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List of Melody Maker number-one singles of the 1980s

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Melody Maker was a British weekly pop music newspaper which was published between 1926 and 2000. Melody Maker was the third publication (after NME, or New Musical Express, in 1952, and Record Mirror in 1955) to publish a weekly record chart. NME is now regarded as the "canonical" source for record charts by the Official Charts Company in the period up to 10 March 1960; after that, when Record Retailer began compiling a chart, the Official Charts Company and Guinness' British Hit Singles & Albums cited them as the canonical source for the British singles chart. Prior to 15 February 1969, when the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) chart was established as part of a joint commission by Record Retailer and the BBC,[1] there was no one universally accepted or official source and many periodicals compiled their own chart.[2][3][4]

By the 1980s, NME and Melody Maker had the last surviving independently compiled charts in the UK, Record Mirror having ended its own chart in 1962, Disc & Music Echo likewise in 1967, and the short-lived Top Pops/Music Now folding in 1971.[2][3] Melody Maker was the first to throw in the towel, publishing its last independently compiled chart on 4 June 1988, with NME publishing its last the next week on 11 June 1988.[5] In the respective following weeks, both began publishing Market Research Information Bureau chart.[6]

Notable differences when compared to the official chart run by BMRB and, later, Gallup, and even NME are additional number-one singles in the decade for Rick Astley, Adam and the Ants, The Police, Shakin' Stevens, David Bowie, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Phil Collins. Significantly, Tears for Fears' song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" spent four weeks at the top of the Melody Maker chart (and three weeks on the NME chart) although it never topped the Gallup chart. Additionally, as well as making number one on the Melody Maker and NME charts and not the official chart, a-ha's "Take On Me" and Ultravox's "Vienna" were also in the top five best-selling singles of their year.[7] Thirty-two acts achieved a number-one single on the Melody Maker chart (more than NME) but never had an official number-one single[nb 1] although two of these had songs they had written reach number one when performed by another artist.[nb 2]

Number-one singles

[edit]
Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" was one of 26 Melody Maker number ones of the 1980s that did not reach the top of the UK Singles or NME charts.
Splodgenessabounds had their only number one in Melody Maker when their "Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please" reached the top in 1980.
Nana Mouskouri was another artist whose only UK number-one was with Melody Maker when her "Only Love" topped their chart in 1986.
Key
The song did not reach number one on the BMRB which later became the Gallup chart which is considered as the official chart after 15 February 1969.
[nb #] The song spent a week at number one where it shared the top spot with another song.
Contents
No. Artist[nb 3] Single[nb 3] Reached
number one[nb 3]
Weeks at
number one[nb 3]
1980
428 Pretenders "Brass in Pocket" 19 January 1980 2
429 Madness "My Girl" ‡ 2 February 1980 1
430 The Specials Too Much, Too Young (E.P.)[nb 4] 9 February 1980 2
431 Kenny Rogers "Coward of the County" 23 February 1980 1
432 Blondie "Atomic" 1 March 1980 3
433 Fern Kinney "Together We Are Beautiful" 22 March 1980 1
434 The Jam "Going Underground" 29 March 1980 3
