Top 100 Best Selling Albums Of The 80s

[Booers]

What was the Wet Wet Wet plagiarism thing? I don't recall that.

So there should be some obvious albums to come in the top 20 of the decade, but I'll be posting two a day over the next 10 days until we get to No 1. Only one act has 2 albums still to come and just who will have the biggest album of the decade by a female solo artist???

I can guess who that is ...

[Eric Generic]

What was the Wet Wet Wet plagiarism thing? I don't recall that.

Two songs on the debut album had lyrics pretty much lifted wholesale from other acts' work. Sweet Little Mystery's lines about " a sense of wonder" were from Van Morrison, and "the saddest thing I've ever seen" verse in Angel Eeyes was appropriated from Heartbreaking World by Squeeze. Both date from 1985, as it happens.

[gezza76]

18. MAKE IT BIG- Wham! (1,332,000)



RELEASED: 5th November 1984

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 72

SINGLES RELEASED:

WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO (1)
CARELESS WHISPER (1)
FREEDOM (1)
EVERYTHING SHE WANTS (2)

Free from that nasty contract Wham! returned to the charts in May 84 with the infectious “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” which gave the band its first No 1. Michael’s solo career was kick-started by “Careless Whisper” which also hit the top and sold a million, and Wham! then did the treble when “Freedom” also made No 1, all this pre the release of “Make It Big”.

When it finally hit the shops in Nov 84 it debuted at No 1 and was such a strong seller through the Christmas period it ended 84 as the third biggest album of the year tipping over the 900k mark just in time. The inclusion of “Everything She Wants” released as a double A Side fuelled sales further.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SoiswXso60

[gezza76]

17. LEGEND- Bob Marley & The Wailers (1,350,000)



RELEASED: 7th May 1984

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 101

SINGLES RELEASED:

ONE LOVE/ PEOPLE GET READY (5)
WAITING IN VAIN (31)
COULD YOU BE LOVED (71)

The second of two albums to appear on both the 80s and 90s rundown here’s Bob Marley’s “Legend” again. Released posthumously in 1984 the album spent 12 straight weeks at No 1 from debut and sold over a million in 84 alone to end up second best for the year behind Lionel Richie.

Three tracks were re-released to promote the campaign which proved as a timely reminder of the magic of his music...

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

[gezza76]

16. A NEW FLAME- Simply Red (1,418,000)



RELEASED: 13th February 1989

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 46

SINGLES RELEASED:

IF YOU DON’T KNOW ME BY NOW (2)
IT’S ONLY LOVE (13)
A NEW FLAME (17)
YOU’VE GOT IT (46)

The first of 4 million selling albums on the trot for Simply Red, “A New Flame” came within a whisker of being 1989’s biggest selling album but was overtaken at the last breath by Jason Donovan having led the way for the greater majority of the year. Once released it debuted at No 1 and spent 7 weeks there, before remaining in the top 20 for 37 straight weeks and in the top 40 the remainder of the year.

As we know the band got recompensed for just missing out on the best seller of 89 by their next album “Stars” which nabbed the title of 91’s best seller by overtaking the Eurythmics on Christmas eve and made doubly sure by also being the best seller of 92....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP_CRUqovp4

[gezza76]

15. TEN GOOD REASONS- Jason Donovan (1,454,000)



RELEASED: 1st May 1989

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 35

SINGLES RELEASED:

TOO MANY BROKEN HEARTS (1)
SEALED WITH A KISS (1)
ESPECIALLY FOR YOU (1)
EVERYDAY (I LOVE YOU MORE) (2)
NOTHING CAN DIVIDE US (5)

And here is the offending album. In nicking the top spot from Simply Red, Stock Aitken & Waterman managed to get the best seller of the year for a second year in a row as producers. Since perhaps 1963 no individual year can claim to be so dominated by a production team as they dominated 1989 with 7 number one singles (including the three featured on this album). Jason was the top heart throb of the year and could pretty much do no wrong. The album spent four weeks at No 1 never dipping below No 24 before the decade ended, its top 10 placing throughout December enabling to catch that Simply Red album.

