En Passant

Croatia 2-1 Morocco 3 yellows

58 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights 50 Blondie – Heart of glass 47 Althea and Donna - Up Town Top Ranking 45 Gary Numan - Cars 34 Bee Gees - Night Fever 26 ABBA – Take a chance on me 24 Police – Message in a bottle 23 Bee Gees – Tragedy 19 The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star +4 18 Blondie – Sunday Girl 16 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick 1 Gloria Gaynor – I (probably won't) survive -6

I know the buggles is a silly name and a bit of a marmite song, but - its Trevor Horn for goodness sakes...:)

France 2 - 1 Morocco 2 Yellow Cards

58 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights 50 Althea and Donna - Up Town Top Ranking 45 Blondie – Heart of glass 41 Gary Numan - Cars 35 Bee Gees - Night Fever 33 Bee Gees – Tragedy 30 The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star +4 28 Police – Message in a bottle 22 ABBA – Take a chance on me 16 Gloria Gaynor – I will survive -6 13 Blondie – Sunday Girl 13 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick 11 Tubeway Army – Are “Friends” Electric 

yeah right.

I always have.

Rover and Time out?

55 Althea & Donna – Up Town Top Ranking 52 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights 40 Blondie – Heart of glass 39 Bee Gees - Night Fever 32 Gary Numan - Cars 29 Bee Gees – Tragedy 27 ABBA – Take a chance on me 26 The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star 25 Police – Message in a bottle 25 Tubeway Army – Are “Friends” Electric +4 23 The Boomtown Rats – Rat Trap 21 10CC – Dreadlock Holiday 18 Gloria Gaynor – I will survive -6 17 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick 14 Blondie – Sunday Girl

I was on and off watching exactly the same thing (can't stand adverts so was also channel swapping with some Chernobyl prog). I sat through the section devoted to Wham and took my chances as I thought it wouldn't feature, luckily for my 'geddon hopes, it didn't. When the show got to number one, which they said would be a shock, they prefaced it with enough information to figure out its wham and then added it was seasonal (and couldn't have been those I'd heard earlier) etc.. that I knew what was coming before I heard a note and flipped channels swerving it. I so nearly got done though, cannot believe that was voted the 'best song of the entire 80's decade' unless the panel consisted of15 people in a conservative club xmas bash drunk out of their minds on croft original.

47 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights 47 Althea & Donna – Up Town Top Ranking 42 Bee Gees - Night Fever 40 Blondie – Heart of glass 30 The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star 28 Bee Gees – Tragedy 28 Gary Numan - Cars 27 Police – Message in a bottle +4 26 Tubeway Army – Are “Friends” Electric 26 The Boomtown Rats – Rat Trap 25 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick 25 10CC – Dreadlock Holiday 23 Blondie – Sunday Girl 22 ABBA – Take a chance on me 21 Gloria Gaynor – I will survive -3 9 Police – Walking on the moon 3 Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall 0 Art Garfunkel – Bright eyes -3 Well this won't come as a shock, I'm doing exactly what I said I would, and yes, I also believe other people are holding a grudge when their 'fave' got downvoted - however, since I've always cared more about getting rid of dross than what actually wins or stays in (as long as they're pretty decent tracks I'm actually fairly ambivalent about which actual ones) I could now be voting up those I'd rather they picked on, so it's +4 me -6 them. This double agency has nothing to do with my currently watching spooks on re-runs, nothing at all.

Argentina 2 -1 Croatia 7 yellows

Argentina - Netherlands messed that up yesterday - in some style. Morocco 1 - 2 Portugal England 1 - 1 France 7 yellows

48 Althea & Donna – Up Town Top Ranking 43 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights 34 Blondie – Heart of glass 32 Bee Gees - Night Fever 30 The Buggles – Video killed the radio star 29 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick 29 10CC – Dreadlock Holiday +4 27 Gary Numan – Cars 25 Bee Gees – Tragedy 24 Tubeway Army – Are “friends” electric  24 Police – Message in a bottle 23 Gloria Gaynor – I will survive 23 Art Garfunkel – Bright eyes 21 ABBA – Take a chance on me 21 The Boomtown Rats – Rat Trap 18 Blondie – Sunday Girl 15 Boney M. – Mary´s boy child / Oh my Lord -6 14 Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – Summer Nights 12 Pink Floyd – Another brick in the wall 11 Police – Walking on the moon 10 Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – You´re the one that I want  2 The Boomtown Rats – I don´t like Mondays I have no issue with jumping on the Rip, Rip Wee Jum bandwagon. Sorry Jum, not a fan of that song. Especially not in this company. Without a concerted counter campaign... Inflicting the deaths of rabbits on my young impressionable mind is also marked. Grease in both forms is slippery now, I'll help it along if necessary. Gloria Gaynor whilst a great song, isn't to my taste and won't survive. Then, it gets quite tough. For the first time I'm going to end up downvoting tracks I actually like.

I just looked up that Uxbridge one, turns out its 'Brunel University' Nov 9 1979. This was apparently the Spectral Mornings tour. The Defector was indeed 1980 from the same source.

Tesco during the day, and some so-so harvester type in the evening, both assaulted my ears with xmas tracks, thought I was a definite casualty when I realised there was pub muzak, but swerved it both times somehow. Close call.

