Best Song: Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind
Not only is this the best song in the 1987 Christmas Top 40, it's also my favourite Christmas number one of all time. It's also amongst the best covers I've ever heard too. 1987 was the first year I remember following the charts and the Pet Shop Boys were the first music act to have a real impact on me and that includes this record.
Worst Song: Mel & Kim - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
It wasn't the Appleby sisters who made this record, it was Mel Smith and Kim Wilde. Given that Mel Smith was a comedian this was supposed to be a shit record. Looking through the list I did ask myself if there were any records I found worse and the answer is no.
Top 40 Review
As mentioned, this would have been the first Christmas chart that I actually remember. It's also reminding me a lot of my first ever Now album, "Now 11". As a result this chart is holding a lot of nostalgia for me.
There was still your usual Christmas chart rubbish in there though. It was the first time "Fairytale Of New York" by Pogues ft Kirsty MacColl reached the Top 40.
Rick Astley had made his debut earlier on in the year and his bid for Christmas number one was a cover of "When I Fall In Love". Up against him was Nat 'King' Cole returning to the Top 40 with the same record.
It wasn't just Rick Astley covering the oldies though. Shakin Stevens was covering the 1959 Christmas number one "What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For" and Simply Red were covering "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye".
House music was making it's name in the Top 40 and there were 2 of these records "Tighten Up (I Just Can't Stop Dancin')" by Wally Jump Jnr. And The Criminal Element and "House Arrest" by Krush and both get full marks.
As I was learning pop music for the first time there are several stand out records that I remember fondly as part of that process. These include "Got My Mind Set On You" by George Harrison and "Turn Back The Clock" by Johnny Hates Jazz.
I also have pretty clear memories of T'Pau on Top of the Pops doing "China In Your Hand" and The Proclaimers doing "Letter From America". The latter is pretty awful in reality, but the nostalgia I have for the record means I'm giving it half marks.
Overall nearly half the records in this Top 40 get full marks and adding the half mark records to that brings the total to over 50%.
Score: 22
Table
Once again the Christmas charts are better than the best year charts. Not sure how many more excuses for that happening that I have:
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