As the S/A/W machine started to show signs of slowing down come 1990 Donovan found success hard to come by and never made the No1 spot again though his stint in “Joseph” and the consequent No 1 cast album gives him an honorary mention, before leaving the S/A/W stable for good in 1991...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpRkBF3Jh_I

[letuinmybackdoor]

His second album saw a real drop in quality. And, considering he was so big in 1989 it must have come as a shocker when the second album did so much worse. he really just wasn't an interesting performer. You could say he was the equivalent of an X factor winner back then. Initial mania which fades very quickly. I don't think PWL knew how to develop him as an artist, and 'Between the lines' really sounded like PWL on autopilot. I had this album at the time, but it really has tons of filler on it in hindsight.

[Eric Generic]

Another Night stalling at #18 was one of those "whoa" moments in pop when a previously imperious pop act suddenly hits the buffers.

I didn't mind the 2nd album at all back then, but I haven't listened to it for about 20 years.

[bichard]

Everyday (I Love You More) is one of my favourite PWL songs ever I reckon. It's just lovely.

It still amuses me that Donovan was fucked off when he found out Nothing Can Divide Us was originally intended for Rick Astley.

[Eric Generic]

Everyday is pop magic. That was the song off the album which had me hooked immediately. At the time, I thought it was a bit so-so, the whole album, but not much better or worse than Kylie's two efforts up to that point. Of course, Rhythm Of Love completely moved the goalposts.

There was talk when Everyday *only* made #2 that he'd have had another #1 if he'd done the Cliff song (I Just Don't Have The Heart) instead. Which is a bit unfair on Everyday, it was a perfect single choice.

[hudweiser]

The only thinkg that irks me about 'Everyday' is the recycled bit of melody from/for Bananarama's/Steps' Movin' On:

Everyday: "I may never bring you flowers, I may be working all these hours..."
Movin On: "I know we meant to stay together, we just ran into stormy weather..."

Lazy songwriting!

Elsewhere, why in HELL were Simply Red so popular? I've never met anybody who's expressed anything other than grotesque facial contortions when they're mentioned.

[gezza76]

14. INTRODUCING THE HARDLINE ACCORDING TO....- Terence Trent D'Arby (1,486,000)



RELEASED: 13th July 1987

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 65

SINGLES RELEASED:

SIGN YOUR NAME (2)
WISHING WELL (4)
IF YOU LET ME STAY (7)
DANCE LITTLE SISTER (20)

He had it all, the looks, the moves, the hits and yet Terence Trent D’Arby threw it all away. Released in the summer of 1987 “Introducing the Hardline according To....” was an instant Chart topper for a sole week but it returned to the top six months later after “Sign Your Name” became its biggest hit for a consecutive run of 8 weeks there. Before boomeranging back to the top the album had already done in excess of 600k to be the 12th best seller of 87 before increasing its sales in 1988 to a mighty 800k and ending 88 as its 7th biggest.

D’Arby returned in late 1989 with the follow up “Neither Fish Nor Flesh” but seemed to have forgotten the tunes, it peaked at No 12 and spent just 5 weeks on the chart. Though some ground was regained by 1993’s “Symphony Or Damn” D’Arby never recaptured the glory of 1987....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu3exk0a6DM

[gezza76]

13. GRACELAND- Paul Simon (1,534,000)



RELEASED: 1st September 1986

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 99

SINGLES RELEASED:

YOU CAN CALL ME AL (4)
BOY IN THE BUBBLE (26)

For an album with just 2 singles released from it “Graceland” was a phenomenal success. He had of course long been famous as a member of Simon & Garfunkel in the 60s/70s, and subsequently as a solo artist but had not managed to get a UK No 1 solo album in some 14 years prior to this. Lead single “You Can Call Me Al” returned him to the top 10 for the first time in 13 years and upon release “Graceland” spent little time getting to the top where it spent 8 weeks and 35 weeks in the top 20 consecutively and finally means we get to the 1.5 million mark on this countdown.

