List of UK singles chart number ones of the 1980s

The UK Singles Chart is the official record chart in the United Kingdom. Until 1983, it was compiled weekly by the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) on behalf of the British record industry with a two-week break each Christmas.[1] The BMRB used motorcycle couriers to collect the sales figures taken up to the close of trade on Saturday. This data was compiled on Monday and given to the BBC on Tuesday to be announced on BBC Radio 1 at lunchtime and later published in Music Week.[1] On 4 January 1983, the chart was taken over by Gallup who expanded the chart from the Top 75 to the Top 100[2] and began the introduction of computerised tills which automated the data collection process.[1][2] The chart was based entirely on sales of physical singles from retail outlets and announced on Tuesday until October 1987, when the Top 40 was revealed each Sunday, due to the new automated process.[3]

Madonna had six number ones during the 1980s.

During the 1980s there were a total of 191 singles which took the UK chart number 1 spot.[4] In terms of number-one singles, Madonna was the most successful single act of the decade, as six of her singles reached the top spot. George Michael had significant involvement with eight number-one singles; with two number-one singles as a solo artist, four as a member of pop duo Wham!, one as a duet with Aretha Franklin and one as a member of charity supergroup Band Aid. The longest duration of a single at number one was nine weeks, achieved by Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Two Tribes" in 1984.[5]

The best-selling single of the decade was "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid, selling over 3.5 million copies, and passing "Mull of Kintyre" by Wings to become the best-selling single ever.[6] "Do They Know It's Christmas?" is currently the second best-selling song after "Candle in the Wind 1997" by Elton John.[7]

The 1980s saw the introduction of the cassette single (or "cassingle") alongside the 7-inch and 12-inch record formats and in 1987 major record labels developed a common format for the CD single.[8] For the chart week ending 3 May 1989, chart regulations confined Kylie Minogue's song "Hand on Your Heart" to number two. Minogue would have reached number one if sales from cassette singles were included but they were sold for £1.99 – cheaper than was allowed at the time. Following the debacle the British Phonographic Industry reduced the minimum price for cassette singles to become eligible towards sales figures.[9]

Number-one singles

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The Jam achieved four number ones during the 1980s, with three of them - "Going Underground", "Town Called Malice" and "Beat Surrender" - entering the chart at number one.
 
In 1980 ABBA scored their two most recent number ones, their last being Super Trouper.
 
John Lennon was murdered in 1980, and three of his singles reached number one posthumously.[10]
 
Michael Jackson had three number-one singles in the 1980s, scoring his first ever number-one single in 1981 with "One Day in Your Life", followed by "Billie Jean" in 1983 and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" in 1987.
 
During the 1980s, Culture Club had two number ones, including the best-selling single of 1983, "Karma Chameleon". Frontman Boy George would later achieve a solo number one in 1987.
 
George Michael was one of the most successful artists of the 1980s, with three number-one singles as a solo artist and four as part of Wham!.
 
Bob Geldof co-wrote "Do They Know It's Christmas?", which was the biggest-selling single of the decade.
 
Frankie Goes to Hollywood had three consecutive singles reach number one, of which two, "Relax" and "Two Tribes", sold over one million copies.
 
In 1985, Jennifer Rush was the first female artist to have a single sell over a million copies, with "The Power of Love".[citation needed]
 
During the 1980s, the Pet Shop Boys gained four number ones, "West End Girls", "It's a Sin", "Always on My Mind" and "Heart".
 
