Here is the Top 40 Countdown
No full show this week, just six eligible records this week. We have the same number one from Dua Lipa for a second week. The number two is one of the artists on "Despacito", Justin Bieber, with a new entry.
None of the climbers are eligible this week, they are either not at their peak positions or were on last week so it's all new entries plus the number one.
So a bit reminiscent of the 90s when records climbing the charts were rare except we only have 5 new entries rather than 25.
New (37) Camila Cabello ft Young Thug - Havana
New (36) Macklemore ft Skylar Grey - Glorious
New (21) Chris Brown - Questions
New (5) CNCO ft Little Mix - Reggaeton Lento
New (2) Justin Bieber ft Bloodpop - Friends
(1) Dua Lipa - New Rules
Thursday 31 August 2017
Monday 28 August 2017
Record of the Year 1988: Nitro Deluxe - Let's Get Brutal
There were plenty of good house records in the charts in 1988 and it's been quite difficult to pick one, but have gone with "Let's Get Brutal" by Nitro Deluxe.
There are certain house records from this era that always get into Top 10 dance anthems type countdowns and on many compilations and as good as they are, I find myself getting quite sick of them after a while. Although anyone who knows a thing or two about the history of house music should know this, it isn't quite one of these anthems you'll hear a million times.
It was actually from 1986 and was released in the UK in 1987 as "This Brutal House" but didn't make the Top 40, but then a remixed version made the charts in 1988.
This was the only Top 40 hit for Nitro Deluxe who's real name was Young Manny Skretching Jr. He went blind and had kidney failure later on in life and sadly passed away in 2012.
Sunday 27 August 2017
UK Singles Chart: 1988
We're now in the penultimate year of the 80s, but there is no shortage of 80s acts making their debut this year. There are two acts who could claim to be the success story of the year, both of whom debuted in January.
Bros made their debut with "When Will I Be Famous" which reached number two. They scored a number one with their third single "I Owe You Nothing" and also scored a futher two number twos and a number four.
The other act was Kylie Minogue who reached number one with her debut "I Should Be So Lucky". She had three further solo singles which all reached number two.
So with Kylie now in the charts its inevitable that Jason Donovan will soon follow and he did this year in September with "Nothing Can Divide Us" which reached number five. The Kylie and Jason collabaration "Especially For You" came out at the end of the year and was Christmas number two before topping the charts the next year.
The Christmas number one went to Cliff Richard who scored his 12th number one with his 91st Top 40 hit "Mistletoe & Wine".
For the first time since 1971 there was no David Bowie on the charts this year but he remained in third place with 44 hits. Elton John had two hits this year and remained in fourth with 39. Stevie Wonder also had two hits, both duets which were "Get It" with Michael Jackson which was the only new Motown Top 40 hit this year, and "My Love" with Julio Igelesias which brought his total to 37.
However Status Quo overtook Stevie Wonder into fifth place having had four Top 40 hits this year which brought their total to 38. Paul McCartney remained seventh with 33 and Frank Sinatra remained eighth with 32 with neither act charting this year.
Rod Stewart had one hit this year putting him in ninth with 31 whilst Lonnie Donegan and Queen both remained tenth with neither of them charting this year.
The act who now held the record for the longest current streak of hits every year was Siouxsie & the Banshees who had a hit every year since 1978 and had a hit this year with "Peek-a-Boo" . Despite an 11 year long streak, they only had 15 Top 40 hits to date and hadn't had more than two hits in any of those years.
Both Sisters of Mercy and The Mission would continue to have hits this year and they were now joined by Fields of the Nephilim who debuted with "Moonchild". Also from the gothic scene came All About Eve who debuted with "Wild Hearted Woman" and it was also the year they made that infamous appearance on Top of the Pops with "Martha's Harbour".
On the Glam Metal side of things, we continued to have his from Bon Jovi, Europe and Motley Crue. Joining them was Poison who made their debut with "Nothin' But A Good Time".
Having had a year off, Iron Maiden were back single handidly keeping Heavy Metal going in the charts whilst from the Thrash Metal camp we had a single each from Metallica and Anthrax.
There was notably more hard rock in the charts this year from the likes of Def Leppard, Whitesnake and AC/DC amongst others. Most notable though was the debut of Guns N Roses with "Sweet Child O Mine". However this only managed number 24, as did their follow up "Welcome To The Jungle / Nightrain", but would fare better when it was rereleased the following year.
The first number one of the year came from The Go-Go's singer Belinda Carlisle with her debut solo hit "Heaven Is A Place On Earth". It was infact her first time ever in the Top 40 as The Go-Go's were yet to have a Top 40 hit. She had a further two top ten hits with "I Get Weak" and "Circle In the Sand" and a number 34 with "World Without You". We also saw the first and only appearance from fellow Go-Go Jane Wiedlin who scored a number 12 with "Rush Hour".
The second number one of the year came from Tiffany with "I Think We're Alone Now". Many inccorectly assume she was a one hit wonder, but she actually had a further three hits including two top tens which all came in 1988. We also saw her main rival Debbie Gibson for the first time with "Shake Your Love" which reached number 7. She had a further five solo hits, three this year and the other two in 1989.
Kylie and Jason weren't the only Australians making their debut this year. We also had the debut of INXS with "New Sensation" and they also had their only top ten hit with the number two "Need You Tonight". We also had the only hit for Angry Anderson with "Suddenly" which was the wedding song for Kylie and Jason on Neighbours.
We also had the only hit to date for an act from Guinea which was "Yeke Yeke" by Mory Kante.
Kylie and Jason weren't the only Stock Aitken & Waterman acts making their debut this year. We had Brother Beyond debut with "The Harder I Try" and Pat & Mick debut with "Let's All Chant". Joining the Stock Aitken & Waterman camp were Sigue Sigue Sputnik with "Success" and Sabrina with "All Of Me (Boy Oh Boy)".
We continued to have hits from Banamarama, Rick Astley and Sinitta and having their final hits this year were Hazel Dean with "Turn It Into Love" and Mel & Kim with "That's the Way It Is".
Once again their was no shortage of funk and soul music in the charts. Amongst them was the return for the first time in seven years for the Four Tops with "Loco In Acapulco". We also had the debuts of two of the best known names from the New Jack Swing era, Keith Sweat with "I Want Her" and Bobby Brown with "My Prerogative".
I was the turn of Aztec Camera to jump on the Sophisti pop bandwagon this year most famously with their only top ten hit "Somewhere In My Heart". George Michael also had a go with "Kissing A Fool". There were also debuts from Deacon Blue with "Dignity", Danny Wilson with "Marys Prayer" and the only appearance from Breathe with "Hands To Heaven".
This was the year we saw the KLF for the first time as the Timelords who scored a number one with "Doctorin the Tardis".
There was no shortage of House music in the charts which included the number one "Theme From S'Express" by S'Express, "We Call It Acieed" by D Mob and "Good Life" by Inner City. New Order also had a house record with "Fine Time".
We also had some House/Hip Hop crossover music known as Hip House which began with "Rok Da House" by Beatmasters featuring The Cookie Crew. We also had the debut of Bomb the Bass with "Beat Dis" amongst others.
Now in it's tenth year in the charts we had more Rap/Hip Hop music in the charts this year than we had before. It was the year Derek B had his only two hits with "Goodgroove" and "Bad Young Brother". We also had the debut of Salt n Pepa with "Push It / Tramp". The Fat Boys brought Chubby Checker back to the charts after a 25 year absence with a rap version of "The Twist" which would be his final hit.
Also returning to the charts for the final time was the Hollies who had a number one with a rerelease of "He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother".
From the Freestyle scene we had Jellybean have his final hit with "Just A Mirage" and a couple more hits from Joyce Sims. We also had Samantha Fox collabarate with Full Force on the record "Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)".
In October we had the debut of Milli Vanilli with "Girl You Know It's True" and they followed up in December with "Baby Don't Forget My Number".
So just one more year to go this decade, will we see signs of the 90s coming in 1989?
Bros made their debut with "When Will I Be Famous" which reached number two. They scored a number one with their third single "I Owe You Nothing" and also scored a futher two number twos and a number four.
The other act was Kylie Minogue who reached number one with her debut "I Should Be So Lucky". She had three further solo singles which all reached number two.
So with Kylie now in the charts its inevitable that Jason Donovan will soon follow and he did this year in September with "Nothing Can Divide Us" which reached number five. The Kylie and Jason collabaration "Especially For You" came out at the end of the year and was Christmas number two before topping the charts the next year.
The Christmas number one went to Cliff Richard who scored his 12th number one with his 91st Top 40 hit "Mistletoe & Wine".
