Changed Chart Positions

[Kris]

I think that people buy records based on the previous experience of buying a record
of that performer, particularly 20 years ago, when we all had less money.

So I think Heart was not really a #1.

Always on my mind was a huge hit but it took time for people to catch on.
As the public listened to Always on my mind and gradually 'got PSB' they rushed to buy
Heart and while it went #1, some were disapointed compared to Always on my mind.

So when Domino dancing arrived a little later, many hesitated to buy and that was it.

Until Very.

So sequential positive results builds momentum.
And it is vital that the next album after Fundamental be just as brilliant
to build momentum.

Positive upbeat songs, maybe a clever cover like Always on my mind or Go West.

Neil and Chris, take your time, no distractions, make it so.

Not sure I agree re: Heart. It's a classic pop record and lots of non-PSB fans I've spoken to cite it as one of their favourites. It also had that memorable video, which increased the song's profile further. Plus, Heart was the fourth single from an already big-selling album, making its chart achievement all the more impressive.

[Danny C]

"What have I done"'s no 2 position was its ultimate fate, it seems...it also stalled two weeks in USA at number two. If it just went up one more step, things could take a different turn in the USA...To be number one in USA was zone of the most important things in the sector.

Of coure, the ultimate irony here is that What have I done to deserve this? did actually reach #1 on the sales chart.

However, unlike the British chart, the retarded Billboard chart also takes airplay into consideration, and because What have I done to deserve this? only reached #3 on airplay, that pulled its overall chart position down to #2.

Such a shame that the desires of the record-buying public can be perverted by the half dozen or so guys who decide what America should listen to.

[Kris]

Pete Waterman once said "The difference between a number one hit and a number two hit is timing...nothing else, just timing"Rick Ghastly's Never Gonna Give You Up stopped What Have I? from getting to number one and Will Smith's Boom! Shake The Room stopped Go West from getting to number one.
If What Have I? or Go West were released a week earlier or later they probwbly would have got to the top. Anyway, there have been incredible songs that have stalled at number two over the years... Ultravox's Vienna, Oasis' Wonderwall to name but two....

Mr Vain also stopped Go West from getting to number one, didnt it?

Dave

It did. Mr Vain spent its sixth and final week at number one when Go West charted at #2, before Jazzy Jeff leapfrogged both records the following week. I think I'm right in saying Go West was #1 in both of those weeks up until Saturday sales, something which has consistently dogged PSB over the years.

To return to the topic in question, Domino Dancing should have been a top 3 record, Love Comes Quickly deserved top 10 status (I can only assume the general public expected another hip hop record a la West End Girls) and Being Boring, while not exactly having big hit potential, definitely deserved higher than #20. Also, Se a Vida e would have been top five had an artwork problem not prevented CD2 from being released in the same week as CD1.

[Riikka]

And it is vital that the next album after Fundamental be just as brilliant
to build momentum.

Positive upbeat songs, maybe a clever cover like Always on my mind or Go West.

Neil and Chris, take your time, no distractions, make it so.

You took the words out of my mouth!!
I wish Neil and Chris were reading our wishes... I always wanted to tell them, "please make your next album sound like typical Pet Shop Boys!".

[Tom Angel]

Se a vida was actually a big hit though, surely one of their last (?), as it hung around in the top 10 for some time if I remember correctly, and the longer a ong stays in the top 10, the more exposure it gets. It's certianly one of the better known psb singles for non-fans

[Rusty]

Se a vida was actually a big hit though, surely one of their last (?), as it hung around in the top 10 for some time if I remember correctly, and the longer a ong stays in the top 10, the more exposure it gets. It's certianly one of the better known psb singles for non-fans

Alas SAVE spent only one week in the top 10 at #8 before falling to #14. If memory serves me correctly CD2 was released a week later than CD1 to attempt to keep the chart position up, and in a sense this worked seeing how it only dropped 6 places in week 2, compared to "Before" which I think fell from #7 to #22 in it's second week. At the time it was said that if both CD singles had been released in week 1 SAVE would have made it to #2, although I don't know how acurate that is.