435 The Detroit Spinners "Working My Way Back to You – Forgive Me Girl" 19 April 1980 1
436 Blondie "Call Me" 26 April 1980 1
437 Dexy's Midnight Runners "Geno" 3 May 1980 5[nb 1]3[nb 5]
438 Johnny Logan "What's Another Year" 24 May 1980 4.0[nb 1]1[nb 5]
439 The Mash "Theme from M*A*S*H" 31 May 1980 4.0[nb 1]4[nb 5]
440 Don McLean "Crying" 28 June 1980 1
441 Splodgenessabounds "Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please" ‡ 5 July 1980 1
442 Olivia Newton-John and the Electric Light Orchestra "Xanadu" 12 July 1980 2
443 Odyssey "Use It Up and Wear It Out" 26 July 1980 2
444 Diana Ross "Upside Down" ‡ 9 August 1980 1
445 ABBA "The Winner Takes It All" 16 August 1980 2
446 David Bowie "Ashes to Ashes" 30 August 1980 2
447 The Jam "Start!" 13 September 1980 1
448 Randy Crawford "One Day I'll Fly Away" ‡ 20 September 1980 2
449 The Police "Don't Stand So Close to Me" 4 October 1980 4
450 Barbra Streisand "A Woman in Love" 1 November 1980 2
451 Blondie "The Tide Is High" 15 November 1980 3
452 ABBA "Supertrouper" 6 December 1980 2
453 Jona Lewie "Stop the Cavalry" ‡ 20 December 1980 3
1981
454 John Lennon "(Just Like) Starting Over" 10 January 1981 1
455 John Lennon "Imagine" 17 January 1981 1
456 Adam and the Ants "Ant Music" ‡ 24 January 1981 1
457 Phil Collins "In the Air Tonight" ‡ 31 January 1981 2
458 Ultravox "Vienna" ‡ 14 February 1981 1
459 Joe Dolce "Shaddap You Face" 21 February 1981 2
re Ultravox "Vienna" ‡ 7 March 1981 1
460 Roxy Music "Jealous Guy" 14 March 1981 2
461 Kim Wilde "Kids in America" ‡ 28 March 1981 1
462 Shakin' Stevens "This Ole House" 4 April 1981 2
463 Bucks Fizz "Making Your Mind Up" 18 April 1981 2
464 Ennio Morricone "Theme from Lloyd George" ‡ 2 May 1981 1
465 Starsound "Stars on 45" ‡ 9 May 1981 1
466 Adam and the Ants "Stand and Deliver" 16 May 1981 4
467 Shakin' Stevens "You Drive Me Crazy" ‡ 6 June 1981 1
468 Smokey Robinson "Being with You" 13 June 1981 3
469 Michael Jackson "One Day In Your Life" 4 July 1981 1
470 The Specials "Ghost Town" 11 July 1981 3
471 Stevie Wonder "Happy Birthday" ‡ 1 August 1981 1
472 Shakin' Stevens "Green Door" 8 August 1981 2
473 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra "Hooked on Classics" ‡ 22 August 1981 1
474 Aneka "Japanese Boy" 29 August 1981 1
475 Soft Cell "Tainted Love" 5 September 1981 2
476 Adam and the Ants "Prince Charming" 19 September 1981 3
477 The Police "Invisible Sun" ‡ 10 October 1981 1
478 Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin "It's My Party" 17 October 1981 3
479 Altered Images "Happy Birthday" ‡ 7 November 1981 1
480 The Police "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" 14 November 1981 1
481 Queen and David Bowie "Under Pressure" 21 November 1981 3
482 Julio Iglesias "Begin the Beguine" 12 December 1981 1
483 The Human League "Don't You Want Me" 19 December 1981 5
1982
484 Bucks Fizz "The Land of Make Believe" 23 January 1982 1
485 Kraftwerk "The Model" 30 January 1982 1
486 The Stranglers "Golden Brown" ‡ 6 February 1982 1
487 The Jam "A Town Called Malice" / "Precious" 13 February 1982 3
488 Tight Fit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" 6 March 1982 3
489 Goombay Dance Band "Seven Tears" 27 March 1982 2
490 Imagination "Just an Illusion" ‡ 10 April 1982 1
491 Chas & Dave "Ain't No Pleasing You" ‡ 17 April 1982 1
492 Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder "Ebony and Ivory" 24 April 1982 4
493 Nicole "A Little Peace" 22 May 1982 1
494 Yazoo "Only You" ‡ 29 May 1982 1
495 Madness "House of Fun" 5 June 1982 2
496 Adam Ant "Goody Two Shoes" 19 June 1982 1
497 Soft Cell "Torch" ‡ 26 June 1982 1
498 Charlene "I've Never Been to Me" 3 July 1982 1
499 Captain Sensible "Happy Talk" 10 July 1982 1
500 Irene Cara "Fame" 17 July 1982 3
