: Year End Survivor #122

I went for Friday Hill - I think the Stuntmasterz mash up works quite well.

Round 2: Year End Survivor #122

Posted July 13Jul 13

They definitely won’t be last on anyone’s mind in this survivor but they are last. This reached #5 in May 2004 which oddly makes it Leann‘s 2nd highest peaking hit, eclipsing the mammoth “How Do I Live”. For Ronan it was towards the end of his extraordinary run of 3” straight Top 10 hits including Boyzone and his solo work.

10th: Ronan Keating & LeAnn Rimes - Last Thing On My Mind 13/35 votes (37%)

Bop Idol 4: Voting (Deadline 23:59 Wednesday 16 July)

Ah sorry I’d amended the deadline in the main body of the OP but forgotten about the title!

The UK Top 40 singles of the 1980s: listening sessions + polls

in 20th Century Retro

I gave 4 9s this week so also voting for my favourite of the 8s.

1 The Cure - A Forest

2 Blondie - Call Me

3 Lipps Inc - Funky Town

4 Kate Bush - Breathing

5 Jona Lewie - You’ll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties

Missing out also with 8:

Sky - Toccata

New Musik - World Of Water

The Mash - Suicide Is Painless

Julian rates every Top 40 hit: the 1980s edition

in 20th Century Retro

6 hours ago, jimwatts said:
I wonder if you're about to give the first 1/10 score of the year in the forthcoming batch.

Indeed, though it’s good going to have got this far into 1980 without a 1.

Another brilliant timeless winner here.

9	Lipps Inc	Funky Town	A 1 hit wonder US group which was a US #1 but #2 here: a fantastic funky track with a timeless riff that still sounds just as good today
8	Jona Lewie	You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties	1st hit for this UK singer songwriter: I love the slightly awkward storytelling with his striking baritone voice over a synth pop track
8	The Mash	Theme From 'MAS*H' (Suicide Is Painless)	459th #1: for the 1970 film "MAS*H" and a 1 hit wonder, this track has a beautiful seductive aura to it and lovely blend of voices
7	Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark	Messages	1st hit for this UK electronic band: a lovely track establishing their sound with slightly trippy and dark synths and melancholy lyrics
7	Junior Murvin	Police And Thieves	Another 1 hit wonder for a Jamaican performer: this is a really striking and different reggae track with lovely scatted falsetto vocals
7	Roxy Music	Over You	Part of a run of 4 straight Top 5 hits for them, and a rich synth pop track with layers of production and soulful reverb heavy vocals
6	Gary Numan	We Are Glass	His 3rd hit after hitting #1 with his debut "Cars": this feels like a typical Gary track and is still really good but doesn't quite stand out
6	Crown Heights Affair	You Gave Me Love	Last Top 40 and biggest hit for the US disco group: the catchy "ooh ooh" vocal riff is my favourite part of this; otherwise it's standard
6	The Specials	Rat Race/Rude Boys Outa Jail	Their 3rd double A Top 10 hit: I prefer "Rat Race" but both are enjoyable and bouncy ska tracks with good instrumental contributions
5	Mystic Merlin	Just Can't Give You Up	Originally a magical act who became a serious band, this is there only hit and it's a nice chilled out saxophone heavy dance soul track
5	Matchbox	Midnite Dynamos	Following their Freddy Cannon cover this is actually an original rockabilly style song: it's a jolly and vibrant old fashioned number
4	Jermaine Jackson	Let's Get Serious	MJ's brother's 1st and biggest solo hit written by Stevie Wodner, and indeed sounds like a fairly typical but unremarkable Stevie track
4	Don McLean	Crying	460th #1: the Roy Orbison original is heartbreakingly beautiful and this cover is fine but doesn't really do anything that Roy's doesn't
3	Roberta Flack With Donny Hathaway	Back Together Again	Donny had died last year but Roberta recorded an album of duets with his vocals: this was big but is quite a forgettable soul song
2	UK Subs	Teenage	Again it's the raucous punk style which isn't entirely to my taste anyway, but I can't find much charm in this football chant style track
1	The Four Bucketeers	The Bucket Of Water Song	This group was from the ITV children's programme "Tiswas": maybe it's amusing in context but it's a not very listenable and grating song

