35 years ago, if you think 35th anniversaries are a thing.
Even though it's January there are some big songs in the Top 10, though
one seems a lot less famous now than the others. Mind you there's a song
lower down this chart that was Number One a few weeks ago.

Also a low entry for a song that ended up being very big and a few
people charting twice. Plus a singer who is (apparently coincidentally)
singing a song with the same title as one written by his father.

Playlists are here. I've left in the Christmas songs by I'll understand
if you skip them.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7yAKCvw6kPNf0lLJ298H4Z?si=KGMBBCulR9Ksk5xQ0gmFtQ
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdiUvgvgpgNpm-Ys3rgxy78Clzzm_YmyH

Chart dated 18 January 1986

1. (1) Pet Shop Boys West End Girls
2. (5) A-Ha The Sun Always Shines On TV
3. (4) Bronski Beat Hit That Perfect Beat
4. (30) Dire Straits Walk Of Life
5. (26) Feargal Sharkey You Little Thief
6. (10) Cherrelle with Alexander O'Neal Saturday Love
7. (7) Sophia George Girlie Girlie
8. (31) Mr Mister Broken Wings
9. (2) Whitney Houston Saving All My Love For You
10. (27) Full Force Alice, I Want You Just For Me!
11. (25) Aretha Franklin Who's Zoomin' Who
12. (20) Sting Russians
13. (39) Eurythmics It's All Right (Baby's Coming Back)
14. (23) Jennifer Rush Ring Of Ice
15. (21) Level 42 Leaving Me Now
16. (12) Elton John Wrap Her Up
17. (35) Fine Young Cannibals Suspicious Minds
18. (8) Aled Jones Walking In The Air
19. (11) Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin Separate Lives
20. (3) Shakin Stevens Merry Christmas Everyone
21. (6) Madonna Dress You Up
22. (42) Five Star System Addict
23. (34) King Torture
24. (15) Starship We Built This City
25. (59) Nana Mouskouri Only Love
26. (18) Paul McCartney Spies Like Us
27. (9) Wham! I'm Your Man
28. (17) Amazulu Don't You Just Know It
29. (NE) The Alarm Spirit Of '76
30. (29) Princess After The Love Has Gone
31. (19) Go West Don't Look Down (The Sequel)
32. (64) Sarah Brightman & Steve Harley The Phantom of The Opera
33. (16) Dee C Lee See The Day
34. (NE) AC/DC Shake Your Foundations
35. (33) Jennifer Rush The Power of Love
36. (14) Wham! Christmas '85
[Last Christmas; Blue (Armed With Love) live in China]
37. (22) Lionel Richie Say You, Say Me
38. (32) A-Ha Take On Me
39. (24) Feargal Sharkey A Good Heart
40. (NE) Grace Jones Pull Up To The Bumper/La Vie En Rose

