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I couldn't stand "Careless Whisper" but George had plenty of other hits in 1984
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Nor will other big international hits like "I Just Called To Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder or "Careless Whisper" by George Michael. So what is included? Read on...
She featured twice in Part 3, and at number 10 is "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper, the undeniably catchy single that started it all for the flame-haired singer with the unmistakable voice. But the world almost never got to hear Cyndi sing - in the late '70s, she damaged her vocal cords and was told she wouldn't sing again. Obviously, that didn't turn out to be the case and this chart-topper was only the start of a long and varied career.
The song which featured on the first pop album I ever owned is at number 9: "Sweet And Sour" by The Takeaways, which was the fictional group from the ABC TV series also called Sweet And Sour. The show only ran for 20 episodes during July and August of 1984, but is fondly remembered by anyone who grew up in the mid-'80s. "Sweet And Sour" was actually sung by Deborah Conway (who at that stage was in Do Re Mi) and not actress Tracy Mann, who portrayed lead singer Carol. Future Chantoozies member (and Getaway presenter) David Reyne also played a member of the band, guitarist Martin, with his vocals performed by Deckchairs Overboard's John Clifforth (since David was a drummer and not a singer). "Sweet And Sour" reached number 13 on the Australian chart, while the soundtrack album got to number 4.
A song you couldn't escape in 1984 is at number 8 - "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham!, which spent seven non-consecutive weeks on top of the Australian singles chart, but it's not my favourite Wham! song from that year...
Back again at number 7 is "The Riddle" by Nik Kershaw, the first single from Nik's second album in under 12 months. And although I often don't pay attention to song lyrics, there's no denying (least of all by Nik himself) that the words to this track are complete gibberish. For example, the chorus lyrics are: "Near a tree by a river/There's a hole in the ground/Where an old man of aran/Goes around and around/And his mind is a beacon in the veil of the night/For a strange kind of fashion/There's a wrong and a right/But he'll never, never fight over you". What nonsense. It's still a great song, though.
At number 6: "Borderline" by Madonna, the fifth and final single from her self-titled debut album, although in Australia, it actually charted before "Lucky Star". Over in the UK, it wouldn't be successful until 1986, when a re-release finally sent it shooting up the chart. After that, it would be a very long time before Madonna would have to worry about a song not being a hit again.
Maintaining their position as one of the world's most popular groups, at number 5, it's "The Reflex" by Duran Duran, which was another UK number 1 and another Australian number 4 (their third). While it was business as usual for Duran Duran in 1984, the following year was going to hold all sorts of interesting developments for the band, which I'll talk about when we get to 1985.
A band you couldn't escape in 1984 - at number 4 is "Freedom" by Wham!. Not even Communist China was immune from the charms of the pop duo, with George and Andrew famously becoming the first Western music act to perform there the following year (as seen in the music video below).
Number 3: "Let's Hear It For The Boy" by Deniece Williams or, the song in Footloose where Kevin Bacon teaches the other guy how to dance. I have very clear memories of this song playing at a friend's house at the time it was out and him bouncing down a set of stairs on his backside in time with the music. Strange, I know, but it is the sort of song that inspires spontaneous bursts of deliriously happy behaviour.
In the runner-up slot, at number 2 is "Jump (For My Love)" by The Pointer Sisters. I also have vivid memories of this song, but in this case it's of me getting really cross when some of the clip was played on Hey Hey It's Saturday only for voiceover man John Blackman to talk all the way through it. He did the same thing whenever they showed "Hello" by Lionel Richie - specifically, putting on the voice of a Telecom (as it was then called) operator when the blind girl picked up the phone. He clearly didn't know that great pop music is no laughing matter.
And my favourite song for 1984... at number 1 is "Together In Electric Dreams" by Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder from the film Electric Dreams, which I don't think I've ever seen all the way through. By all accounts, that's no loss. But it wouldn't be the first - or last - time a terrible film had an awesome theme song, and it doesn't get much better than this gem by the Italian producer and The Human League's frontman.
My top 200 for 1984 in full:
1 TOGETHER
IN ELECTRIC DREAMS Philip Oakey / Giorgio Moroder
2 JUMP!
(FOR MY LOVE) Pointer Sisters
3 LET’S
HEAR IT FOR THE BOY Deniece Williams
4 FREEDOM
Wham!
5 THE
REFLEX Duran Duran
6 BORDERLINE
Madonna
7 THE
RIDDLE Nik Kershaw
8 WAKE
ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO Wham!