1980 Group 10:

#136	24/05/1980	The Lambrettas	D-a-a-ance	12	48-20-21-{12}-15-22-25-49->8
#137	24/05/1980	Electric Light Orchestra	I'm Alive	20	47-25-22-{20}-20-26-26-53-69->9
#138	17/05/1980	The Manhattan Transfer	Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone	25	59-49-29-31-{25}-25-33-68->8
#139	24/05/1980	The Korgis	Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime	5	61-31-27-19-6-{5}-5-8-14-35-51-67->12
#140	10/05/1980	Peter Gabriel	No Self Control	33	58-44-41-{33}-54-56->6
#141	17/05/1980	Cockney Rejects	I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles	35	52-45-{35}-55-69->5
#142	24/05/1980	Stiff Little Fingers	Nobody's Hero/Tin Soldiers	36	57-{36}-36-46-70->5
#143	24/05/1980	Thin Lizzy	Chinatown	21	63-37-30-30-23-23-22-{21}-29->9
#144	10/05/1980	The Detroit Spinners	Body Language	40	69-46-43-{40}-45-50-74->7
#145	07/06/1980	Judas Priest	Breaking The Law	12	23-18-{12}-18-28-67->6
#146	31/05/1980	Teena Marie	Behind The Groove	6	62-29-17-7-{6}-10-15-30-44-69->10
#147	31/05/1980	Liquid Gold	Substitute	8	52-32-21-16-{8}-13-19-37-62->9
#148	24/05/1980	Elton John	Little Jeannie	33	62-44-{33}-37-38-43-65->7
#149	07/06/1980	Iron Maiden	Sanctuary	29	34-{29}-36-49-67->5
#150	07/06/1980	Siouxsie And The Banshees	Christine	22	35-{22}-27-24-24-26-24-56->8
#151	31/05/1980	Surface Noise	The Scratch	26	59-38-28-{26}-35-40-62-73->8

2025 singles year to date estimates

in UK Charts

Think there’s a chance of “Defying Gravity” crashing out already.

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Julian rates every Top 40 hit: the 1980s edition

in 20th Century Retro

2 absolutely electrifying records at the top here: I love them both.

9	The Cure	A Forest	Their 1st minor hit and they'll have some misses: this is a beautifully eerie and spellbinding track that takes you through the dark woods
9	Kate Bush	Breathing	The lead single from her 3rd album: not the most commercial but a stunningly artistic track about the effects of the world on a foetus
8	New Musik	This World Of Water	Another really sparkling track from them: the underwater effect is almost comical but does work and it's a real pleasure listening to this
7	The Beat	Mirror In The Bathroom	This is their biggest hit and it's clicked with me much more than "Hands Off She's Mine": a really successful piece of pop ska crossover
7	Hot Chocolate	No Doubt About It	The biggest '80s single for these prolific hitmakers curiously themed around a UFO sighting, but a very clever and well produced track
6	Billy Joel	All For Leyna	A minor hit before he'd had any Top 10s: not his very best song but good storytelling and I really enjoy the synths and early '80s feel to it
6	Narada Michael Walden	I Shoulda Loved Ya	Much bigger than his other recent hit and I much prefer this: a smooth disco track with a heartfelt falsetto chorus that works very well
6	Pete Townshend	Rough Boys	Only solo Top 40 for this former member of The Who: this has enjoyable guitar work throughout to accompany the homoerotic theme
5	Whitesnake	Fool For Your Loving	1st Top 40 for this band on their 3rd album: it's a good rock track with a strong melody and instrumental riff, albeit nothing mind blowing
5	The Average White Band	Let's Go Round Again	Last Top 40 for this Scottish funk group that has become something of a classic: it's a nice piece of disco funk but so can't say I love it
4	Motorhead	Golden Years EP	Their 1st big hit with an EP containing a quartet of live tracks: it's all very vigorously performed but I can't say it does all that much for me
4	Jimmy Ruffin	Hold On To My Love	Only post 1974 Top 40 hit for this US soul singer and it was a big one: it's pleasant enough but does feel a little out of place in 1980
3	Smokie	Take Good Care Of My Baby	I love the Bobby Vee original but it's not a song that needed resurrecting: this band give it a few interesting features but it isn't enough
3	Johnny Logan	What's Another Year	458th #1 and Eurovision winner for Ireland: not sure if Europe’s taste was behind the UK’s at this point but this sounds older than it is
2	Michael Jackson	She's Out Of My Life	Astonishingly a bigger hit than "Rock Your Body", also from "Off The Wall"; to me it's a cloying and overwrought ballad but nicely sung
2	Cockney Rejects	The Greatest Cockney Rip-Off	1st Top 40 for this punk rock group: this rather out of tune singing will be their trademark and the melody is a little grating; I'm not a fan

