It's true that 1987 wasn't one of the better years for music and the top 20 for this week back then wasn't the best. But there were a number of singles that failed to make the top 20 which were good. 78 Keep Your Hands To Yourself - Georgia Satellites
That's a great song. An American Number 1 (I think), but done nothing much here chart wise.
Even though I hated the Dooleys I always thought 'Wanted' was a brilliant song. In fact i still like it.
I've never liked 'Almaz' though. There's something about her warbly voice that I just couldn't get into and the records I did like by her - 'Street Life' with The Crusaders, 'One Day I'll Fly Away', 'You MIght Need Somebody' and 'Rainy Night In Georgia' - I liked despite and not because of her voice. another singer with a warbly style voice, Elkie Brooks, was in the top 20 this week in 1987 with the slightly over the top but good 'No More The Fool'. I love the song, again despite her voice.
Used to hate music like Randy Crawford personally, (it seemed so 'uncool' as a late teenager type person back then), but, maybe you hear things in a different way these days and now I seem to like a lot of it! Elkie's stuff too.
That's a great song. An American Number 1 (I think), but done nothing much here chart wise.
'Keep Your Hands To Yourself' peaked at number 2 on the Billboard US Hot 100 Singles. I also liked the follow up single, 'Battleship Chains' which only made number 86 in the US and which peaked at number 44 in the UK in May 1987.
Oh yes - very perceptive of you!! The Mission's Wasteland was out then too!
I loved the above tracks! Plus - the top 2 remind me of The Tube's last few shows, in 1987 - as The Christians, Rosie Vela and The Mission were all on the same show in January! (Wish I had the video! )
Infact - if it wasn't for the alternative music scene in the late 80s - I don't know what I would've done!
'Wasteland' was at number 33 this week in 1987 on its way down the charts after peaking at number 11 three weeks earlier. It is indeed a good song but I deliberately left it off my list as it was a top 20 hit. It was also their biggest hit, peaking one place higher than their 1988 hit 'Tower Of Strenth' and 1990 hit 'Butteryfly On A Wheel' both of which peaked at number 12. Those three singles were their only top 20 hits.
Danny Baker also said the video was directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg (son of Orson Welles) who began his career directing the 1960s British pop programme 'Ready Steady Go!' and later worked extensively with the Beatles (he directed the full length documentary feature 'Let It Be' in 1969) and the Rolling Stones.
At least seven videos directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg have been shown on TOTP since the BBC Four repeats started in April 2011:
The Beatles: Hey Jude; Get Back (1976)
The Rolling Stones: Fool To Cry (1976); Miss You; Respectable (1978)
Wings: Mull Of Kintyre (1977); With A Little Luck (1978)
There must be some mistake there as The Beatles Hey Jude wasn't released until 1968 and Get Back until 1969. Therefore they couldn't have been recorded in 1976. As far as I know the film of Get Back by Michael Lindsay-Hogg was first filmed on the roof at the beginning of 1969.
Exactly - terrible selection! Especially that Pepsi & Shirley song >:(
Although Almaz is quite a nice song!
You don't like Stand By Me, Behind the Mask (one of my favourite Clapton singles), You Sexy thing? Oh well, I guess it takes all sorts. And Heartache is an excellent pop song (although Maggie thought it was too upbeat for the subject matter!). But I 'm not sure why someone is hijacking a forum about TOTP 1979 just to air their (misguided) personal dislike for a chart eight years into the future.
There must be some mistake there as The Beatles Hey Jude wasn't released until 1968 and Get Back until 1969. Therefore they couldn't have been recorded in 1976. As far as I know the film of Get Back by Michael Lindsay-Hogg was first filmed on the roof at the beginning of 1969.
May I respectfully suggest you re-read the post you were replying to.
You don't like Stand By Me, Behind the Mask (one of my favourite Clapton singles), You Sexy thing? Oh well, I guess it takes all sorts. And Heartache is an excellent pop song (although Maggie thought it was too upbeat for the subject matter!). For me, Feb 1987 is far better than the dross of Feb 1981. But I'm not sure why someone is hijacking a forum about TOTP 1979 just to air their personal dislike for a chart eight years into the future.
To be fair to UrsulaU and other posters (myself included!) who are posting about the chart from February 1987 it's being done simply because there has been no TOTP 1979 this week and we aren't allowed to discuss you-know-what so the posts are just being made to keep the thread ticking over. Next week, when TOTP 1979 returns, it will once again be business as usual!
Just to say - whoever stated the other week, that music started going downhill in 1987 - I have to agree!
