Julian_

“Like Toy Soldiers” is the one of the last three I’d have lower. I think the Martika track does most of the heavy lifting - still I’d rank it somewhere in the middle of his 11 #1s. “Push The Button” is so catchy and slickly produced that I can forgive it being basic. “Ghetto Gospel” works very well and is poignant - I guess it had to be watered down a little to be a mainstream smash.

25 Ghost - Mary On A Cross 24 Glass Animals - Heat Waves 23 Hozier - Take Me To Church 22 Doja Cat - Say So 21 Steps - Scared of the Dark 20 Chemical Brothers (feat. Q-Tip) - Go 19 Go_A - Shum 18 Sia - Cheap Thrills 17 Grimes - Kill V. Maim 16 LF System - Afraid To Feel 15 Peggy Gou - (It Goes Like) Nanana 14 Artemas - I like way you kiss me 13 Lana Del Rey - A & W 12 Kendrick Lamar & SZA - All The Stars 11 Charli xcx (feat. Billie Eilish) - Guess 10 Billie Eilish - Bury a Friend 9 Twenty One Pilots - Stressed Out 8 Alan Walker (feat. Iselin) - Faded 7 Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us 6 Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower 5 Zach Bryan - Something in the Orange 4 Wet Leg - Chaise Longue 3 xx – On Hold 2 My Chemical Romance - The Foundations of Decay 1 Adele - When We Were Young

Only a partial prediction but I’m thinking: Lamb - dandy* Black Box Recorder - gooddelta Fiona Apple - Jade Friendly Fires - Jim It Bites - Rollo Paris Hilton - RobBot FKA Twigs - Addy Malcolm Middleton - Brer Zhu - danG

Godley & Creme - Under Your Thumb The Police - Invisible Sun Laurie Anderson - O Superman The Creatures - Mad Eyed Screamer OMD - Joan Of Arc

Another influx of medley stinkers at one end but an absolute beauty of a Top 5 here. “Invisible Man” doesn’t whack you in the face like some of their best known hits but it’s just stealthily brilliant. And I was introduced to Godley And Creme by the experimental “I Pity Inanimate Objects” from 1979 which @King Rollo entered into a song contest, but everything I’ve heard from them has been great. 9 The Police Invisible Sun Missed the top spot unlike its follow up but one of their very finest songs: dark and brooding and you can feel the sun glistening 9 Godley And Creme Under Your Thumb 1st and biggest hit for this duo of 10cc members: an enchanting, haunting single with exceptional storytelling and production 8 Dave Stewart And Barbara Gaskin It's My Party 487th #1: their only Top 40 as a duo and a wonderful synth pop cover of Lesley Gore's 1963 song, with bucketfuls of character 8 Depeche Mode Just Can't Get Enough The only Top 3 hit they'll ever have: I'm not sure the bouncy style suits them but it's a brilliant riff and wonderful vibrant track 7 Japan Quiet Life 1st hit for this UK new wave band who had been going a while: a very fine moody synth track that builds and simmers effecitively 6 Madness Shut Up Their 8th Top 10 hit in less than 2 years: I like the fairground style piano intro and thereafter it's their usual enjoyable cheeky style 6 Sheena Easton Just Another Broken Heart A minor hit but I think it's one of her better songs: a nice track that isn't cheesy and doesn't feel like it ought to be a show tune 5 The Tweets The Birdie Song (Birdie Dance) Originally The Chicken Dance composed by a Swiss accordion player in the '50s, this is an enjoyable novelty track for a party 4 Beggar And Co Mule (Chant No 2) Their 2nd and last Top 40: it's quite an interesting and unusual track but the vocals are a little off putting and amateur sounding 3 Electronicas The Original Bird Dance Not sure which of this and The The Tweets versions came first, but I prefer The Tweets' richer production and we didn't need this 3 Bad Manners Walking In The Sunshine A 7th hit for them in 18 months: this has the makings of a decent reggae track but the song doesn't go far and feels lacklustre 2 Portsmouth Sinfonia Classical Muddly A spoof response to "Hooked On Classics" by this orchestra with bad playing: it's hard on the ears but at least mildly amusing 1 Starsound Stars On 45 (Volume 3) Bizarrely this one is a medley of clips of backing tracks without any vocals: hard to see the purpose other than a home disco 1 Gidea Park Seasons Of Gold 2nd and last hit for this project, branching out from Beach Boys to Four Seasons and other '60s acts with scratchy session vocals 1980 Group 17: #564 19/09/1981 Slade Lock Up Your Daughters 29 70-45-31-{29}-29-31-35-73->8 #565 03/10/1981 Toyah Thunder In The Mountains 4 32-13-5-{4}-7-16-21-39-51->9 #566 03/10/1981 The Creatures Mad Eyed Screamer 24 34-25-25-{24}-27-35-44->7 #567 26/09/1981 Barry Manilow Let's Hang On 12 46-35-30-21-16-{12}-12-17-24-38-58->11 #568 26/09/1981 Tight Fit Back To The 60s - Part 2 33 71-38-{33}-35-51->5 #569 10/10/1981 The Human League Open Your Heart 6 21-{6}-6-11-10-15-21-40-60->9 #570 03/10/1981 Elvis Costello A Good Year For The Roses 6 47-23-14-9-8-{6}-12-16-34-46-74->11 #571 26/09/1981 Altered Images Happy Birthday 2 63-48-28-16-5-{2}-2-2-11-16-40-55-72-75-75-58-68->17 #572 03/10/1981 New Order Procession/Everything's Gone Green 38 64-39-{38}-63-70->5 #573 10/10/1981 Shakin' Stevens It's Raining 10 40-11-{10}-10-14-18-28-46-68->9 #574 17/10/1981 Laurie Anderson O Superman 2 18-{2}-3-15-24-54->6 #575 10/10/1981 Squeeze Labelled With Love 4 72-31-19-9-{4}-4-10-17-44-64->10 #576 10/10/1981 The Fureys With Davey Arthur When You Were Sweet Sixteen 14 47-34-26-22-17-{14}-14-20-32-47-70->11 #577 17/10/1981 BA Robertson And Maggie Bell Hold Me 11 36-18-13-{11}-13-20-35-59->8