In 1988, Kylie Minogue went to number one with her debut UK single "I Should Be So Lucky", and achieved two more number ones in 1989.
Key
Best-selling single of the year[11]
Best-selling single of the decade[11]
Contents
No. Artist[nb 1] Single[nb 1] Record label[nb 2] Week ending date[nb 1] Weeks at
number one[nb 1]
1980
448 Pink Floyd "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" Harvest 15 December 1979 5
449 Pretenders "Brass in Pocket" Real 19 January 1980 2
450 The Special A.K.A. Too Much Too Young - The Special A.K.A. Live! (EP) [nb 3] 2 Tone 2 February 1980 2
451 Kenny Rogers "Coward of the County" United Artists 16 February 1980 2
452 Blondie "Atomic" Chrysalis 1 March 1980 2
453 Fern Kinney "Together We Are Beautiful" WEA 15 March 1980 1
454 The Jam "Going Underground" / "Dreams of Children" Polydor 22 March 1980 3
455 The Detroit Spinners "Working My Way Back to You – Forgive Me Girl" Atlantic 12 April 1980 2
456 Blondie "Call Me" Chrysalis 26 April 1980 1
457 Dexys Midnight Runners "Geno" Late Night Feelings 3 May 1980 2
458 Johnny Logan "What's Another Year" Epic 17 May 1980 2
459 The Mash "Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide is Painless)" CBS 31 May 1980 3
460 Don McLean "Crying" EMI 21 June 1980 3
461 Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra "Xanadu" Jet 12 July 1980 2
462 Odyssey "Use It Up and Wear It Out" RCA 26 July 1980 2
463 ABBA "The Winner Takes It All" Epic 9 August 1980 2
464 David Bowie "Ashes to Ashes" RCA 23 August 1980 2
465 The Jam "Start!" Polydor 6 September 1980 1
466 Kelly Marie "Feels Like I'm in Love" Calibre Plus 13 September 1980 2
467 The Police "Don't Stand So Close to Me" † A&M 27 September 1980 4
468 Barbra Streisand "Woman in Love" CBS 25 October 1980 3
469 Blondie "The Tide Is High" Chrysalis 15 November 1980 2
470 ABBA "Super Trouper" Epic 29 November 1980 3
471 John Lennon "(Just Like) Starting Over" Geffen 20 December 1980 1
472 St Winifred's School Choir "There's No One Quite Like Grandma" MFP 27 December 1980 2
1981
473 John Lennon "Imagine" Apple 10 January 1981 4
474 John Lennon "Woman" Geffen 7 February 1981 2
475 Joe Dolce Music Theatre "Shaddap You Face" Epic 21 February 1981 3
476 Roxy Music "Jealous Guy" E.G. 14 March 1981 2
477 Shakin' Stevens "This Ole House" Epic 28 March 1981 3
478 Bucks Fizz "Making Your Mind Up" RCA 18 April 1981 3
479 Adam and the Ants "Stand and Deliver" CBS 9 May 1981 5
480 Smokey Robinson "Being with You" Motown 13 June 1981 2
481 Michael Jackson "One Day In Your Life" Motown 27 June 1981 2
482 The Specials "Ghost Town" 2 Tone 11 July 1981 3
483 Shakin' Stevens "Green Door" Epic 1 August 1981 4
484 Aneka "Japanese Boy" Hansa 29 August 1981 1
485 Soft Cell "Tainted Love" Some Bizzare 5 September 1981 2
486 Adam and the Ants "Prince Charming" CBS 19 September 1981 4
487 Dave Stewart with Barbara Gaskin "It's My Party" Stiff 17 October 1981 4
488 The Police "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" A&M 14 November 1981 1
489 Queen and David Bowie "Under Pressure" EMI 21 November 1981 2
490 Julio Iglesias "Begin the Beguine (Volver a Empezar)" CBS 5 December 1981 1
491 The Human League "Don't You Want Me" †[nb 4] Virgin 12 December 1981 5
1982
492 Bucks Fizz "The Land of Make Believe" RCA 16 January 1982 2
493 Shakin' Stevens "Oh Julie" Epic 30 January 1982 1
494 Kraftwerk "The Model" / "Computer Love" EMI 6 February 1982 1
495 The Jam "Town Called Malice" / "Precious" Polydor 13 February 1982 3
496 Tight Fit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" Jive 6 March 1982 3
497 Goombay Dance Band "Seven Tears" Epic 27 March 1982 3
498 Bucks Fizz "My Camera Never Lies" RCA 17 April 1982 1
499 Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder "Ebony and Ivory" Parlophone 24 April 1982 3
500 Nicole "A Little Peace" CBS 15 May 1982 2
501 Madness "House of Fun" Stiff 29 May 1982 2
502 Adam Ant "Goody Two Shoes" CBS 12 June 1982 2
503 Charlene "I've Never Been to Me" Motown 26 June 1982 1
504 Captain Sensible "Happy Talk" A&M 3 July 1982 2
505 Irene Cara "Fame" RSO 17 July 1982 3
506 Dexys Midnight Runners "Come On Eileen" † Mercury 7 August 1982 4
507 Survivor "Eye of the Tiger" Scotti Bros. 4 September 1982 4
508 Musical Youth "Pass the Dutchie" MCA 2 October 1982 3
509 Culture Club "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" Virgin 23 October 1982 3
