Discussion:
This old chart from 1982 is 1982 is sent with love from me
(too old to reply)
Chris Brown
2021-03-22 00:32:41 UTC
Permalink
Going fully populist this week with a chart from a year that some call
the greatest ever for pop.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0e4vpzDCIpqcrWU6qYFwmP?si=LooJAVC5R3KS_fBCLVI9AA
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdiUvgvgpgNrstKDlVCrAE9MCifFwsKOE

Chart dated: 27th March 1982

1. (2) Goombay Dance Band Seven Tears
2. (1) Tight Fit The Lion Sleeps Tonight
3. (12) Julio Iglesias Quiereme Mucho (Yours)
4. (8) Imagination Just An Illusion
5. (3) Toni Basil Mickey
6. (6) ABC Poison Arrow
7. (16) Derek And The Dominoes Layla {1982 reissue}
8. (10) Adrian Gurvitz Classic
9. (15) Associates Party Fears Two
10. (4) Haircut 100 Love Plus One
11. (7) Bow Wow Wow Go Wild In The Country
12. (5) Fun Boy Three And Bananarama It Ain't What You Do It's The Way
That You Do It
13. (11) Depeche Mode See You
14. (31) Chas & Dave Ain't No Pleasing You
15. (13) Iron Maiden Run To The Hills
16. (42) Japan Ghosts
17. (9) The J. Geils Band Centerfold
18. (23) Visage The Damned Don't Cry
19. (21) Gary Numan Music For Chameleons
20. (14) Madness Cardiac Arrest
21. (35) Leo Sayer Have You Ever Been In Love
22. (26) Pluto Your Honour
23. (36) Classix Nouveaux Is It A Dream?
24. (17) Starsound Stars On 45 III (Stars On Stevie)
25. (18) Robert Palmer Some Guys Have All The Luck
26. (29) The Nolans Don't Love Me Too Hard
27. (37) Elvis Presley Are You Lonesome Tonight (Laughing version)
28. (32) Foster & Allen A Bunch of Thyme
29. (30) Kool And The Gang Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)
30. (19) Adam & The Ants Deutscher Girls
31. (33) David Bowie In Bertolt Brecht's Baal
[Baal's Hymn; Remembering Marie A.; Ballad Of The Adventurers; The
Drowned Girl; The Dirty Song]
32. (25) ABBA Head Over Heels
33. (NE) Bucks Fizz My Camera Never Lies
34. (22) The Jets Love Makes The World Go Round
35. (NE) Dollar Give Me Back My Heart
36. (NE) Status Quo Dear John
37. (54) Bill Wyman A New Fashion
38. (74) Barbra Streisand Memory
39. (20) The Jam Town Called Malice/Precious
40. (24) Soft Cell Say Hello Wave Goodbye

41. (NE) Altered Images See Those Eyes
42. (53) Vicky D The Beat Is Mine
43. (58) Killing Joke Empire Song
44. (66) The Boomtown Rats House On Fire
45. (70) Dexys Midnight Runners The Celtic Soul Brothers
46. (55) Anti-Nowhere League I Hate... People
47. (41) Genesis Man On The Corner
48. (56) Mike Oldfield Five Miles Out
49. (27) Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz
Joan Of Arc)
50. (64) Graham Parker Temporary Beauty
51. (50) Blue Rondo A La Turk Klactoveesedstein
52. (NE) Tygers Of Pan Tang Love Potion Number 9
53. (69) Xavier Work That Sucker To Death
54. (46) Adam & The Ants Antmusic EP
[Friends; Kick; Physical]
55. (44) The Four Tops Tonight I'm Gonna Love You All Over
56. (38) D Train You're The One For Me
57. (NE) Shalamar I Can Make You Feel Good
58. (28) Daryl Hall & John Oates I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
59. (51) Smokey Robinson Tell Me Tomorrow
60. (NE) Elton John Blue Eyes
61. (72) Dollar Ring Ring
62. (45) Bauhaus Kick In The Eye {1982 reissue}
63. (34) Mike Post And Larry Carlton Theme From "Hill Street Blues"
64. (49) Quarterflash Harden My Heart
65. (43) Blackfoot Dry County (Four From Blackfoot)
[Dry County; Too Hard To Handle; On The Run (live); Train Train (live)]
66. (NE) A Flock Of Seagulls I Ran
67. (NE) Slade Ruby Red
68. (39) The Stranglers Golden Brown
69. (52) Hank Marvin Don't Talk
70. (NE) B-Movie Nowhere Girl
71. (RE) T Rex Telegram Sam
72. (NE) Mobiles Amour Amour
73. (47) George Benson Never Give Up On A Good Thing
74. (NE) XTC Ball And Chain
75. (NE) Chris Rea Loving You