The return to form was short lived and the follow up, 1990’s “Rhythm of The Saints” similarly added to his No 1 tally but as a commercial force he was pretty much spent, but not a bad career all in all...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy5T6s25XK4

[Eric Generic]

There were three other singles from Graceland, but they all flopped - Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes (Feb 87), Graceland (May '87) and Under African Skies (Nov 87, a futile attempt to make an album track into a Xmas-friendly single!). His 86-91 success was a brief return to his early 70s heyday, as Graceland actually followed two unsuccessful albums and it had been almost 15 years since he'd had a decent-sized solo hit. I don't think many people expected Graceland to do so well. It was the first album I ever bought on CD, and it's still a fantastic record.

[KamikazeHeart]

Paul Simon really is ridiculously brilliant, and I just don't understand why he's generally ranked below the likes of Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. He's THE singer-songwriter in my book.

I mean, that discography. To think one man has composed everything from The Sounds of Silence to Bridge Over Troubled Water to You Can Call Me Al to American Tune is beyond impressive.

[Eric Generic]

Absolutely! I rate him above pretty much everyone except Joni Mitchell and a few others. As a male songwriter and performer, he has few genuine peers...especially anyone whose career spans 50 years. I love so many of his often funny little records. His last couple of albums have been really strong too, no dimming of the light there.

[gezza76]

12. LIKE A VIRGIN- Madonna (1,550,000)



RELEASED: 12th November 1984

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 151

SINGLES RELEASED:

INTO THE GROOVE (1)
MATERIAL GIRL (3)
LIKE A VIRGIN (3)
DRESS YOU UP (5)
ANGEL (5)

It’s the album that made a superstar. Though her debut album ended up selling about half a million it was “Like A Virgin” that made her into a household name and cemented her reputation for controversy. Woman had never been so overtly sexual aggressive as Madonna came across and it worked a treat with all five singles making the top 5 throughout the year in addition to two other movie spin off records and a re-release also making the top 5 meaning that she managed to acquire 8 top 10’s throughout the year a record which has never been rivalled.

Home to 5 of those hits “Like A Virgin” was unleashed late in 84 and was, quite frankly underwhelming on the sales front, failing even to make the top 100 for the year, but in 1985 the album started to take off and, when re-issued with her first No 1 hit “Into The Groove” on it, the set flew to the top for 2 weeks on its way to a million sales in 85 alone and the position of 3 on the Y/E charts. All told the album was a constant presence on the chart until June 86 but she was about to do even better...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58-72eCf5xg

[gezza76]

11. NO JACKET REQUIRED- Phil Collins (1,675,000)



RELEASED: 18th February 1985

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 170

SINGLES RELEASED:

ONE MORE NIGHT (4)
SUSSUDIO (12)
TAKE ME HOME (19)

Released in March 85 this is Collins’ best selling 80s album, although it would be beaten by the end of 1990 by “....But Seriously”. It was at the time his fastest selling album spending its first 5 weeks at No 1 and its first 34 weeks in the top 20 and sold over a million copies in 85 to just pip “Like A Virgin” to 2nd place for that year.

His appearance at Live Aid also helped considerably in this sales haul, famously becoming the only person to play at the both the London and Philadelphia legs of the event...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRY1NG1P_kw&ob=av2e

[gezza76]

10. THE JOSHUA TREE- U2 (1,724,000)



RELEASED: 9th March 1987

PEAK POSITION: 1

SINGLES RELEASED:

WITH OR WITHOUT YOU (4)
WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME (4)
I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR (6)
IN GOD’S COUNTRY (48)

It’s still the best selling U2 album ever, some 24 years after its release evidencing the period that U2 became one of the biggest bands in the world. “The Joshua Tree” debuted at No 1 on sales of 235k, a figure which was at the time second only to Frankie Goes To Hollywood, and went on to become a permanent member of the top 10 for 28 weeks. It sold over 1.4 million in 1987 alone, normally enough for a best selling album of the year but it was up against Jackson’s “Bad” so had to settle for second place.