510 Eddy Grant "I Don't Wanna Dance" Ice 13 November 1982 3
511 The Jam "Beat Surrender" Polydor 4 December 1982 2
512 Renée and Renato "Save Your Love" Hollywood 18 December 1982 4
1983
513 Phil Collins "You Can't Hurry Love" Virgin 15 January 1983 2
514 Men at Work "Down Under" Epic 29 January 1983 3
515 Kajagoogoo "Too Shy" EMI 19 February 1983 2
516 Michael Jackson "Billie Jean" Epic 5 March 1983 1
517 Bonnie Tyler "Total Eclipse of the Heart" CBS 12 March 1983 2
518 Duran Duran "Is There Something I Should Know?" EMI 26 March 1983 2
519 David Bowie "Let's Dance" EMI America 9 April 1983 3
520 Spandau Ballet "True" Chrysalis 30 April 1983 4
521 New Edition "Candy Girl" London 28 May 1983 1
522 The Police "Every Breath You Take" A&M 4 June 1983 4
523 Rod Stewart "Baby Jane" Warner Bros. 2 July 1983 3
524 Paul Young "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" CBS 23 July 1983 3
525 KC and the Sunshine Band "Give It Up" Epic 13 August 1983 3
526 UB40 "Red Red Wine" DEP International 3 September 1983 3
527 Culture Club "Karma Chameleon" † Virgin 24 September 1983 6
528 Billy Joel "Uptown Girl" CBS 5 November 1983 5
529 The Flying Pickets "Only You" 10 10 December 1983 5
1984
530 Paul McCartney "Pipes of Peace" Parlophone 14 January 1984 2
531 Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Relax" ZTT 28 January 1984 5
532 Nena "99 Red Balloons" Epic 3 March 1984 3
533 Lionel Richie "Hello" Motown 24 March 1984 6
534 Duran Duran "The Reflex" EMI 5 May 1984 4
535 Wham! "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" Epic 2 June 1984 2
536 Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Two Tribes" ZTT 16 June 1984 9
537 George Michael "Careless Whisper" Epic 18 August 1984 3
538 Stevie Wonder "I Just Called to Say I Love You" Motown 8 September 1984 6
539 Wham! "Freedom" Epic 20 October 1984 3
540 Chaka Khan "I Feel for You" Warner Bros. 10 November 1984 3
541 Jim Diamond "I Should Have Known Better" A&M 1 December 1984 1
542 Frankie Goes to Hollywood "The Power of Love" ZTT 8 December 1984 1
543 Band Aid "Do They Know It's Christmas?" ‡ Mercury 15 December 1984 5
1985
544 Foreigner "I Want to Know What Love Is" Atlantic 19 January 1985 3
545 Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson "I Know Him So Well" RCA 9 February 1985 4
546 Dead or Alive "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" Epic 9 March 1985 2
547 Philip Bailey and Phil Collins "Easy Lover" CBS 23 March 1985 4
548 USA for Africa "We Are the World" CBS 20 April 1985 2
549 Phyllis Nelson "Move Closer" Carrere 4 May 1985 1
550 Paul Hardcastle "19" Chrysalis 11 May 1985 5
551 The Crowd "You'll Never Walk Alone" Spartan 15 June 1985 2
552 Sister Sledge "Frankie" Atlantic 29 June 1985 4
553 Eurythmics "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" RCA 27 July 1985 1
554 Madonna "Into the Groove" Sire 3 August 1985 4
555 UB40 and Chrissie Hynde "I Got You Babe" DEP International 31 August 1985 1
556 David Bowie and Mick Jagger "Dancing in the Street" EMI America 7 September 1985 4
557 Midge Ure "If I Was" Chrysalis 5 October 1985 1
558 Jennifer Rush "The Power of Love" † CBS 12 October 1985 5
559 Feargal Sharkey "A Good Heart" Virgin 16 November 1985 2
560 Wham! "I'm Your Man" Epic 30 November 1985 2
561 Whitney Houston "Saving All My Love for You" Arista 14 December 1985 2
562 Shakin' Stevens "Merry Christmas Everyone" Epic 28 December 1985 2
1986
563 Pet Shop Boys "West End Girls" Parlophone 11 January 1986 2
564 A-ha "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." Warner Bros. 25 January 1986 2
565 Billy Ocean "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" Jive 8 February 1986 4
566 Diana Ross "Chain Reaction" Capitol 8 March 1986 3
567 Cliff Richard and the Young Ones featuring Hank Marvin "Living Doll" WEA 29 March 1986 3
568 George Michael "A Different Corner" Epic 19 April 1986 3
569 Falco "Rock Me Amadeus" A&M 10 May 1986 1
570 Spitting Image "The Chicken Song" Virgin 17 May 1986 3
571 Doctor and the Medics "Spirit in the Sky" IRS 7 June 1986 3
572 Wham! "The Edge of Heaven" Epic 28 June 1986 2
573 Madonna "Papa Don't Preach" Sire 12 July 1986 3
574 Chris de Burgh "The Lady in Red" A&M 2 August 1986 3
575 Boris Gardiner "I Want to Wake Up with You" Revue 23 August 1986 3
576 The Communards with Sarah Jane Morris "Don't Leave Me This Way" † London 13 September 1986 4
577 Madonna "True Blue" Sire 11 October 1986 1
