The Top 200 Biggest Selling Female Solo Singles Of The 1980's

[The Visitor]

18. Mickey by TONI BASIL

Year 1982
UK peak #2
Sales 580,000

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xs6...l-mickey_music


Originally written as "kitty", Toni Basil changed it to Mickey after she met Mickey Dolenz from the Monkees. This was a US number 1 but had to settle for number 2 here,and never graced the UK top 40 again. Lolly of course covered this in 1999 and made the original seem like a masterpiece.

[rashidhk81]

Never a big fan of the song although I have to admit it is such a classic!

[hudweiser]

The only good bit is the clappy 'Hey Mickey you're so fine, you're so fine, you blow my mind, hey Mickey' bit.

[3Xs]

The only good bit is the clappy 'Hey Mickey you're so fine, you're so fine, you blow my mind, hey Mickey' bit.

Isn't that the only bit? haha. That's the only part I remember.

[bichard]

Ooh no! The best bit is "Oh Mickey you're so pretty can't you understand/You take me by the heart when you take me by the hand!"

My favourite use of any version of this song is at the end of Bring It On. Aceness.

[The Visitor]

17. Papa Don't Preach by MADONNA

Year 1986
UK peak #1 for 3 weeks
Sales 593,000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkxqxWgEEz4&ob=av2e

So here it is, the biggest selling single from the True Blue album. Great intro, great theme, great song. Madonna could really do no wrong at this point in here career. Aged 27 in the video Madonna is presumably supposed to be a teenager who has got pregnant. She must have thought she did well as she pulled the same trick 10 years later in some parts of the Evita film.

[Karma]

Brilliant song!

[Baby Clyde]

18. Mickey by TONI BASIL


Lolly of course covered this in 1999 and made the original seem like a masterpiece.

But the original was already a masterpiece!!!

[Baby Clyde]

As is 'Papa Don't Preach'.

I often think that every single female popstar of the moment should stop and think before they record the crap they churn out 'Would Madonna have released this in the '80's???'.

9 times out of 10 the answer would be 'Hell No!!!'.

She was never super talented but she used what talent she did have to it's maximum degree and most of all ALWAYS knew a killer tune when she heard it. Even her worst 80's records are better than anything Katy Perry has ever recorded.

[hudweiser]

My favourite use of any version of this song is at the end of Bring It On. Aceness.

Didn't B*Witched record that version??

[The Visitor]

16. Saving All My Love For You by WHITNEY HOUSTON

Year 1985
UK peak #1 for 2 weeks
Sales 610,000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyysD...eature=related


Whitney's second single gave her a UK number 1 (her debut, You Give Good Love was a #93 smash). Apparantly Cissie Houston has reservations about letting her little girl sing about an adultery. Luckily she didn't put a stop to it as it gives us our first platinum selling single of the list (although I'm not sure what platinum constituted at the time).

[Baby Clyde]

Whitney's finest moment and the only 10 I gave in her single rate.

[bichard]

God I hate Whitney ballads. Ick.

[gezza76]

Platinum was still 1 million copies in 1985/86 just for info and as you asked.

[The Visitor]

Hey baby, you go your way and I'll go mine
But in the meantime let me reveal the number 15


15. Move Closer by PHYLLIS NELSON

Year 1985
UK peak #1 for 1 week
Sales 612,000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2jp42eCqew

If you're going to be a one hit wonder, you may as well do a Phyllis and have it with a classic like this. First released in 1984 and a total flop, it was luckily given another crack of the whip and Phyllis became the first black woman to top the UK charts with a self-penned song. Another oddity- it's the only UK chart topper of 1985 not to have a video. Phyllis sadly died in 1998 of breast cancer aged 47.

[rashidhk81]

What an amazing song, but have you seen the front cover to the single?! Her hair is a complete mess!

[Eric Generic]

I really disliked this song at the time...well, a 13-year old boy hooked on FGTH and Tears For Fears would do, I suppose! I'm sure it kept one of my favourite singles off #1, which was even more reason to loathe it. Had no idea she passed away so young.

[bichard]

Awful song.

[Booers]

Ahh, my second favourite Phyllis (after Pearce, of course). I liked this at the time when I was about 6 and I still like it now! I have a greatest 'hits' collection of hers and I can't say I remember anything on it other than this. The second verse is a delight.

[Pye]

Has Lisa Stansfield come up in the top 200 yet? I can't be asked to go back through all the older posts.

[The Visitor]

14. 9 to 5 by SHEENA EASTON

Year 1980
UK peak #3
Sales 638,000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huNejF17gzg&ob=av2e

This was the song that got the most exposure from Easton's appearance on The Big Time, and consequently becomes Easton's biggest hit. In the USA it was a number 1, although it was re-named Morning Train, to avoid confusion with the Dolly Parton song of the same name.

[The Visitor]

Lisa was at #45 with All Around The World

[The Visitor]

Poor Sheena, no one gives a toss.

I'm sure unlucky 13 will have some fans

13. Chain Reaction by DIANA ROSS

Year 1986
UK peak #1 for 3 weeks
Sales 681,000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaYHRx9-v2M


Another Bee Gees classic here, and they still have one more contribution to make on this chart. Returned Ms Ross to the top 10 in the UK after a 4 year absence, and gave her her 2nd UK chart topper. Covered of course by Steps in 2001.

[Eric Generic]

Ridiculously flopped in the US, much to the shock/disgust/hurt of the Brothers Gibb. Who then saw their other great 80s UK #1 bomb in the States a year later.

[hudweiser]

That Sheena song is so very weird. I didn't know of it until only a decade or so ago and was mostly familiar with For Your Eyes Only (from numerous bank holiday Bond showings in the 80s and 90s). Thus, I thought of Ms Easton as some sullen, serious artist. Then I heard this.

Sucks for the Bee Gees about their US non-success. You Win Again is hands down one of the best songs of the 80s.