Chris
Vidcapper
2021-03-22 14:50:38 UTC
Permalink
Post by Chris Brown
Chart dated: 27th March 1982
1. (2) Goombay Dance Band Seven Tears
2. (1) Tight Fit The Lion Sleeps Tonight
4. (8) Imagination Just An Illusion
5. (3) Toni Basil Mickey
6. (6) ABC Poison Arrow
7. (16) Derek And The Dominoes Layla {1982 reissue}
8. (10) Adrian Gurvitz Classic
9. (15) Associates Party Fears Two
10. (4) Haircut 100 Love Plus One
11. (7) Bow Wow Wow Go Wild In The Country
12. (5) Fun Boy Three And Bananarama It Ain't What You Do It's The
Way That You Do It
13. (11) Depeche Mode See You
14. (31) Chas & Dave Ain't No Pleasing You
15. (13) Iron Maiden Run To The Hills
17. (9) The J. Geils Band Centerfold
18. (23) Visage The Damned Don't Cry
19. (21) Gary Numan Music For Chameleons
20. (14) Madness Cardiac Arrest
22. (26) Pluto Your Honour
23. (36) Classix Nouveaux Is It A Dream?
25. (18) Robert Palmer Some Guys Have All The Luck
27. (37) Elvis Presley Are You Lonesome Tonight (Laughing version)
28. (32) Foster & Allen A Bunch of Thyme
30. (19) Adam & The Ants Deutscher Girls
32. (25) ABBA Head Over Heels
33. (NE) Bucks Fizz My Camera Never Lies
35. (NE) Dollar Give Me Back My Heart
36. (NE) Status Quo Dear John
37. (54) Bill Wyman A New Fashion
38. (74) Barbra Streisand Memory
39. (20) The Jam Town Called Malice/Precious
40. (24) Soft Cell Say Hello Wave Goodbye
I remember nearly all this T40!
Post by Chris Brown
41. (NE) Altered Images See Those Eyes
44. (66) The Boomtown Rats House On Fire
THe first single I ever bought!
Post by Chris Brown
45. (70) Dexys Midnight Runners The Celtic Soul Brothers
48. (56) Mike Oldfield Five Miles Out
49. (27) Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Maid Of Orleans (The
Waltz Joan Of Arc)
51. (50) Blue Rondo A La Turk Klactoveesedstein
57. (NE) Shalamar I Can Make You Feel Good
58. (28) Daryl Hall & John Oates I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
60. (NE) Elton John Blue Eyes
63. (34) Mike Post And Larry Carlton Theme From "Hill Street Blues"
66. (NE) A Flock Of Seagulls I Ran
68. (39) The Stranglers Golden Brown
72. (NE) Mobiles Amour Amour
73. (47) George Benson Never Give Up On A Good Thing
74. (NE) XTC Ball And Chain
I think this is the most I remember from any chart!
--
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham
Chris Brown
2021-03-28 21:50:53 UTC
Permalink
Post by Vidcapper
Post by Chris Brown
Chart dated: 27th March 1982
1.    (2) Goombay Dance Band    Seven Tears
2.    (1) Tight Fit    The Lion Sleeps Tonight
4.    (8) Imagination    Just An Illusion
5.    (3) Toni Basil    Mickey
6.    (6) ABC    Poison Arrow
7.   (16) Derek And The Dominoes    Layla {1982 reissue}
8.   (10) Adrian Gurvitz    Classic
9.   (15) Associates    Party Fears Two
10.   (4) Haircut 100    Love Plus One
11.   (7) Bow Wow Wow    Go Wild In The Country
12.   (5) Fun Boy Three And Bananarama    It Ain't What You Do It's The
Way That You Do It
13.  (11) Depeche Mode    See You
14.  (31) Chas & Dave    Ain't No Pleasing You
15.  (13) Iron Maiden    Run To The Hills
17.   (9) The J. Geils Band    Centerfold
18.  (23) Visage    The Damned Don't Cry
19.  (21) Gary Numan    Music For Chameleons
20.  (14) Madness    Cardiac Arrest
22.  (26) Pluto    Your Honour
23.  (36) Classix Nouveaux    Is It A Dream?
25.  (18) Robert Palmer    Some Guys Have All The Luck
27.  (37) Elvis Presley    Are You Lonesome Tonight (Laughing version)
28.  (32) Foster & Allen    A Bunch of Thyme
30.  (19) Adam & The Ants    Deutscher Girls
32.  (25) ABBA    Head Over Heels
33.  (NE) Bucks Fizz    My Camera Never Lies
35.  (NE) Dollar    Give Me Back My Heart
36.  (NE) Status Quo    Dear John
37.  (54) Bill Wyman    A New Fashion
38.  (74) Barbra Streisand    Memory
39.  (20) The Jam    Town Called Malice/Precious
40.  (24) Soft Cell    Say Hello Wave Goodbye
I remember nearly all this T40!
Post by Chris Brown
41.  (NE) Altered Images    See Those Eyes
44.  (66) The Boomtown Rats    House On Fire
THe first single I ever bought!
Post by Chris Brown
45.  (70) Dexys Midnight Runners    The Celtic Soul Brothers
48.  (56) Mike Oldfield    Five Miles Out
49.  (27) Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark    Maid Of Orleans (The
Waltz Joan Of Arc)
51.  (50) Blue Rondo A La Turk    Klactoveesedstein
57.  (NE) Shalamar    I Can Make You Feel Good
58.  (28) Daryl Hall & John Oates    I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
60.  (NE) Elton John    Blue Eyes
63.  (34) Mike Post And Larry Carlton    Theme From "Hill Street Blues"
66.  (NE) A Flock Of Seagulls    I Ran
68.  (39) The Stranglers    Golden Brown
72.  (NE) Mobiles    Amour Amour
73.  (47) George Benson    Never Give Up On A Good Thing
74.  (NE) XTC    Ball And Chain
I think this is the most I remember from any chart!
Even some pretty obscure ones there, well done.