578 Nick Berry "Every Loser Wins" BBC 18 October 1986 3
579 Berlin "Take My Breath Away" CBS 8 November 1986 4
580 Europe "The Final Countdown" Epic 6 December 1986 2
581 The Housemartins "Caravan of Love" Go! Discs 20 December 1986 1
582 Jackie Wilson "Reet Petite" SMP 27 December 1986 4
1987
583 Steve "Silk" Hurley "Jack Your Body" [nb 5] DJ International 24 January 1987 2
584 Aretha Franklin and George Michael "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" Epic 7 February 1987 2
585 Ben E. King "Stand by Me" Atlantic 21 February 1987 3
586 Boy George "Everything I Own" Virgin 14 March 1987 2
587 Mel and Kim "Respectable" Supreme 28 March 1987 1
588 Ferry Aid "Let It Be" CBS 4 April 1987 3
589 Madonna "La Isla Bonita" Sire 25 April 1987 2
590 Starship "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" Arista 9 May 1987 4
591 Whitney Houston "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" Arista 6 June 1987 2
592 The Firm "Star Trekkin'" Bark 20 June 1987 2
593 Pet Shop Boys "It's a Sin" Parlophone 4 July 1987 3
594 Madonna "Who's That Girl" Sire 25 July 1987 1
595 Los Lobos "La Bamba" Slash 1 August 1987 2
596 Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" Epic 15 August 1987 2
597 Rick Astley "Never Gonna Give You Up" † RCA 29 August 1987 5
598 MARRS "Pump Up the Volume" 4AD 3 October 1987 2
599 Bee Gees "You Win Again" Warner Bros. 17 October 1987 4
600 T'Pau "China in Your Hand" Siren 14 November 1987 5
601 Pet Shop Boys "Always on My Mind" Parlophone 19 December 1987 4
1988
602 Belinda Carlisle "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" Virgin 16 January 1988 2
603 Tiffany "I Think We're Alone Now" MCA 30 January 1988 3
604 Kylie Minogue "I Should Be So Lucky" PWL 20 February 1988 5
605 Aswad "Don't Turn Around" CBS 26 March 1988 2
606 Pet Shop Boys "Heart" Parlophone 9 April 1988 3
607 S'Express "Theme from S'Express" Rhythm King 30 April 1988 2
608 Fairground Attraction "Perfect" RCA 14 May 1988 1
609 Wet Wet Wet / Billy Bragg and Cara Tivey "With a Little Help from My Friends" / "She's Leaving Home" Childline 21 May 1988 4
610 The Timelords "Doctorin' the Tardis" KLF Communications 18 June 1988 1
611 Bros "I Owe You Nothing" CBS 25 June 1988 2
612 Glenn Medeiros "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" London 9 July 1988 4
613 Yazz and the Plastic Population "The Only Way Is Up" Big Life 6 August 1988 5
614 Phil Collins "A Groovy Kind of Love" Virgin 10 September 1988 2
615 The Hollies "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" EMI 24 September 1988 2
616 U2 "Desire" Island 8 October 1988 1
617 Whitney Houston "One Moment in Time" Arista 15 October 1988 2
618 Enya "Orinoco Flow" WEA 29 October 1988 3
619 Robin Beck "First Time" Mercury 19 November 1988 3
620 Cliff Richard "Mistletoe and Wine" † EMI 10 December 1988 4
1989
621 Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan "Especially for You" PWL 7 January 1989 3
622 Marc Almond featuring Gene Pitney "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" EMI 28 January 1989 4
623 Simple Minds "Belfast Child" Virgin 25 February 1989 2
624 Jason Donovan "Too Many Broken Hearts" PWL 11 March 1989 2
625 Madonna "Like a Prayer" Sire 25 March 1989 3
626 The Bangles "Eternal Flame" CBS 15 April 1989 4
627 Kylie Minogue "Hand on Your Heart" PWL 13 May 1989 1
628 The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock Aitken Waterman "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" PWL 20 May 1989 3
629 Jason Donovan "Sealed with a Kiss" PWL 10 June 1989 2
630 Soul II Soul "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" Virgin 24 June 1989 4
631 Sonia "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" Chrysalis 22 July 1989 2
632 Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers "Swing the Mood" Music Factory Dance 5 August 1989 5
633 Black Box "Ride on Time" † Deconstruction 9 September 1989 6
634 Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers "That's What I Like" Music Factory Dance 21 October 1989 3
635 Lisa Stansfield "All Around the World" Arista 11 November 1989 2
636 New Kids on the Block "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" CBS 25 November 1989 3
637 Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers "Let's Party" Music Factory Dance 16 December 1989 1
638 Band Aid II "Do They Know It's Christmas?" PWL 23 December 1989 3
Contents

