Tag: England

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1986

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date March 26, 2021

Every Friday I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 15, 25, 30, or 35 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 4TH Friday of the month, so I go back 35 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday March 30TH 1986:

“Move Away” – Culture Club
“Digging Your Scene” – The Blow Monkeys
“Kiss” – Prince
“Manic Monday” – The Bangles
“Absolute Beginners” – David Bowie

I loved that David Bowie song. It’s probably my favorite David Bowie song of all-time. 35 years later – it’s in occasional rotation on my iPod Shuffles of hits that I listen to at my workplace.

Debuting at # 14 on my Top 40 chart was “Living Doll” – a 1986 comical remake of Cliff Richard’s 1959 U.K. # 1 smash. On this weekend in 1986 it became a U.K. # 1 smash all over again. Here’s the music video. It was # 1 on my personal music video chart that week:

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 1986, British, England, Music, Radio

1980s Blogging Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1986

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date February 26, 2021

It’s the 4TH Friday of the month, so I go back 35 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday February 23RD 1986:

“The Phantom Of The Opera” – Sarah Brightman & Steve Harley
“When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going” – Billy Ocean
“System Addict” – Five Star
“And She Was” – The Talking Heads
“How Will I Know” – Whitney Houston

35 years ago this weekend Sarah Brightman – one of the stars of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom Of The Opera” – scored a # 1 smash on my chart with the title track of the West End (London) musical. At the time she was married to Andrew Lloyd Webber. He composed the song (with lyrics added by others). I actually saw the play LIVE in person later in 1986 with a couple of coworker friends of mine at the time. It was my first play ever. I saw it several months after my first concert ever.

Nationally (in the United Kingdom) Billy Ocean’s # 2 hit was # 1 in the British Isles. Whitney Houston’s # 5 hit was # 1 back home stateside on “American Top 40”.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 1986, British, England, Music, Radio

1980s Blogging Military Music Radio Television

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1986

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date January 22, 2021

It’s the 4TH Friday of the month, so I go back 35 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday January 26TH 1986:

“It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming Back)” – Eurythmics
“Suspicious Minds” – Fine Young Cannibals
“How Will I Know” – Whitney Houston
“You Little Thief” – Feargal Sharkey
“Wrap Her Up” – Elton John & George Michael

David A. Stewart had a very good week atop my pop chart exactly 35 years ago. He was one-half of Eurythmics (with Annie Lennox), and he also produced Feargal Sharkey’s hit.

Surprisingly “It’s Alright” flopped here in the U.S. (after 8 previous Top 40 hits). Check out its official music video below or here. It was quite unique and futuristic for 1985:

Oh man – that song – with its eerie sound and feeling – triggers vivid memories of that specific time-period in my mind. I remember buying an “International” (NTSC / PAL / SECAM) TV set at the Base Exchange (military department store) on base a few weeks earlier so that I could watch TV in my own dorm room. I soon realized that while it was convenient to do so I had abandoned my new friends in the “day room” (community recreation room). I felt lonely in my dorm room watching TV solo, so I went back to the day room to hang out with my friends there – even if I couldn’t watch what I wanted to watch. It was more important to be with others, laugh, eat, drink, and play Uno. Ah – the life and times of 18½-year-old me in the south of England.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 1986, British, England, Music, Radio

1980s Blogging Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1985

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date December 25, 2020

It’s the 4TH Friday of the month, so I go back 35 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday December 29TH 1985:

“Wrap Her Up” – Elton John & George Michael
“I’m Your Man” – Wham !
“Walk Of Life” – Dire Straits
“Say You, Say Me” – Lionel Richie
“West End Girls” – Pet Shop Boys

It was a very British Top 5 chart of mine 35 years ago this weekend in Gloucestershire England – my home and workplace at the time. Lionel Richie was the sole American on my chart with one of the biggest hits of his long career.

I loved that Elton John & George Michael collaboration back then. It was not the typical Elton John song of the early-to-mid-1980s. He had ventured comfortably into slower adult contemporary radio-friendly pop songs at the time, so this was quite the rockin’ up-tempo gem. The song featured a full band and even Kiki Dee on backing vocals. She also “pops-up” during the music video when her name is mentioned amongst a long list of famous women. 9 years earlier Elton & Kiki joined forces for their # 1 smash “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”.

Sadly George Michael passed away on Christmas Day 4 years ago. #RIP

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 15 years ago to January 2006.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday with 3 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !