26 December 1981 'Don't You Want Me' stayed at number one in the UK charts into the New Year, but in Ireland it ceded the floor after a week, allowing us an extra chart-topper and post-Christmas treat. Of ABBA's singles in the '80s, 'The Winner Takes It All' seems to take all the critical love, … Continue reading ABBA – ‘One Of Us’
Tag: 1981
The Human League – ‘Don’t You Want Me’
19 December 1981 Our 1981 number ones have been pretty thin gruel: solo Lennon; folk ballads; Shakin' Stevens; Joe Dolce; Pepé Le Pew. But thanks to some Christmas miracle, unlike the previous year's abomination this festive chart-topper is a genuine '80s classic, maybe even the greatest Christmas number one single of them all. There's isn't … Continue reading The Human League – ‘Don’t You Want Me’
Julio Iglesias – ‘Begin The Beguine’
28 November 1981 Julio Iglesias's Pepé Le Pew-like persona was something of a pop culture punchline in the '80s. 'Begin The Beguine', with Julio's breathy croon wrapped in reverb, captures that moment perfectly. What surprises me on hearing this for the first time since '80s daytime radio, and what I suspect propelled it to number … Continue reading Julio Iglesias – ‘Begin The Beguine’
The Police – ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’
21 November 1981 The sparkling piano part gives a lilt and charm that befit the song title. "It's a big enough umbrella / But it's always me who ends up getting wet" is a genuinely lovely lyric. Plus it's not about horny schoolteachers. 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' has more to recommend it … Continue reading The Police – ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’
Dave Stewart with Barbara Gaskin – ‘It’s My Party’
24 October 1981 Not Dave 'Eurythmics' Stewart but Dave 'Not Dave 'Eurythmics' Stewart' Stewart, an English prog-rocker of the '70s as was Gaskin. Is this moody synth cover version of a '60s teenybop classic a brutalist weltschmerz re-reading, or just a serious-muso in-joke that the good people of 1981 didn't quite get? Your guess is … Continue reading Dave Stewart with Barbara Gaskin – ‘It’s My Party’
Ottawan – ‘Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)’
10 October 1981 Despite my infancy I remember hearing this everywhere. Or maybe because of my infancy; its bubbly disco-pop is almost childishly simple and memorable. But lest I do Ottowan a disservice, at least it's more complex and challenging than their previous big hit, another disco track but one that literally had to spell … Continue reading Ottawan – ‘Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)’
Adam and the Ants – ‘Prince Charming’
26 September 1981 Adam Ant made some great records in his early '80s glory years. More importantly, he was a brilliant pop star. 'Prince Charming', though, despite featuring the most famous line he ever sang, trades almost entirely on Adam's star power. You can't dance to it, to the extent that the video is an … Continue reading Adam and the Ants – ‘Prince Charming’
Aneka – ‘Japanese Boy’
19 September 1981 Content warning: cultural appropriation, Orientalism, the works. This is the first of our number ones that I was actually aware of at the time. During one rain-swept holiday at Rosses Point, as we were driving along a main road somewhere around Sligo, this came on the radio. The combination of glassy voice … Continue reading Aneka – ‘Japanese Boy’
Foster and Allen – ‘A Bunch Of Thyme’
12 September 1981 The record that tops the Irish charts this week in September 1981 instead of Soft Cell also deals with tainted love. At first it seems like just another old Irish ballad; ‘A Bunch Of Thyme’ literally begins with the words "Come all ye..." However, it soon gets bizarre and a little icky; the … Continue reading Foster and Allen – ‘A Bunch Of Thyme’
Shakin’ Stevens – ‘Green Door’
15 August 1981 The green door in question has a "happy crowd" behind it. Shaky desperately wants to effect entry and bring his questionable pieces to the party, but no dice; they won't let him in. If only the green door had been a metaphor for Ireland not letting Shakin' Stevens records in, the way … Continue reading Shakin’ Stevens – ‘Green Door’