Knebworth in 78. Drury Lane, at some point don't recall a date I'd have to look it up. And a 3rd one I don't even remember where. I wonder what that says? Oh and Gabriel at the Hammersmith Odeon. And Steve Hackett at Uxbridge uni campus or some such, don't think Uxbridge even has a uni, but there anyway. Incidentally, Follow you Follow me from 'And then there were three' is their worst track ever in my view. I (like others) didn't much care for their 'pop' phase really, but there's plenty from even there I prefer to that ghastly shite.

39 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights 38 Althea & Donna – Up Town Top Ranking 34 Blondie – Heart of glass 27 The Buggles – Video killed the radio star 27 Bee Gees – Night Fever 26 Tubeway Army – Are “friends” electric 26 Gary Numan – Cars 26 Police – Message in a bottle 25 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick 25 10CC – Dreadlock Holiday +4 24 Blondie – Sunday Girl 23 Bee Gees – Tragedy 23 Boney M. – Mary´s boy child / Oh my Lord -6 22 Art Garfunkel – Bright eyes 21 ABBA – Take a chance on me 21 The Boomtown Rats – Rat Trap 21 Gloria Gaynor – I will survive 17 The Boomtown Rats – I don´t like Mondays 15 Police – Walking on the moon 15 Cliff Richard – We don´t talk anymore 14 Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – Summer Nights 13 Pink Floyd – Another brick in the wall 11 Rod Stewart – Da ya think I´m sexy 10 Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – You´re not the one that I want

35 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights 34 Althea & Donna – Up Town Top Ranking 28 Tubeway Army – Are “friends” electric +4 28 Police – Message in a bottle 28 Blondie – Sunday Girl 25 Bee Gees – Night Fever 25 ABBA – Take a chance on me 24 The Buggles – Video killed the radio star 24 Police – Walking on the moon 24 Boney M. – Mary´s boy child / Oh my Lord 24 Gary Numan – Cars 23 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick 22 Bee Gees – Tragedy 21 Blondie – Heart of glass 21 The Boomtown Rats – Rat Trap 20 10CC – Dreadlock Holiday 20 Anita Ward – Ring my bell 19 Art Garfunkel – Bright eyes 19 Gloria Gaynor – I will survive 18 Cliff Richard – We don´t talk anymore 17 Pink Floyd – Another brick in the wall 17 Rod Stewart – Da ya think I´m sexy 16 The Boomtown Rats – I don´t like Mondays 15 Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – You´re the one that I want 14 Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – Summer Nights 8 Brotherhood of Man - Figaro -6 8 Village People – Y.M.C.A. 3 The Commodores – Three times a lady

Record exec: "I like it, this will be a hit" Island lost at sea-oh no one here but me-oh fall into despair-oh "very catchy" "hm, hang on a sec, it'll have to be ....." 100 billion castaways looking for a Ho-ome or we're in deep trouble.

28 Althea & Donna – Up Town Top Ranking 24 The Buggles – Video killed the radio star +4 20 Brotherhood of Man – Figaro 20 ABBA – Take a chance on me 20 Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights 20 Brian & Michael – Matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and dogs 20 Bee Gees – Night Fever 20 Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – You´re the one that I want 20 The Commodores – Three times a lady 20 10CC – Dreadlock Holiday 20 Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – Summer Nights 20 The Boomtown Rats – Rat Trap 20 Rod Stewart – Da ya think I´m sexy 20 Boney M. – Mary´s boy child / Oh my Lord 20 Village People – Y.M.C.A. 20 Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Hit me with your rhythm stick 20 Blondie – Heart of glass 20 Bee Gees – Tragedy 20 Gloria Gaynor – I will survive 20 Art Garfunkel – Bright eyes 20 Blondie – Sunday Girl 20 Anita Ward – Ring my bell 20 Tubeway Army – Are “friends” electric 20 The Boomtown Rats – I don´t like Mondays 20 Cliff Richard – We don´t talk anymore 20 Gary Numan – Cars 20 Police – Message in a bottle 20 Lena Martell – One day at a time 20 Police – Walking on the moon 20 Pink Floyd – Another brick in the wall 14 Dr. Hook – When you´re in love with a beautiful woman 8 Boney M. – Rivers of Babylon / Brown girl in the ring -6 Got diverted by the idea of a quick win. I haven't forgotten you Grease and Brotherhood of Man.

Yeah, 2 songs that weren't bloody Abba made it. Whatever is the world coming to?

Deal. As usual I have far more use for -6 than +4 and those tracks are not the ones that I want either.

76 Donna Summer - I Feel Love +4 74 Baccara – Yes Sir, I can boogie 67 ABBA - The Name of the Game 62 ABBA – Knowing me, knowing you 55 ABBA - Fernando 12 ABBA - Mamma Mia -4 Don't care about the 'relative merits of all these ABBA songs' as the Womble so eloquently puts it. Nor as TQR says should there be that many anyway. Lets move on. (at least there's only 1 abba in the next batch) Oh and whilst thinking about that can I get in a pre-emptive -6 for Brotherhood of Man - Figaro? Just so as we start in the right direction there?

Croatia 0-2 Brazil Netherlands 1-2 Argentina 5 yellows