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

[theoldlady 2,303]

 

30 a-ha – The Sun Always Shines On TV

30 Nena – 99 Red Balloons 

30 Kraftwerk – The Model / Computer Love

25 Madness – House Of Fun

25 Blondie – Atomic

24 Soft Cell – Tainted Love

23 Pet Shop Boys — It’s a Sin +4

22 Men at Work – Down Under

22 David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes

21 Madonna – Into The Groove 

19 Madonna — Like a Prayer 

18 George Michael — Careless Whisper 

17 The Specials — Ghost Town 

13 The Communards & Sarah Jane Morris — Don’t Leave Me This Way -6

12 Bee Gees – You Win Again

[justonecornetto 951]

34 a-ha – The Sun Always Shines On TV +4

30 Nena – 99 Red Balloons 

30 Kraftwerk – The Model / Computer Love

25 Madness – House Of Fun

25 Blondie – Atomic

24 Soft Cell – Tainted Love

23 Pet Shop Boys — It’s a Sin 

22 Men at Work – Down Under

22 David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes

18 George Michael — Careless Whisper 

17 The Specials — Ghost Town 

17 Madonna — Like a Prayer -2

17 Madonna — Into The Groove -4

13 The Communards & Sarah Jane Morris — Don’t Leave Me This Way 

12 Bee Gees – You Win Again

[Bibliogryphon 9,586]

3 hours ago, Book said:

 

So there is any interest in continuing the KoS with the UK #1-songs of the 90s?

Definitely 

 

I was just thinking that I would be approaching it in a very different way

 

I hardly had to check any of the 80s songs as they played in my head from just the title.

 

In 1992 I got married and my wife does not do Radio and Chris Evans took over from Simon Mayo on the Radio 1 breakfast show so my car radio went to Radio 4 (which doesn't play any music). So any songs in the later part of the decade will have needed to break out to serious cultural relevance for me to connect with them

 

In the 2000s I will come back as my daughter started listening to Radio 1 or 2 in the car on the way to school

[Imelda 621]

3 hours ago, Book said:

 

So there is any interest in continuing the KoS with the UK #1-songs of the 90s?

 

100%!

 

I basically gave up on chart music about 2005. The 90's saw a decline in standards from the 80's - that decade was the real high point for quality and creativity.

[msc 18,477]

The 90s is my ballpark of knowing songs. After 2003-ish is when I get lost and just instinctively voted for Rihanna. 

 

The only Taylor Swift song I know didn't even get to number one, I'll be even more lost than I thought.

 

Looking it up, the only number ones from the last decade I know without listening to them are Get Lucky, Blurred Lines (couldn't avoid it at the time), Wake Me Up (due to Rad and Joey), Wrecking Ball (Masked Singer), Somewhere Only We Know (assuming its a cover), Happy, Uptown Funk, Writing on the Wall (its a crap Bond theme), No Time to Die (ditto Bond), Someone You Loved (the Lewis Capaldi song), Blinding Lights (actually, The Weekend seems decent), We Dont Talk about Bruno (I am a dad), and old stuff like Kate Bush and Whamageddon obviously. 

 

Oh and Escapism because Clorox was all "this is amazing you need to listen to it now" and I did, and it was alright. Which is probably high praise from a stick in the mud.

 

Which is more than I thought, but still about 1%. 

 

Anyhow, the 90s is where I'm more comfortable. I'll be downvoting Doop like it's on special offer.

 

[Great Uncle Bulgaria 1,284]

34 a-ha – The Sun Always Shines On TV 

32 Kraftwerk – The Model / Computer Love +2

30 Nena – 99 Red Balloons 

26 Soft Cell – Tainted Love +2

25 Madness – House Of Fun

25 Blondie – Atomic

23 Pet Shop Boys — It’s a Sin 

22 Men at Work – Down Under

18 George Michael — Careless Whisper 

17 The Specials — Ghost Town 

17 Madonna — Like a Prayer 

17 Madonna — Into The Groove 

16 David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes -6

13 The Communards & Sarah Jane Morris — Don’t Leave Me This Way 

12 Bee Gees – You Win Again

[TQR 14,398]

I’d love to see a 90s game! A 60s game could work too. 00s onwards may not prove so popular but I’d still take part if it came about. And then maybe a shift to No.2s? And a Christmas No.1 game to start in mid-November? The possibilities are endless, as long as it sticks to music!

