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1983, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week (UK Edition) – 19 June 1983: Songs 10-1

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Logo: Tops of the popsWelcome back to this week’s Top 40 Countdown! If you missed the previous songs, you can go ahead and check out songs 40-31, 30-21, and 20-11. This has been an exciting week for ’80s music! Today, there may be a few songs we haven’t heard much of. However, this list is covered with very familiar songs, and legendary artists. Let’s conclude this week’s countdown, and check them out!

 

10. “When We Were Young” by Bucks Fizz

Bucks Fizz was a U.K. pop group that had enormous success in Europe from 1981-84. Although they had no hits in the U.S., they had a string of top 10 hits in the early ’80s. This song was their 6th Top 10 hit.

 

9. “Nobody’s Diary” by Yazoo

This song by the synth-pop group, would peak at #3 in the U.K. It did not chart on the Mainstream U.S. chart, but did hit #1 in the U.S. Dance Clubs. I love this band, and Alison Moyet’s voice is so mesmerizing for me.

 

 

8. “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” by Michael Jackson

This one is a bit familiar to everyone around the world. This was the opening track on Thriller, and the fourth single released. It would peak right here this week at #8 in the U.K., and reach #5 in the U.S.

 

 

7. “Waiting for a Train” by Flash and the Pan

I love me some play on words! I had never heard of this group before. This was The Australian group’s most successful single, peaking right here this week at #7.

 

 

6. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” by Elton John

Has anybody seen the Elton John movie, Rocketman? I haven’t seen it yet, but I heard it wasn’t that great. Anyway, this was one of Elton John’s biggest hits of the ’80s. It would peak at #5 in the U.K. and #4 in the U.S.

 

 

5. “Bad Boys” by Wham!

This was the third single released from Wham!’s debut album, Fantastic. I was not familiar with this song. If I had heard of it when it was first released, I would have made fun of it. I was in the beginning of my rocker phase, and Wham! singing about bad boys would have been funny to me.

 

4. “Flashdance…..What a Feeling” by Irene Cara

Here’s another smash hit that is very familiar tom U.S. audiences. This is pretty much Irene Cara’s signature song. This is the theme song for the iconic ’80s movie Flashdance.

 

 

3. “China Girl” by David Bowie

Here is a smash hit by the late, great David Bowie, from his iconic Let’s Dance album. This song was written by Bowie and Iggy Pop in 1977, and actually first appeared on Iggy Pop’s debut solo album The Idiot. But, this version was the more successful.

 

 

2. “Baby Jane” by Rod Stewart

Here is another music legend. This song was Rod Stewart’s final #1 single in the U.K. As the decade went on, Stewart was actually more popular in the U.S. He had a huge amount of success with his Out of Order album in the U.S. This song, from his Body Wishes album, peaked at #14 in the U.S.

 

1. “Every Breath You Take” by The Police

And we wrap up this week’s countdown with what I consider one of the most overrated and overplayed songs of the ’80s. There were so many much better songs on their Synchronicity album. However, this is the one that became their signature song. It was a #1 hit in the U.S. for 8 straight weeks, and was #1 here in the U.K. for 4 straight weeks. I may think the song is overrated, but there’s no denying its success. And it does give me nostalgia for the ’80s. So there’s that.

Well, that wraps up this week’s countdown. What a great week of music! I hope you enjoyed it. What were some of your favorite songs? The next Top 40 will be back in the U.S. In the meantime, Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.

1983, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week (UK Edition) – March 6, 1983: Songs 40-31

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Hi Everybody, as promised, we are back with another countdown this week! The twist this week is that this will be a Top 40 from the U.K. charts. I have a lot of friends from the U.K., so I wanted to do a little something for them. And I thought it would be pretty cool for those of us in the U.S. There were a lot of awesome songs in other countries that did not make it over here for some reason or other. I have a feeling that a lot of us will be discovering new music this week. And ’80s kids from the U.K. will get to relive their glory days. As usual, if you’d like to purchase the song from Amazon, you can click on the album cover. And to watch the video/listen to the song, you can click on the song title. So, let’s get to it, Return to this week in 1983, and begin this week’s countdown from the U.K.

40. “Garden Party” by Mezzoforte

Right off the bat, we a get a song like I have never heard on a U.S. top 40 countdown. The closest may be Kenny G. Mezzoforte is an instrumental jazz-funk fusion band from Iceland. This would actually be the band’s biggest hit, and would chart all the way up to #17 on the U.K. charts. I am loving this song, and it’s a great way to kick off this countdown.

 

39. “Maggie” by Foster and Allen

Foster and Allen are a musical duo from Ireland consisting of Mick Foster and Tony Allen. This definitely has an Irish feel to it. But, it also sounds like an old school country song.

 

38. “Joy” by Band AKA

Despite this band being from Los Angeles, I had never heard of them. This is little disco/funk tune.

 

 

 

37. “Fields of Fire (400 Miles)” by Big Country

This is the first band I know of so far. However, I have never heard this song. If you like the song, “In a Big Country”, then you will like this one. It has a very similar sound.

 

36. “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life” by Indeep

This is another U.S. based group (out of New York) that I had not heard of. This is a cool disco/funk song. Now I can see why I never heard of this song. While it would land all the way up to #13 on the U.K. charts, it topped out at #103 on the U.S. charts.

 

35. “Midnight Summer Dream” by The Stranglers

When I saw the band name, I was hoping this was a punk rock band. I was correct. However, at this time, The Stranglers decided to change direction, so this is more of a new wavey sound. The music itself sounds like it could come from a Tarentino film. But, the “singer” talks through the entire song. Then almost 5 minutes in somebody is singing the same lyrics in the background as the narrator who is speaking. No thanks.

 

34. “Christian” by China Crisis

This song brought this new wave band into prominence in the U.K. as it went up to #12 on the charts. This is good if you like slow new wave music. I would have hated it back in the day, but I’m liking it now.

 

33. “Soweto” by Malcolm McLaren

I’m kind of digging this song. I never heard of Malcolm McLaren, but he sounded like quite the character. He was a visual artist, performer, musician, clothes designer and boutique owner. He was best known for being the promoter and manager of bands such as the New York Dolls and the Sex Pistols. This song sounds like it has an upbeat reggae beat.

 

32. “Down Under” by Men At Work

The first song I know! Do I really need to say anything about this? I’ll just smile and give you a Vegemite sandwich.

 

 

 

31. “Run for Your Life” by Bucks Fizz

Great way to end today’s list! I thought this was going to be a cover of the Beatles classic. But, it’s a different song. It sounds like Abba covering an ELO song. Very cool! I may need to look more into this group.

 

Well, that was a very cool start of the week. What do you think so far? If you know any interesting facts about the artists we have seen here, please comment below. I’d love to hear from you, and be educated. It’s looking like we will continue the countdown on Wednesday. Hope to see you then!