41. (NE) Talk Talk Life's What You Make It
42. (28) Cameo She's Strange {1985 re-issue}
43. (50) Billy Bragg Days Like These
44. (52) Nicole With Timmy Thomas New York Eyes
45. (NE) Lloyd Cole & the Commotions Cut Me Down
46. (NE) Belouis Some Imagination {1986 reissue}
47. (13) Band Aid Do They Know It's Christmas?
48. (36) The Concept Mr DJ
49. (57) Sade Is It A Crime
50. (NE) Twisted Sister Leader Of The Pack
51. (45) Julian Lennon Because
52. (60) 52nd Street You're My Last Chance
53. (62) Yarbrough & Peoples Guilty
54. (72) Masquerade One Nation
55. (48) Inspirational Choir Abide With Me {1985 reissue}
56. (37) Talking Heads Road To Nowhere
57. (98) Ray Parker Jr Girls Are More Fun
58. (84) Kurtis Blow If I Ruled The World
59. (81) ABC Ocean Blue
60. (38) Doug E. Fresh And The Get Fresh Crew The Show
61. (73) John Anderson Big Band Glenn Miller Medley
62. (55) Marc Almond The House Is Haunted
63. (40) UB40 Don't Break My Heart
64. (41) David Grant & Jaki Graham Mated
65. (44) Iron Maiden Run To The Hills (Live)
66. (NE) Suzanne Vega Small Blue Thing
67. (66) Eric Clapton ft Michael Kamen Edge Of Darkness
68. (82) John Parr Naughty Naughty
69. (49) Dire Straits Brothers In Arms
70. (53) Mike Oldfield and Aled Jones Pictures In The Dark
71. (43) Paul McCartney with the Frog Chorus We All Stand Together
72. (76) Snowy White For You
73. (63) Colonel Abrams Trapped
74. (51) Queen One Vision
75. (RE) Latin Quarter Radio Africa
76. (74) Simple Minds Alive And Kicking
77. (NE) Morris Day The Oak Tree
78. (NE) Sugarhill Gang/Positive Force Rapper's Delight/We Got The Funk
79. (NE) Jocelyn Brown Love's Gonna Get You
80. (RE) Dionne Warwick & Friends That's What Friends Are For
81. (67) Cliff Richard It's In Every One Of Us
82. (NE) Aleem Get Loose
83. (80) Amii Stewart & Deon Estus My Guy-My Girl (Medley)
84. (NE) Drum Theatre Living In The Past
85. (NE) Robert Palmer Riptide
86. (NE) Zapp It Doesn't Really Matter
87. (RE) Precious Wilson I'll Be Your Friend
88. (96) Barbra Streisand Somewhere
89. (NE) Cactus World News Years Later
90. (83) DSM Warrior Groove
91. (NE) Diana Ross Chain Reaction
92. (NE) Audrey Hall One Dance Won't Do
93. (NE) Teddy Pendergrass with Whitney Houston Hold Me
94. (RE) The Cars Tonight She Comes
95. (RE) Arcadia Election Day
96. (NE) John Cougar Mellencamp Small Town
96. (NE) Starpoint Object Of My Desire
98. (NE) Doug E. Fresh And The Get Fresh Crew Just Havin' Fun
99. (89) Huey Lewis & The News The Heart And Soul EP
[Heart And Soul; Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do; Heart Of Rock And
Roll; Buzz Buzz Buzz]
100.(RE) Phil Lynott Nineteen

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 17/01/2021 17:14, Chris Brown wrote:

Chart dated 18 January 1986

1. (1) Pet Shop Boys West End Girls

4. (30) Dire Straits Walk Of Life

9. (2) Whitney Houston Saving All My Love For You

13. (39) Eurythmics It's All Right (Baby's Coming Back)

18. (8) Aled Jones Walking In The Air

20. (3) Shakin Stevens Merry Christmas Everyone

35. (33) Jennifer Rush The Power of Love

38. (32) A-Ha Take On Me
39. (24) Feargal Sharkey A Good Heart

47. (13) Band Aid Do They Know It's Christmas?

56. (37) Talking Heads Road To Nowhere

65. (44) Iron Maiden Run To The Hills (Live)

69. (49) Dire Straits Brothers In Arms

71. (43) Paul McCartney with the Frog Chorus We All Stand Together

91. (NE) Diana Ross Chain Reaction

This was around when I stopped following the charts closely.


--

Paul Hyett, Cheltenham

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 17/01/2021 17:14, Chris Brown wrote:

35 years ago, if you think 35th anniversaries are a thing.
Even though it's January there are some big songs in the Top 10, though
one seems a lot less famous now than the others. Mind you there's a song lower down this chart that was Number One a few weeks ago.

Also a low entry for a song that ended up being very big and a few
people charting twice. Plus a singer who is (apparently coincidentally) singing a song with the same title as one written by his father.