[prussianblue 1,038]

5 hours ago, Book said:

 

So there is any interest in continuing the KoS with the UK #1-songs of the 90s?

 

Yes! Born in '88 so would enjoy seeing how many I remember from the time. I've been watching the BBC4 repeats of Top of the Pops and they've been going through the mid-'90s lately. Funnily enough given MSC's comment, Doop were no.1 in last week's episode! Fucking awful.

[Toast 16,141]

As an old bat, I'd prefer to go back and do the No 2 songs that didn't make No 1. 

[Bibliogryphon 9,586]

 

18 minutes ago, TQR said:

I’d love to see a 90s game! A 60s game could work too. 00s onwards may not prove so popular but I’d still take part if it came about. And then maybe a shift to No.2s? And a Christmas No.1 game to start in mid-November? The possibilities are endless, as long as it sticks to music!

 

I did also think we could do a game where each of the regular posters in this thread got to pick a song from a specific year (by invitation from Book) obviously avoiding No.1s but could be limited to Top 10 or 20 then that forms the list for the year but you are not allowed to up or downvote your own selection

[prussianblue 1,038]

1 minute ago, Toast said:

As an old bat, I'd prefer to go back and do the No 2 songs that didn't make No 1. 

 

I think this could be very interesting. I previously mentioned that Take On Me was no.2 for three weeks thanks to Jennifer Rush, and I recently found out that Ace of Base's The Sign was also no.2 for three weeks, held off by Mariah Carey's Without You.

[prussianblue 1,038]

35 a-ha – The Sun Always Shines On TV +1

32 Kraftwerk – The Model / Computer Love

30 Nena – 99 Red Balloons 

26 Soft Cell – Tainted Love

25 Blondie – Atomic

23 Pet Shop Boys — It’s a Sin 

23 Madness – House Of Fun -2

22 Men at Work – Down Under

19 Madonna — Into The Groove +2

18 George Michael — Careless Whisper 

18 Madonna — Like a Prayer +1

17 The Specials — Ghost Town 

16 David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes

12 Bee Gees – You Win Again

9 The Communards & Sarah Jane Morris — Don’t Leave Me This Way -4

[Imelda 621]

43 minutes ago, prussianblue said:

 

I think this could be very interesting. I previously mentioned that Take On Me was no.2 for three weeks thanks to Jennifer Rush, and I recently found out that Ace of Base's The Sign was also no.2 for three weeks, held off by Mariah Carey's Without You.

 

Last Christmas as well - the biggest selling number 2 of all time (no sN-wording at the back!!). Kept off the top by Band Aid.

 

And then there's tracks which didn't even hit the top 5 but sold tons and became iconic - the most obvious being Blue Monday. If that track was unleashed on the current voting like a rando contestant being dropped into the jungle, would it end-up winning the whole thing? It might well do.

[Death Impends 7,977]

The 90s onward is still a blind spot for me, so I'll be hibernating until we do 60s or #2s from 70s/80s

[Imelda 621]

1 minute ago, Imelda said:

 

Last Christmas as well - the biggest selling number 2 of all time (no sN-wording at the back!!). Kept off the top by Band Aid.

 

And then there's tracks which didn't even hit the top 5 but sold tons and became iconic - the most obvious being Blue Monday. If that track was unleashed on the current voting like a rando contestant being dropped into the jungle, would it end-up winning the whole thing? It might well do.

 

My word, I can't type s n i g g e r i n g without it being amended upon save!

 

What about Scunthorpe?

[msc 18,477]

48 minutes ago, prussianblue said:

 

Yes! Born in '88 so would enjoy seeing how many I remember from the time. I've been watching the BBC4 repeats of Top of the Pops and they've been going through the mid-'90s lately. Funnily enough given MSC's comment, Doop were no.1 in last week's episode! Fucking awful.

 

I knew they were coming in the next few weeks on the TOTP repeats, but it arrived sooner than I expected. Dire, dire song.

[Bibliogryphon 9,586]

1 minute ago, Death Impends said:

The 90s onward is still a blind spot for me, so I'll be hibernating until we do 60s or #2s from 70s/80s

 

No you must listen to them on Spotify or YouTube and then your impartial insight into which tracks deserve to be there will be invaluable

 

You will have no cultural baggage from nostalgicly swooning over the Westlife/Spice Girls posters on your bedroom wall as a teenager

[Great Uncle Bulgaria 1,284]

I'd be more interested in 60s than 90s, given (a) the downward trend from the mid to the late 80s continued into the 90s and I lost interest pretty early on (b) the 60s no 1s are far superior and (c) I'm one of the older ones posting here. Failing that I agree with Toast's suggestion of 70s no 2s.