Hardly seems necessary to list the songs with other versions but that's
never stopped me before.

2. (1) Tight Fit The Lion Sleeps Tonight
3. (12) Julio Iglesias Quiereme Mucho (Yours)
4. (8) Imagination Just An Illusion {sampled on Get Your Number by
Mariah Carey}
5. (3) Toni Basil Mickey {gender-switched cover of a Racey song}
24. (17) Starsound Stars On 45 III (Stars On Stevie)
25. (18) Robert Palmer Some Guys Have All The Luck {one of several
covers of this song, but apparently he initially thought he'd written it
himself}
27. (37) Elvis Presley Are You Lonesome Tonight (Laughing version)
34. (22) The Jets Love Makes The World Go Round
38. (74) Barbra Streisand Memory
40. (24) Soft Cell Say Hello Wave Goodbye
52. (NE) Tygers Of Pan Tang Love Potion Number 9
56. (38) D Train You're The One For Me {sampled several times}
57. (NE) Shalamar I Can Make You Feel Good
58. (28) Daryl Hall & John Oates I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
{sampled on at least four subsequent hits}
68. (39) The Stranglers Golden Brown
Mark Goodge
2021-04-11 20:32:28 UTC
Permalink
Post by Chris Brown
Going fully populist this week with a chart from a year that some call
the greatest ever for pop.
I'm not entirely sure I'd agree with that, although it probably is one
of the best vintages. If it is the greatest ever, though, then this
chart doesn't really do it justice.
Post by Chris Brown
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0e4vpzDCIpqcrWU6qYFwmP?si=LooJAVC5R3KS_fBCLVI9AA
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdiUvgvgpgNrstKDlVCrAE9MCifFwsKOE
Chart dated: 27th March 1982
This is very much from my era, so I remember most of these very well.
Although, in some cases, I wish I didn't.