Playlists are here. I've left in the Christmas songs by I'll understand
if you skip them.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7yAKCvw6kPNf0lLJ298H4Z?si=KGMBBCulR9Ksk5xQ0gmFtQ

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdiUvgvgpgNpm-Ys3rgxy78Clzzm_YmyH

Chart dated 18 January 1986

I've got the top 20 part of this chart on tape. I was going back up to
the north east the following weekend for a wedding and recorded the
Sunday chart (top 20 part) for something to listen to on the train.
Presenter was Richard Skinner who would soon leave Radio 1 for Capital
Radio.

1.   (1) Pet Shop Boys    West End Girls

A hit at the third time of asking. For all the Pet Shop Boys were
popular back then and into the 90s they don't seem to have made the
transition to the digital age in the way some other acts from the 1980s
have.

2.   (5) A-Ha    The Sun Always Shines On TV

Another a-ha record with a distinctive video. Good song.

3.   (4) Bronski Beat    Hit That Perfect Beat

A rare thing for 1986 onwards - I owned all 3 singles in the top 3. By
now my singles buying days were coming to an end. This was the first hit
for Bronski Beat after Jimmy Sommerville had left.

4.  (30) Dire Straits    Walk Of Life

I liked most of the singles from 'Brothers In Arms' but could never
stand this one. This is the one that still seems to get played on oldies stations.

5.  (26) Feargal Sharkey    You Little Thief

The sort of answer song to 'A Good Heart'. Quite a decent track.

6.  (10) Cherrelle with Alexander O'Neal    Saturday Love

4 out of the top 6 I owned. This one always reminds me of late 1985 /
early 1986. A great song that really does take me back when I hear it.
It reminds me of my early days in London (it was being played in heavy
rotation on the LWR pirate radio station when I had just moved south in
October 1985).

7.   (7) Sophia George    Girlie Girlie

Not all reggae music is good... this one was awful.

8.  (31) Mr Mister    Broken Wings

Another that takes me back to January / February 1986. I like this one too.

9.   (2) Whitney Houston    Saving All My Love For You

And another I owned... I had a bit of a strange habit of still buying
singles even though my record player was still in the north east! I was
finding it hard to get out of the habit. It would be another 3 months
before I was able to get the hi-fi and some of my record collection down
to London.

10. (27) Full Force    Alice, I Want You Just For Me!

And guess what - another I owned. Very much of its time but I did like
it then.

11. (25) Aretha Franklin    Who's Zoomin' Who

I was never that keen on this one.

12. (20) Sting    Russians

Nor this though the album isn't too bad.

13. (39) Eurythmics    It's All Right (Baby's Coming Back)

I was never keen on this and feel that the quality of their songs was
going downhill by now.

14. (23) Jennifer Rush    Ring Of Ice

Following up a million selling megahit is never easy. I quite liked this
one but know that some people thought it was a disappointment.

15. (21) Level 42    Leaving Me Now

I prefer the funkier Level 42 rather than this more reflective side of
the band.

16. (12) Elton John    Wrap Her Up

I think this one features George Michael. A bit dull and one which seems
to be largely forgotten these days.

17. (35) Fine Young Cannibals    Suspicious Minds

Unneccesary cover of the Elvis song. I have always found it hard to warm
to Roland Gift's vocal style.

18.  (8) Aled Jones    Walking In The Air

I quite liked this one back then, it reminds me of Christmas.

19. (11) Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin    Separate Lives

1985 was certainly Phil's year with a number 1 single and album and this massive selling single. I can't recall where this one was taken from.

20.  (3) Shakin Stevens    Merry Christmas Everyone

Dropping quickly now. Roll forward 35 years and this seems to be one of
the go-to Christnmas songs.

22. (42) Five Star    System Addict

One of their better songs (along with 'The Slightest Touch' from the
following year.

23. (34) King    Torture

Their last single. King had a very short (one year) chart career but
were quite successful in that time.

29. (NE) The Alarm    Spirit Of '76

It was only 10 years previous back then. Now 1976 is 45 years ago. Yikes!