501 Dexy's Midnight Runners "Come On Eileen" 7 August 1982 4
502 Survivor "Eye of the Tiger" 4 September 1982 2
503 Dire Straits "Private Investigations" ‡ 18 September 1982 2
504 The Jam "The Bitterest Pill" ‡ 2 October 1982 1
505 Musical Youth "Pass the Dutchie" 9 October 1982 2
506 Culture Club "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" 23 October 1982 3
507 Eddy Grant "I Don't Want to Dance" 13 November 1982 3
508 The Human League "Mirror Man" ‡ 4 December 1982 1
509 The Jam "Beat Surrender" 11 December 1982 4
1983
510 Phil Collins "You Can't Hurry Love" 8 January 1983 3
511 Men at Work "Down Under" 29 January 1983 3
512 Tears for Fears "Change" ‡ 19 February 1983 1
513 Kajagoogoo "Too Shy" 26 February 1983 1
514 Michael Jackson "Billie Jean" 5 March 1983 2
515 Bonnie Tyler "Total Eclipse of the Heart" 19 March 1983 1
516 The Style Council "Speak Like a Child" ‡ 26 March 1983 1
517 Duran Duran "Is There Something I Should Know?" 2 April 1983 1
518 David Bowie "Let's Dance" 9 April 1983 4
519 Spandau Ballet "True" 7 May 1983 3
520 Heaven 17 "Temptation" ‡ 28 May 1983 1
521 The Police "Every Breath You Take" 4 June 1983 3
522 David Bowie "China Girl" ‡ 25 June 1983 1
523 Rod Stewart "Baby Jane" 2 July 1983 2
524 Paul Young "Whenever I Lay My Hat" 16 July 1983 4
525 Freeez "I.O.U." ‡ 13 August 1983 1
526 KC and the Sunshine Band "Give It Up" 20 August 1983 1
527 Spandau Ballet "Gold" ‡ 27 August 1983 2
528 UB40 "Red Red Wine" 10 September 1983 2
529 Culture Club "Karma Chameleon" 24 September 1983 6
530 Lionel Richie "All Night Long (All Night)" ‡ 5 November 1983 1
531 Billy Joel "Uptown Girl" 12 November 1983 2
532 Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson "Say, Say, Say" ‡ 26 November 1983 1
533 The Assembly "Never Never" ‡ 3 December 1983 1
534 The Flying Pickets "Only You" 10 December 1983 5
1984
535 Paul McCartney "Pipes of Peace" 14 January 1984 1
536 Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Relax" 21 January 1984 6
537 Nena "99 Red Balloons" 3 March 1984 3
538 Lionel Richie "Hello" 24 March 1984 5
539 Phil Collins "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" ‡ 28 April 1984 4
540 The Pointer Sisters "Automatic" ‡ 26 May 1984 1
541 Wham! "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" 2 June 1984 3
542 Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Two Tribes" 23 June 1984 7
543 George Michael "Careless Whisper" 11 August 1984 4
544 Stevie Wonder "I Just Called to Say I Love You" 8 September 1984 5
545 Culture Club "The War Song" ‡ 13 October 1984 1
546 Wham! "Freedom" 20 October 1984 3
547 Chaka Khan "I Feel for You" 10 November 1984 4
548 Frankie Goes to Hollywood "The Power of Love" * 8 December 1984 1
549 Band Aid "Do They Know It's Christmas?" 15 December 1984 5
1985
550 Wham! "Everything She Wants" / "Last Christmas" ‡ 19 January 1985 1
551 Foreigner "I Want to Know What Love Is" 26 January 1985 1
552 Prince "1999" ‡ 2 February 1985 1
553 King "Love and Pride" ‡ 9 February 1985 2
554 Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson "I Know Him So Well" 23 February 1985 1
555 Dead or Alive "You Spin Me Round" 2 March 1985 3
556 Philip Bailey (duet with Phil Collins) "Easy Lover" 23 March 1985 3
557 Tears for Fears "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" ‡ 20 April 1985 2
558 Phyllis Nelson "Move Closer" 4 May 1985 1
559 Paul Hardcastle "19" 11 May 1985 5
560 The Crowd "You'll Never Walk Alone" 15 June 1985 2
561 Madonna "Crazy for You" ‡ 29 June 1985 1
562 Sister Sledge "Frankie" 6 July 1985 1
563 Harold Faltermeyer "Axel F" ‡ 13 July 1985 2
564 Eurythmics "There Must Be an Angel" 27 July 1985 1
565 Madonna "Into the Groove" 3 August 1985 5
566 David Bowie and Mick Jagger "Dancing in the Street" 7 September 1985 5