I've seen four acts in this chart play live. One of those gigs was the
one that I consider my all-time favourite. And another is probably the
second or third.
Post by Chris Brown
1. (2) Goombay Dance Band Seven Tears
This, for example, is not what you might expect if you'd been told you
were going to hear a chart from the greatest year of popular music ever.
It's not a hugely bad song (although I found it irritating at the time,
and still do). But it does seem a bit out of place in an early 80s
chart.
Post by Chris Brown
2. (1) Tight Fit The Lion Sleeps Tonight
This is very 80s, but also rather irritating. Not least because the lion
does not, in fact, sleep in the jungle. Lions are animals of the plains
and savannahs. The tiger, on the other hand, does sleep in mighty
jungle. But that probably doesn't scan quite so well.
Post by Chris Brown
3. (12) Julio Iglesias Quiereme Mucho (Yours)
And another one that's about a decade too late to be appropriate.
Post by Chris Brown
4. (8) Imagination Just An Illusion
And another one that's incredibly irritating. I hated this at the time.
I still do.
Post by Chris Brown
5. (3) Toni Basil Mickey
This irrirated me a lot at the time, too. But in this case I've warmed
to a bit since. Only a bit, though.
Post by Chris Brown
6. (6) ABC Poison Arrow
This, on the other hand, is an absolute classic. Great song at the time,
and still a great song.
Post by Chris Brown
7. (16) Derek And The Dominoes Layla {1982 reissue}
Great song, but of course it's not native to this chart.
Post by Chris Brown
8. (10) Adrian Gurvitz Classic
This could have been a good song - a classic, even - if only the
composer had resisted the urge to stuff it full of really forced rhymes.
Some of them might have worked, if used sparingly. But, unfortunately,
no such restraint was shown. And hence this is not, in any possible
sense of the word, a classic, unless you consider it a classic example
of really bad lyric writing.
Post by Chris Brown
9. (15) Associates Party Fears Two
Good song. Very much of its time, though.
Post by Chris Brown
10. (4) Haircut 100 Love Plus One
Not their best song.
Post by Chris Brown
11. (7) Bow Wow Wow Go Wild In The Country
Probably their best song. The sleeve image was somewhat controversial at
the time, and you probably wouldn't get away with it at all now.
Post by Chris Brown
12. (5) Fun Boy Three And Bananarama It Ain't What You Do It's The Way
That You Do It
Rather bland cover.
Post by Chris Brown
13. (11) Depeche Mode See You
Not one of their best remembered songs now, but a pretty good one
nonetheless.
Post by Chris Brown
14. (31) Chas & Dave Ain't No Pleasing You
Most of this chart ain't pleasing me, to be honest. Although this is
tolerable enough.
Post by Chris Brown
15. (13) Iron Maiden Run To The Hills
Back in the days when old metal could still chart.
Post by Chris Brown
16. (42) Japan Ghosts
Their most successful single, although not, in my opinion, their best.
Still a great song, though.
Post by Chris Brown
17. (9) The J. Geils Band Centerfold
Quite an amusing ditty.
Post by Chris Brown
18. (23) Visage The Damned Don't Cry
They were beginning to sound the same, by now.
Post by Chris Brown
19. (21) Gary Numan Music For Chameleons
And this sounds like an attempt to sound like Japan.
Post by Chris Brown
20. (14) Madness Cardiac Arrest
An unusually serious subject for a Madness song, but treated with their
usual nuttiness. Rather odd, really.
Post by Chris Brown
21. (35) Leo Sayer Have You Ever Been In Love
Bland
Post by Chris Brown
22. (26) Pluto Your Honour
Planets feature quite a lot in both band and song titles, but this is
one of the less common. The least common, in fact, with the exception of
one planet that has never featured in a chart song or artist name. Bet
you can't guess what that is.
Post by Chris Brown
23. (36) Classix Nouveaux Is It A Dream?
Good song. One of my favourites at the time.
Post by Chris Brown
24. (17) Starsound Stars On 45 III (Stars On Stevie)
They're pretty much milked the cash cow dry by the time of this one.
Post by Chris Brown
25. (18) Robert Palmer Some Guys Have All The Luck
Good song.
Post by Chris Brown
26. (29) The Nolans Don't Love Me Too Hard
Meh.
Post by Chris Brown
27. (37) Elvis Presley Are You Lonesome Tonight (Laughing version)
Absolutely dire.
Post by Chris Brown
28. (32) Foster & Allen A Bunch of Thyme
Back in the day when non-ironic folk music could chart. Although the
lyrics, despite being traditional, are a little subversive. I'm not
entirely sure you could get away with warning a lady to look after her
garden in other musical contexts.
Post by Chris Brown
29. (30) Kool And The Gang Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)
Bland.
Post by Chris Brown
30. (19) Adam & The Ants Deutscher Girls
A re-release of an early single, in an attempt to cash in on their
success with Kings of the Wild Frontier. It's an OK song, but you can
see why this incarnation of the Ants wasn't really successful.
Post by Chris Brown
31. (33) David Bowie In Bertolt Brecht's Baal
[Baal's Hymn; Remembering Marie A.; Ballad Of The Adventurers; The
Drowned Girl; The Dirty Song]
A slightly odd choice to release as an EP, given that this was
essentially just the soundtrack to a BBC production of the eponymous
play and Bowie was merely singing existing songs, with no creative
input. But, on the other hand, it was another opportunity to cash in on
his resurgent fame following Scary Monsters, along with every other
cash-in release which filled the gap until Let's Dance came along.
Post by Chris Brown
32. (25) ABBA Head Over Heels
Their first single to miss the top ten for a decade. Which is entrely
understandable, because it's pants. Not that they lasted much longer,
anyway.
Post by Chris Brown
33. (NE) Bucks Fizz My Camera Never Lies
A slightly more sopisticated, and darker, sound than their previous
singles. A new entry in this chart, it was to be their last number one.
Post by Chris Brown
34. (22) The Jets Love Makes The World Go Round
Meh.
Post by Chris Brown
35. (NE) Dollar Give Me Back My Heart
B;and and boring.
Post by Chris Brown
36. (NE) Status Quo Dear John
Milk that formula, baby, milk it.
Post by Chris Brown
37. (54) Bill Wyman A New Fashion
Slightly strange song.
Post by Chris Brown
38. (74) Barbra Streisand Memory
Maiow.