41. (NE) Talk Talk    Life's What You Make It

An absolute class song which I bought. It still sounds great.

46. (NE) Belouis Some    Imagination {1986 reissue}

Another I owned. In fact I owned quite a few singles in this chart
including the two Wham singles and Band Aid too.

61. (73) John Anderson Big Band    Glenn Miller Medley

The song that inspired 'Swing The Mood' by Jive Bunny & The Nastermixers.

66. (NE) Suzanne Vega    Small Blue Thing

I have this in a live version on the B side of 'Marlene On The Wall'.
It's a great song and I actually prefer the live version.

75. (RE) Latin Quarter    Radio Africa

A favourite of Capital Radio.

78. (NE) Sugarhill Gang/Positive Force    Rapper's Delight/We Got The Funk

I owned the former on 12" and the latter on 7" from 1979/80.

89. (NE) Cactus World News    Years Later

I quite liked Cactus World News and bought the follow-up single 'Worlds
Apart'.

92. (NE) Audrey Hall    One Dance Won't Do

Much better reggae than 'Girlie Girlie'. And another single I owned.

100.(RE) Phil Lynott    Nineteen

He'd just died a week prior to this chart being announced (4 January 1986).

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 19/01/2021 14:17, Robbie wrote:

On 17/01/2021 17:14, Chris Brown wrote:

Playlists are here. I've left in the Christmas songs by I'll
understand if you skip them.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7yAKCvw6kPNf0lLJ298H4Z?si=KGMBBCulR9Ksk5xQ0gmFtQ

Done a bit of fixing to replace the wrong versions of 'Take On Me' and
'See The Day'. Sadly no studio version of 'The Show' withour Dame Dash
talking over it.

Chart dated 18 January 1986

I've got the top 20 part of this chart on tape. I was going back up to
the north east the following weekend for a wedding and recorded the
Sunday chart (top 20 part) for something to listen to on the train.

That seems a world away now. Mind you even train journeys seem a long
time ago now.

Presenter was Richard Skinner who would soon leave Radio 1 for Capital
Radio.

I remember him from Capital but I don't think he got to do the chart there.

1.   (1) Pet Shop Boys    West End Girls

A hit at the third time of asking. For all the Pet Shop Boys were
popular back then and into the 90s they don't seem to have made the transition to the digital age in the way some other acts from the 1980s
have.

They definitely still have their fans and I'm sure they make a decent
living but I don't know how much young people know of them.

2.   (5) A-Ha    The Sun Always Shines On TV

Another a-ha record with a distinctive video. Good song.

It's grown on me over the years.

3.   (4) Bronski Beat    Hit That Perfect Beat

A rare thing for 1986 onwards - I owned all 3 singles in the top 3. By
now my singles buying days were coming to an end. This was the first hit
for Bronski Beat after Jimmy Sommerville had left.

I guess it lacks the social importance of the Somerville era but it's a
catchy song.

4.  (30) Dire Straits    Walk Of Life

I liked most of the singles from 'Brothers In Arms' but could never
stand this one. This is the one that still seems to get played on oldies stations.

I suppose it's logical because it got to Number 2 and it's shorter than 'Private Investigations'. But it's really not much cop as a song.

5.  (26) Feargal Sharkey    You Little Thief

The sort of answer song to 'A Good Heart'. Quite a decent track.

Hard to believe it was one of the Undertones though, of only because of
the production.

6.  (10) Cherrelle with Alexander O'Neal    Saturday Love

4 out of the top 6 I owned. This one always reminds me of late 1985 /
early 1986. A great song that really does take me back when I hear it.
It reminds me of my early days in London (it was being played in heavy rotation on the LWR pirate radio station when I had just moved south in October 1985).

I guess that would have been before it was a big hit. I do like this one.
I bought the album for 10p a couple of years ago and I can't remember a
thing about the rest of it.

7.   (7) Sophia George    Girlie Girlie

Not all reggae music is good... this one was awful.

Blondie's version is worse.

