The UK Top 40: This Week in 1987...

[Patrick Bateman]

I only agree that most chart music is crap in any era but even the crap from the Eighties has a charm to it. Shakey's in both those charts and he was completely crap (and the most successful artist of the 80s, natch) but a Welsh Elvis jiving behind the green door is somehow more charming than the identikit wannabe pimps that stink up the chart these days. And as Drico said songs seem to be out of fashion. I don't wake up every morning to the theme from Rocky but I can see how that top three from 1982 is made up of killer tunes in a way that homogenous and forgettable contemporary pap isn't.

As for the Sugababes, they've actually completed the progression from relatively interesting girl group to generic chav pop clones over the course of the last few years:

[Firthy2002]

The late 90s killed the charts and radio.

[Danny C]

As for the Sugababes, they've actually completed the progression from relatively interesting girl group to generic chav pop clones over the course of the last few years

Yeah, but I'd rather f*ck the current three than the three they started with, so every cloud...

[York Minster]

Yeah, but I'd rather f*ck the current three than the three they started with, so every cloud...

Gorsh, sex without love? I'd never really thought about that!

[Undertaker]

Of course the U.K chart is heavily influenced by the U.S. That's why it's a list of embarressing crap. If the artist isn't a yank, then the group or song is heavily influenced.

It would be nice if you could hear what half the 'singers' were actually saying. Half the songs have to have an artist 'featuring' another artist. What's all that about? I'd sonner stick pins in my eyes and listen to 3 hours of that guff every weekend. The majority of these songs wont be remembered in 20 years time.

[Undertaker]

Making their debut in the top 40, November 30th 1985...

http://www.chartstats.com/chart.php?date=30%2F11%2F1985


01. Wham! - I'm Your Man
02. Feargal Sharkey - A Good Heart
03. - UB40 - Don't Break My Heart
04. Dee C Lee - See The Day
05. Jennifer Rush - The Power Of Love
06. Talking Heads - Road To Nowhere
07. Doug E Fresh And The Get Fresh Crew - The Show
08. Queen - One Vision
09. Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love For You
10. Phil Collins And Marilyn Martin - Separate Lives
11. Lionel Richie - Say You Say Me
12. A-ha - Take On Me
13. Level 42 - Something About You
14. Eurythmics And Aretha Franklin - Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves
15. Elton John - Nikita
16. Dionne Warwick And Friends - That's What Friends Are For
17. Far Corporation - Stairway To Heaven
18. Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
19. Lloyd Cole And The Commotions - Lost Weekend
20. Colonel Abrams - Trapped
21. Madness - Uncle Sam
22. David Grant And Jaki Graham - Mated
23. King - The Taste Of Your Tears
24. Go West - Don't Look Down - The Sequel
25. Prefab Sprout - When Love Breaks Down {1985 Re-Release}
26. Paul McCartney - Spies Like Us
27. Simon May Orchestra - Howards' Way Theme
28. The Waterboys - The Whole Of The Moon
29. Artists United Against Apartheid - Sun City
30. The Cult - Revolution
31. Marillion - Heart Of Lothian
32. Bryan Adams And Tina Turner - It's Only Love
33. Nik Kershaw - When A Heart Beats
34. Midge Ure - That Certain Smile
35. Starship - We Built This City
36. Paul Hardcastle - Just For Money
37. Princess - After The Love Has Gone
38. Madonna - Gambler
39. Amazulu - Don't You Just Know It
40. Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls

[Undertaker]

Pet Shop Boys Greatest chart moment...