9 SWEET
AND SOUR The Takeaways
10 GIRLS
JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN Cyndi Lauper
11 WHATEVER
I DO (WHEREVER I GO) Hazell Dean
12 SHE
BOP Cyndi Lauper
13 OUT
OF TOUCH Hall & Oates
14 FOOTLOOSE
Kenny Loggins
15 WOULDN’T
IT BE GOOD Nik Kershaw
16 IT’S
MY LIFE Talk Talk
17 DO
THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS Band Aid
18 DOCTOR!
DOCTOR! Thompson Twins
19 ALL
THROUGH THE NIGHT Cyndi Lauper
20 MESSAGE
TO MY GIRL Split
21 OH SHERRIE Steve Perry
22 NO
SAY IN IT Machinations
23 BURN
FOR YOU INXS
24 SHOUT
TO THE TOP The Style Council
25 PEOPLE
ARE PEOPLE Depeche Mode
26 AIN’T NOBODY Rufus and Chaka Khan
27 ROUND
AND ROUND Spandau Ballet
28 LUCKY
STAR Madonna
29 WHY?
Bronski Beat
30 HOLIDAY Madonna
31 LOVE
RESURRECTION Alison Moyet
32 HEAVEN
(MUST BE THERE) Eurogliders
33 JUNO
& ME The Dugites
34 NEVERENDING
STORY Limahl
35 DANCING
IN BERLIN Berlin
36 SMALLTOWN
BOY Bronski Beat
37 THE
SECOND TIME Kim Wilde
38 I
WANT YOU BACK Hoodoo Gurus
39 WE
BELONG Pat Benatar
40 RELAX
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
41 THE
GLAMOROUS LIFE Sheila E
42 I
WALK AWAY Split Enz
43 ROBERT
DE NIRO’S WAITING Bananarama
44 SHOUT
Tears For Fears
45 I
AM ONLY SHOOTING LOVE Time Bandits
46 P.Y.T.
(PRETTY YOUNG THING) Michael Jackson
47 AGAINST
ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW) Phil Collins
48 THIS
NIGHT Billy Joel
49 HELLO
Lionel Richie
50 REBEL
YELL Billy Idol
51 SEARCHIN’
(GOTTA FIND A MAN) Hazell Dean
52 BREAKIN’…
THERE’S NO STOPPIN’ US Ollie & Jerry
53 BIG GIRLS Electric
Pandas
54 I
CAN DREAM ABOUT YOU Dan Hartman
55 ONLY
WHEN YOU LEAVE Spandau Ballet
56 DANCE
HALL DAYS Wang Chung
57 PEARL
58 PRIDE
(IN THE NAME OF LOVE) U2
59 99
LUFTBALLOONS Nena
60 BREAKDANCE Irene Cara
61 UP
ROCK Rocksteady Crew
62 I’M FREE (HEAVEN HELPS
THE MAN) Kenny Loggins
63 NO
MORE WORDS Berlin
64 I
WON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Nik Kershaw
65 I’LL FLY FOR YOU Spandau Ballet
66 LIKE
TO GET TO KNOW YOU WELL Howard Jones
67 SOMEBODY
/ BLASPHEMOUS RUMOURS Depeche Mode
68 YOU
THINK YOU’RE A MAN Divine
69 LET’S
GO CRAZY Prince & The Revolution
70 BACK IN MY ARMS (ONCE AGAIN) Hazell Dean
71 MASTER
AND SERVANT Depeche Mode
72 SUNGLASSES
AT NIGHT Corey Hart
73 YOU
MIGHT THINK The Cars
74 DYNAMITE Jermaine Jackson
75 JUMP
Van Halen
76 CRY
Dragon
77 RUN
TO YOU Bryan Adams
78 SELF
CONTROL Laura Branigan
79 TOO
LATE FOR GOODBYES Julian Lennon
80 TIME
AFTER TIME Cyndi Lauper
81 HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO
Bonnie Tyler
82 WILDERWORLD
Dragon
83 THE TOUCH Kim Wilde
84 CARRIBEAN
QUEEN (NO MORE LOVE ON THE RUN) Billy
Ocean
85 BITTER
DESIRE Kids In The Kitchen
86 STRUT Sheena Easton
87 ONE
NIGHT IN BANGKOK Murray Head
88 I
FEEL FOR YOU Chaka Khan
89 EVERYTHING
SHE WANTS Wham!
90 YOU’RE
THE INSPIRATION Chicago
91 WHEN
DOVES CRY Prince & The Revolution
92 FRESH
Kool & The Gang
93 HARD
HABIT TO BREAK Chicago
94 NEW
MOON ON MONDAY Duran Duran
95 MOTHER’S
TALK Tears For Fears
96 HELLO
AGAIN The Cars
97 SEX
CRIME (1984) Eurythmics
98 I
WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS Foreigner
99 ALL
CRIED OUT Alison Moyet
100 THE
LONGEST TIME Billy Joel
101 THE
POWER OF LOVE Frankie Goes To Hollywood
102 YOU’RE
THE BEST THING The Style Council
103 MISSING
YOU John Waite
104 THE
WARRIOR Scandal featuring Patty Smyth
105 A
BEAT FOR YOU Pseudo Echo
106 TALKING
IN YOUR SLEEP Bucks Fizz
107 YOU
TAKE ME UP Thompson Twins
108 BIG
IN JAPAN Alphaville
109 TAKING
THE TOWN Icehouse
110 MAYBE
ONLY I DREAM Eurogliders
111 LOCOMOTION
O.M.D.