Not a typical chart song, of course, but it is a very good one. This
kind of sub-operatic showstopper is what Andrew Lloyd Webber does best,
and this was from probably his most successful era.
Post by Chris Brown
39. (20) The Jam Town Called Malice/Precious
Great song. Probably their best. The first few bars, before the vocal
kicks in, are one the best pop song intros ever. And the rest of the
song is pretty good, too!
Post by Chris Brown
40. (24) Soft Cell Say Hello Wave Goodbye
It's possibly an unpopular opinion, but I think this is their best song.
Post by Chris Brown
49. (27) Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz
Joan Of Arc)
And, possibly not so controversially, I think this is their best, too.
Post by Chris Brown
68. (39) The Stranglers Golden Brown
And this is definitely their best, although we're well into the tail end
of the chart with the lingering fallers here. Nonetheless, it's worth
noting, if only in passing. I've mentioned before how I really like the
way it sticks a 4/4 bar in an otherwise 3/4 song, which really gives it
its distinctive feel.

One of the things I want to do, when lockdown is finally over and we can
do things again, is visit Leighton House Museum where part of the video
for this song was filmed. I want to see if any of it is recognisable
from having seen the video.

Mark
Chris Brown
2021-04-11 23:15:24 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
Going fully populist this week with a chart from a year that some call
the greatest ever for pop.
I'm not entirely sure I'd agree with that, although it probably is one
of the best vintages.
It's definitely the case that people say that, but I presume that wasn't
what you were disagreeing with.
Post by Mark Goodge
If it is the greatest ever, though, then this
chart doesn't really do it justice.
Yeah, I don't think I've seen anyone name this specific week, but I have
seen people claim the chart a couple of weeks later.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0e4vpzDCIpqcrWU6qYFwmP?si=LooJAVC5R3KS_fBCLVI9AA
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdiUvgvgpgNrstKDlVCrAE9MCifFwsKOE
Chart dated: 27th March 1982
This is very much from my era, so I remember most of these very well.
Although, in some cases, I wish I didn't.
I've seen four acts in this chart play live. One of those gigs was the
one that I consider my all-time favourite. And another is probably the
second or third.
And U2 aren't even there.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
1. (2) Goombay Dance Band Seven Tears
This, for example, is not what you might expect if you'd been told you
were going to hear a chart from the greatest year of popular music ever.
It's not a hugely bad song (although I found it irritating at the time,
and still do). But it does seem a bit out of place in an early 80s
chart.
I think this can be a problem with the way some people talk about music,
because you're right that this doesn't fit the accepted trends of 1982.
But as those of us alive at the time will remember this sort of music
didn't stop becoming popular just because New Romantics existed so it
does fit my actual memories of the time. Even though I don't much
remember this specific song.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
2. (1) Tight Fit The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Whereas I do remember this. In fairness it was more child-friendly, at
least in this version.
Post by Mark Goodge
This is very 80s, but also rather irritating. Not least because the lion
does not, in fact, sleep in the jungle. Lions are animals of the plains
and savannahs.
Yeah, but they're cats so if you took them to a jungle they probably
would sleep to be fair.
Post by Mark Goodge
The tiger, on the other hand, does sleep in mighty
jungle. But that probably doesn't scan quite so well.
It would *scan* just as well but you're right it doesn't sound as good.