http://www.chartstats.com/chart.php?date=23%2F12%2F1987

December 23rd 1987

01. - Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind
02. The Pogues Featuring Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York
03. Comic Relief Presents Mel And Kim Performed By Kim Wilde And Mel Smith - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
04. Rick Astley - When I Fall In Love
05. Alison Moyet - Love Letters
06. Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel
07. Nat King Cole - When I Fall In Love {1987}
08. Belinda Carlisle - Heaven Is A Place On Earth
09. T'Pau - China In Your Hand
10. Shakin' Stevens - What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For
11. Simply Red - Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
12. Jellybean Featuring Elisa Fiorillo - Who Found Who
13. Wet Wet Wet - Angel Eyes
14. Madonna - The Look Of Love
15. - Johnny Hates Jazz - Turn Back The Clock
16. The Proclaimers - Letter From America
17. Alexander O'Neal - Criticize
18. George Harrison - Got My Mind Set On You
19. Jellybean - Jingo
20. New Order - Touched By The Hand Of God
21. Paul McCartney - Once Upon A Long Ago
22. Whitney Houston - So Emotional
23. Level 42 - Children Say
24. Wally Jump Junior And The Criminal Element - Tighten Up (I Just Can't Stop Dancin')
25. The Christians - Ideal World
26. The Communards - Never Can Say Goodbye
27. Sinitta - GTO
28. Krush - House Arrest
29. Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me {1987}
30. The Smiths - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
31. Cher - I Found Someone
32. The Hooters - Satellite
33. Kiss - Reason To Live
34. Maxi Priest - Some Guys Have All The Luck
35. Cutting Crew - I've Been In Love Before {1987}
36. Bill Medley And Jennifer Warnes - (I've Had) The Time Of My Life
37. Climie Fisher - Rise To The Occasion
38. Anthrax - I'm The Man
39. Five Star - Somewhere Somebody
40. Heart - There's The Girl

[Undertaker]

One of the biggest injustices ever. Kim stalling at number 2

March 28th, 1981

http://www.chartstats.com/chart.php?week=19810328

01. Shakin' Stevens - This Ole House
02. Kim Wilde - Kids In America
03. Roxy Music - Jealous Guy
04. Toyah - Four From Toyah (EP)
05. Adam & The Ants - Kings Of The Wild Frontier {1981}
06. Stevie Wonder - Lately
07. Coast To Coast - (Do) The Hucklebuck
08. The Teardrop Explodes - Reward
09. - The Who - You Better You Bet
10. Tony Capstick And The Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band - Capstick Comes Home/The Sheffield Grinder
11. Landscape - Einstein A-Go-Go
12. Duran Duran - Planet Earth
13. Linx - Intuition
14. Visage - Mind Of A Toy
15. Kiki Dee - Star
16. Ultravox - Vienna
17. Phil Collins - I Missed Again
18. Kool And The Gang - Jones Vs Jones/Summer Madness/Funky Stuff
19. Dave Stewart With Colin Blunstone - What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted
20. The Whispers - It's A Love Thing
21. Freeez - Southern Freeez
22. Status Quo - Something 'Bout You Baby I Like
23. Hazel O'Connor - D-Days
24. Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up
25. Joe Dolce Music Theatre - Shaddup You Face
26. The Jacksons - Can You Feel It
27. Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime
28. Kelly Marie - Hot Love
29. The Nolans - Attention to Me
30. Beggar And Co - Somebody (Help Me Out)
31. Sharon Redd - Can You Handle It
32. Iron Maiden - Twilight Zone/Wrathchild
33. Motorhead/Girlschool - St Valentine's Day Massacre (EP)
34. Heatwave - Jitterbuggin'
35. Ultravox - Slow Motion
36. Polecats - John I'm Only Dancing/Big Green Car
37. Gillan - New Orleans
38. Rainbow - I Surrender
39. New Order - Ceremony
40. Elton John Band Featuring John Lennon And The Muscle Shoals Horns - I Saw Her Standing There

[Undertaker]

And the most talked about song not to hit number 1, a few months earlier...

March 7th 1981

http://www.chartstats.com/chart.php?week=19810307

01. - Joe Dolce Music Theatre - Shaddup You Face
02. - Ultravox - Vienna
03. Roxy Music - Jealous Guy
04. Rainbow - I Surrender
05. - Motorhead/Girlschool - St Valentine's Day Massacre (EP)
06. Adam & The Ants - Kings Of The Wild Frontier {1981}
07. Coast To Coast - (Do) The Hucklebuck
08. Freeez - Southern Freeez
09. Status Quo - Something 'Bout You Baby I Like
10. Madness - The Return Of The Los Palmas Seven
11. John Lennon - Woman
12. The Stray Cats - Rock This Town
13. Fred Wedlock - The Oldest Swinger In Town
14. Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime
15. Beggar And Co - Somebody (Help Me Out)
16. Toyah - Four From Toyah (EP)
17. Dire Straits - Romeo And Juliet
18. Kim Wilde - Kids In America
19. The Pretenders - Message Of Love
20. Slade - We'll Bring The House Down
21. Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight
22. The Jam - That's Entertainment
23. XTC - Sgt Rock (Is Going To Help Me)
24. Kelly Marie - Hot Love
25. The Teardrop Explodes - Reward
26. Visage - Fade To Grey
27. Kiki Dee - Star
28. Adam & The Ants - Antmusic
29. Shakin' Stevens - This Ole House
30. Passions - I'm In Love With A German Film Star
31. Kool And The Gang - Jones Vs Jones/Summer Madness/Funky Stuff
32. John Lennon - Imagine {1980}
33. Spandau Ballet - The Freeze
34. The Jacksons - Can You Feel It
35. The Who - You Better You Bet
36. Blondie - Rapture
37. Yoko Ono - Walking On Thin Ice
38. - Adam & The Ants - Cartrouble
39. Cliff Richard - A Little In Love
40. Adam & The Ants - Young Parisians

