Kill or Save: UK No.1-hits of the 80s

[machotrouts 828]

54 Soft Cell — Tainted Love

52 Blondie — Atomic

43 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket -6

38 The Human League — Don't You Want Me 

37 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes +1

31 The Specials — Ghost Town +3

27 Blondie — Call Me

 

I don't know if Don't You Want Me is in my ideal final 5, but the poor thing has spent most of the game scraping along the bottom of the leaderboard and I don't have the heart to impede its spectacular comeback narrative.

[Drewsky1211 4,759]

54 Soft Cell — Tainted Love

52 Blondie — Atomic 

41 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes +4

40 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket -3

38 The Human League — Don't You Want Me 

31 The Specials — Ghost Town

24 Blondie — Call Me -3

[Youth in Asia 1,087]

If it makes top 5 it will be a greater comeback than Rishi Sunak. It was dead and buried ten days ago.

I think it deserves top 5 considering it was the best selling UK single of 1981 and is an iconic tune. 'you were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar' is one of the top lyrics of the 80s.

[YoungWillz 21,067]

6 minutes ago, Youth in Asia said:

If it makes top 3 it will be a greater comeback than Rishi Sunak. It was dead and buried ten days ago.

I think it deserves top three considering it was the best selling UK single of 1981 and is an iconic song. 'you were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar' is one of the top lyrics of the 80s.

Where?

 

Information I have is the best selling single in the UK of 1981 was Tainted Love, followed by the two Adam and the Ants choons.

 

Don't You Want Me crossed 1981/1982 which probably cursed it to mediocre positions in the best selling single list for both years. 

[Youth in Asia 1,087]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UK_top-ten_singles_in_1981#:~:text=Best-selling singles,-The Human League&text=Adam and the Ants' "Stand,selling singles of the year.

[YoungWillz 21,067]

5 minutes ago, Youth in Asia said:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UK_top-ten_singles_in_1981#:~:text=Best-selling singles,-The Human League&text=Adam and the Ants' "Stand,selling singles of the year.

I see that is unsourced.

 

I have a book actually bought in the 1980s and the published list of singles doesn't have it. It may be that overall sales including those of 1982 put it over the top, but in the actual year it did not achieve the sales claimed by Wiki. 

[Joey Russ 7,229]

54 Soft Cell — Tainted Love

52 Blondie — Atomic 

41 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes 

40 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket 

38 The Human League — Don't You Want Me 

35 The Specials — Ghost Town +4

18 Blondie — Call Me -6

[Paul Bearer 6,109]

 

54 Soft Cell — Tainted Love

52 Blondie — Atomic 

41 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes 

40 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket 

38 The Human League — Don't You Want Me 

29 The Specials — Ghost Town -6

22 Blondie — Call Me +4

 

 

[BuffaloPhil 931]

52 Blondie — Atomic 

48 Soft Cell — Tainted Love -6

41 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes 

40 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket 

38 The Human League — Don't You Want Me 

33 The Specials — Ghost Town +4

22 Blondie — Call Me 

[time 8,624]

52 Blondie — Atomic 

52 Soft Cell — Tainted Love +4

41 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes 

40 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket 

33 The Specials — Ghost Town

32 The Human League — Don't You Want Me (No) -6

22 Blondie — Call Me 

[ladyfiona 2,597]

56 Soft Cell — Tainted Love +4

46 Blondie — Atomic -6

41 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes 

40 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket 

33 The Specials — Ghost Town

32 The Human League — Don't You Want Me (No)

22 Blondie — Call Me 

 

There's a lot of Blondie fans out there very determined.

[Paul Bearer 6,109]

55 minutes ago, ladyfiona said:

There's a lot of Blondie fans out there very determined.

The drums and base does it for me on the Blondie tracks.  

[prussianblue 1,038]

56 Soft Cell — Tainted Love

46 Blondie — Atomic

41 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes 

40 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket 

36 The Human League — Don't You Want Me +4

33 The Specials — Ghost Town

16 Blondie — Call Me -6

[Clorox Bleachman 2,452]

If I've got the maths right then the maximum amount of votes before only 5 songs are left is 119. That would be if everyone fought tooth and nail for another 5 days, because 2 points are removed from the tally every time someone votes.

Edit:

Oh, and probably less than that now since the lowest song has received the -6, which is boring!

[wannamaker 1,414]

56 Soft Cell — Tainted Love

46 Blondie — Atomic

41 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes 

40 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket 

33 The Specials — Ghost Town

30 The Human League — Don't You Want Me -6

20 Blondie — Call Me +4

[Toast 16,155]

56 Soft Cell — Tainted Love

46 Blondie — Atomic

41 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes 

40 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket 

37 The Specials — Ghost Town  +4

24 The Human League — Don't You Want Me   -6

20 Blondie — Call Me 

[ladyfiona 2,597]

56 Soft Cell — Tainted Love

40 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket 

41 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes

41 The Specials — Ghost Town +4

40 Blondie — Atomic -6

24 The Human League — Don't You Want Me

20 Blondie — Call Me 

[Clorox Bleachman 2,452]

58 Soft Cell — Tainted Love +2

41 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket +1

41 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes

41 The Specials — Ghost Town

41 Blondie — Atomic +1

24 The Human League — Don't You Want Me

14 Blondie — Call Me -6

[RIP Wee Jum 1,559]

58 Soft Cell — Tainted Love

41 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket

41 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes

41 The Specials — Ghost Town

35 Blondie — Atomic -6

28 The Human League — Don't You Want Me +4

14 Blondie — Call Me

[TQR 14,405]

58 Soft Cell — Tainted Love

42 The Specials — Ghost Town +1

41 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes

38 Blondie — Atomic +3

37 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket -4

28 The Human League — Don't You Want Me

12 Blondie — Call Me -2

[Youth in Asia 1,087]

58 Soft Cell — Tainted Love

42 The Specials — Ghost Town

41 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes

37 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket

32 Blondie — Atomic -6

32 The Human League — Don't You Want Me +4

12 Blondie — Call Me

[Death Impends 8,002]

58 Soft Cell — Tainted Love

42 The Specials — Ghost Town

41 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes

36 Blondie — Atomic +4

32 The Human League — Don't You Want Me

31 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket -6

12 Blondie — Call Me

[Sir Creep 7,070]

58 Soft Cell — Tainted Love

43 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes +2

42 The Specials — Ghost Town

34 The Human League — Don't You Want Me +2

31 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket 

30 Blondie — Atomic -6

12 Blondie — Call Me

 

I was going to give Soft Cell -6 not cuz it’s bad—it’s a wonderful song—I just NEVER WANT TO HEAR THE DAMN THING EVER AGAIN! 
I also think I’m seeing a dichotomy between the U.S. airplay and that of the U.K.  Atomic just wasn’t a thing here in the States.  It didn’t impress the American market as a must-hear Blondie single then, and still doesn’t.  Minus-6!

[Bibliogryphon 9,589]

58 Soft Cell — Tainted Love

43 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes

42 The Specials — Ghost Town

34 The Human League — Don't You Want Me

28 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket -3

27 Blondie — Atomic -3

16 Blondie — Call Me +4

[Book 3,560]

58 Soft Cell — Tainted Love

43 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes

38 The Human League — Don't You Want Me  +4

36 The Specials — Ghost Town  -6

28 The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket

27 Blondie — Atomic 

16 Blondie — Call Me