Further sales of over a quarter of a million in 88 ensured that the album just managed to make the top 10 for the entire decade....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzZWSrr5wFI&ob=av2n

[gezza76]

9. TANGO IN THE NIGHT- Fleetwood Mac (1,787,000)



RELEASED: 13th April 1987

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 99

SINGLES RELEASED:

EVERYWHERE (4)
LITTLE LIES (5)
BIG LOVE (9)
FAMILY MAN (54)
SEVEN WONDERS (56)
ISN’T IT MIDNIGHT (60)

With an album like “Rumours” in your repertoire it’s always a tough ask to produce something to better it, and whilst “Tango In The Night” couldn’t do that it made a very decent effort. Although a little slow out of the starting blocks, peaking at No 4, after the third hit “Little Lies” made the top 10 in Oct 87 the album finally made it to No 1 for 5 weeks over three separate runs extending into 1988, and sold so well it finished in the top 10 best sellers of both 87 and 88 marking the high point of their career in the 80s.

It started out as a Lindsey Buckingham solo project but quickly grew into a Fleetwood Mac project, the irony being that in the summer of 87 Buckingham left the group just as “Tango In The Night” became a worldwide hit....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbsaj0XHUeg

[Eric Generic]

Well now we really ARE talking! Gosh what a list this is.

I never ever imagined Tango.. would end up so huge. Despite being trailed by a #9 hit, which was rare in itself for the band, the album only debuted at #7 and did indeed take until October to really get going (before then, it had dropped into the lower end of the Top 100 with a very modest 26 wks on the chart). Another irony of the project was that it took the Christine McVie ditties to power the album's success, not Lindsey's efforts. It's quite a dark, atmospheric record when he's in charge - Caroline, Big Love, the title song - and yet it's probably known for some sweet, fluffy love songs like Everywhere and Little Lies.

It's also got the greatest album sleeve in history.

[Ray]

Some of those truly horrify me. No Jacket Required sold more than Like A Virgin!!!!!! Terence Trent D'Arby at #14!!!!!! And was there really a time when people expected S/A/W acts to differ from each other and have a personality? I mean, Kylie was the first one that actually made it to the record release stage with songs she co-wrote, I'd think before that it really was how Pete W described it once -- you queued at the S/A/W office until you got to the front of the line, then you got 10 songs and released them as your album. If there is a difference of quality between Ten Good Reasons and Between The Lines, last person I would attribute that to would be Jason himself.

[gezza76]

8. TRUE BLUE- Madonna (1,827,000)



RELEASED: 30th June 1986

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 81

SINGLES RELEASED:

PAPA DON’T PREACH (1)
TRUE BLUE (1)
LA ISLA BONITA (1)
LIVE TO TELL (2)
OPEN YOUR HEART (4)

Madonna’s best selling album of the decade clocks in at No 8, it contains 3 chart toppers and reflects a period where she could do wrong. The Album debuted at No 1 and spent 6 weeks there before completing 32 straight weeks in the top 10 and 15 months of top 40 appearances, in addition to receiving the accolade of 1986’s biggest seller.

The album was dedicated to then husband Sean Penn, the break up of which would prove fertile writing material for her “like A Prayer” album in 89, but certainly when her “Who’s That Girl” tour found itself in the UK in summer of 87 the surrounding media circus pretty much confirmed her reputation as the biggest female solo artist the world had....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TOxkTTzgKw

[bichard]

I mean, Kylie was the first one that actually made it to the record release stage with songs she co-wrote, I'd think before that it really was how Pete W described it once -- you queued at the S/A/W office until you got to the front of the line, then you got 10 songs and released them as your album.

What about Bananarama and Mel & Kim? They co-wrote their own material.

[gezza76]

7. KYLIE- Kylie Minogue (1,877,000)



RELEASED: 4th July 1988

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 67

SINGLES RELEASED:

I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY (1)
GOT TO BE CERTAIN (2)
THE LOCO-MOTION (2)
JE NE SAIS PAS POURQUOI (2)

S/A/W’s biggest selling album ever, and although “Fever” came close this is still Kylie’s biggest too. Spending its first 29 weeks in the top 10 enabled this album to also become the best seller of 1988, in addition to spending 6 weeks at number one of course.

All the singles made the top 2, and all four of them came very close to being No 1’s!, and it was the first album I ever bought, probably because of that hat!....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BxU-oRnnO0