[York Minster]

27. Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime

*Goes digging for Talking Heads CDs around here somewhere*

[Radiophonic]

01. Shakin' Stevens - This Ole House
02. Kim Wilde - Kids In America

There was a bitter irony that a British copy of Elivis kept Kim Wilde from no. 1, when her father had made a career of being a British version of Dion and Richie Valens.

[Undertaker]

Just had a gander at PSB's first four albums and how unlucky they actually were.

Please - number 3. Stopped from getting to number 1 by Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms, which is one of the biggest selling albums ever and also HITS 4, when various albums also charted.

Actually - number 2. Denied number 1 by Michael Jackson's 'Bad.' Again, one of the biggest albums of all time.

Introspective - number 2. Only beaten by Rattle and Hum. U2 were probably the biggest artist at that time.

Behaviour - number 2. Beaten by Paul Simon's 'The Rythm of the Saints.' Which was released on the back of Graceland.

[Patrick Bateman]

Here's a trivia question; how many times have PSB and Erasure been in the top ten simultaneously? Here's one occasion to warm s t e p h a n o and all the gang over at Erasure Towers' collective heart. Billy Idol is in a synth-pop sandwich:

Chart For Week Up To 31/10/1987

01. The Bee Gees - You Win Again
02. George Michael - Faith
03. Bananarama - Love In The First Degree
04. Jan Hammer - Crockett's Theme
05. Fleetwood Mac - Little Lies
06. Erasure - The Circus
07. Billy Idol - Mony Mony
08. Pet Shop Boys - Rent
09. Kiss - Crazy Crazy Nights
10. Was (Not Was) - Walk The Dinosaur
11. Rick Astley - Whenever You Need Somebody
12. Abigail Mead And Nigel Goulding - Full Metal Jacket (I Wanna Be Your Drill Instructor)
13. Jellybean Featuring Steven Dante - The Real Thing
14. UB40 - Maybe Tomorrow
15. Ray Parker Jr - I Don't Think That Man Should Sleep Alone
16. M/A/R/R/S - Pump Up The Volume/Anitina (The First Time I See She Dance)
17. The Fatback Band - I Found Lovin' {1987}
18. Los Lobos - Come On Let's Go
19. T'Pau - China In Your Hand
20. Terence Trent D'Arby - Dance Little Sister
21. Steve Walsh - I Found Lovin'
22. George Harrison - Got My Mind Set On You
23. Five Star - Strong as Steel
24. The Alarm - Rain In The Summertime
25. Eurythmics - Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)
26. The Style Council - Wanted
27. Michael Jackson - Bad
28. Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
29. LL Cool J - I Need Love
30. Scarlet Fantastic - No Memory
31. The Cure - Just Like Heaven
32. Heartbeat - Tears From Heaven
33. Steve Winwood - Valerie {1987}
34. Living In A Box Featuring Bobby Womack - So The Story Goes
35. Madonna - Causing A Commotion
36. The Christians - When The Fingers Point
37. Bryan Ferry - The Right Stuff
38. Whitesnake - Here I Go Again {1987}
39. Cliff Richard - Remember Me
40. Amazulu - Mony Mony

(Cliff sneaking in at number 39 here)

http://www.chartstats.com/chart.php?week=19871031

[Patrick Bateman]

Pet Shop Boys Greatest chart moment...