Of course the best pop fact about this is that it doesn't feature any of
the actual members of Tight Fit but does feature Tim-Friese-Greene,
long-serving producer and co-writer of Talk Talk most avant-garde work.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
3. (12) Julio Iglesias Quiereme Mucho (Yours)
And another one that's about a decade too late to be appropriate.
That disco beat is only about five years out of date surely?
Seriously this is another track that sort of fits my memories of the
era, I guess because more and more people were going on foreign
holidays. My aunt (who would have been in her mid-20s at this point)
definitely had some Julio Iglesias tapes.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
4. (8) Imagination Just An Illusion
And another one that's incredibly irritating. I hated this at the time.
I still do.
I found it really weird, but I grew to like it.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
5. (3) Toni Basil Mickey
This irrirated me a lot at the time, too. But in this case I've warmed
to a bit since. Only a bit, though.
Again, as a child it suited me. Then I went off it as I grew up, then I
kind of understood it more later.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
6. (6) ABC Poison Arrow
This, on the other hand, is an absolute classic. Great song at the time,
and still a great song.
Very much a song that is in the vogue of its time.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
7. (16) Derek And The Dominoes Layla {1982 reissue}
Great song, but of course it's not native to this chart.
I think it might have been one of the last chances to get the shorter edit.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
8. (10) Adrian Gurvitz Classic
This could have been a good song - a classic, even - if only the
composer had resisted the urge to stuff it full of really forced rhymes.
Some of them might have worked, if used sparingly. But, unfortunately,
no such restraint was shown. And hence this is not, in any possible
sense of the word, a classic, unless you consider it a classic example
of really bad lyric writing.
I think that's exactly what it is, probably the only reason anyone
remembers it now.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
9. (15) Associates Party Fears Two
Good song. Very much of its time, though.
This is possibly the most 1982 track because it's so hard to envisage it
as a big hit at any other time, and indeed they had no Top 40 hits
outside that year.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
10. (4) Haircut 100 Love Plus One
Not their best song.
I tend to agree but it seemed to be their biggest one.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
11. (7) Bow Wow Wow Go Wild In The Country
Probably their best song. The sleeve image was somewhat controversial at
the time, and you probably wouldn't get away with it at all now.
Almost from a different angle.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
12. (5) Fun Boy Three And Bananarama It Ain't What You Do It's The Way
That You Do It
Rather bland cover.
Must have been distinctive at the time.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
13. (11) Depeche Mode See You
Not one of their best remembered songs now, but a pretty good one
nonetheless.
I suppose it's relatively light by their standards.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
14. (31) Chas & Dave Ain't No Pleasing You
Most of this chart ain't pleasing me, to be honest. Although this is
tolerable enough.
I actually think this is one of the best songs in the chart.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
15. (13) Iron Maiden Run To The Hills
Back in the days when old metal could still chart.
Which reminds me that when the NME reviewed the 2002 reissue, it claimed
that the best thing about Nu Metal was that it wasn't Old metal.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
16. (42) Japan Ghosts
Their most successful single, although not, in my opinion, their best.
Still a great song, though.
Very much not an obvious hit. I presume this was the week after they
were on TotP.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
17. (9) The J. Geils Band Centerfold
Quite an amusing ditty.
Well it has a punchline.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
18. (23) Visage The Damned Don't Cry
They were beginning to sound the same, by now.
Though not the same as The Damned.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
19. (21) Gary Numan Music For Chameleons
And this sounds like an attempt to sound like Japan.
Hadn't particularly occurred to me before, possibly because I associate
it with that Alan Partridge bit.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
20. (14) Madness Cardiac Arrest
An unusually serious subject for a Madness song, but treated with their
usual nuttiness. Rather odd, really.
And presumably the reason that 14 was its peak, interrupting an
otherwise impressive run of Top 10 hits.
Perhaps they should have made it a double A-side with 'In The City'.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
21. (35) Leo Sayer Have You Ever Been In Love
Bland
Of course.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
22. (26) Pluto Your Honour
Planets feature quite a lot in both band and song titles, but this is
one of the less common.
Skipping any debate over whether it was in fact a planet.
Post by Mark Goodge
The least common, in fact, with the exception of
one planet that has never featured in a chart song or artist name. Bet
you can't guess what that is.
I presume you're only counting planets in our solar system?
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
23. (36) Classix Nouveaux Is It A Dream?
Good song. One of my favourites at the time.
Ironically, I only like the bit where he says "satis-FACTION".
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
24. (17) Starsound Stars On 45 III (Stars On Stevie)
They're pretty much milked the cash cow dry by the time of this one.
You'd think.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
25. (18) Robert Palmer Some Guys Have All The Luck
Good song.
Do you think this is the best version though?
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
26. (29) The Nolans Don't Love Me Too Hard
Meh.
Dodgy title.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
27. (37) Elvis Presley Are You Lonesome Tonight (Laughing version)
Absolutely dire.
I suppose there's something quite cool about the fact that this comes
out posthumously, in some contrast to a lot of the more sentimental
Elvis tributes.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
28. (32) Foster & Allen A Bunch of Thyme
Back in the day when non-ironic folk music could chart. Although the
lyrics, despite being traditional, are a little subversive. I'm not
entirely sure you could get away with warning a lady to look after her
garden in other musical contexts.
Oooh, pardon!

