Here are the new entries ranked from best to worst:
I have very fond memories of pop music as a kid in 1989. By this point I was reading Smash Hits magazine and listening to and taping the Top 40 countdown on Radio 1 on a Sunday.
My number one pick though isn't really connected to those memories. I do remember "That's the Way Love Is" by Ten City at the time but it wasn't until I had it on a rave compilation that it really made an impact on me. It's also one of those dance records where I even think the vocals are good.
My number two pick on the other hand is very much connected to those memories. The moment Gene Pitney sang "and a feeling unknown took my heart..." had the biggest impact on me the way he sang it. Incidentally years later the same person who got me into rave got me into Gene Pitney as well.
More rave in 3rd place with Todd Terry under the alias Royal House with "Yeah! Buddy". Then in 4th we have "You Got It" by Roy Orbison which charted just after he'd passed away, a fact I remember well from the time.
Then Jerico could of only worked in the 80s and "Big Area" was a record I loved at the time. Equally I loved the strange singing of Roland Gift of the Fine Young Cannibals on "She Dives Me Crazy" and this was also when I learned what a cannibal was.
Next up is an old punk record by The Stranglers making the Top 40 for the first time. Then we have some hip house from Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock with "Get On The Dancefloor" which is one of the good examples of the genre.
Mike & the Mechanics may have been considered old mans music even in 1989, but my young boy self liked it.
Down the bottom of the table we have Samantha Fox with "I Only Wanna Be With You". Even my young self could see this was a joke record and even at primary school people would take the piss out of her.
Debbie Gibson was one of those singers I couldn't stand and the only positive thing I can say about "Lost In Your Eyes" is that it's not as bad as Samantha Fox. "Where Is The Love" by Mica Paris and Will Downing is another record that's always irritated me.
I don't think I had any idea who Andrew Lloyd Webber was at the time or if I even knew there was such a thing as musicals but what I do remember was how bad "Love Changes Everything" by Michael Ball was.
Overall though I like most records in this batch so some of the lower places is simply due to the competition. We therefore end up with a decent score.
Score: 52
Now we've reached the end of the decade lets take a look at the table:
The 80s were at their best at the start, middle and end. The 60s and 70s each have a year better than the best 80s year but then the 80s have 2 in the Top 4. 7 of the Top 9 years either end with 0, 5 or 9 with the only post-Beatles year end with one of these numbers and not being in the Top 9 is 1975.
The interesting question is how will 1990, 1995 and 1999 do?
