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Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles of the 1980s

Brummie Girl Brummie Girl Posts: 22,626
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in Music #1
After reading the top 40 singles from the 70s thread I thought it would be interesting to see what the biggest selling singles in the UK charts of the 1980s were.

Do They Know Its Christmas? by Band Aid was the biggest selling single not just of the 80s but of all time until 1997 when Elton John took that title with Candle In The Wind 97'/Something About The Way You Look Tonight

Wham! with Last Christmas only got to number two in 1984 (kept off the top spot by Band Aid) but its still the biggest selling single to have not got to number one.

Blue Monday by New Order is the biggest selling single to reach number three in the charts

1. "Do They Know It's Christmas?" - Band Aid
2. "Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
3. "I Just Called to Say I Love You" - Stevie Wonder
4. "Two Tribes" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
5. "Don't You Want Me" - The Human League
6. "Last Christmas / Everything She Wants" - Wham!
7. "Karma Chameleon" - Culture Club
8. "Careless Whisper" - George Michael
9. "The Power of Love" - Jennifer Rush
10. "Come on Eileen" - Dexy's Midnight Runners
11. "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell
12. "Eye of the Tiger" - Survivor
13. "Blue Monday" - New Order
14. "Stand and Deliver" - Adam and the Ants
15. "Especially for You" - Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan
16. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" - Tight Fit
17. "Fame" - Irene Cara
18. "Ghostbusters" - Ray Parker Junior
19. "Uptown Girl" - Billy Joel
20. "Ride On Time" - Black Box
21. "Swing the Mood" - Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers
22. "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" - Culture Club
23. "Hello" - Lionel Richie
24. "I Know Him So Well" - Elaine Paige & Barbara Dickson
25. "Imagine" - John Lennon
26. "Don't Stand So Close to Me" - The Police
27. "Agadoo" - Black Lace
28. "Woman in Love" - Barbra Streisand
29. "Red Red Wine" - UB40
30. "Antmusic" - Adam & the Ants
31. "Into the Groove" - Madonna
32. "Save Your Love" - Renee and Renato
33. "Feels Like I'm In Love" - Kelly Marie
34. "Pass the Dutchie" - Musical Youth
35. "Never Gonna Give You Up" - Rick Astley
36. "Prince Charming" - Adam & the Ants
37. "Mistletoe and Wine" - Cliff Richard
38. "Don't Leave Me This Way" - Communards
39. "I Don't Wanna Dance" - Eddy Grant
40. "This Ole House" - Shakin' Stevens

Comments

  • chrisqcchrisqc Posts: 1,290
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    #2
    Not doubting the numbers but hard to believe into the groove is madonna best selling single of the 80's

    I tougth Holiday or like a virgin would have sold more
  • MarcusjllMarcusjll Posts: 1,161
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    #3
    chrisqc wrote: »
    Not doubting the numbers but hard to believe into the groove is madonna best selling single of the 80's

    I tougth Holiday or like a virgin would have sold more

    From what I remember Into the Groove is her best selling single in the UK of all time, think it has sold over 800,000 copies.

    I couldn't believe it at first, either!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 876
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    #4
    I'm surprised that Madonna has never had a million selling single in the UK, especially when singers like Cher, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, Kylie Minogue and Mariah Carey have all had one.
  • RetroMusicFanRetroMusicFan Posts: 6,673
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    #5
    Secret Treaties wrote: »
    I'm surprised that Madonna has never had a million selling single in the UK, especially when singers like Cher, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, Kylie Minogue and Mariah Carey have all had one.

    So am i, it's surprising isn't it? She's sold millions of singles but none of them singularly sold a million copies.

    I remember that programme about million selling uk singles being on tv a few years back, and seeing Kylie/Britney et al get a placing and when it mentioned the artists that weren't on the chart and I could not believe my eyes and ears when it announced Madonna was one of the unlucky few who wasn't placed, I was so shocked and disappointed that I could have cried!
  • Peter the GreatPeter the Great Posts: 14,228
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    #6
    chrisqc wrote: »
    Not doubting the numbers but hard to believe into the groove is madonna best selling single of the 80's

    I tougth Holiday or like a virgin would have sold more
    Neither of those tracks even made No.1 believe it or not. "Like a Virgin" reached no.3 I think and "Holiday" charted 3 times (2 times in the 80's) with it's best position being no.2 in 1985 on it's 2nd outing (again I think i'm right?)Madonna did have numerous no.1's and the other one's I can think of in the 80's was "Papa Don't Preach", "True Blue", "Who's that Girl", "La Isla Bonita" and "Like a Prayer". "Into the Groove" was her first UK no.1.
  • mushymanrobmushymanrob Posts: 17,992
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    #7
    chrisqc wrote: »
    Not doubting the numbers but hard to believe into the groove is madonna best selling single of the 80's

    I tougth Holiday or like a virgin would have sold more

    not sure whether its uk sales, or worldwide sales by acts who charted in the uk.
  • mushymanrobmushymanrob Posts: 17,992
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    #8
    these sales though do highlight what many of us have been saying for ages.... the early 80's were a hotbed for pop, there was variety, pop was popular!
    32 of those 40 tracks were hits in the first half of the decade, thats 80%.

    it also highlights just how minor s/a/w really was, dispite claims by fans that they were the biggest sellers second only to the beatles. plus the real uk act to popularise hi nrg was frankie goes to hollywood.
  • Brummie Girl Brummie Girl Posts: 22,626
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    #9
    mushymanrob wrote: »
    not sure whether its uk sales, or worldwide sales by acts who charted in the uk.

    Its UK sales

    Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_singles_of_the_1980s_in_the_United_Kingdom
  • mushymanrobmushymanrob Posts: 17,992
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    #10
    Brummy Girl wrote: »
    Its UK sales

    Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_singles_of_the_1980s_in_the_United_Kingdom

    fair play :)
  • SoupietwistSoupietwist Posts: 1,314
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    #11
    Shocked there is no Duran Duran - they were one of the dominate bands of the 80's.
  • Zeus555Zeus555 Posts: 602
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    #12
    'Super Trouper' by ABBA, sold 791,000 in the 1980's, & I've
    seen it at No.29 in a different Best Selling Singles of the
    1980's List.
  • Multimedia81Multimedia81 Posts: 83,174
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    #13
    The songs I most like from these are nos 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 17, 18, 25, 26, 30, 31, 33, 36, 39 and 40.

    Re Duran Duran above, the best they managed was the no 15 best-sellers of 1983 and 1984, with Is There Something I Should Know? and The Reflex respectively.
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