Of course it's actually pretty standard for folk music to be like that,
but a lot of that got smoothed out in the recording era.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
29. (30) Kool And The Gang Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)
Bland.
Even the title looks like it's from an automated Kool & The Gang generator.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
30. (19) Adam & The Ants Deutscher Girls
A re-release of an early single, in an attempt to cash in on their
success with Kings of the Wild Frontier.
One of several, due to the multiple labels who owned bits of their
catalogue.
Post by Mark Goodge
It's an OK song, but you can
see why this incarnation of the Ants wasn't really successful.
Even the famous version took a while (and consequently wasn't big for
that long).
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
31. (33) David Bowie In Bertolt Brecht's Baal
[Baal's Hymn; Remembering Marie A.; Ballad Of The Adventurers; The
Drowned Girl; The Dirty Song]
A slightly odd choice to release as an EP, given that this was
essentially just the soundtrack to a BBC production of the eponymous
play and Bowie was merely singing existing songs, with no creative
input.
The really odd part was that the released EP was specially recorded -
the last time he worked with Tony Visconti for almost 20 years, as it
turned out - rather than the TV soundtrack.
Post by Mark Goodge
But, on the other hand, it was another opportunity to cash in on
his resurgent fame following Scary Monsters, along with every other
cash-in release which filled the gap until Let's Dance came along.
Bowie obviously chose to do this, which is indeed not the most obvious
commercial decision.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
32. (25) ABBA Head Over Heels
Their first single to miss the top ten for a decade. Which is entrely
understandable, because it's pants. Not that they lasted much longer,
anyway.
I've already forgotten it in the last couple of weeks.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
33. (NE) Bucks Fizz My Camera Never Lies
A slightly more sopisticated, and darker, sound than their previous
singles. A new entry in this chart, it was to be their last number one.
Probably their least remembered to, unfairly.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
35. (NE) Dollar Give Me Back My Heart
B;and and boring.
Dollar made some interesting records - well, Trevor Horn made some
interesting records that Dollar did vocals on - but this isn't one of them.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
36. (NE) Status Quo Dear John
Milk that formula, baby, milk it.
Only 15 years in at this point.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
37. (54) Bill Wyman A New Fashion
Slightly strange song.
I mean, Bill Wyman having a solo career is already pretty strange.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
38. (74) Barbra Streisand Memory
Maiow.
Not a typical chart song, of course, but it is a very good one. This
kind of sub-operatic showstopper is what Andrew Lloyd Webber does best,
and this was from probably his most successful era.
She never actually did Cats though did she? Just recorded this as itself.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
39. (20) The Jam Town Called Malice/Precious
Great song. Probably their best. The first few bars, before the vocal
kicks in, are one the best pop song intros ever. And the rest of the
song is pretty good, too!
I presume you're referring to the first song here. Which is probably the
less contemporary one at the time, but the more popular in retrospect.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
40. (24) Soft Cell Say Hello Wave Goodbye
It's possibly an unpopular opinion, but I think this is their best song.
I think it's a pretty popular opinion that it's their best original
song. Although I think I slightly prefer 'Torch'.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
49. (27) Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz
Joan Of Arc)
And, possibly not so controversially, I think this is their best, too.
It's certainly not their most famous one.

Chris
Mark Goodge
2021-04-12 13:08:16 UTC
Permalink
Post by Chris Brown
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
Chart dated: 27th March 1982
This is very much from my era, so I remember most of these very well.
Although, in some cases, I wish I didn't.
I've seen four acts in this chart play live. One of those gigs was the
one that I consider my all-time favourite. And another is probably the
second or third.
And U2 aren't even there.
No, but Bowie and Japan are.
Post by Chris Brown
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
22. (26) Pluto Your Honour
Planets feature quite a lot in both band and song titles, but this is
one of the less common.
Skipping any debate over whether it was in fact a planet.
Post by Mark Goodge
The least common, in fact, with the exception of
one planet that has never featured in a chart song or artist name. Bet
you can't guess what that is.
I presume you're only counting planets in our solar system?
Yes. I'm sure there are loads elsewhere that have never occurred in a
chart song or artist title. Especially if you include the names that
their own residents have for them.
Post by Chris Brown
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
27. (37) Elvis Presley Are You Lonesome Tonight (Laughing version)
Absolutely dire.
I suppose there's something quite cool about the fact that this comes
out posthumously, in some contrast to a lot of the more sentimental
Elvis tributes.
These days they wouldn't bother, they'd just let it go viral on Youtube
and social media.
Post by Chris Brown
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
31. (33) David Bowie In Bertolt Brecht's Baal
[Baal's Hymn; Remembering Marie A.; Ballad Of The Adventurers; The
Drowned Girl; The Dirty Song]
A slightly odd choice to release as an EP, given that this was
essentially just the soundtrack to a BBC production of the eponymous
play and Bowie was merely singing existing songs, with no creative
input.
The really odd part was that the released EP was specially recorded -
the last time he worked with Tony Visconti for almost 20 years, as it
turned out - rather than the TV soundtrack.
Post by Mark Goodge
But, on the other hand, it was another opportunity to cash in on
his resurgent fame following Scary Monsters, along with every other
cash-in release which filled the gap until Let's Dance came along.
Bowie obviously chose to do this, which is indeed not the most obvious
commercial decision.
I don't think he particularly needed to be commercial, though, at that
stage in his career.
Post by Chris Brown
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
33. (NE) Bucks Fizz My Camera Never Lies
A slightly more sopisticated, and darker, sound than their previous
singles. A new entry in this chart, it was to be their last number one.
Probably their least remembered to, unfairly.
Yeah, it's plausible that they could have matured as a band and
progressed a bit from their Europop origins, and this single might have
been a sign of what was to come. But it never really happened.
Post by Chris Brown
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
38. (74) Barbra Streisand Memory
Maiow.
Not a typical chart song, of course, but it is a very good one. This
kind of sub-operatic showstopper is what Andrew Lloyd Webber does best,
and this was from probably his most successful era.
She never actually did Cats though did she? Just recorded this as itself.
Yes; this was a cover version. recorded as a bonus new track on a
compilation album. The album itself was called "Memories", and a lot of
people think this song is, too.