For the first time since 1971 there was no David Bowie on the charts this year but he remained in third place with 44 hits. Elton John had two hits this year and remained in fourth with 39. Stevie Wonder also had two hits, both duets which were "Get It" with Michael Jackson which was the only new Motown Top 40 hit this year, and "My Love" with Julio Igelesias which brought his total to 37.
However Status Quo overtook Stevie Wonder into fifth place having had four Top 40 hits this year which brought their total to 38. Paul McCartney remained seventh with 33 and Frank Sinatra remained eighth with 32 with neither act charting this year.
Rod Stewart had one hit this year putting him in ninth with 31 whilst Lonnie Donegan and Queen both remained tenth with neither of them charting this year.
The act who now held the record for the longest current streak of hits every year was Siouxsie & the Banshees who had a hit every year since 1978 and had a hit this year with "Peek-a-Boo" . Despite an 11 year long streak, they only had 15 Top 40 hits to date and hadn't had more than two hits in any of those years.
Both Sisters of Mercy and The Mission would continue to have hits this year and they were now joined by Fields of the Nephilim who debuted with "Moonchild". Also from the gothic scene came All About Eve who debuted with "Wild Hearted Woman" and it was also the year they made that infamous appearance on Top of the Pops with "Martha's Harbour".
On the Glam Metal side of things, we continued to have his from Bon Jovi, Europe and Motley Crue. Joining them was Poison who made their debut with "Nothin' But A Good Time".
Having had a year off, Iron Maiden were back single handidly keeping Heavy Metal going in the charts whilst from the Thrash Metal camp we had a single each from Metallica and Anthrax.
There was notably more hard rock in the charts this year from the likes of Def Leppard, Whitesnake and AC/DC amongst others. Most notable though was the debut of Guns N Roses with "Sweet Child O Mine". However this only managed number 24, as did their follow up "Welcome To The Jungle / Nightrain", but would fare better when it was rereleased the following year.
The first number one of the year came from The Go-Go's singer Belinda Carlisle with her debut solo hit "Heaven Is A Place On Earth". It was infact her first time ever in the Top 40 as The Go-Go's were yet to have a Top 40 hit. She had a further two top ten hits with "I Get Weak" and "Circle In the Sand" and a number 34 with "World Without You". We also saw the first and only appearance from fellow Go-Go Jane Wiedlin who scored a number 12 with "Rush Hour".
The second number one of the year came from Tiffany with "I Think We're Alone Now". Many inccorectly assume she was a one hit wonder, but she actually had a further three hits including two top tens which all came in 1988. We also saw her main rival Debbie Gibson for the first time with "Shake Your Love" which reached number 7. She had a further five solo hits, three this year and the other two in 1989.
Kylie and Jason weren't the only Australians making their debut this year. We also had the debut of INXS with "New Sensation" and they also had their only top ten hit with the number two "Need You Tonight". We also had the only hit for Angry Anderson with "Suddenly" which was the wedding song for Kylie and Jason on Neighbours.
We also had the only hit to date for an act from Guinea which was "Yeke Yeke" by Mory Kante.
Kylie and Jason weren't the only Stock Aitken & Waterman acts making their debut this year. We had Brother Beyond debut with "The Harder I Try" and Pat & Mick debut with "Let's All Chant". Joining the Stock Aitken & Waterman camp were Sigue Sigue Sputnik with "Success" and Sabrina with "All Of Me (Boy Oh Boy)".
We continued to have hits from Banamarama, Rick Astley and Sinitta and having their final hits this year were Hazel Dean with "Turn It Into Love" and Mel & Kim with "That's the Way It Is".
Once again their was no shortage of funk and soul music in the charts. Amongst them was the return for the first time in seven years for the Four Tops with "Loco In Acapulco". We also had the debuts of two of the best known names from the New Jack Swing era, Keith Sweat with "I Want Her" and Bobby Brown with "My Prerogative".
I was the turn of Aztec Camera to jump on the Sophisti pop bandwagon this year most famously with their only top ten hit "Somewhere In My Heart". George Michael also had a go with "Kissing A Fool". There were also debuts from Deacon Blue with "Dignity", Danny Wilson with "Marys Prayer" and the only appearance from Breathe with "Hands To Heaven".
This was the year we saw the KLF for the first time as the Timelords who scored a number one with "Doctorin the Tardis".
There was no shortage of House music in the charts which included the number one "Theme From S'Express" by S'Express, "We Call It Acieed" by D Mob and "Good Life" by Inner City. New Order also had a house record with "Fine Time".
We also had some House/Hip Hop crossover music known as Hip House which began with "Rok Da House" by Beatmasters featuring The Cookie Crew. We also had the debut of Bomb the Bass with "Beat Dis" amongst others.
Now in it's tenth year in the charts we had more Rap/Hip Hop music in the charts this year than we had before. It was the year Derek B had his only two hits with "Goodgroove" and "Bad Young Brother". We also had the debut of Salt n Pepa with "Push It / Tramp". The Fat Boys brought Chubby Checker back to the charts after a 25 year absence with a rap version of "The Twist" which would be his final hit.
Also returning to the charts for the final time was the Hollies who had a number one with a rerelease of "He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother".
From the Freestyle scene we had Jellybean have his final hit with "Just A Mirage" and a couple more hits from Joyce Sims. We also had Samantha Fox collabarate with Full Force on the record "Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)".
In October we had the debut of Milli Vanilli with "Girl You Know It's True" and they followed up in December with "Baby Don't Forget My Number".
So just one more year to go this decade, will we see signs of the 90s coming in 1989?
Thursday 24 August 2017
Top of the Pops: 24/08/2017
Here is the Top 40 Countdown
No comeback for "Despacito" this week, we have yet another new number one this time coming from Dua Lipa.
We have a full show which picks itself this week with 9 eligible records. The rest consists of four new entries and four climbers. Amongst the new entries is Pink who appeared on actual Top of the Pops back in the day and Axwell who did chart when Top of the Pops was still on but not sure he actually appeared on it.
So that's three full shows in a row, maybe it should just make a comeback in August each year.
⬆ (27) Kesha - Praying
New (32) Avicii ft Sandro Cavazza
⬆ (21) Yungen ft Yxng Bane - Bestie
New (38) Axwell & Ingrosso - More Than You Know
⬆ (13) Jax Jones ft Demi Lovato & Stefflon - Instruction
New (16) James Hype ft Kelli-Leigh - More Than Friends
⬆ (12) J Balvin ft Willy William - Mi Gente
New (5) Pink - What About Us
⬆ (1) Dua Lipa - New Rules
No comeback for "Despacito" this week, we have yet another new number one this time coming from Dua Lipa.
We have a full show which picks itself this week with 9 eligible records. The rest consists of four new entries and four climbers. Amongst the new entries is Pink who appeared on actual Top of the Pops back in the day and Axwell who did chart when Top of the Pops was still on but not sure he actually appeared on it.
So that's three full shows in a row, maybe it should just make a comeback in August each year.
⬆ (27) Kesha - Praying
New (32) Avicii ft Sandro Cavazza
⬆ (21) Yungen ft Yxng Bane - Bestie
New (38) Axwell & Ingrosso - More Than You Know
⬆ (13) Jax Jones ft Demi Lovato & Stefflon - Instruction
New (16) James Hype ft Kelli-Leigh - More Than Friends
⬆ (12) J Balvin ft Willy William - Mi Gente
New (5) Pink - What About Us
⬆ (1) Dua Lipa - New Rules
Monday 21 August 2017
Record of the Year 1987: Pet Shop Boys - It's A Sin
There were a few candidates, but given it was the first year I remember the charts it only seemed right that I pick what was my favourite song back in 1987.
I would always get excited when it would come on the radio at the time. It was purely from a musical perspective, being so young I had no idea what it was about and was yet to encounter music genres or what's cool or uncool. In fact this was how I learned there was a word called "sin" but never knew what it meant until some time later.
As I got older I started to appreciate the lyrics more but it is still first and foremost about the music.
Later on that year the Pet Shop Boys taught me another word via their music, "rent". Again it wasn't until some time later I knew what that meant. It was also their version of "Always On My Mind" that I heard first and I absolutely loved it, but this one just pips it.
Their chart record is a lot better than many would think. They had four number ones and were regularly having Top 40 hits up till 2009 and not too many acts have had more Top 40 hits than them. They continue to release new albums and stay relevant to the present day rather than sounding like they're still in the 80s.
Sunday 20 August 2017
UK Singles Chart: 1987
A few years ago I was watching a BBC documentary of Synth Pop. They said the end of Synth Pop as we knew it in the early 80s came when the Pet Shop Boys came along with a different image.
They had a point, the Pet Shop Boys were the success story of 1987 whilst there were very few early 80s Synth Pop acts left. The Pet Shop Boys had two number ones this year with "It's a Sin" and the Christmas number one "Always On My Mind". They also had a number two with "What Have I Done To Deserve This" featuring Dusty Springfield returning to the Top 40 after a 17 year absence. Their other hit was "Rent" which reached number 8.
