JUMP TO: 40-31 II 30-21 II 20-11 II 10-1
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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 WANNA 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 ONLY WHEN YOU LEAVE Spandau Ballet
55 DANCE HALL DAYS Wang Chung
56 PEARL
57 PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE) U2
58 99 LUFTBALLOONS Nena
59 BREAKDANCE
Irene Cara
60 UP ROCK Rocksteady Crew
61 I’M
FREE (HEAVEN HELPS THE MAN) Kenny Loggins
62 NO MORE WORDS Berlin
63 I WON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Nik Kershaw
64 I’LL FLY FOR YOU Spandau Ballet
65 LIKE TO GET TO KNOW YOU WELL Howard Jones
66 SOMEBODY / BLASPHEMOUS RUMOURS Depeche Mode
67 YOU THINK YOU’RE A MAN Divine
68 LET’S GO CRAZY Prince & The Revolution
69 BACK IN MY ARMS (ONCE AGAIN) Hazell Dean
70 MASTER AND SERVANT Depeche Mode
71 SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT Corey Hart
72 YOU MIGHT THINK The Cars
73 DYNAMITE Jermaine Jackson
74 JUMP Van Halen
75 CRY Dragon
76 RUN TO YOU Bryan Adams
77 SELF CONTROL Laura Branigan
78 TOO LATE FOR GOODBYES Julian Lennon
79 TIME AFTER TIME Cyndi Lauper
80 HOLDING
OUT FOR A HERO Bonnie Tyler
81 WILDERWORLD Dragon
82 THE
TOUCH Kim Wilde
83 CARIBBEAN QUEEN (NO MORE LOVE ON THE RUN) Billy
Ocean
84 BITTER DESIRE Kids In The Kitchen
85 STRUT
Sheena Easton
86 ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK Murray Head
87 I FEEL FOR YOU Chaka Khan
88 EVERYTHING SHE WANTS Wham!
89 YOU’RE THE INSPIRATION Chicago
90 WHEN DOVES CRY Prince & The Revolution
91 FRESH Kool & The Gang
92 HARD HABIT TO BREAK Chicago
93 NEW MOON ON MONDAY Duran Duran
94 MOTHER’S TALK Tears For Fears
95 HELLO AGAIN The Cars
96 SEX CRIME (1984) Eurythmics
97 I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS Foreigner
98 ALL CRIED OUT Alison Moyet
99 THE LONGEST TIME Billy Joel
100 THE POWER OF LOVE Frankie Goes To Hollywood
101 YOU’RE THE BEST THING The Style Council
102 MISSING YOU John Waite
103 THE WARRIOR Scandal featuring Patty Smyth
104 A BEAT FOR YOU Pseudo Echo
105 TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP Bucks Fizz
106 YOU TAKE ME UP Thompson Twins
107 BIG IN JAPAN Alphaville
108 TAKING THE TOWN Icehouse
109 MAYBE ONLY I DREAM Eurogliders
110 LOCOMOTION O.M.D.
111 DARK GLASSES Edwina Laurie
112 THE BELLE OF ST MARK Sheila E
113 IF EVER YOU’RE IN MY ARMS AGAIN Peabo Bryson
114 ALIBIS Sergio Mendes
115 SKIN DEEP The Stranglers
116 DANCING WITH TEARS IN MY EYES Ultravox
117 THE LUCKY ONE Laura Branigan
118 DANCING ON THE JETTY INXS
119 IF THIS IS IT Huey Lewis & The News
120 THE CATERPILLAR The Cure
121 THE WILD BOYS Duran Duran
122 I SEND A MESSAGE INXS
123 MY EVER CHANGING MOODS The Style Council
124 AUTOMATIC Pointer Sisters
125 HIDE AND SEEK Howard Jones
126 MISS ME BLIND Culture Club
127 YAH MO B THERE Michael McDonald / James Ingram
128 GIVE ME TONIGHT Shannon
129 HIGH ON EMOTION Chris De Burgh
130 STREET DANCE Break Machine
131 (LIVIN’ IN) DESPERATE TIMES Olivia Newton-John
132 STRANGER IN TOWN Toto
133 LIFE’S A GAMBLE The Radiators
134 HYPNOTIZE Scritti Politti
135 WE ARE THE YOUNG Dan Hartman
136 ABSOLUTE Scritti Politti
137 SOMEBODY’S WATCHING ME Rockwell
138 TONIGHT Kool & The Gang
139 IT’S A MIRACLE Culture Club
140 THE POLITICS OF DANCING Re-flex
141 THINKING OF YOU Sister Sledge
142 TENDERNESS General Public
143 JUST THE WAY YOU LIKE IT S.O.S. Band
144 LIKE A VIRGIN Madonna
145 GOOD DIE YOUNG Divinyls
146 I WOULD DIE 4 U Prince & The Revolution
147 DR BEAT Miami Sound Machine
148 ROUGH JUSTICE Bananarama
149 TOO LOW FOR ZERO Elton John
150 BIG ON LOVE Models
151 I WANT A NEW DRUG Huey Lewis & The News
152 KING OF PAIN The Police
153 VALOTTE Julian Lennon
154 WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT Tina Turner
155 (FEELS LIKE) HEAVEN Fiction Factory
156 SISTER CHRISTIAN Night Ranger
157 THE LEBANON
158 I DIDN’T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON Cherrelle
159 HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN Eurythmics
160 HUMAN RACING Nik Kershaw
161 BLUE DAY Mi-Sex
162 CHANGE OF HEART Change
163 RUN RUNAWAY Slade
164 LOVE’S GREAT ADVENTURE Ultravox
165 THE LION’S MOUTH Kajagoogoo
166 THE MORE YOU LIVE, THE MORE YOU LOVE A Flock Of Seagulls
167 STATE OF THE NATION Industry
168 HEART TO SELL The Promise
169 BLUE JEAN David Bowie
170 WARNING SIGN Nick Heyward
171 WOOD BEEZ (PRAY LIKE ARETHA FRANKLIN
172 FLESH FOR FANTASY Billy Idol
173 GHOSTBUSTERS Ray Parker Jr
174 GIRL ON THE WALL Jane Clifton
175 DUSTY PAGES Icehouse
176 DANCING UNTIL MIDNIGHT Pseudo Echo
177 SUCH A SHAME Talk Talk
178 I FOUND LOVIN’ The Fatback Band
179 SOMEBODY ELSE’S GUY Jocelyn Brown
180 LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME Thompson Twins
181 LISTEN TO YOUR FATHER Feargal Sharkey
182 YOU CAN’T GET WHAT YOU WANT (TILL YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT) Joe
Jackson
183 PENNY LOVER Lionel Richie
184 STATE OF SHOCK The Jacksons
185 TWO TRIBES Frankie Goes To Hollywood
186 RESPECT YOURSELF Kane Gang
187 THE WAR SONG Culture Club
188 HOW TO BE A MILLIONAIRE ABC
189 RADIO GA GA Queen
190 DRIVE The Cars
191 EVERYBODY WANTS TO WORK Uncanny X-Men
192 LEGS ZZ Top
193 SEA OF LOVE The Honeydrippers
194 I WANT TO BREAK FREE Queen
195 INVISIBLE Alison Moyet
196 SAD SONGS (SAY SO MUCH) Elton John
197 FAREWELL MY SUMMER LOVE Michael Jackson
198 LIGHTS OUT Peter Wolf
199 DON’T BELIEVE ANYMORE Icehouse
200 HOLD ME Teddy Pendergrass / Whitney Houston
Thanks 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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