I have just listened to the Top 20 countdown from February 1987, on my local radio show - and what utter dross! >:( - Infact - I can only name one good song out of all of it - Down to Earth by Curiosity Killed the Cat!!
I must admit - though I never really rated 1987 too highly in the first place - I didn't think it got so rubbish so much early on!
I too agree that 1987 was a bad turning point in the history of popular music. Ironically, though, it produced two of my all-time favourite singles: 'True Faith' by New Order and 'It's A Sin' by the Pet Shop Boys (the former probably being in my top 10 or even my top five).
There must be some mistake there as The Beatles Hey Jude wasn't released until 1968 and Get Back until 1969. Therefore they couldn't have been recorded in 1976. As far as I know the film of Get Back by Michael Lindsay-Hogg was first filmed on the roof at the beginning of 1969.
Wasn't there a slight resurgence of Beatles popularity in 1976 though and several songs were re-issued? Probably was the original 60's clips re-used when covering those songs.
To be fair to UrsulaU and other posters (myself included!) who are posting about the chart from February 1987 it's being done simply because there has been no TOTP 1979 this week and we aren't allowed to discuss you-know-what so the posts are just being made to keep the thread ticking over. Next week, when TOTP 1979 returns, it will once again be business as usual!
Fair point re your responses (and mine! plus other people's) but UrsulaU was the one who used this thread to randomly slag off 1987 even though her views didn't stand up to any kind of scrutiny. I personally hate all this "19xx was better than 19yy" nonsense, we can all find songs we like and dislike in any year.
I too agree that 1987 was a bad turning point in the history of popular music. Ironically, though, it produced two of my all-time favourite singles: 'True Faith' by New Order and 'It's A Sin' by the Pet Shop Boys (the former probably being in my top 10 or even my top five).
No it wasn't, it really wasn't. But you are right about one thing, "True Faith" is a brilliant single.
No it wasn't, it really wasn't. But you are right about one thing, "True Faith" is a brilliant single.
I'm not saying there hasn't been great music since 1987 (there's always great new music around somewhere), but I preferred the years before 'house' and 'hip-hop' became mainstream.
Do you have a "turning point" year? It's probably an age thing.
You don't like Stand By Me, Behind the Mask (one of my favourite Clapton singles), You Sexy thing? Oh well, I guess it takes all sorts. And Heartache is an excellent pop song (although Maggie thought it was too upbeat for the subject matter!). But I 'm not sure why someone is hijacking a forum about TOTP 1979 just to air their (misguided) personal dislike for a chart eight years into the future.
Must admit that I've just read through todays posts and wondered if I'd awakened from an 8 year long coma into TOTP 1987. I would think there is so much from '79 to say, can't believe '87 has usurped it.
Getting back to 1979, where he is at his peak of No4 this very week with I Was Made For Dancing, here's Leif Garrett's website worth a look at for anyone interested, there's an interesting video of him being interviewed by Sharon Osbourne on a US equivalent of Loose Women;
More innocent posts removed overnight I see, including one from me. How come the same things can be written across the national press and TV but not on here? Rhetorical question.
Fair point re your responses (and mine! plus other people's) but UrsulaU was the one who used this thread to randomly slag off 1987 even though her views didn't stand up to any kind of scrutiny. I personally hate all this "19xx was better than 19yy" nonsense, we can all find songs we like and dislike in any year.
I think the point is more about chart music than about songs in general. Now for example chart music is most likely pretty poor, but of course that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of good stuff that never gets airplay.
To be fair to UrsulaU and other posters (myself included!) who are posting about the chart from February 1987 it's being done simply because there has been no TOTP 1979 this week and we aren't allowed to discuss you-know-what so the posts are just being made to keep the thread ticking over. Next week, when TOTP 1979 returns, it will once again be business as usual!
Yes - that's right - I agree with that!
Besides - we always move off subject on non TOTP weeks! - Remember how long we were discussing The Village People for? - Must've been at least a fortnight!
'Wasteland' was at number 33 this week in 1987 on its way down the charts after peaking at number 11 three weeks earlier. It is indeed a good song but I deliberately left it off my list as it was a top 20 hit. It was also their biggest hit, peaking one place higher than their 1988 hit 'Tower Of Strenth' and 1990 hit 'Butteryfly On A Wheel' both of which peaked at number 12. Those three singles were their only top 20 hits.
My favourite ever Mission single (that got me hooked on the band) was "Stay With Me"! I remember that one reached No 30 and then dropped out the charts!! - I was GUTTED!
Wasn't there a slight resurgence of Beatles popularity in 1976 though and several songs were re-issued? Probably was the original 60's clips re-used when covering those songs.