It was a solid year for Erasure who had three hits this year including two top tens. New Order scored just their second top ten hit with "True Faith" and had another hit at the end of the year with "Touched By the Hand of God". The only other survivor of the Synth Pop from the early 80s was Depeche Mode who's sound was getting darker as the decade progressed and they had a couple of hits lower down the charts this year.
Having seen House Music in the charts for the first time in 1986, the year began with the first House number one in "Jack Your Body" by Steve Silk Hurley. Also charting at the start of the year was Raze with "Jack the Groove".
However we wouldn't see another House record in the charts until September when we had the number on record "Pump Up the Volume" by Marrs, which would be the only House record of the year not to contain the word "house" or "jack". Also in September we had the hit "House Nation" by Housemaster Boyz & The Rude Boy Of The House. Chic returned for the first time in 8 years with a House version of "Le Freak" called "Jack Le Freak". Then in December we had "House Arrest" by Krush.
We saw the brief return of the medley courtesy of Nigel Wright of Enigma fame who released a couple of House inspired melodies under the name Mirage with "Jack Mix II / III" and "Jack Mix IV".
Having seen the last of Wham! and Culture Club in the 80s in 1986, this year saw the inevitable solo careers. Having already scored two solo number ones in his Wham! days, George Michael hit number one again with "I Knew You Were Waiting For Me" alongside Aretha Franklin. This made him the third act to hit number one with their first three releases. He then scored a number three with "I Want Your Sex" and a number two with "Faith".
Boy George also got off to a good start with his solo career scoring a number one with his debut "Everything I Own". His following three singles however all failed to reach the top ten and that would be the last we'd see of him this decade.
It was the end of the road for Spandau Ballet with the single "How Many Lies" which reached number 34. They would have further single releases but none of them would reach the Top 40.
Wham! backing singers Pepsi & Shirlie started their post Wham! career with the number two hit "Heartache" which was from the Stock Aitken & Waterman camp. Their follow up "Goodbye Stranger", which wasn't Stock Aitken & Waterman, also reached the top ten, but that would be the last we'd see of them in the Top 40.
The group who gave Stock Aitken & Waterman their first number one, Dead Or Alive, had their final hit this year with "Something In My House". Their second number one came this year from Mel & Kim with "Respectable". Mel & Kim would have another top ten hit with "FLM".
The third Stock Aitken & Waterman number one knocked off their second. It was a collective of musicians calling themselves Ferry Aid and did a cover of "Let It Be".
Joining the Stock Aitken & Waterman camp this year was Samantha Fox with "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now" and Sinitta with "Toy Boy" and "GTO". We also had Stock Aitken & Waterman have hits of their own with "Roadblock" and "Mr Sleaze" which was a double a side with "Love In the First Degree" by Bananarama.
The fourth Stock Aitken & Waterman number one came from debutant Rick Astley with "Never Gonna Give You Up". He followed it up with the number three "Whenever You Need Somebody" and the number two "When I Fall In Love" which prompted the rerelease of Nat 'King' Coles version that reached number four.
There was another record which entered the charts following a cover, although it didn't chart originally. This was "I Found Lovin" by the Fatback Band which was covered by radio DJ Steve Walsh. It was the original that fared better reaching number seven compared to the cover reaching number nine.
Cliff Richard had three hits this year bringing his total to 89 hits. David Bowie kept up his streak of hits every year since 1972 having three hits and bringing his total to 44 and remaining third.
Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Status Quo all had no hits this year and remained fourth, fifth and sixth with 37,35 and 34 respectively. Now in seventh with one hit this year is Paul McCartney with 33.
Then in eighth was Frank Sinatra with 32, and ninth with 30 was Lonnie Donegan, Queen and Rod Stewart with none of these acts charting this year.
The only Motown act to have new Top 40 hits this year was actor Bruce Willis. He had his only two hits with "Respect Yourself" and "Under the Boardwalk".
There was no shortage of Funk and Soul music in the charts though. We saw some examples of New Jack Swing make its way into the charts with "Lean On Me" by Club Nouveau and "Casanova" by Levert.
From the Freestyle scene we had the second hit from Joyce Sims with "Lifetime Love". We also had former Shalamar singer Jody Watley score her debut solo hit with "Looking For A New Love". Jellybean made is debut with "The Real Thing" and followed up with "Who Found Who" and "Jingo".
Jumping on the Sophisti-pop bandwagon this year was ABC with the hits "When Smokey Sings" and "The Night You Murdered Love". We had debuts from the Christians with "Forgotten Town", Living In A Box with "Living In A Box", Johnny Hates Jazz with "Shattered Dreams", Wet Wet Wet with "Wishing I Was Lucky", Hue & Cry with "Labour Of Love" and Climie Fisher with "Rise To The Occasion".
Whitesnake returned to the Top 40 this year with "Still of the Night" and followed up with their only top ten hits to date, "Is This Love" and the 1987 remake of "Here I Go Again". We had the debut of Heart with "Alone" and Def Leppard with "Animal", both quite surprisingly late debuts for bands which formed in the 70s.
For the first time this decade there was no Iron Maiden in the charts. But keeping Heavy Metal music in the charts was WASP who debuted with "I Don't Need No Doctor" and followed up with "Scream Until You Like It".
The gothic sound was kept going by Siouxsie & the Banshees, who had now had a hit every year for 10 years, the Mission, the Cult and the Damned who would have their final year in the Top 40 this year. Joining them was Sisters Of Mercy who's debut hit was "This Corrosion".
Bon Jovi and Europe kept the glam sound going and were joined by Kiss who returned to the charts after a four year break with "Crazy Crazy Nights". We also had the debut of the Motley Crue with "Girls Girls Girls".
There was a new sound making its way into the charts from the world of metal though, Thrash Metal. Anthrax were the first Thrash act to have a hit with "I Am The Law", then came Metallica with "The $5.98 EP - Garage Days Re-visited". Anthrax then followed up with "I'm The Man" which mixed metal music with rap.
It was the strongest year to date for Rap/Hip Hop music. Having debuted the previous year, we had follow ups from Mantronix with "Who Is It" and Run DMC with "It's Tricky". Debuting this year was the Beastie Boys with "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)" and followed up with "No Sleep Till Brooklyn", "She's On It" and "Girls / She's Crafty".
LL Cool J made his debut with "I Need Love", Eric B & Rakim made their debut with "Paid In Full" and Public Enemy made their debut with "Rebel Without A Pause".
Collaborating with the Beach Boys was the Fat Boys with a rap version of "Wipeout". Finally we had Morris Minor & The Majors with "Stutter Rap (No Sleep 'Til Bedtime)" which was a comedy version of the Beastie Boys "No Sleep Till Brooklyn".
Having been the second act from New Zealand to have a UK hit in 1980 with Split Enz, Neil Finn would also become part of the third act this year as part of Crowded House with their debut hit "Don't Dream It's Over". There was a new nationality on the charts too, Judy Boucher became the first act from St Vincent to have a hit with "Can't Be With You Tonight" and followed up with "You Caught My Eye" which were her only two hits.
So that was 1987, which is also the first year I remember following the charts. What I didn't know at the time was the number of acts who were new to the charts, I assumed many of them had been around for a while. It does certainly seem that the two halves of the 80s are 80-86 and 87-89. The only acts to have had a hit every year so far this decade are David Bowie, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Cliff Richard, Shakin Stevens and UB40. Will they all manage hits in 1988?
They had a point, the Pet Shop Boys were the success story of 1987 whilst there were very few early 80s Synth Pop acts left. The Pet Shop Boys had two number ones this year with "It's a Sin" and the Christmas number one "Always On My Mind". They also had a number two with "What Have I Done To Deserve This" featuring Dusty Springfield returning to the Top 40 after a 17 year absence. Their other hit was "Rent" which reached number 8.
It was a solid year for Erasure who had three hits this year including two top tens. New Order scored just their second top ten hit with "True Faith" and had another hit at the end of the year with "Touched By the Hand of God". The only other survivor of the Synth Pop from the early 80s was Depeche Mode who's sound was getting darker as the decade progressed and they had a couple of hits lower down the charts this year.
Having seen House Music in the charts for the first time in 1986, the year began with the first House number one in "Jack Your Body" by Steve Silk Hurley. Also charting at the start of the year was Raze with "Jack the Groove".
However we wouldn't see another House record in the charts until September when we had the number on record "Pump Up the Volume" by Marrs, which would be the only House record of the year not to contain the word "house" or "jack". Also in September we had the hit "House Nation" by Housemaster Boyz & The Rude Boy Of The House. Chic returned for the first time in 8 years with a House version of "Le Freak" called "Jack Le Freak". Then in December we had "House Arrest" by Krush.
