Tag Archives: Pet Shop Boys

1987, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week (UK Edition) – July 12, 1987: Songs 10-1

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Welcome back as we conclude this week’s countdown! It has been fun getting back into this. There are some classic songs in this top 10. Again, you can click on the album cover to get the song from Amazon, and you can click on the song title to watch the video on YouTube. WARNING: If you click on the #3 song title, you can’t unsee or unhear that song! Now, let’s Return to the U.K. for the week ending July 12, 1987, and wrap up this week’s countdown!

10. “Misfit” by Curiosity Killed the Cat”

This has that classic 80s British pop sound. And yes, that is Andy Warhol in the video doing an impersonation of Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues”.

 

 

9. “You’re the Voice” by John Farnham

This is my favorite song of the countdown by far! I cannot believe that this didn’t even chart in the U.S. I had never heard of it until I bought Heart’s The Road Home album (1995). I instantly fell in love with the song, and looked more into it, and found out that it was an ’80s song by Australia’s John Farnham. There are several versions of this song, and every one of them is really good.

 

8. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” by Whitney Houston

Whitney was beloved all over the world. It still breaks my heart whenever I hear her music. What a talent.

 

 

 

7. “Always” by Atlantic Starr

If you were to pick the top wedding songs of the ’80s, this would be on the list. This song hit #1 on all of the U.S. charts, and it landed at #3 in the U.K.

 

 

6. “My Pretty One” by Cliff Richard

This song was the lead single off of Richard’s Always Guaranteed album. I like all of his songs when they appear on these countdowns, yet I still don’t own anything by him. I’ll have to rectify that. Or at least add him to some of my Spotify playlists.

 

5. “The Living Daylights” by a-ha

ha. a-ha. Yes, they had more than one hit song! Pretty good James Bond theme, and the first James Bond film to star Timothy Dalton.

 

 

4. “Wishing Well” by Terence Trent D’arby

This is one of those songs that I hated back in the day, but I appreciate it more now. I’m not loving it, but I like it a little bit more now.

 

 

3. “Star Trekkin'” by The Firm

3 words – What the Fuck?!?!?!

 

 

 

 

2. “Under the Boardwalk” by Bruce Willis

For an actor jumping into the music business, Bruce Willis is actually pretty respectable. This is a good cover of The Drifters’ 1964 hit.

 

 

1. “It’s a Sin” by Pet Shop Boys

A great way to finish the Top 40! This happens to be my favorite song by the British synthpop duo. it was a top 10 hit in the U.S., but was #1 in the U.K. for three weeks.

 

 

That wraps up this week’s U.K. countdown! I hope you enjoyed it. The next one will be back at stateside. In the meantime, Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.

1986, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – April 5, 1986: Songs 20-11

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Welcome back as we continue the countdown! If you missed the previous songs, you can go back and check out songs 40-31 and 30-21. The hits are getting bigger and bigger. However, there are still two songs on today’s list that I was unfamiliar with. That’s always exciting for me. Now, let’s Return to the week ending and move on with the countdown. And as usual, if you’d like to listen to the song on YouTube, click on the song title. And if you want to listen or buy this song on Amazon, you can click on the album cover.

20. “King for a Day” by Thompson Twins

If I were king for just one day, I would make sure this song gets played just as much as “Hold Me Now”.

 

 

 

19. “I Can’t Wait” by Stevie Nicks

This is the second song, on this countdown, with this name. This is defintely the superiour song. I love Stevie Nicks, and this is one of my favorites by her.

 

 

18. “Calling America” by Electric Light Orchestra

I didn’t realize that ELO was still around at this point. This would be their last U.S. hit, peaking right here at #18. I like this one.

 

 

17. “Beats So Lonely” by Charlie Sexton

Here is another pleasant surprise for me! And you would never know that this was a 16 year old that recorded this!

 

 

16. “Why Can’t This Be Love” by Van Halen

This was our introduction to the Van Hagar years. Great way to start them!

 

 

 

15. “Sara” by Starship

Awesome 80s power ballad. It was the band’s second number-one hit after the song “We Built This City”.