Same 😊

Also I wonder if we won’t have any Christmas songs in the Top 40 for the first time since 2020. Looks so far like Wham! could be well down on their 680k from last year, and the Top 40 bar will probably be around 650k.

Not a poison stan.

A few of us like Jim, Wardy and me also got there in the last week or two.

#10 I think. I thought “Golden” might have a shot at #2 but not with how much it’s lost lately - probably will be #4.

That’s why I avoid reading and just enjoy the music.

I don’t mind “Switch It On” but I like the other 5 more so going for that.

Here he ain’t as Bryan Adams is eliminated. The track was recorded for the film “Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron”. It reached #5 in July 2002 and is his only Top 10 hit this century aside from his feature on Chicane’s #1, “Don’t Give Up”. 7th: Bryan Adams - Here I Am 12/26 votes (46%) 8th: Atomic Kitten - Love Doesn’t Have To Hurt 9/28 votes (32%) 9th: Embrace - World At Your Feet 8/26 votes (31%) 10th: R Kelly - Happy People / U Saved Me 21/29 votes (72%)

I agree with this Top 3. My 3rd favourite is Liberty X - a sweet track.

Losing their grip next are McFly. This followed up 2 chart toppers in 2005, landing at #3 in October. They were starting to become one week wonders at this point with very little interest outside the core fanbase, and this single’s chart run was 3-9-30-51. 4th: McFly - I Wanna Hold You 12/27 votes (44%) 5th: Boyzone - Love You Anyway 9/27 votes (33%) 6th: Lyte Funkie Ones - Girl On TV 12/29 votes (41%) 7th: Michael Bublé - Everything 10/27 votes (37%) 8th: Atomic Kitten - Ladies Night 10/31 votes (32%) 9th: Lil’ Bow Wow - Bow Wow (That’s My Name) 13/30 votes (43%) 10th: Lostprophets - Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast) 23/33 votes (70%)