We saw the brief return of the medley courtesy of Nigel Wright of Enigma fame who released a couple of House inspired melodies under the name Mirage with "Jack Mix II / III" and "Jack Mix IV".
Having seen the last of Wham! and Culture Club in the 80s in 1986, this year saw the inevitable solo careers. Having already scored two solo number ones in his Wham! days, George Michael hit number one again with "I Knew You Were Waiting For Me" alongside Aretha Franklin. This made him the third act to hit number one with their first three releases. He then scored a number three with "I Want Your Sex" and a number two with "Faith".
Boy George also got off to a good start with his solo career scoring a number one with his debut "Everything I Own". His following three singles however all failed to reach the top ten and that would be the last we'd see of him this decade.
It was the end of the road for Spandau Ballet with the single "How Many Lies" which reached number 34. They would have further single releases but none of them would reach the Top 40.
Wham! backing singers Pepsi & Shirlie started their post Wham! career with the number two hit "Heartache" which was from the Stock Aitken & Waterman camp. Their follow up "Goodbye Stranger", which wasn't Stock Aitken & Waterman, also reached the top ten, but that would be the last we'd see of them in the Top 40.
The group who gave Stock Aitken & Waterman their first number one, Dead Or Alive, had their final hit this year with "Something In My House". Their second number one came this year from Mel & Kim with "Respectable". Mel & Kim would have another top ten hit with "FLM".
The third Stock Aitken & Waterman number one knocked off their second. It was a collective of musicians calling themselves Ferry Aid and did a cover of "Let It Be".
Joining the Stock Aitken & Waterman camp this year was Samantha Fox with "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now" and Sinitta with "Toy Boy" and "GTO". We also had Stock Aitken & Waterman have hits of their own with "Roadblock" and "Mr Sleaze" which was a double a side with "Love In the First Degree" by Bananarama.
The fourth Stock Aitken & Waterman number one came from debutant Rick Astley with "Never Gonna Give You Up". He followed it up with the number three "Whenever You Need Somebody" and the number two "When I Fall In Love" which prompted the rerelease of Nat 'King' Coles version that reached number four.
There was another record which entered the charts following a cover, although it didn't chart originally. This was "I Found Lovin" by the Fatback Band which was covered by radio DJ Steve Walsh. It was the original that fared better reaching number seven compared to the cover reaching number nine.
Cliff Richard had three hits this year bringing his total to 89 hits. David Bowie kept up his streak of hits every year since 1972 having three hits and bringing his total to 44 and remaining third.
Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Status Quo all had no hits this year and remained fourth, fifth and sixth with 37,35 and 34 respectively. Now in seventh with one hit this year is Paul McCartney with 33.
Then in eighth was Frank Sinatra with 32, and ninth with 30 was Lonnie Donegan, Queen and Rod Stewart with none of these acts charting this year.
The only Motown act to have new Top 40 hits this year was actor Bruce Willis. He had his only two hits with "Respect Yourself" and "Under the Boardwalk".
There was no shortage of Funk and Soul music in the charts though. We saw some examples of New Jack Swing make its way into the charts with "Lean On Me" by Club Nouveau and "Casanova" by Levert.
From the Freestyle scene we had the second hit from Joyce Sims with "Lifetime Love". We also had former Shalamar singer Jody Watley score her debut solo hit with "Looking For A New Love". Jellybean made is debut with "The Real Thing" and followed up with "Who Found Who" and "Jingo".
Jumping on the Sophisti-pop bandwagon this year was ABC with the hits "When Smokey Sings" and "The Night You Murdered Love". We had debuts from the Christians with "Forgotten Town", Living In A Box with "Living In A Box", Johnny Hates Jazz with "Shattered Dreams", Wet Wet Wet with "Wishing I Was Lucky", Hue & Cry with "Labour Of Love" and Climie Fisher with "Rise To The Occasion".
Whitesnake returned to the Top 40 this year with "Still of the Night" and followed up with their only top ten hits to date, "Is This Love" and the 1987 remake of "Here I Go Again". We had the debut of Heart with "Alone" and Def Leppard with "Animal", both quite surprisingly late debuts for bands which formed in the 70s.
For the first time this decade there was no Iron Maiden in the charts. But keeping Heavy Metal music in the charts was WASP who debuted with "I Don't Need No Doctor" and followed up with "Scream Until You Like It".
The gothic sound was kept going by Siouxsie & the Banshees, who had now had a hit every year for 10 years, the Mission, the Cult and the Damned who would have their final year in the Top 40 this year. Joining them was Sisters Of Mercy who's debut hit was "This Corrosion".
Bon Jovi and Europe kept the glam sound going and were joined by Kiss who returned to the charts after a four year break with "Crazy Crazy Nights". We also had the debut of the Motley Crue with "Girls Girls Girls".
There was a new sound making its way into the charts from the world of metal though, Thrash Metal. Anthrax were the first Thrash act to have a hit with "I Am The Law", then came Metallica with "The $5.98 EP - Garage Days Re-visited". Anthrax then followed up with "I'm The Man" which mixed metal music with rap.
It was the strongest year to date for Rap/Hip Hop music. Having debuted the previous year, we had follow ups from Mantronix with "Who Is It" and Run DMC with "It's Tricky". Debuting this year was the Beastie Boys with "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)" and followed up with "No Sleep Till Brooklyn", "She's On It" and "Girls / She's Crafty".
LL Cool J made his debut with "I Need Love", Eric B & Rakim made their debut with "Paid In Full" and Public Enemy made their debut with "Rebel Without A Pause".
Collaborating with the Beach Boys was the Fat Boys with a rap version of "Wipeout". Finally we had Morris Minor & The Majors with "Stutter Rap (No Sleep 'Til Bedtime)" which was a comedy version of the Beastie Boys "No Sleep Till Brooklyn".
Having been the second act from New Zealand to have a UK hit in 1980 with Split Enz, Neil Finn would also become part of the third act this year as part of Crowded House with their debut hit "Don't Dream It's Over". There was a new nationality on the charts too, Judy Boucher became the first act from St Vincent to have a hit with "Can't Be With You Tonight" and followed up with "You Caught My Eye" which were her only two hits.
So that was 1987, which is also the first year I remember following the charts. What I didn't know at the time was the number of acts who were new to the charts, I assumed many of them had been around for a while. It does certainly seem that the two halves of the 80s are 80-86 and 87-89. The only acts to have had a hit every year so far this decade are David Bowie, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Cliff Richard, Shakin Stevens and UB40. Will they all manage hits in 1988?
Thursday 17 August 2017
Top of the Pops: 17/08/2017
Here is the Top 40 Countdown
We have a new number one from Calvin Harris and chums which therefore features a second week in a row.
For the first time since doing these posts we've managed two consecutive full shows, I've had to eliminate two records as there are 11 eligible. The ones I've eliminated is number 27 because it's on it's second chart run and number 34 as it's not a very high position to climb to after 6 weeks.
French Montana ft Swae Lee feature for the first time in two months after climbing to number two. There are three new entries the highest coming from Charli XCX at number 34 with a record that I know 10 seconds of like the back of my hand now thanks to YouTube advertising.
⬆ (29) Post Malone ft Quavo - Congratulations
New (35) Charli XCX - Boys
⬆ (17) Script - Rain
New (36) Duke Dumont ft Gorgon City - Real Life
⬆ (12) Louis Tomlinson ft Bebe Rexha & Digital Farm Animals - Back To You
New (40) Martin Garrix ft Troye Sivan - There For You
⬆ (10) Enrique Iglesias ft Sean Paul - Subeme La Radio
⬆ (2) French Montana ft Swae Lee - Unforgettable
⬆ (1) Calvin Harris ft Pharrell, Katy Perry & Big Sean - Feel
We have a new number one from Calvin Harris and chums which therefore features a second week in a row.
For the first time since doing these posts we've managed two consecutive full shows, I've had to eliminate two records as there are 11 eligible. The ones I've eliminated is number 27 because it's on it's second chart run and number 34 as it's not a very high position to climb to after 6 weeks.
French Montana ft Swae Lee feature for the first time in two months after climbing to number two. There are three new entries the highest coming from Charli XCX at number 34 with a record that I know 10 seconds of like the back of my hand now thanks to YouTube advertising.
