CHART BEATS: A JOURNEY
THROUGH POP

"Endless Love" . "Up Where We Belong" . "Save Your Love" . The '80s had already provided some monster ballad duets — and two more arrived on the ARIA top 50 this week in 1983. Two singles, four performers, one overdose of romantic sentiment One of the ballads was performed by a pair of country superstars, while the other reunited two soul singers who'd previously collaborated on a live album in 1980. Both singles would be top 10 hits, one going all the way to the very top of

There have been plenty of successful partnerships between songwriters and female singers over the years. Bacharach & David and Dionne...

Some weeks in music are bigger than others. For every chart with only a couple of minor hits debuting, there are ones like the ARIA top 50 from this week in 1986. Two singles that would have a huge impact on music for years to come quickly made their presence felt. John Farnham: proving not all songs with bagpipes have to be awful One song was a major comeback by a singer whose first hit was way back in 1967 . His latest chart-topping single would not only kick-start his care

Back in the pre-digital era, you couldn't just buy whatever song you wanted whenever you wanted. And so, for a single that'd already been...

First impressions are everything — and this week in 1991, the debut singles by three quite different acts arrived on the ARIA top 50. All...

I've always thought that if you're going to do a cover version, you should really do something different with the song. Otherwise, people...

Apart from half-time shows and the odd sportsperson who makes an ill-advised attempt at a recording career, music and sport don't often...

This blog is, in theory, a journey through pop. But, sometimes the ARIA top 50 from years past isn't very helpful in that mission. Case...

Changing tempo had sure worked for Berlin. This week in 1986, big ballad "Take My Breath Away" moved up to number 2 for the band better...

In last week's recap of the ARIA singles chart from 1983, we encountered a bunch of songs I'd never heard before. I can't say the same...

Back in the days of physical music formats (you know, the pre-iTunes era), I never approved of record companies deleting singles while...

There's no denying Paul McCartney and Rod Stewart are music legends, but as well as both having decades-spanning careers that continue to...

As I write my flashbacks to ARIA charts from years past, I sometimes come across songs I didn't know at the time. Often, it's an obscure...

Some artists have a huge hit straight out of the gate — and then spend the rest of their career trying to live up to it. This week in...

Unlike TV talent quests Star Search,Pot Of Gold and New Faces , you weren't meant to take Red Faces seriously. The Hey Hey It's Saturday...

U2. Bon Jovi. Nirvana. R.E.M. Coldplay. At one time or other, they've all been regarded as the biggest band in the world. Before any of...

It only takes one song to ruin a hit streak. A song like "Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi", which broke Kylie Minogue's initial run of number 1...

Every pop music story has a beginning, and this week in 1986, a man synonymous with the modern era of reality TV singing competitions...

If you happen to find yourself married to an incredibly successful songwriter, it only makes sense that you would get them to pen you a...

In yesterday's flashback to 1986 , we saw Belinda Carlisle embark on what would turn out to be a successful solo career. But what happens...