By artist

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American entertainer Madonna was the most successful act of the decade in terms of number-one singles. She had six number ones: "Into the Groove" (1985); "Papa Don't Preach", "True Blue" (both 1986); "La Isla Bonita", "Who's That Girl" (both 1987); and "Like a Prayer" (1989). George Michael had significant involvement with seven number-one singles; he was also involved with Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" but his contribution was less significant. He had two number-one singles as a solo artist, four as a member of pop duo Wham!, and one as a duet with Aretha Franklin. The following artists achieved three or more number-one hits during the 1980s.

Artist Number ones Weeks at
number one
Madonna 6 14
Pet Shop Boys 4 12
David Bowie 4 11
Shakin' Stevens 4 10
The Jam 4 9
Wham! 4 9
Frankie Goes to Hollywood 3 15
Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers 3 9
Kylie Minogue 3 9
The Police 3 9
Phil Collins 3 8
Paul McCartney 3 8
George Michael 3 8
Jason Donovan 3 7
John Lennon 3 7
Bucks Fizz 3 6
Whitney Houston 3 6
Blondie 3 5
Michael Jackson 3 5

Additionally, Adam Ant and Boy George each had one solo number one hit and two number one hits as lead singers of bands (Adam and the Ants and Culture Club respectively) totalling three number one hits each.

By record label

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The following record labels had five or more number ones on the UK Singles Chart during the 1980s.

Record label Number ones
Epic 23
CBS 19
Virgin 11
EMI 9
RCA 9
A&M 7
Chrysalis 7
PWL 7
Parlophone 6
Sire 6
Arista 5
Motown 5

Songs with the most weeks at number one

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The following songs spent at least five weeks at number one during the 1980s.