⬆ (29) Post Malone ft Quavo - Congratulations
New (35) Charli XCX - Boys
⬆ (17) Script - Rain
New (36) Duke Dumont ft Gorgon City - Real Life
⬆ (12) Louis Tomlinson ft Bebe Rexha & Digital Farm Animals - Back To You
New (40) Martin Garrix ft Troye Sivan - There For You
⬆ (10) Enrique Iglesias ft Sean Paul - Subeme La Radio
⬆ (2) French Montana ft Swae Lee - Unforgettable
⬆ (1) Calvin Harris ft Pharrell, Katy Perry & Big Sean - Feel
Monday 14 August 2017
Record of the Year 1986: Farley Jackmaster Funk - Love Can't Turn Around
As someone who was obsessed with all things Rave in the 90s, it's only fitting that I pick a record where it all began.
When I first got into Rave I became aware of who the early pioneers of the sound were with Farley Jackmaster Funk being one of them. I knew the story of the British DJs going to Ibiza in 1987 and the second summer of love in 1988, so was quite surprised to find when looking through my British Hit Singles book that this record charted in 1986.
In the mid 90s I owned a Farley Jackmaster Funk tape, knew of this records existence but didn't actually know the record, but particularly wanted to hear it being the earliest example of Rave music I could find.
Then one day I was watching an episode of Top of the Pops 2 and this record appeared, I wasn't disappointed. Comparing it to what else was around at the time, it certainly is different.
Although this would be his only Top 40 hit, he still remains active today on the DJ circuit.
Sunday 13 August 2017
UK Singles Chart: 1986
It could be argued that 1986 was the year we got closure on the early 80s.
It was the last year we had all of the so called big four groups all have Top 40 hits. After a year away, we saw Culture Club back in the top 10 with "Move Away". Their follow up, "Good Thank You Woman" only managed 31 and that would be the last we'd see of Culture Club in the top 40 until they reunited in the late 90s.
George Michael scored another solo number one with his second single "A Different Corner" and then had a number one with Wham! with their final single "The Edge Of Heaven/Where Did Your Heart Go".
Spandau Ballet failed to reach the top 10 with their comeback single "Fight For Ourselves" but did make the top 10 with their follow up "Through the Barricades" which would be their final top 10 hit.
Duran Duran returned to the charts with the top 10 hit "Notorious" towards the end of the year but this would be the last in their current string of top 10 hits stretching back to 1982.
Once again Madonna was the success story of the year being the only act to score two number ones this year which she did with "Papa Don't Preach" and "True Blue". She also scored two number twos and a number four.
Cliff Richard returned to number one this year with "Living Doll" along with the Young Ones, giving him his eleventh number one and becoming the only act to have a number one in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. He had one further hit this year bringing his total to 86.
David Bowie continued his streak of hits every year since 1972 with two hits this year bringing his total to 41 and remaining third.
Elton John had no top 40 hits this year but remained fourth on 37, Stevie Wonder had one hit this year and remained fifth with 35. Up to sixth was Status Quo who had four hits this year bringing their total to 34.
Returning to the charts after an eleven year gap was Frank Sinatra with "Theme from New York New York". This brought his total to 32 and he joined Elvis and Cliff in having hits in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
Equalling Frank Sinatra in seventh was Paul McCartney who had two hits this year. Lonnie Donegan was now in ninth with 30 but was now joined by Queen and Rod Stewart.
Lionel Richie was the only Motown act other than Stevie Wonder to have hits this year with "Dancing on the Ceiling" and "Ballerina Girl/Deep River Woman". There was however a reissue of "I Heard It through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye which charted this year.
The Christmas number one came from Jackie Wilson with "Reet Petite" which was originally a hit in 1957. Whilst he has been present in the charts every decade so far, this wouldn’t count as it’s a reissue.
The record Jackie Wilson knocked off number one was "Caravan Of Love" by the Housemartins who had made their chart debut earlier on in the year with "Happy Hour".
We had the first Stock Aitken & Waterman number one the previous year, but we had none this year. This was the year they joined forces with Bananarama to score a top 10 hit with "Venus". They also joined forces with Phil Fearon to have a top 10 hit with "I Can Prove It".
Their biggest hit of the year though was the debut for Mel & Kim with "Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend)" which reached number three. In the lower reaches of the charts they would continue to have hits with Dead Or Alive and the last hits for Princess.
There was another production team putting their mark on the charts this year, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Although not new to the charts, they had previous hits with SOS Band and Change, this was the year it seemed like they truly arrived.
The most notable act to debut from the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis camp was Janet Jackson. She debuted with "What Have You Done For Me Lately" and followed up with "Nasty" which is said to have got the ball rolling with the New Jack Swing sound. She had a further two singles this year.
The last week of 1985 saw the debut of Alexander O'Neal & Cherelle with "Saturday Love". Alexander O'Neal followed that up this year with "If You Were Here Tonight". We also had the only hit from Force MDs with "Tender Love".
After a couple of years away, the Human League returned to the charts with the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis produced "Human". This was a move away from the synth pop sound they had previous and was a top 10 here and number one in America. It would however be the last we'd see of the Human League in the 80s.
There was also the return of Ultravox who's music had also become less synth orientated. They only managed to reach 31 with "Same Old Story" and number 30 with "All Fall Down" which would be their final hit.
We also had Howard Jones bidding farewell to the charts this year with "All I Want" which only managed number 35. It was also the last new material in the 80s we'd see from Gary Numan with his final hit "I Can't Stop" doing slightly better at number 27.
It wasn't all doom and gloom on the synth pop front though. The first two number ones of the year were "West End Girls" by Pet Shop Boys and "The Sun Always Shines On TV" by A-ha with both acts enjoying further top 10 hits this year. There was also the debut of Erasure with the number two hit "Sometimes".
Having been the last act standing from the 2-tone movement started at the end of the 70s, this would be the last we'd see of Madness in the 80s with their final hit being "(Waiting For) The Ghost Train".
From the world of Sophisti-Pop we had the debut of the Blow Monkeys with "Digging Your Scene", Belouis Some with "Imagination", Swing Out Sister with "Breakout" and Curiosity Killed The Cat with "Down To Earth".
With not many acts other than UB40 keeping reggae in the top 40 in recent years, we had a reggae number one with the return to the charts after a 16 year absence for Boris Gardiner with "I Want To Wake Up With You". We also had the only chart hits for Audrey Hall with "One Dance Won't Do" and "Smile". Then there was the debut of Maxi Priest with "Strollin' On".
From the Hard Rock & Heavy Metal scenes we'd have hits for AC/DC, Gary Moore, Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden. It was also the year of the Heavy Metal charity single "Stars" by Hear 'n' Aid.
The Damned and Siouxsie & The Banshee would continue to have hits from the Goth scene, but we also saw the debut of The Mission with "Stay With Me". Sisters Of Mercy, the band Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams left to form The Mission, were yet to make their chart debut.
There was a new type of metal making its way into the charts, Glam Metal. This came via the debut of Bon Jovi with "You Give Love A Bad Name" and followed up with "Livin' On A Prayer". There was also a number one coming from Swedish group Europe with their debut hit "The Final Countdown".
Whilst 1985 only gave us one Rap/Hip Hop hit, 1986 was the strongest year for Hip Hop to date. There was the return of Kurtis Blow with "If I Ruled The World". We also had " (Nothin' Serious) Just Buggin'" by Whistle, "Bassline" by Mantronix, "Amityville (The House On The Hill)" by Lovebug Starski and "Bang Zoom (Let's Go Go)" by Real Roxanne with Hitman Howie Tee.
The most significant one from the Rap/Hip Hop scene though was the debut of Run DMC with "Walk This Way".
There was also the novelty rap record "Holiday Rap" by MC Miker G & Deejay Sven which was based on Madonnas "Holiday". Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince also debuted this year with "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble".
The Freestyle scene was kept going by Joyce Sims with "All and All" and Nu Shooz with "I Can't Wait".
The previous year we said goodbye to the Clash, this year we said hello to Big Audio Dynamite, though Mick Jones had already left the Clash in 1983. They had their only two top 40 singles with "E=MC²" and "Medicine Show".
There was a new style of music hitting the charts for the first time, House Music. This came from Farley Jackmaster Funk with "Love Can't Turn Around".
What seemed to have a notable presence in the charts this year was acts who weren’t primarily musicians. Most notable of these was the number one "Every Loser Wins" by Eastenders actor Nick Berry.
Also from Eastenders we had "Anyone Can Fall In Love" by Anita Dobson, based on the theme music. There was also "Something Outa Nothing" by Letita Dean and Paul Medford.
The Grange Hill cast entered the charts this year with their anti-drugs record "Just Say No".
Then there was Page 3 girl Samantha Fox who started here music career with "Touch Me (I Want Your Body)". This wasn’t a one off though, she would continue to have hits the rest of the decade.
From the Levi’s adverts, we had Nick Kamen begin his chart career with the record "Each Time you Break My Heart" which was the first of three top 40 hits for him.
So that was 1986, the year the early 80s comes to an end with a sign of what is to come for the rest of the decade. Or will there be something else we are yet to encounter?
