Over and out.
20 - "Hold Me," B.A. Robertson and Maggie Bell
Scot Brian Robertson had scored four solo hits before charting once more with this duet with Margaret Bell, a fellow Glaswegian who'd only had one previous Top 40. It's a rock version of a song written in 1933. Okay radio pop for the time.
19 - "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," Diana Ross
Miss Ross's meh Frankie Lydon cover was a transatlantic Top Ten. I'm proud to say it only got to #17 in my homeland. She should have known how unnecessary this was.
18 - "Steppin' Out," Kool and the Gang
This one by the funk machine was only a pop hit over here. Okay pop-soul about hitting the town. I'll take this over the ten millionth spin of "Celebration."
17 - "Ay Ay Ay Moosey," Modern Romance
These guys again, this time with their first Top Ten. It's a song about a girl who likes Latin music. What moose have to do with it, I have no idea. Although I am tickled by the mental picture of a salsa-dancing caribou.
16 - "A Good Year for the Roses," Elvis Costello
EC'S third Top Ten was this cover of a 1970 George Jones hit about the heartbreak of a dissolving marriage. Elvis had no problem shifting gears to country. And he wasn't the only New Wave act to try the genre at this time, as we'll soon see.
15 - "It's My Party," Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin
Not to be confused with Eurythmic David Allan Stewart, David Lloyd Stewart was a keyboardist with several 70s prog-rock band's before teaming up with Gaskin, who had sung backup with many of those same bands, on this unorthodox synth cover of Leslie Gore's teen heartbreak classic. It still sounds gothy and futuristic. It was a four-week #1 here, and now it's an Uneasy Rider.
14 - "When You Were Sweet Sixteen," The Fureys and Davey Arthur
This Irish folk group consisting of brothers Finbar, Eddie, Paul and George Furey, as well as Mr. Arthur, had their only major hit outside their homeland with a song written by American vaudeville performer James Thornton in 1898 and popularized further by Perry Como a half-century later. A sweet song about enduring love, delivered sweetly. That works.
13 - "Bedsitter," Soft Cell
The duo'scored follow up to debut smash "Tainted Love" was this cool new wave tune about the drudgery of the days following nights of hard clubbing and partying. It's a comedown, but in a good way.
12 - "I Go to Sleep," Pretenders
Chrissie and the boys had their third Top Ten with this cover of a song written by Kink Ray Davies for the Birmingham band The Applejacks in 1965. It's a waltzy ballado of romantic pining, and the mighty Ms. Henderson makes you fell the loneliness. Wonderful.
11 - "Happy Birthday," Altered Images
The first and biggest hit for these Scots was more New Wave with a waily female singer. It's still good for that, with Clare Grogan singing about a special present she wants to give her loved one. But I like their next hit "I Could be Happy" even better.
10 - "Labelled with Love," Squeeze
More country dabbling from Brits, coincidentally enough co-produced by Elvis Costello. But this is a Glenn Tilbrook/Chris Difford original about a British woman who marries an American pilot after the war, but the marriage doesn't end well, and she returns to an indifferent family and now drinks her days away. Very authentic to the genre, and it deservedly became their third and last Top Five.
9 - "Let's Groove," Earth Wind and Fire
Transatlantic Top Five funk from the masters. Allllll right.
8 - "Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)," Rod Stewart
Roddy's first Top Ten here of this decade was this New Wavish plea for a one night stand. This was still pretty good, but the downturn was in sight.
7 - "Physical," Olivia Newton-John
ONJ's tribute to different ways of working out only got this high here, thus denying it a Triple Crown. There's nothing left to talk about unless it's...no, actually, there's absolutely nothing left to talk about.
6 - "When She Was My Girl," The Four Tops
The Tops managed two 80s Top Tens here, the first being this this soul-funk lost love lament. Okayness made great by Levi Stubbs.
5 - "Joan of Arc," Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
The first of OMD's two hits about Saint Joan was this ethereal ballad that compares her martyrdom to a love affair gone wrong. Interesting take, cool song.
4 - "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)," Haircut One Hundred
The London band's first hit was this fast jitterer that seems to be about the thrill of sex in a new relationship. There's certainly and appropriate level of frenzied, ecstatic energy on display.
3 - "Begin the Beguine (Volver a empazar)," Julio Iglesias
Born in 1943, Madrid native Iglesias was an aspiringet professional soccer goalkeeper until his career was ended by a car accident. Turning to music, his success spread from Spain to the rest of Europe through the 70s, and then he cracked Britain with this charttopping Spanish-language version of a 1935 Cole Porter tune. It's him doing his breathy Latin heartthrob thing, and if it moves you, good for you. It doesn’t begin to do anything for me.
2 - "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic," The Police
Their fourth #1 was this sprightly tune about romantic reluctance. Apparently the two non-Stings in the band thought it was "too soft," but they eventually relented. It probably is a little too overtly pop to really fit in to their catalogue, but it's still great.
1 - "Under Pressure," Queen and David Bowie
Queen's only home charttopper of the 80s was theither immortal Bowie teamup. It came out of a jam session, which apparently explains the amount of scatting Freddie does on the the track. Rock's two premier male divas duke it out, and the listener wins. And in case I haven't said it before, fuck Vanilla Ice.
It will continue. Thank you for reading.
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