 

As it's coming up, why not do KoS for Eurovision, you've got 60 years of UK entries and winners to go at (although confess I'd be struggling outwith late 60s - early 90s apart from a few iconic ones). Maybe get everyone to nominate one of each then you'd be starting with around 40-50 rather than an unmanageable 120, many of which no one would remember.

 

Think it's the wrong time  of year to be doing Christmas hits, which I think should be Christmas songs rather than Christmas no 1s - the latter would (a) include lots of crappy X factor winners and (b) exclude Wombling Merry Christmas, which peaked at no 2.

[Death Impends 7,977]

35 a-ha – The Sun Always Shines On TV

32 Kraftwerk – The Model / Computer Love

31 Nena – 99 Red Balloons +1

27 Soft Cell – Tainted Love +1

26 Blondie – Atomic +1

24 Pet Shop Boys — It’s a Sin +1

23 Madness – House Of Fun

22 Men at Work – Down Under

19 Madonna — Into The Groove

18 George Michael — Careless Whisper 

18 Madonna — Like a Prayer

17 The Specials — Ghost Town 

16 David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes

9 Bee Gees – You Win Again -3

6 The Communards & Sarah Jane Morris — Don’t Leave Me This Way -3

[time 8,611]

35 a-ha – The Sun Always Shines On TV

34 Nena – 99 Red Balloons +3

33 Kraftwerk – The Model / Computer Love +1

27 Soft Cell – Tainted Love 

26 Blondie – Atomic 

24 Pet Shop Boys — It’s a Sin 

23 Madness – House Of Fun

22 Men at Work – Down Under

19 Madonna — Into The Groove

18 George Michael — Careless Whisper 

18 Madonna — Like a Prayer

17 The Specials — Ghost Town 

16 David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes

6 The Communards & Sarah Jane Morris — Don’t Leave Me This Way

3 Bee Gees – You Whine Again -6

[time 8,611]

7 hours ago, Book said:

 

So there is any interest in continuing the KoS with the UK #1-songs of the 90s?

I've just looked through the 90s, and I was surprised how many I knew, so I could go another round using the same MO as for the 80s - i.e. upvote/downvote those I know and  ignore those I don't and let everyone else sort them out.

[Drewsky1211 4,749]

35 a-ha – The Sun Always Shines On TV

34 Nena – 99 Red Balloons

33 Kraftwerk – The Model / Computer Love

27 Soft Cell – Tainted Love 

26 Blondie – Atomic 

24 Pet Shop Boys — It’s a Sin 

23 Madness – House Of Fun

22 Men at Work – Down Under

20 George Michael — Careless Whisper +2 

19 Madonna — Into The Groove

18 Madonna — Like a Prayer

18 David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes +2

17 The Specials — Ghost Town 

3 The Communards & Sarah Jane Morris — Don’t Leave Me This Way -3

0 Bee Gees – You Win Again -3

[Imelda 621]

2 minutes ago, Drewsky1211 said:

0 Bee Gees – You Win Again -3

 

You Lose Again

[TQR 14,398]

I like the idea of a UK Eurovision entries KoS, maybe starting a month before Eurovision. I also like the Christmas hits (rather than No.1s) idea, to start a month before Christmas.

 

What would be great is to do runs of No.1s, 2s and 3s from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s and then maybe a special round between the 12 winning songs for the UK’s best ever top-3 single. This would be a project about 2 years in length all in all, there’d be quite a few lists to compile which I’ll gladly do if Book ever wants help.

[Joey Russ 7,228]

35 a-ha – The Sun Always Shines On TV

34 Nena – 99 Red Balloons

33 Kraftwerk – The Model / Computer Love

31 Soft Cell – Tainted Love +4

26 Blondie – Atomic 

24 Pet Shop Boys — It’s a Sin 

23 Madness – House Of Fun

22 Men at Work – Down Under

20 George Michael — Careless Whisper 

18 Madonna — Like a Prayer

18 David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes 

17 The Specials — Ghost Town 

16 Madonna — Into The Groove -3

0 The Communards & Sarah Jane Morris — We Left You This Way -3