It was the last year we had all of the so called big four groups all have Top 40 hits. After a year away, we saw Culture Club back in the top 10 with "Move Away". Their follow up, "Good Thank You Woman" only managed 31 and that would be the last we'd see of Culture Club in the top 40 until they reunited in the late 90s.
George Michael scored another solo number one with his second single "A Different Corner" and then had a number one with Wham! with their final single "The Edge Of Heaven/Where Did Your Heart Go".
Spandau Ballet failed to reach the top 10 with their comeback single "Fight For Ourselves" but did make the top 10 with their follow up "Through the Barricades" which would be their final top 10 hit.
Duran Duran returned to the charts with the top 10 hit "Notorious" towards the end of the year but this would be the last in their current string of top 10 hits stretching back to 1982.
Once again Madonna was the success story of the year being the only act to score two number ones this year which she did with "Papa Don't Preach" and "True Blue". She also scored two number twos and a number four.
Cliff Richard returned to number one this year with "Living Doll" along with the Young Ones, giving him his eleventh number one and becoming the only act to have a number one in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. He had one further hit this year bringing his total to 86.
David Bowie continued his streak of hits every year since 1972 with two hits this year bringing his total to 41 and remaining third.
Elton John had no top 40 hits this year but remained fourth on 37, Stevie Wonder had one hit this year and remained fifth with 35. Up to sixth was Status Quo who had four hits this year bringing their total to 34.
Returning to the charts after an eleven year gap was Frank Sinatra with "Theme from New York New York". This brought his total to 32 and he joined Elvis and Cliff in having hits in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
Equalling Frank Sinatra in seventh was Paul McCartney who had two hits this year. Lonnie Donegan was now in ninth with 30 but was now joined by Queen and Rod Stewart.
Lionel Richie was the only Motown act other than Stevie Wonder to have hits this year with "Dancing on the Ceiling" and "Ballerina Girl/Deep River Woman". There was however a reissue of "I Heard It through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye which charted this year.
The Christmas number one came from Jackie Wilson with "Reet Petite" which was originally a hit in 1957. Whilst he has been present in the charts every decade so far, this wouldn’t count as it’s a reissue.
The record Jackie Wilson knocked off number one was "Caravan Of Love" by the Housemartins who had made their chart debut earlier on in the year with "Happy Hour".
We had the first Stock Aitken & Waterman number one the previous year, but we had none this year. This was the year they joined forces with Bananarama to score a top 10 hit with "Venus". They also joined forces with Phil Fearon to have a top 10 hit with "I Can Prove It".
Their biggest hit of the year though was the debut for Mel & Kim with "Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend)" which reached number three. In the lower reaches of the charts they would continue to have hits with Dead Or Alive and the last hits for Princess.
There was another production team putting their mark on the charts this year, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Although not new to the charts, they had previous hits with SOS Band and Change, this was the year it seemed like they truly arrived.
The most notable act to debut from the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis camp was Janet Jackson. She debuted with "What Have You Done For Me Lately" and followed up with "Nasty" which is said to have got the ball rolling with the New Jack Swing sound. She had a further two singles this year.
The last week of 1985 saw the debut of Alexander O'Neal & Cherelle with "Saturday Love". Alexander O'Neal followed that up this year with "If You Were Here Tonight". We also had the only hit from Force MDs with "Tender Love".
After a couple of years away, the Human League returned to the charts with the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis produced "Human". This was a move away from the synth pop sound they had previous and was a top 10 here and number one in America. It would however be the last we'd see of the Human League in the 80s.
There was also the return of Ultravox who's music had also become less synth orientated. They only managed to reach 31 with "Same Old Story" and number 30 with "All Fall Down" which would be their final hit.
We also had Howard Jones bidding farewell to the charts this year with "All I Want" which only managed number 35. It was also the last new material in the 80s we'd see from Gary Numan with his final hit "I Can't Stop" doing slightly better at number 27.
It wasn't all doom and gloom on the synth pop front though. The first two number ones of the year were "West End Girls" by Pet Shop Boys and "The Sun Always Shines On TV" by A-ha with both acts enjoying further top 10 hits this year. There was also the debut of Erasure with the number two hit "Sometimes".
Having been the last act standing from the 2-tone movement started at the end of the 70s, this would be the last we'd see of Madness in the 80s with their final hit being "(Waiting For) The Ghost Train".
From the world of Sophisti-Pop we had the debut of the Blow Monkeys with "Digging Your Scene", Belouis Some with "Imagination", Swing Out Sister with "Breakout" and Curiosity Killed The Cat with "Down To Earth".
With not many acts other than UB40 keeping reggae in the top 40 in recent years, we had a reggae number one with the return to the charts after a 16 year absence for Boris Gardiner with "I Want To Wake Up With You". We also had the only chart hits for Audrey Hall with "One Dance Won't Do" and "Smile". Then there was the debut of Maxi Priest with "Strollin' On".
From the Hard Rock & Heavy Metal scenes we'd have hits for AC/DC, Gary Moore, Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden. It was also the year of the Heavy Metal charity single "Stars" by Hear 'n' Aid.
The Damned and Siouxsie & The Banshee would continue to have hits from the Goth scene, but we also saw the debut of The Mission with "Stay With Me". Sisters Of Mercy, the band Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams left to form The Mission, were yet to make their chart debut.
There was a new type of metal making its way into the charts, Glam Metal. This came via the debut of Bon Jovi with "You Give Love A Bad Name" and followed up with "Livin' On A Prayer". There was also a number one coming from Swedish group Europe with their debut hit "The Final Countdown".
Whilst 1985 only gave us one Rap/Hip Hop hit, 1986 was the strongest year for Hip Hop to date. There was the return of Kurtis Blow with "If I Ruled The World". We also had " (Nothin' Serious) Just Buggin'" by Whistle, "Bassline" by Mantronix, "Amityville (The House On The Hill)" by Lovebug Starski and "Bang Zoom (Let's Go Go)" by Real Roxanne with Hitman Howie Tee.
The most significant one from the Rap/Hip Hop scene though was the debut of Run DMC with "Walk This Way".
There was also the novelty rap record "Holiday Rap" by MC Miker G & Deejay Sven which was based on Madonnas "Holiday". Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince also debuted this year with "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble".
The Freestyle scene was kept going by Joyce Sims with "All and All" and Nu Shooz with "I Can't Wait".
The previous year we said goodbye to the Clash, this year we said hello to Big Audio Dynamite, though Mick Jones had already left the Clash in 1983. They had their only two top 40 singles with "E=MC²" and "Medicine Show".
There was a new style of music hitting the charts for the first time, House Music. This came from Farley Jackmaster Funk with "Love Can't Turn Around".
What seemed to have a notable presence in the charts this year was acts who weren’t primarily musicians. Most notable of these was the number one "Every Loser Wins" by Eastenders actor Nick Berry.
Also from Eastenders we had "Anyone Can Fall In Love" by Anita Dobson, based on the theme music. There was also "Something Outa Nothing" by Letita Dean and Paul Medford.
The Grange Hill cast entered the charts this year with their anti-drugs record "Just Say No".
Then there was Page 3 girl Samantha Fox who started here music career with "Touch Me (I Want Your Body)". This wasn’t a one off though, she would continue to have hits the rest of the decade.
From the Levi’s adverts, we had Nick Kamen begin his chart career with the record "Each Time you Break My Heart" which was the first of three top 40 hits for him.
So that was 1986, the year the early 80s comes to an end with a sign of what is to come for the rest of the decade. Or will there be something else we are yet to encounter?
Thursday 10 August 2017
Top of the Pops: 10/08/2017
Here is the Top 40 Countdown
We still have "Despacito" at number one, the eleventh week overall now. We do have a full show though with 9 eligible records.
Of those we have 6 climbers, the lowest one being "Instruction" by Jax Jones ft Demi Lovato & Stefflon, which is constantly being advertised on YouTube at the moment, it's the one where she sings that she's Diana Ross. Demi Lovato has another record which features this week which is also a climber.
Meanwhile, just the one new entry this week, the other one being a re entry.
⬆ (22) Jax Jones ft Demi Lovato & Stefflon - Instruction
Re (30) Yungen ft Yxng Bane - Bestie
New (21) J Balvin ft Willy William - Mi Gente
⬆ (18) Alma - Chasing Highs
⬆ (16) Demi Lovato - Sorry Not Sorry
⬆ (9) Dua Lipa - New Rules
⬆ (8) Rudimental ft James Arthur - Sun Comes Up
⬆ (3) Calvin Harris ft Pharrell, Katy Perry & Big Sean - Feel
(1) Luis Fonsi ft Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber - Despacito
We still have "Despacito" at number one, the eleventh week overall now. We do have a full show though with 9 eligible records.