[Rusty]

Se a vida was actually a big hit though, surely one of their last (?), as it hung around in the top 10 for some time if I remember correctly, and the longer a ong stays in the top 10, the more exposure it gets. It's certianly one of the better known psb singles for non-fans

Alas SAVE spent only one week in the top 10 at #8 before falling to #14. If memory serves me correctly CD2 was released a week later than CD1 to attempt to keep the chart position up, and in a sense this worked seeing how it only dropped 6 places in week 2, compared to "Before" which I think fell from #7 to #22 in it's second week. At the time it was said that if both CD singles had been released in week 1 SAVE would have made it to #2, although I don't know how acurate that is.

After checking our http://www.polyhex.com/music/chartruns/chartruns.php , it turns out SAVE actually only fell to #11 in it's second week.

[Undertaker]

I thought SAVE dropped to number 11 in the 2nd week.

Dave

[Tom Angel]

That's what I meant really, Se a vide had an 8 week run, which is the last time they really had a sizable hit. Oh well. There's more to (psb) life than chart positions.

[Dreamcatcher2003]

That's what I meant really, Se a vide had an 8 week run, which is the last time they really had a sizable hit. Oh well. There's more to (psb) life than chart positions.

Well, I can understand what you mean, once upon a time (probably up until Before and Bilingual), it was really fun to keep a track of PSB songs' chart performance...PSB's chart positions were rather unpredictable, making it more fun...

Among my classmates, no one bet Always on my mind and Heart would be so easy number ones, one being a Christmas release (the most non-Christmas number one song ever), and the other being a fourth single from an album that was released neons ago. But they jumped to the number one spot and held it for weeks as it was the most natural thing.

Then came the disappointment, although no one expected it: Domino Dancing. As said earlier, there was a huge momentum built on Actually and 5 gigantic hits; everyone thought it would be a top three single at worst!

The same goes for America. Accidentally PSB is the only snyth band of its generation that made a dent on both US charts and general buying public; accidentally because PSB is not a synth band per se in the traditional sense we know; it is and has always been a true pop band...When It's a Sin stalled at number nine in US after being so huge and all over the place in the rest of the world, we frowned: it was not justified...

Then WHIDTD went to number two (missing number one by inches I see thanks to Danny C) and Always on my mind went to number four against all odds. Were they better songs than It's a Sin? WHID was so successful because of Dusty? We thought the snob US public was really warming to Boys although albumwise Actually had limped to No 25.

We had high expectations with the next major release (Domino Dancing) on both sides of Atlantic and it gloriously failed on both sides (and a personal disappointment, too) . I wish Boys had tucked that song into some obtrusive part of Introspective or released it as third fourth last single.

Then the US buying public turned its back on Boys... a natural evolution, I guess.

The only surprise afterwards was Go West...we expected it to be a better charting one than Can you forgive her? as it was a good chart song but never thought it would be a global hit that size.

Yes a long post but nostalgic laced with sweet memories of good fun old days of the youth...

[Radiophonic]

I think that people buy records based on the previous experience of buying a record
of that performer, particularly 20 years ago, when we all had less money.

So I think Heart was not really a #1.

Always on my mind was a huge hit but it took time for people to catch on.
As the public listened to Always on my mind and gradually 'got PSB' they rushed to buy
Heart and while it went #1, some were disapointed compared to Always on my mind.

So when Domino dancing arrived a little later, many hesitated to buy and that was it.

Well Heart was a number one on the simple basis it got highter than no. 2. I didn't care for the song myself, but a lot of my friends liked it at the time and it was playing in the gay bars and such.

Always On My Mind was instantly commercial. When I heard it on that 'Elvis' programme, with the Boys dressed in Muir caps, I knew it was gonna be a number one.

[gregf]

(in defence of Heart)

Well, as I was not at the cool end of the world at the time, I respect your info.

[kimphilby]

Domino Dancing - Top 5
So Hard - #1 or 2
Minimal - Top 10

[kimphilby]

Not sure I agree re: Heart. It's a classic pop record and lots of non-PSB fans I've spoken to cite it as one of their favourites. It also had that memorable video, which increased the song's profile further. Plus, Heart was the fourth single from an already big-selling album, making its chart achievement all the more impressive.

Have been listening to Heart everyday, a few times a day, for a while now. Love.