The original West End cast recording version is by Elaine Paige.
Post by Chris Brown
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
40. (24) Soft Cell Say Hello Wave Goodbye
It's possibly an unpopular opinion, but I think this is their best song.
I think it's a pretty popular opinion that it's their best original
song. Although I think I slightly prefer 'Torch'.
Their original songs (or, at least, the ones that charted) all retain
more of a "sense of era" about them for me than 'Tainted Love', mainly
because the latter is such a commonly played gold format track that it's
somewhat lost its association with the time I first heard it.
Post by Chris Brown
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
49. (27) Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz
Joan Of Arc)
And, possibly not so controversially, I think this is their best, too.
It's certainly not their most famous one.
No, but I think this section of their career was their most creative.

Mark
Chris Brown
2021-04-20 22:15:03 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
Chart dated: 27th March 1982
This is very much from my era, so I remember most of these very well.
Although, in some cases, I wish I didn't.
I've seen four acts in
Post by Chris Brown
22. (26) Pluto Your Honour
Planets feature quite a lot in both band and song titles, but this is
one of the less common.
Skipping any debate over whether it was in fact a planet.
Post by Mark Goodge
The least common, in fact, with the exception of
one planet that has never featured in a chart song or artist name. Bet
you can't guess what that is.
I presume you're only counting planets in our solar system?
Yes. I'm sure there are loads elsewhere that have never occurred in a
chart song or artist title. Especially if you include the names that
their own residents have for them.
I presume the actual answer is Uranus, although that of course is in a charting album title.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
27. (37) Elvis Presley Are You Lonesome Tonight (Laughing version)
Absolutely dire.
I suppose there's something quite cool about the fact that this comes
out posthumously, in some contrast to a lot of the more sentimental
Elvis tributes.
These days they wouldn't bother, they'd just let it go viral on Youtube
and social media.
These days they’d release anything with his name on it though.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
31. (33) David Bowie In Bertolt Brecht's Baal
[Baal's Hymn; Remembering Marie A.; Ballad Of The Adventurers; The
Drowned Girl; The Dirty Song]
A slightly odd choice to release as an EP, given that this was
essentially just the soundtrack to a BBC production of the eponymous
play and Bowie was merely singing existing songs, with no creative
input.
The really odd part was that the released EP was specially recorded -
the last time he worked with Tony Visconti for almost 20 years, as it
turned out - rather than the TV soundtrack.
Post by Mark Goodge
But, on the other hand, it was another opportunity to cash in on
his resurgent fame following Scary Monsters, along with every other
cash-in release which filled the gap until Let's Dance came along.
Bowie obviously chose to do this, which is indeed not the most obvious
commercial decision.
I don't think he particularly needed to be commercial, though, at that
stage in his career.
The context is interesting because on the one hand he’s touting for a new record deal (Scary Monsters was the end of his RCA deal) but on the other hand he’s still having to pay his ex-manager a percentage of all earnings until later in 1982, so he has an incentive to hold back anything really lucrative.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
33. (NE) Bucks Fizz My Camera Never Lies
A slightly more sopisticated, and darker, sound than their previous
singles. A new entry in this chart, it was to be their last number one.
Probably their least remembered too, unfairly.
Yeah, it's plausible that they could have matured as a band and
progressed a bit from their Europop origins, and this single might have
been a sign of what was to come. But it never really happened.
I think they did stick with this style but they were never this popular again.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
38. (74) Barbra Streisand Memory
Maiow.
Not a typical chart song, of course, but it is a very good one. This
kind of sub-operatic showstopper is what Andrew Lloyd Webber does best,
and this was from probably his most successful era.
She never actually did Cats though did she? Just recorded this as itself.
Yes; this was a cover version. recorded as a bonus new track on a
compilation album. The album itself was called "Memories", and a lot of
people think this song is, too.
To be fair that’s unnecessarily confusing.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
40. (24) Soft Cell Say Hello Wave Goodbye
It's possibly an unpopular opinion, but I think this is their best song.
I think it's a pretty popular opinion that it's their best original
song. Although I think I slightly prefer 'Torch'.
Their original songs (or, at least, the ones that charted) all retain
more of a "sense of era" about them for me than 'Tainted Love', mainly
because the latter is such a commonly played gold format track that it's
somewhat lost its association with the time I first heard it.
You can probably even extend that to their other hit cover versions.
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
Post by Mark Goodge
Post by Chris Brown
49. (27) Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz
Joan Of Arc)
And, possibly not so controversially, I think this is their best, too.
It's certainly not their most famous one.
No, but I think this section of their career was their most creative.
I think I’d agree about that, although my personal favourite is Messages.

Chris

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