15th December 1979 for five weeks

Another Brick In The Wall (Part II) is probably the coolest song to top the charts in 1979. On the face of it its one for the rebels – “We don’t need no education”. Apparently Margaret Thatcher hated the song for this reason. And if she didn’t like it then that suits me! That’s probably why it has sold over a million copies!

The song is amazing, to be fair. The guitars and vocals all sound brilliant and its instantly engaging and you can see why teenagers at the time would have loved it.

I remember reading in the Nineties that the children singing on the record formed a group claim for royalties.

8/10

8th December 1979 for one week

This is not one of The Police’s songs that I’m very familiar with. I know I’ve heard it at some point. But have no strong recollection.

I can see why – it’s not one of their best. You wonder how it ever came to be a Number 1 record. It’s probably simply down to people buying it because it was recorded by The Police and it was their next single after Message In A Bottle.

There’s no real tune but lots of nice guitar playing.

2/10

17th November 1979 for three weeks

Judging by the single cover picture I doubt that any of these guys were real doctors.

When You’re In Love With a Beautiful Woman is a nice song. It’s so nice that its the sort of song you hear a lot on supermarket tannoys. It was definitely a Morrisons song and I heard it regularly when I worked there.

How does it hold up in 2019. It’s not too bad. I wouldn’t choose to listen to it but then I wouldn’t switch it off if it came on.

5/10

27th October 1979 for three weeks

What the hell is this? I’ve not heard of it ever before two minutes ago. And I hope to God I never do again.

It was Number 1 for three weeks! After some of the classics of the year, what were people thinking in buying this?!

Even Wikipedia can’t be bothered with the Lena Martell version, giving three other versions a higher profile, reducing this version to almost a footnote.

1/10

20th October 1979 for one week

Such a fun pop song – it’s almost impossible to join in!

Oh-wah-oh!

I don’t know much about the background of the song but I like the way that parts of it sound like it has been put together in a garage-type studio by a group of students.

Obviously I didn’t really notice the song until later in life. But I recall hearing that the song was the first song which was played on MTV when it was launched in 1981. It feels like the perfect song.

7/10

29th September 1979 for three weeks

I think I’d have really loved to have been around when The Police were around. For as long as Sting has been around I’ve generally found him and his music to be a bit of a hippy and a bit naff. But The Police made some brilliant music.

Message In A Bottle is great. A classic pop song which is really catchy – great vocals, great accompaniment and a fun message in the song!

The song still sounds current and holds its own against guitar-based songs that have been released since.

This was apparently The Police’s first of five Number 1s so there are more to come – and better!

8/10

22nd September 1979 for one week

Cars is instantly recognisable. The synth, keyboards and guitar still sound new and fresh today.

Almost like a dance music song of its day, I reckon the song holds its own.

The worst part of it is the vocal. It doesn’t really add anything to the song. Maybe Numan himself agreed as he stops singing half way through and just leaves an instrumental. The song is so much better without him

The song was sampled in Koochy by Armand Van Helden in 2000. I remember buying Koochy on CD, but on reflection Koochy is quite poor really. Again – the vocal is just totally naff. The message is clear – Cars and it’s amazing hook is better on its own without anything spoiling it.

8/10

25th August 1979 for four weeks

Quite possibly this is Cliff Richards’ finest hour. A truly great pop song. With a little bit of updating, it wouldn’t sound particularly out of place in the Nineties.

I don’t think I heard this song until I was in my late teens. So despite being a huge Number One it was obviously not particularly overplayed as I don’t remember hearing it as a kid.

As a young lad I don’t think I was particularly aware of Cliff Richard being a naff performer. I still never really get why he seems to be loved by a particular demographic and disliked by everyone else.

We Don’t Talk Anymore is a great pop song. I love the bit where the synth ‘cuts out’ (I’m not sure how else to describe it, and that is probably the wrong way, but it is great).

8/10

28th July 1979 for four weeks

At some point or other we’ve all had this song come into our heads on a Monday morning. It surely wins the prize for the most universally agreed song title?

Unfortunately the inspiration behind the song seems to be a tragic shooting in America, so now I just feel awkward.

It’s quite hard to keep up with the story told in the verses, so the song is actually all about the chorus – and it’s great!

The song is possibly the most different in style to all of the others from 1979 so far. I love the piano – it is brilliant!

7/10