Of those we have 6 climbers, the lowest one being "Instruction" by Jax Jones ft Demi Lovato & Stefflon, which is constantly being advertised on YouTube at the moment, it's the one where she sings that she's Diana Ross. Demi Lovato has another record which features this week which is also a climber.
Meanwhile, just the one new entry this week, the other one being a re entry.
⬆ (22) Jax Jones ft Demi Lovato & Stefflon - Instruction
Re (30) Yungen ft Yxng Bane - Bestie
New (21) J Balvin ft Willy William - Mi Gente
⬆ (18) Alma - Chasing Highs
⬆ (16) Demi Lovato - Sorry Not Sorry
⬆ (9) Dua Lipa - New Rules
⬆ (8) Rudimental ft James Arthur - Sun Comes Up
⬆ (3) Calvin Harris ft Pharrell, Katy Perry & Big Sean - Feel
(1) Luis Fonsi ft Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber - Despacito
Monday 7 August 2017
Record of the Year 1985: Rah Band - Clouds Across the Moon
I've known for a long time what would be my record of the year for 1985, it's one of my favourite records of all time.
A bit like my 1984 pick, the Rah Band isn't actually a band, it's just one person, Richard Anthony Hewson who's initials spell the Rah part. The vocals come from his wife Liz.
It's a record I've known for many years and I was surprised several years ago to learn this was from as early as 1985 and when comparing to other records of the same era it definitely was ahead of it's time.
Another thing that surprised me was seeing the Rah Band on a rerun of Top of the Pops from 1977 with his first single "The Crunch". This was also ahead of it's time for the 70s. His only other top 40 hit came in 1980 with "Falcon".
He continues to make music to this very day and has a 2017 remix of this very record that you can hear on his official website.
Sunday 6 August 2017
UK Singles Chart: 1985
Frankie Goes To Hollywood were the biggest success story of 1984, but how did they fare in 1985?
Well they failed to reach number one with their fourth single "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" which reached number two, and that was their only hit of the year. So not as good as 1984, but one hit which reached number two is pretty good generally speaking.
No act managed more than one number one this year, but the success story of the year would have to be Madonna. She scored her first number one with "Into the Groove" and also had two number twos, a number three, a number four and two number fives.
Meanwhile, the so called big four didn't seem that big anymore from a chart perspective. Having had lower charting singles the previous year, both Culture Club and Spandau Ballet failed to score a top 40 hit this year.
Duran Duran did have the one hit with "A View To Kill" which reached number two. This would however be the final hit of the decade from them with the classic line up. The band went on hiatus which spawned two groups, Power Station and Arcadia. Power station failed to make the top ten with their two hits, "Some Like It Hot" and "Get It On". Arcadia did reach the top ten with their hit "Election Day" but their follow up at the beginning of the following year, "The Promise" didn't.
After a hugely successful 1984, it wouldn't be until the end of November we'd see Wham! back in the charts, but they did manage a number one with "I'm Your Man". They also rereleased "Last Christmas" which reached number six this time. Also back in the charts at Christmas time was Band Aid who reached number three. It was Shakin Stevens though who had the Christmas number one this year with "Merry Christmas Everyone".
The year is perhaps best known as being the year of Live Aid and the set that is most talked about was the one from Queen. In the charts though they had just the one hit with "One Vision" which reached number seven. Prior to Live Aid, Freddie Mercury had a solo hit with "I Was Born To Love You" but following Live Aid failed to make the top 40 with his two follow ups, the record buying public seemingly only interested in Queen rather than Freddie Mercury as a solo act.
Once again Cliff Richard was the only 50s debutant to have hits this year. He had just the one hit bringing his total to 84.
David Bowie continued his streak of hits every year since 1972 adding three to his total including the number one cover of "Dancing in the Street" with Mick Jagger, which brought his total to 39 hits keeping him in third place.
Still in fourth was Elton John who had four hits this year bringing his total to 37. Stevie Wonder remained fifth having two hits bringing his total to 34. Elton John and Stevie Wonder shared one of their hits this year, both being on the record "That's What Friends Are For" along with Dionne Warwick and Gladys Knight. Dionne Warwick was the second earliest chart debutant to have a hit this year after Cliff Richard having debuted in 1964. This would however be her last top 40 hit.
Frank Sinatra remained sixth with 31 whilst Lonnie Donegan and Status Quo remained seventh with 30 but were now joined by Paul McCartney who had one top 40 hit this year with "Spies Like Us".
As well as Stevie Wonder, we had Lionel Richie charting for Motown with "Say You Say Me". We also had Lionels former group, The Commodores, return to the charts after a five year absence with their final hit "Nightshift". We also had Debarge score their only top 40 hit with "Rhythm of the Night".
Stock Aitken & Waterman had their first number one this year with "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" by Dead Or Alive. They also produced the other three hits for Dead Or Alive this year. We also had Princess make her debut with "Say I'm your Number One" and followed up with "After The Love Has Gone". These were the only Stock Aitken & Waterman hits this year, so their chart domination was yet to begin.
So I've already mentioned hits for Queen and Princess, but it was also a good year for Prince who released "1999" and "Little Red Corvette" as a double a side which reached number two, the latter failing to make the top 40 on first release.
To complete the royal family, we had the debut of King with "Love and Pride" which made number two. They would have a further three hits this year and their final hit at the start of 1986.
There was still a strong presence of Synth Pop in the charts, but there would be several acts who would have their final top 40 hits this year including Nik Kershaw having only made his debut the previous year. Also bidding farewell was the Thompson Twins and Blancmange.
For the first time this decade there was no Ultravox in the charts. We did however have two solo hits from Midge Ure including the number one "If I Was".
We did have the debut of Go West this year with "We Close Our Eyes" and they followed up with a further three hits, but this would be the last we'd see of them until the 90s.
A band that we would very much see the rest of the decade making their debut towards the end of this year was the Pet Shop Boys with "West End Girls". We also had the debut of A-ha with "Take On Me" and followed up in the final week of the year with "The Sun Always Shines On TV". Both Pet Shop Boys and A-ha would go on to score number ones with these records in 1986.
There was a notable presence of Funk and Soul music in the charts this year including the debut of Loose Ends with "Hangin' On A String (Contemplating)" and the return to the charts after a 11 year absence for Aretha Franklin with "Who's Zoomin' Who".
On the pop side of this though came the debut of Whitney Houston who reached number one with "Saving All My Love For You". Her future husbands group New Edition returned to the charts with the follow up to their 1983 number one "Candy Girl" with "Mr Telephone Man".
Having debuted the previous year, this would be the year Jimmy Somerville would leave Bronski Beat with his final hit with them being a cover of "I Feel Love" with Marc Almond. He would then make his debut with the Communards with "You Are My World". Bronski Beat would continue without Jimmy Somerville with "Hit That Perfect Beat".
Having been an influence on Sophisti-pop music, Bryan Ferry would have a couple of hits within that genre this year with "Slave to Love" and "Don't Stop the Dance".
We had the debuts of Simply Red with "Money's Too Tight to Mention" and Prefab Sprout with "When Love Breaks Down" whilst the likes of the Style Council, Sade, Matt Bianco and Level 42 would continue to have hits.
There wasn't much Hard Rock or Heavy Metal in the charts this year with just "Out in the Fields" by Gary Moore & Phil Lynott plus a couple of live rereleases from Iron Maiden keeping it going.
This is perhaps in part to do with the emergence of Gothic Rock. Whilst not new to the charts, it did seem to have a greater presence this year. Most notable from this was the return of The Damned who had originally come from the Punk movement in the 70s. They would have hits with "Grimly Fiendish", "The Shadow Of Love" and "Is It A Dream".
Siouxsie and the Banshees would also be considered as part of this having also emerged from the Punk movement, but they hadn't been away having had hits every year since 1978 and this year having a hit with "Cities In Dust".
Also taking advantage of the emergence of the scene was former Generation X singer Billy Idol who rereleased "White Wedding".
In terms of debutants, we had Killing Joke with "Love Like Blood", The Cult with "She Sells Sanctuary" and New Model Army with "No Rest".
It was the last time we'd see the Clash in the charts with new material with the hit "This Is England".
Despite Rap/Hip Hop music starting to get more of a chart presence in 1984, there was just the one Rap/Hip Hop record which charted in 1985 which was "The Show" by Doug E Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew.
Having seen Freestyle music in the charts last year with Shannon, this year saw Freestyle producers Full Force chart twice, first alongside Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with "I Wonder If I Take You Home" and followed by "Alice I Want You Just For Me".
We have a new nationality on the charts this year. Jan Hammer became the first act from what was then known as Czechoslovakia to have a hit with "Miami Vice Theme". He would have one further hit with "Crockets Theme" in 1987.