Artist Song Weeks at
number one
Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Two Tribes" 9
Culture Club "Karma Chameleon" 6
Lionel Richie "Hello"
Stevie Wonder "I Just Called to Say I Love You"
Black Box "Ride on Time"
Adam and the Ants "Stand and Deliver" 5
The Human League "Don't You Want Me"
Billy Joel "Uptown Girl"
The Flying Pickets "Only You"
Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Relax"
Band Aid "Do They Know It's Christmas?"
Paul Hardcastle "19"
Jennifer Rush "The Power of Love"
Rick Astley "Never Gonna Give You Up"
T'Pau "China in Your Hand"
Kylie Minogue "I Should Be So Lucky"
Yazz and the Plastic Population "The Only Way Is Up"
Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers "Swing the Mood"

Million-selling and platinum records

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The British Phonographic Industry classified singles and albums since 1973 by the number of units sold, with the highest threshold being a "platinum record". Before 1989, a platinum record was given to singles that sold over 1,000,000 units, a gold record for 500,000 unit sales and a silver record for 250,000.[28] For singles released after 1 January 1989, the number of sales required to qualify for platinum, gold and silver records was dropped to 600,000 units (platinum), 400,000 units (gold) and 200,000 units (silver).[28][29][30] Fifteen records were classified platinum in the 1980s.[31] These include two songs from the 1970s that were classified platinum in the 1980s: Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody", released in 1973, re-entered the charts and was classified platinum in 1980 and sold over one million copies by 1985. Pink Floyd's 1979 release "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" was classified platinum at the beginning of 1980 and, although certified as selling 0.995 million units, is believed to have surpassed a million copies in the 1980s when sales not "over-the-counter" are included.[32][33]

In the 1980s, twelve songs were released that were classified platinum in the decade; eleven of these also sold one million units in that time.[32] The double A-side, "Last Christmas" / "Everything She Wants" by Wham!, is notable for being the only million-selling single of the decade not to reach number one due to Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" being released at the same time.[34] In addition, a new version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid II was released in December 1989 and was classified platinum in 1990 and John Lennon's "Imagine" (originally released in 1975), reached number one in 1981 following his death and sold over a million copies.[10][32]

Twelve other songs originally released in the 1980s have since sold one million units, eleven of them following the introduction of music downloads in 2004.[35][36][37][38][39][40] The other song released in the 1980s to sell a million copies is "Blue Monday" by New Order which charted in several years during the 80s, but was not listed as a million seller until later.

Artist Song Date released Date certified
platinum
Year of millionth
sale
John Lennon "Imagine" 1 October 1975 1 February 1981 1981
The Human League "Don't You Want Me" 27 November 1981 1 January 1982 1981
Dexys Midnight Runners and the Emerald Express "Come On Eileen" 1 June 1982 1 September 1982 1982
New Order "Blue Monday" [No. 3] 7 March 1983 1983
Culture Club "Karma Chameleon" 6 September 1983 1 October 1983 1983
Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Relax" 1 January 1984 1 March 1984 1984
Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Two Tribes" May 1984 1 June 1984 1984
George Michael "Careless Whisper" 23 July 1984 1 September 1984 1984
Stevie Wonder "I Just Called to Say I Love You" 17 August 1984 1 September 1984 1984
Band Aid "Do They Know It's Christmas?" 28 November 1984 1 December 1984 1984
Wham! "Last Christmas" / "Everything She Wants"[No. 2] 3 December 1984 1 January 1985 1984
Jennifer Rush "The Power of Love" 28 May 1985 1 November 1985 1985
Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers "Swing the Mood" June 1989 1 August 1989
Black Box "Ride On Time" 18 August 1989 1 October 1989 2004–10
Band Aid II "Do They Know It's Christmas?" 11 December 1989 1 April 1990
Adam and the Ants "Stand and Deliver" 1 May 1981 2004–10
Tight Fit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" 1 January 1982 2010–12
Irene Cara "Fame" 1 June 1982 2004–10
Survivor "Eye of the Tiger" 2 July 1982 2004–10
Billy Joel "Uptown Girl" 30 September 1983 2004–12
Ray Parker, Jr. "Ghostbusters"[No. 2] 17 August 1984 2004–10
The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl "Fairytale of New York"[No. 2] 23 November 1987 2011
UB40 "Red Red Wine" 20 August 1983 2014
Journey "Don't Stop Believin'"[No. 62] 1 December 1981 2014
Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan "Especially for You" 28 November 1988 2014

Additional information

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[No. 2]: The singles "Ghostbusters" and "Fairytale of New York" peaked at number two in the UK singles chart. "Last Christmas" peaked at number two upon its original release, but eventually reached number one in 2021.