8.  (31) Mr Mister    Broken Wings

Another that takes me back to January / February 1986. I like this one too.

I know this sort of music is more fashionable now, but I still don't
like this one.

9.   (2) Whitney Houston    Saving All My Love For You

And another I owned... I had a bit of a strange habit of still buying
singles even though my record player was still in the north east! I was finding it hard to get out of the habit. It would be another 3 months
before I was able to get the hi-fi and some of my record collection down
to London.

I can understand that, somehow.

10. (27) Full Force    Alice, I Want You Just For Me!

And guess what - another I owned. Very much of its time but I did like
it then.

This seems a lot less remembered than rest of the Top 10, though in
fairness it's a bit less radio friendly.

11. (25) Aretha Franklin    Who's Zoomin' Who

I was never that keen on this one.

Whereas I've always liked it.
Add your own topical joke about the title.

12. (20) Sting    Russians

Nor this though the album isn't too bad.

Very pompous. One of his biggest hits, oddly.

13. (39) Eurythmics    It's All Right (Baby's Coming Back)

I was never keen on this and feel that the quality of their songs was
going downhill by now.

I think it already had, I prefer this to some of the stadium rock ones.

14. (23) Jennifer Rush    Ring Of Ice

Following up a million selling megahit is never easy. I quite liked this
one but know that some people thought it was a disappointment.

I suppose she was doing well to have another hit at all.

15. (21) Level 42    Leaving Me Now

I prefer the funkier Level 42 rather than this more reflective side of
the band.

I think this falls between two stools a bit, it's not really funky but
the arrangement's a bit too "busy" to work as a ballad either.
Perhaps it's intentional?

16. (12) Elton John    Wrap Her Up

I think this one features George Michael.

Yep, he doesn't get official co-credit (for contractual reasons I guess)
but the Guinness book used to footnote his contribution.

A bit dull and one which seems
to be largely forgotten these days.

Six minutes of Elton John and George Michael telling us how much they
like girls. Erm...

17. (35) Fine Young Cannibals    Suspicious Minds

Unneccesary cover of the Elvis song. I have always found it hard to warm
to Roland Gift's vocal style.

I think it has some character but suits some songs more than others.
I presume that's Jimmy Somerville on backing vocals?

18.  (8) Aled Jones    Walking In The Air

I quite liked this one back then, it reminds me of Christmas.

And maybe of Toys "R" Us.

19. (11) Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin    Separate Lives

1985 was certainly Phil's year with a number 1 single and album and this massive selling single. I can't recall where this one was taken from.

I think it's from a film that's much less known than the song.

20.  (3) Shakin Stevens    Merry Christmas Everyone

Dropping quickly now. Roll forward 35 years and this seems to be one of
the go-to Christnmas songs.

Seems to have overtaken Slade.

22. (42) Five Star    System Addict

One of their better songs (along with 'The Slightest Touch' from the following year.

Of its time but in a good way.

23. (34) King    Torture

Their last single. King had a very short (one year) chart career but
were quite successful in that time.

I remember Paul King from his VH1 days.

29. (NE) The Alarm    Spirit Of '76

It was only 10 years previous back then. Now 1976 is 45 years ago. Yikes!

Ironically, it sounds more like Bruce Springsteen who didn't release a
record in 1976.

41. (NE) Talk Talk    Life's What You Make It

An absolute class song which I bought. It still sounds great.

I know their record company didn't get everything right but they deserve
credit for telling the band to write this.

46. (NE) Belouis Some    Imagination {1986 reissue}

Another I owned. In fact I owned quite a few singles in this chart
including the two Wham singles and Band Aid too.

I've just checked and I own 4.

61. (73) John Anderson Big Band    Glenn Miller Medley

The song that inspired 'Swing The Mood' by Jive Bunny & The Nastermixers.

"Inspired" is not a word I'd often use for Jive Bunny.