14. “Harlem Shuffle” by the Rolling Stones

This cover of the 1963 Bob & Earl song would go on to be a #5 hit. The animation, in the video, was directed by John Kricfalusi, who would go on to create The Ren & Stimpy Show.

13. “This Could Be the Night” by Loverboy

Another awesome power ballad. They don’t make ’em like they used to.

12. “West End Girls” by Pet Shop Boys

Classic ’80s tune that became a #q hit in both the U.S. and U.K.

11. “Tender Love” by Force M.D.’s

Very cool R&B song just before New Jack Swing music became big.

That wraps up today’s list of songs. Come back Friday as we wrap up this weeks awesome countdown!

 

Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song: 10/5/17

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Can you name the artist and song:

I’ll be the sun
Shining on you
Hey Cinderella
Step in your shoe

Last Song: “It’s A Sin” by Pet Shop Boys from the album Actually (1987)

Great job Jeri (@Jemattox)!!!

For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
Has one thing in common, too

If you’d like to purchase this song from Amazon, click on the album cover below:

Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song: 7/11/17

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Can you name the artist and song:

Sometimes you tell the day
By the bottle that you drink
And times when you’re alone all you do is think

Last Song: “West End Girls” by Pet Shop Boys from the album Please (1986)

Great job bierpumpe, Jim (@JimVilk), and MC Chunky (@MCChunkyA)!!!

Too many shadows whispering voices
Faces on posters too many choices
If when why what how much have you got

 

If you’d like to purchase this song from Amazon, click on the album cover below:

1988, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – May 21, 1988: Songs 10-1

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Hi Everybody! Welcome back as we conclude this week’s countdown! If you missed the previous songs, you can go ahead and check out songs 40-31, 30-21, and songs 20-11. This is an interesting top 10, as there is quite the variety of music. Now, let’s Return to the week ending May 21, 1988, and wrap up the countdown.

10. “Two Occasions” by The Deele

We kick off the top 10 with an R&B ballad. I had never heard of The Deele until recently. There were a couple of music moguls as part of this group – Babyface and L.A. Reid. I remembered this song when I heard it. I like it.

>9. “Everything Your Heart Desires” by Hall & Oates

As we were approaching the end of the decade, we were approaching the end of Hall & Oates’ great run of hits. This song would peak at #3, and become the duo’s 16th, and final, Top 10 hit.

8. “Wait” by White Lion

We are back with another rock song. I loved White Lion. The rocked, and had a little different sound than some bands at the time. Mike Tramp has an interesting voice, and Vito Bratta is an awesome guitarist. This song was White Lion’s big breakthrough hit.

7. “Electric Blue” by Icehouse

Icehouse, not to be confused by the early ’90s hair band Firehouse, was an Australian synthpop band. This is another song that I recognized as soon as I heard it. This song was written by Icehouse lead singer Iva Davies (who happens to turn 60 today) and John Oates. I really enjoy this song.

6. “I Don’t Want to Live Without You” by Foreigner

This rock ballad would also be Foreigner’s 16th, and final top 40 hit.

5. “Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)” by Samantha Fox

As I mentioned earlier in the week, even though I was more of a rock fan, I loved freestyle music too. So I was a huge fan of Samantha Fox. This was big hit for Samantha, peaking at #3.

4. “Always On My Mind” by The Pet Shop Boys

Earlier in the decade, Willie Nelson had a huge hit with this song. The Pet Shop Boys were successful with it as well, with their own synthpop take on it.

 

Now let’s take a look at what was topping some of the other charts this week:

Topping the Rock charts was “The Valley Road” by Bruce Hornsby and the Range, which we saw at #25 on the Hot 100 this week.

The #1 R&B hit was “Mercedes Boy” by Pebbles

The biggest Country hit was “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses” by Kathy Mattea

Topping the Dance charts was “Like a Child” by Noel

The biggest Album this week was Faith by George Michael

The #1 Adult Contemporary hit is also our #3 hit on the Hot 100 this week:

3. “Shattered Dreams” by Johnny Hates Jazz

This song was a worldwide hit for the English pop group. It was a #5 hit in England in 1987. A year later it would be even more successful in the U.S., hitting #2.

