18th October 1986 for three weeks

As a Neighbours fan, I always thought that it was the Aussies who decided that soap opera stars releasing pop songs was a great idea. However, it seems that Eastenders had the idea first.

I remember the song and can recall hearing it at my great Auntie’s house once. 

3/10

11th October 1986 for one week

True Blue is a good song. It is pure pop and classic Madonna.

It is perhaps not one of her most popular songs today, but it is nonetheless a fabulous song!

Madonna released some really great pop songs, didn’t she. It’s good to look back at her earlier work as it was pure pop, before she started trying to make a statement or sound cool. It was just pop music that sounded fun.

8/10

13th September 1986 for four weeks

I absolutely love this song! I can recall hearing it as a child and loving it every time I heard it. It was one of the best songs of the year, without a doubt! It is very uplifting and I love the singing style of Jimmy Somerville and Sarah Jane Morris.

It still sounds great to this day, but I can’t recall hearing it on the radio for a fair while. Maybe it hasn’t aged as well as I think it has. But I totally love it!

10/10

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

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

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

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

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

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

10th May 1986 for one week

How on earth did this make Number 1?

What were people thinking?

I have nothing more to add.

1/10