567 Jennifer Rush "The Power of Love" 12 October 1985 3
568 a-ha "Take On Me" ‡ 2 November 1985 2
569 Feargal Sharkey "A Good Heart" 16 November 1985 2
570 Wham! "I'm Your Man" 30 November 1985 2
571 Whitney Houston "Saving All My Love for You" 14 December 1985 4
1986
572 Pet Shop Boys "West End Girls" 11 January 1986 2
573 a-ha "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." 25 January 1986 2
574 Nana Mouskouri "Only Love" ‡ 8 February 1986 1
575 Billy Ocean "When the Going Gets Tough" 15 February 1986 3
576 Diana Ross "Chain Reaction" 8 March 1986 3
577 Cliff Richard and The Young Ones "Livin' Doll" 29 March 1986 3
578 George Michael "A Different Corner" 19 April 1986 3
579 Janet Jackson "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" ‡ 10 May 1986 1
580 Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald "On My Own" ‡ 17 May 1986 1
581 Spitting Image "The Chicken Song" 24 May 1986 1
582 Peter Gabriel "Sledgehammer" ‡ 31 May 1986 2
583 Simply Red "Holding Back the Years" ‡ 14 June 1986 1
584 Nu Shooz "I Can't Wait" ‡ 21 June 1986 1
585 Wham! "The Edge of Heaven" 28 June 1986 2
586 Madonna "Papa Don't Preach" 12 July 1986 3
587 Chris de Burgh "The Lady in Red" 2 August 1986 3
588 Boris Gardiner "I Want to Wake Up with You" 23 August 1986 2
589 The Communards "Don't Leave Me This Way" 6 September 1986 5
590 Madonna "True Blue" 11 October 1986 1
591 Nick Berry "Every Loser Wins" 18 October 1986 3
592 Berlin "You Take My Breath Away" 8 November 1986 5
593 Erasure "Sometimes" ‡ 13 December 1986 1
594 The Housemartins "Caravan of Love" 20 December 1986 3
1987
595 Jackie Wilson "Reet Petite" 10 January 1987 2
596 Steve "Silk" Hurley "Jack Your Body"[nb 6] 24 January 1987 2
597 Aretha Franklin and George Michael "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" 7 February 1987 3
598 Ben E. King "Stand by Me" 28 February 1987 3
599 Boy George "Everything I Own" 21 March 1987 1
600 Mel and Kim "Respectable" 28 March 1987 1
601 Ferry Aid "Let It Be" 4 April 1987 3
602 Club Nouveau "Lean on Me" ‡ 25 April 1987 1
603 Madonna "La Isla Bonita" 2 May 1987 1
604 Judy Boucher "Can't Be with You Tonight" ‡ 9 May 1987 1
605 Starship "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" 16 May 1987 3
606 Whitney Houston "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" 6 June 1987 3
607 The Firm "Star Trekkin'" 27 June 1987 1
608 Pet Shop Boys "It's a Sin" 4 July 1987 3
609 Madonna "Who's That Girl" 25 July 1987 2
610 Los Lobos "La Bamba" 8 August 1987 1
611 Michael Jackson "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" 15 August 1987 2
612 Rick Astley "Never Gonna Give You Up" 29 August 1987 4
613 M|A|R|R|S "Pump Up the Volume" 26 September 1987 3
614 Bee Gees "You Win Again" 17 October 1987 3
615 George Michael "Faith" ‡ 7 November 1987 2
616 T'Pau "China in Your Hand" 21 November 1987 4
617 Rick Astley "When I Fall in Love" ‡ 19 December 1987 3
1988
618 Pet Shop Boys "Always on My Mind" 9 January 1988 1
619 Belinda Carlisle "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" 16 January 1988 2
620 Tiffany "I Think We're Alone Now" 30 January 1988 3
621 Kylie Minogue "I Should Be So Lucky" 20 February 1988 2
622 Bomb the Bass "Beat Dis" ‡ 5 March 1988 1
623 Rick Astley "Together Forever" ‡ 12 March 1988 2
624 Aswad "Don't Turn Around" 26 March 1988 3
625 Pet Shop Boys "Heart" 16 April 1988 2
626 S-Express "Theme from S-Express" 30 April 1988 1
627 Fairground Attraction "Perfect" 7 May 1988 2
628 Wet Wet Wet
Billy Bragg and Cara Tivey
"With a Little Help from My Friends"
"She's Leaving Home"
21 May 1988 3