112 DARK
GLASSES Edwina Laurie
113 THE
BELLE OF ST MARK Sheila E
114 IF
EVER YOU’RE IN MY ARMS AGAIN Peabo Bryson
115 ALIBIS
Sergio Mendes
116 SKIN
DEEP The Stranglers
117 DANCING
WITH TEARS IN MY EYES Ultravox
118 THE
LUCKY ONE Laura Branigan
119 DANCING
ON THE JETTY INXS
120 IF
THIS IS IT Huey Lewis & The News
121 THE
CATERPILLAR The Cure
122 THE
WILD BOYS Duran Duran
123 I
SEND A MESSAGE INXS
124 MY
EVER CHANGING MOODS The Style Council
125 AUTOMATIC
Pointer Sisters
126 HIDE
AND SEEK Howard Jones
127 MISS
ME BLIND Culture Club
128 YAH
MO B THERE Michael McDonald / James Ingram
129 GIVE
ME TONIGHT Shannon
130 HIGH
ON EMOTION Chris De Burgh
131 STREET
DANCE Break Machine
132 (LIVIN’
IN) DESPERATE TIMES Olivia Newton-John
133 STRANGER
IN TOWN Toto
134 LIFE’S
A GAMBLE The Radiators
135 HYPNOTIZE
Scritti Politti
136 WE
ARE THE YOUNG Dan Hartman
137 ABSOLUTE
Scritti Politti
138 SOMEBODY’S
WATCHING ME Rockwell
139 TONIGHT
Kool & The Gang
140 IT’S
A MIRACLE Culture Club
141 THE
POLITICS OF DANCING Re-flex
142 THINKING
OF YOU Sister Sledge
143 TENDERNESS
General Public
144 JUST
THE WAY YOU LIKE IT S.O.S. Band
145 LIKE
A VIRGIN Madonna
146 GOOD
DIE YOUNG Divinyls
147 I
WOULD DIE 4 U Prince & The Revolution
148 DR
BEAT Miami Sound Machine
149 ROUGH
JUSTICE Bananarama
150 TOO
LOW FOR ZERO Elton John
151 BIG
ON LOVE Models
152 I
WANT A NEW DRUG Huey Lewis & The News
153 KING
OF PAIN The Police
154 VALOTTE
Julian Lennon
155 WHAT’S
LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT Tina Turner
156 (FEELS
LIKE) HEAVEN Fiction Factory
157 SISTER
CHRISTIAN Night Ranger
158 THE
LEBANON
159 I
DIDN’T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON Cherrelle
160 HERE
COMES THE RAIN AGAIN Eurythmics
161 HUMAN
RACING Nik Kershaw
162 BLUE
DAY Mi-Sex
163 CHANGE
OF HEART Change
164 RUN
RUNAWAY Slade
165 LOVE’S
GREAT ADVENTURE Ultravox
166 THE
LION’S MOUTH Kajagoogoo
167 THE
MORE YOU LIVE, THE MORE YOU LOVE A Flock Of Seagulls
168 STATE
OF THE NATION Industry
169 HEART
TO SELL The Promise
170 BLUE
JEAN David Bowie
171 WARNING
SIGN Nick Heyward
172 WOOD
BEEZ (PRAY LIKE ARETHA FRANKLIN
173 FLESH
FOR FANTASY Billy Idol
174 GHOSTBUSTERS
Ray Parker Jr
175 GIRL
ON THE WALL Jane Clifton
176 DUSTY
PAGES Icehouse
177 DANCING
UNTIL MIDNIGHT Pseudo Echo
178 SUCH
A SHAME Talk Talk
179 I
FOUND LOVIN’ The Fatback Band
180 SOMEBODY
ELSE’S GUY Jocelyn Brown
181 LAY
YOUR HANDS ON ME Thompson Twins
182 LISTEN
TO YOUR FATHER Feargal Sharkey
183 YOU
CAN’T GET WHAT YOU WANT (TILL YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT) Joe Jackson
184 PENNY
LOVER Lionel Richie
185 STATE
OF SHOCK The Jacksons
186 TWO
TRIBES Frankie Goes To Hollywood
187 RESPECT
YOURSELF Kane Gang
188 THE
WAR SONG Culture Club
189 HOW
TO BE A MILLIONAIRE ABC
190 RADIO
GA GA Queen
191 DRIVE
The Cars
192 EVERYBODY
WANTS TO WORK Uncanny X-Men
193 LEGS
ZZ Top
194 SEA
OF LOVE The Honeydrippers
195 I
WANT TO BREAK FREE Queen
196 INVISIBLE
Alison Moyet
197 FAREWELL
MY SUMMER LOVE Michael Jackson
198 LIGHTS
OUT Peter Wolf
199 DON’T
BELIEVE ANYMORE Icehouse
200 HOLD
ME Teddy Pendergrass / Whitney HoustonThanks for the memories, 1984. This Thursday (September 6), we'll take our usual look back at the ARIA chart from 25 years ago with some very odd songs debuting that week.
Then, 1985 will have to wait because I'll be counting down my favourite singles and albums by a group who had their big breakthrough in '85 and who just happen to have a new album coming out this week.
MY YEAR-END CHARTS
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