[No. 3]: "Blue Monday" was originally released as a 12" single in 1983, where it peaked at number 9 in the UK Singles Chart. It was re-released in 7" format in 1988 as "Blue Monday 1988" where it reached a higher peak of number 3. It has also been re-released on other occasions, most notably 1995. New Order's label, Factory Records, were not a member of the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) so they never received any sales certifications. However, "Blue Monday" sold more than one million units through combined sales total.

[No. 62]: "Don't Stop Believin'" originally peaked in the UK at number 62 in 1982, but reached number 6 in 2010 following performances on The X Factor.

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d The artist, song name, week-ending date of number-one and consecutive number of weeks at the top are those given by The Official Charts Company. The dates are those for the Saturday after publication. The actual sales week represented is that up to and including the previous Saturday (i.e. from 13 to 7 days prior to the chart date).[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]
  2. ^ The record labels are those given by the OCC.[22]
  3. ^ This number-one record was not a single but a five-track extended play (EP) with "Too Much Too Young" as the lead track.[23] The rules now require at most four distinct songs to be eligible for the UK Singles Chart.[24] Although the EP is credited to The Special A.K.A. on the record sleeve the record label credits The Specials.[25]
  4. ^ Until 2021, "Tainted Love" was recognised as the best-selling single of 1981. However, the Official Charts Company compiled a new list using updated sales information, which instead placed "Don't You Want Me" at the top with 1.15 million copies sold, compared to 1.05 million for "Tainted Love".[26]
  5. ^ "Jack Your Body" was released on a 12" single that was over 25 minutes long, exceeding the maximum time for a record to be classified as a single. The track should have been classified as an album instead and, during the two weeks it spent at number one, "Reet Petite" would have been number one for a fifth week and "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" would have become number one a week earlier.[27]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Smith, Alan. "50s & 60s UK Charts – The Truth!". Dave McAleer's website. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Key Dates in the History of the Official UK Charts". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  3. ^ Roberts, David (2005). Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums (18th ed.). Guinness World Records Limited. p. 14. ISBN 1-904994-00-8.
  4. ^ "Project Retro: Every music track which featured in the UK Top 40 singles chart during the 1980s". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  5. ^ "Project Retro: Every music track which featured in the UK Top 40 singles chart during the 1980s". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  6. ^ Leadbetter, Russell (17 May 2010). "Macca proves he's no sellout". The Herald. Retrieved 31 May 2010.
  7. ^ Lakhani, Nina (7 February 2010). "Charity & the charts: The hits and the misses". The Independent. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  8. ^ Pareles, Jon (2 September 1987). "Cassette Singles: New 45's". The New York Times. p. 21. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  9. ^ Jones, Alan (6 May 1989). "This Week's Charts Analysed" (PDF). Record Mirror: 48. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2010.
  10. ^ a b "Singing from beyond the grave". BBC News. 12 October 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  11. ^ a b "Chart Archive - 1980s Singles". everyHit.com. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  12. ^ "All the Number One Singles: 1980". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  13. ^ "All the Number One Singles: 1981". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 1 June 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  14. ^ "All the Number One Singles: 1982". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  15. ^ "All the Number One Singles: 1983". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 3 June 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  16. ^ "All the Number One Singles: 1984". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  17. ^ "All the Number One Singles: 1985". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 1 June 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  18. ^ "All the Number One Singles: 1986". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 1 June 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  19. ^ "All the Number One Singles: 1987". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 1 June 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  20. ^ "All the Number One Singles: 1988". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 5 July 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  21. ^ "All the Number One Singles: 1989". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 5 July 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  22. ^ "Artist Chart History". London: Official Charts Company. 2010. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
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  24. ^ "Rules For Chart Eligibility" (PDF). The Official Charts Company. August 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
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Further reading

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  • Davis, Sharon. 80s Chart Toppers: Every Chart-Topper Tells a Story. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing, 1999 ISBN 1-85158-838-8, 462p.
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