1980 Group 9:

#120	26/04/1980	Mystic Merlin	Just Can't Give You Up	20	66-41-30-24-24-23-{20}-24-33->9
#121	03/05/1980	Crown Heights Affair	You Gave Me Love	10	61-35-25-19-17-12-{10}-10-12-27-36-66->12
#122	03/05/1980	The Four Bucketeers	The Bucket Of Water Song	26	63-36-{26}-36-48-68->6
#123	03/05/1980	Junior Murvin	Police And Thieves	23	67-39-38-35-27-28-{23}-30-37->9
#124	17/05/1980	Roxy Music	Over You	5	18-7-6-6-{5}-9-17-31-50->9
#125	10/05/1980	The Mash	Theme From 'MAS*H' (Suicide Is Painless)	1	42-23-6-{1}-1-1-2-4-15-32-55-71->12
#126	10/05/1980	Jona Lewie	You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties	16	73-30-27-19-19-{16}-21-28-53->9
#127	10/05/1980	Matchbox	Midnite Dynamos	14	67-33-26-18-16-15-{14}-21-17-27-41-61->12
#128	10/05/1980	Jermaine Jackson	Let's Get Serious	8	61-37-23-21-9-{8}-8-9-18-38-65->11
#129	17/05/1980	UK Subs	Teenage	32	39-{32}-32-46-73->5
#130	10/05/1980	Don McLean	Crying	1	41-40-28-13-4-2-{1}-1-1-4-8-18-44-63->14
#131	24/05/1980	Gary Numan	We Are Glass	5	10-{5}-7-9-19-38-59->7
#132	24/05/1980	The Specials	Rat Race/Rude Boys Outa Jail	5	18-8-{5}-7-11-10-33-42-75->9
#133	17/05/1980	Lipps Inc	Funky Town	2	70-25-9-3-3-3-{2}-2-6-12-24-40-58->13
#134	17/05/1980	Roberta Flack With Donny Hathaway	Back Together Again	3	51-34-22-14-6-4-{3}-4-13-18-49->11
#135	10/05/1980	Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark	Messages	13	53-41-39-26-26-14-{13}-13-20-39-51->11

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Bop Idol 4: Voting (Deadline 23:59 Wednesday 16 July)

I wonder if it’s happened before that a track has disappeared from streaming during a contest. I may even check with anyone who votes and doesn’t include it that they have listened to it, just to be totally fair to the person who sent it (it isn’t mine).

Bop Idol 4: Voting (Deadline 23:59 Wednesday 16 July)

I’ve noticed that “Racing Cars” by Ruti is suddenly unavailable on Spotify. It’s the title track of an EP, and oddly the rest of the EP is all still there.

Anyway please make sure you don’t miss it when you’re listening!

Round 4: Year End Survivor #121

Posted July 10Jul 10

Not surviving to see the weekend are Scooter. This reached #12 in March 2003, becoming their 8th Top 40 hit. In fact it was their 3rd biggest after “The Logical Song” and “Nessaja”.

8th: Scooter - Weekend! 10/33 votes (30%)

9th: Artful Dodger featuring Lifford - Please Don’t Turn Me On 11/33 votes (33%)

10th: Hermes House Band - Country Roads 11/31 votes (35%)

Round 7: Year End Survivor #120

Going for “Irreplacable” now

Round 7: Year End Survivor #120

Posted July 10Jul 10

Mariah’s Christmases are not coming early. Nonetheless it’s a better result for this than in its previous outing in the #99 survivor when it only finished 8th. She may yet appear again.

5th: Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You 14/30 votes

6th: All American Rejects - Gives You Hell 16/35 votes (46%)

7th: Goldtrix - It’s Love (Trippin’) 16/33 votes (48%)

8th: Hear’Say - Everybody 16/30 votes (53%)

9th: Wyclef Jean featuring The Rock and Melky Sedeck - It Doesn’t Matter 9/29 votes (31%)

10th: Jennifer Lopez featuring Fat Joe - Hold You Down 12/32 votes (38%)

Round 1: Year End Survivor #122

Ronan and Leann - even the Friday Hill track at least has a bit of charm to it

Round 1: Year End Survivor #122

Posted July 10Jul 10

Bop Idol 4: Voting (Deadline 23:59 Wednesday 16 July)

Thanks to those who joined tonight!

As the listen through was a bit later than planned and I have quite a busy weekend, I’m going to extend the voting deadline by 3 days to the end of Wednesday.

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Bop Idol 4: Voting (Deadline 23:59 Wednesday 16 July)