66. (NE) Suzanne Vega    Small Blue Thing

I have this in a live version on the B side of 'Marlene On The Wall'.
It's a great song and I actually prefer the live version.

This is one of the singles I own, a double 7" with two live tracks.

75. (RE) Latin Quarter    Radio Africa

A favourite of Capital Radio.

I have the 12" of this, which is called the "Longwave" version. Geddit?

78. (NE) Sugarhill Gang/Positive Force    Rapper's Delight/We Got The
Funk

I owned the former on 12" and the latter on 7" from 1979/80.

I don't know if there was any particular reason they put these together
at this point.

100.(RE) Phil Lynott    Nineteen

He'd just died a week prior to this chart being announced (4 January 1986).

I suppose that might have contributed to the reentry, although it was
his current single anyway.

Chris

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 18/01/2021 06:42, Vidcapper wrote:

On 17/01/2021 17:14, Chris Brown wrote:

Chart dated 18 January 1986

1.   (1) Pet Shop Boys    West End Girls

91. (NE) Diana Ross    Chain Reaction

This was around when I stopped following the charts closely.

They way you've written that makes it looks like it's Diana Ross's fault...



Turns out there's a long list of other versions from this chart:


1. (1) Pet Shop Boys West End Girls {charting cover by East 17}
6. (10) Cherrelle with Alexander O'Neal Saturday Love {sampled by Junior Jack and Sway}
17. (35) Fine Young Cannibals Suspicious Minds {cover of the Elvis hit}
18. (8) Aled Jones Walking In The Air {cover of Peter Auty's recording form the Snowman}
24. (15) Starship We Built This City {... On Sausage Rolls}
27. (9) Wham! I'm Your Man {hit cover by Lisa Moorish}
33. (16) Dee C Lee See The Day {hit cover by Girls Aloud}
35. (33) Jennifer Rush The Power of Love {hit cover by Celine Dion}
36. (14) Wham! Christmas '85
[Last Christmas; ] {lots of covers}
38. (32) A-Ha Take On Me {Number One cover by A1}
40. (NE) Grace Jones Pull Up To The Bumper {covered by Patra}
/La Vie En Rose {made famous by Edith Piaf}
47. (13) Band Aid Do They Know It's Christmas? {covered by Band Aid II, Band Aid 20, Band Aid 30...}
50. (NE) Twisted Sister Leader Of The Pack {cover of the Shangri-Las hit}
54. (72) Masquerade One Nation [cover of One Nation Under A Groove}
55. (48) Inspirational Choir Abide With Me {hymn}
58. (84) Kurtis Blow If I Ruled The World {covered by Nas}
60. (38) Doug E. Fresh And The Get Fresh Crew The Show {includes
elements from the Inspector Gadget theme and from 'Michelle' by the Beatles} 61. (73) John Anderson Big Band Glenn Miller Medley {sampled on 'Swing
The Mood' by Jive Bunny}
64. (41) David Grant & Jaki Graham Mated {cover of a Todd Rundgren song} 76. (74) Simple Minds Alive And Kicking {dance cover by East Side Beat}
78. (NE) Sugarhill Gang/ Rapper's Delight/ {samples Good Times, of course, and has been referenced on many other rap tracks}
79. (NE) Jocelyn Brown Love's Gonna Get You {sampled on 'The Power' by
Snap, 'Go' by Moby and 'I'm Gonna Get You' by Bizarre Inc}
80. (RE) Dionne Warwick & Friends That's What Friends Are For {cover of the Deneice Williams hit}
83. (80) Amii Stewart & Deon Estus My Guy-My Girl (Medley)
85. (NE) Robert Palmer Riptide {cover of a song from the 1930s}
88. (96) Barbra Streisand Somewhere {song from West Side Story, also a hit for PJ Proby and the Pet Shop Boys}
91. (NE) Diana Ross Chain Reaction {hit cover by Steps}
96. (NE) Starpoint Object Of My Desire {Top 10 cover by Dana Rayne}

Chris

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)