Boris Gardiner – I Want To Wake Up With You

23rd August 1986 for three weeks

I couldn’t think what this song was until just now. Boris Gardiner? Never heard of him. I Want To Wake Up With You? Never heard of it. Well, after having a listen just now on Apple Music, it actually sounds very familiar. I have definitely heard it before, but I just cannot recall when.

It’s quite a good song. I’m not surprised that it reached Number 1 in 1986 as there seemed to be a lot of love songs at the top this year.

7/10

Chris de Burgh – The Lady In Red

2nd August 1986 for three weeks

Ok, so I probably hate this song less than some people. Often described as one of the most annoying songs forever, The Lady In Red has gained a bit of a reputation and isn’t played much these days.

The truth is, Lady in Red (I didn’t know there was a ‘The’) is a nice song. It’s a great love song, written by a guy who is clearly totally and utterly in love. Chris de Burgh had every right to write a song like this. What he probably wasn’t expecting was that everyone would go out an by enough copies to make it Number 1 for three weeks. That’s not his fault – it was the fault of the music buying public.

3/10

Madonna – Papa Don’t Preach

12th July 1986 for three weeks

I can recall hearing this song when I was younger but the story behind the lyrics completely flew over my head. I had no idea that it was about a teenage pregnancy. I was much too young to appreciate this when I was 7.

Papa Don’t Preach is a great pop song and is still one of Madonna’s best, although the way that society is now more understanding of unexpected pregnancy, the controversy that probably people enjoyed when it first came out is now probably not there.

7/10

Wham! – The Edge Of Heaven

28th June 1986 for two weeks

I have no recollection of The Edge of Heaven as a child and can only recall hearing it when I bought that Wham! greatest hits album in 1997.

TEOH is a great pop song though. After checking on Wikipedia this was billed as Wham!’s final single so I guess it was a big moment. So, of course it flew to Number 1. At that time we presumed it would be their last, but 35 years later, one of their hits would reach the summit for the very first time!

8/10

Doctor and the Medics – Spirit In The Sky

7th June 1986 for three weeks

I absolutely love this song. I can remember hearing it on the radio and remember it being played by my brother at the time. I can recall seeing the single on 7″ as I can remember this picture vividly.

I had no idea that the song was a cover version. I didn’t know it at the time but this was the second time that Spirit In The Sky would be at Number 1, and there’ll be one more in the future. However, Doctor and the Medics’ version is by a mile the best and is still one of my favourite songs.

10/10

Spitting Image featuring The Wet Gits – The Chicken Song

17th May 1986 for three weeks

The first novelty song that I can recall. I have vivid memories of this song. I didn’t watch Spitting Image until I was a bit older, but I can remember this song clearly. I remember someone at Church (of all places) giving me a copy of the lyrics and I learned them off by heart. To this day I can sing the chorus!

You can see why the song was popular with kids at the time – it’s a bit naughty, a bit rude and very silly. As a child you felt like a bit of a rebel by singing it.

Like many novelty songs it hasn’t held up well over the years.

2/10

Cliff Richard and The Young Ones featuring Hank Marvin – Living Doll

29th March 1986 for three weeks

I can remember hearing about this song on the news. It was a Comic Relief single which I wasn’t hugely aware of at the time, but it meant that the single was news worthy.

I remember that my mum liked the original version which was Number 1 in 1959.

This is the first time of discussing a song with a ‘featuring’ credit. This will become commonplace before long.

It’s not a great song, but I do remember enjoying it at the time.

2/10