http://www.chartstats.com/chart.php?date=23%2F12%2F1987

December 23rd 1987

01. - Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind
02. The Pogues Featuring Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York
03. Comic Relief Presents Mel And Kim Performed By Kim Wilde And Mel Smith - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
04. Rick Astley - When I Fall In Love
05. Alison Moyet - Love Letters
06. Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel
07. Nat King Cole - When I Fall In Love {1987}
08. Belinda Carlisle - Heaven Is A Place On Earth
09. T'Pau - China In Your Hand
10. Shakin' Stevens - What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For
11. Simply Red - Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
12. Jellybean Featuring Elisa Fiorillo - Who Found Who
13. Wet Wet Wet - Angel Eyes
14. Madonna - The Look Of Love
15. - Johnny Hates Jazz - Turn Back The Clock
16. The Proclaimers - Letter From America
17. Alexander O'Neal - Criticize
18. George Harrison - Got My Mind Set On You
19. Jellybean - Jingo
20. New Order - Touched By The Hand Of God
21. Paul McCartney - Once Upon A Long Ago
22. Whitney Houston - So Emotional
23. Level 42 - Children Say
24. Wally Jump Junior And The Criminal Element - Tighten Up (I Just Can't Stop Dancin')
25. The Christians - Ideal World
26. The Communards - Never Can Say Goodbye
27. Sinitta - GTO
28. Krush - House Arrest
29. Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me {1987}
30. The Smiths - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
31. Cher - I Found Someone
32. The Hooters - Satellite
33. Kiss - Reason To Live
34. Maxi Priest - Some Guys Have All The Luck
35. Cutting Crew - I've Been In Love Before {1987}
36. Bill Medley And Jennifer Warnes - (I've Had) The Time Of My Life
37. Climie Fisher - Rise To The Occasion
38. Anthrax - I'm The Man
39. Five Star - Somewhere Somebody
40. Heart - There's The Girl

The thing I always remember about that was Rick Astley originally entering the chart at number two. A proper chart battle in the days before Chav Factor in which two of the biggest pop stars of the moment recorded covers of classic songs rather than a nonentity singing karaoke over whichever song Gay Simon chooses for that year. PSB and Rick were cyncial but in a justifiable way because they were genuine pop stars. What always gets me about Chav Factor is that they all record the final song before the final. It surprises me that he doesn't stick out all their versions so that the whole top three is the same song sung identically by three muppets. I suppose he realises that the British public are stupid but not that stupid. Again it does strike you how strong the majority of those songs are, even if you're not a particular fan of them. I can hum most of them straight off from looking at the titles. The classic 80s pop triumvirate of PSB, New Order, and the Smiths in the same chart too which leads us to.....

Chart For Week Up To 30/12/1989

01. Band Aid II - Do They Know It's Christmas?
02. Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers - Let's Party
03. Jason Donovan - When You Come Back To Me
04. Andy Stewart - Donald Where's Your Troosers? {1989}
05. Madonna - Dear Jessie
06. Soul II Soul - Get A Life
07. Kaoma - Lambada
08. Tina Turner - I Don't Wanna Lose You
09. Linda Ronstadt And Aaron Neville - Don't Know Much
10. Bros - Sister
11. Rob 'N' Raz Featuring Leila K - Got To Get
12. Electronic - Getting Away With It
13. De La Soul - The Magic Number/Buddy
14. New Kids On The Block - You Got It (The Right Stuff)
15. Dusty Springfield - In Private
16. Jeff Wayne - Eve Of The War {1989}
17. Latino Rave - Deep Heat '89
18. The Christians - Words
19. Wet Wet Wet - Broke Away
20. Van Morrison And Cliff Richard - Whenever God Shines His Light
21. Sydney Youngblood - Sit And Wait
22. Big Fun - Can't Shake The Feeling
23. Erasure - You Surround Me
24. Alexander O'Neal - Hit Mix (Official Bootleg Megamix)
25. Silver Bullet - 20 Seconds To Comply
26. UB40 - Homely Girl
27. 49ers - Touch Me
28. FPI Project - Going Back To My Roots/Rich In Paradise
29. The Stone Roses - Fool's Gold/What The World Is Waiting For
30. Sonia - Listen To Your Heart
31. The Beautiful South - I'll Sail This Ship Alone
32. Lisa Stansfield - All Around The World
33. Phil Collins - Another Day In Paradise
34. Neneh Cherry - Inna City Mamma
35. Bon Jovi - Living In Sin
36. Duran Duran - Burning The Ground
37. Simple Minds - The Amsterdam EP
38. Belinda Carlisle - La Luna
39. Rock Aid Armenia - Smoke On The Water
40. All About Eve - December

(Cliff inevitably at 20 here in duet mode)

http://www.chartstats.com/chart.php?week=19891230

It has always surprised me that this was Getting away with it's peak position. Dusty at number 15 too. Already there is a notable decline in the quality of the chart on the eve of the 1990s.

[York Minster]

Oh god Rent is so much better than the Circus.