Pet Shop Boys Community

I think a song like "All over the world" in the late 80's or early 90's for Christmas could have reached the #1 spot, a song like "Thursday" too.

Nickname wrote: Sun 05 Oct 2025, 2:00 pm I think a song like "All over the world" in the late 80's or early 90's for Christmas could have reached the #1 spot a song like "Thursday" too.

That's a good observation. All over the world would without a doubt have been a nr 1 in 87-88, should've been the follow up to Heart.

King's Cross right after the fire in London would've been a nr 1 without competition.
Another song from Please as follow up to West End girls instead of Love comes quickly could also have made it up to nr 1 or at least top 5, like Why Don't We Live or 2/0.

Maybe Pandemonium, but Undertow is my favorite on that list. I can't believe they didn't sing it on their tours.

telys wrote: Sun 05 Oct 2025, 5:35 pm

Nickname wrote: Sun 05 Oct 2025, 2:00 pm I think a song like "All over the world" in the late 80's or early 90's for Christmas could have reached the #1 spot a song like "Thursday" too.

That's a good observation. All over the world would without a doubt have been a nr 1 in 87-88, should've been the follow up to Heart.

I remember Chris Evan playing AOTW on Radio2 at the time and he said exactly this - that it would have been a #1 for sure in their Imperial Phase.

Gabby wrote: Mon 06 Oct 2025, 12:21 pm

telys wrote: Sun 05 Oct 2025, 5:35 pm

Nickname wrote: Sun 05 Oct 2025, 2:00 pm I think a song like "All over the world" in the late 80's or early 90's for Christmas could have reached the #1 spot a song like "Thursday" too.

That's a good observation. All over the world would without a doubt have been a nr 1 in 87-88, should've been the follow up to Heart.

I remember Chris Evan playing AOTW on Radio2 at the time and he said exactly this - that it would have been a #1 for sure in their Imperial Phase.

AOTW kind of grew on me. I don't agree with this not because I don't like it, but because it's not a danceable song, you can't dance to it. And it's not a balad either. And the complicated bridge makes it even more difficult.

AOTW was flirting with Royksopp, who also made great comeback the same year. The Christmas version then lacked whatever could've hooked the particular audience. Madonna said in a recent interview how Michael Jackson and Prince were a bit incoherent with their careers and lacked vision, maybe the same is true about our boys; All over the world/ all over the place.

I do not think AOTW would be number one. It is not very far away from Domino Dancing musically for pace and tempo, and Domino dancing did not even a top 5 single. King's Cross? No. It is not a power ballad; at that time, people were crazy about power ballads (Listen To Your Heart, Alone, Love Bites, I Want to Know What Love Is etc.); King's Cross is a slow burner and would sound mellow; would probably hover around the bottom of top ten like Rent but would linger on charts way longer because it has a hypnotic staying power like West End girls. You say if it was released after the fire...yes that could change the game.

But I think it could be another top 10 in the USA. US people used to love this kind of soft ballad-like tracks (Richard Marx, anyone?)

Shameless as the first single from Very? I am not sure. It is very over-the-top and sounds overproduced. Look at Kylie's Can't Get You Out of My Head...so simple, so melodic but so monotonous...and after a few listens, so boring because there is nothing left to discover... But didn't it sell in buckets?

The only track I can imagine is Integral (or something similar). If they wrote it back then and released it as the first single from Introspective or Very, they could have a chance on the wings of the still hot legacy of It's a sin and Always on my mind.

PSBForTheMasses wrote: Mon 06 Oct 2025, 7:01 pm I do not think AOTW would be number one. It is not very far away from Domino Dancing musically for pace and tempo, and Domino dancing did not even a top 5 single.

It's not the same. Domino Dancing was rejected by UK listeners just because the latin sound and it's not as popular as it is in Spain or South America where the song was a big hit (#1 in Spain).

Nickname wrote: Mon 06 Oct 2025, 8:06 pm Domino Dancing was rejected by UK listeners just because the latin sound

Ah yes, that'll be why La Isla Bonita stalled at <checks notes> number one in Britain the previous year

Ramzy wrote: Mon 06 Oct 2025, 10:14 pm Ah yes, that'll be why La Isla Bonita stalled at <checks notes> number one in Britain the previous year

* Gloria Estefan enters the chat * (although, admittedly she did better in mainland europe)

leesmapman wrote: Mon 06 Oct 2025, 11:14 pm

Ramzy wrote: Mon 06 Oct 2025, 10:14 pm Ah yes, that'll be why La Isla Bonita stalled at <checks notes> number one in Britain the previous year

* Gloria Estefan enters the chat * (although, admittedly she did better in mainland europe)

I've said it all before, I'll say it all again, Domino dancing was released too late in the year. It should have dropped in May or June.

I don't believe Domino Dancing flopped at all, instead it made Introspective sell massive amounts. It's still their fift most popular song last time I checked.

Greetings,

lalolalo wrote: Sat 04 Oct 2025, 9:00 pmNo.

I think that's the correct answer.

The only other things I can think of would be...

- gambling on Actually, by promoting What Have I Done To Deserve This? to lead position, and hoping that It's A Sin would still be a big enough hit to reach #1 as the second single (I think it would have)

- releasing Go West as the first single from Very.

Nothing else really makes much sense. You could argue the case that certain songs not released as singles could have made the Top 20, but suggesting that any of them could have made Number One during the era of their release is a bridge too far.

Retro.

Ramzy wrote: Mon 06 Oct 2025, 10:14 pm

Nickname wrote: Mon 06 Oct 2025, 8:06 pm Domino Dancing was rejected by UK listeners just because the latin sound

Ah yes, that'll be why La Isla Bonita stalled at <checks notes> number one in Britain the previous year

There was an exception, IMHO.

I don't think many latin songs did the same in UK.