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Altered Images, Bomb the Bass, Judy Boucher, Chas & Dave, Club Nouveau, Randy Crawford, Dire Straits, Erasure, Harold Faltermeyer, Freeez, Peter Gabriel, Heaven 17, Imagination, Janet Jackson, King, Patti LaBelle, Jona Lewie, Michael McDonald, Ennio Morricone, Nana Mouskouri, Nu Shooz, The Pointer Sisters, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Simply Red, Splodgenessabounds, Starsound, The Stranglers, The Style Council, Tears for Fears, Ultravox, Kim Wilde, and Yazoo never had an official number-one single; in addition, Boucher, Chas & Dave, Club Nouveau, Erasure, Faltermeyer, Freeez, Gabriel, Heaven 17, Imagination, Jackson, LaBelle, McDonald, Mouskouri, Nu Shooz, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Simply Red, Splodgenessabounds, The Stranglers, The Style Council, Wilde, and Yazoo never had a number-one single on the NME charts.
  2. ^ Ennio Morricone's theme "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" was a number one for Hugo Montenegro and Tears for Fears' song "Mad World" reached number one when performed by Gary Jules.
  3. ^ a b c d The names, singles, week-ending dates and consecutive duration of the number-ones are from Melody Maker."Melody Maker 1980's Singles Charts request". UKMix. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  4. ^ This number-one record was not a single but a five-track extended play (EP) with "Too Much Too Young" as the lead track.[8] The rules now require at most four distinct songs to be eligible for the UK Singles Chart.[9] Although the EP is credited to The Special A.K.A. on the record sleeve the record label credits The Specials.[10]
  5. ^ a b c Due to a newspaper strike, Melody Maker was not published from 3 May to 31 May 1980; however, the chart details were released retrospectively.[6]
  6. ^ "Jack Your Body" was released on a 12" single that was over 25 minutes long, exceededing the maximum time for a record to be classified as a single. The track should have been classified as an album instead (as it was in NME) and, during the two weeks it spent at number one, "Reet Petite" would have been number one for a third week and "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" would have become number one a week earlier.[11]

References

[edit]
Footnotes
  1. ^ "Key Dates in the History of the Official UK Charts". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  2. ^ a b Smith, Alan. "50s & 60s UK Charts – The Truth!". Dave McAleer's website. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  3. ^ a b Leigh, Spencer (20 February 1998). "Music: Charting the number ones that somehow got away". The Independent. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  4. ^ Warwick, Neil; Kutner, Jon; Brown, Tony (2004). The Complete Book Of The British Charts: Singles and Albums (3rd ed.). London: Omnibus Press. p. v. ISBN 1-84449-058-0. Until 15th February 1969, there was no officially compiled chart.
  5. ^ "Melody Maker 1980's Singles Charts request". UKMix. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  6. ^ a b Smith, Alan. "Every No.1 in the 1960s is listed from all the nine different magazine charts!". Dave McAleer's website. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  7. ^ "Chart Archive - 1980s Singles". everyHit.com. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  8. ^ "Too Much Too Young". The Specials. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  9. ^ "Rules For Chart Eligibility" (PDF). The Official Charts Company. August 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  10. ^ "Record Details – The Special A.K.A. Live!". 45cat. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  11. ^ "Record-Breakers and Trivia: Quirks Of The Number One Position". everyHit.com. Retrieved 2 July 2010.