4 July 1987 'West End Girls', one of the best singles of the 1980s, didn't get to number one in Ireland, so this is our first Pet Shop Boys chart-topper. By this stage they were well established as an essential pop act; I remember radio DJs and music writers of the time speaking of Tennant … Continue reading Pet Shop Boys – ‘It’s A Sin’
Tag: 1987
The Firm – ‘Star Trekkin”
27 June 1987 I was in primary school when 'Star Trekkin'' was in the charts, so I can confirm it was a big hit in my then-demographic. We were a bit young to be Star Trek fans or even watchers, but we knew the main gist of it, so we took the song's characters and … Continue reading The Firm – ‘Star Trekkin”
George Michael – ‘I Want Your Sex’
20 June 1987 Here it is: after all those years of Wham! service and a hit single on the side, George Michael finally starts his "serious artist" solo career. And what's the first thing he releases? Well, remember in the video for 'I'm Your Man' where there's a film countdown reel that slips in the … Continue reading George Michael – ‘I Want Your Sex’
U2 – ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’
13 June 1987 Zap through all your TV channels and you'll invariably come across the religious stations. Many are pretty orthodox: a priest, nun, pastor, rabbi or imam leading a service or preaching the party line. But you'll probably also see a live music event where an earnest-looking rock band is churning out sub-emo guitar … Continue reading U2 – ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’
Johnny Logan – ‘Hold Me Now’
16 May 1987 Resplendent in an all-white kit, Spurs lost a classic FA Cup Final in 1987 to unfancied Coventry City and Keith Houchen's diving header. Johnny Logan, also top to toe in white, won the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland a week earlier in equally dramatic circumstances. For years I misremembered both as being … Continue reading Johnny Logan – ‘Hold Me Now’
Starship – ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’
2 May 1987 Have you ever actually watched the movie Mannequin, or does the video for 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now' suffice? I feel the video gives me all the Mannequin I need; the full movie itself would only be a let down. This is our first number one from the pen of Diane Warren, … Continue reading Starship – ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’
The Pogues and The Dubliners – ‘The Irish Rover’
18 April 1987 The Irish and UK top ten singles in April 1987 featured 'Let It Be' by Ferry Aid, a charity fundraising record for the Zeebrugge ferry disaster, and also this comic Irish ballad about a ship that sank. Explain me that. The Pogues had two Irish number one singles in 1987, both duets, … Continue reading The Pogues and The Dubliners – ‘The Irish Rover’
U2 – ‘With Or Without You’
4 April 1987 'With Or Without You', the lead single for the new U2 album The Joshua Tree, was number one in Ireland for two weeks, just like 'The Unforgettable Fire', before being knocked off the top spot by another Irish record. It only got to number four in the UK charts, on a par … Continue reading U2 – ‘With Or Without You’
Boy George – ‘Everything I Own’
21 March 1987 By early 1987 Boy George had been through a tough year of drug addiction, police drug raids on his home, and the death of friends by drug overdose, including one also at his home. All of the above seemed to be splashed constantly across the tabloids, judging by what I saw on … Continue reading Boy George – ‘Everything I Own’
Ben E. King – ‘Stand By Me’
28 February 1987 The video (below) is for the hit movie of the same name, while the sleeve (above) is for the high-profile jeans commercial in which it also featured. With that sort of double-barrelled marketing firepower behind it, the re-released 'Stand By Me' was never not going to be a number one. Okay, maybe … Continue reading Ben E. King – ‘Stand By Me’