There was a singles box-set of The Beatles issued in 1976, including two singles never issued in the UK before; Yesterday/I Should Have Known Better and Back In The USSR/Don't Pass Me Buy, which both made the Top 20 (8 & 19 repectively).
My favourite ever Mission single (that got me hooked on the band) was "Stay With Me"! I remember that one reached No 30 and then dropped out the charts!! - I was GUTTED!
That always seemed to happen to indie singles in the 80s, especially The Smiths.
Comments
That's a great song. An American Number 1 (I think), but done nothing much here chart wise.
Used to hate music like Randy Crawford personally, (it seemed so 'uncool' as a late teenager type person back then), but, maybe you hear things in a different way these days and now I seem to like a lot of it! Elkie's stuff too.
There must be some mistake there as The Beatles Hey Jude wasn't released until 1968 and Get Back until 1969. Therefore they couldn't have been recorded in 1976. As far as I know the film of Get Back by Michael Lindsay-Hogg was first filmed on the roof at the beginning of 1969.
You don't like Stand By Me, Behind the Mask (one of my favourite Clapton singles), You Sexy thing?
May I respectfully suggest you re-read the post you were replying to.
I too agree that 1987 was a bad turning point in the history of popular music. Ironically, though, it produced two of my all-time favourite singles: 'True Faith' by New Order and 'It's A Sin' by the Pet Shop Boys (the former probably being in my top 10 or even my top five).
Wasn't there a slight resurgence of Beatles popularity in 1976 though and several songs were re-issued? Probably was the original 60's clips re-used when covering those songs.
Fair point re your responses (and mine! plus other people's) but UrsulaU was the one who used this thread to randomly slag off 1987 even though her views didn't stand up to any kind of scrutiny. I personally hate all this "19xx was better than 19yy" nonsense, we can all find songs we like and dislike in any year.
No it wasn't, it really wasn't. But you are right about one thing, "True Faith" is a brilliant single.
I'm not saying there hasn't been great music since 1987 (there's always great new music around somewhere), but I preferred the years before 'house' and 'hip-hop' became mainstream.
Do you have a "turning point" year? It's probably an age thing.
Must admit that I've just read through todays posts and wondered if I'd awakened from an 8 year long coma into TOTP 1987. I would think there is so much from '79 to say, can't believe '87 has usurped it.
Getting back to 1979, where he is at his peak of No4 this very week with I Was Made For Dancing, here's Leif Garrett's website worth a look at for anyone interested, there's an interesting video of him being interviewed by Sharon Osbourne on a US equivalent of Loose Women;
www.leifgarrett.net/
More innocent posts removed overnight I see, including one from me. How come the same things can be written across the national press and TV but not on here? Rhetorical question.
*cue excuse to link to my favourite tracks from 1987*
Where The Streets Have No Name - U2
(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party) - The Beastie Boys
When Smokey Sings - ABC
Labour Of Love - Hue & Cry
Bridge To Your Heart - WAX
Faith - George Michael
Wonderful Life - Black
Victim Of Love - Erasure
True Faith - New Order
Sonic Boom Boy - Westworld
You're The Voice - John Farnham
Got My Mind Set On You - George Harrison
Misfit - Curiosity Killed The Cat
Respectable - Mel & Kim
Pump Up The Volume - M.A.R.R.S.
Wishing Well - Terence Trent D'Arby
Little Lies - Fleetwood Mac
It's A Sin - Pet Shop Boys
FairyTale Of New York - The Pogues & Kirsty McColl
This Corrosion - Sisters Of Mercy
Yeah mine again. They may as well just lock the topic if it bothers them that much.
I think the point is more about chart music than about songs in general. Now for example chart music is most likely pretty poor, but of course that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of good stuff that never gets airplay.
So here follow my replies, and then back to 1979 ;-):-
Yes - that's right - I agree with that!
Besides - we always move off subject on non TOTP weeks! - Remember how long we were discussing The Village People for? - Must've been at least a fortnight!
Yes - agree with that too!
Yes - when the reruns started back in 2011 - the 1976 chart had a few Beatles numbers in the Top 30!
I LOVE You Sexy Thing! - But alas - not the remixed 1987 version!
My favourite ever Mission single (that got me hooked on the band) was "Stay With Me"! I remember that one reached No 30 and then dropped out the charts!!
There was a singles box-set of The Beatles issued in 1976, including two singles never issued in the UK before; Yesterday/I Should Have Known Better and Back In The USSR/Don't Pass Me Buy, which both made the Top 20 (8 & 19 repectively).
That always seemed to happen to indie singles in the 80s, especially The Smiths.
Yes!
I think the Smiths were a lot more popular though! Most of their songs at least made the Top 20 before dropping out!