So that was 1985 and a sign of what is to come when they start rerunning Top of the Pops for that year in a few months time.
Well they failed to reach number one with their fourth single "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" which reached number two, and that was their only hit of the year. So not as good as 1984, but one hit which reached number two is pretty good generally speaking.
No act managed more than one number one this year, but the success story of the year would have to be Madonna. She scored her first number one with "Into the Groove" and also had two number twos, a number three, a number four and two number fives.
Meanwhile, the so called big four didn't seem that big anymore from a chart perspective. Having had lower charting singles the previous year, both Culture Club and Spandau Ballet failed to score a top 40 hit this year.
Duran Duran did have the one hit with "A View To Kill" which reached number two. This would however be the final hit of the decade from them with the classic line up. The band went on hiatus which spawned two groups, Power Station and Arcadia. Power station failed to make the top ten with their two hits, "Some Like It Hot" and "Get It On". Arcadia did reach the top ten with their hit "Election Day" but their follow up at the beginning of the following year, "The Promise" didn't.
After a hugely successful 1984, it wouldn't be until the end of November we'd see Wham! back in the charts, but they did manage a number one with "I'm Your Man". They also rereleased "Last Christmas" which reached number six this time. Also back in the charts at Christmas time was Band Aid who reached number three. It was Shakin Stevens though who had the Christmas number one this year with "Merry Christmas Everyone".
The year is perhaps best known as being the year of Live Aid and the set that is most talked about was the one from Queen. In the charts though they had just the one hit with "One Vision" which reached number seven. Prior to Live Aid, Freddie Mercury had a solo hit with "I Was Born To Love You" but following Live Aid failed to make the top 40 with his two follow ups, the record buying public seemingly only interested in Queen rather than Freddie Mercury as a solo act.
Once again Cliff Richard was the only 50s debutant to have hits this year. He had just the one hit bringing his total to 84.
David Bowie continued his streak of hits every year since 1972 adding three to his total including the number one cover of "Dancing in the Street" with Mick Jagger, which brought his total to 39 hits keeping him in third place.
Still in fourth was Elton John who had four hits this year bringing his total to 37. Stevie Wonder remained fifth having two hits bringing his total to 34. Elton John and Stevie Wonder shared one of their hits this year, both being on the record "That's What Friends Are For" along with Dionne Warwick and Gladys Knight. Dionne Warwick was the second earliest chart debutant to have a hit this year after Cliff Richard having debuted in 1964. This would however be her last top 40 hit.
Frank Sinatra remained sixth with 31 whilst Lonnie Donegan and Status Quo remained seventh with 30 but were now joined by Paul McCartney who had one top 40 hit this year with "Spies Like Us".
As well as Stevie Wonder, we had Lionel Richie charting for Motown with "Say You Say Me". We also had Lionels former group, The Commodores, return to the charts after a five year absence with their final hit "Nightshift". We also had Debarge score their only top 40 hit with "Rhythm of the Night".
Stock Aitken & Waterman had their first number one this year with "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" by Dead Or Alive. They also produced the other three hits for Dead Or Alive this year. We also had Princess make her debut with "Say I'm your Number One" and followed up with "After The Love Has Gone". These were the only Stock Aitken & Waterman hits this year, so their chart domination was yet to begin.
So I've already mentioned hits for Queen and Princess, but it was also a good year for Prince who released "1999" and "Little Red Corvette" as a double a side which reached number two, the latter failing to make the top 40 on first release.
To complete the royal family, we had the debut of King with "Love and Pride" which made number two. They would have a further three hits this year and their final hit at the start of 1986.
There was still a strong presence of Synth Pop in the charts, but there would be several acts who would have their final top 40 hits this year including Nik Kershaw having only made his debut the previous year. Also bidding farewell was the Thompson Twins and Blancmange.
For the first time this decade there was no Ultravox in the charts. We did however have two solo hits from Midge Ure including the number one "If I Was".
We did have the debut of Go West this year with "We Close Our Eyes" and they followed up with a further three hits, but this would be the last we'd see of them until the 90s.
A band that we would very much see the rest of the decade making their debut towards the end of this year was the Pet Shop Boys with "West End Girls". We also had the debut of A-ha with "Take On Me" and followed up in the final week of the year with "The Sun Always Shines On TV". Both Pet Shop Boys and A-ha would go on to score number ones with these records in 1986.
There was a notable presence of Funk and Soul music in the charts this year including the debut of Loose Ends with "Hangin' On A String (Contemplating)" and the return to the charts after a 11 year absence for Aretha Franklin with "Who's Zoomin' Who".
On the pop side of this though came the debut of Whitney Houston who reached number one with "Saving All My Love For You". Her future husbands group New Edition returned to the charts with the follow up to their 1983 number one "Candy Girl" with "Mr Telephone Man".
Having debuted the previous year, this would be the year Jimmy Somerville would leave Bronski Beat with his final hit with them being a cover of "I Feel Love" with Marc Almond. He would then make his debut with the Communards with "You Are My World". Bronski Beat would continue without Jimmy Somerville with "Hit That Perfect Beat".
Having been an influence on Sophisti-pop music, Bryan Ferry would have a couple of hits within that genre this year with "Slave to Love" and "Don't Stop the Dance".
We had the debuts of Simply Red with "Money's Too Tight to Mention" and Prefab Sprout with "When Love Breaks Down" whilst the likes of the Style Council, Sade, Matt Bianco and Level 42 would continue to have hits.
There wasn't much Hard Rock or Heavy Metal in the charts this year with just "Out in the Fields" by Gary Moore & Phil Lynott plus a couple of live rereleases from Iron Maiden keeping it going.
This is perhaps in part to do with the emergence of Gothic Rock. Whilst not new to the charts, it did seem to have a greater presence this year. Most notable from this was the return of The Damned who had originally come from the Punk movement in the 70s. They would have hits with "Grimly Fiendish", "The Shadow Of Love" and "Is It A Dream".
Siouxsie and the Banshees would also be considered as part of this having also emerged from the Punk movement, but they hadn't been away having had hits every year since 1978 and this year having a hit with "Cities In Dust".
Also taking advantage of the emergence of the scene was former Generation X singer Billy Idol who rereleased "White Wedding".
In terms of debutants, we had Killing Joke with "Love Like Blood", The Cult with "She Sells Sanctuary" and New Model Army with "No Rest".
It was the last time we'd see the Clash in the charts with new material with the hit "This Is England".
Despite Rap/Hip Hop music starting to get more of a chart presence in 1984, there was just the one Rap/Hip Hop record which charted in 1985 which was "The Show" by Doug E Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew.
Having seen Freestyle music in the charts last year with Shannon, this year saw Freestyle producers Full Force chart twice, first alongside Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with "I Wonder If I Take You Home" and followed by "Alice I Want You Just For Me".
We have a new nationality on the charts this year. Jan Hammer became the first act from what was then known as Czechoslovakia to have a hit with "Miami Vice Theme". He would have one further hit with "Crockets Theme" in 1987.
So that was 1985 and a sign of what is to come when they start rerunning Top of the Pops for that year in a few months time.
Thursday 3 August 2017
Top of the Pops: 03/08/2017
Here is the Top 40 Countdown
Once again "Despacito" is at number one, the tenth week overall now. Once again we don't have enough eligible records to fill the show after having to eliminate two records last week. None of those two are eligible this week with one falling and the other no longer in the top 40.
Just two new entries this week including one from Enrique Iglesias ft Sean Paul, both of whom appeared on Top of the Pops back in the day.
New (16) Enrique Iglesias ft Sean Paul - Subeme La Radio
⬆ (15) Major Lazer ft Travis Scott, Camilla Cabello & Quavo - Know No Better
New (13) Louis Tomlinson ft Bebe Rexha & Digital Farm Animals - Back To You
⬆ (8) Maggie Lindemann - Pretty Girl
⬆ (6) Little Mix - Power
⬆ (1) Luis Fonsi ft Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber - Despacito
Once again "Despacito" is at number one, the tenth week overall now. Once again we don't have enough eligible records to fill the show after having to eliminate two records last week. None of those two are eligible this week with one falling and the other no longer in the top 40.
Just two new entries this week including one from Enrique Iglesias ft Sean Paul, both of whom appeared on Top of the Pops back in the day.
New (16) Enrique Iglesias ft Sean Paul - Subeme La Radio
⬆ (15) Major Lazer ft Travis Scott, Camilla Cabello & Quavo - Know No Better
New (13) Louis Tomlinson ft Bebe Rexha & Digital Farm Animals - Back To You
⬆ (8) Maggie Lindemann - Pretty Girl
⬆ (6) Little Mix - Power
⬆ (1) Luis Fonsi ft Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber - Despacito
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