2. “One More Try” by George Michael


The ’80s were a good time for George Michael. He had some huge hits as a member of Wham!, and he had an even bigger solo career. This was a #1 hit off of his classic Faith album. This is one of those songs that I didn’t care for much back then, but love it now.

1. “Anything For You” by Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine

Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine already had a handful of big hits in the U.S. by this point. But, this was their big breakthrough hit throughout the rest of the world. Just about every hit for Estefan this point forward was an adult contemporary song.

Well that wraps up this week’s countdown. Thanks so much for checking it out. I hope you enjoyed it. There will be more to come in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.

Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song: 4/30/15

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Can you name the artist and song:

Now, there’s no looking forward
Now, there’s no turning back

Last Song: “Always On My Mind” by Willie Nelson (who turned 82 yesterday) from the album Always on My Mind (1982)

Great job Emma (@emmakwall) and Jim (@JimVilk)!!!

And maybe I didn’t hold you
All those lonely, lonely times
And I guess I never told you
I’m so happy that you’re mine

Here is another version that ’80s fans may appreciate. The year that Willie turned 70, he did a couple of concerts where he sang with many different singers such as: Steven Tyler, Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20), Sheryl Crow, ZZ Top, and Elvis Costello. And here he is with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. This is a really good version.

And here is another ’80s version. This one is by the Pet Shop Boys. I do like how they made this their own:

Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song: 4/17/15

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Hair’s to Friday!!
Can you name the artist and song:

And if you stay the night, hold me tight
We’ll make the wrong seem right
So come on now

Last Song: “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” by the Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield from the album Actually (1987)

Great job Elissa and Robert (@mishouenglish)!!!

I bought you drinks, I brought you flowers
I read you books and talked for hours
Every day, so many drinks
Such pretty flowers, so tell me

Artists, Daily Trivia (Formerly Trivia Tuesday), Music

Daily Trivia – 4/13/12

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Question: What brokerage firm’s name, when mentioned in TV ads, silenced entire rooms of people?

Last Question: What memorable song was a top-five hit for Willie Nelson in 1982, and for the Pet Shop Boys in 1988?

Answer: “Always On My Mind”

Willie:

Pet Shop Boys:

Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song? – 10/5/11

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Can you name the artist and song and complete the lyrics:

I don’t believe it
Not for a minute
You’re under the ___ __ ___ ____ __ __ ___ ___

Last Song: “West End Girls” by The Pet Shop Boys

In a West End town, a dead end world
The East End boys and West End girls

Artists, Daily Trivia (Formerly Trivia Tuesday), Music

Daily Trivia – 1/13/11

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Question: What retailer unleashed the Discover card in 1985?

Last Question: What memorable song was a top-five hit for Willie Nelson in 1982, and for the Pet Shop Boys in 1988?

Answer: Always On My Mind

“Always on My Mind” was originally recorded by Brenda Lee in 1971, and was written by the songwriting trio of Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson Thompson. Elvis even recorded a version of it in 1972.

In 1982, one of my all-time favorite performers, Willie Nelson, released the song. It raced up to number 1 on Billboard magazine’s Hot Country Singles chart, and stayed on top for 2 weeks. The song also did very well on Top 40 radio, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was Billboard’s number one country song for 1982. “Always on My Mind” won three Grammys (including Grammy Award for Song of the Year), and won the 1982 and 1983 CMA “Song of the Year”, and the 1982 CMA Single of the Year.

In 1987, Pet Shop Boys, best known for the song “West End Girls”, recorded a synthpop version of “Always on My Mind”. This version topped the UK charts for 4 weeks. It also peaked at number four in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988, becoming the duo’s fifth and last Top 10 hit there.

And here is a great version of the song performed by Willie along with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora at a concert that I believe was celebrating Willie’s 70th birthday. Vince Vaughn makes the introduction, and gives an interesting bit a trivia about Farm Aid: